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2016 Population Census:

Cash squeeze threatens headcount

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Politicians are full of lies, says Jonathan www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vol. 5 No. 47

Sunday, November 29, 2015

National Mirror Online

@NationalMirror

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Appeal Court nullies David Mark ’s election P6

…orders fresh poll in 90 days •Retire now, CNPP tells ex-Senate leader

How kidnapped Samson Siasia ’s mother was rescued P.7

NIMC ofcials, jobseekers clash in Makurdi

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L-R: Vice Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Prof. Oluyemisi Obilade; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun; Rev. Mrs. Omotola Oyediran and Pro-Chancellor TASUED, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, during TASUED 6th/7th Convocation Ceremonies and 10th Anniversary at Ijagun Campus, Ogun State, yesterday.

Kogi: Protest greets emergence of Bello as Audu ’s replacement NARTO urges FG to end lingering fuel crisis

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Operation Pulo Shield arrests 5 suspected oil thieves News

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Buhari seeks international support against corruption

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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What ’s new Politics

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Controversy rages over Kogi ’s unnished guber poll

Seven Days TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST WEEK November 29, 2015

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Fashola moves to x power sector dustry.

He said, “We will therefore, continue to strive at all times to ensure that provision of electricity services in the country meet the best international practice.

This administration is mindful of the sanctity of lives of Nigerians and other electric ity consumers and would therefore, not condone frequent incidences of electrocution and other forms of accidents in the industry due to use of substandard materials and equipment and poor state of electricity supply networks.

Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday informed operators in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, that one of the primary targets of the present government is to fix the sector.

The minister, at a stakeholders ’ forum organised by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency in Abuja, explained that the functions of NEMSA, as directed by the Federal Government, is to ensure stable systems that would deliver reliable, efficient and regular power supply and at the same time guarantee safety of lives and property in the in-

I ’ve always had Boko Haram: December deadline not feasible –CCC fascination for music Centre for Crisis Com- soft targets in any part of munication, CCC, has the country, especially in –Gina Cephas dismissed as unachiev- the frontline states was Wellness

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How to maintain healthy skin in dry season

able, the December 2015 deadline for the military to end Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

Executive Secretary of the Centre, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), while briefing the press in Abuja yesterday, said the time line on when to stop the insurgents from activating sleeper cells and detonating bombs into

therefore, not tenable in the current efforts by the armed forces.

While agreeing that it might not be wrong to set deadline for military operations, Anas however stated that the target date was unrealistic following fact that the asymmetric warfare, which Boko Haram is prosecuting against Nigeria was not such that could easily be stamped out.

Eulogies as HID is nally buried on centenary Dry skin is a very common problem for millions of people the world over, which is why there are a number of different treatments available for this ailment.

When someone ’s skin loses its moisture content, it results in dry skin, as this global problem is something that millions of people have tried to solve.

Dryness in our skin occurs due

to a lack of moisture therein, especially during dry seasons. There are several home remedies that can help people get rid of this irritating and painful problem.

Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory disease involving the skin and often other organs and systems, mainly respiratory, relapsing, non-contagious and itchy skin disorder.

The remains of late Yeye Oodua and matriarch of Awolowo dynasty, Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, were yesterday committed to mother earth at the family ’s country home in Ikenne, headquarters of Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.

She was interred beside her husband inside the Awolowo Mausoleum, located within the family compound, after a funeral service at Our Saviour ’s Church, Anglican Communion, Ikenne, presided over by Archbishop Metropolitan and

Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Church Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh.

Eminent personalities, which included Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who stood in for President Muhammadu Buhari; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as 16 governors all joined the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the chief mourner, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, at the church service.

Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) has given the Minister of state, Petroleum Resources, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and other government agencies involved in the fuel supply chain a two weeks ultimatum to restore normalcy in supply and distribution nationwide.

The lawmakers also asked the affected government officials and

agencies to ensure uniform pump price for the product across the country.

This was also as it was revealed by NNPC that the most effective way of arresting the current scarcity was for government to pay oil marketers the fuel subsidies due to them promptly.

According to NNPC, once government assures the importers that it is ready to meet its own part of the bargain, they would flood the country with enough products.

Why corruption won ’t end in Police –IGP Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, yesterday, said the inability and unwillingness of government to adequately fund the Police was responsible for persistent corruption in the Force.

Arase, who made this disclosure at a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, in Abuja, said it was difficult to get policemen to stop corrupt practices in the face of poor and unattractive welfare package.

Arase said over the years the po-

lice made serious efforts to solve the problem of personnel welfare, but this has been made difficult by the lean envelop it was receiving in its budgetary requests.

For instance, the IGP said in 2010, the police asked for over N45bn in the overhead budget, but was given a paltry N15bn that was hardly able to take care of stationery.

Equally, he said in the same year, the police asked for over N53bn under capital budget, but was given about N39bn.

Fuel scarcity: NNPC engages DSS, EFCC to stop hoarding Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has engaged the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a renewed effort to arrest hoarding and diversion of petroleum products by some unscrupulous marketers.

The engagement of the security agencies is also meant

to assist in the monitoring of nationwide fuel truck-out to retail outlets.

While apologising to commuters, motorists and the general public for the noticeable hardship faced in accessing petrol across the country, the NNPC assured that it was doing everything possible to normalise the fuel supply and distribution situation.

Adeyemi Lanre MOVIE PRODUCER

MON

Passion

larly with the sudden death of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu who was coasting home victory before the tragedy struck last Sunday morning.

INEC returns the incumbent governor, Capt. Idris Wada as winner of the November 21st gubernatorial election, as the APC candidate, who was leading in the inconclusive election died during the process.

The party also said the proposed supplementary election would no longer be necessary as APC is not backed by either the constitution or electoral laws to substitute its candidate within the election period.

I start my day with prayer. Then I head to the gym for a little exercise just to keep fit. I take my shower and head for the office where I start the week with meeting mainly with my staff.

TUE

No doubt, the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare the Kogi governorship election inconclusive has continued to generate controversies, particu-

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday dragged the Federal Government, All Progressives Congress, APC, and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to court over plan to substitute the candidacy of late Abubakar Audu in the inconclusive gubernatorial election in Kogi State.

Rising from an emergency National Caucus meeting in Abuja, the party also demanded that

Senate gives Buhari two weeks to end fuel scarcity

Prayer begins my day. Later, I read for an hour before going to the location.

I normally leave location late in the night. When I get home, I chat with my wife before sleeping.

SUN SAT FRI THU WED

Kogi: PDP drags APC, INEC to Court

Today is usually tight for me. I work at the location till 2 a.m. And because it is late to come home, I usually sleep at the hotel.

I rush back from hotel, cook and rest after eating. Maybe later in the day, I hit it off to the office where I would stay till the evening. When I ’m back at home, I chat with my wife until I sleep off.

Today is for business meetings.

I do my washing and cleaning up, after which I would rest.

I go to church today. Later in the evening, I go to salon to have my hair barbed.

I attend an event if there is any.

*By Adaeze Amos (08023012293)

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

NOVEMBER 29, 2015

2016 Population Census:

Cash squeeze threatens headcount With the 2016 census almost falling due 10 years after the last head count, PAUL OMO OBADAN writes that paucity of funds may threaten the exercise despite its critical function as a developmental tool.

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here are cogent pointers that the planned 2016 census may not hold, Sunday Mirror investigation has revealed.

With less than a month to the census year, there is a lull in National Population Commission, NPC, activity as regards the 2016 Census head count. For instance, they are yet to receive a presidential order, which will direct it to go ahead with preparations for the census.

No form of preparation like workshops, seminars, and no budgetary allocation had been made, thereby putting the possibility of the census in doubt. Sources have also expressed concern over the huge cost of the exercise, say-

‘NO CENSUS HAS BEEN CREDIBLE SINCE 1963’

ing President Muhammadu Buhari is not comfortable with the amount being demanded by the Nigerian Population Commission, NPC. In 2014, NPC boss, Eze Duru-Iheoma revealed a budgeted cost of N100billion for 2016 census. The cost would cover a period of three years – the pre-census, census proper and post census activities.

But recently, during a meeting between the President and management of NPC, Duru-Iheoma told the president that the commission needed N273billion for the 2016 census.

However, sources within the commission said no bud-

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getary allocation has been made for the exercise.

Paucity of funds has always hindered scheduled censuses.

That was one of the major reasons it took 15 years to hold the 2006 census after the 1991 exercise. Population census of any country entails a total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining at a specified time to all persons in a country or delineated territory.

It is on record that Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world and also the world’s tenth most populous country. The population of Nigeria represents 2.35 per cent of the world´s total population, which arguably means that one person in every 43 people on the planet is a Nigerian.

The Thomas Malthus’ theory suggests that numbers of people double every 25 years (unless checked) thus population grows at a geometric rate (1,2,4,8,16,32 etc) while food production increases at just an arithmetic rate (1,2,3,4,5,6 etc). It is therefore obvious that population will always outstrip food supply unless fertility is controlled (by late marriage or celibacy) famine, vice, disease and war must serve as natural population restrictions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

‘CENSUS IS USED AS A POLITICAL WEAPON’

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The Big Read

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘No census has been credible since 1963’

Odimegwu Buhari

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Also, looking beyond 2016 census, the United Nations has even estimated that the total population of Nigeria will be about 390 million by the end of the year 2050 and a staggering 730 million by 2100. Similarly, the Census Bureau of the United States posits that if current figures and trends continue, the population of Nigeria will reach about 402 million people by 2050.

The first recorded headcount was at the then Colony of Lagos in 1863. Another one was held at the then colony in 1871. It was, thereafter, conducted every 10 years.

The first national census was in 1911. Of the 16.054 million persons counted, the Northern Protectorate had 8.12 million, about 50.1 per cent of the total population.

After the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914, another exercise was held in 1921. The population was put at 18.7 million with the South having 48 per cent of it.

Other exercises were conducted in 1931, 1953, 1962/63, 1973, 1991 and 2006. Except in the 1962 exercise, the North has always maintained an edge over the South, thus affirming the 1911 projections.

The 1952-53 exercises put the nation’s population figure at 31.6 million. This census was considered an undercount for a number of reasons: apprehension that the headcount was related to tax collection; political tension at the time in eastern Nigeria; inability to reach many remote areas and inadequate training of enumerators in some areas. The undercounting was estimated at 10 per cent or less.

The 1962 and 1973 censuses were most controversial and were subsequently cancelled by the governments in power.

The mid-1962 exercise was canceled after much controversy and allegations of over-counting in many areas. Of the 45 million Nigerians counted in 1962, the South had 24 million, thereby “overtaking” the North, which was allegedly favoured in past exercises.

A second attempt in 1963, which was officially accepted, was also encumbered with charges of inaccuracy and manipulation for regional and local political purposes. Indeed, the official 1963 figure of 55.6 million was inconsistent with the census of a decade earlier because it implied a virtually impossible annual growth rate of 5.8 per cent.

The equally controversial 1991 census posted a figure of 88.9 million people with a projected growth rate of 2.9 per cent Before the 2006 headcount, intense bickering arose regarding the proposal to include ethnicity and religion in the questionnaires to generate the statistics of the various ethnic and religious groups in the country given claims and counter-claims regarding their relative strengths. The North threatened to mobilise its people to work against the exercise should these two indices appear in the questionnaire. There was equally a counter threat from the South-East to boycott the exercise if they were not included. In the long run, the North had the upper hand and religion and ethnic group was excluded to the chagrin of South-Easterners.

Population figures had always been a subject of mudslinging between Southern and Northern politicians.

For Southerners, the belief is that the population of the North had been “over-counted”.

Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Joseph Evah, argues that going by simple demographic distribution pattern

Eze-Duruiheoma

According to him, “Population is a major asset, as resource for development, and it is also the prime beneficiary of development in society. across the globe, population increases as one moves from the hinterland (desert or Savannah regions) to the coast. He wondered why in the case of Nigeria, the North which lies in the arid zone, is more populous than the coastal South.

For Northerners, their extensive landmass and population must not be taken for granted, facts that several head counts had confirmed. And the controversy continues.

Experts however say that moving the country forward and planning for national prosperity require comprehensive data on the country’s human resources potential.

Since 1963 census results have been subject of controversy. The total population in Nigeria was last recorded at 178.5 million people in 2014 from 45.2 million in 1960, changing 295 per cent during the last 50 years. The population in Nigeria averaged 96.40 million from 1960 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 178.52 million in 2014 and a record low of 45.15 million in 1960.

A lawyer and policy affairs analyst, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, points out that “in contemporary society, population has become an important issue of concern. This is so because population, in terms of its size and composition, has far-reaching implications for change, development and the quality of life in society.”

According to him, “Population is a major asset, as resource for development, and it is also the prime beneficiary of development in society. It constitutes the bulk of the producers of goods and services as well as the major consumers of the goods and services. Thus, the population of a country is a major determinant of the size of the national and international motive for investment He observed that in Nigeria, population has been a rather controversial issue “In Nigeria, population has been a rather sensitive and controversial issue because of its implication for shaping regional (now geopolitical), state and ethnic relations and balance of power. It is the attitude towards the population question, in terms of its absolute size, as it affects the states and the sub-regions that constitute the background to the census controversies which the country has been associated with.

“The controversies have been responsible for the rather chequered history of census taking in Nigeria,” he said.

It would be recalled that a former chairman of NPC, Chief Festus Odumegwu, was removed in 2013 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, following comments credited to him that previous national censuses figures were inflated to favour the northern parts of the country, adding that two no-go areas in the last census: religion and ethnicity would be included in the next one scheduled for 2016.

Then, blaming the irregularity on distortion and falsification of figures for selfish and political reasons by politicians, Udumegwu said: “No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1863. Even the one conducted in 2006 is not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute. This is not my report. If the current laws are not amended, the planned 2016 census will not succeed.”

Odimegwu’s comments raised eyebrows in the polity with the Presidency firing him a query as well as receiving an influx of attacks from many northerners especially, former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, called for Odimegwu’s sack over his denigration of the 2006 Nigeria census. Given the controversies stoked by Odimegwu’s comments, he was subsequently fired.

Political will needed for credible head count The National Population Commission has hinted that the conduct of the population census and head count for all Nigerians scheduled for 2016 would depend on the willingness of Nigerians and the Federal Government because of poor budgetary allocation.

The Chairman of the NPC, Chief Eze Duru-Iheoma, SAN, expressed these views in a recent press briefing in Abuja in commemoration of the 2015 World Population Day, with the theme, “Vulnerable population in emergencies.”

According to him, if indeed Nigerians want the conduct of 2016 national census, they must demand for it, just like they did during the recently concluded general elections.

But Duru-Iheoma, who recently complained of poor budgetary allocation, said the fate of the conduct of 2016 census rests solely on Nigerians and the Federal Government that should provide the needed funds for the exercise.

He said, “I want to remind us that census are supposed to be held between five and 10 years after the previous one.

Now, the previous census in Nigeria took place in 2006. A maximum of 10 years will take us to 2016. That is why we are sticking to the 2016 date. That is when the next census is due in this country.

Lagos complaints One state that strongly disputed the 2006 census was Lagos, which promptly filed a petition at the Census Tribunal and got a favourable judgment. At the 1991 headcount, Lagos had 5.686 million inhabitants while Kano had 5.632. However, in 2006, Lagos recorded 9.014 million people compared to Kano’s 9.384 million.

The state government, whose parallel headcount recorded 17,553,924 people, described the NPC’s figure as too low. It prayed the tribunal to order a repeat headcount in 14 Local Councils, namely, Alimosho, Ojo, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Apapa, Lagos-Island, Lagos Mainland, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin, Badagry, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu and Surulere and the prayer was answered.

The then Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, said: “In the final analysis, the official national census results for the 14 old Local Government Councils (now 40 LGAs and LCDAs) in Lagos State have been nullified. This vindicates the resolve of the government to base its physical and economic plans on a projected population of 17,553,924 in 2006 and over 21,000,000 currently. We now expect that the National Population Commission will urgently announce plans for a recount as ordered by the tribunal,” he said.

However, Lagos may not have a repeat headcount in the affected areas until 2016 when another nationwide census CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Big Read

Sunday, November 29, 2015

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‘Census is used as a political weapon’ Principal Consultant of Lonadek Oil & Gas Consultants, Dr Ibilola Amao, sheds more light on the census imbroglio in this interview with PAUL OMO OBADAN. Is it tenable for government to say that there is no money for conduct of 2016 Census?

I actually believe that doing away with the Census after 10 years will be a colossal embarrassment to Nigeria as a nation. If the nation is bankrupt and in very bad debt, they should gather young talents, innovators and strategic thinkers and planners to brainstorm on how to reduce the cost of a census and execute a census in a very cost effective manner, with minimum financial impact on Nigeria’s economy. You don’t abandon a Census after ten years of waiting. You bring think tanks together and tell them how they can produce qualitative census within your budget. Technology is there to do that and there are brains there to do that. There are pockets of information dotted all over Nigeria. Apart from the foreign agencies that have information on Nigeria’s population marking, there are local agencies of government and private sector that has various types of information. Take for example, the BVN, GSM Biometric Data, Birth certificates, Marriage Certificates, National ID Card, Voters card. Why can’t we just intelligently gather all these information, harmonize the information and use geographical information system and strategraphic mappings to look at population density in various locations in Nigeria and look at fast consumer moving goods that are being consumed in those areas, and come up with realistic statistics on precisely where these human beings are and deploy the NYSC members who are able bodied graduates in every local government to validate this data.

Every national population census has been a subject of controversy at the end of which the figures were either foisted on the people or canceled. How do we get it right this time around?

Lack of accurate census data will impact adversely on a whole range of government services, programmes, policies, and plans, including the economy, healthcare, education, infrastructure, agricultural production, the growth of small and medium-scale businesses, provision of job opportunities, budget planning, and so on.

No government can provide valuable services of any kind to people if it has no idea about the population of people for whom the services are meant. Accurate census data is therefore essential for national planning. Owing to consistent falsification of census data, a country that has no accurate census data is doomed to lag behind the

We have failed to identify our priorities at federal

and state levels or map out effective pathways to attain national socioeconomic development because we have no data to tell us how many people we should plan for.

Amao

rest of the world. It is very much like a person groping in Darkness. How do you plan to feed a country’s population when you do not know the number of people in the country? How do you budget for adequate food production through enhanced agricultural development when you do not know how many people reside in the country?

We have failed to identify our priorities at federal and state levels or map out effective pathways to attain national socioeconomic development because we have no data to tell us how many people we should plan for.

As long as tribes in Nigeria continue to be distrustful to one another with competing goals, cultures, religion, and

interests, etc., Nigeria shall never produce any census result worth the paper it is written on.

Why are census figures falsified?

As already noted, the previous censuses in Nigeria had been marred by cases of inflated figures. In some cases, the population of each local government area, state and invariably the entire country had been fixed by mere speculation. In Nigeria people see population as a political weapon, indeed a most potent bargaining power. It is commonly believed that population figures are used in federal resource allocation; thus the higher the number, the more government industries, funds, civil service slots, amenities and infrastructural facilities an area will attract. Consequently, governors would prefer to inflate the population of each state so they can get more federal allocation. Moreover, higher population figures are interpreted to mean that an ethnic group or region can legitimately ask for additional states and local government areas, or more seats in the National Assembly especially the House of Representatives. This is so because census figures in Nigeria play a major role in political redistricting for each of the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Owing to the ethnic and religious sentiments we often attach to census figures in this country, we’ve had situations where people find it quite imperative to inflate the figures of their regions or religion while at the same time try to even reduce those of others.

Is accurate population census attainable in Nigeria?

Yes, it is if there is political will to do so. This political will include giving National Population Census free hand to operate. Aside administrative independence, NPC also needs financial autonomy.

‘People play politics with census figures’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 would be carried out.

It is true that even in advanced countries, such as the United States, problems are encountered in the course of population count.

Following the 1990 U.S. Census, several states and urban centers indicated that they were undercounted. The U.S. Census Bureau issued a statement acknowledging an error in the one per cent region.

Considering that sound economic planning in any society is based on a sensible census figures, how reliable are our figures? What are the drawbacks of such undoing?

Perhaps to fully understand the census figures of 1991, it might be necessary to revisit the previous census figures of 1963. The first post independent Nigerian head count occurred in 1962 that put Nigeria population at 45.26 million. At the end of the exercise, northern Nigeria was 22.01 million while the south was 23.25 million.

Southern hopes for reapportionment of legislative seats were buoyed by the results. When this result was presented to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, who was a northerner, he rejected the result outright.

Abubakar saw no reason why southern Nigeria should have been more populated than the north. He promptly fired the British representative, J. J. Warren, who was in charge of the census and usurped the position. He then called for a 1963 census. Following the recount, he announced that northerners were undercounted by a whopping 8.5 million!

The nation’s population was reported to be 60.5 million, a figure which the census officials believed to be impos-

sibly high. The figure was scaled down to 55.66 million.

With this new addition, the northern figure ballooned to 31 million and this result was deemed acceptable by the Prime Minister, Abubakar.

The South did not waste time disputing the new figures. Following a little doctoring, the North was finally put at 29.8 million, a little less than the 31 million attained previously in the recount while the South was reduced to 25.9 million. In the recount, the East, Midwest, and Lagos remained virtually where they were in the 1962 census at 12.4, 2.5, and 0.7 million, respectively. The West increased from 7.8 million in 1962 to 10.3 million in 1963.

The figures were rejected by both Premiers of the East and Midwest, M. I. Okpara and Dennis Osadebey, respectively.

Okpara sued for the nullification of the census figures, but his suit was dismissed. Akintola, whose party was in alliance with Abubakar’s party, accepted the figures. Not surprisingly, therefore, the West, like its political partner, the North, had a sizeable increase. It was this same 1963 census figure that led to the election controversy in the West in 1965. The aftermath of those doctored figures led to the crisis in the West and eventually the first military coup d’etat in 1966 by Nzeogwu.

In the political arena, politicians of today, much like in the days of Abubakar, have made politics a life-and-death affair. To them, the end justifies the means irrespective of how subversive the means might have been. During the 1991 census, just like in any election, there were reports of the enumerators much like “electoral officers vanishing into the toilets and bushes with the results and later emerging with doctored figures.”

The passion for doctored figures is stronger now than before because the higher a state is in population, the more revenue allocation it receives from the Federal Government. This means that those at the helm of affairs must make sure that their states and ethnic groups are always higher in number to be able to receive the lion’s share of the national cake. Apart from the oil revenue, with this posture they can justify their dominance in the military, political positions, contract awards, and the rest.

The end result is that the country does not have a population figure that worth the paper it is written on.

As in the previous results, as soon as the 1991 census results were released, the affected states, mostly the southern minority states denounced and rejected the figures. Again, like in 1973, these protests were silenced prematurely. The provisional 1973 figure released by General Gowon showed Nigeria to be 83 million with the overwhelming number in the North. Southerners protested, and the figure was again revised and reduced to 79.8 million. The final figure showed the Southerners to be just a fraction less than the Northerners.

The situation became very explosive. Northerners protested and accused Gowon of treachery. The confrontation engendered almost led to a physical altercation between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and General Murtala Mohammed, who became the champion of the Northern hegemony. The stalemate that resulted from that census figure became one major reason Gowon decided to postpone his handing over date from 1976. The 1973 census figure also became one major reason Murtala Mohammed had to overthrow Gowon’s government in 1975, and promptly canceling the figures.

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News

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Appeal Court nullies Mark ’s election …orders fresh poll in 90 days • Retire now, CNPP tells ex-Senate leader HENRY IYORKHASE MAKURDI

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he Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, yesterday nullified the return of former Senate president, David Mark, as the winner of the March 28 Benue South Senatorial District election and

ordered for a fresh election within 90 days.

Mark was returned as winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, but the appellate court held that the return was in violation of the provision of Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

One of Mark ’s rival at

the poll, Mr.Daniel Onjeh, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had approached the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi to challange the return of Mark but the Tribunal dismissed his petition following which he filed the appeal.

Although Onjeh had tendered Certified True Copies of Result Collation forms, which were admitted in evidence and showed that collation was still going on in seven of the nine local government areas that make up Benue South Senatorial District, a day after Mark was declared winner, the Court

L-R: Deputy Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, Engr. Olumide Adeleke; Managing Director, Lubcon Limited, Mr Taiye Williams; Principal Partner, Lubeservices Associates, Engr. Kayode Sote and a delegate, Anne Dirkling, during the 2nd Edition of the Nigerian Lubricants Summit 2015, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, yesterday.

Politicians are full of lies, says Jonathan OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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head of the December 5 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has warned youths to be wary of sweet-talking politicians or get carried away by their lies.

He urged them to assess what those aspiring for elective offices have done in the past.

Dr Jonathan said most politicians today are men of many words, who tell many lies to woo voters and deceive the public in order to get to their respective offices, saying that politicians are full of lies The former president stated this yesterday during the presentation of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag to Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at a grand finale of Dickson campaign in Yenagoa, the state capi-

tal.

Expectedly, Yenagoa was agog as the leaders of the PDP thronged the Samson Siasia Sports Complex to present the flag to the party ’s flag bearer.

Present at the ceremony were Jonathan, Chairman of PDP Governors ’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus and Governor Dickson.

Others are Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, State Chairman, PDP, Chief Serena DokuboSpiff, Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah, among others.

Jonathan, who urged the youth to vote for a person that would develop the state and not by propaganda, said Dickson deserved reelection considering his developmental initiatives in the state.

He said a vote for Dick-

son in next Saturday ’s poll was a vote for liberation, development, security and peace, stressing that PDP remained the party for the people.

His words: “So, for Bayelsa young people, do not be carried away by politicians. They are people of many words; they go to so many places, talking to so many people, telling so many lies.

“So, do not listen to what people say, but assess what people have done over the period.

Most of the candidates are well known to you, so it is the choice of Bayelsa young people to vote for development of this state or to vote for the retrogression of this state. It is the choice of Bayelsa young people to vote for education of our youths or to vote for the retrogression of our young people.

“The choice is ours and I think you will think beyond yourselves.

At our age, we are looking down, not looking up, whether you like it or not. So, think about your children and your grandchildren, think about building a state for your children and grandchildren, do not think about what you will swallow in the morning and I believe that the steps so far taken by Dickson have shown me that he wants development of this state, he has encouraged development in this state.

“He is committed, he has that vision and all the projects he has been carrying on show that the youngman is seeing Bayelsa beyond today.

No leader can change a nation if you do not see beyond your nose. I am telling the young people, this election is not for Jonathan and Dickson, it is for you to vote for your liberation, to live in peace and to live in a developed society. ”

of Appeal says there is nowhere in the judgement of the Tribunal that made reference to the documents when INEC and, indeed, the respondents did not object to the admissibility of the documents.

According to Justice Olabisi Ige, who delivered the lead judgement, Onjeh had shown through oral and documentary evidence that collation was going on in Ado, Agatu, Apa, Obi, Ogbadibo, Oju and Ohimini Local Government Areas as at 29th March, 2015 after the “purported declaration of the 1st Respondent (David Mark) ” as winner on 28th March, 2015.

He noted that none of the respondents (Mark, Peoples Democratic Party, INEC) called witnesses to contradict the evidence

by Onjeh either orally or through documents showing that there was substantial violation of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines for the poll and voided the declaration that Mark won the contest.

Although the Court agreed with the lower Tribunal when it refused to attach weight to the evidence of the expert called

by Onjeh, which became issue five of the appeal, Justice Ige nevertheless held that: “Notwithstanding the resolution of issue five in favour of the respondent, the appellant appeal succeeds.

The judgement of the Tribunal is hereby set aside. The election and or return of the 1st Respondent is nullified and hereby ordered that INEC shall within 90 days hold fresh election in the Senatorial Districts. ” All the justices on the panel concurred with the decision and the consequential orders.

Onjeh described it as a welcome development for democracy and represents total freedom for the people of Benue South Senatorial Districts.

The Court of Appeal is the final court for election petitions arising from the decisions of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

Mark ’s counsel, Kenneth Ikonne, said they are bound by the decision of the Appellate Court. He ,nonetheless said the decision has introduced fresh issues “in our jurisprudence ”.

Mark was quoted as saying that, “Whatever the situation may be, one thing I know is that my people are solidly behind me. They also appreciate the fact that I have done more than enough to lift up Idoma nation to a position of eminence in the contemporary political history of Nigeria. I won the election clean and clear. If we go back to the polls 100 times, I will still win convincingly. ”

NARTO urges FG to end lingering fuel crisis OLUSEGUN KIOKI

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he Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to find immediate and lasting solution to the lingering problem of petroleum products scarcity in the country.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its 16th annual general meeting in Abuja, the association noted that the lingering fuel scarcity had continued to inflict increasing hardship and suffering on Nigerians.

The association also said in the communiqué signed by its National President, Alhaji (Dr) Kassim Ibra-

him Bataiya, that the masses have to spend so much on commercial transport due to the sudden hike in transport fares occasioned by the scarcity.

As a way out of the fuel quagmire, NARTO called on the NNPC and one of its subsidiaries, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, to ensure the speedy repair of pipelines across the country for easy lifting of petroleum products to every nook and cranny of the nation.

The association also urged the Federal Government to put in motion the necessary machinery that would ensure that refineries resume production as a way of enhancing local refining so as to solve the problem associated with importation of refined products, including the subsidy issue.

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News

Sunday, November 29, 2015

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FAAN, union reaches agreement on strike OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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arely two days after the leadership of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, threatened to embark on strike over workers ’ demands, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the union have agreed to negotiate.

Among the demands the union asked was for

FAAN to immediately reverse the approval granted Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, BASL, the operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, MMA2, Lagos to commence regional operation.

The union in its letter dated November 26, had alleged that BASL refused to pay for services rendered to it by FAAN, noting that it was from such accruing revenues that the workers were paid their emoluments.

But, the General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, told our correspondent in an interview that the FAAN ’s management was aware of these issues and had started initiating processes to handle them as they are.

He said, “Whatever issues the unions have expressed we will deal with as a family, their grievances will be looked into and as I said we have already started a process to get to

an amicable solution that will not lead to any unrest so we appeal for calm and urge the union to partner us as we all want one and the same thing, the growth of this industry. ” Dati added that the management was also concerned about all the outstanding debts and was doing all in its power to ameliorate the situation and maintain the normalcy that had been on for a long time now between it and the union.

The union had earlier given the agency 48 hour ultimatum to address these issues, but with the readiness of FAAN to attend to all these issues, the union agreed to a truce.

In a letter dated 26th November 2015 signed by Rotimi Kehinde on behalf of the General Secretary of ATSSSAN addressed to the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Saleh Dunoma, the union had issued the agency 48 hours ultimatum, which elapsed tomor-

row or face withdrawal of service in all FAAN formations by its members.

FAAN also said that it believed that whatever disagreement between the agency and the union would amicably be resolved because the unions and FAAN pursued the same objectives, which included providing efficient and satisfactory service to travellers and motivating the workforce by improving its welfare for efficient delivery of service.

How kidnapped Samson Siasia ’s mother was rescued OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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L-R: Wife of Bayelsa State Governor, Rachael Dickson; former president, Goodluck Jonathan; Governor Seriake Dickson; Acting PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, at the commissioning of the Restoration Fly Over Bridge in Yenagoa, yesterday.

NIMC ofcials, jobseekers clash in Makurdi HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

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andemonium yesterday erupted between officials of National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and applicants seeking recruitment into the commission due to alleged sharp practices uncovered during the exercise in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Sunday Mirror gathered at the scene that the fracas ensued for several hours before normalcy was restored after several persons had sustained injuries while others had their clothes torn to shreds.

Eyewitnesses who

pleaded anonymity told Sunday Mirror that trouble started when a 300-level Psychology student of Benue State University, Samuel Tersoo Gyungu, tried for several days to be enroled but his efforts were thwarted along with others who came from various villages across the three senatorial districts of the state.

After unsuccessful attempts, he decided to arrive at the centre of the registration at 5 a.m. yesterday alongside with other applicants who were given numbers serially up to 100, according to the facilitator (names withheld).

The list was initially being followed serially

until later when the facilitator allegedly switched to another list and people were coming from the backdoor, which eventually sparked off protests from the public leading to free for all.

Sunday Mirror learnt that the atmosphere became rowdy among officials and applicants as the entrance into the premises was barricaded and security agents were later brought in to maintain the peace.

Speaking on the issue, Mr. Joseph Tatyough, a civil servant stated that, “all was going on smoothly until a female facilitator (names withheld) started bringing in people

through the backdoor and when we protested she slapped the youngman who was very vocal and bitter and fight ensued leading to injuries and tearing of the man ’s T-shirt.

When contacted, Head of National Identity Management Commission ’s Benue State office, Cosmas Idoko, said he would not comment but subsequently referred clarification to Abuja headquarters.

Efforts to get the comments of the state Police Command ’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Austin Ezeani, on the uproar were futile as several calls on his mobile line could not be returned.

he mother of former Super Eagles striker and Nigeria ’s Under-23 Coach, Samson Siasia, Madam Beauty Siasia, abducted by unknown gunmen from her home on November 16, has been released by her abductors.

