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Mother cries out over gang rape of 8-year-old
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Ukraine backs Nigeria ...offers military hardware
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President Muhammadu Buhari (5th right); Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (5th left); Chairman, Centenary City Board, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (4th right) and other board members, during their meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
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Hard times imminent for banks over STA, oil slump 窶認itch Top seven sexual fantasies
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August 29, 2015
Police arrest suspect in murder of 36-year-old lawyer in Delta
Theophilus Onojeghen -Warri
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uspected gunmen believed to be car snatchers have shot dead a 36-year-old legal practitioner while waiting for a mechanic to fix his broken down vehicle during an attempt to dispossessed him of his car along Eziokpor Road, Obiaruku in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State. The sad incident, Saturday Mirror learnt, occurred last Thursday at about 10pm when the late lawyer identified as Mr. Emmanuel Egwuatu was returning home before his Honda Accord car developed fault. But one of the suspects, who had also robbed another victim of his car at gun point at the parking lot of Winners Chapel, Obiaruku, the following day, was arrested with documents including a laptop belonging to the late lawyer. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the killing of the lawyer as well as
the arrest of the suspect. According to the Delta State Police image maker, the suspect was picked up by detectives who acted on information volunteered by an informant, who was contacted by the hoodlums to fix the snatched car when it broke down while escaping with it to an unknown destination. The suspect, who was identified as Festus Okenedu, is currently assisting the Police with its investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the lawyer’s death, the statement made available to Saturday Mirror said. The statement reads: “On 20/8/2015 at about 23:35hrs, one Barrister Emmanuel Egwatu ‘m’, aged 36 years, was shot dead by unknown persons along Eziokpor Road, Obiaruku, where his Honda Accord car with registration No. AKD 382 AA broke down while he was waiting for a mechanic he had invited to repair the car.” It added that “In the same vein, on 21/8/2015 at about 0604hrs, two armed men operating on a motor cycle with Reg. No. ACA 833 QA, robbed one Abanum Julius ‘m’ of his Toyota Camry car with Reg. No.
Gov Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State
BKW 892 AR, engine No. 5S687022, army green in colour at gun point at the parking lot of Winners Chapel, Obiaruku. “However, on the same date at about 0710hrs, an auto mobile electrician in Obiaruku, having heard about the snatched Toyota Camry car, informed detectives that two young men he could identify if seen took him to fix a faulty army green colour Toyota Camry car at a lonely spot along Obiaruku/Utagba-Uno road, close to Ebedei village.
Mother petitions Oshiomhole over defilement of 8-yr-old Sebastine Ebhuomhan
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mother has petitioned the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over the defilement of her daughter by three students of the Edo State School of Nursing. According to Mrs. Eghobamien, her eight-years-old daughter, Sharon Eghobamien, reported severe abdominal pains on May 25, 2015 consequent upon which she took her to Central Hospital for observation and treatment by a medical doctor, who later discovered that her hymen was broken during a process of defilement. In the petition her lawyer, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, addressed to Oshiomhole, which was copied to the Director of Nursing, Edo State Hospital Management Board under the Ministry of Health, and made available to Saturday Mirror in Benin City, he explained that “It was at this point that the doctor and our client questioned the girl, and she informed the doctor that some students of Edo State School of Nursing defiled her. She gave their names as: Jeffery, Aghama Paul and Ernest. This matter was reported to the school authority, but they did nothing about it. Instead, they warned our client to keep her mouth shut.” Afolabi explained further in the petition, “Hence she reported to the Police at Adeyan Police Station, and subsequently it was transferred to Esigie Police Station. While the police officers at Esigie Police Station were carrying out a discreet investigation to unravel the intrigue behind the act of defilement with the aid of the Commissioner of Police, the suspects and their cohorts concocted a frivolous petition to the office of the AIG, Zone ‘5’, in order to give the suspects a safe landing. “Surprisingly, some powerful individuals, who are morally bankrupt, used their positions and influence to move the case file from the AIG’s office to the D.P.P.’s office with a view to securing a no case answer.”
Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State
Afolabi concluded in the petition, “The cry of our client and the mother of the victim to Your Excellency is for an immediate intervention for justice in this case as the suspect and the powerful individuals behind them are now using their influ-
ence and connections to crush her and her daughter because of their low estate, and because they are devoid of helpers.” According to Mrs. Eghobamien, nothing has been heard about the investigation and planned prosecution as well as justice for her defiled child since the AIG, Alhaji Musa Daura, suddenly demanded the case file, after which he took it into his custody from the desk of the outgoing Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Damilola Adegbuyi, who was set to prosecute the alleged rapists after a diligent arrest and investigation. The mother had already petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, the Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the Chairman of the Committee on Women Affairs of the Edo State House of Assembly, the Chairman of the Edo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalist and the Chairperson of Edo State FIDA.
How I escaped Konduga massacre —Resident Muda Oyeniran
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alami Sheriff Olaide, a residentof Konduga, one of the towns in Borno State attacked by Boko Haram has disclosed how insurgents unleashed mayhem on the town recently, leaving several people dead with thousands on the run. “Dozens are believed to have been killed, although death toll in the attacks is uncertain,” he said According to him, the insurgents arrived on motorcycles, and started shooting at people. “Thousands of residents fled into the bush for safety as the attack unfolded.” Olaide, who is a driver of a church pastor in Konduga told Saturday Mirror that the group of insurgents invaded the town and their church in Konduga at about 8 pm. “They came while we were preparing for Sunday service the following day with other church workers, and started shooting
sporadically, targeting civilians, public buildings and recreational centres.” “They came on about 10 motorcycles from Gwaskara axis, well armed with AK 47 rifles and petrol bombs, wreaking havoc. “There was no military presence anywhere, no Police to assist the helpless civilians who were running for dear lives. “I saw three members of the group whom I know quite well that came after me. But I was just fortunate to escape. As I am talking to you, I left my people and everything I have worked for and fled towards Pakana village for safety. “Only God knows what is happening with the sporadic shooting that engulfed the entire council area.” This is the fourth time Konduga has suffered fatal attacks by militants since 2011. Previous attacks were targeted at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office and divisional Police headquarters.
The informant further disclosed that the young men who could not immediately pay for his service deposited a handset, promising to pay him later and collect their handset. Based on the information, detectives mounted surveillance and later arrested one Festus Okenedu ‘m’, aged 33 when he came back to collect the handset from the electrician, while his accomplice escaped.” She disclosed that one black bag containing a laptop, some documents, Bible and Christian tracts were recovered from the suspect while explaining that information obtained from the laptop revealed that the recovered laptop belonged to the late lawyer. The statement also revealed that the corpse of the deceased has been deposited at an undisclosed morgue for autopsy.
20 killed in Ebonyi road mishap Aliuna Godwin Abakaliki
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o fewer than twenty persons were feared dead yesterday in a fatal motor accident at Ezillo community, along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway. An eyewitness said that the accident involved two commercial buses, travelling in opposite direction on the ever-busy express road. He noted that one of the buses attempted to overtake a smaller vehicle heading towards Abakaliki, as the bus driver didn’t see an oncoming bus from the opposite direction which resulted in a fatal head-on collision. “The injured and the dead were evacuated to nearby Annunciation hospital in Emene, Enugu state by emergency rescue team of travelers on the expressway,” the eye witness said. The eyewitness explained that the death toll rose as a result of unavailability of ambulances or vehicles to immediately take the victims to the hospital hence they bled to death at the scene. He noted that he was at the spot, unable to help the victims, most of whom were shouting for assistance till they gave up the ghost. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Chris Anyanwu, explained that he had learnt of the incident, but was yet to get details. The victims the bus were, members of the Assemblies of God Church, Isu in Ohaoazara Local Government Area, who were returning from a burial ceremony in Abia State.
Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
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August 29, 2015
Violence against minors: How can we end this menace? Violence Against Minors, VAM, a growing virulent strain of Child Abuse, CA, has become a major concern despite government proclamations and campaigns clearly designated to enlighten the public on the dangers of the vice. The menace is not abating, no thanks to weak enforcement of laws, poor reporting of such events and an array of obstacles from the culture and tradition, writes PATIENCE OGBO.
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ecently, Nigerians were awoken to the shocking news of the gruesome murder of a 4–yearold boy identified as Ibrahim at the Ijanikin, Lagos State, last month. This was one case of violence against minors, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘I sold my son to make ends meet’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
beyond human imagination. As reported, the perpetrator, one Azeez Tajudeen, 16, lured the victim to a building where he used a cutlass to kill the boy before removing his vital organs. The helpless child was butchered like an animal. Tajudeen removed the child’s vital organs like kidney and intestine with the aim of selling these human parts to suspected ritual murderers. Confessing to the crime, Tajudeen claimed that he was promised N100, 000 to fetch the human parts. While investigations are ongoing on the matter, police authorities estimate that a large number of children of between few months old to 14 years are targeted by ritual murderers on yearly basis. This raises cause for grave concern. VAM is a form of child abuse, CA, though on the extreme. Other aspects of CA include inflicting of pains and injury, exposing minors and children to traumatic experiences and many others. Collectively, these vices are captured as CA in relevant statute books in the country. Children suffering one form of abuse or the other have unfortunately become a growing menace in the country. No week passes without cases of child abuse being reported. While this is highly condemnable and frightening, it is also an indication that more cases of abuse against children is being perpetrated but fewer of them being reported. While examples of Ibrahim may be one of the extreme cases of child abuse recorded so far this year, reports also show that parents and guardians who normally should give love and care to children are deeply involved in maltreating and, sadly, killing of minors. For instance, the Ogun State Police arrested one Funmilayo Tijani, 26, for allegedly stabbing her two-year-old son, Emmanuel, to death. According to residents, “Funmilayo allegedly stabbed her son because she could not cater for him. She was said to be living with her father in a one-room apartment after her lover abandoned her with the boy. An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, on August 14th ordered the remand of one Blessing Fred, 23, at Kirikiri Prison, for allegedly stabbing her 7-year-old son at the back. The prosecutor, Insp. Racheal Williams, told the court that the offences were committed on July 13, at the accused residence. The accused, a stylist, who lives at No.12, Tunde Olushola St., Ijaiye, a Lagos suburb, was arraigned on a two-count charge of assault and grievous harm. Williams said that the accused acted on her neighbour’s complaint that her 7-year-old son dragged her 5-year-old daughter inside the room, removed her
Tajudeen who allegedly slaughtered a 4 year-old boy
Kafayat wiped mercilessly by her father with barbed wire
I ran away from home after receiving severe beating from my father. My offence was that I tried to stop him from beating my mother. pants and touched her private part. “The accused was angry, beat her son severally and stabbed him at the back with a broken bottle. “If not for the intervention of neighbours who rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, he would have died as a result of bleeding from the wound,’’ she said. The offences according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 170 and 244(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011. While the case of VAM may be largely unreported, other forms of abuses on minors and children are rampant and disturbingly so. The police arrested a Lagos based lawyer, Chika Eze, 40, at the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly dipping his finger into the vagina of a nine-year-old girl, who came to Nigeria from England. The girl had accompanied her grandmother to court that day when the lawyer allegedly lured her to a corner of the court before he allegedly carrying out the unholy act. The Magistrate at the court, C. M. Adeyeye, ordered the arrest and detention of Eze. The grandmother of the girl identified as Lanre Solomon said “When I came out of the magistrate’s court room, I looked around but did not see the two of them. “It was when I was about looking at some of the court rooms that I saw that my girl was crying
in one of the vacant rooms. “She was holding her private part and I asked what the problem was. “She was looking so sad and afraid and after pressurizing her, she told me and everyone around what Eze had done to her. “I find this most irritating, especially that the shameful act involves a lawyer. “This shows no one could be trusted for the safety of our children.” Eze however denied the allegation. He said: “I did not do it” Another case of child abuse follows the arrest of one Emeji Christopher, an unemployed man in his early 30s, who was charged before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State over allegation of sucking the genitals of a nine year old boy. The prosecutor, Inspector Rita Momoh, said the accused committed the offence at Jaja Hall toilet of the University of Lagos, Akoka. The police prosecutor said the accused tricked the nine-year-old into one of the toilets in the hall where he sucked his genitals but he fled after he allegedly committed the crime but was eventually arrested and charged to court. Also a ten year old boy chidera is currently recuperating from burns he sustained after his boss’ wife, Mrs. An-
Kafayat recieving treatment after she was beaten and bruised by her father .
gela Achilefu, poured hot water on him for coming back late from an errand she sent him to open her cosmetics shops in the Egbeda and Gowon Estate It was learnt that Achilefu allegedly poured boiling water on Chidera. Another bizarre case of child abuse follows the arrest of a Nollywood actor 29-year, Kanayo Awurum, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly selling his son for N450,000 in the Egbe, Ikotun area of the state. Kanayo however said he sold his son because he was faced with financial difficulties, and his girlfriend was pregnant with another child. “I wanted to come to Lagos to hustle. The idea to sell my 2 year –old- boy came as a last resort because I was in dire financial difficulty. My girlfriend is pregnant with my second child and her family sent her away from home to come and join me but I do not have a place of my own. I was squatting with my friend Emmanuel and he was the one who sold the idea of selling my child to me after I begged him for money to feed my girlfriend and my son. I had to sell the boy to raise money to pay for accommodation in Lagos where I relocated to with my pregnant girlfriend. It was due to the hardship that I sold him as I had struggled to make a living from acting and painting to no avail “ Kafayat a Junior Secondary School 1 student with the Canal secondary school at Orile area of Lagos state would have died from the wound she sustained after CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
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‘Child abuse affects society at large’ Dr. Ruth 0chanya Adio–Moses, a Safety Consultant and lecturer at the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, University of Ibadan, says society loses when one child is abused.
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e can categorize child abuse or violence against children under physical, emotional and social effects. Physical effects show when parents or guardians including care-givers take out anger against children after a quarrel or fight. Children are physically abused when they are beaten for little mistakes at home and this in most cases inflict physical injuries like sore, cuts. When this happens children are maltreated tied down and cut with razor blade or other sharp objects in order to instill fear not to repeat a mistake made earlier. Emotional effects happen in homes where both parents quarrel on regular basis. They curse and insult each other and this breed an environment that is emotionally difficult for a child growing up in such homes. What results from this scenario? This can cause the child to become aggressive or completely subdued and closed up in thoughts and action. They can have difficulty in expressing themselves due to anxiety and bottled up fear. Some of them become weepy and very emotional. Some others can become violent and will exhibit every trait of a bully. Children brought up in such violent homes can become violent
themselves as researches have shown that they are emotionally unstable. This can also lead children to commit suicide. Talking about the social effect involves bringing up children that are socially unstable due to the poor value placed on family relationship. These children become unsociable and may exhibit traits of loneliness, depression and self segregated. In other cases these children end up joining groups that will make them powerful and are always linked to substance abuse, alcohol and other vices. Also these children find it difficult to give love. They find it difficult to trust people and to participate in relationship. Indeed, children from violent prone houses have very low self esteem and social foundation which usually make them to grow up to become adults with severe social challenges. We can say they are time bomb waiting to explode at any time. These children can also become easy target for militia groups, gangsters and cultism. The more we breed such children, the more the society is exposed to criminal elements. In the long run, abuse can lead to having dysfunctional children that will constitute a threat and grave danger to the society.
‘There must be public enlightenment on child rights’
Barrister Ene Sarah Unobe, Director Human Rights Education Centre(HUREC), Lagos, explains the legal implication of child abuse and domestic violence against children. What is the position of the law on child abuse? The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the supreme law of the land has a lot of provisions that protect children. Chapter 4 of the Constitution which deals with the aspect of Human Rights also protects children’s rights. Children have right to liberty,right to life,right to dignity ,right to education. The Penal Code and the Criminal Code have also made provision against violence. Before now,we have the Children and Young Persons Act that protect children but that rights has been abrogated by the Child Rights Act 2003 and Section 21 of that Act states that the law consolidates all laws that deal with children’s rights and obligation. It will interest you that 24 states including Lagos State have adopted this law. In Lagos State, we have the Child Rights Law of 2007. The Child is
a person under 18 years male or female. Chapter 2 of that law also states that the best interest of the child must be of paramount consideration to any decision that affects the child. So the child rights law protects the child from harsh provision of the criminal code and also punishes offenders. What does the law entails in specific terms? The law protects children from abuse, from torture and manipulation. A child should not be subjected to corporal punishment and inhuman treatment. Alternative punishment can be given to the child but not torture or abuse. According to the Child Rights Law, no child should be betrothed or given out in marriage. No child should be used for child labour or be trafficked. Also there is the law for the protection of person against domestic violence. People in domestic relationship include
husbands, wife, child, house maid, live-in-lovers. They have the backing of the law to be protected against violence. How do you define violence? Violence include beating, torture, slapping, name calling, starvation. These cause both emotional and physical pain on the child. But it appears that the laws are difficult to enforce. Ignorance of the law is one reason why the laws are not being implemented. Parents, teachers and other members of the society are not aware of these laws protecting children. Children too are not aware that they have rights and some of them are too little to know these things so the parent who happens to be the abuser is also ironically the person to protect the child from abuse. Traditions, religion and customs
emphasize beating as a way of correcting a child or instilling discipline, but beating should not be the first resort to discipline. There is the need to create awareness on the rights of children in home, schools, churches mosques and other places so that people can take cases of child abuse seriously. NGOs and government agencies should be at the fore front in promoting children’s rights. Also lawyers should take child abuse cases as pro bono cases so that the burden to prosecute the cases will be easy. There is also the need for guardians, care givers, teachers and health workers to pay close attention to children so that they can report all cases of abuse to the right authority. Policemen also should not treat child abuse as family affair. They should ensure that the perpetrator of violence against children are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘Where’s the line between discipline and child abuse?’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 her father flogged her but for the intervention of vigilante members who found her writhing in pain at the dead of the night at Oyingbo market at Ebute- Metta after she ran away from home. Kafayat’s father, Mr. Kazeem allegedly beat the 12 year old girl and left her in critical condition after she stopped him from beating her mother over lotto game Our correspondent however got in touch with Kafayat father, Mr. Kazeem and he said he beats his daughter because she inflicted injury on her younger brother. “I am a ticketeer at Orile. I am not happy with what I did to my daughter. Yes it is true that I am the one that beat her but I did not beat her with barbed wire as she claimed. I beat her with my belt because she used a pin to pierce her younger brother’s penis and the boy was wailing due to the injury. I got angry with her because this is not the first time she will misbehave. I have received several reports from her school that she steals money and I have beaten her so she can turn a new leaf but she is very stubborn. I was very angry that day with what she did to her brother and that rage led me to beat her with a belt . I am sorry that she ran away from home. I went to the Ministry of women affairs and poverty alleviation to see if I can get her back but they refused to let me take her away. I am now a changed man and I will never beat my wife or any of my children again. Government can do whatever they want with me but they should not take my children away from me . it is not as if I am under the influence of alcohol or any hard drug, yes I used to take hard drugs in the past but I have stopped. I only smoke cigerrette. I am a good father but I beat her to instil discipline into her so she will not bring shame to the family, but this time, I went too far” Narrating how she incurred the wrath of her father, Kafayat said “I live with my parents at 4, Kuforiji Street, Lagos Estate. On July 7th, I ran away from home after receiving severe beating from my father. My offence was that I tried to stop him from beating my mother. My father accused my mother of using his hard earned money to play lotto game and he descended on her with anything he could lay his hands on. My father alleged my mother loves patronizing lotto game and he beat her up mercilessly and broke her knees. Despite my mother’s cry for help, none of our neighbours came to her rescue because they are afraid of my father. I could not bear the beating anymore and I begged
Child abuse victim
stabbed boy
I am not happy with what I did to my daughter. Yes it is true that I am the one that beat her but I did not beat her with barbed wire as she claimed. I beat her with my belt my father to stop beating my mother. He became furious and pounced on me. “This is not the first time my father will beat my mother and I. I have lost count of his endless beating. On one occasion, I begged my mother to relocate four of us her children to Ilorin so we can stay away from our father due to his constant beating. I am the first child but my mother said my father will change but he has gotten worse by the day. My mother is presently on admission at the Charity Hospital at Orile following the beating my father gave her. I could not stand his beating anymore and I ran away from home to meet one of my mother’s friends at Oyingbo market but I did not meet her when I got to the market. I was in great pains and I decided to sleep in the market because I do not want to go back to my father’s house. It was while I was sleeping at the market that some vigilante men came and rescued me. I told them my plight and they took me to the hospital where I am presently receiving treatment” Also the police in Lagos arrested a couple, Eucharia Chukwuma and Jerry Oko-Oboh at the Ajangbadi area in Lagos state for stabbing their 10 year old ward Chidinma in her private part over allegations that she fiddled with the private part of their 3 year old daughter, Peace, in April. Indeed, while government and civil society have demonstrated their worries over the trend, it is however clear that combating the menace is still encounter-
ing traditional obstacles like legislation, enforcement, traditional values and so on. For instance, there are stereotypes that hobble a clear definition of offenders except in extreme cases like killing. In the passage of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition), VAPP, Act, 2015, signed into law on the 25th of May, this view came into sharp focus. When it came into the National Assembly, it was presented as Violence against Women (Prohibition) Bill. The delays in passing the bill for more than a decade stemmed from the gender-sensitive nature of the bill. Passage of the bill proved difficult because of the significantly masculine make-up of the houses of the National Assembly. The men folk felt that women, too, are guilty of molesting, abusing and visiting violence on their husbands albeit in other manners. The male-dominated body also resisted the addressing of issues relating to marital rape. Then there was the problem of where to draw the line between disciplining a child in the traditional manner and what would be termed as child abuse. Although the bill was eventually signed after a more pragmatic rechristening, the arguments and controversies it threw up explains the difficulty in really dealing with the issue of domestic violence in Nigeria. The Act defines violence as “any act or attempted act, which causes or may cause any person physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, emotional or economic harm whether this
occurs in private or public life, in peace time and in conflict situations. The definition is all embracing as it tries to capture every form of scenario imaginable – violence against men, women, children, political violence and so on. Further, being a national law, its provisions extend overarching protection against violence throughout the country. This is a significant development because of the previously patchwork nature of law against violence, particularly gender-based violence. For instance, less than five states have specifically legislated against domestic violence in the past (Ebonyi, Lagos, Jigawa, Ebonyi). Only a few other states have legislated against female genital mutilation (Edo, Cross Rivers), a few others have developed legislation prohibiting traditional harmful widowhood practices (for example, Anambra, Cross Rivers) while only Ekiti State has developed legislation prohibiting all gender-based violence. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act “VAPP Act” provides a more comprehensive, national legislative coverage against violence. More importantly, development experts have continued to harp on the need to raise awareness of the domestic kind of violence, particularly as it affects women and children. This is because its instances and the statistics there from are staggering. In Western countries, preventing child abuse is considered a high priority, and detailed laws and policies exist to address this issue. According to the Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect, child abuse is “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm”
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
NATIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
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Boko Haram: Ukraine backs Nigeria, offers to supply military hardware Ubong Ukpong, ABUJA
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he Ukrainian government, yesterday, threw its
weight behind the country in the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgency, offering to supply military hardware when the need
...also to train soldiers
arises. A statement by the Army Headquarters, AHQ, in Abuja, through
the Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Colonel Sani Usman, said that Ukraine
Country Director, Korea International Cooperation Agency in Nigeria (KOICA), Mr. Jung Sang-Hoon (right), presenting an award to Bimbola Owojaiye, one of the champion students selected in e-Government pilot training under the auspices of KOICA, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
Nobody has right to steal public money —Osinbajo
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ice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that nobody has a right to pocket public money stating that corruption is inimical to the development of any nation. Osinbajo noted that everyone needs to uphold the virtues of truth and justice if the country must make progress in the anti-corruption campaign emphasizing that people should not give the anticorruption fight any ethnic coloration in order to escape punishment. The Vice President spoke on Thursday when he received in his office the delegation of the Yoruba Traditional Council in the Northern States and Abuja led by the Chairman, His Royal Highness, Ambassador Mohammed Arigbabuwo. Osinbajo said, “when there is a fight against corruption, it is not an ethnic fight; it is not an
had also offered to train Nigerian soldiers. Usman said that the Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Valerii Aleksandruk, conveyed his government’s resolves when he visited the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, at the AHQ. The DAPR said that the two countries during the visit, resolved to strengthen their military cooperation particularly in the area of training. The Ambassador stated that his country considered Nigeria very important in the West African sub-region, stressing the need for military cooperation between the two countries especially with the current security challenges facing the country. He was also said to have commended the Nigerian Army in its efforts in fighting Boko Haram terrorists, adding that with the present determination of the Army leadership, insurgency in the country would soon be a thing of the past.
“Dr Aleksandruk further expressed Ukraine’s government readiness to offer opportunity for training of the Nigerian Army personnel as well as supplying of military hardware to the country whenever the need arises”, Usman said. In a response, he said that the Chief of Army Staff also pledged the Nigerian Army’s readiness to cooperate with Ukraine Buratai was said to have assured the Ambassador of the Nigerian Army’s determination to end Boko Haram terrorism very soon. He also used the opportunity to request the Ambassador’s assistance in facilitating for training slots for Nigerian Army personnel on courses in maintenance and operations of some military equipment. Present during the visit were the 1st Secretary, Ukraine Embassy, Mr Ihor Cherinko and some Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters.
...Says anti-graft war not ethnic battle Mohammed emerges ethnic battle. People can come up with all sorts of things and say it is selective. People say the reason why a man is being tried for corruption is because he is a Yoruba man, or he is from the North or from the South. We should not encourage this kind of ideas.’’ The Vice President observed that no country in the world has become great through corruption, stressing that history had shown that corruption has ruined many empires. ‘’When those empires attain greatness and they begin to allow corruption, then they collapse’’, the Vice President noted. Stating the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption, Osinbajo said ‘’ President Muhammadu Buhari has committed
this current government to a pathway of integrity. ‘’For the first time, I think in a very long time, the President is saying that this country can only move forward if we show ourselves as men and women of integrity’’. The Vice President therefore sought the support of the traditional rulers in the crusade against corruption emphasizing that Nigerian cultures abhor corruption. He commended the representatives of the Yoruba communities from the Northern states for living peacefully with their hosts in their various communities. Osinbajo said, “I think you have demonstrated clearly by living in the north, living in Abuja and making your home and businesses here that you
believe in this country. That shows you believe in the unity of this country and I think that is very commendable.’’ In his own remarks, Arigbabuwo commended the vision and philosophy behind the chance agenda of Buhari’s administration. While declaring the total support of his Council to the anti-corruption crusade, Arigbabuwo acknowledged that the much desired change was already having effect. “In the last three months, you will agree that many things have started taking positive shape for the people of this country such as constant electricity which has helped greatly to stabilize small scale and medium scale industries”, he said.
Guild of Editors president ...Ayorinde elected deputy
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new president has emerged for the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He is Garba Deen Mohammed. Mohammed, until his appointment the Deputy President of the NGE, was elected at a Special Convention of the body in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. Mohammed’s election was sequel to the appointment of the President of the Guild, Femi Adesina, as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. Adesina was elected president of the association on April 26, 2015 at
the Convention of the Guild in Lagos State. He was appointed to serve Buhari in May 2015. Mohammed will be in office until April 2017 when another election will take place. In the bid to fill the vacancy created by moving Mohammed up, Steve Ayorinde was appointed as the Deputy President of the NGE. Prominent columnist, Funke Egbemode, emerged the Vice President (West) of the Guild. The elections took place at the ongoing 11th All Nigerian Editors Conference in Yenagoa.
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NATIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Hard times imminent for banks –Fitch
...Fingers STA, oil slump as cause of distress
Tola Akinmutimi
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ne of the global rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, has predicted that Nigerian banks may be in for more challenging times ahead as the fiscal straits on the nation’s economy assume more worrisome dimension. According to the agency, Nigerian banks have had to contend in recent months with the increased vulnerability of the oil and gas sector, pressure on the naira, the slower economy and tightening bank liquidity, The agency, in its report stated that all these constitute credit negative for the sector, especially since this month when public sector deposits, which represented about eight per cent of total system deposits, had exited the deposit money banks and must be held at a Single Trea-
sury Account (STA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Specifically, the agency in its report published on Thursday reported that in view of the increasingly difficult conditions under which the banks were operating, the months ahead would invariably raise new challenges that may impact negatively on their performances, particularly profitability, assets quality, liquidity and capital ratios. Fitch’s Director, Financial Institutions, Mahin Dissanayake, observed that the risks at local level as well as the banks’ exposure to the fiscal whirlwinds the country are currently facing due to declining earnings from crude oil exports would impact negatively on their performance. He explained: “We said the sector outlook was negative in December. GDP figures for
North West governors move to end cow rustling, banditry Livinus Menadi, YOLA
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hairman Nigerian Governor’s forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez yari has assured Nigerians especially those in the North Western State battling with the security challenges of cow rustling and armed banditry of succour soon. Governor Yari gave the assurance in an interviewed with newsmen in shortly after the progressive Governors Forum meeting held at Government House Yola yesterday stressing that, the president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration zero tolerance to criminality in whatever form will not doubt accord them (Governors)
the impetus to address the menace squarely. Yari added that the new security strategies which he said is not for public consumption adopted have started yielding positive results with the series of breakthroughs recorded in the country recently. He stated that, all the Governors had teamed up to fight the scourge of banditry in any form out of their states. He also called on Nigerians to support the administration of president Buhari who he opined that have started providing the dividends of democracy citing improved electricity supply, availability of petroleum products, and the fighting corruption in all its ramifications in our country so that development can flourish.
