Saturday, February 16, 2013 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

P. 8

2013 budget delay

P. 7

PDP to hold fresh FG reads riot act Presidency, to power operators NASS in crossfire congress in S’West z

Vol. 03 No. No. 9

Saturday, February 16, 2013

N150

Fashola splashes N59 million on Super Eagles P. 11

! e i d l o G Untold stories Pages 2 & 18 L-R: Managing Director and Chief Executive, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Seni Adetu; Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and Head Coach, Super Eagles, Steven Keshi, during the presentation of the African Cup of Nations trophy in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

N195bn scam

Jonathan orders Maina’s discipline

P. 6

•Head of Service swings into action •Pension reform chair loses bid to stop arrest

Death sentence: Appeal Court set to hear Al-Mustapha’s case

P. 8

Page

Top Stories

Two

How the music stopped for Joe Igbile P.35

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Goldie: The golden girl goes home mysteriously

What really killed her? That is the big question on everyone’s lips. It is a question sincerely begging to be answered. Since there has been no official disclosure of her actual cause of death, massive speculations and allegations are already trailing her permanent exit from this sinful world. The most reasonable of them propounds that she died of a pulmonary embolism, a health condition whereby blood clots in the body and prevents blood flowing normally and when it blocks a coronary artery, the next thing is death. People who fly a lot for over four hours a flight are said

to be susceptible to the condition and Goldie was a frequent flier. Indeed, she is said to have returned from a trip to the United States the very day she died. Another explanation of her death claims that she died of drugs. Another says it was a pneumonia attack. An extreme, perhaps absurd explanation is that she was indeed a supernatural being, a mermaid (Mammywater) and that she has returned to her abode under the seas. For ethical reasons, Reddington Hospital refused to disclose to Saturday Mirror any detail whatsoever about her demise. A hospital source who spoke to Sat-

urday Mirror on the condition of strict anonymity says she was actually brought in DOA, that is ‘dead on arrival.’ As people continue to grasp the reality of her death and speculate on what actually killed her, her widely known best friend, entertainer Denrele Edun, who is said to live with her in her Ikoyi abode, is believed to have the information people are dearly seeking. Reports have it that Goldie died in his arms. Denrele himself is alleged to have made the disclosure on the popular social networking site, Twitter. But when people demanded the cause of death and he couldn’t provide it, one of Denrele’s followers on Twitter said he began to receive a bashing and it was insinuated that he knew more than he was letting on. A school of thought therefore is spreading a tale that Goldie and Denrele were on a drug party to celebrate her return from the Grammys and it was an overdose that killed her just like Whitney Houston. When Saturday Mirror called Denrele’s phone, however, so he could react, it was unavailable. Deputy Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, ASP Damasus Ozoni, however told Saturday Mirror that the police cannot investigate if foul play was involved in her death unless her family members report a suspicion of foul play to the police. Goldie’s body is presently at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. Her death comes on the heels of another Nollywood death; actress, Bisi Komolafe, whose sudden death also threw the nation into heavy mourning.

edition of the Big Brother Africa competition where she won millions of admirers. Fayemi also described Goldie’s death as great loss to Ekiti State as the late star hailed from IkoleEkiti, headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area of the state. With Goldie’s death, Fayemi said a bright star from Ekiti whose impact in the entertainment industry reverberated across the nation and the world stage has been eclipsed. He noted that the works of the

artiste brought joy to her fans all over the world saying that he derived consolation from the fact that although Goldie is dead, her music will remain in the hearts of her fans and admirers all over the world. The Governor urged the family of the deceased to be consoled that

their daughter lived a fulfilled life and had carved a niche for herself in her chosen career. “This great daughter of Ekiti recorded so many feats in her short but eventful lifetime. Our prayer is that God will grant the family and fans the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

ven as Goldie’s death continues to send shock waves across the world, a death occurred a day before hers that is uncanny in its closeness to Goldie’s. This previous death was that of Bimpe Sorinolu, another Ekiti daughter. She died of breast cancer in a London hospital. A sibling of the former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, Sorinolu shares the same first name, Bimpe, with Goldie and they are both from Ekiti State. Like Goldie, Sorinolu was

also a trailblazer and was respected for her efforts in trying to heal people with mental problems. God rest their souls.

OSEYIZA OOGBODO

D P.33

Abductors demand N60m for kidnapped woman’s release

How I escaped being slaughtered by kidnappers – Housewife P.34 Senator’s aide burnt to death by second P.51 wife

eath may surprise us! The above phrase is appropriate regarding the death of Susan Bimpe Harvey. Better known as Goldie, she passed on last Thursday, Valentine’s Day, and even as she has been certified dead, people are still finding it difficult to believe that she is indeed dead, simply because her death is so surprising it is shocking. “Who did you say is dead? Goldie? The same Goldie? No, she can’t be dead,” was the reaction of one of her teeming fans when she heard the news several hours afterwards on Friday morning. Goldie’s sudden death was definitely unexpected. Not only was she a popular entertainer, she was very vivacious and energetic in her endeavours and overall personality. She was always smiling, was always involved in a project and she seemed the picture of perfect health. In a nutshell, she was the polar opposite of someone who could be expected to die abruptly. The current information available about how she died is that she suddenly complained of a severe headache in her Parkview Estate, Ikoyi residence, was rushed to Reddington Hospital, Victoria Island and was there pronounced dead on arrival.

Goldie in angelic pose

Ekiti State mourns an unforgettable daughter

Teenager enticed with N1,600 raped by five men P.51 Man nabbed with cocaine in baby powder enroute Gabon P.49

kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has expressed shock on the death of multiple awardwinning pop music star, Susan Oluwabimpe Harvey, popularly known as Goldie. The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, described the death of the artiste as a “big blow to the global entertainment industry.” He praised Goldie for representing Nigeria well in last year’s

The other Bimpe E

Sorinolu

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Saturday Starter

Atilade

Onaiyekan

Oritsejafor

All is not well with the body of Christ in Nigeria. The Catholic membership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has suspended its participation in CAN activities at the national level and is threatening to pull out totally. What does this portend for the future of Christendom in Nigeria, and indeed the future of Nigeria itself, particularly these days when terrorists ride on religious differences to wreak havoc?

OSEYIZA OOGBODO

hese are certainly not the best of times for the house of God in Nigeria. The perennial ‘slaughtering’ of Christians and desecration of Christian places of worship, especially in the northern parts of the country, certainly must be a headache to those who steer the affairs of the body of Christ in the country. As if that was not enough, another crisis has reared its ugly head. You could call it secession-in-the-making. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), an arm of the overall body, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), is threatening to pull out of CAN. The implications of the threatened pullout can

Secession in the House

only be better understood in the reaction of Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. Bamgbola is not happy about the CBCN threat, and he doesn’t bother to hide his sadness over it. He says, “I hope it will not happen. I am praying that they shouldn’t pull out, as a house divided against itself cannot stand. I pray that the Lord will minister to the heads of the Catholic Church so that they will not go ahead with their intention to pull out of CAN.” Bamgbola’s stance is in stark contrast to that of Monsignor Bernard Okodua who is Lagos State CAN Chairman. Unlike Bamgbola who is earnestly hoping and praying that the Catholics don’t pull out and that CAN should return to the days when there was no threat of division, Okodua’s position is that of whatever happens happens for a reason and that there is nothing new under the sun. He says, “The issue is still as it is. Nothing has changed. The CBCN has not pulled out of CAN. It has only suspended its participation temporarily from all organised activities at the national level. But it’s still very much involved at the state and local government levels. CAN operates at the national, state and local government levels, so the CBCN is only involved in CAN at the state and local government levels for now.” Okoduwa views were corroborated by the Director,

of God

Mission and Dialogue, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Dr Cornelius Omonokhua. “We have only suspended taking part in CAN’s national meetings. We are still participating at the state level and some of our bishops are state chairmen of CAN.” Reacting to the possibility of the temporary suspension decision being upgraded to a permanent pullout, Okodua said, “I cannot say much about that. The decisions that led to the suspension and the warning of a possible pullout were taken by the CBCN who are the leaders of the Catholic Church in CAN. We at the state level don’t really have any say. All we do is follow instructions from the top and if they say we should pull out, we will pull out immediately.” Giving the reason for their desired pullout, which has led to the temporary suspension of participation in CAN activities at the national level for now, CBCN wrote to CAN, saying, “The present state of CAN has departed from the original concept of her founding fathers of which our bloc, CBCN, is a prominent stakeholder. The motto of CAN, ‘That they all may be one,’ is not taken as a priority. We note a total neglect of ecumenism and unwillingness to learn the theological foundations of Christian unity.” That wasn’t their only reason. Their letter, signed CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Saturday Starter

Gbenga Osinaike is a seasoned analyst of Christian issues and the publisher of Church Times, Nigeria’s foremost publication on Christendom. He spoke to OSEYIZA OOGBODO on the imbroglio between CBCN and CAN and the possible implications of the CBCN pulling out of CAN.

‘CAN is not a cult, membership is voluntary’ conclusion. The CSN has had its fair share of CAN leadership. I don’t think that is the reason. It will be naive for the CSN to agitate for the presidency of CAN. The Church of God is bigger than a single denomination. Of all the CAN blocs, which is the most powerful? How do you define powerful bloc? is it the population, theology of the denomination or the influence? It is not easy to determine the most powerful bloc. But all I can say is that the Catholic seems large enough to parade a bloc on its own unlike other arms of the church that have to come together to form a bloc. But being a bloc does not determine your influence. It goes beyond that.

hat is your view of the Catholic bloc’s decision to pull out of CAN? I think they have come out to deny that they pulled out. But let’s assume that they have developed a kind of cold feet concerning the umbrella body for Christians, I do not see anything unusual about it. CAN is not a cult where membership is willy nilly. It is an association and an association is loose. There is nothing rigid about it. Members have the right to join and to pull out. It is like the National Association of Nigerian Students. There are schools whose students are not members. So their exclusion from the body will not really make any difference and it does not go to say that the church is divided. The church of God is one because what binds us together is not the structure and the association but the faith in the saving grace of Jesus. If they pull out indeed, what do you think will happen? Will it be the end of CAN and the beginning of disunity in the Nigeria Church? Their pulling out will not make any difference as I stated earlier. The question we must ask ourselves is: What is the impact of CAN on the entire body of Christ? I don’t want to go into the politics of the body. But the fact remains that CAN in the real sense does not mean much to the ordinary Christian on the street. It seems everything about the body begins and ends with those who are at the leadership of the body. In terms of direct benefit, I cannot see any link with the day-to-day Christian. The body’s existence or non-existence will not bring an end to Christianity or the faith of people. So if a unit like the Catholic Society of Nigeria pulls out, it will be not make any difference. Do you think the Catholic bloc is justified in all the accusations it made against CAN as its reasons for wanting to pull out? Unfortunately the accusations are still in the realm of speculations. There are insinuations that the Catholics are not comfortable with the leadership of a Pentecostal. But we really can’t begin to believe all the stories being peddled around. The truth in them

Is Oritsejafor’s vacation of the PFN presidency as a result of the crisis? You should be aware that the tenure of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as the PFN President expired and a new leadership had to come into being. His exit from PFN is not connected with CAN politics. Do you still see CAN as one in the next few years? There is no human organisation that is one in the real sense of the word. There will be disagreement and dissensions from time to time. It’s not a question of being one. I think the challenge will be how to converge and manage the divergent views.

Osinaike

cannot be ascertained yet so it’s best to just ignore them. Do you think the Catholic bloc is

actually agitating for the CAN presidency through their intended pullout? It will be dangerous to arrive at that

Do you see the Catholics still pulling out any time soon? If they have denied pulling out, I do not think they will pull out in the nearest future. It is in their interest to remain in the larger body and pursue their vision. There is also a need for CAN to rework what it stands for and provide a veritable platform for the Church in Nigeria to actualise its mandate of being the light to the world.