The 72-year-old woman reportedly to regained her freedom at about 1.30 a.m. yesterday, 12 days after her abduction.

She was said to have been abandoned on the popular East-West Road, the major gateway linking the South-South to other parts of the country.

It was further learnt that her captors abandoned her on the major road as they were allegedly being pursued by police

operatives.

The abductors were said to have dumped their victim (Beauty) on the road as the police were closing in on them to avoid being apprehended.

It could not be established if ransom was paid before she was freed by her abductors but unconfirmed report said the kidnappers may have agreed to collect the N600,000 Siasia had agreed to pay as ransom.

Police authorities in the state confirmed the release of Madam Beauty Siasia.

Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, claimed her release was due to a hot chase by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command.

Adamawa: Embattled lawmaker calls for Bindow ’s resignation

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member of the Adamawa State Assembly, Abdulrahman Abubaka,r has called for the resignation of Gov. Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, following the petition he wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja.

Hon. Abdulrahman, who was removed from the House Standing Committee on Budget, Finance and Appropriation and simultaneously handed a three-month suspension, called for the resignation of the governor based on alleged acts of gross financial misconduct.

Abdulrahman claimed that Bindow committed acts of gross financial misconduct by collecting an

overdraft of N3 billion and spending it without the approval of the house.

The aggrieved lawmaker, who said his expose of government financial malfeasance by the Executive, had made him unsafe and forced him to relocate outside the state, from where he spoke.

He challenged the governor to submit himself to the scrutiny of the EFCC, insisting that the commission would soon come after him.

He stated that in view of the corruption charges against the governor, the only avenue opened to him was to resign, stressing that the allegation of gross financial misconduct was enough grounds for his impeachment.

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NEWS

Sunday November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kogi: Protest greets emergence of Bello as Audu’s replacement Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

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ass protests have followed the emergence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello aka Fairplus, as replacement for Prince Abubakar Audu, as candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the December 5 supplementary elections in Kogi State.

Sunday Mirror learnt that the protesters in their large numbers gathered and blocked the bridge across the River Niger at Itobe which connects areas in Kogi Central, including Anyingba and Dekina, forcing motorists to make U-turn, while some others resorted to continue with their journey via the waterways at Shintako.

The protesters, it was learnt, explained that they will not watch a situation where the governor, Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the chief judge of the state will all come from the same zone.

A lawyer who was trapped in gridlock, said he had to make a detour to avoid running into the protesters, while he was on his way to Odu, in Dekina LGA. The Lokoja based lawyer who spoke under the condition of anonymity complained that his journey was delayed for over an hour and had to take an alternative route, saying that he had incurred more cost in the process. He spoke through the phone.

He pointed out that he had no option than to turn around and continue on my journey through Shintako, across the water to Bassa, from where I continued All efforts contact Police for confirmation and what it is doing to forestall the protest spreading to other areas of the state proved abortive.

Meanwhile, the Prince Abubakar Audu/Faleke campaign organisation has warned the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Oyegun, to avoid any act capable of setting up the state on fire.

The organisation’s Head of Media, Dr. Tom Ohikere, in a press conference yesterday in Lokoja, equally accused President Muhammadu Buhari of

injecting a northern agenda, where all his governors in the 19 northern states must be Muslims.

Ohikere lamented that the Presidency and APC leadership cannot claim to be unaware of the provision of the law, where a running mate to a deceased candidate in an ongoing election steps in as the party’s flag bearer.

He said: “But it has been a grand conspiracy between the party leadership and the Presidency to ensure that a Muslim is used as a replacement to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on November 22.

“The state will not only catch fire, but the late Prince Audu will rise from the grave and unleash terror on anyone involved in this conspiracy.

“Let me open up to you now. Our political mentor and father, the late Prince Audu on his dying bed, gave instruction to us (his follower), that should he not make it, the baton must be transferred to his running mate, Faleke, who he (Audu) said is capable of carrying on with his vision.

“I want to categorically tell you that the party/executive’s conspiracy started when they heard that Prince Audu was dead, and in an ulterior move to prevent a non Muslim (Faleke), to step in, the INEC returning officer was quickly directed to declare the result inconclusive.”

He further stressed that the AGF observation was a pure script reading: “I do not agree with the AGF on his position regarding the nomination of another candidate by the APC. I however agree that supplementary election can be proceeded with by INEC. “I am amazed by the welter of opinion canvassed by several leading legal icons on this seemingly thorny issue. Some have called for fresh election, others have argued otherwise while some have posited that the victory of APC should be, wholesale, donated to PDP’s Capt Wada.

“Surprisingly, all these arguments seem to have overlooked the provisions of section 187 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

1999 as amended.

This provision states: “In any election to which the foregoing provision of this part of this chapter relates, a candidate for the office of governor of a state shall not be deemed to have been validly nominated for such office unless he nominates another candidate as his associate for his running for the office of Governor who is to occupy the office of Deputy Governor;......”

He said he was tempted to expound the above provision of the constitution

by applying or adopting the literal and grammatical approach to its interpretation.

“It therefore follows that in the Kogi State governorship election of November 21, 2015, Hon. Faleke was a (an associate) candidate in that election. Methinks, that the election having proceeded and results released or declared before the demise of the main candidate, the associate candidate must, constitutionally, be entitled to step into the shoes of the (deceased) main candidate.

“Clearly, the raison d’être for insertion of the provision of section 187(1) into the constitution is for such situation as has played itself out in Kogi State with the demise of the governorship candidate before the conclusion of election, but after the commencement of polls.

“It is not in doubt that at the time of the occurrence of the death of Prince A. Audu, Hon. Faleke had acquired vested right to the votes cast in that election alongside his party (APC).

To my mind, the provisions

of section 36 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, espoused by the AGF as the applicable provision, is absolutely inapplicable to the facts and the stage of the election during which the death of the main candidate occurred.”

Ohikere further advised the Presidency and the national leadership of the party to, for the sake of peace and unity the state is currently enjoying, suspend their ‘clandestine’ move of undermining the provision of the law on selfish grounds.

L-R: Edo State Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomole; Mrs. Iyase Arase and Prof. Osato Osagie, at the 41st Convocation/45th Founder Day of the University of Benin with confirming honorary degrees on the Inspector General of Police (Mr. Solomon Arase) and Prof. Osato Osagie, in Benin, yesterday.

Buhari seeks international support against corruption Rotimi Fadeyi

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resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Malta urged the international community to do more to support the Federal Government’s efforts to curb corruption in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said Buhari spoke at a group meeting of Commonwealth leaders on corruption chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, Buhari said that corruption in the oil sector and outright theft of Nigeria’s

crude oil had been exacerbated by the culture of impunity which reigned under previous administrations.

The President said that corruption in the sector had also thrived because of the ease of transferring illicit funds abroad and the institutional protection given to corrupt officials in the past.

“Now that we have the political will to stop impunity, we need the cooperation and assistance of the international community.

“We must all work together to compel multinational oil companies, international financial institutions and international shipping lines to stop aid-

ing and abetting corruption in the oil sector in Nigeria,” Buhari told the gathering which included the leaders of Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malta, Sri Lanka, Botswana and Trinidad and Tobago.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Cameron said that the Commonwealth and the international community must do more to fight corrupt and promote good governance.

“We care passionately about this issue of fighting corruption. In my view, this issue needs to have a much higher billing on the international agenda, not just because fighting corruption is right in itself, but because all the other things we want

to achieve as countries and members of the Commonwealth depend on our success in doing so.

“If we want fair economic growth, we need to reject corruption. If we want to see fair and sustainable development, we need to deal with corruption. I think this is an absolutely vital issue. It is an issue for all of us because so much of the money stolen from developing countries is hidden in developed countries.

“So dealing with money laundering, dealing with beneficial ownership and making sure we stop stolen money being hidden away in developed countries is absolutely vital,” the British Prime Minister said.

Military, police hindering enforcement of sanitation laws –LASG Francis Suberu

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agos State Government yesterday identified military and police officers as those aiding erring residents in the city to disobey the state’s sanitation laws. It warned that the state would no longer toler-

ate any act of lawlessness and criminality.

Deputy Governor Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who said this while answering questions from journalists shortly after monitoring the November edition of the state’s environmental sanitation exercise at Ajeromi Ifelodun local council, noted that law is no respecter

of anyone, adding that they are made to be obeyed by all.

According to her, the military and officers did not only disregard the state’s environmental laws but were caught helping to drive commercial vehicles to violate the laws in their uniforms, even as they wielded guns.

Her words: “We have gone

round Lagos, especially Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government. We are dissatisfied with the level of compliance to the sanitation law. There was clear disregard for the sanitation law. I am using this opportunity to appeal to the officers of Nigerian Army and other security agencies to desist from violating the law.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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I take responsibility for my administration –Dickson

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Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES NOVEMBER 29, 2015

APC AS A PARTY IS ENTITLED TO SUBSTITUTION BY THE CLEAR PROVISION OF SECTION 33 OF THE ELECTORAL ACT. ALSO, SECTION 221 OF THE CONSTITUTION IS CLEAR THAT THE VOTES THAT WERE CAST WERE IN FAVOUR OF THE APC. –ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, ABUBAKAR MALAMI (SAN) SPEAKING ON THE DEATH OF

APC KOGI GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ABUBAKAR AUDU, LAST SUNDAY.

Controversy rages over Kogi ’s unnished guber poll

Sylva vrs Dickson: Battle for the soul of Bayelsa

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Briefly

8,000 ad hoc staff for Bayelsa guber election

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he Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Bayelsa said yesterday that more than 8, 000 ad hoc staff would be engaged in the December 5 governorship election in the state.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Baritor Kpagih, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa. He said the commission ’s permanent staff would also be actively involved in the conduct of the election. ``We will involve ad hoc staff, more than 8, 000 of them will be recruited; definitely in election period, most of our permanent staff are always involved. ``The ad hoc staff have been trained on what they should be doing while on duty; some of them were trained at the local government area headquarters. ``INEC in Bayelsa is working with the electoral guidelines and we will continue to do our best in ensuring that the governorship election in the state is successful, ’ ’ he said.

A member of the National Youth Service Corps in Bayelsa, Miss Chinelo Okoafor, said she was one of the trainees, adding that she was ready to work in accordance with INEC guidelines. ``During the training we were taught so many things; I believe we are going to ensure the most credible and acceptable election, ’ ’ she said.

Lagos assembly condoles with Audu ’s family

L Wada

WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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o doubt, the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare the Kogi governorship election inconclusive has continued to generate controversies, particularly with the sudden death of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu who was coasting home victory before the tragedy struck last Sunday morning.

Late Audu

Political analysts in Confluence State are already divided in their opinion over the decision of INEC to cancel the election in some polling units during the last Saturday governorship in the state.

They argued that INEC should be held responsible for the present stalemate, noting that the Returning Officer ought to have declared a winner having accepted that elections was cancelled in some polling units based on genuine information that there was violence.

It further argued that if INEC had scrutinised the evidence attached with the report of the collation officers, perhaps the Returning officer would not have taken such decision.

Meanwhile, INEC has fixed 5th December,2015 for the supplementary election following the cancellation of election in the 91 polling units across the 18 local government areas of Kogi state.

The Returning Officer, Prof Emmanuel Kucha, explained that this beCONTINUED ON PAGE 37

agos State House of Assembly has commiserated with Kogi State government, the people and the families of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state ’s guber poll.

The lawmakers in different shades expressed shock at the death of the former state governor, especially as it came just before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, could conclude the election, describing it as unfortunate and devastating.

Hon. Abiodun Tobun representing Epe Constituency I, in his prayer moved that there was need for the House to commiserate with the family of the deceased, the people of Kogi and members of the party by writing condolence letters to them respectively.

Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi representing Ojo Constituency II said, “Prince Audu Abubakar is a man of high repute and a brilliant politician. The wailing, attendance of the people during his burial shows he is of good behavior. I commiserate with the family and the leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

I pray God will give us the fortitude to bear the loss.

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Politics

Sunday November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I take responsibility for my administration –Dickson Governor Henry Seriake Dickson says he is presenting the state to the world in much better shape than he met it and is motivated to do even more in this interview with journalists during his community to community electioneering tour of the state: Julius Osahon brings excerpts.

ing over the future of their own children.

I condemn violence and I want to call on my good friend Chief Timipre Slyva and his party to also condemn it. They should make the kind of statement I am making, and condemn violence of every sort.

How have you impacted Bayelsa ’s development nd politics in your tenure so far?

We have changed the face of politics in this state where we have emphasised the importance of the people as the centre of all development. Take the issue of accountability. For example every month we announce what comes in in terms of revenue and how we spend it; it is empowerment of the people. We are empowering them mentally and democratically to take charge of their future. I believe that this will be a standard moving forward as far as governorship and other elections in this state are concerned. I heard that my good friend has intensified his campaign.

That is how it should be, not threatening our people with federal might, hoping that INEC will write results for him, that SSS are his errand boys and JTF will handcuff people for him. He is flying around with helicopters but I am going around as a simple governor on boats and trekking with the people because for me the people of this state must be liberated from these greedy persons that do not care about the development of the state. For them everything begins and ends with their selfish, pecuniary interest. I am taking our case of peace, security and development to the communities and telling the people ’ your future is in your hands not in any Abuja or Lagos governor. You will be the ones to decide ’. I am very happy about the warm reception and the endorsements I have received. I am just coming from Agudama Ekpetiema and the women came out to tie a wrapper on me, the men give me presents. So many of these people ( our opponents) are disconnected from their voters.

I am busy with the persons who will vote and as we move towards the election, Bayelsans will know that this federal might and security they are using to intimidate people will not work. Look at the election in Kogi, it was free and fair, one man, one vote so Bayelsa should learn, there will be no federal might in Bayelsa. We are sensitizing the people that no one wearing uniform or any other colour will intimidate them. They will vote with their PVCs and protect their votes. There is no magic that can be performed for APC to win.

How confident are you that you will win this election and have you done enough in your current term to deserve the mandate of the people?

I have performed better than my good friend if we have built the number of schools we have built within this period in spite of the short fall in allocation. If we have done the sort of things my government has done within this period. If I do not feel confident that I have done enough then I do not know the governor that should run for a second term because frankly if a governor were to do the sort of things I have done he will win. That is my view, I have interacted with our people and communities and they all say I deserve more than a second term. And so I am very confident.

Even a blind man will tell you that you cannot compare our performance and that the difference between me and Sylva is like that between day and night. In what area can you compare? In terms of acquiring liabilities and debts for our state? Or are you going to measure the performance by the number of killings in the state? In every area, talking about peace and security and development, we know that there is no comparison.

Talking about PDP losing traditional strongholds, there is nothing like losing traditional strongholds. The way the last general elections went, our party made mistakes in some areas, and in politics when you have been in power for this long you make mistakes; there are consequences attached. Bayelsa is different. We have a performing governor and given free and fair elections between myself and Timipre Slyva, forget the parties, there is no basis for comparison. That is why I am not surprised that communities are endorsing me. I have achieved what if a governor does in eight years you will clap for him.

Our people know it, people outside know it. And I am out to do more in a second term so I will get the second term by the grace of God.

In the course of your campaign you have preached peace and security yet there was a clash between APC and PDP supporters in Ekeremor that led to the death of one Andrew John?

Let me use this opportunity to condemn any act of confrontation particularly violent confrontation especially when it leads to loss of life or injuries irrespective of the party of the person affected. As the governor it is my responsibility to protect everyone and their property. A situation where a minister goes to his community and openly threatens everybody that if they do not keep an eye on their child on election day the child will be killed, that is criminal. We should condemn those type of utterances. As for the incident at Ekeremor, I have already issued a statement. Based on the preliminary report at my disposal, the gentleman who died was the one who attacked the PDP supporters who sought to erect a sign banner.

From the report I have, he was rushed to the hospital for treatment and remained

Dick kson

HE IS A GUY MAN WHO HAS HELD POLITICAL OFFICES AND WAS A GOVERNOR FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS AND DOES NOT HAVE A HOUSE IN THE STATE CAPITAL TO SLEEP IN, NOT EVEN

A HUT OF HIS OWN, EVEN IN HIS OWN LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR COMMUNITY

there for two days and then sought to leave the hospital against medical advice and went home believing he was well. Then he developed complications and died. The police are currently investigating so we await the full facts. In Gbarian Ekeptiama, PDP supporters were attacked and as we speak two are hospitalised. In other parts of the state such attacks are taking place but I condemn all of these. Let me use this opportunity to call on everyone particularly my supporters and party members, I do not want to hear any quarrel about posters and billboards and banners, because they do not win elections. I take the pains to go round to communities because I want to educate people not through banners and billboards. Do not worry if these people come and provoke you, do not argue, the elections will come and go in the next few weeks and all those banners and billboards will become useless. Focus on winning the elections, galvanizing supporters and tell-

ing the people to reject the government of killing and Famutangbe. Bayelsans must not hobnob with these discredited people.

This man could not do the intervention I did that enables him to drive to Nembe, he could not dualize the Azikoro road which I did. Under him, for five years, the road to Amassoma was impassable, he could not dream of electrifying communities and all he knew was promote insecurity and cultism. Unfortunately, because of greed, even people that were on exile during his government are supporting him. Many of them will end up in the belly of a tiger because this is a man who does not forget and does not forgive and has no compassion. I can call names but I do not want to do so, they know themselves. Why did they not join APC from the beginning? I do not know how many of them will be in NDDC, I do not know how many Directors and Board members we will have as he has promised them. They do not mind hand-

Have you heard allegations that the opposition party is distributing police and army uniforms to their supporters to pose as security agents to enable them rig the election? If so, what are you doing about it? Secondly in your last media chat you described yourself as the countryman governor and your good friend of the APC as the ‘guy man ’. What ideological connotations do these terms have?

To begin with the guy man. It is a guy man who in this environment of poor people who are suffering unleashes violence on the people to intimidate them while purportedly campaigning for their support. He is a guy man who has held political offices and was a governor for almost five years and does not have a house in the state capital to sleep in, not even a hut of his own, even in his own local government or community. Who is to develop your community for you? He is more travelled than I am, so he is right when he refers to me as I hear as a bush man. I say he is a guy man, he says I am a bush man but our people say I am a country man because a country man will use boat and canoe to CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

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Politics

Sunday November 29, 2015

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Dickson lacks self condence –Sylva Ahead the December 5th gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state, former governor Timipreye Sylva, of the All Progressive Congress, APC, is one of leading contenders in the poll. In this inter active session he had with a consortium of media executives including Sunday Mirror Correspondent, JULIUS OSAHON, he speaks on many knotty issues ahead the poll. Excerpts.

There is the question being asked by many including your opponents and that is what did you forget in the Government House since 2011 when the court annulled your tenure?

Anybody that asks that question is quite ignorant I will say. I left Bayelsa State Government House unwillingly and all Bayelsans know the circumstances under which I left and since then no other opportunity have presented itself for me to re-contest for that office. This is the first opportunity that has presented itself since 2012 and so I don ’t know why anybody will ask me if I forgot anything. Actually, the event of 2012 should be fresh in the mind of every well-meaning Bayelsan. I was disqualified by the powers that be from contesting an office I was still occupying at the time. I think that was the most preposterous thing; the most unjust thing that has happen on the surface of Bayelsa State. Most well-meaning Bayelsans think this is the time for God ’s justice and justice being done by bringing me back and that ’s why you see this overwhelming support. I didn ’t forget anything in Bayelsa State Government House but Bayelsa State Government as we are concerned is headed by an usurper who came and used federal might. Today, when they now begin to shout about federal might, I wonder. Look at Bayelsa State now, look at Yenagoa, do you see any army check point? Now, take your mind back to 2012, at this time, towards the election in 2012, we had over a hundred check points in Bayelsa State manned by fierce-looking armed soldiers. My Government House was already blocked by an Armoured Personal Carrier, APC, and of course toward this time, an army helicopter was already flying over Bayelsa, so what are they talking about? Now, nothing of such is happening and yet they still want to scream because they are scared of their own shadows. I didn ’t forget anything in Bayelsa Government House but I think it ’s time for me to reclaim what is justly mine. I have a second tenure and the people of Bayelsa, the people of Bayelsa would have given me a second tenure if I had been allowed to contest but I was barred from re-contesting that election.

Today, those people who barred me from contesting that election are no longer in the office by the grace of God, so the people has the opportunity of choosing their rightful leader and that is why I am presenting myself.

Your party, the APC, dislodged your brother, Dr Goodluck Jonathan from the presidency; don ’t you think this alone might affect your Chances at the poll?

I don ’t think this will not have any impact on the election at all. Every Ijaw man should be fair to me and the APC. The former President, set the scene for his exit from office by bringing the war to his home. He started the fire and he didn ’t start the fire from any other place, he started it from his home. Look, after I was removed from office, I went to exile; I was arrested by all kinds of people, many times. They never even left me alone after removing me from office,

Dick kson

I DON ’T THINK THIS WILL NOT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE ELECTION AT ALL. EVERY IJAW MAN SHOULD BE FAIR TO ME AND THE APC. THE FORMER PRESIDENT, SET THE SCENE FOR HIS EXIT FROM OFFICE BY BRINGING THE WAR TO HIS HOME

they wanted to kill me, they wanted to jail me, and they wanted to do everything to me. I was visited by a lots of elders from different part of the country, elders from the West visited me, elders from the East visited me, elders from the North visited me and the one question on the lips of all those elders who visited me, ‘do you not have elders in Bayelsa state who can intervene between yourself and the president? ’ And I had no answer to give them. Now, I was pushed to the wall, I was pushed out of PDP, I didn ’t leave PDP, I was pushed out of PDP and they were very joyful about pushing me out of PDP. Now, I saw an opportunity to find a roof over my head in the APC and so I join the APC, body and soul and the Lord crowned that effort. Now, the former President is history, he and those who surrounded him are to blame. If he

had brought everybody together, I mean kept us in one house together, Amechi wouldn ’t have left probably, and I would not have left probably. In 2011, we all supported him but unfortunately he himself and those who were around him felt that we were no longer required. After winning the election, we were pushed out and we have to look for shelter. So as far as I am concerned, Bayelsans sympathise with us and I think even the former President himself knows this because there was no other option left to us, what other option was left? He lost the election, the people of Bayelsa must move on in this country. Nigeria is not meant for us to lead forever, it was an opportunity, we led the country and now, it is no longer our time and as so anybody who is still reveling in that period is still living in the history. Please wake up! to-

day is a new day and today there is an APC government at the center led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the earlier we wake up to that fact, the better for us. Today, I am carrying the flag of the APC, of the ruling party. The earlier we wake up to that fact the better for us in this state because we cannot cease to live as a state because we have lost the Presidency. We must carry on in this country and this is another opportunity. I think I am doing a good service, I am providing myself to be a good bridge between Bayelsa and the center.

Your opponent, the incumbent governor of the state did say that the election is not going to be about him or you but about the people of Ijaws, who he said are PDP people, which cast your candidature as anti-Ijaw interest, how do you react to this?

In a way I will agree with the governor that the election is not about me or about him but it is about Bayelsans and about the Ijaw people. I agree with him about that but when you take it further then you can see the state of mind of the man we are talking about, his confused state of mind obviously. I had said in other fora that none of the parties, neither APC nor PDP is an Ijaw party, they are national parties. I was one of those who brought PDP into Bayelsa; he was not even a member of the PDP. He was a member of AD at that time and then later I think he became a member of the ANPP at a time, he was never even a member of the PDP and that is he doesn ’t know that I know the PDP more than him. When I was in PDP, he was not even in PDP; he was just an interloper that joined to get the benefit of joining the PDP. Has he worked for that party? Because as far as I know after contributing to the impeachment of Alamieseigha, he came here and as compensation, he was made a commissioner. That was how he came to the PDP; he was made a commissioner as a compensation for the role he played in the impeachment of Alamieseigha.

Then he became of a member of the House of Representatives because of his perceived loyalty to the former President and then a governor because they were the people who tells all kind of lies to the former President and set him up against me. So, he became a beneficiary of lies.

So I can ’t blame him because he doesn ’t even really know what the PDP stands for. If we are talking of Ijaw patriots, I consider myself one and I think today that well meaning Ijaw people are quite happy with me because they believe that without me, there would have be no link with the center, there would have be no bridge builder. Now, I have provided that link to the center, I think that on the contrary, the APC is the patriotic party and I am the patriotic one. And I think that the Ijaw people should embrace the APC because this is our time to really get to the center, we have to live in this same country, whether our president lost the election or not. It is not the Ijaw people that lost the election because Ijaw people did not contest an election, I didn ’t see Ijaw people on the ballot. I saw the PDP and the PDP presidential candidate who was an Ijaw son, but he lost and we have to carry on in this state, we have to carry on in this country, thank you.

Your opponent describes you as your CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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Wellness YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES November 29, 2015

How to maintain healthy skin in dry season TITILOPE MORAKINYO

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ry skin is a very common problem for millions of people the world over, which is why there are a number of different treatments available for this ailment. When someone ’s skin loses its moisture content, it results in dry skin, as this global problem is something that millions of people have tried to solve.

Dryness in our skin occurs due to a lack of moisture therein, especially during dry seasons.

There are several home remedies that can help people get rid of this irritating and painful problem.

Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory disease involving the skin and often other organs and systems, mainly respiratory, relapsing, noncontagious and itchy skin disorder. It is often chronic in nature. Skin rashes are common in children, but are usually not harmful. Mostly, children under one year are affected more as parts of their body can be affected.

As they get older, the back of the knees and front of the elbows are the most common area for the rash. In adults the hands and feet are mostly affected.

The skin condition occurs mostly during dry season. The disease makes it red and itchy, it tends to flare up periodically and then subside. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. No cure has been found for atopic dermatitis.

But treatments and self-care measures can relieve itching and prevent new outbreaks. It can be subdued when a sufferer avoids harsh soaps and other irritants, apply medicated creams or ointments on the affected parts, and moisturise the skin more often.

A rash can be caused by an allergic

Patient

reaction, viral illness or a medical problem that affects the skin. Common types of rashes in children include diaper rash, a skin condition called eczema, baby dandruff called cradle cap, and infections such as roseola and fifth disease. Some rashes, however, can be caused by life-threatening diseases such as meningitis.

According to medics, atopic dermatitis is increasing in countries around the world, and currently affects major number of children and two per cent of adults worldwide. World Allergy Organisation had planned to release the first section of the Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention this year, which would recommend the use of probiotics by pregnant and lactating women and their breastfed infants to prevent the development of atopic dermatitis In an interview with Sunday Mirror, a medical doctor with Grace Hospital, Mushin, Lagos, Dr Ifeoluwa Adekobi, de-

HEALTH NEWS

UK sets up £1bn fund to fight malaria

T

he UK government is to create a new £1billion fund aimed at eradicating malaria and other infectious diseases.

The Ross Fund will be run in partnership with United States philanthropists, Bill and Melinda Gates.

It is named after Sir Ronald Ross who became Britain ’s first Nobel Prize winner in 1902 for his discovery that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes.

The number of people dying from malaria is falling

but a child still dies from the disease every minute in Africa.

Ministers say the partnership with the Microsoft founder and his wife Melinda marks a “fundamental restructuring ” of the UK ’s aid budget.

The £1bn will come from the UK ’s overseas aid budget over the next five years.

Of the total, £115m is earmarked for research into new drugs, diagnostics and insecticides for malaria, TB and other infectious dis-

eases A further £188m will be spent on improving biodefences and rapid response systems to fast-spreading epidemics such as Ebola Chancellor George Osborne said one billion people were infected with malaria and 500,000 children die from the disease each year.

He said the government ’s commitment to overseas aid helps to “promote our national security and interests around the world ”.

fines the skin condition as an inflammatory disease of unknown origin that usually starts in early infancy, though an adult-onset variant is recognised.

It is a common skin disease in children and has been given a series of names such as eczema. Children often contract the disease during their first year. A child could have dry and scaly patches on the skin, scalp, forehead or face. These patches are very common on the cheeks where the itch can be so intense that a child cannot sleep.

Because atopic dermatitis can be long lasting, it is important to learn how to take care of the skin. Treatment and good skin care can alleviate much of the discomfort.

The doctor, however, said the risk of a child contracting the disease has to do with the family history.

“When one or both parents are carriers of the disease or in an allergic condition, the child is more likely to contract the

ailment. Some could have hay fever and asthma. Another factor is where the child lives. An environment with higher level of pollution could make a child contract the ailment. Also, the gender of the child determines whether he could catch it. Females are more likely to get the infection than the males.

“The signs and symptoms of the disease in children are rashes that appear suddenly in the body and increase in the elbows or knees. Other common places are the neck, wrists and ankles or between the buttocks and legs. It makes the skin dry, scaly and itchy. It can also form on the scalp and face, especially on the cheeks or other areas of the body.

“In adults, signs of the disease appear in the creases of the elbows or knees and nape of neck. It covers much of the body and can be noticeable on the neck and face, dry skin, non-stop itching, scaly skin leads to skin infections, hand eczema and eye problems (eczema on eyelids is called cataracts), ” he said.

The cause, according to the medic, is believed to involve a number of factors including genetics, immune system dysfunction, environmental exposures and difficulties with the permeability of the skin.

“On the treatment, medicine, skin care, and lifestyle changes could help in managing the problem. Skin care and lifestyle changes can help prevent flare-ups. Many patients receive tips for coping. Doing all of this may seem bothersome, but sticking to the plan can make a big difference.

“Avoiding harsh soaps and detergents or other irritants are other measures. Daily bathing with the use of a moisturising lotions afterwards; use of medicated or steroids creams when flares occur; use of antibiotics, either orally or otherwise can also help, ” Dr Adekobi said.

NPHCDA launches measles vaccine campaign

N

ational Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has reiterated its commitment to rid the country of measles by launching a measles vaccine campaign in the North and South of the country.

Speaking with the media in Abuja, the Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad, said that even in the face of insecurity as witnessed in states such as Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and Federal Capital

Territory (FCT), the agency has been up and doing in the provision of emergency health services in the 96 IDPs camps.

He revealed that “the campaign is all encompassing with a view to ensuring that all children within the ages of nine and 59 months are captured, and even children coming into the country are not left out with the help of fixed and outposts in the border areas ”.

“It is very important because a successful cam-

paign would reduce four per cent of under-five mortality in the country, ” Muhammad explained.

He further said that the first phase would begin in 19 northern states from November 21 to 26 while the second phase would be between January 28 and February 1, 2016 in 17 southern states.

He said plans were on to achieve 95 per cent coverage, adding that the campaign became important to reduce measles epidemic in the country.

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EDIFYING GOD SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2015

There is hope for the needy 16

QUOTE God’s Word carries divine nature: When we receive the revelation of the Word, we imbibe divine nature which is eternally immune to sicknesses and diseases.

Bishop David Oyedepo

‘What to do in the New Year’ 17

Polity in Christian churches 32

How Christians should pray

14 & 15

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Cover

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he Bible encyclopedia defines Prayer as conversation with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to Him.

Prayer may come in oral or mental form, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is an act of beseeching the Lord as expressed in Exodus 32:11. It is also a way of pouring out the soul before the Lord, praying and crying to heaven (2 Chr. 32:20); seeking unto God and making supplication like in the case of Job in Job 8:5; drawing near to God (Ps. 73:28) among other ways the Bible presents it.

For Christians, prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to communicate with His people, His personal control of all things, and of all his creatures and all their actions. Taking all these into consideration, most would agree that one of the basic elements of Christianity is prayer.

But when one surveys the wide variety of forms of Christianity, you find that there are many different practices and ideas about prayer across the various denominations.

Many denominations, especially the Orthodox ones, typically see prayer as the recitation of prewritten texts. Some have hundreds of these prayers for people to recite in a variety of situations.

For instance, there are specific prayers for to be recited before and after meals, when dealing with depression, and in many other situations. Some have traditions and practice of praying to or through angels and saints as intercessors between God and man.

Yet some denominations like the Protestants are less liturgical about prayers.

There are many different forms of praying in Protestantism, which include emotional prayers spoken from the pulpits of churches to prayer groups meeting together to pray about specific issues.

Though, the way people pray varies within mainstream Christianity, all major branches frequently say the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus Christ taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and which one presupposes should be the pattern which Christians should pray since it was the Jesus taught His disciples to prey and therefore, should be strictly adhered to by the church today. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants say the Lord’s Prayer regularly with the belief that Jesus instructed His followers to pray this prayer verbatim. But some Christians would argue that this is not what Jesus Christ intended when He taught His disciples how to pray in His Sermon on the mount, but rather He gave them points or models on how to pray.

According to Bishop Oscar Osai, General Overseer, City of Refuge church, Lagos When Jesus Christ taught His disciples the prayer referred to as the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity, He intended for it to be a pattern of prayer for Christians, as every particular aspect of the prayer is a topic that is stretched to meet a variety of situations.