2Q15, released yesterday, show weaker year-onyear growth of 2.4 per cent, down from four per cent in the previous quarter, the slowest quarterly growth rate for over 10 years. “The volatile operating environment is highly important in determining ratings for all Fitchrated Nigerian banks, keeping their Viability Ratings low, in the highly
speculative ‘b’ category. “Nigeria’s oil sector growth slowed in 2Q15 and non-oil growth was just 3.5 per cent, down from 5.6 per cent in 1Q15. Part of this slowdown was caused by temporary fuel shortages, which caused industrial production and manufacturing output to contract. “Lower oil prices, reduced government spending and restrictions on
foreign exchange availability are also taking their toll on performance across the economy. Positively, agricultural output, construction, telecommunication services, internal trade and financial services continued to grow. The agency explained that invariably added pressure to liquidity, adding that “no significant changes in economic pol-
icy have materialised following the change of government at end-March 2015, but until a new cabinet is formed and a clear policy framework is announced, uncertainty will weigh on the outlook.” Similarly, it reported that the volume of loans had shrunk since the first quarter of this year, thereby translating to weaker bank financial metrics for the year.
President Muhammadu Buhari (left) welcoming his new Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abbah Kyari, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN
IGP redeploys 19 AIGs ...appoints first female force spokesperson
Omeiza Ajayi
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he Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, has appointed acting ACP Olabisi Alofe Kolawole as the new Force Public Relations Officer. By this, Kolawole becomes the first female police officer to be appointed as Force PRO. A statement signed by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP ‘Yomi Shogunle said the appointment is geared towards harnessing the enormous potentials among Nigerian female
Police officers. The new FPRO replaces CP Emmanuel Ojukwu who has been posted to the Kogi state Command. Ag. ACP Kolawole holds a first degree in law, from Ogun State University and a Masters degree in Police Leadership and Management from University of Leicester, United Kingdom. She has served in various capacities both at national and international levels. She was the Force Gender Advisor before her recent posting. Similarly, the IGP has appointed Ag. ACP Idowu Owohunwa as Prin-
cipal Staff Officer (PSO) to Inspector General of Police. The new PSO who holds a Bachelors degree in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as well as Masters degree in Criminal Justice and Policing from University of Leeds United Kingdom has served the Nigeria Police in diverse capacities, such as Staff Officer to the 2006 Alh Dan Madami-Chaired Presidential Committee on Nigeria Police Reforms, Divisional Crime officer National Assembly Complex Police Division Abuja. He was pioneer head of the In-
telligence Analysis Unit of the Force Intelligence Bureau. Ag. ACP Owohunwa takes over from CP Austin Iwar who is now the Commissioner of Police, Gombe State Command. Before his appointment as PSO Ag. ACP Owohunwa was the Personal Assistant (PA) to the current IGP. Meanwhile, following the vacancies created from the recent retirement and promotions of senior police officers, the IGP has approved the postings of 19 Assistant Inspectors General AIGs of Police.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
NATIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
Buhari okays $18.5b Centenary City Project
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—Welcomes compensation for original inhabitants of site
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resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday welcomed assurance from Centenary City Plc that all the original inhabitants of the site have been fully compensated. A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said Buhari spoke after being briefed by the Chairman of the company’s board of directors, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of
its management team, Buhari commended the Centenary City’s main development partners from the United Arab Emirates for having enough confidence in Nigeria to agree to invest about $18.5 billion in the project. The President also welcomed the assertion by Abubakar and his team that the project would create about 250,000 more direct jobs in the Federal Capital Territory and about half a million indirect jobs.
The President noted that skills, expertise and vast experience that would be brought into the country to build the Centenary City on the Dubai model, would also be of immense benefit to Nigeria’s overall development. Buhari said that he looked forward to regular updates on the Centenary City’s development. Vice President Yemi Osibanjo who was also present at the briefing, said that the issue of the rights of the
original inhabitants of the site acquired for the Centenary City had been of concern to the present Administration. “We are glad that it is being handled,” he said while welcoming the assurance that compensation had been paid to those who will be displaced by the project and that the issue of their relocation was being addressed. Abubakar and the management of the Centenary City also told Buhari and
Osinbajo that the project would be totally private sector driven. Speaking with State House Correspondents after the briefing, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), John Chukwu said that the President was briefed on all the issues about the project, the concept, the derivable and the funding. According to him, the Centenary City project is a private sector development which is supposed to
be modeled after the Dubai model, saying that it would provide economic development and infrastructure to the city. Managing Director of Centenary City Plc, Dr. Odenigwe Ike Michael, said the company has paid all the interested holders the compensation for the site. He stated that the company would go ahead with their relocation which was being supervised by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.(FCDA).
Amosun, Fayemi mourn Adefuye
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L-R: Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; President Muhammadu Buhari and Emir of Kano, Mahammadu Sanusi II, during a courtesy visit by members of the Blackstone Africa Infrastructure, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
Tribunal to hear Malaiye, Adeyemi’s case on Monday
Wale Ibrahim, LOKOJA
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he Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja Kogi State has fixed Monday August 31 for a ruling in a two applications filed by the counsel of Dino Melaiye in a petition filed against him by Senator Smart Adeyemi against Malaiye the declared winner of the March 28 National Assembly election. The Counsel to Senator Dino Melaiye, Mr Ayo Ogunleye has filed application to clarify whether party primary is a pre- or post election matter He is also raised techni-
cal issues on the re- counted votes in the disputed 21 polling units of Lokoja council area of the state. The Chairman of tribunal Justice Akinniyi Akintola after listening to both counsels of petitioner and respondent however fixed the ruling on two applications for Monday August 31. It would be recalled that Smart Adeyemi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dino Melaiye of the All Progressive Congress ( APC)’are both candidates for the Kogi West Senatorial Districts of March 28 National Assembly election. However Smart Adeyemi had petitioned the
Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja against the victory of the declared winner of the election Dino Melaye in the National Assembly election and sought five prayers including nullification and withdrawal of Melaiye’s Certificate of Return and declaring him (petitioner) the winner of the March 28, 2015 election. The former Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Akon Ikpeme had before dismissed the petition saying it ran foul of the Electoral Act saying that “We are bound by our records that this tribunal accepts that the petitioners were served on
May 13, 2015 at 3:57 pm as confirmed by the court’s records and hold that the reply was filed on the 6th day and therefore, out of time. We hold that the petitioners’ reply is incompetent as it was filed out of time and is hereby, struck out”. Adeyemi however appealed against the ruling of the Tribunal and the Appelate court set aside the ruling of the Tribunal and ordered for re- trial faulted the hasty ways and manners the petition was thrown out by the Tribunal headed by Justice Akpan Ikpeme on June 18, 2015, on technicalities, which it noted were not backed up by laws.
gun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, have condoled with the family of the late Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, Prof Adebowale Adefuye over the death of the foremost diplomat in Washington on Thursday. Both expressed their condolences separately through press releases. Fayemi in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, described Prof Adefuye’s death as “shocking and saddening”. He described the late Ambassador as a thorough bred academic and consummate diplomat with a great understanding of the dynamism of international relations, who successfully deployed his energy and vast experience to shore up the country’s profile in the various capacities he had served in his almost three decades of diplomatic assignments. Fayemi who recalled his experiences with the late Ambassador Adefuye first, as one of his students at the University of Lagos in the eighties and during the various encounters he had with him at his last duty post, in the United States, said Adefuye lived an impactful life. “As a lecturer and later HOD of the History Department at the University of Lagos, he was a
source of inspiration to his students. He was also a first class diplomat, highly effective and highly respected” “Our condolences go to the members of the immediate family of Prof Adefuye and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over the passage of this great and erudite scholar and respected diplomat. “Prof Adefuye lived a good life and left an indelible mark in the lives of his students and positive footprint in the sand of time. While we mourn his passage, I urge his family and his children in particular to take solace in the fact that he lived a good life, served his fatherland and humanity very well and left a legacy of honour and service.” Fayemi added. Amosun said he was shocked by the news of the death, describing it as lamentable. In a press release signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr Taiwo Adeoluwa, the governor said the reserve of Nigeria’s top-notch diplomats has been depleted with the sudden exit of Ambassador Adefuye. Amosun condoled the president, family of Amb Adefuye and the people of Ogun State on the loss one of her illustrious sons. He prayed to God to grant his soul eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
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NATIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
EFCC invites 32 former Oyo lawmakers over N1.5billion stolen money Kemi Olaitan, IBADAN
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conomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke and 31 other members of the House between 2003 and 2007 to clarify their role in an alleged N1.5 billion missing from the state coffer. Saturday Mirror learnt that the anti-graft agency visited governor’s office last week Thursday to verify some documents which
indicted the administration of former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, in three ministries of Finance, Land and Justice. It will be recalled that the state governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi had in the last few months pressured the former governor to confess to the alleged refund of the sum of N500million through the EFCC. Both Senator Ladoja and governor Ajimobi had engaged in heated argument over the refund of N500million and a Jeep said to be part of the stolen N1.5billion proceed from
the sale of shares belonging to the state government by the former governor who denied the refund. While Ajimobi insisted that Ladoja made the refund through the anti-graft commission and tendered bank cheques in newspaper advertisement, but the former governor insisted that Ajimobi’s claims were absolute false . One of the lawmakers involved while speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the invitation by EFCC was true and that the former Speaker has sent lawyers to plead on behalf
of the House for two weeks before the honourable members could appear before EFCC. Saturday Mirror gathered that the EFCC delegation was led by the Head of Economic Governance who refused to disclose his name. Ladoja was alleged to have used his company, BRISTRUM Investment Limited to buy the shares of the state government and allegedly used the Guarantee Trust Bank draft to raise the sum of N78million from the share proceed to acquire prop-
erty located at 361 Agodi GRA Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He was also accused of doling out the sum of N20million each to 14 lawmakers who were loyal to him for constituency projects while in government without executing any project. It was gathered that apart from the N20m received by the 14 loyal members of the house, Ladoja also allegedly purchased a Nissan Sunny car for each of the lawmakers. The money was allegedly taken from the proceed of the state shares sold during his tenure as governor in the state while the antigraft commission was said
to have left the state with some vital documents that contained facts about the former governor’s administration. It was also gathered that the chairman of the state Housing Corporation during Ladoja’s tenure, Mr. Wale Atanda, confessed to have collected the money and was in charge of disbursement of the cash as directed by the former governor. The source said “Wale Atanda in his effort to clear himself was exposing all these informations to EFCC. He is the only key witness at the moment because he cooperated with the EFCC to carry out their investigations.”
Rep to Buhari: Extend graft probe to APC states Abiodun Nejo, ADO EKITI
N Former General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Tammy Dibi (left) and his wife, Chizoba, during the pulling-out parade for Dibi in Lagos, yesterday.
Appointments: ‘It is too early to judge Buhari’ Muda Oyeniran
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he Ansar- Ud-Deen youth Association of Nigeria (ADYAN), Lagos branch, has risen in defence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the appointments of his kitchen cabinet who are northerners saying it is too early to judge him. The appointments of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) and
the Chief of Staff which were made on Thursday was greeted by an uproar especially from other sections of the country who have started accusing the President of pursuing a northern agenda But the association at a press conference on Friday to herald in its 2015 annual youth week urged Nigerians to wait till Buhari unveil his list of ministerial nominees before crucifying him. Speaking through its
chairman, Mr. Taofeek Muritala, the association said the appointments were within the prerogative of the President saying he was free to choose whoever he wished as his close aides “The major appointments are still coming up. I think it is too early to say that the northern hegemony or the northern powers are back. Let us wait till he appoints his Ministers before we begin to talk of lopsidedness in
appointments”, he added On the issue of probe of past administration being championed by Buhari, he urged the President not to spare anybody found wanting irrespective of his political affiliation. “We are in total support of the probe and it should not be targeted at opposition; anybody that has stolen money belonging to this country should be probed”, Muritala said
ational Assembly member, Hon Thaddeus Aina, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the probe of corruption to the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled states for Nigerians to have confidence of fairness in the exercise. Aina, who represents Ekiti North Federal Constituency II in the House of Representatives, said the APC-led Federal Government was going about its probe of corrupt leaders selectively. Aina told journalists at his Ilogbo Ekiti hometown in Ekiti State during a thanksgiving service and reception over his election, that “for instance, nobody is talking about the corruption in the APC states in the South West. Those being interrogated all along are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”. The PDP chieftain, who expressed support for bid to stamp corruption out of the country, said: “Let it be done in a very clean
way. It should not be selective. “The President has to go about the probe in a way it will attract Nigerians’ confidence. It has to be done in a fair manner. The rule of law has to be followed as well,” the lawmaker said. Aina, who said the Buhari administration should talk less and get down to the real business of governance, added: “What we have seen in the last three months of the PDP government has been a lot of noise whereas nothing has been done. The government has to sit up and face governance in the interest of Nigerians,” he said. His colleagues, Hon Ayodele Oladimeji (Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency) and Hon Akin Awodumila (Gbonyin/Emure/Ekiti East Federal Constituency), corroborated him, saying it was time Buhari faced the business of governance. Oladimeji said the ongoing corruption probe by the Buhari government could be done silently without noise and achieve the desired results.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
REGIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
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Ondo Rep laments abandonment of Owena Dam South West
Ojo Oyewamide Akure
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member of the House of Representatives, Pastor Afe Olowookere, yesterday condemned the abandonment of the Owena Multipurpose Dam by the Ondo State Government. Olowookere, who represents Akure South/North Federal Constituency, wondered why the Olusegun Mimiko-led government had not completed the reticulation project awarded by the immediate past government of late Dr. Olusegun Agagu. He spoke yesterday while
inspecting the construction of a motorised borehole he donated to Igbalaye community along Idanre road, Akure. The lawmaker said he decided to embark on the project to alleviate the plight of the people living in the community, disclosing that it would cost about N2.5million. Olowookere noted that if the Owena Dam had been completed, there would not have been any need to construct boreholes anywhere in the central senatorial district of the state. Urging the state government to complete the dam in the interest of the people
of the state, he said, “I had the opportunity of visiting the dam yesterday. And what I saw there saddened me. The equipment there is already rusty. “The dam has long been completed. The water treatment plant has been completed. It remains just the reticulation of the wa-
ter to communities in the central senatorial district of the state. And that is the responsibility of the state government because it was the federal government that built the dam and the water treatment plant. “I understand that the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu administration awarded
the project and paid N7 billion to the contractor. If that reticulation had been done by the present administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, no community in the central senatorial district will lack water and there would be no need for any borehole in any of our communities.
“The governor has failed. People in the central senatorial district should ask the governor why he has abandoned the project for more than six years. It would have afforded the people in Akure, Idanre, Ifedore and even Ondo to have potable water to drink without any struggle.”
My last moments with Ooni Sijuade —Obasanjo Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo
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ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday recalled some of his last moments with late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Chief Obasanjo, who was in Ile Oodua, Ooni’s palace in Ile Ife Friday on condolence visit, said he was in Oba Sijuade’s palace ten days before his passage and stated that the monarch made some demands on him during their discussions. Speaking with the kingmakers led by Obalufe of Iremo Quarters, Oba Gabriel Omisakin, Obasanjo said, “I was here in this palace ten days before the demise of Kabiyesi. “He told me how Yoruba race is marginalised in the scheme of things. He also told me to ensure that the Yoruba race got its own share of things in the country.” He then urged the kingmakers to follow strictly the laid down rules and procedures for the appointment and selection of the new Ooni.
He also asked the kingmakers to allow God’s wisdom to prevail on them to choose a right and God fearing person that will replace the late Ooni. Chief Obasanjo also advised the kingmakers to be careful about the choice of the person that will be made king, saying late Oba Sijuwade, while occupying the stool, elevated the seat of Ooni beyond Africa. He further averred that the position of Ife in the country was strategic, adding that Ife symbolised the head of Yoruba race both in Nigeria and diaspora. Responding, Obalufe of Ife, Gabriel Omisakin, assured the former president the choice of the new Ooni will not lead to crises. He promised that the kingmakers would ensure that diligent, due process for the selection of new Ooni would be carried out to ensure that whoever emerge is the choice of the people. He appealed to Chief Obasanjo not to be too far from the community in view of his position, not only in Yoruba race, but all over the world.
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right); daughter of the deceased, Seun Adesanya (2nd right); widow of the deceased, Mrs Folashade Adesanya (2nd left); and the deceased’s cousin, Sola Adesanya (left); during the funeral service of Oluwafemi Adesanya, son of Late Pa Abraham Adesanya, held at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ikate, Surulere, Lagos at the weekend.
Ambode enjoins youths to utilise talents, create great ideas … Commissions Onikan Youth Centre
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agos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday enjoined youths in the state to always utilise their talents in creating great ideas and unleashing great potentials in all areas of human endeavor. The Governor spoke at the commissioning of the newly reconstructed Multipurpose Onikan Youth Centre, Lagos, executed by PZ Cussons Foundation. Ambode, who initially commended the effort of the management of PZ Foundation for the execution of the project, further enjoined youths in the state to utiilise centres such as it as a rallying point for the conception of bold ideas and unleash their potential in all fac-
ets of life. “I thank the management of PZ Cussons Foundation for reconstructing this centre. Centres such as this will serve as a rallying point for the conception of great ideas and unleashing of potentials in all areas of human endeavor” he said. The Governor maintained that the reconstruction of the centre is a good example of how private sector organisations can support the efforts of government for the common good of the society, calling on other corporate organisations to come up with credible mechanisms and projects to stimulate the society. “Government alone cannot handle the many challenges our society
is faced with. I also call on other private sector organisations to come up with credible mechanisms and projects to stimulate the society,” he said. “As a government, we will continue to explore ways to create an enabling environment to make businesses thrive. We are committed to introducing new incentives for businesses in Lagos to enable them grow, support the society to take more of our youths off the streets”, he said. He also directed that the Centre be immediately connected to the Lagos Island Independent Power Project (IPP) to ensure 24-hour power supply to enable youths access the facility at all times.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, expressed appreciation to PZ Cussons Foundation for deeming it fit to reconstruct the centre. He recalled that the premier youth centre in Nigeria now christened Onikan Youth Centre, was formerly known as Ogba Baba Ajasa, which was then an ordinary play ground but now elevated to the status of a multipurpose centre. He said the project execution by PZ Cussons is a challenge to other corporate bodies and also appealed to the youths in Lagos Island who are the direct beneficiaries of the facility to make optimal use of the centre.
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REGIONAL NEWS
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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
NORTH
Bailout fund: Kwara Governor orders immediate payment of workers salary arrears I ole W lorin
Adedeji
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he Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed on Friday directed the immediate payment of the outstanding two months salaries to civil servants in the state. A statement issued from the government yesterday said the directive followed the state gov-
ernment’s receipt of the bailout funds from the federal government. The state was listed as one of the two that had been given the lifeline to pay outstanding salaries by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, after complying with all necessary requirements which was widely reported in the media on Thursday. The governor, in a statement, thanked civil
servants in the state for their patience during the salary delay and pledged that his administration’s renewed IGR drive will ensure that the state government continues to meet its obligations like regular salary payments and executing developmental projects. He assured the workers that salary arrears at local government councils would also be cleared
as soon as paperwork was completed and the necessary funds received from the federal government for the payment. He apologized to the workers for the hardship caused by the delayed salaries and expressed optimism that the country would soon overcome the current economic downturn that led to the delays in paying wages across the country.
Bindow swears in 21 commissioners
zz Daughter of former Vice President gets health portfolio Livinus Menedi Yola
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damawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, has appointed 21 new commissioners into the state executive council with the governor charging them to be loyal to their new offices rather than to him. The swearing ceremony, which held at the banquet hall of the government house with fanfare, saw the daughter of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, amongst those sworn in as cabinet executive officials. But Dr. Fatima Abubakar, the daughter of the former Vice President, who is taking up her first political appointment as the commissioner of health, has said she would be donating all her salaries and allowances towards the purchase of drugs and funding of maternal health services in the state.
Barr. Silas D. Sanga Attorney general and commissioner of justice, who is the earliest to have been screened and cleared by the state house of assembly, administered the oath of office on the other 21 commissioners. Bindow while inaugurating the new appointees into the state executive cabinet urged the commissioners to be dedicated to their duties, just as he also urged them to be loyal to the Adamawa people and not to him. He also stressed the need for them to carry everyone in the state along because, his administration, has plans of transforming the state to where it ought to be. Bindow said his administration had paid carefully attention in nominating seasoned technocrats to man six key ministries, which are the ministries of health, justice, agriculture, finance, education and works.
Angry youths violently protest appointment of Emir in Bauchi Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left) with his Kaduna State counterpart, Mallam Nasir El Rufai (middle) and widow of Late Yahaya Hamza (right) during the Governor’s condolence visit to Gov. El Rufai on his father’s demise in Kaduna, on Thursday, August 27, 2015.
AEDC invests N2 billion to improve service delivery Igbawase Ukumba, Lafia
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he management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, yesterday said it has invested about N2 billion to improve on its network assets and infrastructure as a commitment to improve on service delivery. Team Leader, Client Relationship and Customer Services of the company, Dr. Balami Halidu Arhyel, stated this while briefing members of
the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on works and transport when he led a delegation from AEDC to the assembly. Some of the areas of investments in Nasarawa state, according to the team leader, include acquisition and installation of 19 new transformers of different capacities to replace faulty ones, 140 feeder pillar units, 120 high tension poles and 54 low tension poles. He continued that other items include 26,000 meters of aluminum
conductors, 30 fiber ladders, 600 meters of cable and 8 drums of transformer oil. Dr. Arhyel who assured of improved quality of services to the customers in the state, explained to the legislators that the company can only dispense what has been allocated to it from the national grid. However, he specifically noted that AEDC is only allocated 11.5% of the quantum of energy generated nationwide, but he assured that with recent
improvement in power generation nationwide, electricity consumers in the state will notice further leap in power supply with fair billing for the services rendered to them. In a response, the House of Assembly Committee chairman on Works and Transport, Abubakar Imam Zanuwa, tasked the company to improve on its services to people of the state, hence calling for the installation of bill meters to address the problem of overbilling.
Ezekiel Titus Bauchi
T
he Bauchi State Government has imposed a curfew in Misau LGA because seven cars inside the compound of late Emir of Misau, Alhaji Muhammadu Manga III, were set ablaze by angry youths, following the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman who is the secretary to the Bauchi State Government as the new Emir. The irate youths kicked against the appointment of the new Emir, describing it as illegal in line with the norms and values of Misau Emirate council. It was gathered the youths in their hundreds blocked all the major streets of the area with commercial activities
standing still as they urged Governor Abubakar to rescind the decision Sources said government officials who escorted the newly appointed Emir to take over in Misau were molested and they escaped in different direction to safety from the youths. It would be recalled that two days back, there was security presence in the troubled Misau to douse any such eventuality as there was already tension in the area over the appointment of the new Emir. It was also disclosed that Governor Abubakar was said to have been cautioned to steer clear in the appointing of an outsider other than the son of the later Emir of Misau in tandem with the custom of the people.
Politics
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
13
Lamorde: Is corruption fighting back? Lekan Adejuwon
T
he present travails of the head of Nigeria’s anti corruption agency, Ibrahim Lamorde reminds many of the weird irony of when the hunter became the hunted as the embattled Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss on Wednesday, was scheduled to appear before a senate committee probing a mind burgling N1trn recovered loot, allegedly misappropriated by the commission under his watch. For a commission which is perceived to be sleeping in the past six years and suddenly woke up from slumber only recently, the probing of its arrow head at a time, when the war against corruption is beginning to take a life of its own, has been viewed in several quarters as intriguing. This is as a petition from one George Uboh, alleging that Lamorde had fraudulently diverted over N1trn proceeds of corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency. Part of the money, according to the petitioner, was said to have been recovered from former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun. Uboh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, in his petition dated July 31, 2015, had accused Lamorde of specific instances of under-remittance and non disclosure of proceeds of corruption recovered from criminal suspects, including Balogun and Alamieyeseigha. The fraud allegedly perpetrated by Lamorde was said to have dated back to his days as the Director of Operations of the EFCC between 2003 and 2007 as well as an acting chairman of the commission between June and May 2008 when the then chairman of the anti-graft body, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was away for a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies. Kuru, Jos. However, Lamorde, who was absent at the public hearing organized by the senate on Wednesday, wrote the committee of his absence and was represented by the Head, Legal Department of EFCC Mr. Chile Okoroma, but this did not prevent the petitioner, Uboh, from reeling out in no particular order, Lamorde’s many ‘sins’ which include: “In a December 2011 letter EFCC sent to the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, EFCC stated that the aggregate recoveries from 2004 to 2011 (8 financial years) was N1,325,754,554.482.80 “EFCC did not mention where the N1.3trillion was remitted to” “EFCC’s claim that it did not recover up to a trillion naira is complete false’ “In EFCC’s Monetary Recoveries 2003-March 2013(11 financial years), EFCC stated that the aggregate recoveries was N497,385,427,485.63 EFCC did not mention where the N497.3billion recovered was remitted to” Uboh queried how recoveries of eight financial years can be more than recoveries for 11 financial years by over N800billion wondering why recoveries for the same years differed on different reports. The committee headed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, however, asked Okoroma to leave since the EFCC boss had indicated in a letter, that he would be absent noting that the committee would communicate to the commission as soon as a new date was fixed for it to appear before it. Concerns have been raised in the court of public opinion as to the propriety of the probe of the EFCC boss at this time when the commission in the recent past had dragged not a few high profile personalities alleged to have looted the nation’s treasury before the court. It would be recalled that in the past two months, EFCC had commenced the trial of the likes of former governors of Admawa, Imo, Jigawa, former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro and only recently, the wife of Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki fuelling speculation that the lawmakers may be seeking ways of getting back at the anti-graft body.
Lamorde
The former Kwara State First Lady was on July 23, quizzed over alleged involvement in shady contracts during her husband’s tenure as the state governor. In a swift reaction, the senate president in a statement denied any link with his wife’s investigation and Lamorde’s probe. “To set the record straight, nobody can rightfully claim that Senator Saraki engaged the services of the petitioner or any other person for that matter. There are about four different petitions from individuals, groups and corporate organizations written against the EFCC and submitted to the senate” The statement further warned that “Any insinuation that Mr. Saraki is attempting to prevent the EFCC from carrying out its constitutional responsibility is a hoax and figment of the imagination of the writer” Echoing similar sentiments, Senator Dino Melaye, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity and a known Saraki supporter, said, the petition against the EFCC boss raised very serious issues that could not be ignored by the senate. He denied any link between the probe of Lamorde and the quizzing of Saraki’s wife by the EFCC. But the Peoples Democratic Party PDP caucus in the senate rejected the planned probe of Lamorde. The group expressed their position in a statement signed by senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, his deputy, Emmanuel Bwacha, Minority Whip, Phillip Aduda and Biodun Olujimi. According to PDP senators; “It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the senate that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 and the committee has invited the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes to appear before it “The PDP leadership in the senate is not against any committee of the senate performing its oversight duties and or functions but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on the most important assignment particularly since the same action was mooted and had failed at previous plenary session. ‘We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice” However, the commission on Wednesday rose in defence of its role in the fight against corruption adding that its activities over the years, had never been questioned by the National Assembly. Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman for the anti-graft agency in a radio interview monitored in Lagos said; “There is a whole lot about assets recovery and manage-
ment. People, for instance, don’t know that we retrieve recovered items at point of war. If you are a victim of scam for instance, and we recover what you lost to a scammer, it is incumbent on us to return it back to the victim which we have done religiously. But if that proceed of crime is derived from public trust or public treasury, it is incumbent on the commission to return the recovered items to the consolidated revenue fund which we have also been doing. “The act that establishes the commission states that every year, latest 30th September, the commission must submit its annual report to the National Assembly. That annual report contains every information concerning the operation of the commission including assets recovery and in 12 years, the National Assembly has not raised any query on our returns” On why the NASS is now raising dust, the EFCC spokesman says, “that is why it is curious to us because in local parlance, it is said the witch cries in the night and in the morning the babies dies, do you need to go further to know where it is coming from?” Uwajaren insists that the ongoing debacle is corruption fighting back. His words: “Nigerians have seen through the whole shenanigans and believe this is purely an attempt to smear the chairman of the EFCC because of certain operations we are doing recently. And Nigerians should not fold their hands on what is going on because if they do not, it would ridicule whatever plan the government has to fight corruption because what it is happening now is corruption fighting back. “If you see the petition submitted to the senate, they are tied round Lamorde’s tenure as Director of Operations and Lamorde’s tenure as acting chairman. There is nothing said about Nuhu Ribadu who was chairman when Lamorde was the Director of Operations. There was nothing said about Farida Waziri who was chairman after Ribadu. So, everything is about Lamorde and to my knowledge, there is no issue concerning assets recovered from Alamieyeseigha or Tafa Balogun. The assets recovered from Alamieyeseigha, were returned during Waziri’s tenure as chairman of EFCC. Even if we recover N100billion from Tafa Balogun, I don’t see how that will multiply into N1trillion for how many years. “If you add every asset that EFCC had recovered in twelve years plus all the monies that government has allocated for our operations in 12 years, it is not even up to half a trillion” Can the EFCC survive the storm without its image being tainted? Only time will tell.
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POLITICS
August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
I was proved wrong on 2015 election –Richard Akinjide Chief Richard Akinjide was Attorney General during the aborted Second Republic. The Ibadan- based politician and PDP chieftain in this interview with Galaxy Television, x-rays the factors that led to the defeat of his party during the 2015 election, the Jonathan years and the details of the 12 two third saga.