History of CAN

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is an umbrella organisation made up of numerous Christian denominations in Nigeria. Ayo Oritsejafor, Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, is the President and Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches, is Vice-President. Former presidents include Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Cardinal Archbishop of Lagos Anthony Olubumni

Okogie, and Sunday Mbang, Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria. The organisation is made up of five blocs. They are the Christian Council of Nigeria, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the aforementioned Organisation of African Instituted Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of West Africa. CAN has Women and Youth Wings, a National Executive Council consisting of 105 members (which elects the President) and a General Assembly of 304 members (which ratifies the Presi-

dent’s election). It was founded in 1976, and originally only consisted of the Catholic Church and mainline Protestant groups. However, it later expanded to include Pentecostal churches as well. CAN was formed because of the marginalisation of Christians in the North. The Christians in the North, particularly those of them from the TEKAN extraction came together and formed Northern Christian Association. It was that body that metamorphosed into CAN.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Saturday Starter

Discord among brethren I PRAY THAT THE LORD WILL

THE CBCN HAS NOT PULLED OUT OF

CAN. IT HAS

MINISTER TO

ONLY SUSPENDED

THE HEADS OF

ITS PARTICIPATION

THE

CATHOLIC

TEMPORARILY

CHURCH SO THAT

FROM ALL

THEY WILL NOT

ORGANISED

GO AHEAD WITH

ACTIVITIES AT

THEIR INTENTION

THE NATIONAL

TO PULL OUT OF

CAN

LEVEL

–BAMGBOLA

–OKODUA

Bamgbola

Okodua

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 by the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Reverend Ignatius Kaigama, and addressed to the CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on their dissatisfaction with their presence and role in CAN fully reads: “We wish to bring to your notice the concern of the Catholic bloc of the association over some recent attitudes, utterances and actions of the national leadership of CAN, which in our opinion negate the concept of the foundation of the association and the desire of Our Lord Jesus Christ ‘That they All May Be One.’ “The CBCN bloc hereby suspends participation in CAN meetings at the national level until such a time the leadership of CAN reverse to the original vision, mission and objectives of CAN. We have been compelled to take this painful decision because of the following reasons: “That the present state of CAN has departed from the original concept of her founding fathers of which our bloc is a prominent stakeholder. “That the motto of CAN ‘That they All may be one’ is not taken as a priority. We note a total neglect of Ecumenism and unwillingness to learn the theological foundations of Christian unity. “The Directorate of Ecumenism and interfaith which is one of the missions of CAN is not given a priority attention to promote peace and unity in the nation which is the mandate of Christ to all Christians. “That CAN is being dragged into partisan politics, thereby compromising its ability to play its true role as conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless. “That there is not enough respect for and involvement of all the blocs of CAN in major decisions and activities. That CAN is no longer acting on consensus on major issues. “CAN is not a mega church but an association of different churches. There-

CAN IS NOT A MEGA CHURCH BUT AN ASSOCIATION OF DIFFERENT CHURCHES. THEREFORE ANY CLAIMS BY THE PRESIDENT TO BE THE LEADER OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA MUST TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT

–CATHOLIC BISHOPS

fore any claims by the President to be the leader of Christians in Nigeria must take this into account. “We remain committed to the promotion of Christian unity in the country. We recall our major contributions at the foundation and growth of the association. That is why we are compelled to call your attention to the anomalies we see now. “We remain open to further discussions and dialogue while we pray for the light of the Holy Spirit to guide us all to a better future.” When Saturday Mirror asked Bamgbola further if he felt the CBCN was justified in its reasons for wanting to pull out of CAN, he played the peacemaker once again. “Prayer, prayer and more prayer is the answer to this whole issue. I cannot begin to say if they are justified or not because the Lord does not take sides. I also don’t know if they are justified or glorified, I’m just an ordinary man, but I do know that I do not want them to pull out of CAN and I continue to pray to God for that and I continue to hope that He will touch their hearts on that.” In his own case, Okodua, who gives the impression that he is ready to flow with the wind anywhere it blows, whether it’s for the Catholics to pull out or to stay, was of the opinion that there is no smoke without fire. When Saturday Mirror asked him if he felt the CBCN was justified in its reasons, his response was, “They must have seen something before

they said what they said. Am I to say they are not saying the truth?” Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Chairman, CAN South West, agrees with Okodua. “They must have a reason for their action. As we all know, they expressed their grievances and we are addressing them. It is now an in-house affair and they have not yet pulled out and that is what matters now as dialogue goes on. Dialogue is the only way forward and I can assure that we are in dialogue.” A rather strange angle to the issue is that the CBCN letter to CAN, which was written in September 2012 became widely circulated only last month. The CBCN explained why the letter didn’t become public immediately. According to Omonokhua, “We did not make the letter public because it is an inhouse issue of the Christian body and we remain committed to the promotion of Christian unity in the country.” Meanwhile, just as CBCN says CAN has needlessly involved itself in partisan politics, CAN also says that CBCN’s action is politically motivated. The Public Relations Officer of the 19 Northern states of CAN and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, asserts that the Bishops’ Conference is an appendage of the Peoples Democratice Party, arguing that there is no basis for the division. “There is no division in CAN and we are all speaking with one voice. There are certain elements in the leadership of CBCN led by John Onaiyekan. He is angry because he lost the PFN presidency

to Oritsejafor who has a lot of achievements. “There is no need for anybody to lose sleep over the threat by Catholics to pull out of CAN because without them, CAN will still continue. The constitution of CAN makes provision that membership can be terminated by any group. “Why is it that when Catholics were in the leadership of CAN, every bloc supported them. But since power has changed, they are threatening to pull out and causing confusion? “The Catholics are claiming that the current CAN leadership has deviated from the vision of the founding fathers. They don’t even know how CAN came about. What do the Catholics know about the vision of the founding fathers?” One thing is clear from all the rumours, accusations and counter-accusations. There is the rumour that the CBCN is envious of the CAN President, Oritsejafor, over the jet he recently acquired. There is also the rumour that Oritsejafor’s occupation of both the PFN and CAN presidencies wasn’t pleasing to many and it is the apparent displeasure that forced him not to rerun for the PFN presidency. There are also those who claim that Oritsejafor had wanted to vacate the PFN presidency, but he wasn’t allowed. Another pointer to the sensitivity of the CBCN/CAN faceoff is the fact that many Christian leaders prefer not to comment on it probably for fear of taking sides. Many give flimsy excuses not to react, indicating that they prefer to protect their interests. Others give the tactful excuse that it’s now an in-house affair, indicating that there’s probably been some instructions that they should seal their lips. All the above statements point to one fact: the unity in the Church is fragile, probably due to the current condition in the country, and as tempers are boiling in several strata of the nation, so also are they boiling in the Church.

NATIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

N195bn scam: Jonathan orders discipline of Maina •Head of Service swings into action ROTIMI FADEYI

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali, to immediately commence disciplinary action against the chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, for absconding from duty. This followed his receipt from the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, of a status report on efforts by the Police to execute the warrant issued by the Senate for the arrest of Maina, which suggests that

he was on the run. Sali has since swung into action, directing the Ministry of Interior to commence disciplinary proceedings against him. Maina is the Deputy Director in charge of Civil Defence, Immigration, Fire and Prison Services Pension Board (CIFPPB) under the Ministry of Interior. The Senate had on Wednesday issued Jonathan a two-day ultimatum which expired yesterday within which to sack Maina. A statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said section 030402 of

the Federal Government’s Public Service Rules lists Absence from Duty without Leave as an act of serious misconduct punishable by dismissal. In his directive to the Head of Service, Jonathan noted that the InspectorGeneral’s report clearly indicated that Alhaji Maina had absconded from his official duties. The president directed the Head of Service to act expeditiously on the disciplinary proceedings against Maina and report back to him on actions taken. The Inspector-General of Police had stated in his report to Jonathan that after

receiving the Senate’s warrant for the arrest of Maina, he had constituted a team of detectives under the leadership of a Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police to find and arrest him in compliance with the Senate’s directive. Abubakar said that the police had since mounted surveillance at Maina’s home and office but had been unable to arrest him because he had gone into hiding and stayed away from both locations since the warrant was issued, leading to his publicly being declared wanted by the Police. The Inspector General of Police assured the president that “intensive search” oper-

Members of the Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International during their national council meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

...Pension reform chair loses bid to stop arrest EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

ttempts by the embattled Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, to stop the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, from arresting him, failed yesterday, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declined to grant the order. Maina had, through his counsel, Mr. M. A Magaji (SAN), approached the court with an ex-parte application to stop the police from executing the warrant of arrest issued on February 2 and signed personally by the Senate President, David Mark. Listed as co-defendants are: the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria; the

Senate President , Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Clerk of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Senate Committee On Establishment and Public Service, the Senate Committee State and Local Government Administration. Others are the Inspector General of Police; Senator Aloysius Etuk (The Senate Committee on Establishment & Public Service); Senator Kabiru Gaya (The Senate Committee State & Local Govt Administration). He argued that the decision of the upper chamber of the National Assembly constituted a violation of the “Applicant Rights as guaranteed under section 35(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).” The decision by the Senate to order Maina’s arrest

was consequent upon his consistent failure to honour several invitations to appear before the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service, States and Local Governments, to give detailed account of the management of Customs, Immigration and Prison Office. Pursuant to the warrant of arrest and the failure of the Police to effect same, the Senate on Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sack Maina as Pension Director. In a brief ruling yesterday, presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello, refused to grant all orders sought by Maina on the ground that hearing of the ex parte application was leaked to the public via applicant’s counsel interview with the Nigerian Television Authority

(NTA) before it was heard, thereby denying the court the right and discretion to grant same. Justice Bello further picked holes in the decision of the applicant’s counsel, Magaji, to serve the substantive motion on notice - listed for hearing on Febuary 18 - to all the parties involved in the matter saying, ex parte motions deserve exclusive hearing and determination before service of substantive motion papers was made on Defendants/Respondents. Specifically, Bello stated that Magaji’s reliance on Order 4 Rule 4 (c) hastened the failure of the application. Accordingly, he declined to grant the orders sought, chief of which sought to set aside the warrant of arrest issued on Febuary 2.

ations were still ongoing for the arrest of Maina and that the Police would not relent until he is apprehended and produced before the Senate. Meanwhile, in a statement indicating the action of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Head of Service, Tope Ajakaiye, said Sali premised his decision on the inability of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to arrest Mr. Maina. He said the PRTT chairman “has absconded from duty without leave.” The statement added: “The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali, has directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, a Deputy Director in the Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pensions Office, an agency under the ministry. “In his directive to the Permanent Secretary, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation said that following the submission of a report from the InspectorGeneral of Police to Mr. President of the inability of the Nigeria Police to locate the officer, it has become apparent that he has ab-

sconded from duty without leave, an action which, he said, carries severe penalty in line with Public Service Rules No. 030301 to 030304.” On Thursday, the Presidency said that Jonathan was not backing Maina against the Senate which gave a two-day ultimatum within which to sack him. Abati told Journalists in Abuja that the fate of Maina could only be decided following laid down civil service rule and procedure which provides that it is the Head of Service of the Federation that can take a decision concerning a civil servant according to civil service rule. He noted that the Senate had constitutional right to summon anybody since nobody is above the law. He added that as a man that believes in the rule of law, the president believes that laid down procedure should be followed in addressing issues. “ The Senate has constitutional power to summon anybody. If such person failed to appear before them, the lawmakers are also empowered to issue warrant of arrest against the person. “The president has not in any way stood in the way of the Senate in inviting Maina. You will recall that the police even declared him wanted.”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

PDP to hold fresh congress in South-West TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

Acting Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps, Brigadier-General Sunday Adedapo Adebayo (left), in a handshake with his predecessor, Major General Lucky Banjiram (right), during the handing/taking over ceremony at the corps headquarters, recently.

Heavy rainfall coming –NIMET •Warns on potential risks TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) yesterday formally presented the 2013 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) which indicated that some parts of the country, particularly North-West areas, may witness heavy rainfall as was recorded in 2012. The agency warned that adequate and proactive measures must be put in place to mitigate any potential flooding and other associated risks this year. The states which may be seriously affected by heavy downpour with potential risks to lives and property if adequate precautionary measures are not taken by all stakeholders are Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and surrounding states. The Director General of the agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, who presented the SRP formally to the public in Abuja, explained that the length of the rainy season is predicted to be normal in most parts of the north and south, noting however that longer than the normal length of the rainy season is likely for most of the central parts of the country and over parts of Yobe, Northern Cross River and parts of South-Western states. The document detailed that the annual rainfall amount is predicted that in Ogun State rainfall amount is expected to be below normal while Oyo and Kebbi states may experience abnormal rainfall.