“When Jesus Christ taught His disciples how to pray, He said ‘when you pray, pray in this manner.’ What Jesus taught Hi disciples during His Sermon on the Mount and what is referred as the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity, is a

Sunday November 29, 2015

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How Christians

Man praying

Prayer, which is regarded as the core way through which Christians converse with God has overtime become a controversial topic in Christendom as various denominations believe and have patterns in which they pray. ODINAKA URUAKPA speaks to clerics to find out how Christians are expected to pray. manner as every sentence made there

by Jesus is a subject-title. For instance, the first expression ‘our father who art in heaven’ establishes the relationship between Jesus and His father in heaven, ‘hallowed be your name is worship and praise’. In’ thy kingdom come’, we know that the kingdom which is the domain and scope of influence of the king needs to cover the earth; as the heaven is completely under the rule of God, so also God wants to dominate the ruler-ship of the earth. Christ said; ‘let thy will be done because it is God’s will that men should come to repentance; it is God’s will that man is on earth and he (man) should prosper. ‘Give us our daily bread’; brings the needs of the believer to fore. ‘Forgive us this day as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation’ i.e. do not let us fall into temptation as we pursue our daily needs. Every particular aspect of the Lord’s Prayer is a topic that is stretched to meet a variety of situations. Therefore the Lord’s Prayer is a pattern for praying that is broken down into segments”, he claimed.

On the concept of some Christian denominations following written patterns of praying in their worship centres, Osai said: “To some extent, you can use a particularly designed pattern to start, but at the end of the day, prayer is about communication with God, i.e. you talk to

When Jesus Christ taught His disciples how to pray, He said ‘when you pray, pray in this manner.’ What Jesus taught Hi disciples during His Sermon on the Mount and what is referred as the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity, is a manner as every sentence made there by Jesus is a subject-title.

God and God talks back to you. You know the agreements you have made with Him (God) and you go back and worship Him. You pray in secret and God who rewards openly will reward you. What I am saying is that it depends on the kind of prayer that is being said. When a church is leading a congregational prayer, you can use your booklet, but if it is you are praying concerning your personal needs and challenges, no one can help you articulate it other than you. Nobody can pray for you better than you can pray for yourself. So, what any man knows is good for that man.

The ideal thing is that you stand before God. Look at the Bible from Genesis to revelation, look at the prayer which people prayed, there is no one of them that followed the pattern of a booklet. When Hannah prayed; what booklet did she use?

When Jabez prayed ‘O God, that you may

bless me to enlarge my coast’; what prayer booklet did he use? When the apostles of Jesus Christ prayed over their persecutions; what booklet did they use? I am not saying that using booklet is useless, but the heart of prayer is pouring out your heart to God.” When asked if the efficacy of prayer is connected to the duration of the prayer, Osai said: “The success or failure of prayer does not have to do with the longetivity or otherwise. Prayer cannot be categorized into long or short prayer, rather the effectiveness of prayer depends on the heart of the person praying and how God who is the receiver receives it. When Solomon dedicated the temple, he stood before God for several hours. When Jabez prayed, it was a short prayer. When Hannah prayed, she poured out her heart to God and as soon as the man of God told

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Sunday November 29, 2015

should pray

her to go that it is well, she cleaned her eyes and that was the end. So it is not something neither here nor there; we cannot put god in a jacket, God does what He wants to do; our own is to align with what He is doing.”

Also commenting on the issue, Pastor Moses Ojo, General Overseer, World Soul Winning Ministry, Abuja defined prayer as communication with God that involves one talking to God and God talking back to the person, adding that prayer is encompassing; as it includes thanksgiving, worship, adoration and scripture.

“People don’t understand what prayer is; prayer is encompassing, it is dialogue with God. It is not just a matter of one talking alone, but one talking to God, and God talking back to them. When we talk about the Lord’s Prayer, if we were to explain it, it is much more than what people think it is. Like I said earlier, prayer is encompassing; it is communication with God that involves thanksgiving, worship, adoration and scripture. I mentioned scripture because the prayer that does not involve the Bible is just mere talking. The Bible tells us that those that are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. We are told in Romans 8:26 that we do not know how to pray, but the spirit of God helps our infirmity to present our needs to our father whom is heaven. So, to actually pray, is to be led by the spirit of God through the mind of God, and as we present these things to God, He would definitely talk back to us and this is what is needed for our prayer to be complete.

Speaking on the duration and pattern of prayer, Ojo said: “If I come out as a pastor and say I want to pray for someone, I just go ahead praying for the person for a long period, this shows that such person is the type that when indoors, they pray so much and when they come outside, they also pray same way too. Talking of praying in a particular pattern, I believe that it depends on how God speaks

to people. Every ministry has its own vision which it follows. What I know is that there is no laid down rule for praying, rather it is the principle of Christ that we follow when we pray. That is the reason the Bible states that those who are led by the spirit of called are called the sons of God. So, if you want to pray to God, the spirit of God will lead you.”

On denominations that refuse to pray with people they preach to, the cleric said: “This practice is wrong because a Christian, especially one who is on mission to win souls for Christ is expected to pray with those they are evangelizing to.

You can’t give the excuse that you have already prayed in your church so you need not pray again. Christians can pray anywhere and any opportune time. If I visit you in your home or you visit me, I pray with you. If I come to your office, I pray; you can pray anywhere. Prayer doesn’t have restrictions or limitations, so you can pray anywhere at any given time. Moreover the Bible instructs us in the gospel of Luke to pray at all times and everywhere.”

Pastor Peter Clement of the Ascension Pentecostal Church, Lagos, claimed that the Lord’s Prayer is a pattern given for prayer, adding that the proper way for Christians to pray is prescribed in Philippians 4:6-7; where they are instructed on how to pray.

“The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God, without being anxious as we pray about everything with thankful hearts. Since God already knows us better than we know ourselves, we are to present our requests to Him, keeping in mind that God knows what is best and will not grant a request that is not His will for us.

We are to express our love, gratitude, and worship to God in prayer without worrying about having just the right words to say. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our

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When Christ broached the subject of prayer in a portion of the sermon that

Christians should not flaunt their good deeds for everybody to see. explains

words. The closest the Bible came to giving a pattern for prayer is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. We must understand that the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer we are to memorize and recite to God. It is an example of the things that should go into a prayer, worship, trust in God, requests, confession, and submission. We are to pray for the things the Lord’s Prayer talks about, using our own words and customizing it to our own journey with God. We can express our hearts to God sitting, standing, or kneeling; hands open or closed; eyes opened or closed; in a church, at home, or outside; in the morning or at night. The way we pray is subject to personal preference, conviction, and appropriateness.

God’s desire is for prayer to be a real and personal connection between Himself and us. ”, he explained.

Clement further explained that the Lord’s Prayer which Jesus Christ taught His disciples in the middle of His Sermon on the Mount is the heart and core of what genuine Christianity is all about.

“When Christ broached the subject of prayer in a portion of the sermon that explains Christians should not flaunt their good deeds for everybody to see. He said that good deeds i.e. giving to charitable causes, serving others, and so on, should be done in secret (Matthew 6:4). He didn’t mean that we should be embarrassed about doing good, but that our motivation

should be to do good because we are trying to please God and do the right thing. Our motivation should not be for other people to see us. After making that important point, Christ transitioned to the topic of prayer. He gave a number of points that are very important for all Christians to understand and that contradict many of the practices found in Christianity today”, he claimed.

On the choice of words and position to determine efficacy of prayer, the cleric said: “Far too often, prayer is viewed as a magic formula. Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely unbiblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what order we word our prayers. We are told in 1 John 5:14-15 to have confidence when we come to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and will grant whatever we ask as long as it is in His will. Similarly, John 14:13-14 declares, ‘And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.’ According to these and many other Scriptures, God answers prayer requests based on whether they are asked according to His will and in the name of Jesus to bring glory to God.”

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From the

Pulpit Sunday November 29, 2015

There is hope for the needy

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

I

t has become an observable fact to see many people who are disappointed, disillusioned and disoriented during the year to look-up as their last hope for the year the special annual program entitled HOPE FOR THE NEEDY. The reason for placing their hope on the program is because the Almighty God has by His special grace consistently shown His presence and endorsement for the program through diverse signs and wonders which He has wrought in the life of people through the program. It is a known fact that all who attended the program in the past have one good thing or another to share with friends and next of kin. There are numerous testimonies that have reverberated of which the recipients are ever eager to let others hear what the Lord has done.

Consequently, those who have not benefited from the program as a result of their inability to attend the previous one and those who have not heard of the reality of the program before now will not wait to be told about the program.

As they heard others rejoicing they keep asking God when their own time of experiencing His goodness will come.

But thank God the programme which began yesterday, Saturday November 28 continues today Sunday November 29 at the expansive revival ground of The Lord’s Chosen Revival Ministries located along Oshodi –Apapa Expressway by Ijesha bus stop. The Almighty God will as usual make as many as will attend the program to rejoice, and the landscape of the fate of the citizen of this nation will never be the same again, for God will give a new hope to people as He promised, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43: 19) God will by this program wrought wonders in the life of people sufficient to evince that it is the Almighty God that owns the program.

Greater wonders shall be wrought on men’s souls because by His word and Spirit those that are physically or spiritually blind will see or be enlightened, those that are deaf to the calls of God, will be made to hear. Those that are impotent to everything that is good will by divine grace be made powerful, those also that are dumb, and know not how to speak, shall have their lips opened to show forth His praise.

Isaiah 35: 5- 6 says, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert” Nobody will attend the crusade and go home the same without having his need met. The mark of hopelessness that has dominated the mind of the people all the while shall end after the crusade. People’s hope shall be rekindled in the area of their business, health, education, etc and the entire nation shall experience joy and peace.

So if there is any area in your life you have presented to God before and have not received an answer to it, and as a result

you have lost hope even in the ability of God to do it, I want to assure you that comes this special program, you shall have hope of victory over it. If there is request you have made to God concerning your loved ones and have not seen the physical manifestation of the answer.

Or you have been praying that God should bless you or your loved ones in a particular area and have not gotten your desired blessing, I want to assure you that same God who brought this program, who have been blessing others in the past through this program shall give you hope for your need in Jesus name.

It does not matter how bad your situation is now, or how powerful the enemy that have hindered you from receiving the blessing of God may be, the fact is that this time He has assured us of hope for our need and He will never disappoint us.

You may have been in pain for one reason or the other and thinking that God has abandoned you because your situation looks hopeless, a new hope is coming your way. It may be the pain of stroke, it may be the pain of poverty, barrenness, lack of promotion, it may also be pain of sicknesses such as HIV, diabetes, cancer, Arthritis, etc, and you have been praying and fasting for solution but there has been no answer to your prayer. I want to assure you that this time around, my God even the God of Chosen who brought you into this world and who has seen your predicament and heard your cry and is determined to let you have the touch of His blessing now. In this forthcoming crusade there shall be abundant of hope for you.

If peace has eluded you because you don’t have your own husband or wife or your spouse has abandoned you, and left you without hope, never mind, God is by this program giving hope to the needy. The God, who died on the cross for you has not forgotten you, He is the hope of the hopeless, He will give you hope of peace comes this crusade in Jesus name.

Bring that problem that has defied solution to Him at this crusade and He will give you the desired blessing.

Beloved, only God has the power to rekindle hope. Babalawo solution cannot give you that lasting hope you need, that rich man has not gotten all the blessings that will change your life for good, your father or mother has not gotten all the blessings that will give you lasting hope because they are not the

Creator of your life. Your boss in the office lacks all it takes to give you lasting hope, but only God has all the power to revive your hope for life now and the life after.

John 10: 10b says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” When God saw the hopelessness of the people He created and how they were wallowing in darkness suffering from one problem to another, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to come and be the Redeemer for them that they might have life and not just a mere living, but abundant of it including all those things which are needful to make life happy. By the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, a thorough heavenly portal is opened for humanity, and thus we have asses to all heavenly blessing which include mercy, grace, salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, good health, freedom, peace, promotion, joy unspeakable, dominion, etc and above all a privilege for a glorious immortality.

However, lack of knowledge of the reason behind His coming is why the people including the children of God are suffering and dying. And that is why hopelessness has pervaded the life of the citizens of this country and world at large.

Many people have cut themselves off from the provisions available to us by His coming because of ignorance and thus became destroyed. Their ignorant exposed them to the devil who offered alternative hope for their need in the area of sickness, diseases, affliction, lacks, disappointment, etc.

But comes this crusade, there shall be restoration. The lame shall walk, the dumb shall speak, the deaf shall hear, the incurable shall be cured and there shall be showers of hope of blessing.

Since the beginning of this ministry, God Almighty has demonstrated at every given opportunity that He established the ministry to impart gladness to the needy and bind up the broken hearted and in this forthcoming programme God will re-awaken the nation’s hope so that the years that the political and economic locust, caterpillar, and the palmerworm have eaten, will be restored.

Now having gotten the knowledge of this outstanding blessing of hope, what then shall be your preparation?

Our required preparation and example of old Amos 4: 12 says, “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” Everybody including the nation must be prepared to receive the renewal of hope by God through this program.

There is no doubt that after the program our lives shall never be the same again.

But as we expect God to revive our hope, we should remember that God is not a man. While men have sinful nature, God has Pastor Muoka a holy n a -

ture. He is pure and holy and thus will not revive hope of an unholy person. If you come to do program and refuse to repent from your sin, you will go empty handed and trouble will not depart from you. Sinners are not recognised in the congregation of the righteous. Instead of blessing, the wrath of God may pour on them.

Ps 1:5 says, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous”.

If we need God to revive our hope, we must be holy and conformed to His nature. So, for us to be among those He is coming to restore their hope comes this weekend, we must prepare to be holy. So, if you desire to be delivered on that day, you must endeavour to clean yourself from all pollution both of the heart and body. If your case is disappointment and lack of promotion, and you want to experience favour, you must prepare to be holy in order to be allowed in His presence.

If you are barren, and you need to rekindle hope of fruitfulness, you must be holy. He has given us promises to encourage us to prepare, we must therefore prepare to meet Him. The will of God in the Old as well as the New Testament is communicated plainly and openly to the people. He said, ‘Ye shall be holy, for I am holy’. There is no ambiguity in God’s requirement. The people of God must be separated from the world, for they are required to be holy, for God is wholly holy.

1Thes. 4: 7 says, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” When He called us to be His followers, it was not that we should live the lives of uncleanness, but of holiness. We should, therefore, fulfil the purposes for which we are called into His kingdom. Holiness is the sure foundation on which hopes are restored and eternal life given.

Exodus 19: 10-11 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai” In the days of Moses, whenever God proposed to have anything with Children of Israel, He must direct Moses to sanctify them to conform to His nature of holiness. This is because without holiness no eye shall see the Lord. Moses accordingly would cause them to cleanse and prepare themselves. The outward washing of clothes commanded was a sign of the inward cleansing of the heart from sin, which God required of every one. To make them cleanse themselves from all sinful pollutions, God directed they must wash their clothes. It was not that God regards their clothes, but while they were washing their clothes, He would have them think of washing their souls by repentance. Just as we appear in clean clothes when we wait for great men, it is required of us by God to have a clean hearts when preparing for the renewal of our hope. Secondly, in devoting themselves entirely to spiritual exercises like fasting, prayers and abstinence from lawful enjoyments during the preparation period, we are expected to conduct ourselves same way these few days, and not even come at our wives.

We must above other things ensure we bring our friends and neighbours for the blessing of God. As the Lord visited His people in the Bible days as He promised and blessed them, if we do what they did, we are sure we shall be blessed, and shall have hope for our need.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Pulpit

Sunday November 29, 2015

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‘What to do in the New Year’

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

G

od is an unquestionable being, compassionate, merciful and loving. He does not compromise when there is the need to exercise His authority and power on any matter or anybody. He makes people to know that there is nothing He cannot do (Jeremiah 32:17). Also He established His authority and power when He said in Isaiah 45:7 “I form the light and created the darkness, I make peace and create calamity, I, the Lord, do all these things.” Many people believe God would easily or ordinarily forgive sinners when they plead and beg Him for forgiveness of their sins. Brethren, I come to understand that God doesn’t easily forgive in the way of people’s thinking and understanding.

Let us examine the story of King David, an elect of God whom God had shown favour (II Sam. 7:8). King David committed a great sin in the eye of God by plotting and killing his warlord Uriah and took his wife. Uriah’s wife born a child for David. God struck the child and became ill.

David sought for God’s kindness for the child to be healed II Sam. 12:16 “David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying on the ground.” Despite the intervention of his elders to prevail upon him to get up from the ground, David refused and did not eat nor drink. Yet God did not grant his plea and prayer. The child died the seventh day. Imagine David the elect of God, begged God and He refused to listen to him. I want people to understand that NOBODY does evil and go scot-free, it may take time definitely time will catch up with the person later on. Therefore there is no evil done in secret that will not be exposed, it is a matter of time. For instance stealing of goats in town became rampant. Later three men were caught and confessed it was a famous man in the town has been sending these men to steal goats.

Destiny Hour with Pastor Femi

Lanre-Oke

F

or though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Appreciate the non-physical nature of the battles we fight, indeed we fight a spiritual battle that affects and dictates the pace of our physical life. The first thing to know is that the weapons we use to fight in this battle are spiritual weapons, specially fabricated over thousands and perhaps millions of years and handed over to us at new birth through the living word of God. The intangible nature of the battle on the plains of the mind brings neglect in handling the issues that pass through our mind everyday but the truth is this the devil and his cohorts know that a vulnerable mind is their headquarters.

The bible mentions strongholds, imaginations, every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and every thought. They are all powers directed at the

Nobody would have thought the famous man could be involved in the act of stealing goats.

He was exposed and disgraced. Some people believe they have grace because of their status, fame and godliness, they perpetrate evil and their secrets are yet to be exposed.

They are not smart at all. Whether a person is an armed robber, adulterer, fornicator, fraudster, his days are numbered when the person will be exposed to the extent that God will not forgive. Imagine a woman had five children, two were for the real husband while the other three were for other men.

These three children were counted for the real husband. But the three children started experiencing problems, no progress in their lives. It was when their mother brought their case to me that the three children were not for t h e

real husband but another father. The woman actually confessed that they are for other men (three fathers, father for a child). Their mother who was above 60 years caused the problem for the children because she had deceitfully transfered the ownership of those children to another person. Brethren, it is pertinent to stay by the truth because it will set a person free rather than lying which will compound person’s problem in future. Telling lie destructs people’s life. Then I advised the woman to commence begging for forgiveness of sin. In fact the spirit of God revealed that the three children should be with their purported father but the woman should be preparing to depart this world.

I fervently pray that we would not do what will make God to close His eyes against us in Jesus name. Brethren, there are some sin that God may not forgive. There are some things God would not because of sin. When you request He might not grant your request. Many people do not know God. They think God is not tough and strict. God can destroy a whole city because of a person. God’s mindset differs from people.

Imagine G o d

Prophet Oloruntimilehin

wanted to sink a vessel because of Jonah, (Jonah 1:1-16). There is nothing God cannot do.

People do not understand The way and manner God does His things.

The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up…” Therefore let your goodness be weightier than the sins committed, may be God would show his mercy upon you. After the death of David’s child and he was informed about it, he rose up from ground, washed, changed his clothes, went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. Later went to his house requested for food and ate. Some people because of the problem in their life they would refuse to serve God by not attending church services.

But David did not stop at serving God under any condition. He even thanked and praised Him. His elders and servants were surprised at his actions and they asked him. He answered in II Samuel 12:22 “while the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, I thought, who knows the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live”. I pray God will have mercy on us in the name of Jesus. Imagine David who God loved well but refused to hear his pleading and fasting. It does not matter whom you are, what concerns God is for you to tow the path of righteousness and learn to abstain from sin. Therefore, as we are entering the New Year I implore people to part ways with sins because the Bible says in the book of Romans 6:1 “…Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound”. Brethren, let our watchword be ‘abstain from sin and serve God diligently in the New Year.’

Path to maturity – (2) mind, may I say they are all battle generals sent to the plains of the mind. The devil cannot penetrate your spirit man because Jesus has taken over, it is now the residential address of the Holy Spirit but he can plant himself in the mind via the media, the input of the natural senses and then create a stronghold known as obsession in the mind.

You watch something foul or vulgar, probably slang or a song, it begins to play and re – play in your mind but you don’t seem to mind. You must mind because that same place where it is playing should be the place of meditation on the word of God and sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

This is what you do: when such thoughts, imagination come again to take a place in your mind, burst into tongues, pray in the Holy Ghost, consciously begin to sing songs and say words that glorify God because at that point you have brought in kingdom generals to battle demonic generals on the plains of your mind – purge your mind.

How to bring the battle to the plains of the mind and win at all times Someone insults you and you are meant to react angrily, some thoughts are welling up in your mind on what to say back and how to react, begin to say something beautiful things to God. Let me share something the Holy Spirit told me a while back, emotions are good but in spiritual situations, they can serve as limitations to doing God’s will or limitations to knowing His will and

putting your full heart into it. Therefore, our emotions especially in spiritual matters such as knowing how to react to a situation, how to reply to issues, probably what to do when things are not going as expected, and our emotions are to be directed towards God. The mind is a very busy high way; many things pass through on a daily basis both with and without our consent. It is therefore necessary to renew the mind and align its will, emotions and intellect with the absolute will of God. Many came into the kingdom of God with battered and wounded souls, some have addressed them and cleansed them by the blood of Jesus, some are still struggling under the burden of the wounds they carry, the good news is old things are passed away and you can be free right now to be all that God wants you to be, no more emotional baggage stopping you from having a Godly life to the fullest. If this is your earnest desire, you can react now by firing some rapid prayer arrows; Father I come to You in the name of Jesus, I thank You the provisions You have made for my freedom and complete deliverance from bondage, I thank You because the bible says Jesus came to take captivity capture and set the captives free, (Ephesians 4:8, Luke 4:18) I know that through You my complete deliverance is sure, be exalted Father in Jesus name.I soak myself and surroundings in the blood of Jesus as You begin to carry out operations on my soul in the name of Jesus. Holy Spirit have your way, I open up my soul to you, you know

the hurts, you know when I was hurt, you know the wounds in there and I know that your will is to heal me.

Therefore in the name of Jesus I release my soul to You (at this point begin to pray in the Holy Spirit if you can and begin to forgive any situation and anyone that may have hurt you).

Father, I let go of ….. Situation (mention the situation), I will no longer be bound by this in Jesus name, Father I let go of …. Person (mention the name), I forgive him/her I will not be bound again in Jesus name.

Father, I let go of hatred, malice (mention them) Holy Spirit replace them with the equivalent fruits of the Spirit in Jesus name (Galatians 5:22-23).

Father, heal my soul completely, renew my mind, cleanse it by the blood of Jesus, clean out the junk stored in there. Heal my wounds, bind them, and pour ointment on them according to the classifications of healing in Isaiah 1:6b in Jesus name. Father empower me to please you in the name of Jesus, Lord, I hand over the plains of my mind to You, direct and teach me in the name of Jesus.

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

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

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

Resumption of work on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

S

trong indications are that Julius Berger Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited (RCC), the two construction companies the immediate past president Goodluck Jonathan awarded the reconstruction of the LagosIbadan Expressway in 2013 after displacing Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, have mobilised to sites. For many Nigerian road users, especially owners of haulage trucks, commuter drivers, petty traders that are always on the move, and indeed, long distant travellers across the country, this development would be a gladdening news. This is particularly because the abandonment of the road has been very traumatic for all categories of road users that ply that route. This newspaper enjoins the Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari administration to determinedly prove in the speedy completion of the road that it has actually come to make a difference in the way things are done in the country.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a four-lane 127.6 kilometer long road constructed in 1978, connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and Lagos State, is the nation ’s major arterial road in terms of its connective capacity. The road links Lagos to the entire southern parts of the country and the northern region. It is for this singular reason it enjoys the status of Nigeria ’s busiest inter-state road. On the average, over 200, 000 vehicles are said to ply the route on a daily basis.

Understandably, its connective capacity has implications for business, commerce, socials and all other gamut of development, which explains constant public concerns about its state.

Popular imagination is that the sloppy maintenance culture of the country, bureaucratic lethargy and the known insensitivity of the political and bureaucratic leaderships to public good have combined to have deleterious impacts on this road, just like most other public roads in the country. For example, since the commissioning of the road in 1978, a technical report shows that only four patchy rehabilitation and maintenance works have been carried out on it, the last being in May 2007 when RCC was commissioned to construct an additional inner lane for each of the northbound and southbound carriageways with some pavement restoration work

EVEN NOW THAT THE MINISTER OF WORKS, POWER AND HOUSING, MR. BABATUNDE FASHOLA, IS SHOWING UNCOMMON RESOLVE TO BREAK THE JINX HANGING OVER THE ROAD, HE MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE FG between the Lagos and Shagamu interchange.

In 2009, however, a spectre of hope for a new and positive order was raised by the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua administration when he embarked on a fundamental innovative approach to road construction and maintenance in the country, relying on the Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) template.

The Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, through the PPP Act 2007, set the tone for the development. For this particular road under focus, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited won the concession to reconstruct and manage it for 25 years. According to the concession agreement, the road was to be expanded to 10 lanes from Lagos to Sagamu and six lanes from Sagamu to Ibadan.

The innovation is a new thinking in public administration because it offers the brightest prospect for addressing public sector infrastructure provisioning deficit, a development traceable to both paucity of funds and corruption.

Generally, concession is in line with the best practices in infrastructural development all over the world. So, Nigeria ’s em-

b bracing i iit was iin order. d However, in our own case, this pioneering approach to bridging the gaps between the expectations of the people and the inadequate capacity of the government to meet them floundered on execution. Particularly, the experience of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has not been very reassuring because for four years after the agreement was signed the expected improvement on the state of the road was long in coming, leading to despondency and alienation.

The Federal Government was partly blamed for this by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in its 2011 yearly report, saying it failed to address various vital issues prior to the concession. This did not stop the Jonathan administration from terminating the concession agreement with Bi-Courtney in November 2012, after accusing it of failing to deliver on expectation.

The administration turned to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and RCC for the rescue in July 2013. It signed a N167 billion contract with the two construction companies under a new agreement that broke the reconstruction job into two sections with each of them assigned a section each. The template was not different from the old one since the Federal Government was expected to fund the road rehabilitation and operate the toll road. It is little wonder, therefore, that execution was stalled. Reason? Paucity of funds at a time oil import receipts increasing dwindled. Expectedly, this had its toll on the financing of the job, hence the seemingly non-performance of the construction companies.

Even now that the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is showing uncommon resolve to break the jinx hanging over the road, he must be mindful of the financial health of the FG, especially at this time.

Our well considered advice is a return to concession, but the caveat being that only serious concessionaires should be considered for a piece of the action.

The concession template offers the best option out of our perennial infrastructural provisioning deficit. However, as this government is driven by the change philosophy, we expect it to respect agreements it enters into.

Reminiscences NOVEMBER 29 IN HISTORY 1963: Warren Commission probes Kennedy ’s assassination The Warren Commission led by the Chief Justice of the United States, Earl Warren, is established to investigate the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. It took 10 months to complete the findings which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the killing of the President.

1956: Petrol rationing introduced in England As a result of the Suez crisis, oil is not getting through from the Middle East and petrol rationing is to be introduced in Britain from next month, and is expected to last for four months, and will be controlled through books of coupons.

1929: Byrd flies across South Pole, say U.S. media American newspapers have announced that Commander Richard Byrd safely flew across the South Pole.

1935: England in alliance with France It was evident by this time that Great Britain had joined France in defence against Italy - given Italy were to attack.

This determination included a warning sent by Premier Laval of France to the Italian Ambassador Vittoria Cerruti while he was in Paris.

1947: UN votes for creation of State of Israel The United Nations votes in favour of partitioning the British controlled Palestine and to allow the creation of an Independent Jewish State of Israel.

Arab countries all voted against the creation of Israel and 60 years later the area is still in turmoil.

1948: Australia manufactures new car An all-new Australian car is manufactured in Australia by General Motors Holden Automotive. The car is known as the Holden FX and Holden cars are still manufactured in Australia today.

1953: Indonesians oppose communism An uprising occurred in Indonesia among the anti-Communists after Communist leader Ho Chi Minh requested an armistice negotiation. Numerous opposers of communism demanded that Indonesia end relations with France.

PASSION

A Lifestyle Magazine

Sunday November 29, 2015

APPLAUSE

‘Nigerian women are capable and strong -Doris Ofokansi’

>>21

I’ve always had fascination for music – Gina Cephas >>20

>>20

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Passion

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I’ve always had fascination for music –Gina Cephas Egbe Regina Mbeng aka Gina Cephas has been passionately interested in music from childhood. She also graduated from Esut Institute of Music, Doala, Cameroun. In this interview with ADAEZE AMOS, she speaks about her growing up as well as her music career, among other issues.

How did you develop interest in music?

Music has been part of me right from childhood. I was always going out to dance for people and they would spray money on me.

At a tender age, I had already been known as a dancer, singer and drummer.

I was the lead vocalist in my school and church choir at the age of nine. My passion for music is inborn.

It’s quite a lot. I address women who go to men for money. I sing about true love.

When you started singing, were you supported by your parents?

They didn’t support me. In fact, it wasn’t an easy battle but I had to keep on pushing damning

When did you start singing professionally?

I started music professionally in 2 0 0 6 b u t took my career to another level in November 2014 when I launched my first single enti-

tled, ‘Hand Over and Super Giver’. I have successfully recorded eight so far and my latest single is entitled ‘Gimmi Chance’.

The first time I performed before a large crowd was Felabration 2013. I wasn’t scared. I play Afro pop and contemporary music. all t h e Who is your mentor?

Omawumi is my mentor. I love her songs, charisma, composure and her dress sense.

What really inspires your songs?

When I’m sober, that is when I’m at my best to churn out songs. Or when I’m in a secluded area, no distractions from anybody, that is when songs amazingly begin to flow and I scribble them down immediately so that I won’t forget.

Some people compose songs when they are heartbroken, when do you compose yours?

In my quiet moment or when I’m in a secluded area where birds chirp and nature (weather) is at its best.

What message do you pass in your songs?

cons e -

quence. I’m actually from a strong Christian background, that’s why.

Most young people are concerned with the beats today and not the lyrics, what is your take on this?

It’s not really a good one; our music must have value and be rich in lyrics not just the beat.

What are the challenges you have encountered doing music?

Sincerely, I have not had any challenge so far; it’s been smooth and dandy.

What is your try?

take on the Nigerian music indusNigerian music industry is growing for good but we still need to make some changes as artistes.

We should do good music that will ed-

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, November 29, 2015

ucate and bless people out there and not to corrupt the young ones.

Who do you look up to for collaboration?

Omawumi and Flavour. Those two would inspire me the more.

What was the most embarrassing thing a male fan ever did to you?

None really, apart from some people on my Facebook. They are very annoying.

Sometimes all they do is to send their nude pictures to me.

Some divas take substances to get high before they perform on the stage. What drives you?

My music drives me! I don’t like taking substance to get high before performing. It has never been my style and I don’t fancy it.

What lesson has life taught you as a musician?

Life has taught me to be strong, believe in myself, keep doing that thing I have passion for. Also, never to underrate anybody because you don’t know where you would meet him tomorrow.

What is your philosophy?

Whatever you do, do it well, you may never have a second chance.

If you have to relive your life, would you still love to be a musician?

Yes, I would.

Talking about fashion, can you define your style?

Sincerely speaking, fashion is not my thing. Most people call me tomboy.

What was the naughtiest thing you have ever done?

I love to cry so that I would be pampered like a baby.

What fashion item forms a larger part of your wardrobe?

My shoes.

Applause

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Nigerian women are capable and strong -Doris Ofokansi Adaeze Amos

M

rs Doris Ofokansi sees herself as God’s own. This vocal but blunt mass communication graduate of Imo State University is a pastor. She said her ministry brings women closer to God so that they would be empowered and established.

“I’m a child and minister of God. The name of my ministry is All for God Outreach International. It is targeted at saving souls, drawing people to God, raising and sustaining them for God’s kingdom,” she explained.

Pastor Ofokansi said women in her ministry usually benefit from what she is teaching them.

“They have benefited a lot from my ministry, especially in their marriage. Every man that knows my ministry wants his wife to be part of it because of benefits in the lives of other female members. It is even through men that I get their wives to join us. All the female members, I can proudly say are good women; because of what I have been impacting in them. It’s true that some of them when they joined newly had some funny character but when they started hearing the word of God concerning their attitudes and lifestyles, they changed. Even me, the preacher, the words of God that I preach do have positive effect on me. You can’t give out what you don’t have. I practise what I preach with ease,” Mrs Ofokansi said.

In her preaching and counselling, she is fond of giving some marital tips that would make couples thrive in their marriage.

“The reason is that there are so many problems couples are going through in their marriage. And this is not only limited to Nigerians, it is a worldwide thing. It’s a pity that most people do not understand what marriage is. That is why I keep saying that couples need abundant grace of God to overcome marital challenges,” she said.

Does the fault of marital challenges come from women?