Y
our party PDP lost the 2015 general election to the opposition APC in a dramatic way halting the PDP’s 16 unbroken years of rule in the country. What are your takes on this? I had thought that we would win the presidency, the House of Reps and the Senate. That was my calculation, although, I was prove wrong later on. The forces at work were so immense. There was a vey powerful head of the army. He was retired and he became very influential or powerful. His bite had influence over the election and if it had, how and why? Did America played any role? Did European played any role? When I say European, I mean France, Germany, Spain, England, and so on. We were a formal colony of Europe, and in fact, if we want to be honest, economically, we are still not independent and if people control your currency and economy, how can you control your politics and what was the currency of Nigeria in the time of independence? It was one pound to one pound. We were earning the same money with Britain. But look at the currency today. Naira, in truth has collapsed as against the dollar, against sterling, Deutchmark and the collapse is extra ordinary. To make the matter worse, before the election, the price of oil was reduced by 150 per cent. That was unusual. If you thus look at that before the election and it had effect over the election Some have argued that part of the reason for the loss of your party during the last election was the general attitude of the voters for change. Do you agree? The only thing that was certain at that time is uncertainty. The voters are human beings and they could be influenced and they were indeed influenced. It is as simple as that. How do you explain the trouble in Chad area? It doesn’t make sense. Cameroon is involved, Chad is involved. Nigeria is involved. 3 critical states were involved possibly the one in the North west was also involved and still involved. So, the matter is very complex. The former colonial powers still have enormous economic and political influence on the area they were governing before. They still exercise that influence as time went on. What is your take on former President Gooluck Jonathan years as President of Nigeria. He has so much goodwill at the beginning of his administration, but he lost that goodwill along the line. Where do you think he
got it wrong? One of the luckiest presidents in Nigeria was President Goodluck Jonathan. He was in power for about 6 years. And why he lost, your guess is as good as mine, but my happiness is that he occupied that office because never in the history of Nigeria, have you ever had anybody from Niger Delta (and they have 6 states) being president of Nigeria. So if you look at the history of this country. We‘ve got an Ibo Azikiwe who is the President of this country. We’ve got Awolowo, who is number two at the federal level. We had Obasanjo who’s been there for many years and also the northerners. So, the geographical spread is certain and fairly spread. Although PDP lost the election, but the good thing is that everybody in the country has enjoyed the geographical spread and I am happy at that. Has the geographical spread made an impact on the people? If you say the spread does not have impact on the people, it depends on the arithmetic or your calculations. A lot of impacts were made on agriculture and education but what influence people are other calculations You once described Nigeria as a complex country. How did you come to that conclusion? To be president, you need majority of popular votes. To be president, you need geographical spread, 25 per cent. Those factors are very critical. When Shagari election came, it was clear, something was going to happen and I was in the committee which Chief Williams chaired which drafted the constitution and at that time, I know that, that problem was there, but deliberately I did not mention it. if I raised it at that time, it should be in the report and it would not look new when it is brought to the table. Now, the centre for calculation of election was Tafawa Balewa Square and immediately I did certain critical things. One, I created an office for me at TBS. Two, I created telephone for me there. I was able to monitor the result of the election through out the country. In fact, I was getting the results ahead of FEDECO through the contacts I created. If you remember, I was the agent of Shagari, and before that time, I looked after Bauchi, Plateau and Kano and those critical states are very important. I don’t want to go into details of that. When the results were coming, I was getting the results ahead of FEDECO from my own contacts legitimately and having got the results, I know we had won. In Kano, we had over 19 percent of the votes
Akinjide
and all we need in Kano was 17 per cent and I looked at the results on the whole and I saw we are far ahead. Chief Awolowo was below us at least, from the point of view of geographical spread and from the point of view of 25 per cent of the popular votes, we had won the election. There was a reporter from Radio Kaduna and as at that time without being insultive to anybody, the station was extremely powerful. They did it in Yoruba, they did it in Hausa and English. So, the reporter of Radio Kaduna came to me, and mentioned the election, and I told him we have won and he said how? I gave him a thorough analysis of the result and how we got the two third of the result. He was excited and he said would you do it on my video? I said why not? And within 30 minutes it was on Radio Kaduna and the whole country has heard. To my joy and paradoxically, the people doing the coverage at TBS heard the verdict and sent someone to me to say we heard your voice on Radio Kaduna, can you come and do same thing for us? I said why not? But on condition, that one; you must call all the other agents and I will come, two; you must call me last. They accept those two conditions and they call us to the studio. It was at that time at TBS. when they called me, quietly, immediately and meticulously, I gave an analysis of the results and it was beamed through out the country in the video and of course, that caused panic in some quarters and at the same time, it caused joy in another quarters and the whole country was in turmoil at that time which I expected and which I wanted and of course, after that analysis, I went to the office of FEDECO and told them of what I have seen. I said why did you kept all the result? And I showed them my papers and I said I was monitoring the results all over the country. I told them just give me a state and I would show you how much was the score. They were excited. They wrote down what I said and at the end of the day, the chairman, the secretary and the key people who were in the election process put the analysis before then and said; look we did not thought about this before. They were surprised. But paradoxically, they accepted my analysis and it became the result of the election.
They wrote a report and announced that particular result as the outcome of that election. If you do such a thing, you have taken the fireworks. The UPN at that time said, they must go to court and I said ‘let them go to court’ and my own party was extremely happy as they summoned the meeting of national executive and we were waiting for the court case. The court case came up. I don’t want to go into details of that, I was briefed to defend the matter before a tribunal made up of one Ibo, one Yoruba and one northerner. So, but the irony of it was that Chief Williams was advising Awolowo at that time. There is nothing wrong with that and they now appealed to the Supreme Court. When they appealed, there is something critical that happened. Chief Williams, who, I know was advising them said, look, can we discuss this matter? I said why not? So, I went to his chambers and he locked the door and he gave the analysis of the results and why he thought Shagari should not have won. I too gave him the analysis of the results and why I think he should win. He didn’t agree with me and I too did not agree with him and I said, let us find a third party to help us. The only thing we can do at that time is to give it to somebody abroad. So, we agreed on one of the leading firm of solicitors in London to bid for us. He is called Clifford Chance. What I am telling you was never known to the public. So, we began the brief. One, I agreed to pay for the fees for the lawyers in London. He agreed to that. Two, you make your chamber, the post office where the result will go. He agreed to that. When they wrote the advice in London, it was signed by two leading QCs. One of them was a former Attorney General in England and he sent the report back to Chief Williams’ chambers. As soon as it arrived, he phoned me and I went to him, He shut the door again, he opened the brief and he read the extensive reply from London and Chief Williams said you have won. He said look at it, 3 barristers, 2 QCs, one junior you have won. Don’t tell anybody. I won’t tell my client, go and pick it. Let us just wait and see what the Supreme Court says and at the Supreme Court, a judge of 7 and again 6 to 1, I won at the Supreme Court.
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August 29, 2015
Talking Politics
‘I did not instigate ‘Make peace with Tinubu attacks on Fashola’ or prepare for war’ — Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State
— Femi Fani Kayode, former Aviation minister
“T
hings are g e t t i n g messier by the day. My advice to Tunde Fashola is to go and make peace with his benefactor, Bola Tinubu, before it is too late. Other than that, he should prepare for a long war of attrition, which may ultimately end in the destruction of them both.”
“T
his brings me to recent developments on the Lagos political scene. Born of this motley stew is the recent gossip mongering that I have wilfully instigated false and negative reports against former Governor Fashola to thwart him from being appointed to a major post in the Buhari administration. “I want to declare clearly and categorically that these rancid attacks do not come from me nor do I endorse them. Neither my hand nor my heart is in these mean submissions. I deplore them. “An attack against the performance of Governor Fashola is indirectly an attack against me and the edifice of achievements we have constructed in leading Lagos State out of a protracted time of stagnation and into an era of sustained
progress and development.” “I for one will not bend to the artificial provocation of those seeking to tear at what we have painstakingly built over the years. In my mind, Governor Fashola and I alliance is unshakeable and our journey must not be interrupted. I would no more attack his character or his administration than I would attack myself.”
‘Peace committee protecting the rich’
—Femi Falana (SAN)
“I
read their statements and Bishop Kukah’s interviews and I am not bothered. You know why? What they did was simply a demonstration of class solidarity. Nobody is speaking for the poor. Under the current political and legal system, the rich are never harassed. So, when my lord bishop was insisting on following the rule of law in dealing with corrupt people, of course it was expected. “What they follow in Nigeria, as one of my colleagues would say, are the rules of law not the rule of law. And do you know what the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the police do when they are dealing with the rich? They write a polite
letter sayin, ‘we hereby invite you to our office to kindly be interrogated by our officer’. “You don’t write a letter to the poor. You pounce on their houses.”
‘How APC won 2015 elections’ — Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary
“T
he then ruling party outspent the opposition in the area of advertisements, whether in the print or electronic media. Accord¬ing to a report credited to Compliance and Content Monitoring Limited, out of the N3.23 billion that was spent on political campaign advertisement during the last campaign, the
PDP spent N2.5 billion or 77 per cent of the total, compared to N728 million or 23 per cent by the APC. “The PDP also hired the best of columnists and talk¬ing heads that popped up ubiquitously at many radio and television stations, in addition to floating all sorts of organisations that cam-paigned for it, even before the official takeoff of the campaign. Despite being outgunned on all flanks, however, the opposition remained focused and kept strictly to its script, refus¬ing to allow the PDP to set agenda for it. “No amount of money or sweetmouthed salesmen can sell a bad product. A government in power swims or sinks with its performance. This will have a salutary effect on electioneering for fu¬ture elections.”
‘Buhari’s corruption war should not be selective’ —Chief Edwin Clark, former Information Minister
“I
t is important to state that the dialectics of corruption, as pervasive as diverse, require a holistic fight to tame its pervading scourge. Thus, it must not be seen to be selective and limited to some perceived political enemies and foes to score cheap political points. “For Nigeria to succeed in the war to eliminate the cancerous spread of this malaise, all those who contributed in one way or another to ruin the prospects of a great country like Nigeria and have brought us to this despicable position should be made to account for their actions. “It is only when the battle against corruption is genuinely and seriously fought without fear of favour that endearing legacies of a transformed country could bequeathed to future generations.” “As Nigerians, we are all equal without
regard to race, creed and tribe. It is therefore my candid appeal to President Buhari to live his priceless mantra ‘I belong to everybody, but I belong to nobody’ in the manner, that the affairs of state are conducted, regardless of who gave him 95 per cent votes and 5 per cent of votes.”
‘APC , PDP, two sides of same coin’ — Dr Doyin Okupe, Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan
“T
he party has suffered very serious bashing if not bastadisation from the sustained avalanche of assaults from the gigantic propaganda machinery of the now ruling party, the APC. “The credibility of the party as a veritable political alternative to the APC has been nearly irreparably damaged. “Some of the recent disclosures and more that may come up from the impend-
ing probes will further damage the national acceptability of the party. “At the end of the day, the APC may not meet the expectations of Nigerians or may in fact fail out rightly over time, but the PDP as it is presently constituted will not be an acceptable alternative to majority of Nigerians now or in future.” “The APC and the PDP have become two sides of the same coin. No clear philosophy. No ideology or central motivating theme. No clear policy objectives. No true leadership. No defining party character or style. Only contestants, aspirants and office seekers. No party discipline, pedigree or ethics.” “The truth is that some people put together a strong coalition to wrestle power from the military. That coalition gave birth to PDP which held the power for 16 years until some other people put up another coalition for the sole purpose of wrestling power from PDP. This they successfully did in March 2015.”
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August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Living
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
17
Caging the monster called rape
Despite the crusade against sexual offences and the laws in place to check the menace, children and adults are still falling victim, writes JULIET UMEH
D
ailies, weeklies, radio and television news nowadays are replete with heartrending stories headlined ‘Father of three defiles eight-year-old daughter,’ ‘Spiritualist has carnal knowledge of woman,’ ‘UNILAG lecturer rapes Jambite in office’, Three boys gang-rape 15-year-old girl to death in Abia, and ‘Four-year-old girl abused by 18-year-old neighbour.’ Therefore, the saga of a young lady and her trusted relative, which turns out to be a sample of the evil ravaging the contemporary world and spreading like an infectious disease should be told. Titilayo, 18, and her uncle Joseph, 30, had always lived together peacefully and cordially since she was born. As she became sexually attractive and her body grew curves at her hips, they became more intimate, but nobody read any meaning to this. With the seemingly pure relationship, no one imag-
ined that Joseph, despite his Christian upbringing and grounding in the gospel, could not resist the temptation to commit fornication or incest by forcefully having carnal knowledge of his niece. On the fateful day, the two were alone in his room; he felt he should compulsorily meet his sex need by having a fling with the only available female partner. Naturally, it was to Joseph, a play and an initiation to manhood, but the experience disoriented the young and innocent maiden making her to feel disturbed, weak, shocked and apprehensive. It later dawned on him that he had committed a vice when Titilayo reacted by keeping him at arm’s length and distancing herself from him like a plague because her conscience crucified her for sheepishly pandering to the amorous request of her uncle. Rape, crime committed by the duo, is an indecent assault, an offence against person
that results in strong physical and psychological reactions and fear of captivity and powerlessness in the victim. According to the provision of Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, “Rape is an unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or a girl without her consent or with her consent, if it is obtained by force or by means of threat, intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm or by means of false and fraudulent misrepresentation as to the nature of the act or in the case of a married women, by personating her husband.” A book published in America entitled ‘The HITE Report on Male Sexuality, Ballatine Books NY,’ lists some funny reasons why men commit rape. Principal among them is that it is connected with feelings of anger over their rejection by women or their right to refuse them. Many men also think it is a way to put a woman ‘back in her place,’ while not a few say because women are ‘asking for sex whereas they have no right to be sexual, because it leads to intercourse with men who have the right to control their sexuality. A minority however argues that women don’t mean ‘no’ when they say ‘no.’ However, only few men mention they will like to rape a woman for reasons that are related to sexual pleasure. Worried by the rape cases heard every day, Mrs. Temitayo Deborah Olufemi Ad-
ewuyi, a psychology lecturer with the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, said that the rate at which rape is recorded in Nigerian society is so alarming. For this counselor, a number of things are the causes of rape in the society. She thinks some men suffer from sexual disorders. “Some men can’t just see somebody in skirt without getting off balance. They have problem with their sexual organ, they can’t control the urge,” she pointed. “Psychologically, something arouses human beings at a point in time. It can be the sex organ of the opposite sex, breast, colour of skin, eyeballs, and nakedness of a woman when she is wearing dress,” she said. Citing an instance in the Bible when King David could not control his sexual feeling at the sight of Uriah’s wife when she was taking her bath, she added that rape had been in existence right from the time of old. But she has identified technology as one of the reasons why rape cases are rampant. However, victims and their parents making cases of rape secret is a major problem against waging a successful war against the menace. “People don’t want to talk about it and that’s why it is graduating and they are perfecting it. But I thank God that there is a law here in Lagos, if you are found assulting
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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LIVING
August 29, 2015
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‘Sex education should be taught in schools’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
a girl, you are liable to seven years imprisonment, it has been enforced in Lagos State,” Mrs Adewuyi said. Corroborating the psychologist and university lecturer, Mrs. Lara Ajayi, a social welfare officer, also said that despite the effort of her organisation and others of like aims and objectives, in the world, many cases of rape go unreported or not investigated. Even investigations into the few reported cases are not thoroughly carried out, suspended half-way or prolonged unnecessarily. “Many survivors, especially mature females, prefer to suffer physical and psychological trauma silently rather than seek redress in court of law, because of fear of stigmatisation or because of pressure from family members to protect their name and image in the society,” she recounted. Who is a rapist? The HITE Report describes a rapist as Mentally Disordered Sex Offender (MDSO), though he is thought to be sick, he is someone who has to get a thing straightened out his life and his head before he can live acceptably and responsibly with his peers. He is said to lack foundational morals in his early life. Most rapists, experts believe, are children of broken homes or marriages that are in jeopardy. Immediately a rapist commits the heinous act, the sufferer will be in serious distress and may start experiencing disorientation, loneliness, apathy and shock. Also, she may show emotional ambivalence or sudden mood swings. She may also manifest symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) a few days or weeks after the traumatic event such as intrusive images, flashbacks, distressing dreams, psychological arousals and psychological distress. Therefore she needs rapid response intervention. Unfortunately, most rapists are never brought to justice because most women are silent about the abuse, feeling afraid or suffering coercion on violence from their abusers. Most notably silenced by victims is an element of societal issue, for example in Nigeria, any mention of sex is a taboo. Sex and sexuality issues are like swear word or unspoken subjects. Even many rape victims, because of fear of stigmatisation, make their lips sealed. In addition, it is believed that potential suitors will never consider a woman who was raped in the past for marriage, yet men celebrate if they have illegal sexual intercourse with a girl or woman. Managing partner of Mirabel Centre, a rape victims’ referral centre, in Lagos, Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, recently said, “The increase in reported cases of sexual violence, especially child sexual abuse has become a topic for national discourse.The malaise is generally acknowledged by the government officials and human rights advocates to be endemic. Perpetrators of sexual violence act with impunity due to corruption and/or incompetence in investigation and prosecution of such cases.” She however, identified that one of the biggest challenges in seeking justice for the survivors is the absence of reliable and verifiable data and lack of support services, hence many survivors do not seek for help or report to the police. She therefore, said that in a bid to fill the gap and provide a safe and comfortable place for survivors of rape and sexual assault to receive needed professional care, Mirabel Centre was opened in July 2013 by the parent body, Partnership for Justice. How then can persons, who individually or collectively have suffered harm whether
Father, herbalist arrested in Moniya Akinyele, Ibadan, Oyo State for raping daughters (from file)
physical, mental, emotional or impairment of their fundamental rights through acts, or omission in violation of criminal law be helped? A psychologist, Kunle Adesina, advised that Crisis Intervention Techniques can be applied on a victim. “This assures her that she is safe and secure. She can be taken to a hospital for medical check, later the case can be reported to the police; but she must be helped to regain her self-esteem, the feeling that she is someone who deserves to be
instead they should bring it to your house. And teach them to be contented with what you provide for them.” “Mothers should teach their children not to sit on anybody’s lap, even their daddy; and that nobody should play with their bum bum. Also, teach them from age three how to wash their bum bum themselves and also how to wear their pants and dress up themselves early in life. Even, nobody should play with the boys’ penis and that if anybody does that, they should raise the alarm, she
Immediately a rapist commits the heinous act, the sufferer will be in serious distress and may start experiencing disorientation, loneliness, apathy and shock. Also, she may show emotional ambivalence or sudden mood swings.
She may also manifest symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD
liked, respected, and admired. If possible, the media must be kept away from her, but she must be continually given information that may help to assure her of her safety and re-establish trusting relationships,” he stated. Speaking with the experience garnered from a number of cases she has handled, Mrs. Adewuyi enumerated factors that parents and people prone to sexual assault should watch out for, such as unnecessary gifts and unnecessary favouritism. “If you see somebody that is showing your child unnecessary love, the mother should be observant and parents and guardian should not be careless with their wards, but should try to listen to their complainants. They should be sensitive to what is happening around them,” she said. She also pointed finger of blame at technology because, “A lot of things happen in social media like sexual assault. When you watch a picture that only showcases human breast, it could turn most men on.” Adewuyi did not spare the entertainment industry because, “The things men watch and listen to arouse their interest too. Those who are interested in songs that have lewd messages only, are mostly rapists,” she said. She however proffered an expert solution: “Mothers must be committed to child rearing, vigilant and give 24/7 child-rearing services. This means a woman must know what is happening to her child at every point in time whether in school at home anywhere. They should not put their child in the care of anybody. Don’t allow them to go out with your child to buy things for her
added. The moment your girls child starts growing breast, tell them not to allow anybody to touch their breasts. Don’t dress them up in skimpy dresses. Don’t allow your child to enter a closed room with anybody either male or female. They have started molesting boys too,” she advised. She however cautions children spending vacation in other people’s homes thus: “If you want your children to go and spend holiday with somebody, make sure you know that person very well and what the person is up to and will always monitor them while they are there. Speaking in the same vein, Mrs. Valentine Peter-Nkwo, a counsellor, told Saturday Mirror that there’s need for vigorous awareness creation about sexual violence which includes some other forms of abuse such as fingering a child or sucking such child in the case of boys. “Some perpetrators know that maybe if the child is injured they can catch him, so he uses his fingers. You will not call that rape,but sexual assault. We have all of that going on and it will be beautiful if the members of the press and maybe entertainment industry help pass that message unto everybody about sexual violence and its consequences,” she said. But Tashira Halyard, in one of her writeups in a publication of BAOBAB for Women’s Rights, mentions that the first step in preventing rape is education. According to her, “Lawyers, judges, social workers, doctors, and members of the public should be educated about this type of abuse. Also, sex education should be taught in schools,
because most girls don’t even understand that rape should not be tolerated. If there is open discussion about sexuality, it will combat cultural taboo about sex and lead to intimate discussions and disclosure between girls and their parents,” she stated. Halyard added that the legal system must be held accountable for seeing redress for victims and bring abusers to justice. However, the Sexual Offences Bill, also known as the anti-rape bill, passed by the immediate past National Assembly, is considered by many people as obnoxious, exploitative and child abuse booster and the abuse of those considered by the society as weak. Unfortunately, these were part of the issues that the bill was initially enacted to fight. It is simply an encouragement for sexual perverts because the bill stipulates a life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of rape or sexual intercourse with children under-11 years. It also stipulates 10 years for incest, 10 years for child pornography or a fine of N2 million and 14 years for sexual abuse. What the bill is simply saying is that a girl or boy from 11 to 17 years is an adult and must be treated as such. Yet the world over, the age for maturity is put at 18, but in Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Yerima and his cotravellers have been able to convince their colleagues that once a girl is married, even if the girl is not old enough to reason for herself, she is considered an adult. In some areas of the country, children are married out at very tender age when they should still be under the care of their parents and in school. The Director of Clinical Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Adedokun, told Saturday Mirror that many people still don’t believe rape exists or the crime is just a fiction. “When we talk about sexual violation also known as rape, many at times people think that it does not exist in this part of the world. Foster children are also at high risk of this very ill condition,” he said. Attesting to extensiveness of the antisocial culture during the occasion of the second anniversary of Partnership for Justice, Eze-Anaba, reeled out shocking cases involving a 10-month-old baby whose father fondled her private part severally. Another shocking revelation was a 70-year-old woman who was raped by some young boys of her grandchildren’s ages. Also, she mentioned a 12-year-old girl, who was defiled by her step father. Maybe the society needs a new campaign against rape and a statement on the punishment for those caught in the act to control their misdirected appetite for sex.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
LIVING
August 29, 2015
19
Deacon Obatungashe, Secretary to CDA
Community turns government, fixes road, provides own amenities One of the affected roads
P atience Ogbo
W
hile residents of the IgboOlomu community residents were either busy celebrating the Sallah festivities or resting in their various homes, the executive committee of the Igbo-Olomu Community Development Association did not observe the period as a merry making and work free day. The executives led by the president of the Igbo-Olomu Central Working Committee in charge of 28 communities in Ikorodu, High Chief Kolawole Adekoya used the period to draw the attention of residents to the sorry state of the roads in their community. The executives clad in boots and reflective jackets, worked from dusk to dawn stopping vehicles and soliciting money from the drivers to aid the CDA members fix bad roads in their community. The executives said the move to practically beg for fund to rehabilitate bad roads in Igbo- Olomu became necessary following the incessant accidents and vehicles breaking down on the roads which have become
a nightmarish experience for the residents and visitors to the community. Speaking on the deplorable state of the roads , High Chief Adekoya said “We had to do something urgent to fix the bad roads in our community. Since the rains started, the residents and visitors to our community have been experiencing hardship plying the roads as their vehicles break down while those plying the roads with motorcycles are usually involved in accidents. We have made several appeals to the Lagos state government to come to our rescue but there is no response from them. The
community will be needing more than N2million to rehabilitate the roads. We have to tax ourselves. We decided to use the Sallah holiday to solicit for cash from our residents. Some of them cooperated and gave their widows mites while other did not give. As community leaders, we deemed it fit to use our time for the betterment of our people and the money realized will be used to bring the equipments that will rehabilitate the road at least to make them passable until the government come to our rescue. We are doing is just to provide a temporary succor because we need a
We had to do something
urgent to fix the bad roads in our community. Since the rains started, the residents and visitors to our community have been experiencing hardship
permanent solution to the bad roads in our community; with good road, there will be rapid development ” A resident who simply identified herself as Mrs. Oni stated that her business is suffering as a result of the bad roads. “ I sell hair attachment and other household goods along the road but the bad road is affecting my business negatively because my customers find it difficult to come to the shop. The CDA executives have done their best soliciting help and assistance from residents but the government intervention in fixing the roads will go a long way in ameliorating our plight ” She said . Bad road is not the only daunting challenge the Igbo-Olomu community is facing as the residents said the community has become a hotbed for criminals and pipeline vandals . Other residents who spoke with our correspondent also decry the bad road and poor electricity. Mr. Stevn Efunkomaya is the proprietor of the Sunlight school said “ I have been living in this community CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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LIVING
August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘I lost three-month pregnancy because of bad road’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
for more than 12 years and bad road is one of the issues we have been facing. I had to start a school because I saw the trouble parents were going through to take their children to schools far away and plying bad roads. We spent a lot of money on maintaining our cars and we still contribute N1000 annually towards the repair of the roads. We need a police station due to the increase in crime. For now we are employing vigilantes to help protect us from criminals”. Also speaking about the lack of social amenities in the community, a house wife who identified herself as Regina Muyiwa said “ just as we are in dire need of good roads and electricity supply, we also need the government to provide a General Hospital because the clinic we have is not standard enough to cater for the residents. We have to take our sick ones to the Ikorodu General Hospital, which is about 20kilometres away. The clinic in Igbo-Olomu does not have doctors and the three nurses do not come regularly. They come by 9 a.m. and close by 4 p.m. so if one is ill and goes there by 5pm or earlier than 9am then it means no health worker will be on ground to attend to the sick; there was a time my daughter was ill and we rushed her as early as 5am to the clinic we were shocked to see many sick people there waiting to take numbers so they can be attended to on time. It was a nightmare that day and still the nurses did not come on time. We had to rush her to a private hospital to save her life . Also I am using herbs at home so that any medical emergency will be taken care of traditionally before we would head to the General hospital” Another resident ,James Authe from Edo state said “ I have been living in this community for the past eight years. Though I am from Edo state I have found a home here. We have been going through a lot of hardship concerning the roads which become slippery during the rainy season. The residents are paying more due to the increase in transportation. We have been relying on self help projects”. Our correspondent visited the community and noticed the activities of vandals, conveying fuel in jerry cans from burst pipelines during the day without any fear of arrest Residents however said the activities of vandals is putting the community at risk of possible fire outbreak . Deacon Adebayo Obatungashe the Secretary of the CDA while reacting to the activities of vandals is imploring the government to check the activities of pipeline vandals in the community. He said “You can see the bad state of the road from Ishawo road down to IgboOlomu. This road in Igbo-Olomu is a link road to Ogun state and if the road is in good state, most motorists will use it to easily connect to Ogun state instead of using the express road all the time. This will save precious time and energy. We are also having issues with vandals at Oke-Oko and Oke-Muti areas as their activities pose great risk to the residents. You see them even during the day diverting fuel in jerry cans and nobody dares challenges them. Their impunity is so great that residents who speak
One of the deplorable roads
against them are threatened with death. Aside from vandals, we have criminals in our midst who have fled from Lagos metropolis to come hide here. We need government to look into our plight and come to our rescue” Igbo-Olomu community is not the only community begging for government intervention. Residents of Okota and Mafolukun are also appealing to government to fix bad roads in their community. A resident of Okota, Mrs. Janet Okoye said she lost her pregnancy while plying the bad roads . “I lost my three month old pregnancy last year after plying the roads from my house to work at Mile 2. I felt bad because I knew it was the bad road because any time we are in a vehicle, you will feel the gallops and the pot holes despite how the drivers will try to maneuver their ways . I had to take sick leave for months to stay at home when I became pregnant again. Even with this move, the pregnancy caused me great pain and I almost lost my child towards the later stage of my High Chief Adekoya, president of Igbo-Olumu CWC
We have to take our sick ones to the Ikorodu General Hospital, which is about 20kilometres away. The clinic in Igbo-Olomu does not have doctors and the three nurses do not come regularly. They come by 9 a.m. and close by 4 p.m.
pregnancy. I thank God because I gave birth successfully” Another resident , John Samuel said the bad roads in Okota is affecting his business. “ I make alumaco for sale but my customers are finding it difficult to ply the road to my workshop. I have lost a lot of them in the process and even my relatives and friends do not like to come to my house and my shop. The bad road is killing my business and this is the plight of other residents and businessmen in Okota. The Lagos state government should not neglect us because we are majorly Igbos living in his community. We hear d that the government is sidelining the rehabilitating of our roads because we are not Yoruba but this should not be the attitude of government. Government should be for everybody irrespective of where they come from. We are all Nigerian citizens and government officials come to collect tax from us ” Mr. Okojie Mathew said he had to relocate from Mafoluku due to the bad road. “ I moved to Mafoluku in 2009 because the area is closed to the airport but I had to relocate after horrible experiences from plying the roads. The local government has abandoned residents and the state government is not helping matters. I had to relocate after my fiancée lost her three months old pregnancy after plying the roads . Our cars break down at intervene and we had to always go to the mechanics. This is nothing to do with ethnic group but we feel the Lagos state government is neglecting the roads because residents are majorly Igbos”
Entervaganza
The Saturday Mirror Magazine
Relationships Do African men really propose? P.32
Fashion Slim ‘n’ pretty P.28
Sex talk Top seven
sexual fantasies P.32
Mercy ... celebrity adviser
22
ENTERVAGANZA
August 29 , 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Celebrity
Our music industry is growing, getting better —Da Emperor
Da Emperor’s latest song, Firewood, is heating up the airwaves. He featured Double Wahala singer, Oritsefemi, on it, and now he tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO that Firewood is just one of the many hit songs he’s scheduled to release. What’s the latest about you? Hmmm, the latest about the boy is a book full of surprises, permit me to use that tag. I’ve got loads of new songs expressing my versatility and creativity in each of these masterpieces. I’ve got a new song, I Am A Sinner. I dropped its snippet recently after I dropped Firewood, my collaboration with Oritsefemi. I’ve also got another masterpiece in the mix process with Indomix. It’s titled Shilekun. And there are still many other songs. So once the spirit says go, we keep hitting them hard with these HITS. Also, preparations are being put in place for the video for the smash hit, Firewood, which has caused lots of stares and appreciation and acceptance from the clubs, streets and social media platforms in general. Why are you into music? The reason is simply my passion for it. It’s what I love doing. Music is me spitting out my soul through the speakers. Plus I came into the industry with the aim of taking indigenous rap to a global scale. That is, representing our dialect and culture worldwide. How long have you been in music? For as long as I can remember. I knew I started from the church choir at a tender age when I was living with my guardians where I grew up. I could remember being a choir member to being the choir master at a tender age. Then years passed by, and around 2008, I started writing lyrics of my own. 2010, 2011 I hit the studio and did two songs at a go. Those two songs are Am A Rapper and Facebook Prediction featuring Don D King. During this same time, Don D King also featured me on a hit song we never got to release titled Love Advice. What have you achieved in music? I have achieved a whole lot. Glory be to God and to those supporting the brand and
to fans worldwide. I won’t want to start listing, but so far, each time I look back, I’ve got enough reasons to keep moving. Last year, I premiered the video of my hit single, Para Mode, at the Silverbird Cinemas, Ikeja. I decided to do something no indigenous rapper has done, I performed alongside a live band. These two actions were exceptional, and I can categorically say I’m the first indigenous rapper to make those moves. It’s all part of the plan in taking indigenous rap music international. What are your plans? Plans, plans, plans. I’m sticking to the script, man proposes God disposes. We putting in work, we counting blessings. Album workload in progress first and foremost, and still featuring on songs, and in videos, movies and so on. The major is to keep progressing, that’s why we keep the flag flying. What’s your candid view of the industry? My view is from a skyscraper. The industry is growing, getting better, bigger and stronger day by day as we can all see. It’s a good thing. Big brands are also very supportive these days so it makes the hustle easier. It will always keep getting better. Are you facing any challenges or you’re finding it very easy? Challenges are a usual thingy. Without obstacles, there can’t be a winner. I do face lots of challenges just like any other A-list act does, but the deal is to live with these challenges and get better by finding either a solution to them or a way around them. What do you like most about the music industry? Well, the fact that new faces, talents and careers are springing up and also the fact that we are now being recognized internationally and given opportunities to exploit, get international endorsement, tour and
we’re also receiving awards and appreciation from all over the world. I think that’s a major achievement and huge progress for the Nigerian music industry. What do you hate about it? Well, about the music industry, I’ve learnt to live it up. So I won’t say I hate anything about it as long as it keeps getting better. It’s a
global world, and all kinds of music genres are welcome, so there’s nothing to hate.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
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August 29, 2015
Why’s Lepacious Bose shedding her proud weight?