Specifically, the SRP indicated that in the extreme North, rainfall amount is expected to range from 400 to 1000mm while in the South, it is expected to be between 1500 and 3000mm. Anuforo clarified: “Based on the prevailing conditions at the time of producing the forecast it is predicted that this year the rainfall pattern in most parts of Nigeria is likely to be similar to that of 2012. However, some areas in the North Western parts of the country (which also fall within the catchment area of River Niger) the total rainfall predicted for 2013 may exceed that of 2012. “The predicted rainfall amount for 2013 will range from about 420 mm spread over 120 days in the extreme North East to 2,980 mm over a period of 290 days. “As we have always said, these forecasts are statements of probability and are based on the available scientific knowledge and data. As we may well know, man’s knowledge is still limited and therefore some margin of error within tolerable limits is not unusual”, the NIMET boss said. While pointing out that the conditions that determine the rainfall pattern over Nigeria have become more variable due to the effects of Climate Change and Global Warming both of which, he said, constitute big challenges for atmospheric scientists globally, Anuforo assured that the meteorological agency would continue to moni-

tor the trend in all parts of the country regularly and publish any updates periodically as the rainy season progresses. In her keynote address, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who was represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Clement Dosunmu, while commending the agency for providing the meteorological information and reports on timely basis said government was committed to providing necessary support to the agency in its efforts to protect Nigerians and the country from the ravag-

ing impact of increasingly changing global weatherrelated development. Princess Oduah noted that the information in these publications are not only useful for planning, but for decision-making and policy formulation, especially in those sectors of the economy that are sensitive to weather. She said that it is also expected that the early release of the 2013 SRP will enable all stakeholders apply the information in planning and executing their activities in such a way as to reduce vulnerability to climate extremes.

ollowing the controversy that surrounded the elections of Ogun State executives and South-West zonal executives during the March 2012 state and zonal congresses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, has called for a fresh South West Zonal Congress. The party, as a means of resolving the crisis over the March 2012 South-West zonal congress also removed its National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha, and replaced him with Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju. In a statement that contains the report of the Decision of PDP NWC on Ogun State Exco and South West Zone Exco, the party said it would comply immediately with all the rulings relating to the election of Ogun State and South-West zonal executives. The statement made available to Saturday Mirror by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, reads: “Following protracted dispute on the Ogun State and South West Zonal Exco of the Party, a series of suits were filed on the matter, amongst which are FHC/L/CS/1248/2011, FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and FHC/L/CS/347/2012.

“That Chief Bode Mustapha is removed from office as the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party; “That Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju is the validly elected National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party; “That the Peoples Democratic Party is to rectify its records by deleting the name of Chief Bode Mustapha as National Auditor and replace the same with Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju; “That the South West Zonal Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party conducted in March 2012 is nullified; “That the Executive Committee constituted for the PDP in Ogun State at Congresses conducted by the Bashorun Dayo Soremi -led harmonised Executive Committee for the Wards, Local Governments and in the State in March 2012 are valid Exco of the Party at the various levels in Ogun State and are entitled to their 4-years tenure.” The party having considered some of the issues relating to the controversial congresses posited that: “The PDP is to organise a fresh South West Zonal Congress at which access is to be given to delegates elected at congresses conducted by or under the supervision of the Soremi-led Ogun State Executive and accept the candidacy.

2013 budget: Presidency, NASS in crossfire •We’ll only sign ‘implementable budget’ –Presidency •We’re committed to people-oriented budget –Lawmakers GEORGE OJI ABUJA

he delay in the signing of the 2013 appropriation bill is caused by the extreme positions of both the executive arm of government and members of the National Assembly, Saturday Mirror can reveal. While the executive is angry with the National Assembly for ‘importing strange items,’ into the budget proposal prepared by it, members of the National Assembly are insisting that those items are people-oriented projects that are targeted at serving the interest of the masses. In particular, the executive is angry with the lawmakers for adding close to N93 billion into the budget

for items that fall clearly outside the purview of federal budgets. Saturday Mirror was told that in the process of reviewing the 2013 budget by the lawmakers, some projects, particularly road construction, which are constitutionally supposed to be handled by either the state governments or local governments found their ways into what is supposed to be the federal budget. For this and sundry other reasons, the executive arm of government is insisting that it is not going to commit itself to such a budget. “You find a situation where these lawmakers, particularly the principal officers are asking the federal government to construct roads that pass through their houses and villages, in-

stead of approaching their state governments to do that for them. If you sign such a budget, tomorrow, they will be the ones smoking hot everywhere and saying that this government cannot be trusted, the government is not implementing the budget as agreed again. This government is not going to accept that,” a presidency source said. It was gathered that the executive is trying to avoid a repeat of last year’s experience where it was accused of unfaithful implementation of the budget by the lawmakers. Government is insisting that it can only commit to a budget that it will own and it can implement, particularly since it does not want a repeat of what presidency sources described as ‘black-

mail’ by the National Assembly last year. But the lawmakers who are latching on the constitutional provisions, which gives the parliament latitude to restructure any budget proposal from the executive arm of government are insisting on their part that they are not going to swallow the proposed 2013 budget forwarded to it hook line and sinker; that they have the constitutional responsibility to tinker with the budget to serve the interest of the electorates. Meanwhile as ways of resolving the logjam, top officials of the budget office and the Ministry of Finance have recently been engaging in frantic meetings both at the National Assembly and at the Presidency to find a meeting point on the budget.

NATIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Death sentence: Appeal Court set to hear Al-Mustapha’s appeal WALE IGBINTADE

ourt of Appeal, Lagos Division, will on April 29, hear the appeal filed by former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late General Sanni Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, and former Personal Assistant to late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Lateef Shofolahan. The appellants are challenging the verdict of Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos High Court which sentenced them to death by hanging on January 30

2012 having found them guilty of the murder of late Mrs. Kudirat Abiola. The court, presided over by Justice C.C Nweze, fixed the date for hearing of the appeal, after counsels representing both convicts had applied for a regularisation of their briefs of argument. Former N.B.A. president, Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Mr Olalekan Ojo (counsel to the appellants), moved in terms of their motion papers. Justice Nweze granted their requests and adjourned the case to April 29

for hearing of the appeal. The convicts were arraigned sometime in October 1999, on a four-count charge of “conspiracy and murder of Alhaja Abiola on June 4, 1996 along Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway. The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, had found both accused guilty of the offence and had accordingly convicted and sentenced them to death by hanging. Dissatisfied, counsel to both the first and second appellants appealed against the judgement. In the notice of appeal,

the appellants are contending that the death sentence handed by the lower court was unwarranted, unreasonable and a manifest miscarriage of justice. The appellants further contended that the trial judge erred in law by arriving at the conclusion that they conspired to kill Alhaja Abiola on June 4, 1996. The appellants prayed the court to allow their appeal and set aside the judgment of the lower court. They also prayed the court to discharge them of the charges of conspiracy and murder.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Baba Suwe: Appeal Court gives NDLEA hearing date WALE IGBINTADE

he Court of Appeal, Lagos, has fixed April 8, to hear arguments on an appeal filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), against a judgment of Justice Yetunde Idowu of a Lagos High Court which ordered the agency to pay N25m as damages to Yoruba actor, Mr. Babatunde Omidina, popular known as Baba Suwe, in 2011. Justice Idowu, had in her judgment delivered in November 24, 2011, ordered the agency to pay N25m to Baba Suwe, for keeping him in custody beyond the legal time limit on a suspicion of drug ingestion. The court also ordered the agency to apologise to the actor publicly in conspicuous pages of two national dailies. The appeal which was slated for hearing yesterday could not go on, as the appellate court presided over by Justice Chima Nweze observed that the suit was

wrongly listed for motion instead of arguments. The court, in view of the error, adjourned the case to April 8 for definite hearing. Baba Suwe was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on October 12, 2011 on allegations of ingestion of a restricted narcotic. He was said to be detained without any evidence that he ingested any narcotic, as he did not excrete any of such substance throughout the period of his incarceration. The lower court, in its judgment, held that the detention of the actor and the ill-treatment meted on him while in custody violated his constitutionally-guaranteed rights. But, counsel to NDLEA, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba, had in a five-ground notice of appeal, urged the appellate court to set aside the judgment, on the grounds, that the award of N25m in favour of Baba Suwe was arbitrary and that the trial court wrongly assumed jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Unions disrupts Aero Airlines flights over redeployment Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi (left), and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, at the Nigeria Power PHOTO: NAN Sector Reform Roadmap 2.0 Technical Retreat in Abuja, yesterday.

OLUSEGUN KOIKI

FG reads riot act to power transmission operators

CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he new Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, yesterday lamented the increasing frequency in system collapse of the nation’s power grid urging operators to sit up or be prepared to leave. Nebo who was speaking during his first public function at the technical retreat of the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP) held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, stressed that the frequency in system collapse of grid was of grave concern to government. He insisted that government would no longer tolerate complacency and ineptitude of companies which build up additional burdens

of liabilities through their misconduct. “I have observed with grave concern the increasing frequency in system collapse of our grid and hereby encourage the operatives of this segment in the TCN to be extra diligent and vigilant. I shall not entertain frivolous reasons for continued system collapse. Owners of this process must sit up or be prepared to ship out,” he said. According to the minister, another area of serious concern which needed to be addressed is the poor track record of project delivery across the value chain, especially in the transmission segment which will remain in government’s hands. He warned that without a major shift towards im-

proved efficiency, the poor track record of project delivery across the value chain could frustrate the development of a sustainable private sector driven power market in the country. “As we progress into the threshold of handing over the sold assets to the successful bidders, the Distribution Companies must sit up during this transition period. Any of the officers in the Distribution Companies found to be sabotaging the revenue collection targets of the market, will be made to face the full wrath of the law. This is because government will not tolerate complacency and ineptitude of these companies building up additional burdens of liabilities through the misconduct of these companies”.

Nebo reiterated that without a major shift towards improved efficiency, the development of a sustainable private sector driven power market in the country could be frustrated, stressing that the move is also a veritable option in order to align to the internationally acceptable business standards. The minister said he would insist on the shift to happen soon even as he expressed support for the review and revise the original roadmap developed in 2010. He added that it would produce data which are more consistent with the current and future challenges ahead. While urging Nigerians to appreciate the tangible improvements in power supply which was produced by reform agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, the former vice chancellor expressed hope that the best in power supply is within reach.

ctivities were yesterday temporary disrupted at Aero Airlines by the industry unions over the redeployment of the airline’s drivers by the management without their consents. The disruption of work by the leaderships of the unions - the Air Transport Senior Staff Services of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) - led to the engagement of stern looking police officers by the airline’s management to man their exit and entry points. The unions accused the airlines management of an attempt to strategically lay of the workers by outsourcing the transport division of the airline to another company without their approval. According to the unions, no fewer than 41

drivers were issued redeployment letters on Thursday to another company known as Remlord Tours and Car Hire Services, which allegedly belongs to a member of the airline’s management. Among those affected was a staff who had worked in the airline for 22 years. The redeployment of drivers cut across all the airports the airline has staff. But the Ag. Managing Director of the airline said there were no plans to ease out any worker, but the management wanted to cut cost. Speaking to journalists at Aero ground, the Ag. Secretary General, ATSSSAN, Comrade Olayinka Abioye, said that the management did not picket the airline as operations were still ongoing in the airline, rather the workers down tools to protest their redeployment without their consents.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Sea robbery: Nigerian waterways now safe –Naval chief SEGUN ADIO

L-R: Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senator Kabiru Gaya; Deputy Corps Marshal (Motor Vehicle Administration), Danjuma Garba and Deputy Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem (CC) during the Jumat prayer to mark Federal Road Safety Corps 25th year anniversary at the Abuja Central Mosque, yesterday.

Hold national dialogue before centenary, NSG tells FG TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

he National Summit Group (NSG) led by former Special Adviser to President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has stressed the need for national dialogue in Nigeria to resolve some of the problems in the country before Nigeria’s centenary anniversary. It would be recalled that the Northern and Southern Protectorates were officially amalgamated into one nation in January 1, 1914, giving birth to modern day Nigeria. Therefore, Nigeria is expected to celebrate her hundred years of existence as a nation on January 1, 2014. NSG in a statement issued to journalists yesterday and signed by its Executive Secretary, Mr.