“No, Nigerian women are very capable and strong. But their husbands at times do not value or appreciate them. Some don’t even know the worth of their wives. That is why marriages are crashing. It’s not always the fault of women when marriages crash. It is the Nigerian mentality that when marriage crashes, the woman is always blamed for it. I say this as a preacher and based on the knowledge I have in life, the experience I have garnered in marriage. Nigerian men seldom appreciate the value of their wives. I was talking to a man who came to my office and we got talking the other day. He was telling me what people had been saying about his wife. I counselled him to remove third parties from his marriage and marry his wife. That she would eventually become what he wants her to be. He obeyed and today he is enjoying his marriage. Men need to understand their wives and know that they are weaker vessels. After all, the Bible made us to know that women are weaker vessels. Any man who fails to understand that the Bible says he is the head of his family is making a grievous mistake. But that does not mean you should be saying it all the time, reminding your wife you are the head of the family at the slightest provocation,” she advised.

Why is it not proper for husbands to do so?

“No man should always hammer it hard that he is the head whenever he is provoked in his marriage. We (women) already know you are the head. Don’t sing it like a song for goodness sake. The more you tell your wife you are a man and the head of the family, it begins to make less meaning to her. She would see you as a baby. So the men should stop telling us this, we already know. Don’t tell a virtuous woman that you are a man, she already knows that. You are a man, you don’t announce it. When you overdo it, you become the weaker vessel and the woman becomes the stronger one. That’s the way I see it. This is one of the things that has crashed so many marriages because in the process of proving to your wife that you are the man, you may begin to barter her and throw her things away,” she emphasised.

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Opinion

Sunday November 29, 2015

Uncensored

Sheriff Folarin

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

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he history of Europe that will be written for 2015 will be the tales and celebration of uncommon human magnanimity, humanitarianism and expectedly, an analysis of the ceaseless flow of the milk of human kindness, as far the opening of the gates of the continent for refugees from war-hit Syria, is concerned. Never had Europe been so generous and so considerate in its history since 1400, as it has been in 2015. As the Syrian crisis reached a head and hundreds of thousands of families trapped in the middle of a country with multiple theatres of war searched in vain for safe haven, European governments offered the unexpected respite and one after the other, reeled out the numbers in terms of refugees acceptable by them.

With the exception of Britain, a country known in history for being t most calculative and cautious on matters of European and international concern, big powers in the continent, including Italy, Germany and Greece flung their doors wide open for Syrian refugees. Germany’s Merkel indicated her willingness to receive between 500,000 and 800,000 within a year. Within a short period, with staggering figures mentioned by governments as their own quotas to solving the Middle East refugee question, the refugee issue appeared like another opportunity for European states to outdo one another. It was nice indeed to help a nation in critical need. For idealists, the demonstration of love, compassion and kindness by these European countries justify the position that international politics is not, after

Safety Tips with

Jonas Agwu

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

S

ince I ported from the pen pushing business to save lives on the highway, I have on several occasions taught and guided drivers and my own staff on the need to beware of madmen on the wheels. I have equally received several reports from my patrol teams and even concern members of the public on traces of insanity exhibited by some motorists. In all of my years in the Federal Road Safety Corps, I have seen some insane drivers on the wheels but I had never met the type with a higher level of insanity until last week Sunday when I stumbled on a madman on the wheels who was driving against traffic along the Jabi area in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

All attempts to caution him fell on deaf ears. Even when I blocked him with my car, he threatened and caused me for daring to stop him. Instantly I x-rayed his conduct and concluded that his mannerisms fitted into the book, ROAD RAGE AND AGGRESSIVE DRIVING by Leon James and Diane Nahl.

Our encounter equally refreshed my memory on what I wrote in the piece, IS PHONING BEHIND THE WHEELS INSANITY? In that piece, I stated that ‘’ driving behind the wheels is insanity.

I think it is madness. I don’t know what you think but I maintain that it is pure madness to step on the wheels and accelerate above the approve speed limit like a good number do. It is even madder, if you will allow the use, to indulge on excessive speeding, dialing, texting, browsing and pinging among some other vices, maiming, killing and

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European refugee policy and the dangers ahead all, just about power struggle, inordinate and selfish ambitions, immorality and conflict-mongering. The show of magnanimity underscores the idealist viewpoint that morality is the baseline of world politics as long as the global political space is occupied by humans with a heart, mind and emotions.

But the question is, did Europe reflect well enough on the decision to accept hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Arab refugees? Aside the economic and social implications of the troops of Syrian refugees, which will include an overstretching of the economic and social resources and the weight the Arabic and Islamic culture would have on a predominantly Christian society, it is interesting to toy with the idea of whether these magnanimous act took cognizance of the security implications as well.

Syria is one unique country with a unique kind of problem- it is a critical case of “confusion”. Anyone seeking the definition of “confusion” needs to check too far. Syria is that required simple but classis definition. Al-Assad’s madness peaked four years ago, when, in the face of the Arab Spring, tightened the ropes around him to secure himself and not go the way of leaderships in the Middle East, such as Egypt and Libya. As social activism first from opposition grew against him, he sought his ally, American help to secure himself. Thus, the United States initially looked away from Assad’s unpopular rule because he was their friend. This got the tyrant so drunk that when the crisis heightened, he mobilized his regular military forces against the hapless civilians and a year later, allegedly used chemical weapons on them, killing tens of thousands Syrian civilians, particularly children, women and old people.

The murderous rage of Al-Assad attracted a global outcry and irked the American government, which rebuked him and sponsored a global (mostly western) campaign against him. This propelled a paradigm shift on the part of Syria, as Russia became the new bride to safeguard a

dying regime. Promptly, rebels were raised and armed by the west led by the US, to bring down the dictatorship. The war thus started between Al-Assad/Russia and US/rebels. Capitalizing on the irredeemably broken down order, the Islamic State saw in Syria, a fertile ground to operate, and make its base. This led to the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS). Naturally, the Islamic State, a group of Islamist anarchists with the worst record of murderous instincts and acts in global history, who have been seeking the downfall of western style-based, democratic and Christian governments (if there is anything like that), considered Syria, Libya, Iraq and the likes as places to begin their “caliphate”.

What makes the case of Syria more critical was the emergence of several antagonistic rebel cells that arose from the existing cohesive ones.

The factor in the complicated state of confusion in Syria is this: US and the allied rebel groups are fighting Al-Assad and Russia; Al-Assad is contending with the presence of ISIS in his domain, a dire strait indeed as the Islamic State instills as much fear as he does in the ravaged country; rebel groups loyal to Al-Assad are fighting rebels disloyal to him but which are sponsored by the west; US and Russia have a special axe to grind in Syria as they see the country as another platform to continue their old ideological rivalry and only use Al-Assad as a pawn; the Islamic State is fighting both US/rebels and Russia/Al-Assad. Thus, Syria is not just sitting on a keg of gunpowder; it is the gunpowder keg itself, which has exploded multiple times and offers a typical example of a Hollywood cowboy movie in which everyone with a gun is a master, who feels that the town is not big enough for another master. He consequently pulls his trigger at random and establishes his own kingdom in the Kingdom. Syria presents this picture; every party is just shooting, destroying, maiming, killing and tearing the country apart.

Those who must retreat are the people of Syria. And this explains the millions seeking refuge

in Europe. The innocents are fleeing for dear life! But among those fleeing Syria are also the civilian supporters of Al-Assad, flattened rebel members of the western-backed groups, and of course ISIS members, who are Syrians but cannot stand the confusion and threat to life any longer. But they are all Syrians and they do not have identity cards or tags on their foreheads to show which camp each refugee of the millions, belongs to. It is a perfect opportunity for terrorists to inflate the ranks and enter into Europe.

Like the ease with which Greeks entered into fortified Troy, using the Trojan Horse gift, IS infiltrators have a very easy leeway into the heart of Europe.

One would have thought that the dangers of this diplomatic and security carelessness would be a thing of the distant future, may be five or ten years from now. But in their traditional fashion, terrorists do not waste time whenever an opportunity presents itself. Paris came under attack and some of the identified IS members are Syrians.

It cannot be said whether the infiltrators committed the act, but because the attack, unprecedented came on the heels of ‘European magnanimity’, it can be argued or at least, postulated.

May be Europe thought being nice to the Arab world would placate the ravenous terror wolves; but they might be wrong as the unrepentant Islamists have made it clear time and again, that they do not want patronage of dialogue. All they want is maximum hurt on whomever they consider their enemy. May be Europe should have a rethink and sustain their secure domain.

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

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

Is phoning behind the wheels insanity?

injuring innocent souls. These driving traits are mostly responsible for our road traffic crash profile. I know some readers would dismiss my view as unfounded. I know I, not a psychiatrist.

Some would even ask me for scientific proofs to conclude that motorists who drive and phone are insane or mad as if that would change their irresponsible driving. For such people, they can rest on the findings of the Transport Laboratories in the United Kingdom, which says that a man phoning behind the wheels is worse than one who has taken alcohol above the approve limit…

And if we allow the wisdom of defensive driving to guide us in this discussion, it simply sums up that every motorist on the road is mad and that your safety should depend on you and not on the madman.

Merriam –Webster defines madness as behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous; a state of severe mental illness. Wikipedia says insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal metal or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person becoming a danger to themselves or others, though not all acts are considered insanity; likewise, not all acts showing indifference towards societal norms are acts of insanity. Madness, according to the Cambridge dictionary is stupid or dangerous behavior. Like my learned colleagues would say, I put it to you that phoning behind the wheels is mad, it is stupid and it is dangerous. –I also put it to you today that rage driving in pure insanity and you must always guard yourself, against such drivers for our own safely.

My deadly encounter is the reason I have chosen to write on rage or aggressive driving.

If you grew up in Lagos like I did, or drive along the Akwanga-Keffi road in Nasarawa State, you must be familiar with daily display of aggression by drivers. This mannerism knows no class even

though the tendency is for the learned to tag the danfo driver or commercial drivers as the group with the propensity to display wrestling or boxing prowess no matter the time of the day. In the words of Leon James, this is not a third world phenomenon as even the United States has its own brand of rage which was at a time tagged by the media as violent highway incidents or better still battle on the roads, In the case of the US, he notes that ‘’aggressive drivers turn freeways into free- for- alls “armed with everything from firearms to Perrier bottles to pepper spray and eggs. America’s drivers are taking frustrations out on each other in startling numbers.” He cited several cases such as when a driver intentionally rammed his vehicle into a car with three kids and their parents in it, after the children gave him an “obscene finger gesture”. In another incident, a man was stabbed repeatedly by another motorist when a traffic disagreement escalated from obscene gestures to violence. He also cited another, similar to one I experienced sometime in 2013 when for obeying a traffic warden, a middle aged driver rained insults at me and continuously spat at me to the shock of my two lovely sons who could not fathom what the problem was and why an adult would display such a conduct. According to Leon, a motorist spat on the driver of a bus after he was cut off, then as the bus driver got, the enraged motorist severely beat the bus driver.

In the case of the US, there are worse cases of aggression like the case when a 49-year –old father of five, shot dead by another motorist who has been charged with capital homicide while a woman got a 15-years sentence for gunning the engine and hitting another woman in a fenderbender dispute. There are more cases like when a man was shot at after he had honked at another car who passed him or when a delivery van collided with a pickup truck, breaking a side mirror.

An argument ensued and the delivery van driver

punched the other driver, who then pulled out a handgun and shot the delivery van driver in the chest. A 17-year –old boy was tailgating a motorist. They both pulled over, a dispute ensued and the boy was shot. The last two cases was when an elderly driver peeved that another driver honked at him hurled his prescription bottle at the honker, then smashed his knees with his car when the man got out. In the last case for today, an enraged bicyclist, after being knocked off his bike by a car, pulled out a handgun and shot the driver to death.

Road rage refers to an extreme state of anger that often precipitates aggressive behavior. It is refers to words and gestures or to assault and battery. Back home in our clime all of these tendencies are prevalent even though they may not be as pronounced. We know the testimonies of people who crossed the path of men in uniform or the Lagos and Akwanga/Keffi example cited earlier.

Since Shakespeare had warned that you cannot read a man’s mind through his forehead, a drivers good looking corporate mien, his fancy car, age or sex or even his vocation is not enough assurance that the fellow starring at you is not capable of battering you for daring to wrongly overtake him with the weather beaten coffin you call a car.

What then is responsible for road rage? Factors such as traffic congestion, feeling endangered, being insulted, frustration, time pressure, fatigue, competitiveness, and lapses in attention are potential causes. I must add here that complex or financial austerity are all capable of aggravating this just like the emotional state of the driver borne out of failed marriage, inability to meet up with self centered and overbearing landlords among others can play a great part too.

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

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Opinion

Sunday November 29, 2015

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Women in development – Enterprise Across Africa Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun

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he historical connections linking the Republic of Namibia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria go back to the bonds forged during the Liberation Struggle in Namibia, under the vanguard of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), led by His Excellency Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, as the then President.

The Late General Murtala Mohammed will always be remembered in the Southern Africa for the foreign policy he initiated which had Africa as its central focus. The center-piece of Nigeria’s policy then was Africa. In its pursuit of this strategy General Mohammed’s government assisted morally and financially, objectives that would guarantee the total freedom and independence of the whole continent, peace, security and stability in Africa.

In southern Africa in particular, there were three principle areas of Nigerian focus under the administration of General Mohammed.

These were Angola, Mozambique and Namibia.

Looking back – apartheid white South Africa had consistently flouted UN Resolutions seeking to bring about the independence of Namibia. The Federal Republic of Nigeria under Gen. Mohammed was determined to end apartheid South Africa’s hegemony over Namibia and was prepared to fight if needs be. It was this commitment to the Liberation Movements of Southern Africa, which led to Nigeria being accorded the special status of membership and always referred to as the Frontline States and Nigeria.

Brigadier Joseph Garba stated that apartheid South Africa should accept free elections as the most efficient method to decide who, in fact, represents the people of Namibia. Apart from working through the United Nations in support of Namibia, Nigeria manifested its support for Namibia in 1975 by offering 50 Namibian students admission and full scholarships to Federal Government Colleges in various parts

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In March 1976, SWAPO officials were in Lagos to negotiate the establishment of a political base in Nigeria, which was subsequently granted.

Mention should also be made of the Southern Africa Relief Fund established by the Administration of General Murtala Mohammed and the support it received within Nigeria, which was tremendous in terms of the positive response it received from ordinary Nigerians, men and women from all walks of life. The massive support for this fund was clear evidence of a consensus amongst Nigerians on the new foreign policy, which placed Africa at the forefront.

The dynamic and charismatic leadership of Gen Muhammed was welcomed in Nigeria and in southern Africa because of its freshness, purposefulness, clarity and precision in action.

General Murtala Ramat Muhammed entered and departed the international scene, being inaugurated as Head of State on the 30 July 1975, only to leave us on the 13 February 1976. For us in Southern Africa General Muhammed was “the man of the moment”. The man needed at that time in the battle for decolonization. His star shone brightly yet was extinguished too early.

Other leaders have since followed but none since has matched the contribution of the warrior that General Muhammed was. He was a great leader and his contribution to the freedom and genuine independence of Namibia and Africa in general will always be remembered by the future generation.

In the modern context we would be correct to call the Late Gen. Muhammed a true Pan-Africanist. Just as he saw Nigeria’s independence as linked to the end of apartheid in South Africa and white South Africa colonialism in Namibia, if he was alive today he would be an advocate for African integration and unity.

We meet here to push forward the integration of Africa through the action of women in enterprise across Africa and we are hosted by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation.

There is no doubt that the contribution of women to development in Africa has increased

tremendously since the Beijing Conference in the early 1990s, where womenfolk charted a way forward, making it clear that they would play a decisive role in development in future. This was at a time when the strategy for integration in Africa had become unity through regional units, integrating into the larger whole - that is Africa.

This now is the conventional wisdom adopted by the African Union Commission (AUC) as the strategy for unity. That unity will be driven by the different regions harmonizing and integrating their economies across borders. These regional groupings being the component part of a bigger picture, being a united Africa.

Practically the integration of the regional groupings will require the input of governments, as well as the private sector. We have tended in the past to leave the work of integration in Africa to the governments and the African Union Commission. Here we can draw on the inspiration of Gen. Muhammed, who acted directly in our situation in Southern Africa and in the process speeded up the process of decolonization. In the field of trade and business, Nigeria and for instance Namibia, should engage in direct interaction for mutual benefit.

The idea of pooling resources on a regional basis has worked well in other regions of the world. The people of these regions enjoy special privileges that entitle each party to concessions that can only strengthen their individual and joint standing. In East Africa, the revival of the East African Community is now a reality. This structure benefits the people of the region because it strengthens their negotiating position with Europe and other regions, such as Asia.

Because of the structural changes that the world economy is currently undergoing, China is in the process of shifting its economy away from exports towards internal consumption, in order to be independent of international fluctuations in currency values, variations in the prices of raw materials and the like. China will adopt the “new normal” and reduce its market share of low value manufactured exports, in order to produce high value finished products

able to compete in the international market. It will develop its own international brands. This phase of realignment of the global economy represents an opportunity for Africa. Africa can fill the void being left by China by supplying the global market with low-end finished products.

Ideally such products should be environmentally friendly. African industrialization at this stage of world history makes sense in moving into supply that share of the global market being left by China. This prognosis has been articulated for many years, as we saw China seeking to radically reduce its carbon emissions. Unfortunately we have not seen a quantitative shift in African exports away from raw materials and into low end manufactures. In Ethiopia there have been some signs of such movement, to increase exports to markets in the developed world, such as the export of sports shoes to Europe.

Although there is much talk about integration in Africa the statistics show that there is little interaction in our countries between the private sector, which would claim that it is the generator for development. The lack of complementarity between our economies should rather spur the private sector to get involved in the integration process by way of industrialization. We are beginning to see Nigerian business people operating in Southern Africa, by way of investment and this is to be welcomed.

What we have not yet experienced are Women entrepreneurs criss-crossing Africa, as a significant factor in income generation by way, for example, in doing deals and generating tax revenue. We know that within Southern Africa as well as within West Africa cross border trade by women traders is a significant, if not visible factor in national employment, social security and feeding streams. Women as entrepreneurs in Pan-African trade and development is the next level of achievement for women towards industrial development in Africa.

Dr. Martha Namundjebo–Tilahun of the Sam Nujoma Foundation made this statement at the Murtala Muhammed Foundation lecture in Lagos, recently.

To be more is to know more Tunde Olofintila

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verywhere in the world today, people engage in advertisement without necessarily intending it. No wonder that many brands, institutions and companies have come up with all manners of mottos/ pay-offs, with some of these pay-offs being pretty philosophical, some, mere marketing gimmicks while some others are out-rightly and arrogantly cocky. But that is advertising for you!

Let us now cast a glance at the world of Journalism by considering the highly rational pay-off of the Kwara State Government-owned Nigerian Herald which fittingly and richly illustrates our position in this write-up, to wit: “To Be More Is To Know More”.

Indeed and in truth, to be more is to know more because everywhere in our contemporary world and across the professions today, one can hardly rise beyond the quantum of information (knowledge) available to one. And this seems to be the position of world class Academics and Education Stakeholders who brainstormed at the 4th International Workshop on Teaching and Learning methods in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, during the week.

It was serious business right from the opening ceremonies when the frontline

legal icon and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, UNESCO Representative, Dr. Mohammed Alkali and the NUC Representative, Dr. Noel Saliu, wittingly or unwittingly set the agenda for the International Workshop. As it were, majority of what the trio said at the opening ceremonies later formed the kernel of the deliberations of the Conferees and the substance of their communique.

Babalola pointedly counseled that teachers who constitute the engine room through which society overcome ignorance and disease, conquer poverty and the environment as well as overcome tribalism and extremism among others must be properly and adequately trained for them to be able to stand in their position to change the face of education in Nigeria, entrench quality and functional education and restore the lost glory of education in Nigeria.

After three days of rigorous and painstaking sessions and copious drinking from the fountain of experience and knowledge of some world class scholars like Prof. Michael Omolewa, an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and Prof. Tola Badejo, former Vice Chancellor, Wesley Univeristy of Science and

Technology, Ondo, among many others, the Academics, through the communique at the end of the Workshop, returned a unanimous verdict that a lot still needs to be done to make the wheel of education run faster and smoother in the overall interest of the education in Nigeria.

Since teachers are not finished products, but an entity susceptible to training and retraining, the Academics advocated that newly recruited teachers must be made to undergo training/orientation before being allowed to teach.

This way, they will be acquainted with modern teaching methods so that they don’t disseminate ignorance and half knowledge to their students, thereby producing a bunch of unemployable graduates. A teacher, after all, can only teach what he knows and in a manner in which he knows how best to.

And since there is no one-size fits all method of teaching, the reasoned that entrepreneurial skills should be embedded in the country’s teaching skills to enhance the chances of employment of new graduates in the competitive global employment market and particularly to bridge the yawning gap between the Academia and the labour market.

In addition to the above, they advocated that the need for teachers to change the way they conduct themselves in

class with emphasis on mutual respect between the teacher and the learner.

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

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

It is the above parameters among many others that qualify teachers to be described as teachers properly so called and above all, it is only by being teachers so properly called that they impart the required and needed skills and knowledge to impact the society.

For this to happen however, emphasis must be placed on infrastructural development in Nigerian Universities while teachers should be involved in policy formulation as they know what they need rather than unwanted and unworkable policy ideas being shoved down their throats.

Olofintila wrote from Lagos

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Perfect Cut

Sunday, November 29, 2015

African Look ‘Gele’ adds panache to your traditional attire Adaeze Amos

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or that glamorous event you want to attend today after church, remember that your traditional attire would appear incomplete without your headgear, ‘Gele’. The way it is tied also matters.

If it is professionally done with layers in front and wings at the back, it adds to the beauty of your outfit. If you can’t tie it professionally as the women on this page did, look for an expert. You can also wear it like a hat.

Ensure that official pins are not used to avoid rust that would stain your expensive headgear.

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Look stunn

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, November 29, 2015

ning for that glamorous event Adaeze Amos

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here must be a glamorous event you want to attend and you want to look good from head to toe. Your birthday could be fast approaching and you wish a flawless makeup that would boost your style and make you stand out. Or your wedding bell is about to toll and you want to be the Most Beautiful Bride (MBB) this Xmas period! Below are tips to adhere to so that you look alluring on your special day. *Let experts handle your makeup and give your face a professional touch. *Looking good, they say, is good business but you can’t look good when your eyebrows are nothing to write home about or when your eyelashes lack glint. *Opt for false lashes that are not too obvious so that you don’t look like a doll.

Better still, take a closer look at these faces on this page and be inspired

Perfect Cut

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Sunday, Nevember 29, 2015

Dude Style

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‘I can’t be caught in pyjamas’

Ayikimi Oghenetejiri is popularly known by his fans as Tj Hays. He is a graduate of computer science from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma. In this interview with VICTOR UDOH, he speaks about his passion for music.

would you define fashion?

I define fashion as something you build on, and it’s very creative and cool on you. It may not necessarily be expensive.

What kind of music do you do?

I play many types of music including reggae, R&B and highlife except rap. That’s why I am very comfortable singing.

What is that dress item you can’t be caught in?

The item I can never be caught in is pajamas.

How was your growing up?

It was not easy. I have 23 brothers and sisters, and you know polygamy is not easy. You have to struggle to be somebody. Also, my father and mother did their best but it was not really easy.

I had to strive to be where I am today.

Did you go into music because it is the trend or you have passion for it?

Although, I have B.Sc in Computer Science and an OND, I have passion for music. I did my instrumentation in PTI. I’m also an electricity officer, and yet still studying.

Where do you see music in Nigeria in the next five years?

I see it as a very big industry where everybody in it will smile. I am not just doing music for the money, but because I am happy. In the next five years, a lot will change for the better.

You need to know that not everyone doing music is in it just for the money; some are there to bring smiles in people’s faces.

What inspired your brand of music?

My elder brother, now late, Joseph, was a musician in Lagos. They used to call him Tututuwe then. He was a very good singer and did a song with Cuba Victory. Whenever he came to the house, everyone including my parents would give him a special meal or anything. I used to envy him.

Gradually, I came into singing and enjoying it too, as everybody in the house then was also singing. He was my mentor.

How do you mean?

It is because he started singing in my home. Whatever he may be doing, he would always find time to sing along. I always wanted to be like him.

What inspired your hit track?

The song is Ebiere, a local word from my place, Ijaw. Ebiere means a beautiful or exceptional woman. I did that song for a girl; I was just joking with her. I said I would

give it to you my sweet baby Ebiere, and she was just smiling. I was begging her please take me to your people, she was smiling and said THays, I am enjoying this thing. Let’s go to the studio to do the song. And she’s been there for years. After the song she got scared. Ebiere keeps me going.

very important to come out with your video, so people know you, not just the song.

I am presently working with the number two person in the industry in the country on my video, though I call him the number 1. I won’t mention his name. My song is already What do you think about people in the entertain- with him and he is expected to be through with the video this week. I also intend to ment industry?

I think the people doing music should be cel- drop another song to follow up on my video, ebrated. Some don’t really know what they are named Elidende. It is in Calabar language doing, they only think about making money and means bring your body here, Bimbo. It’s by reaping from other people’s struggles. Some already in the studio. people in the streets selling pirated CDs don’t know what they are doing can implicate them, Being fashionable,; what kind of dress thrills you? or even put them in trouble with the law.

In Warri I have a very ‘bad’ designer we I think symposiums should be organised to call President Designer. If he looks at you, educate and sensitise people against the danhe would bring out what you have not even gers of involving in piracy or selling pirated works. After that, we can ensure more laws thought of, attracting admiring looks wherever you find yourself. In public, you would against this wicked act are made look exceptional. As you can see, and enforced. We need very I am putting on a longgood enforcement to stop sleeve ledger napiracy. tive wear.

What are you doing to shore up your popularity, having been in music for some time now?

I think t h e Ebiere hit is giving me all the attention I need for now.

However, already I am having talks about my video. You know it is

How

What’s your philosophy of life?

My philosophy is to make people happy, to see everybody smile.

Where do you see your kind of music in the next five years?

In the next five years, I see my music on top; this is because I am doing African music and this is our home.

What is your advice to the present government?

My advice to the ‘Change’ government is that, there is a lot of work to be done. Let the government talk to the people and tell them how they can support its policies and programmes. This is because government alone can’t do everything. Therefore, they should tell the people what they want them to contribute to governance, even as the government must keep to its electoral promises. With that, everybody will be carried along.

How was your first experience on stage?

My first experience on stage was exciting.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

27

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Pregnancy Talk

Naughtiest Thing

with

The naughtiest thing I ’ve ever done

Adaeze Amos

Ifu Ennada

߾ࠆ߾ࠀࠁ߾߿ࠀࠀࠇࠁ ߶ࠡࠛࠡ ࠝࠜࠚࠧ߷

It ’s exciting to feel your baby kick H ave you run a pregnancy test and you are positive? Good! But have you felt your baby ’s first movement which is often tagged as ‘quickening ’ in the medical parlance?

Between weeks 16 and 25 of your pregnancy you are more likely going to start noticing its (fetus) movements in you. But if it is your first pregnancy, you may not feel your baby move until it is closer to 25 weeks. But if it is your second pregnancy, don ’t be surprised that as from early as 13 weeks you would start to feel its movement.

You may wonder what the hell about a baby ’s movement!

Naturally, every pregnant woman feels happy when her fetus moves. One of the most exciting moments in your pregnancy is when you feel those first little flutters of your baby kicking.

These tiny movements reassure you that you are carr y i n g a life a n d t h a t y o u r baby is developing and help you feel closer to the little life inside of you.

Remember you ’re more likely to feel the baby move scribe when you ’re in their baby ’s a quiet position, movements as buttereither sitting or flies, nervous twitches lying down. or a tumbling motion. At Pregnant women de-

first, it may be hard to tell whether the tot has moved. Second- and third-time moms are more adept at

distinguishing those first baby movements.

By your second and third trimesters, the movements should be more distinct, and you ’ll be able to feel your baby ’s kicks, jabs and elbows. Early in your pregnancy, you may just feel a few flutters every now and then. But as your baby grows - usually by the end of the second trimester the kicks should grow stronger and more frequent.

Studies show that by the third trimester t, the infant moves about 30 times each hour.

Babies tend to move more at certain times of the day as they alternate between alertness and sleep. They are usually most active between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., right as you ’re trying to get sleep. This surge in activity is due to your changing blood sugar levels. Babies also can respond to sounds or touch, and may even kick your partner in the back if you snuggle too close in bed.

Once your tot ’s movements are well established (usually by week 28), some doctors recommend keeping track of all those little

punche s , j a b s , a n d k i c k s to make sure your baby is still developing normally. There isn ’t any real scientific evidence to prove whether this method is a good indicator of the baby ’s well-being, so check with your doctor to see what he or she recommends.

’s e u g a e l l o c a d e ‘I expos g n i k a m d n e i r f y o b advances ’

I

’m a strict and very opinionated person. I also like to collect evidence sometimes even before the need arises. I like to collect evidence when I ’m dealing with ill-mannered or crooked people.

I remember when I was on set over a year ago, a relative of my executive producer was practically stalking me with his advances.

The young man was also involved in the company ’s business.

I knew he had a jealous girlfriend and I wasn ’t even into him. So, I always turned him down.

Initially, when I didn ’t know his intentions, he ’d request my presence and after spending quality time telling me how he loved my acting and how he engineered the lead role I was playing, he would then ask me out and offer me gifts, but I rejected his advances and gifts. After a while, as he persisted with his advances, I had a feeling his girlfriend might be keeping tabs on him and things would go wrong.

His girlfriend was an administrative staff with the production house I worked with and she was beginning to grow cold towards me. Anyway, when I saw the young man won ’t get tired of me,

I started recording all his calls to me and messages.

In some of his messages he would talk about how his girlfriend was really a leech, sucking himdry and how I was the ideal replacement, as if I was looking for who to replace or a vacancy to fill.

Something went wrong in his camp and this man was going to paint me bad while the girlfriend wanted to label me ‘boyfriend snatcher ’.

I guess he wanted to deal with me for turning him down. The matter got to our producer and before she could scold me, I played the recorded calls and messages to her, just to get myself out of the mess and she was utterly disappointed at his behaviour.

Long story cut short, the young man didn ’t show his face at work anymore and his girlfriend knowing the truth about her untrustworthy boyfriend was sorry for turning against me, though she never apologised. I completed my time on that set and left with my good name.

•Ennada is an actress who has featured in many soaps.

-ADAEZE AMOS

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Movies & Music

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

Funke Akindele, Baba Sala, others win at Awards night

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Sammy Okposo, Sound Sultan, others celebrate hottest Nigerian DJs Sound Sultan

oday will record the biggest celebration of Nigerian talents as the Tyme Out With Tee-A Lagos Concert: Dance Party Edition will celebrate some of the hottest Nigerian DJs, music icons and comedians in the entertainment scene.

Scheduled to hold at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, comedy and music lovers will see DJ Neptune, DJ Xclusive, DJ Spinall, DJ Big N and DJ Lammy go head to head to prove that they are the greatest in the country. The annual event will also witness explosive performances

by Iyanya, Sean Tizzle, Sammie Okposo, Sound Sultan, Basketmouth, MC Abbey, Seyi Law, Lepacious Bose, Eddie Kadi and Princess, among many others.

Speaking about the show, organiser and comedian Tee-A commented, “This edition of the concert is called the Dance Party Edition. We thought it would be nice to recognise and appreciate DJs specially for their craft and artistry... I am sure the audience will appreciate what the DJs have in store for them.”

Supported by Africa Magic, ID Africa and The Beat 99.9 FM, the comedy concert series is a regular end-of-year highlight in Lagos, Abuja and London with past headliners including entertainment icons 2face Idibia, Davido, King Sunny Ade, D’Banj, Wizkid, Ice Prince, Basketmouth and Bovi.

Christmas in Lagos unveils 5 nights of amazing entertainment

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s the countdown to Christmas in Lagos continues, Buzz Media, the organisers have announced plans for the Lagos NightLife Series to be included in the list of events for the Christmas Fun Fair holding from December 23 to 27 at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island at 6 p.m.

There will be five nights of amazing entertainment featuring top DJs from Nigeria, United States and the United Kingdom.

Also, live bands, artistes’ performances, special performances and lots of fun moments would feature to ensure that your Christmas in Lagos doesn’t remain the same.

Akin Eso, CEO, Buzz Media, explained that the concept was primarily designed to accommodate the young and old alike and that is why there would be two sessions daily - daytime and night.

“Our target market is pretty broad we had to break it into sessions. So the daytime series is called the Christmas Family Fun Fair featuring a Santa Village. This is for the general family with more focus on the kids; they sure will love it. The night event is called The Lagos NightLife Series and its 18+ so expect real entertainment.”

According to Eso, “Lagos NightLife Series redefines entertainment and it allows for real fun. There will also be fireworks show to celebrate the Christmas season. It is absolutely free and meant for people who crave premium entertainment.

Akin Eso

Wofai

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uests at last weekend’s Naija FM Comedy Jam Concert and Awards in Lagos were treated to a spectacular night of entertainment as some of Nigeria’s best comedians and musicians lit up the MUSON centre.

The Comedy Concert and Awards, organised by Naija FM 102.7, brought comedy top shots like Basketmouth, Francis Odega, Seyi Law and Bovi on stage to thrill the capacity crowd at the Shell Hall alongside pop superstars 2Face Idibia and Wande Coal.