H
ardcore fans of A-list comedian and MC, Lepacious Bose, would have known by now that she’s shedding some of the weight which made her stand out and helped her break into the entertainment sector. Without a doubt, Lepacious is one of the biggest women (in size) in the entertainment industry. She’s so big, or fat, whichever one you prefer to use for her, that she chose a name which is the polar opposite of her size, just to capture people’s interest. That was her first gimmick to sell herself: being introduced as Lepacious, which means very slim, and then people discovering that she’s actually very fat (or big). Her second gimmick was to be very brazen about her size. She never shied away from speaking about it on stage and claiming that she was very proud of it and that she was more beautiful and better off than women who were slim.
And when this reporter interviewed her, she admitted that she used to be insecure about her size, to the extent that if she entered a public bus, she would apologise for taking up a lot of space but that she was by then confident in it and happy with it. So why’s she now shedding it? She’s been shedding it for some time now and is so happy about the result she’s getting that she posted pictures of her new look on Facebook with the following message: “Oh well, it was kind of exciting for me as I anchored the ICSAN swearingin of their new president. I could not believe my new size and look. I actually had a defined waistline. OMG! Happy is an understatement yet my waka still far ooo but it’s been a fulfilling journey. #slimmerandhappier.” So why’s she now earnestly shedding weight she claimed to be proud of, and which brought her fame and fortune? It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?
Bose
PFWA update
All contestants placed on probation I
Richie
t was an emotional night last Sunday as three contestants, Richie, Ruby and Tejiri were eliminated from the ongoing Project Fame West Africa show. To forge ahead in the competition thereby, the remaining eleven contestants knew they had to give their best in performance so as not to bite the dust like the aforementioned trio. And so the performances started with Biko who did No Stars by Dare Art Alade. Next up was Oluchi who delivered an impressive performance of JAMB Question by Simi. Kumi also took her turn to sing Eyo by Asa, and Pearl serenaded the audience as she sang Awww by Di’ja. Just as everyone was settling into the vibes of the night, Arewa got the audience roaring with excitement as she performed Ojuelegba by Wizkid. Chike charmingly came up right after to deliver Mr Oreo by Iyanya (winner of season one). In the spirit of fun and entertainment,
Ada stepped onto the stage and gave a beautiful delivery of Seyi Shay’s Ragga Ragga. Up next was Jeff and he did the popular God Win by Korede Bello. Deinde then took his turn to entertain everyone with Jaiye Ori Mi by Banky W, while Joy ensured she gave a spot-on performance of German Juice by Cynthia Morgan and Anderson rounded off the night with his performance of U No Holy Pass by 2face Idibia. Having delivered interesting and energetic performances in a bid to escape probation, it was time for the judges to release their verdict for the night. And in doing this, they started by commending the efforts the contestants put into their performances, thereby acknowledging the good works the faculty have been doing. But because it is a competition to induct extraordinary artistes, they decided to put all of the eleven contestants on probation to bring out the best out of them. So which contestants will be evicted tonight?
Tejiri
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August 29, 2015
CLASSICAL LYRICS
E-NEWS
234 Radio positioned to export Africa to the rest of the world —DJ O’kay Megamixer
2
34Radio started transmission in Nigeria and across the world two years ago with a promise to be a one-stop shop for entertainment. The online radio has since then grown in leaps and bounds. With transmission points in Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and Jamaica, the radio is no doubt living the dreams of its promoters. 234Radio has successfully reinvented online radio, thereby making the unfamiliar terrain the toast of many. 234Radio redefines radio broadcasting with a mix of DJs’ touch and quality radio programming, bringing unparalleled entertainment on the go, beyond geographical barrier. Speaking on the success of the radio in its two years of operations, the General Manager of the radio, Kayode Olowoyeye popularly referred to as DJ O’kay Megamixer said that 234Radio is a product of several years of in-depth research in online radio programming, hard work and dedication. “234Radio is blessed with a dedicated and hardworking team that toils day and night to ensure that listeners are entertained. We have been applauded for not recording a minute of downtime since we started transmission two years ago. This wouldn’t have been possible but for our resolve to be a leading radio station in not just Africa but the rest of the world,” he said. The robust technology deployed by the management of the radio station ensures seamless handshake between the four transmission points of the radio, thereby engendering 24/7 broadcasting of quality
Megamixer
and unparalleled programmes. 234Radio has positioned itself as a radio of first choice for all and sundry. According to Megamixer, “We are aware that people listen to radio for different reasons and we factor this in our programming. On 234Radio, we have something for everybody. “One of our priorities is to export Africa to the rest of the world. This we have been able to achieve by ensuring that about 95 percent of our programmes and contents are about Africa. This has however re-
ceived commendations from our listeners both within and outside Africa who now see 234Radio as a point of call for everything African.” The deployment of 234Radio mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms has further increased the accessibility of the radio. Listeners across the world can now carry the radio with them anywhere on their internet-enabled mobile devices, or listen on the radio’s website, www.234radio. com.
Skiibi death publicity stunt exposes entertainers’ shallowness
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Skiibi
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
he recent faking of his own death by music artist, Skiibi, has only proven one point: many of our artists are shallow. Though many of them cannot claim to be close friends with Skiibi, they immediately started posting condolence messages on social media about his death. So when it was found out that he wasn’t dead, many of them were embarrassed. Let’s address Wizkid for example. He was also very quick to post about Skiibi’s death on social media. This is the same Wiz who was paid N1.5m by Saeon to feature on her song, Boogie Down, and when she requested him to tweet the son’s link, he flatly refused to do so. Now, it’s time to really consider if we can blame Skiibi for faking his own death. The obvious answer is no. Everyone has his own life to live, and they can do
what they like with it, as long as they don’t physically harm others with it. Skiibi has hurt no one like that, and not even his colleagues, because they only saw his death as a way to raise their own popularity ratings. The public didn’t give a damn one way or the other about him because he isn’t really popular yet. And that’s just the crux of it all. Skiibi did what he did because he wanted to be visible, something that’s very difficult for an unknown artist to achieve, and he achieved it with his death publicity stunt. And if you’re one of those who really want to condemn Skiibi, just go and try being an artist, and when it’s so difficult that you even want to give up, you’ll realize you have to do something drastic to become known, and that’s what Skiibi has done, and successfully for that matter, because he’s now known.
Sisi
Artist: Praiz featuring Wizkid Baby girl make you calm down I am the man now Make you no form Nicki Minaj, shawty Yea yea Gospel On The Beat Praiz sing-song Oh Lord of Mercy Wizzy baby, yea eh Omo na who be the baga Wey dey make mouth Men as you see me men, I can’t shout Wande Coal tell them, I can’t shout Step on the scene, making money in abundance Everywhere I stand out Say Wizzy baby, I stand out See na for ghetto, everybody been dey hangout But right now, I’m the king of the countdown Baby girl make you calm down Na me just dey run town No go dey form Nicki Minaj now When your boyfriend see me, e go bow down Baby girl make you calm down I am the man now Let me give it to you right now, shawty Don’t leave me hanging, sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi Don’t leave me hanging, oh sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi She say she wanna be my lover She no wan cast, so we do am undercover When I give am to her harder She keeps coming for more, coming for more She say she wanna be my lover She no wan cast, so we do am undercover When I give am to her harder She keeps coming for more, coming for more You are all I’m wanting, oh sisi I’m all you are wanting, oh Praiz We saying the same thing, oh sisi We want the same thing oh yea Baby girl make you calm down I am the man now Make you no form Nicki Minaj now, shawty Don’t leave me hanging, sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi Don’t leave me hanging, oh sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi Don’t leave me hanging, sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi Don’t leave me hanging, oh sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi you are I’m wanting, oh sisi I’m all you are wanting, oh praiz We saying the same thing, oh sisi We want the same thing oh yea Baby girl make you calm down I am the man now Make you no form Nicki Minaj now, shawty Don’t leave me hanging, sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi Don’t leave me hanging, oh sisi Your body banging, oh sisi Your body calling me, oh sisi Oh sisi, oh sisi
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
E-NEWS
August 29, 2015
25
Thrills and frills of 2015 Osun Osogbo Festival
Arugba being escorted by her minders Popular actor, Yemi Elebuibon, at the festival
A cultural troupe performing there.
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his year’s edition of the annual Osun Osogbo Festival took place penultimate Friday with a lot of pomp and pageantry. Despite the harsh economic situation in the country and particularly in Osun State where civil servants are owed months of salaries, the ancient town of Osogbo, the Osun State capital came alive with the festival. From the eve of the festival, several people including Nigerians living in the country and those in the Diaspora as well as nationalities of other countries started trooping into the ancient town. Last year’s celebration of the festival was low-key and was only marked by those residing in Osun State as the state government prevented people from other parts of the country and abroad entry into the state because of the fear of the Ebola virus which was noted in some states in the country then. By early Friday, the town was agog as people started
trooping to the Osun Sacred Grove where the worship of Osun goddess took place. Dedicated to Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, the Grove was established more than four centuries ago and is the largest of the sacred groves that have survived to the present. In 2005, the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove was designated a World Heritage Site. The high point of the grand finale was when the votary maid (Arugba Osun) carried a calabash filled with antiquities to worship the goddess of the river. Present at the grove for the worship of the Osun goddess were traditional rulers and chiefs led by the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye 11; representatives of Osun State government led by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti ; traditional spiritual leaders and several other people from different walks of life including high
presence of the members of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, led by its national coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams. Those in attendance took jerry cans and bottles with which they collected Osun water which is revered for healing of bareness, as Osun is known as god that provides children. Foreigners who participated in this year’s edition of the festival also applauded its uniqueness and cultural values. After the worshipping of Osun goddess at the Grove, a reception was organized for the people at Isale Osun area, Osogbo, by a non-governmental organization, the Olokun Festival Foundation. The attendees at the reception were treated to cultural display by various drama groups and musical entertainments. They were also presented with food and drinks as well as showered with different gifts. Speaking at the reception, the Chief Promoter of Olokun Festival Foundation, Otunba Gani Adams said Osun Osogbo is the most recognized festival in the history of this country. He said that the determination of the people made the Osun Osogbo to bounce back stronger this year. “Osun Festival has proved to Africans in the Diaspora that it is an event which is one of the best in the world. There was a challenge last year because of the Ebola virus, but Osun Festival is celebrated with pomp this year. You can see it from the large turnout of the people here,” he said. Adams, who is also the Convener of the Oodua Progressive Union, OPU, appealed to the federal government to invest in the development of tourist sites, saying that with this, the nation will generate more revenue. He thanked Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji; and the government of the State of Osun for their commitment to the promotion of our cultural heritage. He said even though government at both the state and federal level did not partake much in the festival this year, the royal majesty, Ataoja of Osogbo as the symbol of Osogbo community stood his ground to ensure the celebration of the festival despite the economic hardship. Adams also called on Yoruba not to forget their culture, saying that practicing foreign religions should not in any lead to extinction of Yoruba culture.
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August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Mercy Aigbe speaks on celebrity marriages
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op Yoruba Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, has spoken out on one of the thorniest issues in the entertainment industry: the high rate of celebrity marriages failure. Aigbe, who is married to Lanre Gentry, and has also had her own fair share of drama when it comes to relationships, is definitely in a position to speak on why celebrity marriages fail, since she’s a successfully married celebrity, and she didn’t mince words when speaking about the subject with respected media outfit, E-Rave. According to her: “Divorce is not only in the entertainment industry. It happens everywhere and is not peculiar to Nollywood actresses only. The rate of divorce in the industry is way more than what we witnessed five or ten year ago. Some marriages fail because some people are not ready to stay married or they are wrongly advised.” Explaining further, she said, “Some people get married for the wrong reasons. When they get into it, they find out that the main reason they got married in the first place was not properly identified. Such people then look for a way to get out of it by every means possible.” And concluding, she said celebrity marriages are “more challenging because celebrities are constantly under public scrutiny. Whatever we do is in the public eye and we are not given a chance in any way. Also, the pressures from the media and some writers who don’t confirm their stories properly contribute to the crash of celebrity weddings. Some journalists are too lazy and forget that they have to take the pain to confirm their reports before going public while some others want to get back at you for no just reason.”
Crises keeps dogging Toyin Aimakhu’s marriage
Aigbe
Rukky Sanda returns double prong
R
Sanda
ukky Sanda is definitely one of Nollywood’s biggest personalities. When she’s off the scene, she makes the news for her absence, and when she’s on it, she makes the news for her exploits. And the latest about her can be tagged a double prong return. Oh yeah, she’s been off the scene for some time on vacation and now she’s back in a two-fold manner. She celebrated her birthday last Sunday and premiered her latest movie, Dark, written, produced and directed by her, yesterday.
Mercy Johnson expecting 3rd child
Johnson and Aimakhu
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ven as Mercy Aigbe has adviced her celebrity colleagues on making their marriages work, there are persistent indications that the marriage of popular actress, Toyin Aimakhu, to actor Adeniyi Johnson, might just not work. Since the marriage held just over a couple of years ago, it has been dogged with crises, and this week, things really got to a head with Aimakhu reportedly deleting Johnson’s pictures and name from her social accounts. Then another report surfaced that Johnson admitted that Aimakhu caught himflirting. One thing is certain.
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ne actress who’s not taking the issue of motherhood lightly is Mercy Johnson. She’s presently trending with the news that she’s already expecting her third child and that she will put to bed in December. With this news, it just shows that you can’t really judge a book by its cover. MJ is one of the actresses who was believed to be loose and all that, but she has turned out to be someone who believes in the ideals of marriage and motherhood. Even though the announcement of her wedding to Prince Odianosen Okojie was trailed by some controversy, because a lady surfaced that claimed she was Okojie’s wife, and some women planned to march in protest against the wedding and disrupt it, the wedding held in 2012 and is still going strong. Already, it has produced two children, Purity and Henry. Congrats, MJ.
Johnson
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Le Voyagerl 11:30
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August 29, 2015
from
M
Pea
inimalism, Youth and Femininity are three words that can adequately sum up the ‘Le Voyage’ collection of Pearl 11 30. A fashion brand known for its functional ready-to-wear and tailored pieces that are produced to the highest quality standard, Pearl 11 30, has for a long time stood out amidst other fashion labels. Described as a perfect juxtaposition of modern fashion with an afrocentric flavour which can either be worn together or individually, the designer, Ade Yusuf, showcased her love for playing with texture by mixing wax print fabric with Chantilly lace, raw silk and chiffon. There’s also an element of vintage vibe to fit the taste of the ideal Pearl 11 30 woman. The models here show more of this.
le StyGlam and
with Yemisi Adeniran
(08037801158) ydiran@yahoo.com
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STYLE & GLAM
August 29, 2015
Slim ‘n’ pretty urself self it’s easy to find yo s, an je y inn sk e os off of you and off th at doesn’t just hang perfect for showing th is e ing th am fr clo e d u’r fin yo to lthough you’re eager ur slim figure. If wing tips. conscious about yo check out the follo e, ap sh ur yo er tt figure. Make helps fla an appealing, sexy te ea cr to g e! yin ur tr ct out. Buy clothes y when Embrace stru be your biggest all ur shape to fill them to yo on ing go ly e re ar n’t s do ce waist from your at they Structured pie ist, to define your ape to them and th wa sh e ve th ha at s ce ing pie rt da ur ape. A jacket with irts with sure that yo help define your sh rk for you. Buy sh ey wo th e re th su of e ak st M mo that will do buying jackets. to create a shape. the same rule when long way in trying a go ll wi m he bust and hips. Use d re darted waist and fla g volume. The an enhanced bust, strategically addin by e ur , fig ur yo t ou n fill several small tiers Volumize o overboard, you ca irt or a skirt with to sk go us to ino nt lum wa vo a n’t While you do half. By wearing is to is your bottom n’t know you had! best area to do th yourself hips you did e giv d an e lum vo wider than you’ll create dy appear bigger or bo ur yo of s rt pa boyfriend jeans. d make Lighten up tract attention an r wide, boot-cut or at fo to , go ing d go an e s ar ck s sla e looking for. Also ans and Lighter color e proportions you’r hter washes of je th lig t r ge d fo u an yo ok r Lo lp lle fu he e. k d ar they really (within reason) an s will make them loo ur legs look wider Distressing on thigh e. am fr ur yo t Theses will help yo ou fill der. d washes can help make them look wi strategic distresse ntion to them and te at aw dr lp he ll re hips wi frame. Just be su distressing on the d fill our your thin an d e te th u ica yo ist e ph giv so ll help k more Layer it ructured blazer wi y to make your loo st wa llwe sy a ea d y an all re irt a Layers are much. A thin T-sh ering looks. d and bulk up too experiment with lay to id ra af be not to go overboar n’t do u’re looking for, so est in an A-line hourglass figure yo then be sure to inv t, en ev al rm fo re for a mo s out at the hem. A-line it up s wear or clothing d then gently flare es an sin ist bu wa r fo ur g yo kin at Whatever style rrower If you’re loo looks best on you. the skirt starts na at , wh es . e pli se im to me t na en e experim out your shoulders skirt. As th ual than others, so om half to balance ad tt gr bo re ur yo mo e to ar h dt es Some A-lin u by adding wi will help balance yo you choose, A-lines
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Fashion
A
Fashion
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
n frenzy
s g a b d e d a Be T
he weekend is here and you have lots of events to attend. But specifical you will be heading out ly, if for a night out in the tow n, you need a beaded ba Definitely, a luxurious, g. richly-hued beaded bag is all you need to stand and be noticed. Beaded out multi-strands strap wit h more delicate beads sewn into the silk purse painstakingly body, they come in a ran ge of small evening bag shopper, And they com to a funky e in different colours too to give you enough choice a look at these. . Just take
n frenzy
STYLE & GLAM
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Fashion Guest
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STYLE & GLAM
‘Fashion is a person’s culture’– Bouqui
Olubukola Afolayan, popularly known as BOUQUI, is a Nigerian gospel rapper and founder of a fashion label. She spoke with YEMISI ADENIRAN on her exploits in the fashion industry. Excerpts: What kind of a child were you? I was and still is a tom boy. I used to climb trees and I used to fight but I am happy because I channelled all my emotions into something better. I fight my way through any circumstance, even now that I am older, nothing can hold me down. I don’t see any impossibility in life, except I don’t want to do it. If I want to do it and I have God’s backing, I don’t see any impossibility. I used to climb trees and do all those things, I can see it in my drive, my passion and my relentlessness, so everything have worked together for my good and I thank God. What is fashion to you? It is anything that appeals to you, anything that makes you happy. As a fashion designer and a fashionista, I have grown to know that what is fashionable to Mr ‘A’ may not n e c e s s a rily be fashionable to Mr ‘B’. Besides, the fact that you have chosen to look into one particular direction or you have made a particular choice of fashion that possibly does not g down well with one person does not mean the other person’s choice is bad. As far as I am con-
cerned, fashion is a person’s culture. It is particular to that person and that does not make it superior to another person’s own. What is your advice for Nigerians on their fashion choice? I will advise them to be responsibly fashionable. If you are towing a particular line of fashion, it is good for you to be responsible about it. If you are, there is the tendency that you will with time, win many to your side.
August 29, 2015
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Nine health symptoms men should NEVER ignore
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rectile dysfunction: Could be Heart Disease. The body needs a good blood supply for an erection and erectile problems are actually a very clear barometer of cardiovascular health. Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the organ become clogged with fatty deposits. But this effect is seen even more quickly in the vessels carrying blood to the penis. That’s because the penile arteries are smaller than coronary ones, so become clogged faster. Developing Moobs: Could be Hormone Imbalance or Liver Disease. In most cases, if a man develops what appears to be breasts, it is not breast tissue - but fatty tissue which has grown because he is overweight. When it is actually breast tissue, the condition is known medically as gynaecomastia, caused by an imbalance between the hormones testosterone and oestrogen. In grown men, ‘moobs’ may be a sign the testicles are not working properly. It can also be a sign of liver disease, as when the organ becomes damaged, the balance of hormones in the body changes and can cause gynaecomastia. Needing the loo in the night: Could be Prostate Cancer, Enlarged Prostate. If you are rushing to the toilet in the night, it could be a sign of an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. The prostate lies underneath the bladder, and so if there is any change in the size of the gland, it can affect a man’s urination habits as it presses on the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. Needing to go to the loo more often than usual, needing to rush to the toilet and leaking before arriving, having difficulty peeing, straining or taking a long time to finish urinating or having a weak flow when urinating or feeling as though the bladder is not fully empty could also be signs. Change in libido: Could be problems with fertility. If a man notices a change in his libido, that could be an endocrine [hormonal] problem. It could be indicative of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, a condition where the testicles do not produce
enough male hormones. This leads to a lack of sex drive and fertility problems. Lump in the testicle: Could be Testicular Cancer. Lumps and swellings in the testicles are a relatively common symptom in boys and men. The majority of lumps and swellings are caused by benign (noncancerous) conditions that may not need treatment. However, a lump could be a sign of testicular cancer, which is the most common cancer in men, aged 20 to 35. Blood in the urine: Could be Bladder Cancer. Blood in the urine is the most common sign of bladder cancer, and is usually painless. Other symptoms to look out for include: needing to go to the loo frequently, urine infections that keep coming back, tiredness, lower back or abdominal pain and weight loss for no obvious reason. Drinking heavily: Could be Depression. Men who are suffering from depression may not manifest the usual symptoms. Part of masculinity is to grin and bear it, suppress your feelings. That’s how boys have been brought up. This ‘bottling up’ of feelings means mental health problems can be masked. But excessive drinking is often a sign that things aren’t well. Pain in the big toe: Could be Gout. The most common symptom of gout is sudden and severe pain in one or more joints, typically the big toe. A type of arthritis, gout occurs when crystals of sodium urate form inside and around joints. These hard, needle-shaped crystals build up slowly over several years without the person knowing. Eventually, some may spill over and inflame the soft lining of the joint, causing pain and inflammation. Lumps around the nipple: Could be Male Breast Cancer. It’s not only women that get breast cancer. In fact, men have smaller amounts of breast tissue around their nipple, where, on rare occasions, tumours can develop. Lumps, often painless, close to the nipple are the most common symptom, although they can also occur away from the nipple. A tender or inverted nipple, or discharge, which is often bloodstained, are other signs of the disease, as well as swelling in the chest or ulcers forming in the area.
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August 29, 2015
Male Essentials
08036961187
with Oseyiza Oogbodo kingseiza@gmail.com
How to buy better glasses C
onsidering your glasses get a more frequent run-out than anything else in your wardrobe, most men treat what sits on their face as an afterthought. Perhaps it’s because eyewear’s never quite shaken the fact that, at root, it’s there for reasons more medical than fashionable. But for the wellbeing of both your eyes and your look, you’d do best to follow these rules from expert Aroun Ducroux, founder of optical brand Glints, to ensure you get your eyes right. 1. Spot quality With glasses, price and quality aren’t always related. An array of middlemen, from factories to distributors to opticians – plus some opaque licensing deals with fashion brands – means you can often pay up a hundred times what your specs actually cost to make. To tell the well-crafted from what will break if you fall asleep in them, look at the hinges. “The level of polish and the cleanliness of the material around the hinge is a good indicator of the overall attention to detail,” says Ducroux. The legs are also a solid barom-
eter of value. If they’re acetate, reject anything not supported by a metal stem, or if you can see bubbles in the material. If they’re metal, be materialistic. Ducroux advises avoiding anything not fashioned from titanium or stainless steel if you want them to survive when you inevitably sit on them. 2. Follow trends – but not slavishly You’ve switched your skinny jeans for something more roomy. You’ve ditched the blazer and trilby for a bomber jacket and five-panel cap. But because your prescription hasn’t changed, nor have your glasses. Which knocks your entire outfit back three years. Get back up to date by losing your edge. “Round frames have been very strong in the last year or so,” says Ducroux. Perfect circles don’t flatter most faces so opt instead for a panto lens shape – round at your eyebrows and tapering into an oval as it approaches your nose. “It’s a style that fits most faces and is easy to wear.” Unlike those hats. 3. Work with what you’ve got If you’ve got a triple-bodyweight
squat, then you’ve probably come to terms with the fact Hedi Slimane’s super-slim trousers will never be for you. If you couple that with a Chris Hemsworth jaw (in which case, kudos) then you’ll also have to be OK with not rocking Tom Ford’s equally chiselled eyewear. “You should try to balance out your facial features,” says Ducroux. So soften a square face with round glasses and give an oval face more edge with something angular. 4. Be web savvy Don’t feel obliged to buy from the same place you got your peepers tested. In chain opticians, your eyes are watering because of the mark-ups as much as the eye test, and the hit your wallet doesn’t necessarily improve the quality of what’s on your face. Instead, take your prescription online and look for frames made in either Japan or Italy, says Ducroux, with lenses from a Japanese or German camera brand – think Carl Zeiss or Nikon. Most retailers will send out samples for you to try on before you buy. “Always do it,” says Ducroux.
“It’s not easy to get a notion of how frames look on your face otherwise.” To check the fit, look in the mirror and make sure your pupils are centred in the lenses. Then drop your chin to your chest to see if they slide down your nose. If so, you’ll be picking them off the gym floor after every bent-over row. But don’t steer too grippy. “They shouldn’t be too tight around your temples or you’ll get headaches.” 5. Embrace the rainbow It’s 2015 – people won’t think you’re Elton John if your glasses aren’t matte black. “For darker skin tones, I’d recommend stronger or brighter colours to pop,” says Ducroux, while pale complexions should steer towards blues and neutrals. Just be sure to take it outside. “Colours and perceptions vary a lot with different lights,” says Ducroux, so canvass a second opinion in your living room and your garden. To ensure you’re prepped for the sun’s occasional appearances, consider Transitions lenses, which automatically darken in bright lights. Forget your geography teacher’s perma-grey glasses; the technology’s progressed to mean you’ll walk across lobbies looking like you’ve left your sunglasses on, but be fine by the time you reach your desk. For those who’d rather have a separate pair of shades, either steer close to shore or push the boat out. “If you’ve found your perfect frame, get something similar in sunglasses, but maybe with a brighter colour,” says Ducroux. “Otherwise, go for sunglasses that are really different from your eyeglasses, with larger frames.” When the sun’s out, you’re allowed to make a statement.