Tony Uranta, noted that holding the dialogue was imperative as it remained the most fundamental strategy to protecting the unity and stability of the Nigerian nation, for the next hundred years. The group also stressed the need for Nigerians to deliberate on the myriads of challenges facing the country, with an aim at strengthening its commonalities and resolving their differences as diverse people united by God. The group also urged all stakeholders in the Nigerian project, particularly elected political office holders, to support the proposed national dialogue as the plausible option for improving the existing social, economic and political institutions in a united Nigerian federation. The statement reads in part: “At the end of the keen and deep deliberations during our ex-

panded two-day National Working Committee meeting in Asaba, members reaffirmed their commitment to the objective of convoking an all-embracing Peoples’ National Conference/National Dialogue. Holding the dialogue will avoid the dangers that threaten, in many ramifications, the nation’s fabric. “We stand on our demand for a national conference, without the prefix “Sovereign” to provide a platform for all component units of Nigeria, including the masses; organised civil society bodies; the federal, state and local government area executive, judiciary and legislative arms of government, to resolve the challenges besetting the country, along negotiated and mutually beneficial lines.” The NSG appealed to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to actively and visibly

Guinness sponsors 10 youths in technology

s part of its corporate social responsibilities, Guinness Nigeria Plc is sponsoring 10 youths to the Institute of Industrial Technology (IIT). The gesture, according to the Corporate Relations Director of Guinness, in a statement, is in line with its resolve to promote human capacity development founded on its community development initiatives. The industrial technol-

ogy programme is focused on technical training and is designed to empower Nigerians with the requisite skills needed to contribute positively to the technological, economic and social development of self in particular and Nigeria in general. In the statement, Sesan Sobowale, Corporate Relations Director of Guinness, represented by Mrs. Nkiruka Ogboruche, said that the company is always committed to sup-

porting the dreams and aspirations of youths and assisting them in becoming useful members of the society. Also speaking during the orientation programme for the new intakes, the Director of the Institute Olumide Akinjo, said that the programme, which started 13 years ago, has been kept alive by socially responsible corporate organisations like Guinness Nigeria.

support the National Summit Group in its advocacy and enlightenment crusade towards enhancing Nigeria’s democracy, unity and federalism, premised on mutual understanding, justice, equity, rule-of-law, and non-violence.

hief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, has said that the rate of sea robbery in Nigeria’s waterways has recorded a significant drop in the last five months of his leadership of the service. Admiral Ezeoba said this in Lagos yesterday while declaring open the Nigerian Navy Engineering and Logistics Seminar 2013 at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Naval chief, who attributed the giant step of the service under his watch to the resolve of President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive of ridding the nation’s waterways of oil theft, however, maintained that the challenges still hindering further successes in that regard are the “daunting tasks of maintaining fleet availability in the midst of

resource limitations and growing threat to national economic activities” in the maritime domain. His words: “Without sounding immodest, I want to say that we have done quite well judging from where we started from Operation Farauta to where we are today. There has been a significant drop in this act of illegalities. Of course, as it is known all over the world, these things are not uncommon. You cannot eliminate these things because, as far as you are human beings, there will be some people who would want to perpetrate some acts of illegalities. But we have reduced this acts of illegalities.” The Naval chief also hinted that the service is concluding plans to engage the assistance of foreign partners in the building of the second made-in-Nigeria war ship, which President Jonathan laid middle of last year.

In your refreshingly different SURE-P: Why lawmakers are opposed to it Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), the Federal Government’s ‘solution’ to fasttrack development has been generating controversies. For the majority of the lawmakers at the National Assembly, SURE-P is a duplication of efforts. They argue that MDAs are already empowered to do what SURE-P is doing. So what are the other arguments against the programme? What has been the impact of the programme across the states? Is SURE-P another means of giving money to MDAs through the back door as has been alleged? How much has really been generated through the programme and how much has been expended? We provide answers tomorrow.

Senate vs Maina

One cannot say this is the best time for Abdulrasheed Maina, chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force. Last week, the ding-dong affair between him and the Senate came to a head as the lawmakers called for his sack. Many times, the Senate had called for his appearance at the upper chamber and for one reason or the other, he had refused to heed their call. At a stage, the lawmakers ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, to arrest him for his hide and seek games with members of the chambers. Now the lawmakers have issued a two-day ultimatum to the presidency to sack Maina irrespective of whoever was backing him. The presidency has equally responded to the ultimatum. In this report, we tell all about the undercurrents in this ‘fight’ with the task force boss, especially why the Senate had to wield the hammer. Keep a date with us tomorrow.

Anambra 2014 The term of Incumbent Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, ends next year. This has heightened the political tempo in the state. Candidates have started emerging. They include former governor Chris Ngige, Senator Andy Ubah, Emma Anosike and dozens of others. How will this play out with this plethora of candidates? How strong are these candidates? Most importantly, who are the serious contenders and… the pretenders?

More on Nike Oshinowo It is no longer news that Nike Oshinowo, former most beautiful girl in Nigeria is separated from her husband, Dr. Tunde Soleye. What many do not know is that Nike, as she is fondly called by close friends, is not moody or downcast. Why, you would probably ask! Well, we supply the answer tomorrow, especially about what is making Nike so happy… these past few weeks. These and many more available tomorrow in your

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

SOUTH WEST

Fashola splashes N59m on Super Eagles MURITALA AYINLA

agos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday splashed a whopping sum of N54 million on the victorious Super Eagles of Nigeria for their feat at the just concluded African Nations Cup held in South

Africa. The Lagos governor also doled out N4.5 million to the Nigerian Football Supporters Club for their support to the footballers during the tournament. The breakdown of the cash awards shows that the teams’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, got the

sum of N2.5 million, while his assistant, Daniel Amokachi got N2 million. The Captain of the team, Mr. Joseph Yobo got the sum of N1.5 million. The four assistant coaches also got the sum of N1.5 million each, while the twenty-two members of the team received the

sum of N1million each. The governor gave the N500, 000 for each of the eleven goals scored by the team in the just concluded tournament. Fifteen million naira was donated to the backroom staff of the Super Eagles. Speaking when he played host to the team

at the Ikeja State House, Alausa, Fashola called on Nigerians to identify and develop the Nigerian spirit in them, saying if they worked hard to build and provide structures that enable the spirit strive harder, Nigeria team will be team to beat in African and the world. In the words of Governor Fashola, “Everybody in Nigeria is a football expert. Let us respect those who we have employed to do the job. If you think they can do it, change them. And I think the practice where some people will come to the dressing room the halftime should stop. That is the chief coaches’ domain. The 15 minutes he has within the game must be judiciously use. I think

the NFF should make the necessary correction. This is because so many things just go wrong.” Fashola urged the team to brace up for other challenges, saying that there must be plan through which the team will attain it lofty goals and success in the game, saying this is the moment for soul-searching policies and that will develop the nations’ sport and football in particular. While commending Delta and Cross River State for also contributing to the success of the team, Fashola called on the football administrators in the country to integrate talent developing programme that will discover more talented players.

Kidnapped woman, Kemisola Ogunyemi, freed Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi (right) with a cross-section of newly appointed caretaker chairmen of local councils in the state, during the swearing-in ceremony, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Odua boss tasks workers on excellence in Ibadan, Oyo State, while presenting the keynote address at the retreat”, held for senior managers of the Wemabod Estates Limited. The GMD said for the management of the conglomerate, its workers remain its best asset, stating that the name of the group will only be sustain if the best asset see the conglomerate as their own and worked

assiduously for all the companies under the group. Jimoh, while maintaining that the management of the group will spare no efforts in seeing to the welfare of the staff, said the time has come for the workers of the Wemabod Estates Limited to cash in on the country’s status as destination point for foreign investors and ensure that the company

Alleged N32.5m theft: Lagos Speaker’s aide, bank manager regain freedom

Justice CandideJohnson also ordered that their passports and other travelling documents should be deposited to the chief registrar of the High Court. The court adjourned the case to March 12, 2013, for trial. The anti-graft agency had on February 8, 2013, filed a fresh N32.5 million fraud charge against the two defendants. Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, at their arraignment, had said that the offences contravened Section 516 and 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

roup Managing Director (GMD) of Odua Investments Limited, Mr. Adebayo Jimoh, yesterday charged workers in the conglomerate to strive for excellence in order to preserve the legacy of the forefathers of the group. Jimoh gave the charge

WALE IGBINTADE

ustice CandideJohnson of the Lagos High Court, yesterday, granted bail to Personal Assistant to Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi, and a former regional manager of Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank), Olayinka Sanni, over al-

leged theft of N32.5 million . The two freed men were facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing as preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). The bail was granted to Sanni in the sum of N10 million, while Atoyebi was granted bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties each, respectively.

towers above its competitors in the real estate industry in the country. His words, “ With the country presently as the destination point for investors, I do not have doubt in my mind that you are prepared to take the Wemabod Estates Limited to the next level such that it will retain its pride of place within the real estate industry not only in the country but within the continent.”

owards going to press yesterday, news filtered in that Mrs. Kemisola Uthman Ogunyemi, who was allegedly kidnapped at Ajah last Sunday had been found. A female family member, who preferred anonymity, told Saturday Mirror on phone that Kemisola was dropped by her abductors at Epe area of Lagos State after an undisclosed amount was paid. The woman, who alleged that some bad elements in the police force w part of the kidnapping. According to her, the last call she received from the

police shortly before her cousin was released came minutes after tshe had spoken with the kidnappers themselves. The family source claimed a private security outfit was employed to help track the kidnappers when the law enforcement agents were not forth coming DSP Damasus Ozoni, deputy Lagos Police Command spokesman however denied culpability of police in the kidnap, though he claimed he had not received reports from affected area command and police station about her purported released.

Tipper crushes two undergraduates to death in Ekiti ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

wo undergraduate students were crushed to death by a tipper on Thursday evening right opposite the Okesa Police Station in the state capital. The two students were identified as Ebenezer Ayoade, a final year Marketing student of Federal Polytechnic and Ajayi Kayode, a 200 Level Psychology student of the Ekiti State University. The two deceased students were said to be rid-

ing a brand new motorcycle when the incident occurred. An eyewitness told Saturday Mirror that the another motorcycle had hit the one the two undergraduates was on, sending the two of them unto the ground. The eyewitness claimed that immediately the two students hit the ground, one of them hurriedly got to his feet and attempted to raise his friend. It was at the stage of the young man trying to drag his friend off the road that the on rushing tipper allegedly crushed. While one of them reportedly died on the spot, the

second, whose legs were badly affected died on his way to the University Teaching Hospital in Ado Ekiti. The tipper is registered as Abuja XN 367 ABJ. The driver of the lorry was immediately arrested by the police and taken to Okesa Police Station. Although spokesperson of Ekiti State Police Command, Victor Babayemi Olu, would not answer his calls for comment on the incident, sources said yesterday that the lorry driver had been moved to the Police Headquarters in the state capital.

REGIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH SOUTH

Drama as Bayelsa LG boss battles to read oath EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

here was a mild drama yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the swearing in of an Acting Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, when he could not read his oath of office and the passage of the Holy Bible. Governor Seriake Dickson was inaugurating the new council chairmen in presence of other top government officials, when it

was discovered that Mr. Ebikeme Okoringa could not read the oath and also turned upside down the Bible in his hand in a show of shame. A stunned Chief Registrar of the State Judiciary, Oyen Uzaka, rushed to assist Okoringa in the recitation of the oath to the utter bewilderment of Governor Dickson and others watching. Acting Chairman and former Leader of Sagbama Local Government legislative assembly, Na-

poleon Akoso also took his oath of office. Incidentally, Okoringa was the Leader of the council’s legislative assembly of the council before the House impeached the former council chairman, Ineye Igbainfagha, during the week. Earlier, Governor Dickson had urged the two acting chairmen and 32 chairmen of the Rural Development Authorities not to behave like their predecessors whom he described as ‘rascals.’