Organised to recognise and honour Nigerian comedians for their hard work and contribution to the entertainment industry, some of the night’s award winners were Funke Akindele, Francis Odega, Bovi, Craze Clown and many others.

Music performances on the night also came from Reekado Banks, Mr 2Kay, Sexy Steel, Seyi Shay, Yung6 and Five Star Music ensemble - Kcee, Harrysong and Skiibi.

Notable faces at the concert include General Manager, Megaletrics Limited, Deji Awokoya, Maria Okanrende, Tee A, Koffi, Soso Soberekan, Ushbebe, Wofai Ifada, among many others.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Movies & Music

Sunday, November 29, 2015

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Behold Nigeria’s five outstanding record labels

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usic is one big business venture that has turned a lot of Nigerian youths into millionaires, thereby equipping them with the resources to live their

Don Jazzy

Y.B.N.L (Yahoo Boy No Laptop)

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o doubt, Y.B.N.L is one of the trending record labels in town at the moment.

It was established in 2012 by Barigga Street boy Olamide Adedeji popularly known as Olamide aka Badoo.

Since the conception of the label, it has transformed the Nigerian music industry to a greater extent. The label is home to some fastrising acts in the Nigerian music industry such as Lil Kesh ‘Keshi’, Vik-

toh, Adekunle Gold and the duo which recently inked a deal with the label, Xino and Chinko Ekun.

Over the years, the group has churned out great hit songs such as ‘Shoki’, ‘Shoki Remix’ ft. Davido and Olamide, ‘Gbese Re’ all by Lil Kesh. Also ‘First of All’, ‘Voice of rhe Street’, ‘Stupid Love’, ‘Shakitibobo’, ‘Melo Melo’, all

by Olamide and ‘Shade’

by Adekunle Gold, to mention but a few.

Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E)

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lubankole Wellington popularly known as Banky W founded E.M.E in 2002 while studying at a local university in Albany, New York. After coming home in 2008, Banky W established E.M.E in Lagos. Wizkid became the first act to be signed to the label in 2009 and later on Skales was also signed same year.

In 2012, Shaydee, Niyola and DJ Xclusive who is the label’s official DJ were all signed to the label.

On June 18, 2012, the label released her first compilation album ‘Empire Mates State of Mind’.

Wizkid later left the label following the release of his second studio album ‘Ayo’ and the expiration of his

five-year contract.

In February 2014, Skales also parted ways with the label on the grounds of the expiration of his contract and an agreement was reached between the label and the “Mukulu” crooner.

You will agree with me that these two young talents that have left the label so far are making the Nigerian Music industry proud both home and abroad.

The label is also associated with top-notch music producers such as Masterkraft, Cobhams Asuquo, Spellzand Samklef.

E.M.E was nominated for the “Best Record Label” at the 2013 City People Entertainment Awards.

Made Men Music Group (TripleMG)

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Banky- W

Chocolate City Music Group (Choc City) MI

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he label was founded in 2005 by Nigerian lawyer, Audu Maikori, along with Paul Okeugo and Yahaya Maikori.

Chocolate City is regarded as one of the Iyanya biggest record labels in Africa.

The brand is home to popular recording acts such as M.I, Ice Prince, Nosa, DJ Caise, Femi Kuti, Pryse, Victoria Kimani, Dice Ailes and Koker.

Formerly, the label has housed artistes such as Jeremiah Gyang, Brymo, and Jesse Jagz. Djinee and Asa are also top-notch Nigerian acts that the label has done great works on their music career. Nigeria’s multi-talented songwriter, singer, vocalist, instrumentalist and producer, Jeremiah Gyang, was the

ream.

New stars are being made every day, but the fact that record label is one factor that makes the entertainment juicy cannot be overlooked.

There are a handful of record labels in Nigeria churning out fresh good crop of artistes that are well talented and marketable year in year out. A lover of music must be keen in following and observing the way and manner record label CEOs in the country have been piloting the affairs of their label in order to create a niche for themselves over the years.

Truth is, many record labels here have really proved their capability of consistency in keeping with the trend of the Nigerian music industry. However, the success achieved by one label cannot be equated to the other.

•Mavin Records (Supreme Mavin Dynasty) Mavin Records was founded by one of Nigeria’s A-List producers who is also an artiste, Don Jazzy.

The closure of former famous record label in Nigeria Mo’Hits Records which was owned by Don Jazzy andD’Banj gave birth to Mavin Records.

Since the inception of the record label, Mavin can be said to be the power house of music in Africa within the shortest possible time. The record label is home to artistes like Tiwa Savage, Dr. SID, D’Prince, Di’Ja, Reekado Banks and Korede Bello. Wande Coal was also a former signee to this label. Don Jazzy, Altims andBaby Fresh are producers affiliated to this record label.

Mavin Records released her compilation album ‘Solar Plexus’ into the market on May 8, 2012. The label’s official website was also launched a day to the release of the album May 7.

Following the massive success of the label after its launch, Jazzy inked endorsements with Samsungand Loyamilk. In the same vein, Savage was also unveiled as a Pepsi ambassador. On February14 this year, Jazzy and Savage inked yet another endorsement with Konga.com.

Di’Ja, Banks, Bello were also unveiled as proud Glo Ambassadors. The brand won the ‘Best Record Label of the Year’ at the City People Entertainment Awards in 2014.

first act to be signed to Choc City. His album ‘Na Ba Ka’ had a massive success selling over four million copies and winning numerous awards for the artiste and the label.

Audu Maikori in 2007 won the British award for the International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) by the British Council.

Chocolate City won the award for the ‘Best Record Label of the Year’ award in 2011 and 2013 City people awards respectively. This year, Maikori stepped down after 10 years of running the affairs of the label and M.I Abaga became the president, chairman and CEO of Chocolate City while Ice Prince became the vice-president.

he Made Men Music Group popularly known as TripleMG was founded by the duo of Iyanya Mbuk, popularly known as Iyanya and his manager, Ubi Franklin.

Since after winning the MTN Project Fame in 2008, the ‘Kukere’ crooner, Iyanya, is unarguably said to be one of the A-list artistes to reckon with in Nigeria having worked hard to carve a niche for himself.

With Iyanya being the lead act on the brand, the label also houses artistes such as Tekno, Selebobo, Emma Nyra and Baci.

The label also has an album to her credit ‘The Evolution’ by various artistes on the label. The album was released on May 29, 2014 with production credits to Selebobo, Tekno and DJ Coublon. However, Selebobo mixed and mastered the album.

Iyanya

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Lessons of Life TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART

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

‘I can ’t forgive a husband that wished me dead! ’(3)

Oluwabunmi, 46, a widow, needs a man between 50 and 60 for serious relationship. I reside in Lagos. 08160790405.

We conclude Adolphus and Lurencia ’s intriguing story.

Samuel, an up-and-coming artiste, lives in Lagos nees a sugar mummy.

07086447436.

“

After the prayer, my pastor said that something strange would happen soon. He told me that my problem was over and I felt a great relief. The blood issue I was having dried up, I felt it and I started regaining my strength. I stopped taking my drugs which were not even effective in the first place, ” she stressed.

Two days after the sand prayers with the pastor, Adolphus came home from office with some shocking news. He said he had a call when he was in his office from a relative who told him that his father ’s first wife had been acting funny of late.

That she had been seeing some apparitions. And that she pleaded for Adolphus to come with his wife.

“My husband ignored the message because the woman ’s sons were up and doing. He wondered what his coming home with me would do for her. So, we all ignored the message until the first son of the woman put a call to my husband. He pleaded with him to please come home with me that his mother had refused to be at rest for close to a month now and had been pleading that she needed to see me in particular. That was when I decided to go with my husband. My mother and younger sister said I shouldn ’t go. Rosa narrated what she suffered when I was down. According to her she thought I would die.

And that each time she was coming home from market or anywhere, she would stretch her ears to hear a shout of cry from my house. That the day she nearly fainted out of fear was when she was coming back home one day and she heard the cry of our mother right from my gate.

That she concluded I was gone. She ran upstairs into my room only to discover that mama was crying because the bleeding had persisted heavily. So, they (my mother and Rosa) both insisted I shouldn ’t go to the village though I was strong enough to travel. Just within two weeks, I had regained myself. I was miraculously recovering very fast, honestly. Though I was still slim, but I was no longer frail, ” she said.

It was when Lurrencia ’s pastor gave a nod to her trip that she eventually traveled with her husband. Her pastor told her that the battle was over and that God had

In need of a serious relationship/marriage Alao, 38,single, based in Lagos, needs a single religious and Yoruba Muslim girl below 30 for marriage. 08170141833.

Tola, 28, graduate, good looking, humble and reliable. Wants a God-fearing and honest man between 35-50 for a serious relationship. 08067335446.

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My name is Gbenga, I need a nurse or fashion designer between 30-35 for marriage. 08151011938.

Micheal is my name, 50. I need a lady. 08111440960.

Ola, 45, a technician and a good driver, lives in Lagos. Needs a rich, sexy, busty and caring sugar mummy between 45-60.

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A model

delivered her. “Hence we set off and got to Uturu after seven hours drive. Adolphus drove and when his phones beeped, I was the one that picked his calls. When Naomi ’s call came, I saw that my husband saved her number as Bestie meaning his best friend. When I answered, she requested I give the phone to my husband, I told her he was driving and wouldn ’t be able to speak to her at that moment for safety reasons.

But I didn ’t finish speaking with her when my husband took his phone from me and spoke to her lovingly. Assured her he would be back in two days ’ time and that he should take care of his office.

“I didn ’t like when he told her he loved her on the phone not caring I was there with him in his car. I didn ’t say anything but my countenance changed. I decided not to respond nor contribute to his discussions, ” she said.

When the silence lingered on for up to two hours, Adolphus needed to break it. “Laura, you have been cold to me since I spoke with Naomi on the phone. That young lady had been very resourceful to me. I just would like it if you would accept her as a friend, ” “A friend? ” Lurrencia cut in.

“You want me to accept someone who had been sleeping with my husband as a friend? Someone who wished me dead? You both thought I would die, so that she would come in and take over? Huh Adol? You should have allowed me die first before getting someone to succeed me. God saved me from the wicked hands of death because I even thought I would die, but God saved

Prince Olamide, 23, lives in Lagos, needs a sugar mummy for fun. 08187641034.

me, ” she said, tears dribbling down her cheeks.

Adolphus allowed her to cry to satisfaction. It wasn ’t long another call came. It was her daughter calling from university where she was studying medicine. “Mummy, you agreed to travel? ” “Yes dear, I ’m strong enough. It ’s only that I have not regained my weight but I ’m strong. I still have my blood tablets in my bag. I would give you a call when we get to village. You father would have loved to speak with you but he is driving, ” she said, and hung up.

When they got to village, they were surprised to see that the five sons of Adolphus ’ step mother were in their mother ’s bedroom waiting for them.

“When we walked in, they welcomed us and when the woman turned and saw us, she hissed and started making some shocking confessions unceremoniously. She spoke and her voice sounded like radio that waited for no question. She confessed on how she made Adolphus ’ mother barren after she had Adolphus. How she blocked her womb and the woman started having issue of blood. She died six years later leaving Adolphus whom she made sure didn ’t go beyond primary school. When my husband heard that, his eyes became red and was seriously angry. Then she turned her neck to me and my heart skipped. She then said that when I came into Adolphus life as his wife, she knew I was going to be his light and she didn ’t want that.

That she was surprised how I managed to bear two more children after my first child. That when she came to my house in Lagos for ‘Omugwo ’ when I delivered my first child, she

Jokotade, 20, lives in Oyo and a mother of one. She needs a 35-45 bouyant sugar daddy who resides either in Lagos, Idbadan or Oyo state. 08167622738.

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She should be between 21 and 28 years old. She should be a workingclass, dark-skinned and beautiful. She should be living in Lagos -07087764057.

Ola, needs a girl of 18-25 for friendship.

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

picked my used sanitary towel from my trash can and came home with it and did some fetish things on it to block my womb.

And that when I had two more children after the first one, she was shocked and wondered why my womb wasn ’t blocked. But that the issue of blood I had for one year was the efficacy of what she did.

She pleaded for forgiveness and then breathed her last, ” she said.

Adolphus and Larrencia left the compound, and slept in a hotel in Okigwe town. The next morning, they drove back to Lagos. “While we were coming home, my husband didn ’t allow me to digest the shocking news his step mother fed me with before he too started his own confession. Just because I pleaded with him to forgive his step mother

that God had vindicated us. And that if we decide not to forgive her after her confession, it would be a sin on our own part. That was when he then told me that Naomi was pregnant for him and he would have her married as the second wife. And that I should also forgive him so that it would not be a sin on my own part. That we should heap the blame on his step mother. At that, I was devastated, ” she bemoaned.

Lurrencia had been wondering how she would “forgive a husband who thought I would die, who impregnated his secretary thinking that when I die, she would quickly move in. This is too much for me. I think I need some counseling, ” she said, in an emotion laden voice.

Readers, come to her aid. Please, give your honest advice.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday November 29, 2015

Chapel of Holiness and Testimony with Pastor K. I.

Bona

Continued from topic 3 of last week 3) When you always have dreams, of relating with old friends in the school, in the yard, both new and former yard. At your former place of works, or with old business associates. It is a sign you are under the attack and oppression of familiar spirits.

4) Seeing yourself, running an errand for the dead in your dream s another sign of the oppression of familiar spirits 5) When you cannot stay alone in the dark, or stay alone even in the day time because of excessive fear of unknown. You are under the attack and oppression of familiar spirits 6) They oppress their victims by making them see illusions, shadows, images, apparitions, both in the night and in the day. This could happen to both children and adults. Sometimes, a child may wake up in the middle of the night crying in fear, pointing to something you the parents could not see, even when there is light.

7) They oppress their victims by feeding them with different foods and drinks of afflictions in their dreams.

8) If you dream of relating with your spouse always, such as by playing together, by romance, and or sex, you are under the attack of familiar spirits 9) People who dreams of always having examination failures. They are being oppressed by familiar spirits 10) They make their victims to dream and forget 11) They cause segmented dreams. That is

Familiar spirits (4) dreams, which is from here to there, without having meaning or focus.

12) When you are having chains of bad dreams, and nightmare, you are under the oppression of familiar spirits 13) They cause setbacks in the lives of their victims by manipulating them to have dreams of setbacks.

14) They have caused many women to have miscarriages by showing them red objects in their dreams. In Ephesians chapter 6:10-12, The Bible says “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Speaking from this scripture, the Holy Spirit admonished us, that the only way we can be free from the attack of familiar spirits is to be strong

in the Lord. Beloveth, from the illustrations of possession and oppressions of familiar spirits, may I ask, Are you already possessed? Or under their attacks and oppression? My advice to you is that you should not be afraid, but should only be strong in the Lord. Remember that Jesus is the head of all principalities God has given us the name of Jesus which he had exalted above all

THE EFFECT OF POSSESSION AND OPPRESSION OF FAMILIAR SPIRITS ON THE LIVES OF THEIR VICTIMS People under the attack of familiar spirits have a lot of stories to tell, as a result of bitter challenges they have received in their daily lives and experiences. As I had already said earlier, familiar spirits as a department in satanic kingdom are wicked, and extremely destructive. In Exodus chapter 15:9 “The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” Did you notice, the level of determination to destroy, which the enemy had over the children of Israelites, as contend in the above scripture? His unrepresented heart to afflict wickedness and destruction upon the people of God was seen on the number of, I will, contend in that singular statement.

THE SIX MANDATE OF SATAN AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF GOD A) I will pursue B) I will overtake C) I will divide the spoil D) My lust shall be satisfied upon them E) I will draw my sword F) My hand shall destroy them

names, that at the mention of the name of Jesus all kneels bows both in heaven above and on earth beneath and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord. Have you given your life to Jesus then stand strong in prayers and submit yourself for deliverance. If your church does not believe in deliverance call me on phone. I will send you some prayer points that would break the yoke of familiar spirits in your life, if you pray it aggressively.

Have you not given your life to Jesus, do it now. Go to any living church nearby and identify yourself as a strong member. Then call us we will send you some deliverance prayer points that would help you out.

From these six mandate of satan against humanity, the number of the beast was derived. Revelation 14:18 THE FIVE MANDATES OF GOD ON MAN ARE:1) Be fruitful 2) Multiply 3) Replenish 4) Subdue 5) Have dominion PRAYER POINT - Blood of Jesus, break everything that has tied and bound me to the oppression and possession of familiar spirits

in the name of Jesus.

TESTIMONIES POWER IN ANOINTING OIL - I introduced a woman in this church, who was pregnant. She was given prayers and deliverance by the man of God which she did. Any time I was coming for prayers and programmes. I would make sure she came with me. For about three weeks, I did not come to church because I was occupied with domestic affairs in my house. Last week, I went to my shop while I was going to the shop my mind was on that woman. I made up my mind that after the days’ business I must go to see her. While I was opening my shop, two boys came to ask me, if I knew that woman. They mentioned her name, I said I knew her. They said, she wants to see me.

As I turned one Marrowa pulled by my side, in the Marrowa was the woman. I asked what happened, they said she was having contraction. I said okey, they should take her to the hospital, they said since 5am that morning they had gone to five hospitals, she was rejected. I said rejected? Then

why did you bring her to me, they said she told them to bring her to me, as I was standing the two boys and the Marrowa man disappeared. I was left alone with the woman. Then, I brought the anointing oil the man of God blessed for me during my deliverance prayers and prayed.

Then I poured it upon the stomach of the woman and prayed that God should come down and intervene. Immediately the baby and the placenta came out. That was how the God of Chapel of Holiness answered me and delivered the woman from the trap of death in childbearing, praise the Lord!

Sis. Dickson 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 wwwchapelofholiness.org

News

Clerics urged not to lower spiritual standard Odinaka Uruakpa

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he Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd Nicholas Okoh has urged bishops and clergy of the Anglican church not to align themselves with the revisionist around the world so as to avoid dragging the church and the tenets of the nation down .

He gave this charge at the consecration ceremony of Venerable Timothy O. A. Abimbola as bishop of Igbomina West held recently at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

Okoh claimed that as new leaders are raised in the church, it will help to cover up the deficit in the spiritual life of the people.

He further claid that it is a good omen when somebody retires and a younger one takes over; their work in the vineyard of God. “That is the way our church runs; that at a particular age, somebody gives chance; a younger person comes in to take over. Now that this young man has been given the privilege to preside over a diocese, we expect that he would be much more energetic and able to do things spiritually. He is a young person and it doesn’t mean the old person has no spiritual power. So, the young man goes in as a relay to move the battle forward, so that is what has happened and I think God is doing it for us and we are very grateful”, he submitted.

He advised the new bishop to be diligent in preaching and winning souls to God as well as deepen the faith of those who are already dead to the Word.

When we do all that is expected, the yawning

…as Anglican Communion consecrates new bishop

gap between what we say and what we do will be bridged. We want to ensure that people whom we train in our church are people we can rely upon in society”, he said.

Also speaking on the occasion, the bishop of Lagos Mainland/Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde said that as bishop, one has been called to a position of eminence which entails great spiritual and administrative responsibilities, and also calls for deep meditation.

“I pray that God should empower and that the Holy Spirit who is the greatest teacher

should teach and inspire the new bishop always to think about it as he takes noble decisions. He has to defend the faith of the church if it means losing his life; he must prepare to do it. Aside from the flamboyance of consecration, our brother who has been consecrated a bishop in the church of God today requires our prayerful support. In public and in private, he must be faithful; he must be loyal. He cannot afford to be a bad example to anyone because the consequence is a lot. As humans, our creatureliness will always be there to pull us down, but we must rise against all these

and try to live above board”, he said.

On the state of the nation, he said: “Citizens need to pray for Nigeria. We all know things are still far from being what we want them to be, so we call upon every Nigerian to be patient with the new administration. APC has told us it is a corrective government, so let us pray for the president and all the state governors; let us give the president a chance, let all Nigerians resolve to turn a new leaf; let us be faithful, let us be good citizens and strive to take pride in everything that God has given us.”

Liberation City marks 12th anniversary, recounts prophetic journey Adejuwon Osunnuyi

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he Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, also known as Liberation City, has turned 12 years in the service of the Lord.

With the theme: Thy Kingdom Come, activities marking the 12th anniversary of the church began with partners and pastors conference as Gozie Okeke, Eben Joe Praise, Gordon, KC Brown, Gabriel Peters, Amaka Joel and Liberation City Voice dazzled worshippers.

According to its General Overseer, Dr.Chris Okafor, one of the reasons behind the celebration was the fact that the growth of the church, which started from a small classroom auditorium at Bashir Close in Ojodu, Berger,

a border area between Ogun and Lagos states, has now metamorphosed to an international church with branches across the globe.

Recounting how the church started, Dr. Okafor said the Lord gave the commission to him since he was eight years old and the mandate has been to win one billion souls and depopulate the kingdom of darkness.

He said the church, also called City of Liberty and Solution by the members, came into existence in November 2003 with few congregants doing house fellowship at Bashir Street.

“There is this saying that every big thing starts small, but the mandate must be fulfilled,” said Dr. Okafor, as he added that God gave him a vision to “go to Lagos and win souls to the kingdom.”

He declared that he never knew anybody in Lagos but was spurred on by the belief that

“when God gives you a vision, he will also make provision.”

The cleric, popularly called the Oracle of God, explained further that the first Sunday service was attended by the few members, the second recorded more worshippers, and the third one was flooded by new members because of what God was doing in the church.

He reiterated: “Lots of souls we won for Christ as many people under various spiritual captivity were let go through the Holy Spirit, and since then, more and more people are coming for worship in the church.

“After a year at the former church, we began to erect canopy as the church auditorium could no longer contain our numerous worshippers, even it got to a stage where the neighbors complained of too much crowd in their vicinity.

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From the Pulpit Learn with Kunle

Macaulay

I

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

am writing first to remind you how the church of Jesus was founded and for what reason. It is clear that this church is not an organization or institution but an organism.

The Bible mentions that Jesus promised to build his church Matt. 16:18. On the day of Pentecost, the church was founded when the Holy Spirit descended on one hundred and twenty (120) men and women that were in the upper room praying. The Bible confirmed that all of them were filled with the Spirit and they spoke in human languages understood by people from different nations of the world who were in Jerusalem then.

The Bible confirmed that these people and those that joined them later were always together. The Bible said, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” Acts 2:42. It went further to say, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” Acts 2:47b. Today, believers of Jesus are not together and there is no proof that they are devoted to the apostles’ teaching rather every church founder or denomination produces personal motivational programmes.

The church of God Paul called the “Body” of Christ has become many bodies. Paul reminded the Colossians just as he is talking to us today that “He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church …… so that in everything he might have the supremacy” Col. 1:18. Every church especially in Nigeria is independent, autonomous and self-directing Jesus is placed outside the church while his place is taken over by human leaders.

Thank God, Nigeria is a secular nation and the government is not interested in any religious matter so, it provides a chance for anybody trained or untrained to found a church.

Sunday November 29, 2015

Polity in Christian churches In Nigeria, no superior body directs the affairs of any church or orders its life. Even some Christian organizations like Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) or Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) have no statutory authority to sanction any church or their members. Every Christian church in Nigeria acts under what it calls or interprets as the leadership of the Holy Spirit and responding to its understanding of the will of God. Every church makes its own decisions, sets its own agenda and pursues its own goal.

The secularity of Nigeria provides a great deal of freedom in church life. The right to worship in any church and leave without any problem has allowed many unemployed and uncertified people to claim leadership in church. This no doubt has created a great deal of confusion especially if we try to interpret or understand church life in Nigeria. The church life of the present Christianity contradicts the life of the first century Christian church.

The way these local, independent churches relate to one another and the way they order their own lives are known as ‘’polity’’. Clambers Twentieth Century Dictionary defines polity as: the Constitution of the government of a State or an institution; Civil constitution a body of people arranged under a system of government. Let me put it bluntly that “polity” of any church is the “form of government or organization of the church”. This simply means that “polity” is the way any church organizes its life.

From the look of things in Nigeria, if all churches are independent and autonomous then how can they work together?

The churches in Nigeria do not sing praises to God from the same hymnal neither do they use the same literature in Sunday School and other educational activities.

Nearly all churches in Nigeria have either a Bible College or a Christian University where their leaders are trained creating more confusion. Theological understating of the Bible has been contaminated.

The Bible said that Jesus Christ told his

disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witness……” Acts 1:8 The disciples confirmed this “We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him” Acts 5:32 I can boldly say that churches in Nigeria are rarely controlled by Holy Spirit. Some churches have a hierarchy from where power and authority flow down ward from the founder to the leaders and then to the members. Some use delegative system in which representatives serve for the synods and councils. In some churches, it is a democratic system. It is a congregational form of church polity. This means that the decisions of the church are made by the congregation that does not appeal to any higher or earthly power or authority. The congregation is its own authority.

I adore the secularity of Nigeria that has respect for the independence and equal rights of churches in Nigeria but I must confess that this right has been abused by many church leaders. We need to agree that churches in Nigeria have become “organizations”, very independent and autonomous without any ascending or descending power. Many churches are no more “a place of worship” but a place of business where people go to buy spiritual materials.

Some churches also have illegal maternity where untrained nurses operate.

Some women for financial reason patronize these maternity houses but not all of them are lucky to go home with their new babies. Government agents and professional bodies that have the mandate to arrest illegality should wake up from their slumber and do something. Church in official term should mean a place where people (Christians) worship their God or people of God gather together for congregational prayer or worship.

Nigerian government grants a special status to religion. Religion is placed in the context of rights and freedoms. Our Constitution protects religious beliefs and practices

My case is different

Miracle Arena with Bishop

I

Theo Ugochukwu

wish to congratulate you this very moment, if you are privileged to be reading this article.

I bring to you divine good news from God’s throne of Grace. I want to let you know that whatever that takes place in a man’s life has God’s hand in it. When one is in Christ Jesus, such a person becomes a divine project in the hand of God, and things beginning to work out differently for him/ her.

A lot of things have happened recently that made people to wonder and ask “could these be ordinary?” simply because God still exempt His people from crises today. Exd.19:4-6, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine”, you will be for me a king-

dom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” This is how much God loves and cares for you. When you make yourself available to God, He knows how to treasure you and treat you so special, that even in the midst of crisis; He will single you out and favour you to the amazement of all around.

I cannot forget how God spared my life and exchanged death already marked for me with another person. That fateful day, haven paid for the travel ticket from East back to Lagos, after an assignment, just few minutes to the departure of the vehicle, a young man from somewhere came towards the Bus, and demanded that my money be refunded to me, that he was going with that particular bus. Meanwhile, the bus was already filled and almost set to move. All efforts to let that young man understand the need for me to travel that day with the first bus was greeted with defiant ear, as he insisted that my money be refunded to me. I never knew his position in the company until people then told me that he was a senior manager in that company, and pleaded with me to accept my money for the next bus. I never knew that my life has been spared with that singular incident, till we got on the way, where a fatal accident happened, lo and behold, that particular bus I was denied of my position was involved in a serious collision with another vehicle and that

same man that insisted taking my place was laid dead. Tears covered my eyes when I saw him lifeless on the ground. Right there, I knelt down and cried to God to forgive me of challenging Him that day on why someone should rid of me my right.

The book of Exodus 9:1-7 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.” 5 The LORD set a time and said, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go”. This is what God can do to His own people. As many that covenant with God and remain steadfast in their commitments to

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from interference by the State or Federal government. Our nation though is secular but has not granted exception to churches to operate as a business organization or money making enterprise.

Membership of any Christian church should be made available only to those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and who are born again but recent research by Boket Consulting confirms that in some churches in Nigeria, people whether converted or not, filled with the Spirit or not attend Christian services and programmes.

Historically, membership of the body of Christ begins with the individual who responds to the call of Holy Spirit to become a Christian.

This Christian seeks daily the leadership of Holy Spirit in all he does as he has right to directly approach God without any intermediary. He also has the right to join other Christians to worship God and follow God’s will and should also have the knowledge and understanding of what the church stands for. Therefore, in becoming a member, he expresses his gift by glorifying God and blessing others.

A church is composed of regenerate people, so one can see that a church comprises of people from various places.

This simple write – up is not about exposing the organizations or polity of the modern church in Nigeria but realistically giving knowledge of what a spiritual church which is a church of God should be. Church as it is, is mainly for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, and breaking of bread. There are many other institutions that support the work of the church but they are not church. They can be considered para-church ministries.

•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

Him are bound to enjoy this special treatment from God. Imagine all the livestock of the people of Egypt died off still nothing happened to that of the Israelites. I tell you, your own case must be different in Jesus name. What subjects others to hardship will elevate you because your case if different.

I waited on the Lord for eight good years for the fruits of the womb. People started asking “Is he not a man of God?” Has he not been praying for people for the fruit of the womb? Why can’t he find solution to his own problem now? A friend of mine then was even advising me to start drinking beer, that it will help me find answer to my desire for a child. I told him, as long as God remains faithful, my case is different. Some days later, I went to the •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

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Briefly Born Again Church set for convention

T

he 2015 inter-state annual convention of the Born Again Revival Church of Christ International tagged “Holy convoca-

tion” adopted from Numbers 28:18 which began on November 23, 2015, will end today November 29 at the Church Auditorium located at 65, King’s Avenue, Opposite Bemil Nigeria Ltd., Ojodu Abiodun, Berger, Lagos.

While speaking on the programme, the General Overseer, Pastor Emmanuel Akinbobola implored all to attend the convention with high expectations and great faith, in order for God to meet them at the point of their needs.

“Jesus Christ is willing and available to receive us because He is the Lord”, he said.

CAC Oke Igbala celebrates

A

ctivities marking the 35th anniversary thanksgiving service of Christ Apostolic Church Oke Igbala will begin today, November 29, 2015 with street evangelism from 4pm.

It will continue on Monday November 30 with praise concert from 6pm, while on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3 the church will hold power packed revival as well as 24hour marathon prayer between on December 4 and 5. The grand finale comes up on December 6 with prayers starting from 8am at 71/73, Ikosi Road, Ketu in Ikosi/Isheri Local Council of Lagos.

In a statement credited to the chairperson planning committee, Lady Evang. F.F. Agun, she assured that the Lord’s blessing awaits attendees. The chief host Pastor Moses Yusuf and other ministers of the gospel will minister on the occasion.

33

Vineyard

Celebration Sunday November 29, 2015

Nigerians urged to key into God always

…as Divine Ewulomi church celebrates harvest

1 L-R: The Archbishop, Igbobini Archdiocese, Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Revd Akinlose AkinDeko, Bishop (Prof) Dapo Asaju, Prophet (Dr.) Oluwademilade Akpata, the Riye Archbishop, Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Revd Adegbemi Adewale at event

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igerian Christians have been urged to abstain from sin and endeavour to win souls for Christ with everything God endowed them; words, acts, deeds, as well as talents and treasures to propagate the Word and divine peaceful among people in the nation.

This charge was given by Bishop (Prof) Dapo Asaju, Vice Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, in a sermon he delivered at the 2015 adult harvest thanksgiving service of the Divine Ewulomi Evangelical Church of Christ (C and S) Arowojobe Estate, Lagos tagged “Harvest of divine mercy.”

The eminent Anglican Communion Cleric, further urged Nigerians to remain absolutely intimate with God, in Spirit and truth as he claimed that this is the only way citizens would continue to live in peace.

Quoting several biblical injunctions, Asaju be-

moaned the increase in the global insecurity and political unrest which has enveloped most nations in the world, especially with the recent attacks in France and other parts of the globe by so- called Islamic activists and extremists.

To this end, the religious analyst of note, urged the people to go back to God in absolute remorse and restitution from sin, as well as adhere strictly to the dictates of God for His divine mercy to restore socio economic infrastructure to the convenience of all.

Berating the reckless, godlessness of past leaders, he enjoined Nigerians and to appreciate the divine love and mercy of God in their respective disciplines by being their brothers’ keepers through discipline and assistance to one another and the church for expansion and growth to God’s work.

“I would warn the entire populace to re-

Enjoying God’s grace via obedience

Prophet Lai Bamidele, General Overseer of Christ Glorious End-time Evangelical Ministry, AbuleEgba, Lagos, in this exhortation, teaches on praise to God. Excerpts:

O

bedience means taking to a given instruction. When you obey your sender he makes you a commander, obedience does not bring down but obedience set up. In the book of Samuel 15 the bible says in verse 22-23. To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the far or rams, for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, stubbornness is as inequity and idolatry, because thou has rejected the word of the lord he has also rejected thee from being the king, when God give an instruction on what to do, never you not contrary. Obedient will enthrone you while disobedience will dethrone you. Disobedience is a dangerous instrument that can remove a golden crown on your head, if care is not taken. Obedience to his instructions gives you speed in all the things you do.