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Male
Relatio
Angle
Jide animashaun 08034710902 jidemashaun@yahoo.com
C
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Do African men
It’s a personal thing
ulture is dynamic and not static and part of the dynamism in it is the proliferation of a lot of European values and beliefs which our people especially the women have imbibed and are now trying to forcefully push down our collective throats all in the name of being up to par with their counterparts in the western world since they all come back from the euphoria of the Beijing conference. Some of them will say we African men are not romantic at all because we do not believe in the culture of giving flowers. The truth be told, in this part of the world it is only goats and other ruminants that eat flowers and other types of plants. Giving an African woman flowers to me can only signify one thing, I want to eat vegetables and she must go and cook it for me. Hey, before you all start laughing and holding your sides while thinking this man is from the village tucked somewhere in a no-man’s land, I’d like you know that I was born and breed in a very cosmopolitan African city that has a very robust potpourri of mixed cultures and indeed a place universally revered as a center of excellence. While having discussions with some friends and also going through some reading materials in the course of wanting to find out about other people’s opinions on this topic I was made to realise and understand that it is a misnomer to think that men don’t naturally respond to a woman’s romantic expressions and display and to give it back too while proposing. In Africa, women are grossly lacking when it comes to romance either due to culture or pretense or unrealistic ideas that a good relationship is more about finance and men taking care of their sweethearts and most times, African men have to dig deep into their hearts to get some romance that are often inadequate. The few men who try to show their romantic sides the society denounces and term promiscuous or weak. Often romance is perceived by majority of women in our culture as something you must give out in exchange for something not unconditional and most men see
this as selfishness, and this affects their naturally sound emotions negatively. The word romance is perceptual and how you view romance determines the equation of whether African men are romantic or not. Ideologically, the African man is emotional but lacks the right motivation to express the romantic aspect of his emotions. An example is anger as an emotional expression which can be triggered easily especially when temperance is not controlled. Romance as an expression of emotion on the other hand is hardly triggered as often as hate or anger. The African lady needs to learn how to enhance the opposite sex’s romantic wing to enable them express romance by creating an enabling environment, and understanding environmental differences and cultural diversity especially from the western culture to understand how the African man expresses his emotions. If I’m to paraphrase from what I’ve written before on African men and romance here, “people tend to forget that romance means different things to different people at different times. We all cannot be outgoing. Some men are quiet and easy going. To them, being romantic will be on the ‘slow lane’ and not too obviously seen unlike that of the outgoing type”. Proposal of marriage therefore will be a personal thing and whatever method used will definitely not only be a reflection of the person’s character, but a lot will also be borrowed from society’s norms and cultural values too. A romantic proposal doesn’t have to follow a Nollywood or Hollywood script. Real life is not about drama or behaving in a certain way just because we want to prove a point. Whether I kneel down with a ring in my hand, with soft music playing in the background whispering in a very low voice to my sweetheart, or I’m standing in the middle of the market with a bag of goods in my hands yelling on top of my lungs for my woman to marry me, all that matters is that I’ve decided to do the right thing by making “an honest woman” out of her.
SEX TALK
This column is x-rated
Top seven sexual fantasies
QUESTION: When my husband and I started dating, I never thought of anyone but him. But lately, when we have sex, my mind wanders and I sometimes fantasise about other men, even when we’re doing it. I feel bad about it but I’m not planning on telling him either. Is it a sign that the sex is bad? Do you think our sex will ever go back to the way it was? ANSWER: Sexual fantasies are not the same as sexual realities, and committing adultery in your heart or mind is not the same as going out and sleeping with a stranger. So quit the guilt! Fantasising about someone else while having sex happens to be very common. Survey research indicates that anywhere from 60-90% of women and men have sexual fantasies during intercourse. Roughly 95% of men and women say they have sexual fantasies in one situation or another. How common sexual fantasising is depends in part on whether you are asking people about sexual fantasies during masturbation, during sex with a partner, or at times when they aren’t engaged in any sexual activity (other than the fantasis ing). Research indicates that frequency of sexual fantasy declines with age, although the reasons for this have not been explored. Men tend to fantasize more than women dur-
ing masturbation and when not engaged in sexual activity, but this is not the case for fantasies during intercourse, where the gender differences are minor. Some studies find women engaging in sexual fantasy more than men. Using surveys that ask adults to recall, researchers found that sexual fantasies begin somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13. And similar research on sexual fantasy points to the fact that a healthy sexual fantasy life goes hand in hand with a healthy overall sex life. People who have sexual fantasies are more likely to be sexually satisfied, and they even have more sex. The negative side of sexual fantasies seems to be the emotional problems that come with feeling bad either about the content of your fantasies or the timing of them. Twenty-five percent of people say they feel guilty about sexual fantasies, and it’s this guilt that can lead to trouble. It’s also worth pointing out that your partner might be hurt by the sexual fantasies,
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RELATIONSHIPS
August 29, 2015
onships
Female
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especially if you give yourself away. If you don’t let it slip that you have been indulging in sexual fantasies, they may remain in blissful ignorance. If your partner happens to know what you have been up to, there has to be some working through of feelings and communicating about the difference between fantasy and reality. To answer your question about bad sex; a sign that the sex is bad is you thinking the sex is bad. Anything else could be a good thing, depending on how you feel about it and what sort of impact it has on your sexual and overall relationship. If these fantasies are getting in the way of you enjoying sex with your partner, then there is a problem, and one that you should bring your partner in on. If, on the other hand, you’re still happy with the level of intimacy and connection, and the kind of sex you’re having, you don’t need to see the fantasies as a problem. In early lists of top sexual fantasies oral sex was frequently on the list. As oral sex has become a less “alternative” and more commonly practiced and discussed sexual behaviour, it is less frequently seen on lists of most common sexual fantasies. That said, looking at research over the past thirty years there are some commonalities found on many lists. The top sexual
Angle
JACQUI IWU 08165049669 email: amiicaregroup@aol.com
really propose?
This column is x-rated
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This column is x-rated fantasies, in no particular order, are: 1. Having sex with your current partner 2. Having sex with a stranger or imaginary lover 3. Being forced or overpowered, or overpowering someone 4. Group sex 5. Reliving a previous sexual encounter 6. Different sex positions or locations 7. Doing things you would never do in reality Many people wonder if male sexual fantasy is fundamentally different from female sexual fantasy. But according to sexperts, if you make a list of most common male and female sexual fantasies, they would look pretty much the same. Some people might be surprised to learn that in surveys, the most common sexual fantasy was having sex with a partner. But when you think about it, and remember that sexual fantasies aren’t just the over-the-top dream sex you have, but include every time you think about sex and feel aroused, it makes sense that we would think more about the person we’re currently having sex with, hopefully because the sex is memorable!
Circumstances dictate otherwise
f you are married, can you think back how you proposed to your wife? Was it very memorable? If it is still fresh and bubbling in your memory that you relish it, it means it was quite romantic. You rock ..my guy!! If you can’t even remember how you did it, it means it is not romantic and worth it and it also means you never –ever proposed!!! Are you kidding? Are you folks aware that most African men do not even propose not to talk of how romantic or dry the proposal was? Now for the ladies who are reading this, can you also smile to yourself and say, ‘oohh..i can hardly forget how romantic the day my hubby proposed to me... it was out of this world..’? Or you are hissing right now and say‘Haba...biko..my girl forget it... proposal ko...romantic ni..’ Coming to the fact...the real fact that most African men do not even propose, who is to be blamed for this? Do you blame the man who was under pressure to marry a woman who was hanging 6months pregnancy on his head and insisting he must committ? In a situation like this, who cares about marriage proposals not to talk of being romantic? You see the point here folks? I do not believe that our African men are not romantic but certain circumstances during dating and courting that leads to forced / convenient marriage tie down their hands on being anything but romantic. How can you expect a man to also propose when he has a woman already living with him for years in his house and acting like a wife? If you ask me, the popular proposals for most African men are those sweet nothings and lies they say the first weeks they start dating a woman. Period! The women leeched on to men in marriage desperation giving the men no space to woo them the way they should. So what’s new? African men do not even ask for your per mission to date you first before talking of marriage. Sure...a man must have to ask a woman’s per mission or her family to date her. It is now
from dating that marriage may or may not happen which ofcourse where the main proposal comes in. Such relationship rules does not exist here in Naija...at all!!! Ever!!! As we enter the lovers month next February, if you are in a relationship and wondering what i mean by ‘romantic proposal’ or need some practical guide on how you can propose to your angel, be my GUEST and i will be your GUIDE. Talk with me!! No matter your location in Nigeria, i will plan simple and affordable romantic proposal that you and your girlfriend will forever cherish all through your marriage. Valentine period is a period when most lovers love to bring out their best in their love lives. Women love to be proposed to, during the month of february and due to what the month stands for, they keep it cherished as long as the month of february stands yearly. Are you men aware that no woman forgets a very romantic marriage proposal in her entire life? That the way you propose to your prospective wife goes a long way to ear n lasting respect for you as the husband? Do not just bundle a woman into your life and keeps riding like a cave man. Add some fun...some ...sizzling .....some lasting memories your woman can cherish for the rest of her life. Women are like flowers and must be pampered and cherished for ever!. This Valentine period, take out time to renew your love/ marriage vows and make your lover/wife feel loved, admired and special. Give her some valuable pampering to make her look her best and tur n heads when people see her. For the men who always quarrel with their girlfriends in the month of february to avoid Valentine pampering, be a man dude and stop playing tricks and silly games on your self respect. Women understand there games very well. So if you want to keep your woman to your self and ear n her respect, be a man and give your woman a good treat come February.
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Woman
‘I’m married to a rare gem’
Princess Pat Akpabio is a certified financial analyst from Georgia State University. An evangelist and a preacher of the word, she spoke with YEMISI ADENIRAN on her successful marriage, her exploits and the challenges she faces as a gospel artiste.
How did you come into music? Music has been a part of me since I was born. My father was an active member of a well known cultural group in his days and my mother was a member of her church choir. I grew up writing songs and singing in church. I started ministering in songs at the age of eight and I’ve been doing till today. It is my wish to keep on ministering in music to the Lord until the second coming of the Lord.
How would you differentiate gospel and secular music? In a simple language, secular music is non religious, not spiritual while gospel music is designed to praise God, to fulfill the purpose of God in the lives of the people. It is a kind of music that is composed to uplift the kingdom of God. It is far from a worldly music that is designed to gain financial benefit and other rewards like fame and prominence for the musician. A real gospel song or music does not have
provision for praising people no matter how important they are, it is designed to praise God Almighty only. It worships only God and not anybody. Gospel music is religious and spirit- filled songs. Its purpose is to send a message to people about the mind of God to them. It is to draw people unto God. Secular music has no spiritualility in its content. How would you describe the journey so far? I give thanks to God Almighty because He has been good to me. I can’t say the jour-
ney has been tough, no. However, I must say that since I took off, I have continually enjoyed the grace of God. What are the challenges you are facing as a gospel artiste? I am an ordained Evangelist who is not only singing about Christ Jesus but also preaching the word of God with an Apostolic oil. Blessed and fortunate to be envied, yes, but with all humility, I prefer to live a very simple and quiet life with my family. What God has blessed us with is for the ministry to grow and to be able to say
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August 29, 2015
The worst kind of death isn’t when you die and you are put in a casket and
dropped 6ft below the earth, but
what dies inside of you when you are still alive.
that indeed we are serving God and enjoy Him. I am a vessel in God’s hands but I haven’t arrived yet. The challenges I faced daily is nothing that is uncommon to man. Recently, we heard that a record label want to sign you on for 100 million, how true is that? Let’s just wait and see. The Lord is working something great out for His work. How do you get your inspirations? There is no limit to where I get my inspiration. I get it anywhere, any day, any time. It comes at times, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, on the road, just anywhere. One thing that I do is get prepared for its coming. When it comes, I don’t allow it to slip by unused. I am always at alert. What is your opinion about the music industry? What can one say? I believe the industry is growing and it’s getting bigger and better. It is the largest in Africa. We are gaining grounds in the world with our music and my prayer is that we keep going higher I must say however that some of the marketers and managers of artistes are not faithful. Some of them are not truly transparent and it is affecting the reward that should be coming for good work. But what can you do? You cannot do without them; you cannot do away with them because they are the devil you know. You don’t know what you will get from the other one you move to. So, we cope with them, anyway. But I must say that generally, the industry is growing. What advice do you have for upcoming artistes? This advice does not apply to artistes alone, it is a general one. The young ones should sit down and identify their talents and accept themselves the way they are. They should be sure of their call. Like me, I desired and I prayed for God’s help. He answered me and here I am today. Most parents also contribute to the problem of upcoming artistes. They just get to the studio anyhow and come up with something. It is true God can help anybody, but it is good to be sure of what someone wants. How would you describe the attitude of youths of today? Many are very wayward; many are very careless in their attitude. That is not to say that there are not many who are very straight and well-brought up. I think a lot depends on the parents. There is need to instill some good level of discipline in the children. There is the need to let them have the fear of God; there is the need to let them appreciate good virtues so that they can live a very good life. The government also has a role to play in all these. Once certain basic things are taken care of, there will be decrease in the level of crime and youths would be positively engaged. What’s your growing up like? I grew up like a normal kid. I had a good
mentoring from my parents, I was taught to fear God and do good to others just as I will want others to do to me. Who is your mentor? God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. How else do you give back to the society? I support other ministries and helping the less privilege through Pat Akpabio foundation. What is your greatest achievement in life? Serving God regardless of how I am being judged by the world and keeping it real all the time What is the current project you are working on? My fourth album titled “I’m unstoppable” and building of “The city of praise (TCOP) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State What kind of book do you read? The Bible and inspirational books. Which of the Artiste would you like to work with? Fred Hammond, Donnie, Yolanda Adams, Bebe Winans ,Monique, Chris Morgan, Buchi, Righteous man When is the most remarkable day of your life? The day I got born again Which part of your body is your favourite? I am wonderfully and fearfully made, so I love every part of my body. Tell us about your worst moment? It was when I lost my Father. What is fashion to you? It is all about being me and pleasing my husband. What is that fashion item you can never be caught wearing? It is anything that doesn’t fit me and my shape. What is that fashion item that form the larger part of your wardrobe and why? Shoes, bags and jewelry because it is fashion necessity. How do you manage your home, business and music? I want to attribute the possibility of combining all of these together to God Almighty. The Bible says it is not by power or by might but by the spirit of the Lord. I must say that God has been very helpful to me in this regard. He provides the wisdom that I need, the strength and the best man in the world. Being married to a rare gem like my husband is the best thing that has happened to me. He is one man who supports me in every sense of the meaning of support. In addition, my band members have been a very strong team that is encouraging and supportive as well. What is your current advice to the new Government? It should put God first in every decision. What is your greatest achievement? Living my dreams What is your advice to your fans that are looking up to you? They should know that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. This is according to -Eleanor Roosevelt. They should keep dreaming and striving to archive their dreams. The worst kind of death isn’t when you die and you are put in a casket and dropped 6ft below the earth, but what dies inside of you when you are still alive. The truth is they should do that which their hearts say is right. They should not mind criticism, they should not be bothered about distractions, they should be focused on their future and keep pushing forward until they achieve their goals. I am living my dreams and I suggest they should live theirs too.
Keeping ABREAST Beauty comes in different shapes, sizes
Women’s magazine features plus-size model on latest cover
• I almost cried when I opened my mailbox and saw a thick girl like me ON THE COVER. Thank you — Reader
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he front of the August issue of a women’s fitness magazine stars plus-size model, Erica Schenk,
18. Women’s Running magazine is stepping away from the super-skinny model mold by featuring a plus-size runner on its cover. While fitness magazines traditionally spotlight only the most ‘aspirational’ bodies - those that are exceptionally slim and toned - Women’s Running is using its latest issue to show that it would like all runners to feel able to see themselves within its pages. So, as editor-in-chief, Jessica Sebor says, they chose plus-size model, Erica Schenk, to star on the cover of the magazine’s August issue. Jessica said that Erica, 18, was a natural choice for the cover since they had already been shooting her for a feature in the magazine spotlighting athletic brands that are expanding their ranges to include running clothes for more sizes. The editor recognises that most health and fitness magazines stick to skinny and muscular models, and that perpetuates the idea that women who exercise are all thin - which, she said, is not true. “There’s a stereotype that all runners are skinny, and that’s just not the case,” she says. “Runners come in all shapes and sizes. You can go to any race finish line,
from a 5K to a marathon, and see that. It was important for us to celebrate that.” Erica herself is a runner, and has favoured the exercise since she was eight. The New Yorker - who is represented by Wilhelmina Models - especially loves running in Central Park, where she can ‘clear her head and think.’ And there are plenty of other plus-size women like her who relish working up a sweat - a fact which Jessica is aiming to represent in the magazine. “I think that every woman goes to the magazine rack sometimes and feels like she can’t see herself in the cover images,” she says. “We wanted our readers to feel like they could see themselves in our cover.” The publication’s plan is certainly working, as fans have jumped at the chance to show their excitement about the latest issue. “This cover makes me so happy! It helps me believe that I really can be a runner too!” said one woman on Twitter, while another added: “I almost cried when I opened my mailbox and saw a thick girl like me ON THE COVER. Thank you.” Running store, Fleet Feet Sports, chimed in too, writing: “Great cover of Women’s Running Magazine! Finally a magazine that shows runners come in all shapes, sizes, and ages.” Philadelphia (USA)-based running club, City Fit Girls, didn’t mince words, saying simply: “Nailed it.”
Parenting Dealing with the withdrawn child N Tiny Feet 36
August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression
ormally, the formation of lack of confidence and low self esteem always form during childhood. It is the crucial time that the concept and views of “self ” are forming. Therefore, parents should detect the sign and address the issue early that would make the child to grow confidently. Low self esteem is a form of thinking disorder in which the child views and considers themselves as lousy, inadequate, unworthy, unlovable, incompetent. The major key is to help the children to change their views of themselves and subsequently encourage them to change their thinking and attitude or behaviours in order to break the vicious cycle. Most importantly, the parents need to help the children to improve their emotional intelligence and how to deal with negative feeling and learn to communicate to people. Teach your child to solve problems and make decision:
High self-esteem and emotional resilience are founded on the belief t hat we have control over our lives. If your child is to develop this sense of control; they must learn problem solving and decision making skills early in life. It is impossible for a child who lacks these skills to feel in control. Help them to learn from, rather than be defeated by mistakes All children and most adults are concerned about making mistakes and looking foolish. Children with high self esteem can view mistakes as learning experiences, while children with low self esteem view mistakes as things they cannot change, that is why they quit or avoid task. To raise resilient children, it is essential to encourage a positive attitude towards mistakes. Teach your child to handle their emotion: Parents tend to avoid teaching children how to handle difficult emotions,
ParentingUpdate
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mother was left stunned when her ten-year-old daughter gave birth – hours after complaining of a stomach ache at school. Teachers at the child´s school took her to hospital where she was found to be seven months pregnant and already in late stages of labour. The child gave birth normally and she and the baby, born two months premature, are being cared for in the hospital’s neonatal unit, according to reports. The girl told her mother that she had a sore stomach
and later had to be taken to hospital by one of her school teachers. The girl and her family, from Belo Horizonte, southeast Brazil, claim they had no idea she was pregnant. Following the birth last Tuesday, she revealed to her mother that she had been abused by her stepfather, who has since left the home. The mother later reported the abuse to police, who arrested the ex-stepfather, aged 40, who reportedly confessed the crime. According to police, the girl´s mother said that her daughter started to struggle
but by teaching them this will result in growing compassionate children and later grow into compassionate adults. Explain to them that there will be times when they may feel as if no one likes them or they can do nothing and sometimes everyone may feel as if others do not like them; when they feel this way it is the time to find someone to talk to.
Communicate with your child and teach them how to express their emotion: Make the child feel that the parents are always willing and available when they are ready to discuss their issues. Parents can help the child by teaching them vocabulary of emotions, making it easier for them to express their own emotions. It is not easy for a child, even adult to directly speak about and state their own feelings since it is human nature to over complicate how we feel and blame another person for stirring up their emotion.
NAME: Oseni Hamdat BORN TO: Mr and Mrs Ibrahim Oseni, AGE: 19 days old BIRTH WEIGHT: 2.7 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com
Ten-year-old gives birth after complaining of stomach ache
File picture of pregnant child
at school and become more introverted from October last year. Police chief Capt. Castro, from Belo Horizonte´s 61st Military Police Battalion, said that the mother hadn´t noticed her daughter´s growing belly. He said: “The mother alleges that she, along with other family members, hadn´t noticed, taking into consideration the child´s small frame.” The girl told police that her ex-stepfather threatened to kill her mother and brother if she ever told anyone about the abuse. He has been charged with rape of a child and illegal possession of firearms.
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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
Umoja village (Northern Kenya) is quite an unusual place. It is inhabited only by women, their children and livestock. No men are allowed there. Most of the women that dwell in Umoja are victims of rape and sexual abuse.
People
Village where men are banned
U
moja is a village in the grasslands of Samburu, in northern Kenya. It is surrounded by a fence of thorns. There are goats and chickens, beautiful children and women who make jewellery to sell to tourists. Their fingers work quickly as they talk and laugh with each other. It is a typical Samburu village, except for one thing: no men live there. At Umoja, they wear traditional Samburu dress of patterned skirts, brightly coloured shirts and a kanga (a colourful wrap) tied on their shoulders. Their necklaces are made of strings of vividly coloured beads from stunning circular patterns around their necks. The colourful clothing contrasts with the dry air and terrain, and the harsh sun that picks out the dust that fills the air. The village was founded in 1990 by a group of 15 women who were survivors of rape by local British soldiers. Umoja’s population has now expanded to include any woman escaping child marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic violence and rape – all of which are cultural norms among the Samburu. Rebecca Lolosoli is the village matriarch and a founder of Umoja. She was in hospital recovering from a beating by a group of men when she came up with the idea of a women-only community. The beating was an attempt to teach her a lesson for daring to speak to women in her village about their rights. The Samburu are closely related to the Maasai tribe, and they speak a similar language. They usually live in groups of five to 10 families and are semi-nomadic pastoralists. Their culture is deeply patriarchal. At village meetings, men sit in an inner circle to discuss important village issues, while the women sit on the outside, only occasionally allowed to express an opinion. Umoja’s first members all came from the isolated Samburu villages dotted across the Rift Valley. Since then, women and girls who hear of the refuge come and learn how to trade, raise their children and live without fear of male violence and discrimination. Statistics show that there are currently 47 women and 200 children in Umoja. Although the inhabitants live extremely frugally, these enterprising women and girls earn a regular income that provides food, clothing and shelter for all. A kilometre away by the river, village leaders run a campsite, where groups of safari tourists stay. Many of these tourists, and others passing through nearby nature reserves, also visit Umoja. The women charge a modest entrance fee and hope that, once in the village, the visitors will buy jewellery made by the women in the craft
centre. One of the unique features of the Umoja community is that some of the more experienced residents train and educate women and girls from surrounding Samburu villages on issues such as early marriages and FGM. Ornate beaded jewellery is an important accoutrement of Samburu culture. Girls get their first necklaces from their father in a ceremony known as “beading.” The father chooses an older “warrior” male with which the daughter will enter into a temporary marriage at this time. Pregnancy is forbidden, but contraceptives are unavailable. If a teenager becomes pregnant, she is forced into an abortion, conducted by other women in the village. There is a tree known as the “tree of speech,” where the women gather to make decisions. There, the women also speak freely of their fears, dreams, goals and achievements. The only man seen in Umoja is Lotukoi. He arrives in the village every day, before sunrise, to tend to the herds. “Children, firewood and cooking are women’s business, and men look after the animals,” he said. The women tend to need him to help.
Lotukoi says: “It’s funny because you don’t see men around here but you see small children, which means women go get men outside.” There is speculation about the village in the neighbourhood. In the next village, Samuel, the village elder says that “the majority of men have three to four wives in this village.” “This is a village of women who live alone, who are not married. Some of them are rape victims, some are child marriage cases. They think they are living without men, but that is not possible,” Samuel points out. The village head continues: “Many of them end up with babies, because they meet men in the towns and get seduced by them, and men come here in the nights and go into their huts. Nobody else sees them.” As the community of Umoja has grown, the memories of one of the main causes of it – the rape they were subjected to by the British soldiers and Gurkhas – do not fade. Sammy Kania, 33, says: “Once a woman is raped, they are not clean any more in Islam and Qur’an culture. It is not fair, because it happens by accident. The husband could have taken them for an HIV test so that they can continue with life,
take care for their children and feed them.” “In 2003, a group of women from Umoja met with solicitors from Leigh Day, a UK-based practice that held a monthly surgery in nearby Archers Post to work with locals who had been injured by bombs left behind by the British army. “The women disclosed allegations of rape spanning 30 years. Most women reported cases of gang rape by soldiers, who attacked the women when they were out gathering firewood or fetching clean water. “Many of the women tell me they cannot imagine living with a man again after they have been living in Umoja. Mary, 34, who says she was sold to a man of 80 for a herd of cows when she was 16 years old said: ‘I don’t want to ever leave this supportive community of women.’ “Rape is a very traumatic experience and a sensitive issue. Most times, it is either not reported or under-reported to fieldworkers and the authorities, no matter how carefully designed the process applied. However, this risk can be minimized by giving sensitivity training to fieldworkers by qualified counselors.”
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August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘My wife keeps many big men’
• I caught her several times and l reported to her mother, but the mother was always in her support —Husband • My husband is jealous and always feels insecure and thereby trailing and monitoring my movement whenever I go out or go to the school —Wife
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23-year-old woman Mrs. Olanike Ogunsakin has urged an Orile-Agege Customary Court, Lagos, to dissolve her four-year-old marriage to her husband Mr Yinka Ogunsakin over alleged battery and threat to her life. “My husband is jealous and always feels insecure and thereby trailing and monitoring my movement whenever I go out or go to the school,” Mrs. Ogunsakin told the court. “Because of his temperament, I left his house for my parent’s house when I was pregnant. I left to prevent his frequent
‘She pushed me to have girlfriends’
• I went outside to look for love when I was frustrated by the woman I married. I needed a woman that would pamper me. I found love outside my home; but the woman died suddenly with our five-month-old baby —Husband • My husband was a good and loving man when he had nothing. But because he is comfortable now, he does not want me again —Wife Stories by: Muda Oyeniran
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n Agege Grade Customary Court, Lagos granted the wish of Wahab Adekola who wanted the dissolution of his 21-year-old marriage as he accused his wife of fetish acts and nagging. “I went outside to look for love when I was frustrated by the woman I married; I needed a woman that would pamper me. I found love outside my home; but the woman died suddenly with our five-month-old baby,” Adekola, a transporter, who lives at Aparadija new site, Ota, Ogun. “I am so sure my first wife was responsible because she always threatened to kill any woman associated with me. “She nagged a lot, she was troublesome and always in the mood to fight. I did not enjoy myself throughout our stay together. “She pushed me to have girl-
friends because she did not give me peace at home; also, I am a true Muslim, I am entitled to marry more than one wife. “Any time she heard that I was going out with any lady, she would look for the lady and threaten to kill her,” he said. “I lived in fear all through my years with her, yet, I paid for everything at home. I want the court to dissolve the union. I want the court to tell her to desist from coming to my abode and I want custody of my children,” he said.. In her defence, the respondent said she still loved her husband and never meant any evil for him or his deceased wife and child. “I do not know anything about the death of his wife and child. I loved my husband. I shared every single penny I made with him, when he had nothing,” she said. “I contributed to the building of the house. I built a house for another woman to dwell in, now another woman will train my children for me.
“If I had known, I would not have contributed to the building of the house he is staying in now with his wife”. “My husband was a good and loving man when he had nothing, but because he is comfortable now, he does not want me again,”
she said. “I am ready to leave him, but I want the court to beg him so that he will not kill me. I know I was charmed by either him or one of his girl friends that wanted him at all costs,” she said.
beating.” Olanike, who lives at 9, Mashed Ashafa Close, OrileAgege, told the court that her husband used the cane to beat her at every opportunity he gets, adding that he had no respect for her, and does not take care of the only child of the union. According to her, her husband started showing his bully nature when she was two months pregnant. The mother of one is still a student. “My husband cannot take care of our child. He stays in a room apartment with his friends; so I want the custody of my child,” she said. Her 30-year-old husband, Mr Yinka Ogunsakin, however denied the allegations. “I trailed her to an hotel with one of her concubines and since that day I stopped providing for her needs,” he said. “I married her out of pity because, according to her story, she was defiled and got pregnant which she later aborted,” he said. “I could have called it quits with her if not for the compassion I had for her, but now, my eyes are opened, I am ready for the dissolution,” the husband told the court. Yinka, an IT engineer, who lives at 5, Olooti Close, Orile Agege, said her wife was adulterous, and kept “many big men”. “I caught her several times and l reported to her mother but the mother was always in her support.” The court president, Mr Joseph Adewusi, who told the couple to maintain the peace adjourned the case for judgment.