The governor warned them against living flamboyant lives with council funds, but urged them to ensure immediate development of their centers. Governor Dickson also threatened to sack any erring Chairman who do not conform with the principles of the “restoration agenda”. His words, “If we discover that your activities are not in conformity with the principles of the restoration agenda. I will not waste time in remov-

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, (left) presenting a N500 millio scholarship grant to the Chairman, Bayelsa Scholarship Board, Mr. Foster Ogolo, for the citizens of the state in tertiary institutions, in Yenagoa, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Rivers plans new press centre for P’Harcourt

ivers State Government is to construct a new press centre for journalists operating in the state, a government official has said. The existing press centre was damaged by a heavy rainstorm in April, 2010. The Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State Uni-

versity of Science and Technology, Prof Barineme Fakae, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Friday in Port Harcourt. Fakae said that Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi had approved the project. In the worss of Fakae, “Governor Amaechi

has made arrangement to give you (journalists) a brand new structure or centre called the NUJ press centre. I know that already. But here is a temporary place, but I can see we struggle to probably live here ourselves, yet, we don’t want the type of system that people out-

side will,” he said. The vice chancellor said he had stint as a Journalist in secondary school and university where he rose to the position of an editor in the university. He urged Journalist to continue with their roles as watch dogs of the society.

ing you and immediately replaced you,” he said. Continuing, the governor said :”No council chairman of any local government area will be allowed to treat council funds as their own pocket

Delta impounds 58 commercial vehicles over code violation

o fewer than 58 commercial vehicles operating in Asaba, Delta, have been impounded for violating the state’s security identification code for taxis’ operation. The state Commissioner for Transport, Mr Benson Igbakpa, said the vehicles were impounded during a road check on commercial vehicles in the city, which began in the middle of January. Igbakpa said in Asaba that eight vehicles were impounded on Tuesday, while 50 were impounded since the exercise commenced. He said that Tuesday’s check was carried out on Nnebisi Road and Dennis Osadebay Way areas of the state capital. He said that any impounded vehicle would pay N10,000 fine and an additional N1,500 for registration before it would be released. He explained that the identity code number which was usually inscribed on the commercial vehicles was for security purpose. According to him, the code also serves as data bank for all commercial vehicles in the state. His words, ``The

Akpabio lauds contractors on Theme Park project TONY ANICHEBE UYO

overnor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has expressed satisfaction with the contractors handling the Theme Park project of the Tropicana Entertainment Centre in Uyo, saying the project would be

completed in December this year. Akpabio said this yesterday after inspection tour of the park. He commended the handlers of the work for the grounds covered so far, saying that the project should be delivered in December 2013. The Governor, who

was conducted round the project by the Director of Megastar Construction Company, Mr. Gian Battista Gualinotti and the Project Lead of Silverbird Galleria, Arc. Jerry Akpan, inspected lazy river, kiddies ride, body’s ride, swimming pool, convoy train and roller coaster

parts of the project. Fielding questions from journalists after the inspection, Governor Akpabio says, “I am very hopeful that if space of work is maintained and bearing too much rainfall, we will see the completion by the end of this year. And then, we can concentrate on the

money as any fund coming to the council must be used for the development of the centres”We want to see what you will do with the little resources you have, even after paying salaries”.

landscaping and others. The project will be ready for use by December 2013. That’s my hope and we’re going to work with the construction companiesMegastar Construction Company and Silver bird Galleria. Let’s see how we can speed up and expedite ac-

identity code number for commercial vehicles is part of government’s strategy of reducing crime in the state,” he said. Igbakpa said that with the bio-data supplied in the forms completed and which included their passport photographs, commercial vehicles operators in the state could be traced to their homes when necessary. He explained that in case of a change in ownership or operator of a commercial vehicle, ``the new owner will come to the appropriate office for necessary documentation”. ``This process is important because there is only one code number to a commercial vehicle in the state and whenever two vehicles are found with similar code number, there is fraud. ``We want to as much as possible have a good record of taxis and buses operating in the state and be able to trace them whenever they are involved in any incident.’’ Igbakpa said that no fewer than 2,700 commercial vehicles operators had registered in the state so far. tion so that it would ready for use by our children.” While lauding the progress of work on the site, Governor Akpabio said skills and management capabilities of the contractors is of international standards. The governor continues, “I will do my own part and do hope the construction companies would do their part together with their management,”

Politics

Jonathan

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

head of the 2015 general elections, the race for public offices seems to be gaining momentum among the major political parties in Nigeria. As at today, it is very clear that all the political parties are no longer folding their arms. They are all involved in the game to outsmart one another. Two years to the general elections, there are signs of things to expect. Many have started declaring their interest in political offices while those that are erroneously being touted as possible contenders are making their positions known. That is not to say that even some that have denied nursing some political ambitions are not secretly working to ensure that come 2015, they would be in the contest. In the last few weeks, for example, there have been public and secret declarations and endorsement of some people for key positions at the federal and state levels ahead of next elections. Some have even started their campaign with distribution of awareness fliers and posters. Apart from some individuals, who have shown interest in contesting in next general elections, political parties are also seriously strategising to ensure that they become the ruling party at the centre. At the moment both the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition parties are neck deep in the preparation for the 2015 elections. Since the beginning of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, PDP has been the ruling party and several efforts by the opposition parties to dislodge it have not yielded any fruit. But not giving up, the opposition parties have realized the need for a strong platform to dislodge the PDP, hence the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC). APC is the product of the merger of four political parties - Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Buhari

Tinubu

Tukur

Without any iota of doubt the emergence of APC has brought another dimension to the battle for 2015 elections. While many people see APC as an alternative to PDP, some are of the view that APC, despite being the product of the major opposition parties, will fail on the account that it may be difficult for all the parties involved to achieve their aims. The argument is based on the overriding personal ambitions of some of the party leaders. The proposed plan of some other political parties to create another platform in form of a coalition against the PDP and APC is also a major issue that will affect the outcome of the 2015 election. Having seen the handwriting on the wall that opposition parties are in for a big fight, PDP, in the last few days, has intensified efforts in reconciling all the warring factions and disgruntled members to prevent the party from going into the election with a divided house. In the last few days, PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamangar Tukur, has started romancing all the PDP governors to prevent them from causing any havoc in the party, considering the influence of the governors on the party. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which is made up of about 23 PDP governors has always played crucial roles in the polity and it is believed that they will play a strong role in the 2015 elections. Reason, therefore, that the PDP national leadership is not relenting in its efforts to make sure that the governors are at peace with the party. The lobbying is also considered to be very necessary in view of the belief that some of the governors are nursing the

ambition of becoming the next president or vice president. The ambitions, it is obvious, would contradict that of the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, who is considered to be planning to remain in office after 2015. The move is apart from the one gathered by Saturday Mirror that plans are afoot to carry out some shake up in the security apparatus of the states in order to prevent some governors who are considered unfriendly to the presidency, from spoiling Jonathan’s chances of returning to Aso Rock. The emergence of APC has continued to leave tongues wagging. While many are hopeful that unification of the major four opposition parties may be the beginning of the process to send the ruling party out of power in 2015, others have dismissed APC as the marriage of cat and mouse. Those who are doubtful of any positive impact by the APC point to the internal wrangling in some of the parties that make it up. But in obvious cognisance of the distrust, APC leaders have commenced reconciliation moves within some of its component political parties. Former Governor of Lagos State and national leader of ACN, for example, few days ago, kick-started a process of reconciling both Prince Tony Momoh and Senator Rufai Hanga-led factions of the CPC. The move was to put an end to battle over leadership structure in the party. Few days ago, 11 opposition parties also met in Abuja to endorse the formation of the APC. The opposition governors, under the aegis of Progressive Governors’ Alliance (PGA), at

their meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, announced its establishment of the zonal contact and mobilisation committees in the six geo-political zones to pave way for acceptance of APC in all the nook and cranny of Nigeria. As for other political parties which do not belong to the APC, work is in progress to create another major platform. The national leader of the Citizen People’s Party (CPP), Chief Maxi Okwu, told Saturday Mirror that a new political alliance of about 10 political parties will likely emerge next week to challenge the PDP and APC in 2015. His words: “The issue is that the 14 years the PDP has controlled the nation’s administration at the national level has been more of years of the locust. I believe that fatigue has set in and all lovers of Nigeria should do everything possible to flush PDP out of power. “Up until now there has been no effective challenger. That is the potential of the APC; that is its attraction to patriots like me. Though we have not been invited, we celebrate the development. It is still early in the day. Let us wait and see. “Ten of the existing 25 political parties are involved in the process. Hope you are aware that INEC has just deregistered two more parties? We’ll go public next week. CPP is playing an anchor role. We shall address a joint press conference in Lagos on the 20th of February at Eko Hotel.” With all the determination of some of the political parties to cause a change

2015: Changing the mood of the contest

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

POLITICS

hat is your view about the state of the nation, considering several problems facing Nigerians? Right now it is very clear even to the blind that Nigeria is in a very precarious situation and this is reflected in the ambiance of hopelessness and state of insecurity where robbery, kidnapping, terrorism have become the norms. A lot of people now declare that Nigeria is a failed state but I do not agree that Nigeria has failed. But if we don’t prevent the failure, Nigeria will fail because it is very clear that Nigeria is on the path of failure. We can all see the discontent in the air to the extent that former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is calling for a revolution. Obasanjo is the immediate past chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and therefore, for him to be calling for a revolution shows that even the leadership of the ruling party is discontented. So, this is not about Marthin Onovo being discontented or any other Nigerian being discontented; the entire country is discontented and that is why some stakeholders in the country decided to found the Movement for Fundamental Change. The Movement for Fundamental Change is going to be a platform for the people to take actions to save this country. If you look at all the indices for development since 1999, you will understand why Prof. Pat Utomi, in 2011, declared that we should crash this democracy. I believe that what we are practising in Nigeria is criminotocracy and not democracy. There are a lot of crimes being committed in this country, particularly rigging of elections. Therefore, to save the country from total collapse, Movement for Fundamental Change was formed by some stakeholders and presently we are talking to different members of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), civil society groups and labour leaders. We are trying to get endorsement from all major stakeholders in Nigeria for collective action to save Nigeria. We are going to extend our activities across political parties and across the geo-political zones. Through the Movement for Fundamental Change we are going to have a strong platform for Nigerians to decide what they want. Nigerian people must have a position on how they want the country to be run. Our group is anchored on major three objectives; a change in our values, political change and to check impunity in the country. We need to re-establish and reinforce our constitutional values, which includes integrity, honesty, patriotism and dignity in labour. There is no culture in this country that promotes theft. We need to completely change the political leadership that has led us to this mess. We also need to check impunity by reinforcing the rule of law. You said you don’t believe that the newly formed APC is an alternative to PDP. Why? If you look at the principal actors of the APC it becomes difficult to identify whether they are PDP or not PDP. In 2011 there was an attempted electoral alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) but at the last minute the alliance collapsed. When

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Chief Martin Onovo, a security expert and politician is the chairman of the Steering Committee of Movement for Fundamental Change. He is also the presidential candidate of Action Alliance (AA). In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he said the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) is not different from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hence the need to form a third and strong platform to compete against PDP and APC in 2015. He also speaks on the state of insecurity in the country and corruption, among other issues. Excerpts:

Onovo

‘PDP, APC are birds of the same feather’ the alliance collapsed something very funny happened and that is why we in the Movement for Fundamental Change think that APC is not the alternative to PDP. The ACN had Nuhu Ribadu as its presidential candidate but when the alliance with CPC failed, ACN did not only abandon its presidential candidate, it abandoned its alliance’ presidential candidate and endorsed the PDP they said they claimed they wanted to change. So, is ACN really an opposition party? Is ACN going to constitute a fundamental change or are they going to embark on cosmetic change? What is happening to us now is what happened to us as Nigerians when we chased the military away in 1999. It is 14 years after we chased the military away and installed civilian government. What has happened to us? The situation of Nigerians is worse than what it was in 1999 before we sent the military away. I don’t believe in APC. Those that formed the alliance are the same with PDP considering there antecedent. You were the presidential candidate of Action Alliance in last election and many people see you as a front for

PDP then. What is your reaction to this? How can I be a front for PDP? PDP knows that I am its worst antagonist in the whole country. We have to go beyond semantics and artificial colouration of our politics. We must all come together to save our country. If we do not stop the crises in the country, it will one day consume all of us. During the Dana Air crash, the husband of a minister was involved. Today, she is a widow. A former Minister of Works once died in an accident caused by pot holes on a federal road. So, nobody can dodge this calamity if we don’t stop it. This country is sinking deeper into a big mess. In 1999 when we start this criminocracy that we call democracy, fuel was N20 per litre, today we are paying N97 per liter for fuel in Lagos and Abuja while it is being sold for between N120 –N220 in Enugu and some other parts of the country. Having stressed the need for a positive change in Nigeria, how do you think the change can be achieved? It is very simple. All the ethical intellectuals in Nigeria - Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Pat Utomi and others - agreed

that Nigeria’s problem is leadership; therefore there is a need to change the political leadership. Since there is problem in the leadership, the best thing to do is to change the leadership. How do you think that can be possible when you believe that the APC is not different from the PDP? Democracy is about the people. PDP and APC are not the two political parties in Nigeria, so, why did you limit things to the two? As at today, we have about 33 political parties, so why should elections matter be limited to the PDP and APC alone? Some of the remaining 31 political parties that remain can form a government elsewhere. Since you believe that PDP and APC are birds of the same feathers, do you see the probability of other political parties coming together to form an alliance or merger against PDP and APC in 2015? Yes, we are working toward a merger or alliance and there is no question about that. We will seriously work towards the emergence of a third platform so that CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

POLITICS

February 16, 2013

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 will compete against PDP and APC. Do you think apart from the four parties that formed APC, other political parties have the clout and political structures to defeat PDP in an election? If PDP has a clout that can make them to win an election, they won’t be rigging elections. If I am sure that I am going to defeat my opponent in an election, why should I rig? For example, you contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Action Alliance (AA) and lost the election. Many people have attributed the performance of many political parties in an election to the fact that some parties are not on ground, even at local government level, much less making impact at state level. If you look at it critically, if you know you can defeat your opponent in an election, why should you rig the election? The only reason why they rig election is because they know they cannot win a free and fair election. As at today, AA has structures across the country. There is no way people can accuse us of not winning election. The first question should be, were there elections? The last 2011 general elections was a scam. We had a very fierce election in Anambra State and about 20 per cent of the registered voters elected Governor Peter Obi.