When you obey God’s commandment, you hardly struggle in all your desire. Saul started well with God but he did not end well with him, the bible recorded that when Saul met with Samuel the prophet in the book of 1 Samuel 10:6 the bible says when Saul was doing what was pleasing to God, after he was anointed with the oil, the bible says “ And the spirit of God will come upon thee, and thou shall prophesy with them, and thou shall be turn in to another man” The bible is only teaching us that when you obey his word, the whole word will obey you. Saul found himself where he is supposed not to be via his obedience. When you are on your journey to the top is always looking very slippery. In the same chapter the bible says in verse 11 that “And it

came to pass when all that new him saw that, behold he prophesy among the prophets, then the people send among them self, that what is this that come upon the sin of kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? When you obey his commandment, he will make you a subject of discussion, argument, after Saul obeys God’s instruction, he ate on the same table with the king. When God has place in a position don’t see it that it your connection, education that took you there, but when you disobey his commandment, you will naturally you will end up in the ditch, although may start well in life, because you are obeying him, the moment you cultivate the habit of disobeying God, you will eat with the devil as Saul did after he rejected the instruction of his God. When you don’t see anything good in whatever God is asking you to do, do it with joy and gladness of heart, but when you reject his instruction then you will suffer destruction, when he was obeying his master when you obey God’s commandment, then your heaven will be open, but the moment you disobey him heaven is close against you. Obedience brings you under blessing but disobedience put’s a tag of curse man’s neck. 1 Sam 15:18 says “and the lord sent thee on a journey, and said, go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and light against them until they be consumed” the lord engrace him to overcome the Amalekites, but he disobeyed God and took of the spoil of the lord rejected him. When you

disobey God it will not take time before he removes you from where the place you when you were obeying him the bible earlier recorded that Saul in 1sam 15 that not only did Saul prophesy, he did eat with the prophets on the same table.

Listen to me when you obey his commandment, you will naturally sit and dine with kings but when you disobey his instruction you have the nonentities to relates with. The journey of life has to do with choice, when you choose a wrong decision you bear the consequences of your decision 1sam 28:25 the bible says “And she brought it before Saul, and before his servant and the did eat” Saul first meal was with the prophets, but his last meal was with the witch at the endor.

Pastor Bamidele

Christ Glorious Endtime Evangelical Church, 5, Olaniyi Street, Abule Egba, Lagos

member that the wages of sin is death, and I assure that the present situation could be arrested by God with His divine peace as the bedrock of national and global development. I therefore assure Nigerians of God’s divine love and peace; provided they donate such divine endowments to the continued growth and expansion of His (God) divine ministry, which would make Nigeria a responsible and viable nation in the comity of nations’, he claimed.

Asaju while criticizing leaders whose aim was to line their pockets at the expense of good governance pleaded with Nigerians irrespective of political leaning, to adhere strictly to the dictates of God. “We should never believe in our own knowledge, but rather seek, obtain and sustain in the divine knowledge of God which also contains divine mercy, grace and peace for all. I urge all men to renounce sin, maintain holiness at all times, as well as be passionate to God’s love and expectations for peace and mercy to rein supreme in our society and nation at large”, he admonished.

The cleric enjoined the Buhari administration and state governors to rule with the fear of God and to assure that the teeming poor masses of the hope in life, especially with the adequate provision of the dividend of democracy at every given time.

He berated America, Russia and other European countries ingratitude to God especially by abandoning their hitherto firm believe in God as professed in the American motto.

“Americans especially have neglected their motto which states ‘In God we trust’; this resulted to the September 11, 2011 debacle, increase in gay relationship and inhuman atrocious attitude which later spread globally with the increase in outrageous Islamic killings of innocent souls and destruction of property, churches and mosques.

He called for a constructive religious summit of religious leaders, irrespective of their denominations or religion to call on God for his divine mercy and peace to promptly arrest national and global insecurity being witnessed all over the world.

In his submission The General Overseer, Divine Ewulomi Evangelical Church of Christ, Prophet (Dr.) Oluwademilade Omololu Akpata advised Nigerians on the need for prompt renunciation of sins, as well as being propagators of Christ by winning more souls to His kingdom.

He advised fake religious leaders against preaching unfounded miracles and wealth, rather the salvation of souls. He also reminded Nigerian leaders to fulfill their election promises so as to cushion the present problems and challenges confronting the country.

Akpata also warned fake religious leaders against the wrath of God as they deceive innocent members of the society and members of the political class in order to line their pockets.

The General Overseer while applauding the effective watch-dog role of the media so far charged them to continue in their effort to make the nation an oppression-free society. the event which was attended by eminent Nigerians from various sectors of the economy including notable religious leaders like Archbishop Adegbemi Atanda Adewale of the Riya Archdiocese, Archbishop Akinlose-Deko of the Igbo Benin Archdiocese, Bar. Chief Mrs. Olukemi Oshinowo CEO and Chairman, KemYem Fabrics Ltd, Chief Mrs. Sebanjo (business tycoon) as well as past and present Lagos State Legislators among others.

The occasion was duly coordinated by the 2015 harvest thanksgiving service Planning Committee’s Chairperson, Apostle Mother Wemimo Osinubi, Mother In Israel Omotolani Oluwatobiloba Akpata and the entire Obirin O lo Ogo programme Radio Lagos committee among others.

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From the Pulpit

The voice of wisdom

with Dr. David

Oyedepo

N

o doubt, health stands out as the greatest asset of life. When a man’s health is challenged, everything he has loses value. That is why the world says, ‘Health is wealth.’ Moreover, life at its best will be theoretical without health. In the world today, healthcare is one of the most costly services but God has a full healthcare package for His children (3 John 1:2; Jeremiah 8:22). We understand from scripture that Jesus Christ paid the price for our total health. That is, He shed His Blood for the remission of our sins and restoration of our health and vitality (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 2:24).

For instance, when we pay for goods in a store or an individual pays on our behalf, we have the legal right to take it home. In the same vein, since Jesus already fully paid for our total health, we have the legal right to take our healing, health and wholeness.

Furthermore, by redemption, we have been repositioned above all principalities and powers, who are the oppressors of our bodies. Therefore, sicknesses and diseases are not permitted to torment our bodies (Ephesians 1:20-21, 2:6; 5:23; Colossians 1:13; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17).

However, many have received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, but not as their Healer. Until we receive Him consciously as our Healer, our health challenges would continue.

We must understand that Jesus is the ultimate in our quest for health as He offers free healthcare without side effects and does not refer any case to anyone. He has authority over all manner of sicknesses and diseases, and specializes in healing everyone. No wonder He introduced Himself in scriptures as (Matthew

Let’s go

BIBLE with Favour

Tioluwani Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

Continued last week Measures to be taken The precautionary measure most strongly emphasizes is that married individuals should not have close personal relationships with people of the opposite sex. Don’t let that person become someone who’s going to be there for you when you need a sympathetic ear or help with a favour. Quite often, it’s those kinds of friendships that can quickly blossom into emotional affairs. Men and women working together, serving together, going to the gym together, and practicing hobbies and interests together more than ever before, often move from what I describe as ‘external professional’ to an ‘internal personal’ relationship.

And when you step over that threshold, you’re entering into risky zone.

For someone who’s wondering if they’ve entered into an emotional affair, please answer these introspective questions: 1. Has this become a mood-altering experience for you?

2. Does seeing this person or receiving a

Sunday November 29, 2015

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Is there no Balm in Gilead?

12:14-15; Matthew 10:1; Mark 10:27; Matthew 9:12). We must recognize that just as doctors have prescriptions for certain illnesses, Jesus, the Great Physician, also has His prescription for our total health.

But, what is His great prescription?

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions (Psalms 107:20).

While Jesus is the Great Physician, the revelation of the Word is His great prescription for our total health (Proverbs 4:20-22; John 8:32, 36).

God’s Word is the Balm in Gilead and it is the medication for our healing, health and wholeness. We understand from scripture that when Jesus, the Great Physician was on earth, He healed by His Word (Luke 5:17; Matthew 8:8, 13).

God’s Word contains healing virtues that imparts on every organ in our bodies and turns our health challenges into testimonies.

The restoration of our health draws on the revelation of the truth from God’s Word. That is, it takes the revelation (light) of the Word to be free from the harassment of sicknesses and diseases. Remember that every attack of sickness and disease are operations of the powers of darkness but when we access the light of God through His Word, we conquer without sweat. This is because the dominion of light over darkness is instant and unquestionable.

That is why every outbreak of revelation guarantees supernatural healing and instant restoration of our health (Job 33:21-25; Isaiah 58:8; John 1:5). When we look to the Great Physician and subscribe to His great prescriptions, our health issues are turned to testimonies.

Therefore, receive grace to walk in the light of the Word that renders the powers of darkness helpless, in Jesus’ name!

What, then, is in the Word that Heals?

God’s Word carries divine light: The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple (Psalms 119:130).

The divine light of the Word first enlightens our understanding and graduates to illuminating our being. It is important to understand that it is one thing to be enlightened and yet another to be illuminated. When we are illuminated by

the truth of the Word, we naturally dominate the forces of darkness (John 1:5, 9). Moreover, when we become spiritual illuminants, we are like spiritual floodlights, which make us ‘unassaultable’ by the kingdom of darkness. This is why every true deliverance is rooted in our encounter with the light of the Word. When we are truly ‘lighted’ by the Word, our deliverance from the hold of the powers of darkness becomes automatic.

• God’s Word carries divine nature: When we receive the revelation of the Word, we imbibe divine nature which is eternally immune to sicknesses and diseases. That is what makes the Word of God the Balm in Gilead. The Bible says: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4; see also Proverbs 4:20-22). We must understand that it is the revelation of the truth (the Word of God) that sets free. As it is written: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

Thus, the more we dwell in God’s Word, the more of God’s nature we possess and remember that His nature is immune to sicknesses and diseases. Furthermore, when we are illuminated by the nature of God’s Word, our battles over sicknesses and diseases are over. However, we must recognize that it is not just revelation that heals but applied revelation. Just as any medication that is not taken cannot have effect, likewise, it is applied revelation that heals and delivers. Therefore, how much we know will never guarantee our healing, health and wholeness; rather, it is how much we apply ourselves to what we know that determines the outcome of our total health.

For instance, no matter what we know, it is what we say that we are ordained to see (Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, until our hearts are filled with the revelation of our total health package in redemption, from the Word, our mouths cannot overflow with it (Isaiah 53:7-8). As anointed as Christ was, with a closed mouth, He was afflicted and oppressed. That means as long as our mouths are closed, the oppression of sickness and disease on our bodies continues. Therefore, open your mouth wide and God will fill it (Psalms

81:10-14).

Let’s examine our access to Healing, Health and Wholeness It is important to note that our access to the Word for healing, health and wholeness demands the fear of the Lord which also means the love of God (John 15:15). When we are in love with Jesus, we become His friend thereby gaining access to unlimited revelations. Paul the Apostle loved God and as a result, he became a man of great depth and revelation (Romans 8:35-38). We must, therefore, make the love of God our lifestyle, so that flowing in revelation becomes automatic (Psalms 25:14).

We must also understand that though Christ has fully paid the price for our total health, it takes our faith for God to intervene in our health issues.

Spiritually, the root of every infirmity and sickness is dried-up but we must take our healing practically by the force of faith. Thus, we must work out our salvation by engaging the shield of faith to take delivery and quench all the fiery darts of sicknesses and diseases (Ephesians 6:16). Therefore, I decree your absolute and unshakeable confidence in God for your healing in Jesus’ name! Are you born again? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? If you haven’t, you can do soasyousaythisprayer:“LordJesus,IcometoYou today.I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” For further reading, please get my books: All You Need To Have All Your Needs Met, Exploring The Riches Of Redemption, Understanding Your Covenant Rights and Possessing Your Possession.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. respectively.

I know this teaching has blessed you.

Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww. org

What lures people (Christians) into infidelity? (2) text or tweet from them improve your mood?

3. Are you dressing in ways to get noticed?

4. Are you engaging in personal conversations?

5. Are you also trying to hide or deny those communications, knowing that if someone realized how much the relationship was having an effect on you, you’d be in trouble?

Stay by the strong stance against oppositesex friendships. Otherwise this would be the most devastating experience in your spouse’s life, It can rise to the level of losing a child, of having your house burn down, or of losing a limb. So for something that devastating, extraordinary precautions are reasonable.

Considering the lady above, this kind of devastation hit her family head on. She divorced her husband without ever telling him the true reason she was leaving.

He begged her not to do it, but she was bent on pursuing a new life with another man.

Though on the other hand she felt as if she became two different people. She never considered herself capable of having an affair, and kept thinking, What in the world is she doing? This isn’t me! Yet she just kept going down that path.

She was so deceived and thought this guy was her soulmate and the answer to all her problems.” She went so far as to begin looking

at engagement rings with the other man. But the first time she arranged a get-together with him and her daughters, something didn’t feel right.

She had started attending church, and three months after her divorce was finalized, she had a radical encounter with Christ and became a Christian. She’d grown up in church but realized she never entered into a personal relationship with God. The scales soon fell off her eyes and she realized what she’d done to her marriage and her family. She thought there would be relief on the other side of divorce, but it was all disaster.

However this kind of realization is common at some point after an affair occurs.

This in part plays a role in why 95 to 98 percent of affairs do not last. They die a natural death, because it’s something that’s been done in secret and it has done great harm to your spouse and children. People end up feeling guilty and that generally has a negative effect on the affair itself.

In the aftermath of their divorce, this lady approached her husband with a letter she read aloud, confessing her story and asking him for forgiveness. They began to try to live amicably while co-parenting their daughters.

She prayed for several years without ever knowing if reconciliation would be possible.

Slowly, it began to happen as their hearts

were turned toward one another again.

Seven years after divorcing, they remarried.

The difference between their first and second marriage was an understanding that a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Christ must come first.

That led to greater intimacy between the two of them. Before they just talked about surface things and they didn’t go deep into each other’s hearts. But we learned what it meant to nurture our relationship through vulnerability with each other, flaws and all.”

Meaning that if such do happen, expose your to your husband/wife, don’t hide under secrecy.

The idea that cheating offers escape, relief, and lasting pleasure is heaping loads of turmoil on marriages today. At the end of the road, the truth to be discovered about infidelity is the same of all paths that lead us away from the light. In darkness we lose ourselves.

Deceit overwhelms. We forget who we are and to whom we belong: Christ our beloved.

If we’ll listen, he will gently remind us that there is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy marriages. But he comes that we may have life and have it abundantly.

•You can send in your QUESTIONS and the Holy Spirit will be set to give you the ANSWERS. Barr. (Mrs.) Favour Tioluwani Tel: 08050272259 or 07062738213. Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Pulpit 35

Sunday November 29, 2015

Prompt response to his High and heavenly calling (1) MOMENT OF MIRACLES with Pastor W.F

Kumuyi Nehemiah 2:1-20

G

od expects us to be attentive, retentive and responsive when we read or hear His word. With the prevailing conflict, corruption, evil and the lost glory in our nation today, there seems to be no hope of solution in sight. This was once the experience of the children of Israel and Judea. There was no hope of redemption for them until Nehemiah rose up to the challenge. In order to fulfil this mission, he had to pay the price by giving up his prestigious job. Our ministry, work, position in God’s kingdom as agents of change and reformers is not cheap. There is a price to pay. Believers who are ready to lay all on the altar are the people that can become agents of change.

There is no position without a price. Does your ministry cost you time, further education, extra-mural studies, promotion; progress in your profession, movement or change? Bible characters like Moses, Nehemiah, Peter, Matthew etc., were willing to follow the Lord and do whatever He wanted them to do. We need to be consecrated and devoted believers, like Nehemiah, to bring back the lost glory in our nation. To experience the power of God and do exploits for Him, we must be detached from earthly things and surrender our lives com-

1

3 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.(Colossians 2:13-15) Jesus Christ came to this world to liberate us from the shackles of the power of darkness.

As children of God there are many things that Jesus had done for us and the only thing left for us to do is to have the understanding of them and simply walk in them through our faith in Jesus. If someone had paid your creditor for your debt, that creditor has no right to embarrass you any longer except you don’t know that your debt had been paid.

The kingdom of darkness has no power to control your life because there is someone who had destroyed their power for your sake.

Jesus had taken all the blame for you and destroyed the evidence evil power can use to put you under bondage; so, you don’t have to bury your head in shame to the already defeated power of darkness.

The major evidence any demon might claim for molesting your life is your sin. Sin is the energy that can fuel the power of darkness against your life. Consider what the scripture says in these verses- 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? {grave: or, hell}56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15: 55-

pletely to Him. Whatever labour of love we do for God will be rewarded now and in eternity, if we remain faithful to Him. 1.

Answered prayer concerning his great commission Nehemiah 2:1-4; Proverbs 21:1; Nehemiah 2:5,6; 6:15; 5:14; 2:7,8; Proverbs 15:13; 13:23; 15:28; 16:1-3; Philippians 4:6; Isaiah 65:24.

Nehemiah’s fasting and prayer granted him uncommon favour before the king and other people. His commission was to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken walls and restore its lost glory. And he responded very promptly. Our great commission today is to preach the gospel to every creature. To accomplish the task, we must allow the fear of God in our hearts to be greater than the fear we have for men. We must be willing, like Nehemiah, to build the wall of security, salvation, holiness and spirituality around God’s people. The task of preaching the gospel must not be done on short-term basis. We must give it enough time while depending on God. Nehemiah was faithful in accomplishing the task of rebuilding the wall. Hence, the Lord gave him a bigger responsibility: he was appointed to be their governor.

Believers who have vision, passion and conviction are always worried about the state of sinners around them. Their dreams will affect their lives, soul, spirit and comportment. While carrying out the great commission, we must refuse the tendency to be over-confident.

Unlike Nehemiah, many believers today think in fear; they cross the bridge before they get to the bridge. They are afraid of opposition in doing God’s work. When we concentrate on the threats of the enemies, we cannot get the task of the great commission done. We should rather look on to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame.

Nehemiah focused his attention on the work he set out to do, not on his detractors. As a result, he had no need to worry. When we pray according to God’s will, He will answer and make us prosper in the work He has committed in our

hands.

2. Adequate preparation before a guided commencement Nehemiah 2:9-16; Matthew 10:16; John 15:18-20; 2 Timothy 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 16:9; 15:58.

There is need for adequate preparation, like Nehemiah did, before we set out to do God’s work. This is because Satan is not pleased when we seek the salvation of sinners in our communities. Therefore, he uses human agents like Tobiah, Sanballat and Geshem to try to stop us.

The will of God is not devoid of challenges and oppositions. We must take cognizance of the difficulties and persecutions that the devil stir up against us and use them as stepping stones to achieve God’s will. Many people shy away from God’s work because of oppositions. But with God on our side, we shall overcome anything that tries to hinder us from doing God’s will. Like Nehemiah, we should always make ourselves available for God’s work when the need arises.

Carelessness on the part of the believer will make him reveal his vision to those who will kill it. For Nehemiah, he kept his mouth shut until the appointed time. He had to study the people to know those who are enemies before he revealed his mission. We must be wise not to reveal our intention to those who will kill it. The world will hate us because we testify against their corrupt practices and evil deeds.

They will not appreciate us when we come to them with the message of righteousness, justice, integrity and holiness. Their persecution or hatred for the Word should not make us conform to their will. We must understand that holiness goes hand in hand with persecution and opposition. If we wait for better conditions and opportunities, we may never serve the Lord because adversaries of the gospel shall wax worse and worse. And since our work will be rewarded, we should not be afraid.

3. Active participation despite godless conflict Nehemiah 2:17; Proverbs 29:11; Nehe-

miah 2:18.

Many so-called believers in our contemporary times do not read their Bibles, listen to Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Almighty God. All that influences their character and actions are stories from the media. The wisdom of the world that makes us shy away from preaching the gospel will minimise Calvary, the work of Christ and Redemption. We must be active, passionate and zealous in preaching the gospel to the world of dying men.

The fool is the one that talks when he should keep quiet; he is the one that keeps quiet when he should speak out. A fool speaks so quickly or he never speaks at all.

The wise speaks at the right time to the right people for the right reason and for the right purpose. Like Nehemiah, they are wise in recognising those who are friendly foes and know how to relate with them. Each letter in the word ‘FOOL’ stands for F – forgetful, O – overconfident, O – overzealous, L – leader. A fool forgets all he has learnt from the Scripture about Ahab, Jezebel, Achan, Judas Iscariot etc. Nehemiah was a wise man who waited and watched carefully until the right time before he set out on his mission.

Each letter in the word ‘WISE’ stands for W – watchful, I – influential, S – spiritual, E – elder.

We must be determined, like Nehemiah, to join hands together with faithful believers to build for God with our hearts, skills, talents and wealth. We must rise and build for God’s kingdom; and for the restoration of the lost glory in our society.

Commitment to the restoration of lost glory Nehemiah 3:1-32 Nehemiah was a wise, intelligent, diligent and determined believer who laboured in prayer and building for the restoration of lost glory.

Continued next week

Walking in his victory

57). You see the power of death (darkness) is sin. Sin is what separates you from God that makes the power of darkness to be able to hinder your progress. 1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). When a person is separated from God, the power of darkness can do anything with such a life without any consequences.

“Dead in your sins” means you are cut off from God, useless in the programme of God. It means the power of God cannot flow through you. It means you cannot respond to divine stimulus. This means as long as you walk in your sin; you are just a dead man walking the earth surface as long as God is concern. Being dead is synonymous to living in darkness because you have been cut off from light of God by sin. Jesus Christ had forgiven us our sins so that we can be free and be able to live a victorious life. You are not the one to fight the enemy; the devil had been defeated by Jesus so just believe what Jesus had done.

What Jesus did was preparing the foundation for your unstoppable victory over the power of darkness. Now that you know what Christ has done for you; it is imperative for you to also know that Jesus had spoiled the power of darkness for your sake. He achieved this by: (i) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinance that was against you. There are some established rules for the kingdom of darkness

that was meant be obeyed and any violation will attract punishment from them.

This may include some rituals that must be done in some family before certain success could come their way, some people may need to pay homage to certain deities before they can progress in life. In short, these are various form of limitations placed upon people by the power of darkness. But I want you to know that devil has no right whatsoever to control your life if you are a child of God. Jesus had destroyed all those rules from the kingdom of darkness that may hinder your progress in life. You need to know this and insist on implementing the programme of God in your own life. Devil will play on your ignorance if you don’t know how to enforce your right upon him. Remain firm on what God has said concerning your life and don’t allow anything to shake your confidence in them. (ii) He has spoiled the power of darkness. Jesus had destroyed the power of darkness against your life. But where do you think

devil is getting the power he is using against children of God, it is the through our consent.

What Jesus had spoiled should remain invalid in your life. Don’t consent to the operation of the power of darkness in your life by fear.

Fear is one of those things that can keep a person under the power and dominion of the kingdom of darkness. See what the scripture says in Hebrews 2:14-15-14; 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Don’t put yourself under the bondage of darkness through your fear.

Our Lord Jesus did all these for you so that all kind of hindrances could be removed from your path to your divine destination. Whatsoever that is contrary to the will of God in your life has been removed by Jesus, whatsoever that can block your way has been removed

by Jesus; he nailed them to the cross ever before you were born. Your victory over them is sealed and settled for ever. So, walk and live in this mentality and put the devil where he belongs (under your feet).

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

08060297831 glorioustabernacle@gmail.com

From the Pulpit

36

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday November 29, 2015

Priorities in life (2)

T

he Psalmist extrapolated: “One thing I have desired of the Lord; that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord. And to inquire in His Temple” (Psa 27:4). This is an exuberant declaration of the priority of the faith of one of the most celebrated monarch the world has ever known!

Dwelling in God’s presence was King David’s number one priority. Not money. Not fame. Not his harem. Not prosperity. Not posterity. Not continuity.

What is your own number one priority? History records that 11 millionaires were on the Titanic ship when it hit an iceberg at exactly 11.40pm on the night of April 14, 1912: less than three hours before the prided unsinkable sank!

One of the few millionaire survivors was Major A.H. Peuchen. He left $300,000 of his money, jewelry and securities in a box in his cabin. He said, “The money seemed a mockery at that time. I picked up three oranges instead.”

Money is a fickle friend. Making a living and making a life are two different goals. The Bible tells us to lay up treasures in heaven. “Do good, be rich in good deeds, and . . . be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Tim 6:18-19; NIV). Jesus demands: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy

and thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21).

If your financial priority does not conform to this mandate, your heart is not in heaven, no matter how much you say it! God’s priorities and ours are often in a struggle. God’s priorities are my sanctification, not my satisfaction; conforming to His will, not my comfort! “For this is the will of God: even your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality.

That each of you should know how to possess his or her own vessel in sanctification and honor and not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God . . . For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness” (1 Thess 4:3-5, 7).

In the Jules Verne novel: “The Mysterious Island,” five men were traveling in a hot air balloon. The wind blew the balloon over the ocean. After much time, the balloon began dropping toward the water until they were just above the surface. To get rid of excess weight they threw overboard nonessentials like shoes, coats and weapon. The balloon rose slightly. As it sank again, they tossed over their food.

They said to themselves: “Better to be alive in the air and hungry, than dead with a full stomach.” But, soon, the balloon began to sink again. Next, they cut away the basket they’re standing on and hung onto the ropes. It worked! The balloon rose! They were saved! Not a minute too soon, they spot land and arrive on the Mysterious Island. They learned: That as long as they surrounded themselves with things they thought were essential, they continued to sink toward death. To survive they had to

get their priorities right.

You know what the Lord has been telling you to cut off from your life. If you refuse, you will sink into death! Is our main goal pleasing ourselves or pleasing God? Paul says:“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called” (1 Tim 6:11-12). Soon and very soon, “there is going to come a time of testing at the Judgment Day to see what kind of work each builder has done.

Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.

If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward” (1 Cor 3:13-14; NLT).

A mythical story is told of a farmer and his wife who got some unexpected visitors during the night. Three old men had come from a long journey and appeared like important people. The farmer had room and bed for only one for the night. Their names were love, money, and fame. They decided only one of them would stay while the other two would move on to find another place.

They insisted that the farmer and his wife must make the choice of who among the three should stay for the night.

After much thought, the couple decided that love should stay, to their surprise, both money and fame decided to not part with love and they managed the room and blessed the farmer’s family with so much love, money, and fame for the rest of their lives. God is love. Love is God’s number One priority. Even all the Ten Commandments are summarized as LOVE (Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37-40).

Of all the gifts and talents there are, LOVE is the most excellent and greatest of all (1 Cor 12:31; 13:1-13). Love is the gift that brings other gifts in its trail. That is why

Jesus made LOVE the number One priority and undisputable and unmistakable evidence of His true Church: “Love one another as I have loved you . . . By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Charles Francis Adams, a 19th century politician and diplomat, went fishing with his son one day. His son Brook Adams kept a diary in which he wrote: “Went fishing with my father— the most wonderful day of my life!” His father, Charles also kept a diary in which he wrote: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.” Some many supposedly important people have put family last! They gain the whole world but lost their families and their health!

What irreparable losses! Another went to a counselor because he could not understand why his son was terribly misbehaving even after he had bought him all kinds of toys and gadgets that money could buy.

The counselor told him that he was investing money instead of time with his kid. He convinced this father to take the son on a weekend fishing date for only two of them.

Before the end of the first day he already saw a remarkable change in the boy’s attitude.

May be you too are sowing the wrong seed in the wrong soil of your family’s life.

Change your priority and you will change your posterity! Success without successor is an abysmal failure. You shall not fail in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Tunde Ojewole, PhD, is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life. Get your copy of the newly released book: GOD’S FOOTPRINTS. For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/ SMS 08058299434/08060376577.

Scriptures that changed me (1) SCRIPTURES THAT CHANGED ME with REV. OLUWAROTIMI

I

PETER

want to sheer the secret of the change of my life and ministry with the people out there, please I want you to patiently read this write up, and the Lord will use it to change your life also, amen. Change is what everybody needs but it is not how and where people are looking for it, God the creator of heaven and earth is the secret of change, without him any other sources its counterfeit, but God will not need to come down from heaven to cause a change in anybody’s life, he has to deposit the change into the pages of the scriptures, it will now take your responsibility to dig deep into the scriptures and found out your change, the people of this generation are very lazy, they want to start picking stars on the ground, if possible they want God to spoon feed them but not ready to accept responsibility, please before I move further I want the reader of this message to note that: this message is not for anyone who is not born again, a carnal man cannot understand the things of the spirit, may the Lord bless u as you keep reading.

There are several types of scriptures

that can change any individual; everything God created has ability to change, there two basic types of changes that are commonly happen to a man (positive and negative change)You need to know where you are, what you want, and where you are going.

These scriptures were given to me by the Holy Spirit and I work toward them and they are really the secret of my change, I know where I was and where I am now, all by the mystery of these scriptures, I pray for every reader of this write-up that the same God that changed me will change you, Amen.

Rev 5:1-5 (And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book, and to lose the seals thereof ?

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

5 And one of the elders saint unto me, weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and

seven eyes, which the seven Spirits of God are sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odor, which are the prayers of saints.

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou waste slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth). Before I got these revelations I have been praying for years for a change of life and of my ministry but thank God it was revealed and works, Now let look at Rev 8v5-6, and another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer and there was given to him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saint upon the golden alter which was before the throne, And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saint, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled with fire of the alter, and cast it into the earth, and there were voices, and thundering, and an earthquake.

Now let us look at the two bible passages or probably digest it and let us compare what the verses are saying, is all about the secret of prayers that have changed me and that can change any life. In summary of the two bible passages it is talking to us about an angel that is standing beside the alter holding a golden cup and somebody sitting on the throne, and the angel is representing everybody on the earth before God, I mean everybody on earth has an angel that represent him or her in heaven, everybody who has given his or her life to Christ is been represented by this angel, and this angel will stand with a golden cup in his hands, and stand before God. We are on the earth and in need of change and the angel is in heaven before God as an agent of change on our behalf, what are we going to do to connect with the angel? The angel that is representing us holding a golden cup, that cup in his hands most be filled before he moves, if the cup did not fill, nothing is going to happen to the person the angel is representing on the earth, example: I myself have an angel that represents me and my golden cup in his hands beside the alter at the presence of the Lord, and the angel can stand for as many years as possible if the cup is not filled up, until the cup is filled before any change can happen on earth .

Continued next week

37

Politics

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday November 29, 2015

Controversy rages over Kogi ’s unnished guber poll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

came imperative because the number of voters who have been deprived of opportunity to cast their votes during the last Saturday governorship election amounted to 49,953 The Collation officers from the 21 local government areas while declaring their results from each of the pulling units had notified the Returning Officers, the National Commissioners and 12 Residents Electoral Commissioners present that elections were cancelled in some polling units as a result of violence, snatching of election materials, refusal by the voterse to use Smart Reader cards and incidence where Fulanis allegedly sacked a community which resulted in killing the member of community.

Apart from the fact that the INEC ’s decision to conduct supplementary decision has continued to generate crisis within and outside Kogi State, it has also open another vista for ethnic nationalities conflicts as it is now a matter of power tussle within the three ethnic groups .

As the controversies as to who succeeds Audu rages, a group, the Concern Voters in Kogi state have appealed to INEC to declare the result of last Saturday governorship conclusive in the interest of peace and justice.

The Secretary General of Concern Voters of Kogi, Abdulkareem Jimoh who made this appeal while addressing newsmen in Lokoja, stated that the group commiserated with the family and supporter of their great leader, Prince Abubakar Audu.

The group also rejected the call for fresh primaries in the state, stressing that no APC member will participate in any fresh primaries and INEC should declare the election conclusive so that the running mate to late Audu, Honourable Abiodun Faleke, can take over the position of governor-elect and appoint new deputy governor.

The group lamented that the INEC needs to convince members how the outstanding 35,785 eligible voters in the said 91 units could upturn the over 41,000 margin already favour of APC. The group also rejected all the statement credited to INEC declaring the election in conclusive, calling INEC to declare Faleke as governor elect with immediate effect.

The group therefore urged the President should as a matter of urgency and national interest to probe the action of INEC in these circumstances as we are already worried as high wired conspiracy against the wish and will of the people of Kogi State.

However, in view of present circumstance, the APC critical stakeholders and delegates from Kogi East Senatorial district have resolved that the late political icon and APC candidate in the last Saturday governorship Prince Abubakar Audu be substituted with his son, Mohammed Audu in the event that party goes for fresh primaries as directed by the National Central Working Committee of the Party.

Faleke

Audu

A NEW TWIST WAS ALSO ADDED TO THE DRAMA AS THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PDP, DRAGGED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, APC, AND INEC, TO COURT OVER PLAN TO SUBSTITUTE THE CANDIDACY OF LATE AUDU

This was contained in a communiqué read by Comrade Daniel Isah, the Kogi East Zonal Chairman at the Party Secretariat in Lokoja, stated that the supporters of APC from the Zone are nominating Mohammed Audu to replace is father.

They commended INEC and APC leaders at both state and National level for allowing substitution for late Audu.

They posited that it has been resolved by the stakeholders, delegates that the late candidate be substituted by his son Mohammed Audu “It is hope that our request is granted in the interest of peace, justice and fairness ”, they pleaded.

Earlier the youth from the Kogi East have stage a peaceful protest chanting ‘No Mohammed No Supplementary ’ election.