‘I borrowed him my dowry and he hasn’t paid back’
• I want the marriage dissolved because I don’t like her again —Husband
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33-year-old housewife, Mrs Helen Monago, has told an Igando Customary Court, Lagos that her husband’s promise to return the money she borrowed him to pay her dowry and for their wedding has not been fulfilled. Helen Monago said this while testifying in a petition filed by her husband, Mr Johnson Monago, seeking the dissolution of their
marriage. She said that she borrowed him the money because of his poor financial status then. Testifying further, Helen said Mr Munago is a drunk, adding that he was fond of beating her whenever she queried his late night movements. In his response, the petitioner admitted that the respondent borrowed him part of the money used for their wedding but that he
never promised to pay back. “I want the marriage dissolved because I don’t like her again,” Monago told the court. He told the court to dissolve the marriage because his wife fights him always and doesn’t respect his parents. He also accused her of going out and coming back when she likes. The case has been adjourned till 2 February, 2016.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
DIVORCE COURT
August 29, 2015
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‘My wife fights and rains curses on me’
• Because of her troubles, I had to leave the house for her and move to the camp —Husband • About six members of the church have called me on phone, telling me to warn my husband. I told him to stop disgracing God and turn a new leaf, but he refused —Wife
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n Igando Customary Court on Friday granted the prayers of Pastor Goodness Enemechukwu after he had filed for divorce majorly because of his wife’s lack of respect and support.
“My wife is giving me a tough time; she does not respect me, she fights me and rains curses on me,’’ Goodness told the court. He claimed that Augustina also refused to support his ministry, and that she discouraged worshippers from coming to the church. “Because of her troubles, I had to leave the house for her and move to the camp.” He prayed the court to dissolve the union to enable him to forge ahead in his pastoral work. In her defense, Augustina denied the allegations, saying that she has been a submissive wife, but her husband couldn’t see that only because he was womanizing. “About six members of the church have called me on phone, telling me to warn my husband. I told him to stop disgracing God and turn a new leaf, but he refused,” she said. The Court President, Mr Adewale Eko, held that Pastor Goodness Enemechukwu and Augustina were no longer husband and wife, as efforts of the court to save the 26 years union failed. “This court has no choice than to dissolve the union, in spite of the fact that the wife still claims she loves her husband. The parties are free to go their separate ways,’’ he ruled. He said three out of the seven children of the marriage, aged 25, 23, 21 were old enough to decide where to live. “The custody of the remaining four children, who are under age, is hereby referred to the Family Court,” he said. Eko ordered Pastor Good-
ness to pay N100,000 as rehabilitation cost to Augustina, and N10,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children while he should allow Augustina to pack her belongings from the house in the presence of some court officials and the police.
Man dumps wife, six children after 46 years of marriage
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he Marriage between a Professor of Library and Information Science, Professor Benki S. H. Womboh, of Modibbo Adama Unviesity of Technology ,Yola and his warmongering wife Mrs Grace Ayoo of Nbakaayan kuduv district of Buruku LGA council in Benue state had hit the rocks over alleged threat to life and marriage unfaithfulness. The Librarian who narrates his marriage as a bitter experience of ups and downs with his 55years wife who inflicted untold pains to him,his reason to deposed her with six other children over extra marital affairs. Womboh 67years did this by taken an oath of Affidavit in a Federal High court of Nigeria sitting in Yola to disowned them, stressing that he was fed up with their marriage coupled with the threat to kill him and after many times of been unfaithful to the marriage vows as according to him,’’ there was no longer any love in the marriage.’’ He further told the court he had
tried several times to reconcile their differences but all efforts proved abortive. ‘’ There were several attempts to hold reconciliation meetings with Grace Ayoo, her children and family members but to no avail. Even a meeting convinced at the instance of Grace Ayoo’s Pastor at NKST Akaajime, but she refused to attend,’’ he noted. In the affidavit Professor Womboh said he was forced out of sympathy and his friendship to late Pastor Jacob Ayoo to contract a probational marriage with Grace Ayoo in August 1969 at Makurdi. While fielding questions from newsmen, Womboh further regrets that the wife Grace Ayoo had shared the six (6) children of the marriage and gave him only one boy, who is now a legal luminary in Makurdi, Benue state. ‘’Grace Ayoo took away six (6) Girls and one Boys (Friday Terungwa and Jessica Fumilayo are those initially know not to be my children) and sworn that they were not fathered by me. And
to make matters worse, she married a Security Man from the then Benue Cement Company (now Dangote Cement Company) and she sued me, for divorce at a magistrate court at Makurdi. ‘’The court case was struck out because the man who married Grace Ayoo died and so she stopped attending the court,’’ said he. Womboh also stated in the said affidavit that on Sunday 29th August 1999, Mr. Atile Ayoo, the new Family Head took Grace Ayoo and the five (5) children back to Womboh’s father at Tyowanye, Buruku Local Government, Benue State. Although Womboh refused to take back the woman and five children, his father prevailed on him and so he accepted them back. In his words,‘’But as a result of Grace Ayoo deserting the marriage at various times, I had to marry three other wives “in succession”, which means that as any one of them left he had to marry another one,because I do not want to be a bachelor at any point in time.
‘’When Grace Ayoo was brought back in 1999, she refused to recognize these other three wives and their four (4) children. On 9th June 2014 she invited me to her residence at Gboko and dictated new marital terms to me as follows: ‘’Drive away the other three wives,’’ and failure to comply, she vowed to take away the six (6) children from him and give them to her elder brother, Mr. Atile Ayoo, to be their father,just as she threatened to organize people to assassinate me and drive away the three wives and their children; and take away all of my properties.’’ Womboh further explained that, ‘’ the six children, whose ages range from 36-46, have refused to call their mother to order not to make them bastards in the Nigerian society. ‘’The said children, either by means of a devilish spell or covenant, have become so gullible that whatsoever their mother says, they accept hook, line and sinker! ‘’ he exclaimed.
‘He told me I should be eating once a day after delivery’
• I love and respect everyone around my husband, but what usually causes misunderstanding between us is the issue of money. He does not give me and my child money for feeding —Wife • My wife is a troublesome woman. She has driven almost all my church members away —Husband
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astor Ope Balogun has pleaded with an Orile Agege Grade Customary Court, Lagos, to dissolve his three-year-old marriage to his wife, Taiwo, whom he accused of troublesome acts and nagging. “My wife, Taiwo, is a troublesome woman. She has driven almost all my church members away”, the 54-year-old cleric, who lives at 7, Ilupeju Street, Oke-Odo, Agege, said as he testified that he had not known peace since he married his wife.
“My children from my previous marriage cannot come to our house because they are afraid of my wife. My family members cannot visit me as well. “My Bible school students cannot continue their studies because of her incessant troubles and even some pastors working under me left the church. Speaking further, Balogun alleged that his wife drove him out of his house on Nov. 2012.
“She pursued me from the house and she still came to damage the windows of where I am taking refuge,” he said. The 36-year-old wife, Taiwo however denied the allegations. “I am the ninth wife of Pastor Balogun. Trouble started when I took in, and he told me that he did not want a child again but s*x. “He maltreated me during the pregnancy and did not pay my hospital bills when I was delivered of the baby. “I love and respect everyone
around my husband, but what usually causes misunderstanding between us is the issue of money. He does not give me and my child money for feeding. “After the delivery, he told me that I should be eating once a day, so how do you expect the house to be peaceful?” The defendant however told the court that despite the fact that her husband doesn’t want her anymore; she doesn’t want to leave him because of her child.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
LIVING
August 29, 2015
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11 hidden museums in Nigeria Nigeria has many cultural sites and sights which are not given the publicity or attention they deserve, such that even a Nigerian remains unaware of them. Here is a peek into 11 museums which have largely gone unnoticed.
Pelu Awofeso 1. The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation Museum: Most of the artworks displayed by the 50 participating countries at FESTAC ’77 are housed inside the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, on Broad Street in Lagos. And that includes the larger-thanlife sculpture, up to 20 feet tall, of Queen Idia, the festival’s iconic logo. Exhibits in the four galleries include prototypes of traditional architecture, textiles, figurines, and lots more.
2. Odu’a Museum and Hall of Fame: Cocoa House in Ibadan, the first skyscraper in Nigeria, is home to the Odu’a Hall of Fame and Museum located on the 24th floor. The museum was declared open to the public in 2013 by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. As the name implies, what you’ll find here are exhibits that promote the culture, history and heritage of the Yoruba; masquerades, musical instruments, fashion, and royalty, to mention a few. Prepare to be transported back to the era of Atupa (oil-lamps) and vicious intra-ethnic wars from the 19th century.
3. Zoology Museum, University of Ibadan: The University of Ibadan zoo is popular among residents of and visitors to the “pacesetter state.” What most tourists don’t know, however, is that just a few metres from the zoo is a well-stocked Zoology Museum, which has a captivating array of specimens (wet and dry-preserved; extinct and nonextinct) of the animal kingdom — from crabs and cranes to mice and millipedes.
4. Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture: The Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture is situated inside the Jos National Museum, Plateau state, and comprises life-size replicas of the building styles of different ethnic groups in Nigeria. What makes MOTNA a big deal is that it is reportedly the only one of its kind in the world. When you have concluded your tour, you may stroll over to the Bight of Benin restaurant, another masterpiece of traditional architecture, for a snack or a meal.
5. The Pottery Museum: The pottery section of the Jos National Museum houses hundreds of earthenware (all shapes, all sizes) representative of almost every culture in Nigeria. Just so you know: pottery is not just for storing water. They serve other purposes, including ceremonial and traditional. Sadly, that awesome collection is losing its shine as a result of neglect, so go see it fast before the elements do more ir-
reparable damage.
Museum: The ‘money museum’ was commissioned by the Central Bank of
6. The Yar’Adua Museum: Nigeria in 2009 as part of its 50th anni-
Officially described as the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Exhibition, this collection is housed in the sparkling Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Central Area, Abuja. It celebrates the life, personality and achievements of one of Nigeria’s undercelebrated heroes who died in 1997, aged 54.
7. The Slave History Museum: Commissioned a few years ago by the Cross River state government (at the Marina Resort), this museum features the graphic rendering of slaves and their European masters. There is an audiovisual element to the exhibits (including the playback of screams by slaves in pain which feels almost real). This museum is about the closest anyone in Nigeria today can get to feel the torment of slavery.
8. The Nigerian Currency
versary. Showcasing Nigeria’s currency evolution - from manilas to the naira, it is located in the bank’s Abuja office and requires visitors to apply in advance.
9. Shyllon Museum of Nigerian Art: This museum is still in the works and is a donation by one of Nigeria’s best-known collectors (Engr. Yemisi Shyllon) to the Pan Atlantic University (Ajah, Lagos). When the museum is eventually open to the public, it will kick off with 1,000 pieces of art, including works by the likes of El Anatsui, Yusuf Grillo, and Bruce Onabrakpeya. It’s a “one-stopmuseum of ancient, traditional, modern and contemporary Nigerian art.”
10. Hubert Ogunde Museum: This museum, situated in the country home (Ososa, Ogun state) of the late pacesetting filmmaker, was officially opened
in April 2015 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Ogunde’s death. In it, you’ll find Ogunde’s personal effects, photographs, scripts and costumes from his stage and film productions, and the albums he released in his lifetime. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the entire facility, which includes Ogunde’s room, the rehearsals spot, multiple changing rooms and two of the vehicles which transported the group across the country.
11. Aroko Green museum: For environmentalists and anyone who is interested in the subject of recycling, this is the museum you should visit. Set up recently on the outskirts of Abeokuta (Ogun state) by artist Olanrewaju Tejuosho, Aroko displays works by Tejuosho, all made from domestic waste. To hear the curator explain the inspiration underpinning them is to have a rethink about the trash we generate on a daily basis. (Culled from Naij.com)
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August 29, 2015
Pregnancy care Doctor Talabi has answers to your health questions
Write him today at prettyprevent@gmail.com or text 09099346165 (sms only pls)
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his week, I am going to feature an article written by a very senior colleague, who magnanimously granted me permission to do so, though he has chosen to remain anonymous. After reading the article the first time, its simplicity and depth of information struck me. I think a lot of pregnant women will benefit from it. Find it here undiluted. Happy reading!
Pregnancy care consists of prenatal or antenatal (before birth) and postnatal (after birth) healthcare for expectant mothers. It involves treatments and trainings to ensure healthy pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and birthing process for the mother and for her child. Prenatal care Prenatal care helps to decrease risks during pregnancy and increase the chance of a safe and healthy delivery for the mother and for the child. Regular prenatal visit can help your doctor monitor your pregnancy and identify any problems or complications before they become serious. Babies born to mothers who lack prenatal care have triple the chance of low birth weight. Newborns with low birth weight are five times more likely to die than those whose mothers received prenatal care. Prenatal care ideally starts at least three months before you begin trying to conceive. Some healthy habits to follow during this period include: • Quitting smoking and drinking alcohol • Taking folic acid supplements (400 to 800 micrograms) • Talking to your doctor about your medical conditions and any dietary supplements and over-the-counter or prescription drugs that you take • Avoiding all contacts with toxic substances and chemicals at home or work that could be harmful During pregnancy
Once you become pregnant, your physician or midwife will schedule regular appointment throughout each stage of your pregnancy A schedule of visits may involve seeing doctor: Every month in the first six months you are pregnant Every two weeks in the seventh and eighth month you are pregnant Every week during your ninth month of pregnancy During these visits, your doctor will check your health and the health of your baby. Visits may include: Taking routine tests and screening, such as a blood test to check for anemia, HIV, and your blood type Monitoring your blood pressure Measuring your weight gain Monitoring the baby’s growth and heart rate Talking about special diet and exercise Later visits may also include checking the baby’s position and noting changes in your body as you prepare for birth, your doctor may also offer special classes at different stages of your pregnancy. These classes will: Discuss what to expect when you are pregnant Prepare you for the birth Teach you basic skills for caring for your baby If your pregnancy is considered highrisk because of your age or health conditions, you may require more frequent
visits and special care. You may also need to see a doctor who works with high-risk pregnancies. Postnatal care While most attention to pregnancy care focuses on the nine months of pregnancy, postnatal care is important as well. The postnatal period last six to eight weeks, beginning right after the baby is born. During this period, the mother goes through many physical and emotional changes while learning to care for her newborn. Postnatal care involves getting proper rest, nutrition, and vaginal care. Getting enough rest: Rest is crucial to new mothers who need to rebuild their strength. To avoid getting too tired as a new mother, you may need to: Sleep when your baby sleeps Keep your bed near your baby’s crib to make night feeding easier Eating Right: Because of the changes your body goes through during pregnancy and labor, getting proper nutrition in the postnatal period is crucial. The weight that you gained during pregnancy helps make sure you have enough nutrition for
breastfeeding. However, you need to continue to eat a healthy diet after delivery. Experts recommend that breastfeeding mothers eat when they feel hungry. Make a special effort to focus on eating when you are actually hungry –not just busy or tired. Try to: -avoid high-fat snacks -focus on eating low-fat foods that balance protein, carbohydrate, fruits and vegetables -drink plenty of fluids Vaginal care New mothers should make vaginal care an essential part of their postnatal care. You may experience: Vaginal soreness, if you had a tear during delivery Urination problems, such as pain or a frequent urge to urinate Discharge, including small blood clots Contractions during the first few days after delivery Schedule a check up with your doctor about six weeks after delivery to discuss symptoms and receive proper treatment. You abstain from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks after delivery so that your vagina has proper time to heal.
Dear Mirror Doctor Dear Doctor, I need your advice on diabetic foot. I am a patient. I have tried different drugs without result. Please help. My name is Kehinde Ajayi Dear Kehinde Ajayi, It may interest you to know that diabetic foot was discussed about two weeks ago on this column. If you can lay your
hands on that particular edition, some of your queries would be answered. Suffice to say that management of diabetic foot is multidisciplinary, starting with getting your blood sugar under control. Kindly discuss with your doctor on the modalities that will work for you in particular. You may also send an email to ‘’prettyprevent@gmail.com’’ and I will try to answer your specific questions.
Dear Mirror Doctor, what type of cream can my boy use for tinea capitis….08178……826 Dear anonymous, Tinea capitis is a fungal infection. Therefore if you chose to include topical medication as part of the treatment, any of the available antifungal cream will do.
It is advised though that you combine medicated shampoo with oral antifungal such as Griseofulvin in the treatment of Tinea capitis and that you continue the treatment for at least two weeks after the disappearance of symptoms . You can chat with a doctor FREE at www.prettyhealthcare.com.ng. Every Wednesdays and Fridays (4-8pm)
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Ojukwu Bunker: Ingenuity personified T
he Igbo ingenuity has been explicitly expressed in commerce, industry, science and technology, and virtually all the spheres of human endeavour. No endeavour showcases Igbo ingenuity more than “Ojukwu Bunker” an annex of the National War Museum, which is located in Umuahia, Abia State capital. When Enugu, the first capital of Biafran Republic fell to the hands of the Federal troops, it became unsafe as the federal troop attacked the Biafran Army from the Northern part of Nigeria. The need to proceed to the hinterland arose when Enugu was unsafe and that was when the choice was made. A visit to Late Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu’s civil war home would expose the architecture in its magnificence. It is an appreciation of creativity, determination and doggedness of the Igbo race in the face of tribulation. According to one of the guides, the personal house of the late Premier of the Eastern Region, Chief Michael Iheonukara Okpara in Umuahia was donated and used to serve as official residence of the leader of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. The need to provide a shield and protect Ojukwu and his men from incessant air raid and other attacks by the federal troop, gave rise to the construction of the bunker that could also serve as an underground escape route which would lead to thick forest around the house in case of any sudden attack. The bunker, according to the guide, which was originally called the Subterranean Office of the Government of Biafra, was renamed Ojukwu Bunker by members of the public after the civil war .The 26.9 feet deep bunker was built within 90 days from April to June 1968. Frank Mbanefo Associates in Port- Harcourt undertook the architectural design while the structural design was done by Agbim and Partners also in Port Harcourt. Builders are Mr. Joel Okechukwu Onyemelukwe. Theironyof thewholeepisodeisthatthe builders and designers were in their 30s. As one approaches the building, he or she is greeted by the statue of the late Premier of Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara. The inscription on the statue reads: the statue is dedicated to a patriotic Nigerian and Elder Statesman, the
late Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, Second Premier of Eastern Nigeria”. Also in the front of the building is the sculpted bust of the late warlord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. The compound is expansive, accommodating the main building- a one storey-building, and other smaller houses meant for domestic servants. The landscaped compound and the lush green surroundings with a children’s playing area, add splendour to the environment. The serenity of the place provides leisure for relaxation, and this is indicated by chairs scattered outside. The entrance to the building is accommodated in a small building of about four by four feet that could pass for a pit toilet. This serves as a façade for the entrance. The distance between the staircase and the building is about 30 feet. The tunnel that leads down is made of concrete. It is about three feet wide and seven feet high; and this makes it difficult for two people to walk along the corridor side by side. One person would have to be at the front while the other stays behind. As one steps on the tunnel, the echo reverberates inside. The essence of this is to alert those inside of an approaching intruder, and for them to prepare their escape through the escape routes.
The bunker is divided into compartments such as conference room, store room, toilet, kitchen, ventilation shaft, cell for prisoners of war as well as escape routes. The bunker is well ventilated through holes made along the corridor with a metal pole on the surface of the ground above that draws air deep down. The passage leads directly to the modest three-room apartment below, which served as Ojukwu’s abode during the war. In the conference room hung pictures of some of the best brains in the Biafran land who served as Ojukwu’s think- tank. They are Dr. Pius Okigbo, Cyprian Ekwensi, and Prof. Chinua Achebe, all of blessed memory. The picture of the young bearded Ojukwu clad in full Biafran camouflage also decorates the conference. One of the rooms served as Ojukwu’s living room. The living room also accommodated the dining. Another room served as his bedroom. There are traces of air conditioners while other sides are positioned against the prisoners’ cell. The essence of this, it was learnt, was for the prisoners to feel the heat emitted by the conditioners at the reverse side. Pictures of war scenes also
decorate one of the rooms, while a safe was built in the wall. The safe contains vital documents of the Biafran Republic. Beside the kitchen is a bathroom and toilet. There are also pictures of scenes from the war also there. The room has air conditioner holes. There is also a safe built to the wall of the room inside. The second room is Ojukwu’s living room which also serves as dining while the third is his bedroom. Beside the kitchen is a bathroom and toilet. There are two escape routes in case of emergency. They are both on the left and right hand sides of the three-room underground apartment. But the escape exit has concrete staircase like the one at the entrance. Metals are simply fixed to the wall serving as sharp steps that a person can both hold and step on as he or she makes his or her way upward. There are three options of making one’s way out of the bunker just as it was the case during the war. They are the two emergency exits or the main entrance using the step. The emergency exits are from the bunker. Ojukwu bunker is a “tourists’ attraction” which reminds one of the pains and bitter experiences of not just the Biafran war, but all wars.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
A GOOD POLITICIAN IS QUITE AS UNTHINKABLE AS AN HONEST BURGLAR – H.I MENCKEN
LEISURE
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August 29, 2015
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
From the Civil Service Shun corruption or leave service, Buhari tells civil servants P
resident Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja warned civil servants to shun corrupt practices or be ready to leave the civil service. The Permanent Secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Govern-
ment of the Federation, Alhaji Muhammed Bukar, said President Buhari gave the warning when he was briefed on the activities of the General Services Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Bukar said Buhari underscored the importance of strict adherence to the rules and laws guiding public service. “We have received a mandate to work harder. He has given us a very strong warning that change has come and ev-
ery public servant has to sit up. We will give our best to support the government. “We told him what we have been doing in support of the government’s policies and the president promised to give us the support and
the political will to do our job better.’’ Bukar, who led five other permanent secretaries in the SGF Office during the meeting, said they also briefed the president on the Centenary Project. Bukar disclosed that a former Head of State,
retired Gen. Andulsalami Abubakar, who is the Chairman, Centenary Limited Board, would brief Buhari on the project on Friday. According to him, “no kobo of Federal Government went into the building of Centenary City.’’
Task force boss alerts public on fake officers T he Chairman of Edo State InterMinisterial Task Force, Engineer David Olukoga has advised members of the public to be watchful of illegal boys claiming to be task force officers in order not to fall victim. Engineer Olukoga made this known after he received complaints from the general public that some of the officers of the Inter -Ministerial committee assigned to control traffic and stop trading on the road of Benin Metropolis, were extorting money from the public. A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Transport, Francisca Iyogan, made available to the media indicated that the boys in question claim to be task force agents and extort money from the public. The statement also explained that due to the illegal activities of the fake task force officers, members of the task force were called by the state Government from the street, so that they can be properly trained
and the Inter-Ministerial Committee should be
restructured and reorganised for a better
service delivery. The Government, the
release said, has made task force officers go off
L-R: Director, Macro-Economic Analysis, National Planning Commission (NPC), Mr. Tunde Lawal; representative of the Executive Secretary, NPC, Mr. Chris Ezeilo and former Statistician-General of the Federation, Prof. Akin Akinyosoye, during the NPC Training on Strategic Planning Budgeting and Medium Term Expenditure Framework for officials of the commission and selected federal ministries, departments and agencies, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
the streets for two weeks to be properly trained. It also emphasized that a monitoring team was set up to check these illegal persons extorting money from the public. In a related development, the statement disclosed that one Master Aiyegbemn Sunday was arrested at Ugbowo after being reported for having seized a vehicle and demanding thirty-five thousand Naira (N35,000) for its release. On getting there, Master Aiyegbemn Sunday was caught extorting money from other defaulters.
States’ bailout: Banks to release funds for salary arrears T he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the request by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to provide financial accommodation to state governments to enable them to pay the backlog of salaries of their workers. This is contained in a
statement yesterday in Abuja by the Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr Mu’azu Ibrahim. According to the statement, the approval was based on the CBN’s decision to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to consider ways of liquidating the outstanding staff
salaries owed by state and local governments. “The conditions for accessing the loan facility include State Executive Council authorisation, state House of Assembly consenting to the loan package, as well as issuance of Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO)
to ensure timely repayment. “Out of the 27 states involved, funds hwave been disbursed to two states namely Zamfara and Kwara states that met the requirements as agreed with their respective banks. “Efforts will be made in the coming days to conclude disbursements to other states so that all outstanding salaries to civil
servants can be cleared,” it stated. This is coming three days after the DirectorGeneral, Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, said bonds had been released to 14 commercial banks to enable them to aid states. The DMO boss said the debt restructuring was open to all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Sport
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
August 29, 2015
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AAG: How prepared is Team Nigeria to win in Congo?
Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominiue Duncan, and Christy Udoh of Nigeria celebrate on the podium after winning the final of the women’s of the 4 x 400 meters at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas in May.
Ifeanyi Eduzor
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igerian athletes will next week Saturday join thousands of their counterparts from various countries in Africa to vie for honours in the 11th edition of the All Africa Games (AAG) slated for September 4 – 19 in Brazzaville, Congo. About 450 athletes will represent the country in 21 sports namely; athletics, boxing, wrestling, table tennis, taekwondo, football, basketball, judo, weightlifting, swimming, karate, para-athletics, power lifting, badminton, beach volleyball, volleyball, gymnastics, handball, fencing and cycling. Rugby which would have brought to 22 the number of sports Nigeria would have participated in at the games was dropped at the last minute by the host nation which cited non-availability of playing pitch as the reason. It would be recalled that In July 1965, the first games were held in the Brazzaville with about 2,500 athletes from 30 countries in Africa participating and at the end of the championship, Egypt topped the medals table. The second edition was awarded to Mali in 1969, but a military coup forced the can-
cellation of the games. Nigeria stepped in as host for the Games in 1971.But the multisports fiesta was finally held in 1973 after the end of Nigerian civil war. In 1977, the 3rd edition of the games was scheduled to take place in Algeria but due to technical reasons had to be postponed for a year and was held in 1978. Continuing the pattern, the next AAG was scheduled to take place in Kenya in 1983, but was pushed back to 1985 and finally took place in Nairobi in 1987. After the 1987 games, the four-year Olympic style game has not missed any edition and the fiesta has been organised in Cairo, Harare, Johannesburg, and Abuja. In 2007, Algiers once again hosted, becoming the first repeat host. The 2011 edition of the All Africa Games was held in Maputo, Mozambique in September 2011. It is on record that since the inception of the competition in 1965, Nigeria has participated in all the editions held in 1965, 1973, 1978, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 respectively with a total of 934 medals to show for its efforts. Looking back at the country’s performance in the games, it will be discovered that Nigeria has always dominated in athletics, weightlifting, table tennis and boxing while her athletes struggle in the
other sports including football. But the inclusion of special athletes in the 1999 edition has enabled Nigeria to win more medals at the games. The dominance in athletics was more evident during the time of Innocent Egbunike, Chidi Imoh, Ezinwa brothers, Uchenna Emedolu, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya and others while in boxing, boxers such as Davidson Andeh, Jerry Okorodudu, Obisia Nwankpa, Peter Konyegwachie, Billy Famous, Christopher Ossai, David Izonritei, David Dafiagbon, Isaac Ekpo and Albert Jegbefumere did the country proud. However, this dominance, especially in boxing has been challenged by the North Africans which largely contributed to Nigeria winning only three silver and one bronze medal at the 2011 games. The scenario is also not different in athletics where it is only Blessing Okagbare that is presently doing the country proud in the tracks in the continent not minding her poor showing at the international level. As part of efforts to ensure that Nigeria improve on their third position finish against South Africa and Egypt four years ago which saw the country winning 98 medals made up of 31 gold, 28 silver and 39 bronze. The National Sports Com-
mission (NSC) has engaged the services of foreign technical advisers for some of the sports but the justification of this decision few weeks to the games will be determined by the number of medals the athletes win in Brazzaville. Apart from engaging foreign technical advisers, the NSC is also taking the issue of doping serious which made it to issue strong warning to the athletes through the chairman, Nigeria Anti-Doping Committee, Maj.-Gen. Johnny Hamakim, who demanded clean performance from Team Nigeria members to the Games, warning them to desist from the use of anabolic drugs and steroids that could lower selfesteem and bring embarrassment to the nation. He said the game was very remarkable and significant as it marks the 50th anniversary of its inception, and it has to be dope-free participation for the Nigerian athletes. Although President Muhammadu Buhari gave marching orders to the National Sports Commission to go to Brazzaville and conquer the continent, charging them to do more in swimming to make sure Nigeria win medals in the sport, but there are doubts whether this could be achievable considering the poor preparations put in place ahead of the games.
SPORT
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August 29 , 2015
Messi: I never said I’d quit Argentina L
ionel Messi has hit out at reports he was set to take a break from international football after failing to lift the Copa America with Argentina earlier this year. The Barcelona star faced intense criticism in the local media after the Albiceleste captain saw his side go down to hosts Chile on penalties in the final, with some going as far as suggesting he take extended leave from the national team. Argentina coach Gerardo Martino backed the Barcelona forward but admitted he himself would have walked away were
Messi
he subject to the sort of abuse that was directed at Messi. “I never said that I wasn’t going to play any longer with the national team,” Messi told ESPN Radio. “I am used to them saying
these types of things. Now we have friendlies and as long as the coach calls me up I am going to continue to be present.” Messi, 28, was included in Martino’s squad to face Bolivia and Mexico in the United States next month. The four-time Ballon d’Or winner has hit 46 goals in 103 internationals, leaving him just 10 strikes behind his country’s all-time top goal scorer, Gabriel Batistuta. Messi has claimed an Olympic Gold medal and an U-20 World Cup title but Argentina are without a major trophy at senior level since Copa America 1993.