‘PDP, APC are birds of the same feather’ During the last governorship elections in Edo State and Ondo State there were very low turn-out and only about 40 per cent re-elected Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Olusegun Mimiko respectively. But during the 2011 presidential elections 99 per cent of the voters were alleged to have voted during the election in SouthEast and South-South. Who voted? We did not lose the election. So, I will not agree that I lost the election. At present the state of insecurity in Nigeria is giving many people sleepless night. The situation has even got to a point that foreign health workers are being attacked despite the report that Boko Haram had ceased fire. As a security expert, what do you think went wrong in the country that has led this f insecurity? Because of the level of corruption, impunity, poverty and unemployment in the country, government has not been able to curb crimes. Boko Haram is one of the terrorists in the nation. It is not Boko

Haram that is kidnapping people in Niger Delta. Anambra State is the centre of kidnapping in South-East and Boko Haram is not the one kidnapping the people. Before the insecurity problem can be solved

there is need to understand where it is coming from. Many people are involved in crime because the political leadership has inflicted them with terrible hardship and lots of pains. There are so much social tensions in the country as a result of unemployment, corruption, impunity and poverty. People are getting angrier on daily basis and that is why there is high level of insecurity in the country. So, if there is good governance, crimes will be reduced. But some people have attributed the insecurity problem to religion? No. The problem in the country has nothing to do with religion. The Sultan of Sokoto is the head of Muslims in Nigeria and many Muslim organisations have denied Boko Haram on several occasions. What Boko Haram is doing is not for the sake of Islam. The emirs have denounced the activities of Boko Haram, so, the insecurity problem in the North is not religious. I don’t believe the insecurity problem is as a result of religion.

geria polity it is believed that Nigerians will have options to choose a party of their choice in 2015 general elections.

Which party will carry the day? The answer to the question will be provided during the 2015 elections.

Onovo

2015: Changing the mood of the contest CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 in 2015, many people are watching with keen interest how the political parties will fair in the elections. Speaking to Saturday Mirror, former Action Alliance (AA) presidential candidate, Chief Marthin Onovo, said that Nigerians must unite to ensure that credible candidates emerge in 2015 elections. He also believes that neither the PDP nor APC has the credibility to give Nigerians the leadership of their dreams. He therefore stressed the need for the emergence of a new platform that will comprise of progressives and major stakeholders in the country. His words: “If you look at the principal actors of the APC it becomes difficult to identify whether they are PDP or not PDP. We in the Movement for Fundamental Change think that APC is not the alternative to PDP. Those that formed the alliance are the same with PDP considering their antecedent. We need a third platform that will compete against PDP and APC. “We have to go beyond semantics and artificial colouration of our politics. We must all come together to save our country. If we do not stop the crises in the country, it will one day consume all of us. Democracy is about the people. PDP and APC are not the two political parties in Nigeria. As at today, we have about 33 political parties, so why should elections matter be limited to the PDP and APC alone? We are working towards a merger or alliance and there is no question about that. We are seriously working toward the emergence of a third platform that will compete against PDP and APC.” Former Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assem-

bly Matters and the political leader of the Bakassi People Assembly, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, is of the view that the merger of prominent political parties ahead of the 2015 general elections is an ingredient that will sustain the nation’s democratic principles. Ita-Giwa believes that the emergence of strong opposition will strengthen democratic institutions in Nigeria and provide platforms for Nigerians to choose best candidates. She said: “The emergence of merger party will further strengthen our political system. Globally, opposition parties consolidate democratic ideals. It enables the ruling party to deliver more on its electoral promises to the people. It allows for a healthy competition between the opposition and the ruling party and the benefits cannot be overemphasised. I am keen at all efforts aimed at sustaining our democracy and ensuring that the masses benefit accordingly.” The national coordinator of the Arewa United Consultative Forum, Alhaji Ado Shuibu Dansudu, is of the view that what Nigeria needs in 2015 is a credible leader, irrespective of the political parties or geo-political zones that the president will come from. He also advised Nigerians to stop paying much attention to zoning of public offices. “Nigeria needs a credible leader in 2015. I believe it is high time for us to stop being sentimental about the choice of public office holders, especially the president. We must say no to all ethnic and religious sentiments. We must not choose the president based on geo-political zones. We need a credible leader; someone who has integrity and fear of God, and can come from any part of the country,” he said. With the ongoing development in Ni-

This Day in African American History February 16: On this day in 1951— New York City Council Passes Bill Prohibiting Racial Discrimination in Public Housing Developments! On February 16, 1951, the New York City Council passed a bill prohibiting discrimination against African Americans in city-assisted housing proj-

ects. The bill was directed mainly at the Stuyvesant Town housing project, which was a public-private partnership project owned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the City of New York. Managers of the housing development prohibited African American tenants and dispossessed residents who had been

active in the campaign to end racial discrimination. As the racial discrimination continued, lawsuits were filed on the basis that the project was public- or semi-public, and thus violated anti-discrimination laws for New York City public housing, which were rarely enforced. One month later, the Brown-Issacs Bill became law in New York City, making racial discrimination in public housing developments a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and prison term for the owner of any housing development constructed with public assistance to discriminate on account of race, color, or nationality. Thus, Stuyvesant Town, long a symbol of discrimination, was barred from using race as criterion in tenant selection.

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

MAGAZ INE Tiwa

...Sultry songstress Sex talk Sex 101: What’s true and what’s not?

z z z z z z

Relationships Should you confide in your ex?

z z z z z z

Fashion •Dressing up your jeans •Business chic

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

R .I.P Celebrity

is the secret? I’m glad you think I’m sexy. I will attribute my sexy appearance to my innate trait of self confidence and my hotness to the good eating habit and regular exercise that I keep to. I also try as much as possible to wear clothes that suit and flatter my body type. Overall, I guess God is responsible for all that I enjoy. Who are your role models in the industry? I love every individual who has raised the bar and set standards high by virtue of their hard work. I wouldn’t call them role models per say. Among the artistes, I admire P-square for their doggedness. Years after almost everybody had concluded that they would not go far, they surprised everyone. I admire D’banj also for his hard work and consistence, Weird Mc for her unapologetic approach to her craft, Tuface for drawing international awareness to the Nigerian music scene, Ojb Jezreel for his artistry and support of young talents and many others. What are the challenges you face on this job? Well, I’m not really one to dwell on challenges. I see them as stepping stones to reach a higher platform in life.

Jawo Jawo singer, Goldie, died last Thursday after an extremely brief illness. Saturday Mirror pays tribute to her memory by reprinting our last interview with her by YEMISI ADENIRAN at the height of the success of her album, Gold, which was released by Kennis Music

What message were you trying to pass across in your song with Eldee, Gboko lowo re, gbomo lowo re? The song and its lyrics were a playful spoof, it was meant to entertain only and nothing else. It will be amazing to have it misinterpreted. The phrases: Gboko lowo re and Gbomo lowo re are commonly used by many of us on a daily basis. We used it purely for the basis of entertainment.

‘Music is a jealous lover’

an you tell us about the new single you are about to drop into the market? The new single, I tell you will be a thriller. I can assure you that all my fans will love it. It is a massive club banger and it has the Nigerian thing in it. It is titled, ‘Don’t touch my body’ and it was produced by SARS. I am putting enough efforts to push out the song and get it across to everybody. I know my fans would love it. Why are you making serious efforts to push out the song? Is it not natural for good songs to circulate ordinarily? That is one of the problems we have in this country. As an artiste, you should always make efforts to push out your songs. There is nothing wrong in pushing my songs and, making sure they get to the appropriate quarters. I am a very talented person and I believe in getting the perfect result every time. If you hear the song, you yourself would love it. It

cuts across all age grades. I can assure you by God’s grace that in a matter of weeks, it will become an anthem. How would you appraise your career since you were signed on to Kennis Music? It has been on the positive side. Just like other artistes he has handled, I am enjoying myself and my career is enjoying a lift. Long before now, Mr. Kenny Ogungbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Kennis Music and I have always toyed with the idea of working together since I came into the Nigerian music scene. But I guess the timing wasn’t convenient. I have always admired him from afar. His vision, his passion, his drive and the discipline he instils in all his artistes is apparent by how successful each one of them has become even after they have left Kennis. He had rubbed some of these on me and I believe more are still in the waiting for me. I’m happy to say Kennis Music is like a family to me. Ogungbe is like a father to us all; he inspires me on

a daily basis. How would you describe your takeoff period in music? It was fun but a bit hectic. You know I had no management support and was faced with the responsibility of dealing with the creative aspect and the managerial aspect all by myself. That wasn’t easy at all. These days though, with the support of my record company, things have become easier.

What do you do apart from music? Music is a very time consuming and jealous lover, which I have extreme love and passion for. Right now, I have little room for much else. Music is my passion and my focus; that is what I’m dedicated to right now. What advice do you have for aspiring young female artistes? I will advise them to be extremely confident, kind-hearted, hardworking, prayerful and passionate about what they love doing. They should take their time to discover their passion and stick to it. They should not allow anyone to intimidate them over it. Are you in a relationship or searching? I have never searched. Everything good has always come to me by hard work and diligence. But for the records, I am in a relationship and I am very happy in it; I love my partner and I’m loved back in return. How much did Jawo video cost you? Jawo video was shot on location at The Palms by renowned video director, Clarence Peters. I have no idea of the amount paid in the commissioning of the video as it was a direct transmission between the CEO of Kennis Music and Clarence Peters.

Your video clips are enjoying massive airplay, how do you feel? I feel extremely grateful to God for His love, grace and mercies. He has allowed me the opportunity to showcase my talent and spread the gospel of good music and quality videos worldwide. It is What word do you have for your a blessing. I also appreciate all the radio fans? and television programmes presenters I will just thank them for their support who play my videos all the time, the DJs and all. I really can’t thank them enough. and undying love. I am where and what I am today partly because of them and for You are hot and really sexy. What this, I’m extremely grateful.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Entervaganza

With OSEYIZA OOGBODO

08023755142 kingseiza@gmail.com

Tonye goes gaga T

Tonye

onye Nkiruka Garrick, simply known as Tonye in the music world, is one smart music artist. Her debut single, Insane (Were Niyen), is testimony of her smartness. The smash hit, which is fast making Tonye into a household name, has two main things going for it. Firstly, it’s a dance number recorded purposely to set dance floors on fire and get people dancing. Anyone familiar with the Nigerian music industry knows that Nigerian artists are only accepted when they do dancehall songs, and that’s what Tonye has done with her debut single in order to quickly warm her way into the hearts of the music-loving Nigerian public. Secondly, Insane (Were Niyen), has

come at a time when another artist, Chuddy K, has made everyone realise it’s cool to go crazy so Insane (Were Niyen) just fits into the trend that is current right now and it really urges people to go insane on the dance floor and dance like there’s no tomorrow. Tonye is definitely an artist who means business. It was in 2009 that she decided to take her music career to the next level. She thereby auditioned for several music reality shows, including Pop Stars 2 and MTV’s Making The Band. Though she wasn’t successful in the auditions, she didn’t give up. In 2010, she sang an emotional acapella, What About Us, which captured the hearts of many, and was later used for

Kim K storms Nigeria

Remi Aluko demands big shows

Aluko

ji’s topmost musicians, even as he added that he has all what the elite have. “I will not lie to you, for any big show in Lagos, it’s hard for them to call me and some other fuji musicians. They call Wasiu Ayinde, Pasuma, Adewale Ayuba or Obesere. And they are not even trying to try us. I’m just asking that they should give us an opportunity too and then they will see what we can do.” He however believes there’s light at the end of the tunnel, going by his response when Entervaganza asked him how long it would take him to break into the elite circle of the names he mentioned. “It’s not late oh. It’s not even far. Because it’s only when God says it’s the right time, that’s when it’s the right time, no matter what you are doing. Even if a promoter is pushing you, if God says you are not among them, then you are not. So all we need to do is to first put God in everything so when you put Him first, I believe everything will work out.”