The youths, in their hundreds, called on the APC leaders to substitute Mohammed Audu because his father has been the sole financier of the party and he was not expected to end up with empty hands. The youths leader, Ibrahim Bashir Ella stated that the only way to compensate Audu family is to bring his son on board.

However Sunday Mirror Investiga-

tions indicated that out the 41,995 registered voters in the 91 units across 18 local government areas, only 35,785 collected their Permanent voters cards.

The watchers of political events also noted that If the 35,785 is added to PDP, APC will still win the election and APC Kogi state chapter has vowed to defend their victory to last, notwithstanding the death of it governorship election.

A new twist was also added to the drama as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, dragged the Federal Government, APC, and INEC, to court over plan to substitute the candidacy of late Audu in the inconclusive gubernatorial election in Kogi State.

The PDP on Thursday also demanded that INEC returns the incumbent governor, Capt. Idris Wada as winner of the November 21st gubernatorial election, as the APC candidate, who was leading in the inconclusive election died during the process.

The party also said the proposed supplementary election would no longer be necessary as APC is not backed by either the constitution or electoral laws to substitute its candidate within the election period.

Bello

The PDP caucus argued that with the death of its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, “the APC has legally crashed out of the governorship race as no known law or constitutional provision allows the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced. ” It insisted that “with the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu, APC has no valid candidate in the election, leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada as the winner of the election. ” On the other hand, late Audu ’s running mate in the election, Mr. James Faleke, has formally asked INEC to declare him winner of the election and name him governor-elect.

Feelers from Abuja indicated that while the name of runner up in the APC governorship primary, Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been forwarded to INEC as a replacement for Audu, Faleke has insisted that he should be awarded the slot automatically.

Faleke made his claim to the governorship in separate two letters to INEC and the APC on the fact that he had become governor-elect in the face of what he described as the unfortunate death of Audu.

He warned the APC not to fall into a trap set for it by INEC to field another candidate or go into a supplementary election.

“As it is in Kogi it only God will give the hierarchy of All progress Congress the wisdom to solve the problem created the INEC declaration of the Kogi state election inconclusive ”, a party elder told Sunday Mirror at the weekend.

It was learnt that the new developments have put the APC in a quandary as to how to proceed for fear of legal loopholes that could be exploited by opponents to keep Wada in power.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘You cannot compare me with Sylva ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 see his country people, which is the same transportation system they are used to.

And I have slept in all local government areas including his own local government which he has not. I slept in southern Ijaw.

Guy man should sleep there not hop in and out. Even as a governor he was hopping in and out of the country. That is a guy man but he is my good friend though we disagree fundamentally in terms of vision. In fact, he has no vision. You do not come to be a governor because of ego, because you want to blow siren or because you have friends in high places that can help you to get it. I was prepared for governorship. That is why when I came you can see how we have established a paradigm shift and if God helps and the people realise the need to protect their future, no guy man in Bayelsa can be governor again because this job is a serious job, one that requires a passion and commitment to do the people ’s business, to lift them out of poverty and under development not habouring resentment or bitterness as a governor. When he was governor he surrounded himself with people who led him to abysmal failure instead of guiding him and then they abandoned him. When I came in as a governor, a number of them came around me and saw that ‘kaki no be leather. ’ I must take responsibility for my administration. Bayelsans will not remember any commissioner but the person who is in charge of them. That is what he does not know and that is why he says they should hold other people responsible for the atrocities of famutangbe. Up till now he does not get it that leadership is about responsibility.

On security, the security agencies are working on that and I want to use this opportunity to warn those who may be attempting that out of desperation that it will not work, it will land them in trouble.

Security agencies are not fools and you young people do not believe when people tell you lies. I want to advise our young ones to go and vote whoever they want instead of being used because that will not work.

What form of assurance can you give to the electorate and the people of Bayelsa state regarding their safety as they file out December 5th to cast their vote?

I have confidence in the security forces.

I always say that the security officers in Bayelsa are the best any governor will want to have. I have confidence in their expertise, their dedication to duty and professionalism. All I am asking as governor and candidate is for peace. I know that the citizens of this state have nothing to fear as far as their security is concerned, before during and after elections. And because this is an individual election, not a national one the security forces here will have a lot of support. For the Kogi election, the police alone deployed about 16,000 personnel. That is almost a lock down.

Any criminal who decides to be used and those who choose to use criminals will not succeed. If the security forces do not stop felons, our people in every unit have been sensitised to stop them. My assurance is Bayelsans should not have any fear; security forces are doing their best.

What would be your response to the allegations by your rival: that you accused him of master minding the killings of Bayelsans through his security outfit, that

and flyovers but did not do it. He wants us to believe he is a better now that he has experienced the wilderness but the wilderness could make someone better or it could be the other way round. I see a lot of danger, venom, bitterness in him and unfortunately most of the people who are running around him because of federal appointment do not know the risk they are taking. Let him convince us that he is a brand new Timipre Sylva but for him to say all those killings do not matter? From the time he joined APC and ever since they conducted their violent primaries election, everybody in Bayelsa knows the crime rate has gone up. You do not need to be a security expert. The relationship between him and his politics are crime, criminality and violence. He knows my background; I have nothing to do with cultism all my life. I do not need any violence in this election.

Dick kson

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM AND HIS POLITICS ARE CRIME, CRIMINALITY AND VIOLENCE. HE KNOWS MY BACKGROUND; I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH CULTISM ALL MY LIFE. I DO NOT NEED ANY VIOLENCE IN THIS ELECTION

you are not very accurate with the amount of debts his administration left behind, that you took more loans than his administration and more?

On loans, I had opportunity to set up an enquiry as he did to expose everything he did as a governor but I did not do that and I am not planning to do that. I respect the office of the Governor. I accord him the respect that is rightly due him because it takes the grace of God for you to be a Governor out of millions. I take him up on issues. Bayelsans know the amount of money that he took. If you were to know the pressure I was under by some of the people around him as to how I should handle and deal with him, he will be shocked.

But I do not think we should go that way.

Bayelsans know the Governor that I am and the loan I took. But taking a loan is not a problem. He took a bond. The issue has to do with what was done with the money that was borrowed. For example, the airport that he could have done but did not do. When we were dualizing the Isaac Boro express road, some water pipes had to be removed and few of them were removed.

But I have not heard any testimony that water was running continually before the dualisation.

He also said the road we are doing to Ekeremor is a political gimmick. Well, if to construct a road within this short

period I am here and to the extent I have done it, something he could not do and his minister could not do, is a political gimmick then I want to have more political gimmicks like that because we believe in constructing roads. He does not have anything to campaign with.

Talking about why I am saying that his government did not do enough in security, that is what I was trying to say that when you are a leader you take responsibility. If you set up an organisation like Famutangbe and you put people in charge, as someone in ultimate authority, as chief executive officer you take responsibility for the decisions you take, for the appointments you make and the organisations you set up you. So he cannot run away from that. I want to use this opportunity to ask that he apologise to Bayelsa for the atrocities he committed during his tenure. He shouldn ’t rationalise it. It is annoying when he says he did not know, because some of the victims were killed in Government House. I do not want to call names. People were arrested and taken into Government House instead of police stations. I go campaigning in communities and the people tell me the names and number of people that were killed in their communities. This is a course for concern. Let him apologise to Bayelsans. He could have built roads

In going round the communities, what are those things you noticed on ground that will influence your next tenure if you come on? Will there be a need to develop the communities towards the state capital?

My tour has opened my eyes more than ever before to the realities of rural life and particularly to the possibilities of our people. God bless our women, mothers and grandmothers! As we tour communities, we see them happy, showing heartfelt appreciation for one school or health center that was built or renovated. When you compare that to some people in the cities, the so called political elites that get billions of naira worth of contracts and the fact that there is a delay in payment makes them your enemies instantly and they want to bring you down; people you have given platforms to serve talking as if they never knew you and you are their worst enemy, you will be shocked.

I believe that with what I have seen in the course of my tour in the next tenure community development will have a higher priority because I have seen that one little investment in your community touches many many lives and changes their life and the way they perceive government. I will find a way of emphasizing community needs in the budget particularly issues of women empowerment. Look at the fish Agudama Ekpetiama women gave to me and the plantain, I could barely lift it. We had such from every community that we went to. God bless the wonderful women of Bayelsa for buying wrapper and bringing it to adorn me, telling me they do not want to bury their children, they do not want people to die prematurely in Bayelsa and that for the sake of peace they will vote for me. I go into communities and these women put their wrapper down on the road one after the other, over 600 to 700 0 meters up to the podium. I found it difficult to step on those wrappers. The men, chiefs and people in our communities matter more, not this one per cent in Yenagoa crying out for free money which the more you give the more they abuse you. The more appointment you give the more treacherous people become.

Touring the communities, I am so much in love with our people, more than ever before. I have understood the challenges more than ever before. I have made a promise that when we win the next election in my usual way I will go round again to thank them.

I am the first Governor to go on a thank you tour after winning election. And as a country man I will go back to my country people. That is what this job entails, not flying about in expensively-rented choppers.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Sunday November 29, 2015

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‘Bayelsans cannot take four more years of Dickson ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 party as being violent, how do yo react to this?

You see they always say that the cat wanted the apple and he jumped to catch the apple and couldn ’t get the apple, then he consoled himself by saying ‘rotten apple ’ and then he walks away. That is his only compensation because he just couldn ’t get it.

Now, let the tell you, even this present out-going governor did everything to join the APC. He, himself had tried to join the APC but you know the APC is not for people like him. The APC is not for bullies, Pharaohs and Emperors and so unfortunately we didn ’t accept him and now he is saying rotten apple because he couldn ’t got in Maybe if he had gotten in, he would be saying by now that the APC is the greatest party. If he is true to himself, of course I know he can never be true to himself but if he is true to himself, he should be truthful to tell Bayaelsans that he made attempts to join APC. If he lies about that I will accept because he always lying about everything. The APC cannot be a violent party, look at the streets today, just a few days, he himself instructed people to go out there and tear down my posters. Everywhere you go my posters are on the ground as if tearing posters mean winning elections. All the cases of violence have been perpetrated by the PDP. APC members has been violated in most wards, injured sometimes, we have to go out in our campaigns with extra security because of security threats. All kinds of people call you; all kinds of people send you text messages. The state has never been more violent as it is now.

The numbers of people of kidnapped now is steadily rising. I ’d you talk of piracy, militancy. I fought militancy. I say that on the contrary that the out-going governor is the violent one who perpetrated violence, supports it, sponsored it. He is discussing with the kidnappers, he knows them, he is touch with them, so why is he fooling Bayelsans? If you noticed, the kidnapping has always involved APC members, never PDP members, because the target is to bring fear to APC members. The trend is to kidnap APC members so that he can be make them afraid but of course he is mistaken because APC members are very resolved more than ever before to get him out of office. Every lawful tactic to remove him out of office will be done to by the APC and of course Bayelsans cannot possibly take another four years of Dickson ’s ineptitude. So he continues to blame the APC for everything. So everything is APC, probably if a plate got broken in his house it is probably the APC that broke the plate in his house. So when a government has gotten to this you know it has gone paranoid. I think the governor has gone paranoid about APC. Let take you back to the era where you reign as governor from 2008 to 2011, there are insinuation that you underperformed and left a lot of abandoned projects to include the Airport project, what is your response to this?

That to me is the continuation of his frustration and paranoia. I came into government, there were a lot of projects, ongoing projects, and I did not call them abandoned projects. Every government starts a project and if they don ’t finish such project, the incoming government

Dick kson

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT GOVERNOR DICKSON IS A BUSHMAN. HE IS A BUSHMAN, I AM NOT EXAGGERATING IF I CALL HIM A BUSHMAN BECAUSE THAT ’S WHO HE IS, HE KNOWS TOO THAT HE IS A BUSHMAN

AND THAT IS WHY HE DOESN ’T HAVE SELF CONFIDENCE will finish the project. The Banquet hall was such a project, it was started by Alamesiegha. I furnished it. The Treasury building was one of such project I finished it. The Judiciary building, the library I finished them. I can ’t finish counting them; I could have said they were abandoned projects because a lot of those projects were not even touched by the Jonathan ’s administration. They were started by Alamiesiegha but were abandoned by the Jonathan ’s administration but I came and I took off from the very beginning and completed all those projects. The way I left office nobody would have thought I would have completed all those projects I started because I left in the middle of my tenure. My tenure was truncated, I wasn ’t given time to finish the projects. When Dickson leaves now, he will leave a lot of projects also uncompleted, does it mean I will consider them abandoned projects because he did not complete them? He has abandoned his own projects now; these are the real meaning of abandoned projects.

All the hospitals he has been building in Oporoma, in all places have been abandoned. He has abandoned the Isaac Boro Road; he is the one that is abandoning his own projects. I was doing my projects

and I was removed from office, prevented from completing them, so I cannot be accused of abandoning any project that I inherited.

The governor says you are a guy-man and that the income of the state does not need a guy-man. Another thing is the issue of loan, which has keep bothering Bayelsans about who left what debt, who borrowed more, from late Alamiesiegha to Jonathan down to you, can you clarify this and tell Bayelsans how much you inherited, how much you owe, how much you left behind before you left office?

Thank you, you say I am a guy man governor (laughter).Well, I wonder what Dickson means by a guy man but I think I am a typical Bayelsan. Dickson is just a disgrace to himself and I don ’t know what he means by guy man but everybody knows that governor Dickson is a bushman. He is a bushman, I am not exaggerating if I call him a bushman because that ’s who he is, he knows too that he is a bushman and that is why he doesn ’t have self confidence, that is why he calls me guy man. He is country-man and I am guy man. You also raised the issue of debt burden that is being much talked about but I really wish he could be

truthful and that people can really stand up to the truth. Unfortunately people are fully of lies. The figures are there, when the Jonathan ’s administration was over, I came in. I inherited debts from Jonathan. Now, what we did was servicing those debts. What I did was to take a bond to absolve the debts that I inherited. I took a fifty (50) billion naira bond because we felt that if we service the loans alone to commercial banks it was costing us a lot. So we took some of that loan to, absorb it in that bond and then we took some of that money from that bond to pay our contractors on the Brass Road and then we paid some money to the contractor on the Milford Okilo hospital. The bond was structured in such a way that it is a long term bond, so the tenure was longer so it could be easier for the state government to pay the interest rate and the tenure was longer so that the state government can cope with it. So we were able to put all the loans that we inherited into that bond.

Now, when I left and I hope that the Dickson administration will be sincere I will never lie to Bayelsans, I have a commercial loan stock of N20 billion which I was hoping I will be able to finish paying by May that year and I would have finish paying it if I was there by then.

Now, the government of Jonathan owed contractors N111 billion and by the time I was leaving the contractor debt rose to N207 billion. Let face it, you are given contract, contracts may have been given by the Jonathan administration and the term of contractor may have been given by the previous government. It is a continuous government but you keep talking about this loan stock, as money owed by the state. You keep saying I owed so much; most of that money they were talking about was contractor ’s debts. If they are truthful they will tell you. I inherited a debt of N111 billion and what Dickson inherited from me was N207 contractors ’ debt. I am sure that if I take over today the contractor debts would have gone up above N400 billion. I would not go out and announce that Dickson owes so much that is to somebody that does not understand economics.

The loan stock that I owed commercial banks, (N20 billion) which Dickson could have paid off in the first three months because it was when he came in that was when fuel subsidy was particularly removed. There was more money, in fact in that year we budgeted N50 billion extra because we were expecting more money to the state and Dickson got more than N50 billion extra. I keep telling you, the facts are there? The first year I got into government I received N89 billion from the federation account, the first time Dickson came, he recovered N191 billion.

Second I received N154 billion, Dickson received N216 billion. The third year I received N106 billion, Dickson received 156 billion. So what is he talking about?

Now, he is taxing the civil servants, which I did not do, so he is getting more money. Now, he says he has been paying N20 billion commercial loan from 2012 to now? So I did not leave any debt that Dickson is trying to pay, the debt stock that I left (20billion) would have been paid off in the first few months if he was serious because any government comes and inherits both assets and liabilities.

That ’s how government is run. I have the figure; I have the facts that I can present to Bayesians.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sylva vrs Dickson: Battle for the soul of Bayelsa Barring any unforeseen circumstances, next Saturday, December 5th 2015, which is precisely six days from now, will be a historic day in the life of every Bayelsan, a day of reckoning for two personalities who are seeking a second term in office. OSAHON JULIUS looks at the candidates and the campaigns.

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ayelsan will have the opportunity to take their own destiny and future into their ‘right thumb ’ next week by voting for their next governor, who will pilot the affairs of the state in the next four years.

At least 20 aspirants according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, are contesting the election but the ‘mother of all wars ’ will be between the incumbent Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, of the People ’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the former Governor, Chief Timipreye Sylva of the All Progressive Congress, APC. Already the electoral umpire had on Wednesday concluded the training of adhoc staff recruited for the polls but the mood in the state is tense, views divided, opinions differ while those with the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, are already living like celebrities as candidates seek them out to lure them to vote for them.

The two gladiators are not new to themselves, they have had a similar battle in the primaries of the PDP in 2002 but while one of them was controversially edged out through a high-powered conspiracy said to be have been orchestrated by the former President, the other was side to have ride on the back of a benevolent spirit to the rostrum.

Now, though the players are still the same, the scene is different and the plot though may be similar, it ’s time for each of them to test their popularity.

For the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, they never had to campaign so hard unlike before where any candidate that emerges as party flag-bearer, just wait ‘hands akimbo ’ during electioneering campaign, only rehearsing his inauguration speech in the comfort of his home.

The emergence of the All Progressive Congress, APC, at the center and perhaps the second coming of former Governor Sylva, has brought a reality check on the state PDP. Now, the campaigns has intensified, with the governor who boasted that the emergence of Sylva as the APC flag bearer will give him an easy victory, now combing every nook and cranny of the stats, begging and soliciting for votes - new thing for the PDP and the incumbent governor in the state.

For the APC, it will be perhaps an opportunity to wrestle power from the PDP and take the mantle of leadership for the first time since the creation of the state.

The change of power at the centre following the defeat of the PDP which paraded their own son, Jonathan Goodluck has turned things around for a party formed from the new PDP and for Sylva, who was unceremoniously and controversially removed from office.

The once-vilified Sylva has now be-

Dickson

Sylva

ANALYSTS AND POLITICAL JUGGERNAUTS IN THE STATE ARE PREDICTING A FIERCE AND CLOSE BATTLE BETWEEN THE ‘TWO FRIENDS ’ AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INTENSITY OF THE BOTH PARTY CAMPAIGNS

came an instant hero in the state whose marauding presence and teeming support especially from those that served in his administration as governor is now a nightmare for the opposition.

Analysts and political juggernauts in the state are predicting a fierce and close battle between the ‘two friends ’ and taking into account the intensity of the both party campaigns, there prediction may not be far from the truth.

One thing that may work against the governor who has continually told anyone that cares to listen that he remained the best governor the state has ever produce and the state PDP, is the division in the party; they are going to the poll a divided house no doubt. Many of the party stalwarts including the state party chairman before his sudden death two month ago has all left the PDP for the APC. The trends has continued in most rallies across the local governments as party chieftains and even serving aides and commissioners has continue to resign their offices and joining the APC now christened ‘Noah ’s ark. ’ Though the trend is also repeated in the other side, the caliber of persons leaving the APC for the PDP are still former members of the PDP returning back home and the political weight they carry cannot be compared to those leaving the PDP. The intensity and fierceness of the electioneering campaigns has perhaps brought out the best of the two candidates and their supporters and also hidden political strategies, it has opened up half truths and give opportunity to ro-

bust political discourse.

With both Sylva and Dickson going for each other jugulars, accusation and counter accusation are flying here and there while their supporters are engaging each other in war of words and sometimes fatal encounters as recently displayed when a supporter died after he was stabbed in Ekeremor, Ekeremor Local Government Area.

The first sign of what to happen began immediately after campaigns kicked off as the governorship campaign organisations of Sylva and that of the Governor traded blame over incident that almost marred a refuse evacuation exercise embark upon by the members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

The Dickson campaign image maker described as embarrassing and cruel; the campaign strategies adopted by the APC, adding that “they decided to carry out the show of shame on a day that is usually set aside by the state sanitation authority for evacuation.

It added by asking the party candidate, Timipre Sylva to look for other sane and more dignifying means of campaign as this latest style would not secure for him the votes required to be elected.

The Director of Publicity for the Restoration Campaign Organization, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, while saying that refuse evacuation campaign as deceitful and shameful, he alleged that the APC members attacked the convoy of the governor.

That claim that was rubbished by the his APC counterpart, Nathan Egba, who alleged that contrary to reports of

an attack on the governor, it was thugs suspected to have been hired by the PDP which attacked women and youths of the party during a refuse evacuation exercise in different parts of the state.

He said it was a shame for the governor ’s campaign team to allege that they were attacked by innocent women, who only expressed their disgust as the governor who has no reason to appear at the market at that time they were evacuating refuse left unattended by his contractors, by booing him.

He stated, “How can innocent women attack the governor ’s convoy with all his security details which include the Army, Police, DSS, NSCDC and other state security apparatus? It is shame if they even mentioned it, but what they did not say that the women, including the market women booed the governor when he arrived there during evacuation of the refuse. ” Egba said preliminary reports on the incident showed that some APC members were attacked by thugs of the People ’s Democratic Party, PDP, during the evacuation of refuse in different parts of Yenagoa.

According to him, ” It is, therefore, unacceptable that apart from attacking the women, the PDP thugs burnt down one of our trucks at the Tombia dump site and smashed the windscreen of another truck at Amarata area of Yenagoa. It is regrettable that the Bayelsa State Government that should ordinarily protect its people has turned out to unleash terror on the citizens, because of the desperation of Governor Seriake Dickson to secure second term in office, which has clearly become a mirage ”.

Obuebite, in his response warned the residents of the state to be wary of the antics of the APC members “who are desperate to grab power through the back door by advancing various dubious means. It has now confirmed to everyone the earlier assertion that it is indeed the so-called change party that is responsible for the heap of refuse around the state, particularly in Yenagoa the state capital. ” As the supporters were engaging one another in warfare, the two gladiators were not left out, first to throw the salvo was the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson who accused the APC candidate of trying to use federal might to cajole, force and intimidate voters to win the election of December 5th.

The governor said, “I believe that this will be a standard moving forward as far as governorship and other elections in this state are concerned. I heard that my good friend has intensified his campaign.

That is how it should be, not threatening our people with federal might, hoping that INEC will write results for him, that SSS are his errand boys and JTF will handcuff people for him. He is flying around with helicopters but I am going around as a simple governor on boats and trekking with the people because for me the people of this state must be liberated from these greedy persons that do not care about the development of the state. ” Sylva has been quick to dismiss the governor ’s assertions insisting that he was a drowning man who want to whip up sentiments and get ready made excuse in the event of his losing the election.

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

States continued survival depends on IGR, says Aregbesola BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

O

sun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has said that states of the federation will only survive the current economic hardship if they are able to raise their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR. Aregbesola said with Osun ’s receipt of N55 million for the month of September, the message was

clear that all avenues hitherto untapped must now be examined in order to sustain development initiatives.

Speaking at the commencement of the reconstruction of Orita-OlaiyaIta-Olokan Road at Olaiya Junction to commemorate the 5th year of his administration, Aregbesola said the project was part of the design to ensure smooth transportation within the state capital, Osogbo.

He pointed out that money coming from the Federation Account has dipped badly hence the need for people of the state to look inward in advancing the course of the state by returning to agriculture.

He said, “We must at this point tell ourselves the truth, there is no money coming from the Federation Account, 34 million barrels of Nigeria ’s crude oil are on the sea without

buyers.

“Money coming from the Federation Account has dipped seriously and our hope for survival is in our hands, what our forefathers lived on was agriculture.

“We must now go back to the farms and work. We also need to pay our taxes so that government can meet its responsibilities.

For September, our state got N55.8 million. The money we received cannot pay for

the power supply by IBEDC that we use at the state secretariat monthly ”.

Aregbesola stated that Messrs RATCON Construction Company Limited will be undertaking the reconstruction of the road at the cost of N985.1 million.

He said, “The expansion of the road and the need to have a reasonable setback unfortunately meant that some buildings are already standing in the way and has to be separated. This could

have been avoided if there had been strict adherence to town planning rules in the past.

“We regret this and offer sincere sympathy to those affected. They should see this as their own sacrifice in our efforts to beautify our city and develop a decent human environment.

Nevertheless, we have set aside the sum of N392 million to the 127 people whose buildings were affected ”.

NYSC scheme most successful, says Wada WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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L-R: Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Chairman of the session, Patrick Daku, and Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko, at the 2015 Annual Lecture on HIV/AIDS organised by NACA in Abuja, recently.

Adamawa govt sets N1bn monthly target for revenue board LIVINUS MENEDI YOLA

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he Adamawa House of Assembly has charged the State Board of Internal Revenue to raise the internally generated revenue receipt of the state from its current monthly revenues estimate of N300 million to N1 billion.

The state legislature had invited the Chairman of the State Revenue Board, Mr. Idris Tuta, to appear before it to explain why the IGR for the state

had remained stunted.

Speaker, Hon. Kabiru Mijinyawa, who set the proceedings of the day rolling, after entertaining a motion, that will enable the chairman of the state revenue board to address the assembly, queried the dwindling revenues of the state which he noted has been on the decline instead of growing.

But Tuta while responding to the concerns and questions raised by the honourable members noted that its revenues

had nosed dived because nearly all the Ministries, Department and Agencies of government collecting revenues in the state were short changing the board.

He also noted that the board was faced with a lot of challenges caused by the lack of centralization of the revenue accounts, akin to the concept of the Treasury Single Accounts.

Though approval for the centralization of all accounts of government

was made some four years back, he said, however, lack of compliance

by MDA ’s was responsible for its non implementation to date.

But the lawmakers who were not impressed by Tuta ’s submission, chided him for not approaching the task assigned him with the “ seriousness it deserved, and gave him six months to ensure he raised the IGR to N1 billion as monthly accruals as against the current N300 million.

ogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, has described the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme as one of the most successful youth prorgammes in the world today.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Sule Ikani, made this known during the swearing in ceremony of the 2015 Batch B stream 11 corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Asaya-Kabba.

He noted that the scheme had contributed significantly to the promotion of unity and integration among the heterogeneous people of Nigeria in the past 42 years.

Wada said that his assertion was based on the scheme ’s role in promoting the unity of graduate youths via free movement of labour across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

He also commended the management of the scheme on the adoption of

on-line registration exercise, noting that it was in line with international best practices, just as it ensured prompt service delivery to the youths being called-up for national service.

Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs. Agatha Olabanji, said 1,823 corps members made up of 1,084 males and 739 females registered for the orientation course.

She urged corps members to learn a skill from the entrepreneurial trainings meant to help them explore income generating fields while appreciating stakeholders who have made the attainment of the scheme objectives reality.

Olabanji also commended corps members who participated in the 2015 governorship election with maturity and diligence, noting that they have written their name in gold.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, represented by Kabba Residence High Court Judge, Justice A B Akogun administered the oath of allegiance on the corps members.

Ambode for global African investment, climate change summit

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n furtherance of his administration ’s effort to boost foreign direct investment, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, will join other participants for this year ’s edition of the Global Afri-

can Investment Summit taking place in London next week. He is expected to deliver a keynote address on investment opportunities in Lagos.

According to a statement signed by the Com-

missioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the Summit will afford the governor the opportunity to intimate willing investors on the various opportunities that abound in the state.

“At the commencement of his administration, Governor Ambode set out by putting structures in place that will create an enabling environment for local and foreign investments to thrive and

eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks which hitherto discourage investors from doing business in the state.

“With the creation of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, the

governor is leading from the front to ensure that Lagos continues to be the choice destination for investors. This will no doubt create job opportunities for our teeming youths, ” Ayorinde said.

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FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Sunday November 29, 2015

NCC to end multiple regulations, taxes Isaiah Erhiawarien

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he Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has assured telecommunications companies operating in the country that the era of multiple regulations, taxes and right of way issues will be over soon.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, who made the promise following discussions he had with the Nigerian Governors Forum, MGF, disclosed that he is also having talks with other agencies of government.

He said that the talks were focused on improving relationship with telecommunications service roviders, which are often the victims of these taxes and multiple regulations.

Danbatta made the disclosure while having discussions in Abuja with the management team of ATC Wireless Infrastructure Company of Nigeria (ATC Nigeria) an infrastructure management company. He said that the NCC as a responsible regulatory agency is worried about multiple regulations and taxes because they do not augur well for smooth development of the

telecommunications sector “so we have decided to engage all stakeholders especially other government agencies in order to cushion the pains operators go through”.

Danbatta said “The NCC is particularly worried about the indiscriminate way base transceiver stations are sealed by agencies and some state governments and we have appealed to these agencies and

Ogun Home Owners Charter generates employment for youths –HoS Ayo Esan

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he Ogun State Head of Service, Elder Olusola Adeyemi, has commended the conception of theHomeowners’ Charter Programme policy of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun - led administration saying it has generated both direct and indirect employment for the teeming youths in the State.

Adeyemi, who made

this known during the presentation of 1,000 C of O and Building Plan Approvals to beneficiaries at the Arcade Ground, OkeMosan, Abeokuta, noted that the youths have been engaged at various stages and benefited immensely from the programme.

“Apart from providing employment, this Programme encourages all property Owners in Ogun State to be the legal owners of their buildings and it has been applauded

even outside Ogun State”, he said.

The HoS further assured all other applicants on the waiting list that they would not be denied their title documents once they are not in contravention with planning regulations. The state Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Chief Adebola Adeife, said that the programme has provided window of opportunity for eligible applicants to obtain title documents

while all penalties and fines normally associated with illegally built property are waved and documentation requirements have been relaxed.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Elekota of Kota Ekiti, HRM, Oba Emmanuel Fagbemi, said the programme was a beautiful idea which has made it easy for people to obtain C of O and Building Plan Approval, urging other States to emulate Ogun State.

the state governors to show some understanding.

“We are particularly in talks with them to understand the implications of these actions as they affect quality of service and other sundry matters, including power supply.”

He therefore implored ATC Nigeria to ensure regular power supply to the managed base stations in order to make a difference, because government has created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Chief Executive of ATC Nigeria, Mr. Gordon Porte,r said his team came to familiarise itself with the NCC management and to “tell you what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do”.

ATC recently acquired

4,716 cell sites from Bharti Airtel Nigeria and for the past 146 days it has deployed 1,000 generators and replaced 600 air-conditioning units.

So far, over $11 million has been invested by the company on these towers with a view to improving quality of service very significantly.

Porter said ATC has been in constant talks with host communities with a view to improving relations and right-of-way. He explained that although it has a commercial relationship with Airtel, it is interested in working with other operators especially on the issue of co-location adding that ATC hopes to inject about $100 million in the business in the next two years.

Association urges FG to ban importation of shoes

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he National Association of Hides and Skin Dealers of Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to ban importation of shoes to encourage local shoe industries in the country.

The president of the association, Alhaji Bashir Dankullu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Saturday.

“The Federal Government should ban importation of shoes and

other leather products to encourage our local works in the country,’’ he said.

He said banning importation of shoes and other leather products would revive the ailing local shoe industries and create job opportunities for many unemployed persons in the country.

“The government can come up with a policy that will direct the army, police and other para-military personnel to use only the home made boots and belts.”

Post harvest crop losses top N350bn –NSPRI Boladale Bamigbola L-R: GLO COMPLIANT: Ndukwe Michael, Anthonia Ubakanma, Abolaji Olafare and Onyeka Chijioke, winners of the Glo-compliant outfit during the Glo Laffta Fest comedy show in Awka, Anambra State, on Friday.

LCCI, AFAN to partner foreign investors on agriculture Abolaji Adebayo

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he Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, and All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, are to collaborate with foreign investors in capacity building and agriculture finance in Nigeria.

The Chairman of AFAN, Lagos State chapter, Otunba Femi Oke

disclosed this in Lagos during the meeting of farmers and group of foreign investors in Lagos.

Oke who commended the experts from Kiwi International INC. expressed optimism that the relationship would translate into the development of agriculture in Nigeria.

“I met with the group during a meeting in Accra Ghana and they agreed to come to Nigeria and see things for themselves

with the possibility of collaborating with farmers for better results,” he said.

Chairman LCCI Agric section, Mr. Adeola Elliot, solicited the support of the group in capacity building and finance.

He told the group that the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to give priority to the development of agriculture in the country and solic-

ited the teams support.

“It is true that agriculture has been neglected by past administrations in the country, but I believe with the new man in the saddle, things would turn for the better,” he said.

The team led by the Director of Operations, Kiwi International, Michael Corkrum, visited some fish farms in Epe and Ikorodu local government areas before leaving for the US.

OSOGBO

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he Federal Government has been urged to take urgent steps to prevent huge loss of food crops after their harvest from farms, which was now about N350 billion yearly to guard against food shortage in the country.

The Executive Director, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute ,NSPRI, Ilorin, Prof. Olufemi Peters gave the advice at a capacity building workshops organised for representatives of farmers cooperative societies and Agro processors on post harvest loss reduction to enhance capacity for

loans repayment held at the institute.