Pique’s four-game Markovic sets for ban upheld Liverpool exit
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arcelona defender Gerard Pique will miss his side’s trip to Atletico Madrid next month after his appeal against a four-game ban was dismissed on Thursday. Pique was shown a straight red card for verbally abusing the linesman as Barca lost the Spanish Super Cup 5-1 on aggregate to Athletic Bilbao last week. The Spanish international was sidelined as the European champions gained revenge on Athletic with a 1-0 win to open the defence of their La Liga campaign last weekend. However, he will now also miss home games against Malaga on today and Levante on September 20, as well as the daunting trip to the Vicente Calderon on September 12.
Pique
PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES Today’s Matches Newcastle v Arsenal
12: 45
Aston Villa v Sunderland
15: 00
B/Mouth v Leicester
15:00
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
15: 00
Liverpool v West Ham
15:00
Man City v Watford
15: 00
Stoke v West Brom
15: 00
Tottenham v Everton
17: 30
Wenger defends Coquelin F rancis Coquelin is “doing a great job” as Arsenal’s first-choice defensive midfielder and the numbers back him too, according to manager Arsene Wenger.
Coquelin
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Former Manchester United defender and pundit Gary Neville has criticised the Arsenal midfield, especially Coquelin, but Frenchman Wenger seems to have complete faith in his 24-year-old compatriot. “Coquelin has some of the best defensive statistics and numbers in Europe,” Wenger told the club website. “You watch football like I do and you will see that defensively, Coquelin is doing a great job,” the 65-year-old said. Coquelin, who has been with Arsenal since 2008, broke into the first team following the injury crisis his club faced last season. “Since January, we have conceded fewer goals than anybody else. You know in football you have to accept that anybody can be right,” Wenger said. “At the moment we have a little deficit between the chances we create and the number of chances we score,” he added.
Benitez seeks first win at Bernabeu
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eal Madrid will be looking to put a disappointing start to Rafael Benitez’s reign in charge behind them when Real Betis visit the Santiago Bernabeu today. Benitez’s men could only manage a 0-0 draw away to newly promoted Sporting Gijon to start their league campaign last
Markovic
iverpool’s midfielder, Lazar Markovic appears set to join Turkish side Fenerbahce on a season-long loan, according to media reports, with the clubs said to have agreed terms for the 21-year-old. The Serbia international joined Liverpool from Benfica for a reported $31 million last season but made just 11 league starts as he struggled to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.He has not featured in the squad in Liverpool’s three matches this season. Markovic, will become the second player to leave Anfield on loan this week should the deal go through, following Italian striker Mario Balotelli’s departure for AC Milan on Thursday. Unlike Balotelli, however, Markovic could still feature in Rodgers’ long-term plans as the loan agreement does not contain a clause to make the move a permanent one, the reports added.
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Benitez
weekend, which already leaves them trailing Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by two points. A good start was seen as key to Madrid’s bid to win just a second La Liga title in eight years with Barcelona and Atletico facing on paper a much harder start to the campaign. However, Real defender Nacho insists Los Blancos can’t let panic set in just one game into the season. “We need to be calm. At Real Madrid every game is a final,” he told the club’s website. “If we had won against Sporting, we would still need to beat Betis. From remaining calm we can go out to win every game.” Madrid should be boosted by the return of Karim Benzema up front from a thigh injury after he returned to training on Tuesday. Gareth Bale is also expected to be fit despite suffering a foot injury in Gijon and James Rodriguez is likely to come into the starting line-up after he was surprisingly left on the bench last time out in favour of Isco.
Heung-Min Son signs for Tottenham
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ottenham have signed HeungMin Son from Bayer Leverkusen subject to the forward receiving a work permit. Son netted 11 goals for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga last season and will reportedly wear the No 7 shirt at White Hart Lane. The 23-year-old has also played for German club Hamburg while collecting more than 40 caps for the South Korea senior team. He made his international debut in 2010 and went on to play at the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil where he scored against Algeria. He scored 29 times in 87 appearances for
Son
Bayer who he joined in 2013 and, during last season’s Champions League, found the back of the net three times. Son’s decision to move to the Premier League probably ends Tottenham’s pursuit of West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
Black Cats wasted money on average players —Dick
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underland manager Dick Advocaat has criticised his predecessors for wasting money on “lower than average” players, according to a report in the Sunderland Echo. The Black Cats have spent around $35 million in the current transfer window to bring in Sebastian Coates, Adam Matthews, Ricky Alvarez, Jeremain Lens
and Younes Kaboul. They also sold striker Connor Wickham to Crystal Palace for a reported nine million pounds, and Advocaat, whose club sit second from bottom in the table with one point from three games, said he needed to trim the squad further. “People who bought those kinds of players for those transfer fees and gave
them those salaries didn’t care about the club,” he added. “And then I can understand our owner Ellis Short when he thinks ‘I spent a fortune’ and now where are they playing or not playing?” said the Dutchman, who became Sunderland’s third manager in two years when he replaced Gus Poyet on March 17.
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August 29, 2015
Ronaldo buys $18.5m New York loft
C
ristiano Ronaldo has bought a luxury apartment in New York for a staggering $18.5million (£11.8million). The Real Madrid star ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid team athlete in the world - has purchased a 2,509 sq ft loft in Trump Tower. The exclusive apartment, which reportedly inspired the setting of the novel ‘50 Shades of Grey’, belonged to Alessandro Proto, an Italian real-estate tycoon and business partner of owner and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. According to the Warburg reality website, the loft was built in 1983 and its interiors have been created by worldrenowned designer Juan Pablo Molyneux. A source told the New York Post that E.L. James, the author of ‘50 Shades of Grey’, was inspired by the luxurious surroundings of the apartment to create the novel’s notorious bachelor pad owned by the lead character, Christian Grey. The three-bedroom, threeand-a-half bathroom apartment is situated on 5th Avenue, 56th Street and is ‘regarded as one of Manhattan’s most presti-
gious and secure’ places to live. It ‘boasts spectacular panoramic views of Central Park to the north, sweeping west to the Hudson River, and then south with breathtaking views of Manhattan’s most iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Freedom Tower.’ Trump Tower residents have access to a large fitness center, in-house valet services and the building’s restaurant, bar and shops. In May, Forbes rated Ronaldo as the world’s highest-paid team athlete and the highest-paid football player after he earned $79million last year in salary, bonus and endorsements - putting him ahead of rival Lionel Messi, who was in second place. Three years after Ronaldo sealed his £80million switch from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009, he put his British home in Cheshire up for sale for $1.4million (£899,950). Described as a ‘handsome five-bedroom detached residence’, the Stockport mansion featured five luxury bedrooms split on two floors. Ronaldo, who split with his long-term girlfriend Irina Shayk at the start of the year,
is thought to be considering a move to America’s Major League Soccer when his Madrid contract ends in 2018. Sports Illustrated reports that ‘multiple sources’ claim the 30-year-old Portugal international is open to a move across the Atlantic when his current deal ends. The timing would fit with the planned first season of the new franchise Los Angeles Football Club, with Ronaldo said to prefer a move to California. Former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard recently made the switch to the city’s existing team, LA Galaxy, where David Beckham spent five seasons. However, Ronaldo’s purchase of a New York pad might arouse the attention of New York Red Bulls and New York City. Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry played for the Red Bulls, while New York City have Spain’s all-time top goalscorer David Villa and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on their books.
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Ikeja club beats Ghana in interclub competition
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he budding relationship between Nigeria and Ghana got a big boost over the weekend when Ikeja golf club host their counterpart from Ghana, Tema Golf club in a friendly match play. The encounter which was played over 36-holes saw Ikeja club overpowering the visitors by a whopping 29 and half points to Tema’s 18 and half points. Ikeja club gave an insight of where the coveted trophy would be heading at the end of the encounter when it began the competition beating their rival, by 10-points to Tema’s 7-points in the opening singles. The host club consolidated on the opening day run gaining another 19-point in the Doubles Match play to gross a total of 29 and half points while Ghana only managed to garner 11 and half points in the doubles match play in the final round. Satisfied with the turnout and the spirit displayed in the two-day event, Captain of Ikeja Golf Club, Air Comm. Tokunbo Ajomale said the annual friendly matchplay has gone a long way in cementing the relationship between the two countries noting that all efforts should be made in maintaining the relationship. While saying he and his members at Ikeja golf club will continue foster unity between the two countries through golf, Ajomale added that he look forward to the day the competition will attain
Ryder Cup like status. Joshua Peprah, team leader and Captain of the visiting Tema Golf Club, Ghana, described the relationship and hospitality accorded them as fantastic, saying it’s a gesture they would emulate in next round of the competition. “The strength of the relationship is fantastic and that is what we hope to continue to keep. Though the match has been won and lost, we have further established our relationship and hope to continue to build on that”, Peprah said. The current Vice captain, Akin Areola is expected to lead a team of golfers to Tema, Ghana next year for the return leg of the competition.
Captain, Ikeja Golf Club, Air Comm. Tokunbo Ajomale teeing off in a recent outing
International Pairs tourney moved to Ikoyi Club
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he 2015 edition of International Pairs competition earlier scheduled to hold at the Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate has been moved to the golf section of Ikoyi club 1938. The shift in venue, the Chief Executive Officer of Falcon Golf Development Company, the organizers of the event, Remi Olukoya, explained was due to the clash with another tournament taking place at lakowe Lakes and other logistical issues. However, the golf section of the Ikoyi club will now host the competition on September 18 and 19. The competition as against the previous arrangement would be played over 36-holes. Winners of the competition would be given an all expense paid trip to the world finals of International Pairs competition holding at Marriott Denia, Alicante, in Spain in October. Speaking in Lagos during the week, Olukoya said, the repackaged International Pairs competition would be given its best
shot ever, saying every participants in this year’s edition will have something to cheer about. Besides the all-round entertainment, Olukoya says it will be golf at its very best and will produce quality winners. “We will give this event our best shot. I can assure you that it’s going to be one of the best organized events ever. We have made good arrangement to take care of all the participants”, Olukoya said. While all attention seems focused on the coming event, Olukoya says his ultimate dream is the future of the game, explaining that he is already working on a dream of establishing the first of its kind Golf academy in parts of Lagos State that will take care of kids and the future of the game. In addition, the Transatlantic Golf Team Challenge, is scheduled to come up in November 2022 at IBB Golf & Country Club Abuja. The winners at this event will be representing Nigeria at the world Finals in Las Vegas, USA in February 15-22, 2016
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August 29, 2015
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Suwon tourney: Eaglets to face Korea on Wednesday
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AFCON Qualifier: Nwosu calls for Super Eagles focus Super Eagles’ players celebrate after winning a match
Ifeanyi Eduzor
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s the Super Eagles prepares to face Tanzania next week in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, former national team player , Henry Nwosu has advised the Sunday Oliseh led team to prepare adequately to enable them pick the maximum points in the East African country. Super Eagles will on September 5 in Dar es Salaam face the Taifa Stars of Tanzania. The
match will serve as the first text for Coach Sunday Oliseh since he was handed over the national team job. The Super Eagles will be looking to build on their opening win over Chad when they take on the Taifa Stars, who were beaten 3-0 by group leaders Egypt in Cairo in June. Nigeria defeated Chad 2-0 in Kaduna and only trails the Pharaohs by an inferior goal difference. Nwosu told Saturday Mirror that there is need for the Super Eagles gaffer to use the best
players in camp to prosecute the match even as he expressed optimism that the team is capable of beating Tanzania in their home ground. “I have no doubt that Nigeria will pick the maximum point in Tanzania but there is the need for the team to remain focused ahead of the match. “As this is the first match to be handled by Oliseh since his appointment, I expect him to approach it with all seriousness because anything in the contrary will affect the country’s qualifica-
tion for Gabon 2017”, said the former New Nigeria Bank of Benin player. On the exclusion of Mikel Obi from the encounter, the former New Nigeria Bank of Benin and ACB of Lagos midfielder noted that it is unfortunate that the Chelsea midfielder will not be in action for the country in Tanzania but was quick to advise Oliseh and Mikel to settle their differences in the interest of Nigerian football.
African title: Power Lee appeals for support Ifeanyi Eduzor
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s countdown to his African heavyweight title challenge begins, National Wrestling heavyweight champion, Power Lee has appealed to Nigerians especially the Federal and Delta State Governments to extend financial support to him to enable him emerge as the new (Pro) Wrestling Africa heavyweight champion. Power lee will on September, 19th, 2015 at Palais De Sports Yaoundé, Cameroon, meet Cam-
eroonian champion, Michel Noudem “Le Matraqueur” for the African title. In a World Press Conference organized at the Winners Body Fitness Centre, Ajah, Lagos to herald the title fight, he stated that he has what it takes to win the title with an appeal to Governments at all levels and corporate Nigeria to extend financial support to him to enable him write the name of the country in gold. “I am capable of winning the title and that is why I am appealing for support from both the Federal and Delta States Govern-
ments including corporate Nigeria and public spirited individuals for financial support to enable me write the name of the country in gold. He noted that as a patriotic Nigerian, he has through his Gym at Ajah; “Winners Body Fitness Gym” produced many weightlifters, body builders, wrestlers and boxers for the country even as he noted that he will continue to use the facility to develop more sports men and women for the country. Promoter of the fight, Sunny Irakpo stated that the wrestler deserves all the support from Nige-
Power Lee
rians both home and in Diaspora to enable him conquer the continent in the mats man game.
Ikorodu Utd will gain promotion —Cooreman C oach of Nigeria National League side, Ikorodu United, Maurice Cooreman has assured Lagosians that the club will gain promotion to the Glo Premier League this season. He told Saturday Mirror that the club which is presently occupying the number one position In Group B 1 of the Nigeria National League with 17 points will take their remaining two matches seri-
ous to ensure that a Lagos team is represented in the elite division. According to the former Niger Dock, Lobi Stars, Bendel Insurance and Warri Wolves tactician, his plan is to replicate his performance with Ocean Boys whom he took to continental championship with Ikorodu Fc once it gets promotion to the elite league. The Belgian born coach who have also handled such teams as Bendel Insurance, Lobi Stars,
Gabros, NPA, Ocean Boys, Enyimba, Kaduna United, Gombe United and Asante Kotoko of Ghana expressed regrets that Lagos State does not have any team in the GLO Premier League with a promise that the jinx will be broken by his side even as he expressed happiness with the club’s management for taking the welfare of the players serious. “ When I first came to Nigeria, Lagos State boosts of teams in the
premier league but suddenly all the teams went down to the lower division. “With our position in the NNL, I have no doubt in my mind that at the end of hostilities, we will gain promotion and not only put smiles on the faces of Lagosians but will work towards picking a continental ticket in our first year at the elite division. Ikorodu United will on Sunday host Ekiti United at the Onikan Stadium.
he U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets’ will play hosts to Korea Republic in their first match at the 4-Nation Suwon International Tournament, on Wednesday next week. Arrangements have been finalized by the Nigeria Football Federation for the Golden Eaglets to depart for Korea on Sunday for the 4-Nation invitational competition which was shifted in July due to the outbreak of MERS in the Far East. Hosts Korea Republic would be joined by Brazil, Croatia and Nigeria, and the teams will play one other in a round-robin basis between September 2 and 6 to determine the tournament winners. The Golden Eaglets would open their account against the Baby Taegu Warriors on September 2 and would complete their schedule against Brazil and Croatia on September 4 and 6 respectively. Organizers said the tournament is a good test run for the four teams heading to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, where incidentally, Nigeria and Croatia are drawn together along with host Chile and USA in Group A.
Bishop Okonkwo tourney ends today Ifeanyi Eduzor
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ighty Stars of Iwaya will today meet Everlasting Stars Fc in the finals of this year’s edition of the annual Bishop Mike Okonkwo Football Competition. To qualify for the final, Everlasting Stars defeated Golden Stars Fc by 5-3 penalties after their match ended 1-1 at regulation time while Mighty Stars recorded a 2-1 victory over the defending champions, Maryland United in the second semi- final decided at the National Institute for Sports play ground, Lagos. Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the championship, Deacon Malachy Ndubuzor, told Saturday Mirror that this year’s final which will be decided at the mini- stadium of Yaba College of Technology is specially packaged to honour Bishop Mike Okonkwo who will be joining the septuagenarian Club. According to him, fans will be treated to a novelty football match between ex- internationals led by Henry Nwosu and “TREM Pastors”, including those that have passed through the church while there will also be an entertainment match involving “TREM” Football Academy players.
Okonkwo
Crime Watch
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August 29, 2015
Police arrest CP impersonator Patience Ogbo
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olicemen attached to the Lagos State police command have arrested a young man identified as Agubosin Ifeanyi Friday for allegedly impersonating the former Lagos State commissioner of police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti. It was gathered that the suspect allegedly set up a false facebook account in Aderanti’s name where he allegedly extorted unsuspecting policemen and members of the public. It was further gathered that the suspect allegedly posted a bank account on the facebook page urging policemen who want to get juicy posting to pay between the sum of N30,000 and N50,000 while those seeking promotion are to pay much higher fees based on negotiation. The facebook page according to a victim also urged members of the public to part with money for petition signing and investigation of their cases so as to have such cases treated on time. It was learnt that some policemen fell for the fraud and paid the agreed money. However, the fraudulent deal was exposed when a policeman who claimed he paid N30,000 went to report to the former police boss that he was yet to be redeployed. Police investigation led to the arrest of the suspect through his bank details.
Aderanti, former Lagos CP being impersonated
A policeman who fell for the scam said “I thought it was an official facebook page when I saw the CP Aderanti’s pictures on the facebook page. I did not know it was a scam” Another police source said “I almost
paid N50,000 to the fraudster for redeployment to a new beat. I was saved by my colleagues who told me to be patient. The facebook page looked real and I felt it was authentic. Thank God I discussed with my colleagues if not,I would have entered one
Police investigate businessman Pirates attack over death of teenager boat, abduct Patience Ogbo.
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olicemen attached to the Zone 2 Police Command Onikan, Lagos are investigating a hotelier, Mutairu Owoeye, over the killing of a young man identified as Bidemi Akinde. It was gathered that Akinde lost his life during a land tussle in Ogun State. Our correspondent learnt that the fracas over the ownership of the land at Atan Ota area of the state was allegedly triggered over claims by Owoeye that he had gotten a court judgment affirming that the said par-
cel of land belongs to him. Eyewitneses stated that Mr Owoeye came with policemen to enforce the court judgment but as soon as he left with his police back up team, a group of villagers organised themselves and allegedly attacked Owoeye’s labourers who he brought to clear the land. A source who requested anonimity said “Owoeye is a hotelier and an estate agent. He brought labourers to clear the land following the court judgment but trouble started when armed young men stormed the site and at CONTINUED ON PAGE 50
monarchs, security escort
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nidentified gunmen suspected to be sea pirates on Wednesday, attacked two passenger boats and kidnapped three persons along the Ogbia to Brass waterways in Bayelsa State. Asinim Butswat, Police Spokesman for Bayelsa Command, confirmed the development on Thursday but said that details were still sketchy, “I am waiting for details”, Butwat said.
chance(duped)”. The Lagos state police spokesperson DSP Patricia Amadin confirmed the arrest of the suspect She said “One Agubosin Ifeanyi Friday was arrested. He is the only suspect in the impersonation case. He was arrested on the 18th. Nothing was recovered from him”. Our correspondent gathered that the suspect a secondary school leaver has since been transferred to the Force Headquarters Abuja for further investigation as he denied owning the facebook page. The suspect in his confessional statement to the police blamed his elder brother for the crime. “I am a secondary school leaver. I wrote the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination and I have written Post UME to gain admission into the university. I do not know anything about the facebook account. It was my brother a university undergraduate student that implicated me because the account number he used for the facebook page is mine. It was after I was arrested that I got to know the crime he committed. He has been on the run since my arrest” It can be recalled that the Lagos State police command had issued a statement disassociating the state commissioner operates a facebook account. The abducted victims were two Okpoama community chiefs, identified as Chief Blessing Wagio and Chief Isaac Akono-Igolo, as well as a security man whose identity could not be ascertained. The victims’ boats reportedly left the Ogbia water front about 2pm on Wednesday for Brass, when they came under attack around Kiberibio area of the Ogbia-Brass waterway. A staff of the state Ministry of Education heading to Brass, a naval officer and a former Chief Librarian in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Chief Jigekuma Ombu-Kieri, escaped the attack unhurt. An eyewitness in one of the boats, Mrs Kilete Arum, also said that she saw an unidentified man lying face down in the pirates’ speed boat when they were being dispossessed of their valuables (FreedomOnline)
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CRIME WATCH
August 29, 2015
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NDLEA nabs 3 for ingesting 233 cocaine wraps T
hree suspected drug traffickers have been caught at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos State, after swallowing 233 wraps of powdery substances believed to be cocaine with a weight of 5.05 kilogrammes. According to the report, the suspects were apprehended during an outward screening of passengers by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Two of the suspects, Obiekwe Frank Chuma and Okoye Jacob Okwuchukwu, were going to Hong Kong while Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel was caught on his way to Italy. Obiekwe Frank Chuma, who said that he used to be a textile merchant before he suffered financial setback said he lost his father while in secondary school. “I lost my father when I was at Merchant of Light Secondary School between 1983 and 1988. I was given admission at Edo State University but dropped out at 300 level due to lack of sponsorship. “In 1997, I came to Lagos and started textile business. Later, I began to buy my goods from Czech Republic and Hong Kong before my business suffered setback. In the process of looking for assistance, I was introduced into drug trafficking. I was given the drug in a restaurant in Onitsha and they promised to pay me $10,000. It took me eight hours to swallow the drugs but I was arrested at the airport.” Okoye Jacobs Okuchukwu said that he met his sponsor at a wedding ceremony. “I have a Diploma in Computer Science at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Enugu. I used to import textiles from Dubai and Hong Kong. My business was flourishing and I have travelled to Hong Kong over 15 times. I later had problem that took my capital and I was stranded. That was what led me into drug trafficking.
Alleged drug traffickers
“I was forced to swallow drugs for many hours in order to continue with my textile business. They promised to pay me over one million naira.” Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel said that he smuggled drugs to settle his bills. “I am a businessman. I supply teaching materials. Armed robbers attacked me and I lost one of my eyes in the process. As I speak, I owe over N15 million. I
am unable to pay my rent, my children’s school fees and even feeding. I have no rest of mind because my creditors are on my neck daily. This is my first time of trafficking drugs and I was promised 4,000 euros.” NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, who gave a breakdown of the seized drugs, declared: “Obiekwe Frank Chuma, 47 years old, ingested 80 wraps weighing 1.930 kilogrammes during screening of Emirates
passengers; Okoye Jacob Okwuchukwu, 43 years old, was found to have ingested 70 wraps weighing 1.515 kilogrammes during screening of passengers on an Etihad flight while Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel, 39 years old, ingested 83 wraps weighing 1.605 kilogrammes. “Emmanuel was going to Bologna in Italy through Frankfurt on Lufthansa. They have voluntarily recorded their statements and our investigators are working on their cases.”
Police investigate businessman over death of teenager CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49
tacked the workers. Another eyewitness who identified himself as Mr. Adeyemi said “Mr. Owoeye brought men to work on the land after he had pasted the court judgment around the community. The police were on ground to ensure the villagers did not take the law into their hands and attack the workers but as soon as the police left, the villagers who were not happy over the lost of the land through the court judgment ambushed the workers with dangerous weapons, but a stray bullet hit 18 years old barbing
apprentice, Abidemi Akinde and he died on the spot. His corpse was used to barricade the road. The deceased’s brother, an army captain led some soldiers from Owode barracks to the scene of the incident to recover the corpse of the slain boy used to block the road by protesters”. It was gathered that an Area Commander, Mr. Fayoade Adegoke, an Assistant Commissioner of police led a team of policemen to the scene to pacify the angry youths. Speaking further, another eyewitness who requested anonimity, said “The soldiers arrested Mr. Owoeye from his hotel and handed him over
to the police while the protesters vandalised his property” Reacting to incessant cases of land grabbing, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, issued a stern warning against land grabbers popularly called Omo nile as he stated that the police henceforth will treat land grabbers as murderers. The statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, read “ “The Ogun State Police Command has declared war on land speculators and grabbers whose activities have been on the increase in recent times.
“The Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali directed that anyone or group of hoodlums fomenting trouble or attacking and injuring innocent people in Ogun State on any land or land-related matter be arrested and charged to court with armed robbery, murder and kidnapping, as the case may be. “The Commissioner of Police vowed to deal decisively with any land speculator/ grabbers, particularly in the Ota, Ifo, Ofada, Mowe, Ibafo, Ogijo areas and any other part of Ogun State, who may want to truncate the peaceful security arrangement presently being enjoyed in the state.”
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Celebrating Navy officer kills one, injures two in Lagos
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Crime Watch
August 29, 2015
or living to see another birthday, a naval officer allegedly killed one and injured two others while celebrating with his colleagues A birthday party went awry after the celebrant, a naval officer, opened fire, killing one person and injuring two others at Majidun area of Ikorodu, Lagos State. Nobody was sure if the naval officer was drunk or not, it was only gathered that the naval officer, filled with joy for witnessing his birthday, he shot into the air. However, three tipper drivers were hit by stray bullets from the naval officer’s gun in the Monday incident. One of the drivers died in the hospital on Monday, while two others were still battling to stay alive. The officer was deployed to Majidun community to halt activities of pipeline vandals. Witnesses said that the yet-to-be identified officer brought out his rifle and started shooting sporadically to celebrate his birthday. Colleagues of the dead and injured drivers were said to have been chased away from rushing the victims to the hospital by armed naval personnel. The incident, which occurred about 3pm, saw many of the residents and traders in the area hurriedly locking up shops for fear of being beaten by the naval officials. But on Tuesday the residents trooped out to protest the killing and alleged atrocities of naval personnel in the community. The Chairman of Majidun Community Development Association, Pastor Oloyede Egbodofo, said: “We are protesting against the continual presence of naval officers and brutal shooting of some members of our community. “Majority of residents have vacated their homes over the daily harassment and intimidation they get from naval men. “When the officer shot at three of our members in the community, as a leader, I tried to prevent breakdown of laws and order. I went to the scene of the incident to see the victims, but I was sent back by the naval men. Family members were also barred from the scene. This is why we are protesting.” Egbodofo said after the naval men sent him away on Monday, he went back on Tuesday hoping to dialogue with them to prevent crisis. He said: “One of the naval officers, identified as Muritala, ordered his boys to shoot anybody on sight. We are not animals, but we are ready for them to kill us. “They had already taken over our fathers’ property all in the name of fighting oil pipeline vandals. I don’t know how they can turn us to slaves in our community. We want the Chief of Naval Staff and the Lagos State Government to come to our rescue. These naval men should leave our community and go back to their base. We also want to know the whereabouts of the victims.” A resident of the area, Debo Ayeni, said they desperately needed to know what the naval men had done with the dead and wounded. It was gathered that it took the intervention of a combined team of policemen from Owutu Police Station, Ebute Ipakodo and Special Anti-Robbery Squad to prevent break down of law and order in the community. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Patricia Amadin, said the naval officer had been arrested. But, according to Amadin, the suspect was arrested by naval authorities.
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Fake army officer meets waterloo
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ne Samuel Ngozi, a native of Isiala Ngwa local government area of Abia State, was on Wednesday apprehended and paraded at the Imo State Police Headquarters, Owerri, for posing as a Major-General in the Nigerian Army. According to reports, the self-acclaimed Army Major had been terrorizing the residents of Nekede community in Owerri West local council area of Imo State. The acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dave Akinremi, explained that the fake soldier was arrested by the Command while terrorizing Nekede people. “The suspect was nabbed, following a credible tip-off. “He would be charged to court soon for impersonation and felony, after proper investigation,” Dave said. The command, in a similar development, had also apprehended a 22-year-old Kelechi Ihemegbulam, a graduate of Information Science from Abia State University, Uturu, for alleged murder and cult related deeds. The acting Commissioner disclosed that until this arrest, the suspect, Samuel, was in the wanted list of the command, while saying that Ihemegbulam was a member of the notorious brotherhood fraternity. “Ihemegbulam was wanted for his involvement in the murder of several
Solomon Arase, IGP
persons within and around the state, as well as cult- related activities,” Dave said.
“He has since made useful statement to the police and would soon be charged to court,” he add
him, the fight continued. He went under the bed, brought out a cutlass and said he was going to kill me. It was at this point that my younger brother who had been trying to stop us, but to no avail, rushed out to call neighbours. My landlord heard the shout and rushed into our room. He saw Edet bleeding while I was holding a knife. He alerted the police and Edet was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately he died two days after.” The love birds had been engaged for the past 18 months and were at the verge of finalizing their marriage plans when the tragedy occurred. The late Ebong, a staff of Akwa Ibom State Transport Company, had come to visit his lover around 11pm on the sad day. Blessing, who described herself as an orphan, further narrated: “Edet was my fiancé. We’ve been in a relationship for about 18 months now. However, six months ago, he had trouble with his accommodation; so I told him to move in with me since we were already engaged. We’ve never had a misunderstanding before. But on that fateful day, I
had just returned from the day’s business and was resting when he came in. Edet came in drunk. He requested I prepare him Indomie noodles for him, which I did. After eating, he asked me of the engagement ring he had given to me. I told him it was on the table. This was before he started beating me. Sincerely, my stabbing him was not intentional, even while he was in the hospital, I prayed he would survive. I don’t know what came over him that day. We had good plans for the future. He was not just a lover but also a brother.” Blessing said she started living alone four years ago after her aunt told her that her presence in her home was making her husband uncomfortable. The woman assisted Blessing and her kid brother to secure a room apartment. It was this home that Ebong later came to join her. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, who was contacted to confirm the story, however, said she was still trying to access the full details as at press time.