F T Nenaya Jazmine stays resilient S uji music bright boy, Remi Aluko, popularly known as Igwe Fuji, has confessed to Entervaganza that he is yet to break into the elite circle of fu-

exy singer, Nenaya Jazmine, has revealed that her blueprint for success in music is resilience. According to her: “My greatest strength in music is my resilience. It is the only weapon I have to pave a firm path for myself in the Nigerian music industry which is very tough and highly competitive.” Resilience has truly been Jazmine’s backbone in music. Her first single was Cloud 9ine in 2010. She followed it up with its remix featuring L.A.C.E in 2011 before releasing Summertime and its accompanying video last year. Now she’s back with another single, I Dey Try 4 U. Recording a song and promoting it is not an easy feat, so I Dey Try 4 U is further evidence that Jazmine intends to stay resilient until she becomes as big as the big names out there.

Jazmine

the Nigerian Youth Presidential Debate in 2011. The success of What About Us encouraged her to begin recording her songs, the result of which is her debut, Insane (Were Niyen), which was produced by top producer E. Kelly and features respected rapper Maytronomy. And speaking with Entervaganza, the smooth-voiced singer who says Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Brandy and Aaliyah are her music influences, “I’m not in music to play second fiddle to anybody. I intend to be the best and that’s why I have the perfect strategy in place. Watch out for my next single soon, but for now, keep dancing to Insane (Were Niyen).”

Kim K

here’s every possibility that Kim Kardashian’s presence at Darey’s Love Like A Movie concert tomor-

row might make it the biggest event of this Valentine season. Better known as Kim K, Kardashian is one of the most-talked-about people in the world right now and her first visit to Nigeria, which this is, will definitely generate a lot of attraction for the event she is here for. Not only will Kim K be a co-host of the concert, she will also double as a special platinum guest and there’s also the likelihood that her parts of the concert might make into episodes of her highly rated show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. She might be the most shiny and brightest but won’t be the only star of the concert, however. She will be supported by the chief host himself, Darey, and Tuface Idibia, Flavour, Ice Prince, Iyanya and many more of our shining stars.

ENTERVAGANZA

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CLASSICAL RYHMES

AIRWAVES AIRWAV VES LINK

Nigerian Idol tries to catch up with Project Fame J Onka

American ust like Am X-Factor Idoll and X perennial are in a pe battle Nigesupremacy battle, am West Fame ria’s Project Fa Nigerian N Ni Africa and are a also I d o l in their o w n continuous battle royale. by spons Both are sponsored telecommun ations rival telecommunic splash the giants and both sp contestants cash on their con productions. and their prod Both are thrilling shows to watch and that iis where their similarities end for now. In terms of achievements however, PFWA carrying the seems to be carry

day. While a point in its favour is that it has already held its fifth season while NI is presently holding its third, the fact remains that PFWA contestants have achieved far more than those of NI. Iyanya is the maiden PFWA winner and also one of the hottest musicians in the country right now. Chidinma, another PFWA winner, won the KORA award for best West Africa female artist last year and is also setting Africa on fire with her smash hit, Kedike. Other PFWA finalists are also doing quite well. Names that include Praiz, Eyo, Monica Ogah and

Myk Anyasodo readily come to mind in this regard. While NI’s maiden winner, Yeka Onka, and maiden 1s trunner-up, Naomi Mac, have released singles, they are yet to light up the nation like Iyanya and Chidinma. Mercy Chinwo, who won NI’s second season, is someone whom a lot has also been expected of, but so far nothing really. Joe Blue is also capable of doing great things. Will this third season of Nigerian Idol be the one to produce the talented contestants that will match the exploits of Project Fame’s contestants? Let’s wait and see.

Kuti

Sorry Sorry

Tiwa Savage accused of boyfriend snatching

iwa Savage is the one who sang the smash hit, Oma Ga. The song is simply about a man who has a girlfriend or fiancée yet he was trying to woo another lady. As things stand right now though, Savage, who has stayed free of scandals since her phenomenal rise in the Nigerian music industry at the turn of the century, might just be involved in the same scenario.

According to reports, Tee Billz, who proposed to her quite recently, already has two children from another woman and it was expected that he would walk the lady down the aisle until he suddenly proposed to Savage. When Entervaganza contacted Tee Billz for his side of the issue which is making people see Savage as a boyfriend snatcher, he didn’t respond as at press time.

Artiste: Femi Kuti

Savage

Funso Adeolu, Agagu, others to be honoured

Adeolu

n a bid to appreciate sons and daughters of Ikale that have contributed to the development of Ikale in Ondo State and the society at large, the Ikale Community in Lagos is set to honour star actor, Funso Adeolu. In a statement signed by the chair-

man of the organising committee, Clement Olayeye, others that will be honoured are former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu; Abayomi Sheba; Chief Kola Emaye; Adeolu Ijose and Afolabi Iwalewa. According to Olayeye, all those men-

tioned above will be honoured at the next Ikale Night which comes up on February 22nd at Agbede, Ikorodu, Lagos. The annual programme is billed to host all sons and daughters of Ikale land that are in Lagos and their well-wishers as well.

Verse 1 If my eyes no decieve me And na true be things my ears dey hear Politicians and soldiers make e meeting Our country dem wan repair Dem dey make like say Dem know o know Say na dem a spoil our country so As dem dey dabaru am dey o Na so my people dey follow o o Chorus (2x) I sorry sorry o, I sorry for Nigeria I sorry sorry o, I sorry for Africa Sorry sorry o As we [never get decided]... Verse 2 Look my friends Dem no like to hear word Na to dey follow follow, follow dem enemies Like zombie, dem dey go dey march dey go Dey fight for other people Wey spoil Nigeria so These politicians and soldiers Dem be one and the same No one different [from] the other My people no wan know But with kind of leaders Africa no get hope Africans will suffer We go suffer reach our bone Chorus till fade Adlibs I sorry sorry o, e gba mi o

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ENTERVAGANZA

February 16, 2013

BOX-OFFICE HITS

BRAIN BEHIND THE SCENE

Towolawi

Niyi Towolawi … impeccable filmmaker

iyi Towolawi studied mathematics at the University of Manchester, England and it can be rightly said that he’s applying the principles of mathematics to movie making. Mathematics is all about calculation. Applied to making films, it would simply be: to make a good movie, you need the right script, equipments, locations, costumes, cast, crew and post-production. Towolawi does his calculation properly so he has ended up with two impeccable movies, TWisTED and Turning Point. He makes movies for two main reasons: critical and commercial acclaim. Both of them work hand in hand and that’s another maths-like calculation that is working in his favour. Though born in London and based in Britain, he is a Nigerian and he identifies with Nigeria through his movies and his mission of selling Nollywood to international cinemas. He is not just your regular filmmaker who just follows the trend, though. He actually tries to set the pace and introduce new technolo-

Towolawi (2nd right) on location

gies to filmmaking so, in 2005, he jumped onto the digital cinematography revolution train, shooting then with 35mm adapters on camcorders, a style that predates digital cinema cameras. Amazingly for this movie genius, his foray into movie making was in a roundabout manner. He is exceptionally multitalented and began producing music in high school. He plays several instruments, is a keen jazz musician and shot so many music videos that it was only natural that his mind should turn to making feature films. And even though he has shot just two movies, TWisTED in 2007 and Turning Point last year, that only indicates that he is a true genius with something to offer so he doesn’t have to rush anything out. Great producers like James Cameron of Titanic fame and George Lucas of the Star Wars legend don’t also rush movies out but take their time to come up with masterpieces, and their movies become classics that stand the test of time.

n Identity Thief, Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Jason Bateman) is a man with a good job, a loving wife, two beautiful daughters with a third on the way, and a pretty good life. He’s kind of stepped on at work, but who isn’t? He’s got plans for his

ide Effects is another movie that is receiving high praise. It has been described as electrifying and satisfying. If not for any other reason than its critical acclaim, it should do well at the box office, and it’s presently one of the notable movies in American cinemas. Its storyline is its main selling point and the reason it is racking up the effusive praises. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is astonishing as Emily Taylor, a young New Yorker dealing with the stress and grief of her husband (Channing Tatum) returning home from prison after being sentenced for insider trading. With her life in shambles, she makes a failed suicide attempt and winds up under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), who prescribes her the latest posh antidepressant medication called Ablixa. At first the drug seems to work, recharging her

future, though, and that’s to crawl his way up the corporate ladder. However, there are some complications with that future plan. Namely, Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Melissa McCarthy). Or, perhaps, Diana. Or, perhaps, Marla. Well, whatever her current alias, her real name remains a mystery, so we’ll just call her Nameless. Nameless is a professional credit card thief. She runs up a big bill at the expense of an unwitting person, she makes phone calls and assaults bartenders, and she makes Sandy’s life a living hell thanks to her exploits and antics. When Nameless’s actions put Sandy’s life at risk, he realizes there’s only one way to put an end to Nameless’s trail of credit card receipts and mangled credit ratings. He has to track her down and drag her back to Colorado from her home in Winter Park, Florida. How easy was that? Find out in Identity Thief.

energy and sexual appetite, but Emily starts to experience some drastic side effects. Dr. Banks’ idyllic life is thrown drastically off-course when Emily’s situation becomes a media frenzy and the spotlight is pointed directly at him so he embarks on a dangerous journey to clear his name and repair his reputation.

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Relationships Should you confide Not a bad idea

ost often, people will tell you that an ex can never be the close friend that you really need, and believe it or not, they may be right. But as often as you see sand by the sea shore, you may be lucky too in seeing a rough diamond in the sand. The same goes for finding true friendship and close confidantes in your ex. Everyone needs a confidante; someone who you can share innermost fears and secrets with. This person will be someone who as a friend will be fearless of telling you the truth. The person will also be someone who has nothing to gain while being your friend apart from the fact that you are friends and all what that entails. The question of friendship after dating has always been something that has baffled a lot of people who have ever been involved romantically with members of the opposite sex. ‘Why should I even be your friend after dating’, is one question most people who ended romantic relationships have had to ask themselves. The chemistry may be gone, but if you and your friend are sincere and matured about the way the relationship ended, then there really is nothing wrong in your ex being your confidante. A deep meaningful and matured relationship, even if it ended without wedding bells, will definitely still carry the embers of friendship upon which a new relationship can be built. A relationship based more on mutual respect and trust for each other. Your ex is someone who’s been around for quite some time and is a person who has had a taste for the real person beyond the façade we all show to the world. Your ex is probably the only person you really can’t impress again because all what and who you are, is already known to the person. Not all exes are reliable I know and I’m not saying that all exes should end up being confidantes. Some exes are actually slime balls and you are better off without them in your life. Most times, when you

have just broken up with someone, emotions come into play and it muddles up most of the important signs that will help you in immediately getting over the relationship. What we mostly forget is that there is a future after the relationship may have ended. Both of you may go your separate ways, but you’ve shared something which will forever remind you of each other. I’m not saying that you should immediately turn a freshly ended relationship into one in which the current ex will automatically become a confidante. That may seriously be counter-productive. Deciding whether to be friends is actually what you should be asking yourself or if it’s even in the best interest for you and your ex. If one of you is not ready for that kind of friendship after time has healed the wounds, don’t force it. It is a sure fire way to disaster. I’ve had exes who as confidantes have really impacted a lot in my life. One or two are even people that I’ve grown so close to now, even with both of us having moved on to the extent of being married to someone else, that we have gotten to a level whereby we share things that we would normally not have shared when we were dating. The importance of what we share now cannot be over-emphasized. These friends have even helped my marriage to grow through very helpful pieces of advice that they have given me on issues relating to the female folk. Personally, I do not see anything wrong in your ex becoming your confidante. What really matters is that both of you know the kind of relationship you are sharing. The problem is that if one of you has not gotten over the relationship you both once shared, revealing close guided secrets to the person may be foolish on your part. If you both know where you stand upfront with each other, it will be easy to have a meaningful relationship devoid of the sexual undertones of dating you once shared.