According to him, more than half of food crops harvested by farmers are lost during and after the harvest due to poor handling noting that previous surveys by the institute showed that about N350 billion of food crops are lost annually in the country as a result of post harvest losses Peters while lamenting that the problem might lead to food shortage and threatened food security in the country adding that the painful aspect of this discovery was that the losses occur at the rural areas which were in dire need of funds for their communal development.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NorthNews 43

Sunday November 29, 2015

Taraba guber rerun: Ishaku’ll laugh last, says group Justin Tyopuusu JALINGO

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Taraba-based socio-political group, Taraba Youth Assembly for Democratic Governance, yesterday said Governor Darius Ishaku will laugh last in the alleged political manipulation going on in the state.

President of the group, Babangida Umar Musa, stated this at a news briefing in Jalingo.

Musa explained that the court ruling, which was a clear demonstration of judicial interference by people who are bent on causing confusion in Taraba had already cast a shadow of despair on the nation’s democratic space and must be resisted by well-meaning Nigerians.

“The judgement was to smuggle the victory given to the PDP by the people through the legal process

to ingratiate the APC. Instead of focusing on pure figures, which put the PDP far ahead, the tribunal went into technicalities to subvert the will of the people.

“The issue of Ishaku not being a validly nominated candidate in the election, even if it exists, does not dilute the popularity of governor Ishaku. The case of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is worse

than that of Ishaku, yet he is being favoured because he is in APC. “Nigerians should watch what is happening in Taraba.

This selective justice where others are considered and favoured while others are being deliberately persecuted is not the change Mr. President promised Nigerians,” he said.

He claimed that they

had uncovered a plot by some moneybags outside the state who are working relentlessly to use their ill-gotten wealth to destabilise Taraba and called on the judiciary not to be pressured into doing wrong.

“Those groups in Taraba and Abuja that jubilated over the tribunal judgement later confessed privately that they were paid to do so. So many peo-

NHRC laments state of education of IDP children Livinus Menedi YOLA

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ational Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has lamented the high number of out-of-school children displaced by insurgency in the North-East.

Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar (left), receiving a cheque and list of beneficiaries from National Coordinator on Researchers of Agricultural/ Agro-Allied Coordinator Matters in Nigeria, Prof. Victoria adesuyi, at the launch of Agricultural Loan Disbursement Scheme in Bauchi recently.

Sustain democratic legacies of Audu –Kogi CNPP Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

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he Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Kogi chapter, has called on Kogi people to sustain and advance the democratic legacies of the late All Progressives Congress’, APC, governorship candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu.

This was contain in a statement signed by the Chairman of CNPP in the state, Alhaji Abdanis Ibrahim, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja yesterday.

Ibrahim stated that Audu’s political values including his peaceful and dogged patriotism, love for the people, struggle for emancipation of Kogi State, commitment to rule of law and violence-free politicking should be upheld and advanced.

He explained that Audu who he described as the ‘founding father of modern democracy in Kogi State’ was on a rescue mission to deliver the people of Kogi before his “triumphal exit” and should be immortalised.

The CNPP chairman however noted with concern that the sudden death of Audu on November 22, closely followed by the declaration of the election as inconclusive instantly introduced an unprecedented and multi-dimensional

scenario to Kogi politics.

Ibrahim also pointed out that though there were more issues than options for the logical resolution of the stalemate, there was need to uphold the virtues the APC gubernatorial candidate stood for.

“Underlying any options is the basic necessity to immortalise the late Prince Abubakar Audu as an icon of inestimable personality and character towering exceedingly above all colleagues”, he said.

Kogi: PRP berates INEC, APC vows to mobilise against commission Amour Udemude ASABA

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elta State chapter of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, yesterday berated the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for directing the All Progressives Congress, APC, to conduct fresh primaries to substitute the late APC governorship candidate for the Kogi State, Prince. Audu Abubakar.

A statement signed by the state party chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Odafe Igbini, in Asaba also condemned the decision of APC for the decision to conduct fresh primaries to substitute the late APC governorship candidate to fly the party flag in the supplementary election and

vowed to mobilise Nigerians against what it called unconstitutional act.

According to PRP, it was grossly unconstitutional and a violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as Amended.

“It is grossly unconstitutional and a violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as Amended.

Similarly, we condemn the decision of INEC to direct APC to substitute for the supplementary election.

“The danger of allowing these decisions of APC and INEC to stand amounts to a threat to our constitutional democracy and fragrant disregard to the constitutional rights of deputy governors of Nigeria.

“These decisions of INEC

and APC are also a dangerous step aimed at denying and depriving the APC duly nominated deputy governorship candidate of APC Kogi State his constitutionally guaranteed right to automatically assume the office of Governor of Kogi State in the event of death of the Governor as stipulated in sections 186, 187 and 191 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended.

The party however demanded that INEC should immediately and unconditionally replace the late Abubakar with his Deputy Governorship Candidate (Abiodun Faleke) and proceed to conduct the supplementary election, stressing that failure to comply, Nigerians would be mobilised to rise up against this unconstitutional act.

ple have been misled into believing that Aisha won the election. This notion is wrong.”

The group expressed hope that the Appeal Court would quash the judgement and restore the people’s victory which they overwhelmingly gave Ishaku at the polls, even as they commend the efforts of the governor in restoring peace in the state.

The commission made the observation in Yola over the weekend when its officials embarked on a statewide monitoring of formal and informal camp settlement for internally displaced persons in the state.

State Acting Coordinator of the commission, Ms. Grace Mamza, who spoke during the monitoring visit, bemoaned the lack of access to qualitative education faced by children of internally displaced parents.

Expressing dismay at the condition of education facilities in the places visited, the NHRC however said its advocacy to aid agencies to assist and correct the dismal situation had yielded good results.

At Sangere where one of the schools for IDP children is voluntarily run by 58 parents displaced by the insur-

gency, officials of the school “Education Must Continue” stated that the intervention of NHRC helped to increase enrolment.

Mr. Ibrahim Gadaka, who represented the state Acting Coordinator of the NHRC, while inspecting tents and educational items donated earlier by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Social and Child Development and other aid agencies in the state, said adequate attention had not been paid to education of children displaced by insurgency in the North-East.

“We are here to assess the impact of some of the relief items, like tents and shelters we helped to secure for most of the camps in the state. And our concern has been the number of kids, who do not have access to education under their present conditions as IDPs. Unfortunately, in most cases a lot of this kids have been kept out of the school system due to government’s failure in most cases to provide alternative schooling environment for them,” she said.

Saraki’s wife bemoans ordeal of Chibok girls

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ife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has bemoaned the continued ordeal of over 200 Chibok school girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram in Borno State, over 590 days ago.

Mrs. Saraki, who is also the founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, stated this when she represented the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, as special guest of honour at the premiere of ‘Searching’ – a film that vividly depicts the realities and struggles of the girl-child in Nigeria.

She stated that while securing the release of the girls by security agencies is the

most important step for now, schools must be protected to provide safe and quality education for all Nigerian children.

She also called for increased access to education and the protection of the rights of the girl-child through the removal of social and structural barriers in girls’ education in the country.

While urging relevant authorities to make schools a safe haven for learning a priority, Mrs. Saraki recounted the ordeal of the 200 girls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State over 590 days ago.

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jonathan ’s kinsmen give Sylva heroic welcome, promise total support OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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s campaigns for the December 5 Bayelsa governorship election gather momentum, the people of Ogbia, kinsmen of former president Goodluck Jonathan, in Ogbia local council, yes-

terday ignored the order of the former president to support the re-election bid of incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson.

They defied the downpour and trooped out to receive and give a heroic welcome to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress,

Chief Timipre Sylva.

Sylva, whose campaign train had gone to Jonathan ’s LGA to canvass support for his governorship ambition ahead of next Saturday ’s poll in the state, was received with the traditional gun salute reserved for very important persons amidst thun-

derous ovation from the community residents.

The former governor ’s campaign train had moved from Otuokpoti, Anyama, Otuogiri and finally stopped at Ogbia town where he and his entourage, including Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Develop-

L-R: Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; member State House of Assembly, Hon. Biodun Awolola; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Nerudeen Adeagbo and Managing Director (Construction), RATCON Construction Co. Limited, Engr. Fouad Howayek, during the inauguration of reconstruction of Olaiya Junction-Asubiaro-Ita Olokan Road, Osogbo at the weekend.

Operation Pulo Shield arrests 5 suspected oil thieves ...seizes 140,000 litres of diesel

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peration Pulo Shield, the joint military operation deployed to protect oil installation in Niger Delta, has arrested five suspected oil thieves and seized more than 140,000 litres of stolen diesel.

This is contained in a statement issued by the spokesman of the outfit, Lt.-Col. Isa Ado, in Yenagoa yesterday.

He said the feat was achieved in multiple raids conducted by the troops within the past 10 days in the region.

Ado stated that Nigerian Navy ship, Delta, a maritime component of the operation patrolling along Benneth Island in Delta,

arrested a boat laden with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) suspected to be stolen.

“A total of 14 tanks containing 10,000 litres each of illegally refined AGO and four dump sites of suspected stolen crude oil were also discovered.

“The sites were destroyed while the suspects were taken into custody for preliminary investigation, ’ ’ Ado said in the statement.

He stressed that the Sector 2 of the operation in conjunction with Naval Forward Operation Base, during a patrol along Akassa creek in Brass local council of Bayelsa, destroyed several illegal oil bunkering sites.

“The sites, four tanks containing stolen crude, three pumping machines and hoses were destroyed in line with the Operation Pulo Shield ’s mandate, ’ ’ he said.

Wealthy Nigerians urged to support rural development Boladale Bamigbola, Osogbo The deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yusuff Lasun, has called on well-meaning Nigerians not to turn a blind eye to developmental efforts happening in their various home towns.

He said the reality of the present time was that all tiers of government in the country are struggling

to manage the available resources to provide amenities, even as population grew rapidly.

In the light of this, Lasun said imbalance in amenities distribution between rural areas and urban centres could only be corrected when privileged Nigerians led in efforts to develop rural communities.

The lawmaker, representing Osogbo/Olorunda/Irepodun, who was quoted by his Special Adviser, Mr. Wale Daodu, in a statement issued in Osogbo yesterday, stated this while speaking at the grand finale of this year ’s annual Ilobu Day Celebrations.

ment, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, met with traditional rulers and chiefs.

Sylva and his entourage were received by monarchs of the four clans of Anyama, Abureni, Emeyal and Oloibiri and the chiefs that make up Ogbia at the famed Ogbia Brotherhood house, the first time the monarchs would be receiving any candidate there.

His Royal Majesty, King George Lawson, led other traditional rulers such as King Madock Ogbogi, King Omie Theophilus, King Ebi Daniel and chiefs to give Sylva a rousing welcome at Ogbia Brotherhood.

The traditional rulers blessed and endorsed the candidature of Sylva and thereafter referred to him as the “governor-elect and incoming governor of Bayelsa ”.

In their speech read by King Lawson, the traditional rulers assured the governorship candidate of their total support to actualise his mandate.

They said, “We, the entire people of Ogbia are solidly behind you. We want to assure you that the four clans in Ogbia are with you. The Ogbia people are united in ensuring that we give you 100 per cent support. We want to assure you that your victory is foreclosed. Ogbia people have resolved that you were doing enough for the people before you were denied your second chance to be governor. We will give you full support by mobilising our people for you on December 5, 2015. ” The monarchs, who described Sylva as their son, disclosed that during the first time of his rule, four Ogbia sons were commissioners, aside from other key appointments.

They, however, informed Sylva of some of the challenges the people were facing, urging him to prioritise the dualisation of Edepie/Kolo Ogbia Road currently in a deplorable state when he became governor.

Hold public ofceholders accountable, journalists urged RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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n NGO, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, at the weekend challenged Nigerian journalists for failing to engage public office holders on critical thinking on issues of public interest.

It also urged media practitioners to make public office holders accountable for their stewardship.

The NGO said it was only by so doing that media practitioners can beat their chests that they had contributed their own quota towards nation building.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Role of the Media in institutionalising good governance in the Niger Delta Region ’, keynote speaker, Mr. Tony Abolo, said un-

less the media engaged the political office holders on issues that bordered on critical thinking, nothing can be said to have been achieved by media practitioners.

ANEEJ, which is working in collaboration with Bread for the World - Protestant Development Service, Germany - urged the practitioners to live up to their challenge by properly monitoring and evaluating government programmes and project and report objectively without fear or favour, adding that it was only by such reportage that we can have good governance.

A communiqué signed

by Chairman, Cross River State Council of NUJ, Mr Ndoma Akpet, urged media practitioners to constantly engage government at all levels on issues that border on accountability.

Igbomina celebrates foremost industrialist, Adedoyin DARE AKOGUN

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t ’s going to be a double celebration for the people of Igbomina in Kwara State today as they celebrate the Igbomina day and mark the 80th

birthday of one of its illustrious sos and foremost industrialist, Prince Samuel Adedoyin, founder Doyin Group of Companies.

In a statement issued by the Omo Ibile Igbomina, Lagos branch, and jointly signed by Chiefs Rasheed Afolayan and

Areas Popoola, the day would be memorable in the history of Igbomina because the occasion would be used to discuss the way forward.

The statement described Prince Adedoyin as a respected citizen of Nigeria, who has over the

years provided employment for millions of Nigerians and contributed immensely to economic development of the country.

It added that Igbomina land attained modest level of development through joint efforts of

Prince Adedoyin and a few others.

The statement however called on other wealthy individuals in Igbomina to emulate the good work of Prince Adedoyin so that the community could attain its desired height of development.

Notable community leaders including Asiwaju of Igbomina, Chief David Bamigboye, founder of Al-Hikma University, Ilorin was present while Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, will be the chief host.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Siasia thanks Nigerians, pledges to secure Olympic ticket

PAGE 47

Sport

KEEPING YOU ABREAST OF SPORTING NEWS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2015

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Murray brothers put Britain on verge of Davis Cup victory

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Confed Cup: Orlando Pirates in tricky North African final Ifeanyi Eduzor

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rlando Pirates of South Africa will today try to end a 14 year African club trophy drought for the country when they confront Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia in the second leg of this year’s Confederation Cup finals slated for the 25,000 capacity Stade Olympique in the Mediterranean resort city of Sousse.

The first leg of the second –tier championship decided last Saturday at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto South Africa ended 1-1 Orlando Pirates is the first South African club to reach the final of the CAF Confederation Cup since its creation in 2004. The Buccaneers are also the only South African side to win the prestigious CAF Champions League, in 1995 and came close to a second title in 2013 but lost the final to the most successful club in CAF competitions, with 19-titles; Al Ahly of Egypt.

Kaizer Chiefs, the arch domestic rivals of Pirates, were the last South African winners of a CAF competition, defeating Inter Clube of Angola in the 2001 final of the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup and the Buccaneers will be going into today’s final with the hope of creating another history in South African football.

Etoile du Sahel on the other hand has two previous appearances in the final of the secondtier continental club competition winning the championship in 2006, losing the 2008 edition to fellow Tunisian side CS Sfaxien also on away goal aggregate after they played a 0-0 draw at Sfax before another 2-2 draw in their home ground.

A goalless draw in today’s encounter will bring the Confederation Cup back to the club after an eight year absence and also re- enact the 2006 experience when A 1-1 draw at FAR Rabat of Morocco set the Tunisians up for their 2006 triumph with a stormy second leg ending 0-0 and Etoile succeeding on the awaygoal rule.

On paper, the Tunisians have an edge over their opponents considering that they will not only be going into today’s final with an away goal advantage but will also receive the full support of their vociferous fans.

Apart from this, Tunisian clubs have reached the final of the championship seven times, emerging victorious four times, making the North African country, the dominant force in the history of the competition. But the Buccaneers are aware of this and will ensure they shock Etoile in their home ground

which makes today’s cracker very interesting. Already Coaches of the two teams has expressed optimism that they will lift the trophy at the end of the full 90 minutes.

Speaking on today’s finals, Etoile du Sahel tactician, Faouzi Benzarti who will be banking on Captain of the team, Aymen Mathlouthi and Algerian import; Baghdad Bounedjah whose six goals make him the co- leader of the Confederation scoring chart noted that his players are in the right mood for the finals and will not allow anything prevent them from winning the trophy a second time.

The 65 year old Coach who is on his fifth spell at the club explained that the team made up of 16 Tunisians, an Algerian, a Brazilian, a Cameroonian and a Nigerian are fully prepared for the challenge.

Also speaking on today’s finals, Pirates Coach, Eric Tinkler, posited that the Buccaneers are not afraid of any rivals neither do they respect any opponents but play to win home and away.

According to him, they will apply the same mentality that made them defeat Egyptian against Al- Ahly en-route to the finals just as he expressed hope that his striker, Thamsanqa Gabuza will score a goal to make him the

highest goal scorer in the championship.

“To score four goals away to the winners of a record 19 CAF titles, the team voted the best in Africa during the last century, was awesome.” “If we perform as we did against Ahly we can win the trophy,” said the 45-year-old.

The overall winners receive $660,000 and qualify for a one-off Super Cup match against Champions League winners TP Mazembe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Past Winners of the Confederation Cup 2004 Accra Heart of Oaks 2005 FAR Rabat 2006 Etoile du Sahel 2007 CS Sfaxien 2008 CS Sfaxien 2009 Stade Malien 2010 FUS de Rabat 2011 Mes Fez 2012 AC Leopards 2013 CS Sfaxien 2014 Al Ahly 2015xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Siasia thanks Nigerians, pledges to secure Olympic ticket

Knockout

..defends inclusion of Osimhen in U-23 team

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he 2015 edition of the Inspector General of Police National open Taekwondo Championship would hold from December 2-5, 2015, at the M.D. Abubakar Badminton Hall, Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.

Chairperson of the Nigeria Police Taekwondo, Police Superintendent Stella Ebikefe who disclosed

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Osimhen in action

game against group B rivals Mali at the 5,000 capacity Caroline Faye Stadium in Mbour, today.

Meanwhile, Siasia has said has said his selection of Chile U-17 highest goal scorer Victor Osihmen in the Dream Team is not on sentiment but on merit.

Coach Siasia made this disclosure at the official press conference organized by CAF in Mbour, while addressing the sporting

press.

According to Coach Siasia “the young man did not replace any body or made this team on emotions, he earned his place as he showed maturity in training, besides, don’t forget he scored ten goals in Chile, and you don’t score such number of goals in such a competition in error, I brought him here to show the world that what he did in Chile is no fluke”

this in Lagos at the weekend said the championship would be unique as over 200 Taekwondo athletes drawn from across the country are expected to feature in the exercise based on the entries received from the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation that conducted the registration exercise.

Ebikefe, who dismissed any logistic worries including medicals, said adequate arrangements for the

successful staging of the competition have been concluded even as the carefully selected members of the local organizing committee are good to go.

However, she stressed that participating teams will take care of their transportation to and from Lagos, accommodation as well as feeding even as she assured that adequate security has been put in place for a hitch free championship.

Lagos Lawn Tennis Club honours Ladipo

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s part of activities marking the 120 years of its formation as well as the 30th edition of its annual Gala nite, the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club has bestowed an honorary member award on the President General of Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo.

President of the club, Barrister Rotimi Edu told our correspondent that the award is in recognition of the numerous contributions made

by Ladipo to the development of sports in the country urging him not to relent on his efforts at supporting the national teams whenever they are playing in various continents of the World.

“The role the Supporters Club

plays in ensuring that the national teams win their matches cannot be quantified. These are men and women who go out of their way to raise money and follow the national teams to wherever they are going and it is important we recognize one single individual who is behind the success of the club.

Edu while commending Supporters Club for their patriotism noted that he will be delighted to see the club display whenever there is a tennis championship as that will help the growth of the game in the country.

Speaking on the award, Ladipo noted that he was delighted to be found worthy by the prestigious club to be honoured even as he

pledged that the cordial relationship existing between the two clubs will be strengthened.

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High School defeated Jubril Martins Memorial Grammar School by a lone goal to emerge the winner of Centre A of the competition held at the premises of Jubril Martins Memorial High School while Saka Tinubu recorded an emphatic 5-0 victory over Qibla Mind College to emerge winner of Centre B

ew boxing rave, Stanley ‘Edo Boy’ Eribo, has declared himself the best boxer in the country.

Eribo, a professional lightweight boxer who knocked out Isiaka ‘Easy Lion’ Yusuf in the fourth of their eight-round national challenge contest at the GOtv Boxing Night in October, said he is sure of winning the national title when he fights for it.

“I am the best boxer in my category as well as the best boxer in the country.

I am ready to claim the national title and I don’t

Ladipo

decided at Anwar-Ul- Islam Girls High School, Ahmadiyah, Ojokoro, Lagos.

By this result, the two schools will lock horns in the finals to be decided on Thursday, December 10, 2015 while the third place match will be between Jubril Martins and Qibla Schools respectively.

see any boxer in my weight category that can stop me,” he raved.

Edo Boy, 26, weighs 64kg and has a reach of 27cm, has fought 12 times, winning all with six via knockout. As an amateur, he had 10 fights, winning seven and losing three.

“My record as a professional is intimidating.

My record intimidates my opponents. I will defeat my next opponent for the people of Edo State and Governor Adams Oshiomhole,” said the boxer who is billed to fight at the GOtv Boxing Night on 26 December at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Peter Quillin (R) exchanging blows with Matt Korobov during their middleweight clash

Quillin looking beyond Jacobs

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ormer WBO middleweight champion, Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23ko), says he is nothing but confident ahead of his challenge to 2nd tier WBA 160 lb champion, Daniel Jacobs in New York in 8 days time, and believes he will emerge the victor of their ‘Battle of Brooklyn.’

The two Al Haymon

advised fighters go into their clash with the shadow of WBA champion, Gennady Golovkin, looming large over them, given he is the ‘true’ WBA belt holder at 160, and is ostensibly not on the radar of either fighter, despite the mandatory status Jacobs currently holds as a 2nd tier WBA titlist.

All Stars Family down Ikot Ekpene All Stars

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Finalists emerge for Hijrah Cup

ssa Williams’ memorial High School and Saka Tinubu Memorial High School has emerged finalists at the on-going maiden edition of Muslim Schools Football competition tagged “Hijrah Cup” 2015.

To get to the finals, Issa Williams

IFEANYI Eduzor

I’m Nigeria’s boxing king, says Edo Boy

Police set for IGP taekwondo tourney Stories by Ifeanyi Eduzor

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08055829770 ifeduz24@yahoo.com

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ead coach of the U-23 national team, Samson Siasia has expressed happiness in the release of his mother, Mrs. Ogere Siasia who was kidnapped 2 weeks ago in their village in Bayelsa State.

An elated Siasia who could not hide his emotions, said he feels relieved knowing that his mother is now back in the comfort of their home, and the family is now relieved that she was released unhurt .

“Words can’t express how I feel, all I want to say here is thank you to all Nigerians especially the NFF who stood by myself and my family in our trying times, it has not been easy but by his grace we have overcome.

For me all I can say now is, based on the support shown me and my family, all I can do to repay Nigerians is to go out there and pick an Olympic ticket for the country” On if any ransom was paid before she was released, Coach Siasia said he is not in the know if any was paid, but as long as his mother is back home, his joy has no limit.

The Dream Team VI begins their quest for a ticket to Rio, with their first

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

he old flashes of our soccer ambassadors of yester years was witnessed last Sunday at Psychiatric Hospital play ground, Yaba, where the All Stars Family FC of Surulere, Lagos played host to visiting All Stars FC of Ikot Ekpene in a friendly match.

The hosts took the lead through Chidex Ifemeje who out ran the visitors defenders to find the net with a powerful shot. The Ikot Ekpene All Stars fought back gallantly and equalized some few minutes before the break.

The introduction of exdependable striker Gabriel Edem, by the hosts, gave the Ikot Ekpene players a lot to think about.

The hosts dominated play with Uduak Evans Udoukpong, Friday Ekpo, Gabriel Edem, Ahmed Johnson, Adisa Taofeek, Chidex Ifemeje,

Amaechi Nwanze, San I Akpah and Ugochukwu Ezinwoke featuring prominently, with goalkeeper Ajao Olufusayo operating between their post.

Their efforts paid off four minutes into the second half, when the All Stars family captain Uduak Evans Udoukpong was tripped down some few metres outside the 18 yards box. Amaechi Nwanze took the resultant free kick which injured the visitors’ goalkeeper’s hands who dropped the ball for Gabriel Edem to slot home the decider during a goal mouth melee in the visitor’s goal mouth.

At the end of the match, president of the All Stars Family and captain of the squad, Uduak Evans Udoukpong praised the two teams for their spirit of sportsmanship.

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

47

Murray brothers put Britain on verge of Davis Cup victory Murray brothers celebrate after their victory against Belgium, Saturday.

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reat Britain is one win from a first Davis Cup title in 79 years following Andy and Jamie Murray’s doubles victory against Belgium.

The two brothers beat Steve Darcis and David Goffin 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 to put the visitors 2-1 up in Ghent.

Britain requires one win from Sunday’s reverse singles matches to secure their first Davis Cup victory since 1936.

Andy Murray will play Goffin, with Kyle Edmund scheduled to face Ruben Bemelmans in the final match.

Firmo gets Klopp’s praise

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Liverpool great, Byrne, dies at 77

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Seedorf eyes Premiership C

larence Seedorf has revealed he would be interested in managing in the Premier League.

The former Netherlands midfielder has only had one brief stint in the dugout when he took charge of AC Milan in 2014.

His spell at the San Siro lasted just five months, but in recent weeks newspaper reports in Italy have linked the 39-year-old with roles at Newcastle and Queens Park Rangers.

“The Premier League is a great competition,” Seedorf said.

“I would definitely explore this opportunity. If there is a good project I would be happy to consider it.

“There are a lot of rumours but to be linked with important clubs is a nice feeling and it is always better to have options than to not have options at all.”

There has also been speculation that Seedorf could take over from Danny Blind as head coach of the Netherlands after they failed to qualify for Euro 2016.

urgen Klopp has paid tribute to Roberto Firmino after the Brazilian played a key role in Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City last weekend.

The 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium earned the Reds the LV Performance of the Week Award, which Klopp gratefully received.

And speaking about Firmino, who scored his first Liverpool goal in the game, Klopp said he believes the 24-year-old is starting to feel settled in England having moved to the Premier League from the Bundesliga in the summer.

erry Byrne, the hero of Liverpool’s 1965 FA Cup final victory, has passed away at the age of 77.

Byrne, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, died in a nursing home in Wrexham on Saturday, November 28.

He made his debut in 1957 and went on to play 333 times for the club and scored four goals before his career was ended prematurely by injury in 1969.

He helped the club win the Second Division title in 1962 and was part of the team that went on to win the top-flight title in 1964 and 1966.

Byrne was also a member of England’s 1966 World Cup squad and belatedly received a winner’s medal in 2009. But it was for the 1965 FA Cup final against Leeds United that Byrne will be most fondly remembered. He broke his collarbone in a challenge with Bobby Collins after seven minutes.

In the days before substitutes, Byrne carried on through the remainder of the match including extra time having crossed for Roger Hunt to open the scoring as Liverpool won 2-1 to claim their first-ever FA Cup victory.

Ronaldo, Bale can exchange positions, says Benitez

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eal Madrid coach Rafael Benitez says Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are free to change positions during a game.

Under previous coach Carlo Ancelotti, Bale usually played on the right wing but Benitez has granted him his wish to adopt a more central position.

Benzema told to concentrate on career

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eal Madrid coach Rafael Benitez has advised star striker Karim Benzema to concentrate on football after further revelations over his involvement in a blackmail case involving his France teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex-tape. Valbuena told French newspaper Le Monde on Friday that Benzema, who has already been charged with complicity to blackmail, had “indirectly” told him he had to pay a ransom to get back a sex-tape of him with his girlfriend.

That led to French sports paper L’Equipe on Saturday questioning Benzema’s ability to feature for France on home soil at the European Championship next summer.

However, Madrid have gone on record to say they will back Benzema and Benitez insisted he just needs to recover his form on the field after recently returning from a six-week layoff due to a hamstring injury.

N I G E R I A I N F I G U R E S - Money Federal -The amount Ogun Government earState needs to fix Sanmarked for the set up of Infrago-Ijoko- Agbado Ojodu road.

N80bn Vol. 5 No. 47

Sunday, NOVEMBER 29, 2015 www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Comment

E-mail: jimunahlive@gmail.com Jim Unah is Professor of Philosophy, University of Lagos

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with Jim Unah

hat threatens to tear the Nigerian State apart is not necessarily corruption, though it is now a naked evil which elicits both condemnation and admiration in one stroke, but overcentralisation of power which appears to be sealed by the Treasury Single Account, TSA. Suddenly, the state actors who had fought and agitated for the devolution of power from the center to the federating units appear to have forgotten about the matter as everyone is scrambling for attention at the center; thus making the task of governance more cumbersome and complex for the Buhari administration to the extent that the seven month old All Progressives Congress, APC-led, government is spending more time and valuable resources trading blames with the past government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The myriad problems of insurgency, secession bids, ethnic divisiveness, militancy, hostage taking, kidnapping, cattle-rustling, rampart armed robbery, merciless exploitation of the public by

N150

structure Fund.

Over-centralisation of power, not corruption electricity and GSM service providers owing to the absence of strict regulation, compounded by the massive looting of the national treasury by state actors and civil servants, have combined forces to paint a gloomy picture for the country as the Christmas season approaches inexorably.

The effort of the government of the day to track down perceived or alleged corrupt elements with a view to retrieving stolen funds is not yielding the desired result even as the former anti-graft boss, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, has been relieved of his duty prematurely; not unconnected to the allegation that he had spirited away about N1.6 trillion from recovered stolen funds in his custody.

All this is not helped by the DSS-Dasuki medical trip debacle and the Code of Conduct-Saraki asset declaration palaver; with no improvement in the pump petrol and electricity service delivery; no major road and rail infrastructure project going on; complicated by the nullification of election results and the Kogi State gubernatorial election imbroglio.

The only notice-able respite has been the selection of ministers to man strategic ministries such as Works, Power and Housing combined in a tested and trusted immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola. A few other ministerial portfolios could be said to have been well assigned by President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB. But he needs to

mobilize them to get cracking in order to restore the waning confidence in the art of governance.

More importantly, PMB needs to address the nagging problem of the restructuring of the country to remove undue attention from the center, with a view to making the ethnic nationalities the focus of development attention, and the final battle-ground for the fight against corruption. Anyone who says that the ethnic nationalities have no effective check and solution for the theft of public funds and abuse of public trust does not truly know his father. Any African who knows and has closely associated with his father could not claim, without absurdity, that he does not know the ancients and their efficacious ways of dealing with social malfeasance.

Those politicians and “sophisticated” academics who lust after alien ways of solving local problems; that dismiss the African ways of solving intractable problems of breach of public trust, with potent local solutions are the authors and perpetrators of corruption. Until we return to those so-called archaic ancient African ways of effectively dealing with issues of public trust, the commonwealth will labor in vain for solutions to the nation’s social, economic and political maladies. Christian politicians, Muslim politicians, intellectual and academic fine weather cocks, and political contractors and charlatans with a corrupt mind-set will condemn the

Messi scores first goal in two months

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$25bn

arcelona remained four points clear at the top of La Liga after an emphatic win which saw Lionel Messi score his first league goal for two months.

Neymar opened the scoring with a composed left-foot finish before Luis Suarez doubled the lead with a brilliant volley before half-time.

It was 3-0 shortly after the interval; Neymar scoring his 14th goal in 12 La Liga appearances. Messi completed the scoring after meeting Neymar’s cross.

It was the Argentina forward’s third goal in two starts since suffering a knee injury in a 2-1 win over Las Palmas on 26 September.

Messi has been linked with a move to Manchester City but the 28-year-old did not let the speculation spoil

his performance as Barcelona secured a sixth successive victory.

Luis Enrique’s side dominated their lowly opponents, Suarez’s acrobatic finish the highlight of a clinical team performance.

They have scored 14 goals in the past three

games, while Messi looks to be nearing the form which saw him score 43 goals to help Barcelona to the La Liga title last season.

African ways as barbaric and primitive, and subscribe to the so-called civilized ways of taking oath of office with the Bible and Quran which they later throw away to defraud the nation in trillions of Naira.

The way to help African, nay, Nigerian state actors to retrace their steps from this mindless frolic with European ways that are really strange and ineffective in checking fraud in public office is to take governance back to the people in their regions, geo-political zones and ethnic nationalities where people are knowledgeable and would insist on using the African ways to resolve issues of public trust.

Unbeknownst to many who argue blindly that African ways of ensuring honesty or checking monumental fraud in public office are archaic and barbaric, godfather politicians actually administer traditional African oaths to their political sons and apprentices that they sponsor for public office to ensure that they are not cheated out of their investments when such political sons and apprentices eventually assume office.

Why should politicians administer active oaths the African way to themselves to secure trust and return on investment, and refuse to do so when it comes to swearing such oaths to retain public trust in those who hold public office and are in custody of public funds? Are Nigerians really thinking?

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