‘I killed my fiance over argument on sex’
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24-year-old lady, who was arrested for stabbing her fiancé to death with a kitchen knife, has revealed that the quarrel and subsequent fight was over sex. The lady, Blessing Edet, residing at Lekki area of Lagos State, said her fiancé, Edet Ebong, got angry and pounced on her after she refused him sex. Recalling the fateful incident of August 18, 2015, Blessing said: “We lay down to sleep and he started making advances on me for sex. I told him I had a hectic day and was tired. He flared up and started beating me. He broke the standing mirror in the room and injured me above my left eye with the broken glass. In defence, I ran to pick up the kitchen knife I had used while preparing indomie noodles for him. I mistakenly stabbed him in the stomach.” Rather than look for ways to stem the blood flowing out from his stomach, Ebong allegedly continued to chase her around the apartment until he became too weak. Blessing recounted: “After stabbing
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Check out jumbo reels for good profit J
umbo roll or Jumbo reel is the major raw material for production of toilet rolls or serviettes. Over the years, this major raw material has been controlled by just few producers in Nigeria. As a result, the prices of the jumbo rolls are steadily being manipulated by one or two of major producers in Nigeria, thereby calling for more producers to serve the sector. Though the project is cost intensive, the demand for the products is very high that investors will not regret investing into the business. The major raw materials (including waste papers) are locally available and can easily be set up and run in Nigeria. With the increasing population, change in the nation’s living habits and rapid urbanization, there has been the pressing need for good waste management as well as good sewage disposal system. With this development the use of toilet Rolls becomes the Vogue and mandatory in most homes that use water closet system. In hospitals, households, offices, social gatherings, shops, hostels, various types of institutions, both public and private etc, toilet rolls are in daily demand, even as sanitary purposes for women. From statistics and research, the annual demand for toilet rolls and serviettes in Nigeria is put conservatively at 800million tons per annum, while the total production and supplies is less than 100 million tons per annum. The shortfall of about 700 million metric tons are created calling for the wide gap to be bridged. Some of the products are still being imported from such countries as Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, and UK etc. Jumbo reels production is one of the ways to convert the waste papers into a useable form. Jumbo reels used in production of toilet rolls, facial tissues, serviette paper etc. There has been a recorded large quantity of jumbo reels being imported from overseas countries, but research has shown that the profit margin from importing jumbo reels from overseas countries is not encouraging, therefore discouraged many Nigerians from embarking on importation. Though the cost of establishment of production of jumbo reels is on a high side, Nigerians should consider it worthwhile. The reason behind this is to contribute towards the resolution of problems of raw material sourcing and forestall the excessive consumption of the nation’s foreign reserves on export. This practice of importation of the rolls has severe disadvantages like price fluctuations, depletion of foreign reserves, nonacquisition of the relevant technology etc. The above ugly situation is reversible since toilet roll production is one of the most viable industries one can easily establish on a small scale level with relatively small capital.
Toilet Roll Production is one of the uses of Jumbo reels. It is one of the smallest investments one can make. Toilet rolls are consumed on daily basis. This is so because all the raw and packaging materials inputs and relevant equipment and accessories needed to actualize the project are locally avoidable. Besides the technology involved in the production is not hi-tech and sophisticated. The machines can easily be obtained from few tested hands into the fabrication of the required machines. The writer will recommend the tested hands that would produce reliable, quality oriented and very functional machines to the prospective investors. The writer will also handle this project on turkey with three (3) years guarantee. The pioneer staff of the prospective investors would be trained within three (3) days. To set up this project, a prospective investor needs only a three (3) bed room house or its equivalent. The project can be set up in any part of the country, particularly in the urban areas. Abuja, FCT is a very good location for the prospective project. The project can as well be established by workers who may wish to diversify or earn more income. Bankers, civil servants, Trades, oil workers, politicians etc can invest in this line. An investor can even produce and export to some other African Nations to earn foreign exchange. Details will be given to prospective investors. Apart from selling to African regions, prospective investors can as well sell in the country which has a very big market for the envisaged products. With population of over 140million by the end of 2003, (by projection, using growth rate of about 2.9%), there will always be consumer for the products. The attractiveness of this project is the both the raw materials and equipment are locally source able and the technology involved very easy to understand and master. The essential equipments are:(1) Core Making Machine (2) Jumbo Rods Rewinder (3) Bandsaw Cutter (4) A Stand By Generator These equipments are portable, simple to operate and durable. The machines will be procured from highly experienced local producers of such machines. There are also rooms for imported machines from some oversea companies. Some of these oversea companies would be given to prospective investors. The raw materials required for good quality toilet rolls are Jumbo reels, core paper, pre-printed paper wrappers, glue/
Paper-core-making-machine
Adhesives and cellophane wrappers. Jumbo reels are obtainable locally from the producers, core papers from paper dealers and textile firms, wrappers from printers, glue/adhesives from the market and Nylon/Plastic manufacturing companies. The production processes commences with the making of the core from the reel or core paper (including gluing). This is taken to the core rewinder which is fixed to the jumbo reels. The jumbo reel rolling is started off and it wraps round the core and stops after the time set for the required length or size of the toilet roll is reached. The toilet tissue on the core is now cut to the desired length with the band saw, wrapped manually and then packed in 24s or 48s as the case may be. The number of toilet rolls(whether 18,000 or 24,000) to be produced from one metric ton of jumbo reel will depend on such factors as the experience of the operators, the time set for each set of toilet rolls, the size or length of toilet rolls, whether or not they will be embossed. These factors in addition to other, will affect the profitability of the project, hence the need for any prospective investor to approach an industrial development consultant for a detailed feasibility report before embarking on the venture. In order to reduce the production cost and so enhance profitability, the investor is advised to start off with off white (creamy) jumbo reels. There is also need for effective control, adequate record keeping, proper scheduling of production and aggressive marketing. The plant in mind is capable of producing 20,000 toilet rolls per day from one MT of jumbo reel.
After making allowance for 5% wastages, machinery down time and other exigencies and with one shift per day and 250 days in a year, the net output will be 10.8 million toilet rolls. In practice, however, an efficiently run factory has a wastage level of 0.5%. A pack of 48 toilet rolls retails for between N2, 600 and N2, 800, depending on the size and quality. A new investor can wholesale at between N2,400 and N2,500 to ensure smooth market penetration and to allow for the testing of market acceptance of the market pricing system. The market trend in the present country warrants that quality should be the watchdog. From the investment analysis, annual gross revenue will be N60,480,000, while the total production cost marketing and administrative expenses will be N47,953,000, leaving a gross profit of N12,527,000 for the investment of N7.6million as shown below.
Funding
The Federal Government just released through CBN over N500Billion for injection into small and medium scale industries development in Nigeria. Anybody with good business plan will benefit from the funds. There are also financial institutions and Special Project Funding Organizations that would be recommended to prospective investors on contacting the writer. For detailed information on the setting up of this project, putting into consideration a bankable and comprehensive feasibility studies, procurement and installation of quality machines, producing quality products through acquisition of quality raw materials, training of manpower and general management of the project for success, please contact the writer.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
REGIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
53
SOUTH EAST
Appointments: MASSOB condemns Buhari’s exclusion of South East
Chris Njoku Owerri
A
s condemnation continue to trail President Muhammadu Buhari’s yesterday’s announcement of six key positions in his government, factional Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has described the exclusion of South East in the appointment as wick-
ed and sadistic. Buhari has named Engr. Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Alhaji Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President; Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) as ComptrollerGeneral, Nigerian Customs Service; Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi as ComptrollerGeneral, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita S.J. Enang as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly
Matters (Senate) and Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu as SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives). Reacting yesterday in a statement signed by the group’s National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu, and made available to Saturday Mirror, the Movement said the latest appointments did not in any way represent true Federation, and had confirmed the fear that Buhari hates the Igbo.
“The latest appointments and previous ones since Buhari’s administration should be an eye opener to Ndigbo that Buhari hates them. He does not see Ndigbo as part of Nigeria. Gen. Buhari was among Nigerian Commanders who led Federal Government troops against Biafra during the Nigeria-Biafra War. His administration is a continuation of that war in another dimension,” the statement stated. Describing the appoint-
ment as insult to Ndigbo, the movement noted that “It has further proved the hatred, wickedness and sadistic mind that All Progressives Congress (APC), Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba have against Ndigbo, not minding the heavy support some Igbo leaders like Gov. Rochas Okorocha, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Chris Ngige, Osita Okechukwu, Rotimi Amaechi and others gave to Buhari and his party during the last general election. This is an insult to our people.” “President Buhari believes that every Igboman, irrespective of his position in Nigeria, is a Biafran who
should never be close to the seat of power in Abuja. No Igboman is among the Security Heads in Nigeria under Buhari’s administration.” The statement challenged Ndigbo and their leaders to wake up now in Biafran consciousness with full and open support for the current and genuine clamour for Biafra actualization by Reformed MASSOB, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Radio Biafra, London. According to the movement, “Buhari’s anti Igbo policy will revive the consciousness, and the undying spirit of Biafranism in all Igbo leaders.
…Ohaneze Youth Council accuses Buhari of bias, SPF defends him Eric Elezuo
T Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano (left) lighting the fire for the Boys’ Scout association camp fire night at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, recently.
Customs impounds goods worth N545m
Chris Njoku Owerri
T
he Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri, has arrested five suspected smugglers with two new bullet-proof Prado Jeeps, among other vehicles and various contraband goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) put at N545,651,050. The Area Controller (CAC) of the unit, Comptroller Dimka Victor David, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Customs warehouses at Owerri and Benin respectively, said that the seizures were made along Aba/Eleme axis and Agbor-Benin Expressway within one week, after the unit impounded an illegally imported bulletproof vehicle. The Comptroller dis-
played seized 85 bales of second hand clothing with DPV of N8, 160,000 and 1 X 40 container of 373 bales of used school bags with a DPV of N22, 477,200 at the Customs warehouse in Owerri, while a total of 13 smuggled brand new model vehicles, which include two bullet-proof Prado Jeeps, nine Toyota Land Cruiser and three Toyota Corolla cars with DPV of N285, 242,000 were similarly showcased at Benin Customs warehouse. In addition, two trucks carrying a total of 1,220 bags of 50kg rice with DPV of N22, 814,000 were impounded among other smuggled trucks with DPV of N110, 187,000 and numerous cartons of imported frozen poultry products with DPV of N96,770,840 already destroyed, adding that the seized imported bags of rice neither have NAFDAC registration numbers nor date of expiration while the frozen
poultry products also seized were destroyed to save innocent and unsuspecting consumers from possible death. According to Dimka, the banned items secretly smuggled into the country, fell into the hands of the eagle-eyed officers with the recently introduced policy christened “Quick fix”, adopted by the Acting ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Dr. John Atteh, to address the need of Customs towards maximising revenue generation for the nation, and also ensure a stronger, more oriented, vibrant and efficient Customs Service. Dimka said that while a good number of well meaning Nigerians are appreciative of government efforts to rid the nation of corruption in all ramifications, some smugglers are unrepentantly bent on circumventing the lofty mission for their selfish interest.
He wondered why some individuals were still engrossed in the illicit act when it has brought unspeakable sorrow and grief to those caught and members of their families. The Controller therefore, warned that the NCS would not relent in the discharge of its statutory duties until smugglers are defeated. He commended sister agencies such as the Police, the Department of State Security (DSS), the National Agency for FOOD, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for their sustained support to the Customs in their onslaught against smuggling, and enjoined members of the public to always supply useful information that would enable the establishment to attain greater heights in the performances of their function.
he Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC) has expressed deep anger and dissatisfaction with the latest appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari. It would be recalled that Buhari appointed Babachir David Lawal from Adamawa State as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as Alhaji Abba Kyari for the position of Chief of Staff to the President among other appointments which did not favour the South East geo-political zone. Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the president of the OYC, made a statement that was jointly signed with the group’s public relations officer, Obinna Adibe, yesterday. Isiguzoro stressed that the appointments were totally unacceptable for Ndigbo because they violated the principle of Federal character as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. According to the council, the President had demonstrated his deep hatred for Ndigbo, even though he had stated that he belonged to nobody but belonged to everybody. “We stand to condemn this glaring hatred for Ndigbo by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. We recall that apart from several other appointments, Buhari’s government has also appointed Service Chiefs and in a similar manner, he sidelined the
South-East zone. “As if that was not enough, the long-awaited position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has come at last, and this government deemed nobody from the South-East qualified enough to occupy that position, which was earlier zoned to Ndigbo. “We are indeed shocked by this turn of events, which are totally at variance with Mr. President’s earlier stand that he was for nobody, but that he was for everybody. We are at a loss where this statement fits in, considering all the actions he has taken so far, which are all against the interest of Ndigbo. “Where is the justice; where is the equity; where is the one Nigeria? How long shall Ndigbo be pushed to the walls? “The Ohaneze Youth Council is saying it loud and clear that these appointments are unacceptable to us, and we urge Mr. President to reverse them, otherwise it would appear that there is a grand-design to annihilate the Igbos out of the political and economic system in this country,” the statement read. The OYC further wondered in its statement why the Buhari-led government had suspended work on the second Niger Bridge. “The Second Niger Bridge is a project that touches on the economic life of the entire South-East, and we find it curious that the Federal Government is not ready to attach any priority to it.
54
REGIONAL NEWS
August 29, 2015
SOUTH SOUTH
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Court restrains lawyer, others from defaming Akpabio
to acquire or construct fixed assets such as poles, transformers, sub-stations, meters (which is free by the agreement with government) etc.” “But what have we seen? Whatever capital investment they are making on the fixed assets they are acquiring are being borne by consumers through the payment of monthly fixed charge. In other words, consumers’ money is the capital investment of distribution companies, and what is also meant to take
series of unsubstantiated publications by Mr. Ekpenyong against Senator AkpaHigh Court of the bio. Legal Counsel to SenaFederal Capital Territory (FCT) tor Akpabio had argued has granted an injunction that the reputation of the restraining an Abuja based former Governor of Akwa lawyer, Mr. Leo Ekpen- Ibom State has been disparyong from publishing or aged and tarnished following causing to be published series of defamatory stateany defamatory state- ments by Mr. Ekpenyong, and ment against the Minor- unless restrained, he would ity Leader of the Senate, continue to publish such spuSenator Godswill Akpabio. rious statements which have Justice Valentine Ashi of portrayed Senator Akpabio Court 29, granted the in- in bad light before the public. The lawyer further held junction sequel to an apSenator Akpabio’s plication brought by Ricky that Tarfa (SAN), Counsel to reputation had been seriSenator Akpabio, following ously injured, and had suffered considerable distress and anxiety following the series of disparaging statements which Mr. Ekpenyong had caused to be published against the Senate Minority leader. In the suit, Counsels to Akpabio claimed damages for libel in the sum of one billion Naira, and an order care of the fixed assets. compelling Mr. Ekpenyong While not forgetting that and others to publish a full when distribution compa- apology to Senator Akpabio nies buy power from trans- on the internet and two mamission companies, they jor national newspapers. sell to consumers with They also requested an profit benchmark suppos- injunction restraining the edly for overheads, why defendants from further are we now paying either publishing or causing to be fixed charge or higher tar- published defamatory words against the plaintiff. iff so soon?” Justice Ashi agreed with However, BEDC further disclosed that it is plan- the submissions of the Lening to recruit 1000 Na- gal Counsels to Akpabio and tional Youth Service Corps restrained Mr. Ekpenyong members annually with a from further publication view to retaining compe- of defamatory statements against Senator Akpabio. tent ones after service.
created a peaceful atmosphere for the Presidential campaign of Muhammadu Buhari in Yenagoa. According to him, opposition parties have held several rallies in the state without recording any case of violence or harassment, as it was the norm in previous elections in Bayelsa State. Describing the theme of the conference as appropriate, especially as it was coming at a time Nigerians were getting attuned to the change mantra, the governor also urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to meet the expectations of Nigerians to deliver on the change as promised. Calling for support for the Muhammadu Buhari led government for the enthronement of peace and development, Dickson said that though the Peoples
Democratic Party did not enjoy adequate support from the then opposition party when it was in power, people should be cautioned against repeating the mistake. His words: “For me even as a PDP governor, my position has been that after the elections, all men and women of our country must unite to move the nation forward. This is because the important issues that we were elected to address are not partisan, as terrorism and hunger has no partisan colour. We need to collaborate with the Federal Government now led by President Muhammadu Buhari on two essential fronts: to bring about the change that we need in this country and on issues of national security and law and order, and we must work together as brothers, fellow Nigerians,
A
Area Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. David Dimka, briefing newsmen on dangers of smuggling to the Nigeria Economy, in Benin, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
Opposition trails BEDC’s plan to hike electricity tariff Sebastine Ebhuomhan
T
he Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has revealed plans to invest N1 billion on electricity network repairs in the next four months just as the company revealed plans to raise consumer tariffs. BEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, unveiled the plans to raise the company’s tariffs and also repair its non-functional, obsolete and dead electricity network facilities responsible for poor supply of electricity to consumers in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Delta states during the week at the company’s headquarters on Akpakpava Road in Benin City, Edo State. Osibodu, who was assisted by the company’s Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Lucky Ayomotor, listed problems hampering BEDC operations to include frequent system collapse, poor voltage profile, power theft, vandalism of equipment, poor customer service, lack of metres, fraudulent metering and billing, illegal connection, manual and poor record keeping, and bad accounting. She disclosed that though the four states of BEDC operation need not less than 1, 400 megawatts of power, only 250 megawatts is being supplied because of the challenges. Osibodu therefore, appealed for consumers’ understanding and cooperation on the proposed
hike since the review was not for the DISCOs alone that retain 25 per cent to address electricity supply challenges, but also for the other members of the power chain, shared in the ratio of 60 per cent to transmission companies, 11 per cent to GENCOs and the remaining 4 per cent to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission. “I will like to state that the proposed tariff review is to ensure that customers have more power by ensuring that the value chain of Generation, Transmission and Distribution Companies have a cost reflective tariff, which will ensure sustainable investment and payment for services,” Osibodu, who added that BEDC has now engaged NDPL Tata (of India) and GUMCO Nigeria as technical partners, explained. However, the Edo State Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSOs), a consumer pressure group, has questioned the proposed tariff hike, which is coming immediately after the Senate directed DISCOs to stop the collection of monthly fixed electricity charges of between N750 and N1, 800 from consumers. In a detailed reaction from its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Osazee Edigin, EDOCSOs, which has mobilized in recent past and disrupted BEDC operations, accused BEDC of taking consumers for fools by seeking to profit what it did not invest. “You will recall that when the power sector was
privatized, it was only the Generation and Distribution aspects of it that were privatized. The Transmission aspect is still being controlled and managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Generation and the Distribution aspects were left to private hands, who ‘invested their capitals’ by acquisition of assets and liabilities of the defunct PHCN after getting licenses from the Federal Government to operate. Secondly, in carrying out their operations, they were
Dickson advocates national consensus in fight against terrorism, injustice
Osahon Julius Yenagoa
B
ayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has called on Nigerians to support the Federal Government in developing national consensus in the renewed fight against terrorism, hunger, ethnicity and injustice, to bring about the much needed change. The governor, who made the call in Yenagoa while declaring open the 11th All Nigerian Editors Conference, noted that the restoration administration had for long been implementing institutional changes in line with democratic principles. He outlined a number of areas where the state government had introduced measures geared towards promoting good governance, citing an instance where it
to deliver our economy so that we can have a prosperous Nigeria. “I feel that the last PDP government did not have sufficient understanding and cooperation from the then opposition party, even in the area of confronting terror. We politicised the war against terror, and now we are almost making the same mistake again. With this new government on board, we must all unite to defeat terrorism, and until every ward, local government, state is secured, we cannot have a secure Nigeria.” Governor Dickson, who also drew attention to the abandoned first Oloibiri oil well, described it as a reminder of the fact that oil and gas were depleting assets and emphasized the need to diversify the economy.
August 29, 2015
Kids among 71 suffocated migrants
D
ozens of refugees -most likely fleeing war-ravaged Syria -- probably suffocated inside a truck abandoned on an Austrian highway, authorities said Friday. Sixty of the 71 victims were men. Eight women died, as did three children, ages 2, 3 and 8. “We are talking about human trafficking, homicide, even murder,” said Johann Fuchs, state prosecutor of Eisenstadt. News of the deaths comes as Europe is struggling to deal with a record swell of migrants and refugees traveling by land and sea to find a better life or escape conflict at home in the Middle East and Africa. United Nations officials have called on European officials to improve their efforts to resolve the growing humanitarian crisis, including dealing with human traffickers preying on refugees of the sort thought to be responsible for the deaths in Austria. The truck was found Thursday, abandoned on the side of the A4 highway, which links Budapest in Hungary to the Austrian capital, Vienna. When police opened it, they found the bodies decomposing in the heat. They found a Syrian
travel document inside the truck. “We must assume now that these are refugees,” said Hans Peter Doskozil, police director of Austria’s Burgenland region. “In concrete terms, it is possible this is a Syrian refugee group.” Hungarian police said Friday they had arrested three Bulgarian citizens and an Afghan citizen in connection with the truck. “We are likely looking at a Bulgarian-Hungarian people smuggling ring,” Fuchs said. About 3,000 trucks pass through that area of the highway daily, and checking each one of them is almost impossible, authorities said. Most human smugglers use smaller cars, making the use of trucks unusual. On Friday, Hungarian police said they arrested a Romanian man who flipped a van carrying 18 refugees. In Surrey, England, authorities said they arrested 27 people suspected of illegally entering the country found in a suspicious truck at a gas station. The driver was also arrested. In addition to the deaths of refugees trying to cross into Europe by road, thousands are making the perilous journey by sea.
Some 300,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Greece and Italy this year alone, according to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. More refugees and migrants arrived in Greece in July alone than did in all of 2014, the agency said. So far this year, 2,373 people have died trying to reach Europe by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. In all of 2014, 3,281 people died. In just one incident this week, 54 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean, the Italian coast guard said. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the agency was calling on European leaders to organize a collective response to the needs of migrants and refugees flooding the continent.
“All European countries and the EU must act together and help those countries whose capacities are already overstretched such as Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia,” spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said. “This includes capacity support, and support for equitable redistribution of refugees and asylum seekers across” the European Union. The deaths in Austria highlight the need for a better strategy, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said at a news conference Thursday. “This horrible crime shows that we must get even tougher in the battle against people smuggling,” she said. “People smugglers are criminals and not well-minded helpers. They do not care about the well-being of the refugees, they care about profit.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
55
Deadly storm Erika leaves a dozen dead
H
eavy rain from Tropical Storm Erika has caused devastation on the Caribbean island of Dominica, leaving at least 12 people dead and more than 20 missing, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said Friday. Erika’s center was south of the eastern Dominican Republic late Friday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. “The very latest is not what you went to bed with last night,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Friday. “This is going to be a rainmaker -- it’s not going to be a wind-maker that blows every building down.” Erika is expected to remain a tropical storm as it approaches South Florida on Monday. However, the hurricane center said conditions are volatile and they could change in the coming days.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency as the storm heads toward his state. Skerrit said Erika caused “extensive damage” across the small island after floods wiped out roads and swamped villages. He expressed particular concern for Petite Savanne, a community hit by mudslides that rescuers haven’t been able to reach. “This is where many are feared lost,” Skerrit said. Authorities are focusing on search-and-rescue efforts, with other countries in the region providing helicopters and other assistance. Skerrit said the task of repairing Dominica’s “dramatically affected” infrastructure would come later, estimating that the cost of fixing homes, roads, bridges and other structures would run into tens of millions of dollars.
9 killed as India, Pakistan exchange fire I ndia and Pakistan blamed each other Friday for exchanges
55-year-old Paul Massey, a notorious British criminal, who was killed by an assassin’s bullets, was buried in grand style yesterday in Manchester, England
of fire over their disputed border that killed nine civilians and wounded dozens more. The violence is the latest flareup along the heavily armed frontier. Six people were killed and 46 were wounded on the Pakistani side, its military said in a statement. Three people were killed and eight were wounded on the Indian side, said Pawan Kotwal, a military official. Both sides accused each other of starting the gunfire and shelling across the border. Pakistan said villages were hit near the city of Sialkot in Punjab province. India said the Pakistani fire struck areas of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Neither side reported any casualties among military personnel. Since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The two nucleararmed neighbors had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire in border regions in November 2003, and the agreement held for roughly a decade. But there has been a series of breaches in recent years. Indian-controlled Kashmir has been the site of violence between separatists and security forces since 1989, a conflict that has claimed more than 43,000 lives. The Kashmir issue led
to the cancellation of planned security talks between the two nations earlier this week. Pakistan’s national security adviser Sartaj Aziz was scheduled to visit New Delhi on Sunday for two-day talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. India objected to Aziz’s planned meeting with Indian Kashmiri separatist leaders on the margins of the official negotiations. Both sides also squabbled over whether the talks should cover the Kashmir dispute. But the spat didn’t end all efforts at dialogue. Pakistan announced Wednesday that the two countries’ border security force chiefs plan to meet in New Delhi next month.
Quote
of
the
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“The party (PDP) has suffered very serious bashing from the sustained avalanche of assaults from the gigantic propaganda machinery of the now ruling party — the APC.” —The Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.
Saturday, August 29, 2015. www.nationnationalmirroronline.net
Leadership without psychometric test (I)
I
n the private sector, most of us are guilty of misapplication of employees to appropriate positions. How does one explain the posting of an introvert to head a marketing department or to be an executive director in a bank? Or an extrovert with high points in imagination who is appointed as the head of internal control? The overall result of such misapplications is that performance is slowed down, and most times, operations are at low ebb. Have you taken the psychometric test? The explanation here is that the personality inventory of those that work with you in your organisation or those that occupy key positions in government is important to performance. Major issues on which the inventory will be taken include Extraversion, which can be defined as the amount of energy a key leader invests in relating to people, the environment and the capacity to experience joy and excitement. The issues involved include Friendliness, Sociability, Assertiveness, Peace of Living, Excitement Seeking and Positive Outlook. In discussing the above, each and every matter mentioned in Extraversion will determine the behaviour pattern. The DNA of behaviour pattern here differs from leader to leader. For instance, a leader with as low as 40 scores has a behaviour pattern that is different from that of a leader with high scores of 80 points or a leader who overshoots the maximum point. Let’s take the issue of Friendliness for instance. A low point leader (usually scores between 40 to 60 points out of the maximum point of 80) has a behaviour pattern of investing much energy in becoming familiar with others and creating support. A leader in this category takes a lot of time in creating relationships and always needs to invest a lot of energy in doing so. Such leaders will not be good
CFR
How
does one explain the
posting of an introvert to head a marketing department or to be an executive director in a bank ?
Or
how do you explain an extrovert who is appointed as the head of internal control ? politicians because politics requires building relationships. They will not be good marketers in the private sector, since marketing requires good ability to create relationships. The point of note here is that it is not that such leaders cannot do any of the above. But they need to know their weak points and improve on them. Individuals in this category will not easily talk to ladies about their proposal for marriage. They need encouragement, time and energy to do so. We may compare the above with leaders with high score points on the same issue of friendliness (usually they score 60 to the maximum of 80 points). Those leaders quickly build rapport and they are always keen to
get to know people on a personal level. They will communicate their marriage proposal to ladies easily. They will be good politicians and very good marketers. This is the point where everyone aspires to be. There are also the ‘above the point’ leaders who usually score above the acceptable point of 80. Such leaders, in an effort to create friendliness, overdo things and they become a nuisance. This is not acceptable. They have to come down to the acceptable point, otherwise people will try to avoid them. They are not wanted. Usually, their proposals to ladies for marriage are rejected. Ladies see them as proud and talkative. They over-communicate good values. They need to go down to the acceptable lev-
el for them to deliver superior performance. It is important for you to take the psychometric test to know your scores and appreciate whether you are going to work more on your extraversion or work down if your points are over the acceptable level. The inventory may also include the assessment of leadership behavior pattern in issues of Agreeableness. Here, we consider issues like Trust, Straightforwardness, Altruism, Compliance, Modesty, and Compassion. We may consider the sub issue of Straightforwardness capacity in a leader that scores low (usually between 40 to 60 points). He is aware, as most, of the need for diplomacy and to consider what information should be shared and how it should be expressed. Such leaders are not very straightforward and no one knows their stand. They usually play along. They will deliver low performance in most cases where decisions need to be communicated. They will be very dangerous politicians, for no one knows their stand on very important issues. They will not be good team players and they can easily come up with surprises Leaders with high score points in straightforwardness (usually those that score 60 to the maximum of 80 points) are open and frank in communication. They know what communication means to their colleagues and their colleagues know where they stand. This is the acceptable level for us to be effective leaders that can deliver superior performance. There are some leaders who score above the maximum point of 80. They are usually seen as autocratic, very hard to change, too strong and unfriendly. They communicate good values in excess and all they need to be wonderful people is to work down a little to the acceptable level of 80 points.
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