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

Sex 101: What’s true and what’s not? Men want sex more than women do: Sex myth or sex fact? Bad sex always leads to breakups: Sex myth or sex fact? If he had an affair, he doesn’t love you: Sex myth or sex fact? Sex myths make us feel bad about ourselves and most of the time, they’re not true. Which are true and which are false? Read on.

en want sex more than women do

WRONG. The reason why men tend to wishfully prod their penises into women’s determinedly turned backs, isn’t just to do with desire. Other factors have a big influence, too: For example, women are still more likely to do most of the housework on top of holding down a job. So they’re exhausted! Plus, hormones make women feel like having a lot of sex during certain times of the month, rather than all of the time. And, because women tend to attach more emotions to sex than men do, they aren’t going to beg a man for action if he’s been giving them attitude.

If you’re a truly great lover, you should know how to please anyone MOST LIKELY. It’s extremely likely that someone who knows a lot about sex and has had lots of practice is going to be better in bed than an inexperienced virgin. Technically, that is. However, if you’re crazy about said inexperienced lover (physically or emo-

tionally) -- oh, and if he has a double-jointed tongue -- it might be the best sex you’ve ever had. “Good sex” has as much do to with perception and the brain as technique and the genitals.

African men have bigger penises TRUE. Okay, this one’s a bit out outlandish, but fascinating nonetheless because, guess what: It’s true! African guys are bigger, and their penises are thicker, too. One study of Asian, Caucasian and African men came up with the following stats: Asian men were smallest, averaging 4-5.5 inches, Caucasians came next with 6 inches, and the penises of African men are reportedly 6.5-8 inches long!

Happy couples have good sex most of the time WRONG. Show me a couple that’s having out-of-control, raging, and lusty sex every night after years of sharing the same bed and I’ll show you a pig that can fly. Toss this one out of the window immediately! Life and all its pressures get in the way for all of us. Does it mean your friend is lying if she

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

RELATIONSHIPS

February 16, 2013

in your ex?

CHINWE ANNIE AMAECHI 07028684481 chinweamaechi@gmail.com

Don’t play with fire!

This column is x-rated claims to have fabulous sex after five years of marriage and two kids? Maybe. Or maybe she thinks you have a great sex life and doesn’t want to admit she doesn’t. Or maybe her definition of great sex is different from yours. Or maybe she really does have terrific sex… once a month. It’s all subjective.

If you have to plan sex, and it isn’t spontaneous, something’s wrong WRONG. Heaven help your partner if you believe this one. Desire might well tap you on the shoulder in the early stages of a relationship, but the hormones that fuel the tapping disappear after about 18 months. Well, if you’re lucky actually; plenty of couples find desire lowers dramatically after about nine months. But don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you’ll never fancy each other again; it just means that you need to keep reminding your body and brain how much you enjoy sex. Spontaneous sex is usually good sex. But planning a sex session -- anticipating it, looking forward to it -- this makes for pretty good sex as well.

Men are more promiscuous than women NOT REALLY. The real truth is, this one is probably true, but by much less than you think. When polled about their sex lives, men overestimate while women underestimate, due to societal pressures. It’s also totally dependent on how attractive the people in question are. An attractive, sexually liberated woman is likely to have had more partners than a not-so-fabulous-looking guy around the same age, for instance. It’s called opportunity.

If they had an affair, they don’t love me WRONG. If your partner cheats, it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t love you. It does,

This column is x-rated however, mean he doesn’t respect you, especially if you agreed on a mutually exclusive relationship.

Women don’t like porn or dirty sex SILLY. Not all women want rose petals scattered across the bed and romantic massages, rather than raunchy, lusty, wicked blue movies. Every woman is different. But bottom line? Anyone who thinks men are the only ones conjuring up lurid, graphic fantasies about persons of the opposite sex is deluded.

Most women orgasm through intercourse WRONG. Only about 30% of women orgasm from penetration alone. Most women need stimulation of the clitoris by a hand during intercourse in order to climax. It’s not anyone’s fault that the penis isn’t enough; it’s a design fault in the female body. The clitoris is outside the vagina, rather than inside it. True, some women claim to have fabulous orgasms through front vaginal wall stimulation. But the good old-fashioned clitoral orgasm is far more common and reliable.

Men are always ready for and want sex WRONG. If you’re talking a 17-yearold who’s just landed his first girlfriend, you’re probably right. It’s likely he will walk, talk, daydream and want to have sex every waking second (and when he’s asleep as well). But once a man hits his 30s (and often before that), other parts of his life start to become equally as important as sex, and all that energy and focus is needed elsewhere. Real life dampens a lot of men’s sex drives more efficiently than a bucket of water poured over a solitary lit match. Work, stress, pressure, bills, arguments… they all stop him (and you!) from feeling like sex all day, every day.

any people are of the school of thought that even if your partner (spouse/fiancé/ boyfriend/girlfriend) is your best friend, you still need a third party in whom you can confide from time to time. This makes a lot of sense particularly in times when it borders on issues concerning your partner you want to talk about. When he/she hurts you or annoys you and you want to vent; or times when you are at the verge of breaking up with him/her, you cannot possibly share your feelings or thoughts with him/her. Now, the question is this: should your ex be your listening ear and the shoulder to lean on in such times? According to Encarta, a confidant is “somebody to whom secrets are told: a person somebody trusts and discusses personal matters and problems with”. Except one is lackadaisical and without restraint, you shouldn’t have many people whom you can call confidants. One or two should be sufficient. So now, the real issue to address is whether there should be no cause for alarm if you give your ex the only or one of the limited slots in your life tagged “my confidant”. Shouldn’t anyone raise an eyebrow if you are seen alone with your ex for a long ‘counselling’ session? This is not about an observer having a suspicious mind; it is about you creating avenues for suspicion to creep in. I think that a safe road to tread is to leave your ex in the pages of your life’s history and nowhere else. Even if at the moment, an ex does not seem like a threat to your current relationship, don’t be fooled to assume that he/she (the ex) would not subsequently become a source of worry. It is better to remove the ‘evil day’ from your future, instead

of just postponing it because if your ex is kept as a close friend and confidant, the evil day is inevitable. Confiding in someone, particularly about emotional issues, amounts to “stripping” yourself bare before the person. With a confidant, it’s ‘no holds barred’. You can cry, scream, and generally express rage or hurt when you’re with a confidant. And you need to also bear in mind that such conversations are usually held in private, and can hardly be held by telephone. You know what happens when you are in a vulnerable state and are in a private place alone with someone with whom you once were intimate? Hmmmmmmmm!!! In such a large world where there are billions of people with whom we can establish and build friendships, I do not think any woman should be offended if her partner expresses annoyance upon discovering that her ex is her confidant. Why, amongst all the people you know, should you choose your ex as your confidant? Why can’t you just let go? I believe that people who still keep their ex close do so because they are still emotionally attached. Actually, a decision not to confide in your ex will do you more good than it would your partner. In other words, a woman ought to take note of the fact that an ex can easily metamorphose from a confidant to a “partner in infidelity”, if not kept at bay. No one says your ex cannot be an acquaintance on the “Hello” – “”Hi” level, but the risks inherent in making your ex a confidant, far outweigh the advantages, if any. You know what they say: prevention is better than cure. So should a woman share her secret things and burdens with her ex? That would amount to playing with fire!

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Woman

‘Woo your husband, it’s your right’ As far as Mr Mrs. Akanni Olufunmilayo Ayoka, a school principal who has been m married for close to two decades, is concerned, every wife has the sole right to woo her husband over and over again. “Once you feel the presence of another woman in your husband’s life, don’t just sit dow down there and cry or begin to fight or report him to anyone. Create a pla plan to woo him. It is your right as a wife to woo him to your side as m many times as possible,” she told YEMISI ADENIRAN in this clos close up. Excerpts:

hat are some of the fond memories of your growing up years? My growing up years was fun and I must stress it here that it remains my foundation. I was born into a Christian family of Pastor Joseph and Mrs. Beatrice Omopariola at Adesola area of Aperin, Ibadan in Oyo State. My father, now late was from Akure, Ondo State, while my mother is from Erio Ekiti, Ekiti State. My dad was a civil servant while my mother was a teacher. Though not very rich, we were happy and satisfied in all things such that many of our friends from rich homes envied us. We never took medicines or herbs. We were brought up with “omi adura” (blessed water). Whenever any of us was sick, my father would just bless the water and the sick one would drink and would get well. I was the fourth born of a family of eight (six children). I was the last girl. My parents are glorious, especially my father. He would always drum it into our ears that “Look here all, I may not have money to leave an inheritance for you, but you have a good name to inherit. Protect the name.” My mother, on her part, one of the olden days’ Grade2 teachers, is a thorough disciplinarian. They were both committed to our success, both academics and in other ramifications. I can never forget a situation where a man in our neighbourhood then told my dad to slow down on his spending on my secondary education because as far as he was concerned, the amount he was lavishing on me was enough to marry a second wife. But I thank God I had a father that was principled. His children’s education was his priority. You seem to like your father very well. When did he die precisely and what would you say you learnt from him? I love him and miss him so much. I lost him on 11th April 2008. It was so painful. I cried and cried He used to call me Ayoka omo daddy (Ayoka, daddy’s pet). This is to show you how close we were. He was a good man. He made sure we all had first degree and even second. Like I said, he wasn’t rich but he equipped us with that which will take care of us in life. He and my mother taught us the importance of hard work. Every member of my family is hardworking. I don’t believe anything is too difficult to do. None of us is lazy. We believe in sweating it out to earn a living. We were also trained to be prayerful. Up till now, I solve problems with prayers. How did you meet your husband and what attracted him to you? I met my husband, Olaniyi Timothy Akanni, at Ilorin. I was in 200 level at the University of Ilorin. He came on a visit with one of my elder brothers who happens to be his friend. I love his humility and quietness. I am an extrovert while he is an introvert. We understand each other and to the glory of God, my marriage will be 19 years old by 8th October this year. You must have been married quite early. How have you been coping? Yes, I got married very early. I was in my early twenties. So far, it has been great. To the glory of God, I never experienced any difficulty. I attend Winners Chapel where we believe that marriage is for better for best and not for better for worst. Christ himself has been helping us to have a happy home. Mar-

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

riage, according to late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya is about two forgivers living together. True love, we also reckon, counts no error. If there is love, a husband and wife will understand when there is a misunderstanding. There is nothing special with it. We relied so strongly on God and that is what I will always advise people. There is no marriage that is without its problems but ability to face it with a mind of overcoming it is the bail out every time. I enjoyed (I still do) God’s support and that of my husband. He helps me where I need help and forgives me where I go wrong. With that attitude, I was able to continue and to be where I am today. I give God all the glory. What would you attribute broken homes that are rampant these days to? Many broken homes are due to financial hardship and lack of genuine love. It is when a husband, most of the times is not able to provide for his family or when he doesn’t have genuine feelings, love for his wife that the latter looks elsewhere for succour. But infidelity is not the way out. That is why it is good for a woman to be financially empowered too no matter how little. Even where we have a man that is financially capable in a home, time changes and where we have that situation, the woman is supposed to help her husband fill in the gap until he recovers. As long as they are both prayerful and not lazy, better days will come around. Couples should seek and be filled with the fear of God like we have in the cases of Abraham and Serah and in Joseph. We should know that there is nothing we do in secret that God cannot see. And we should know that there is a reward for everything. The law of karma, as we all know, is ever waiting. It is good to be prayerful and have faith in God; it is again good to be patient and endure all times as no condition is permanent. If the two of them make up their minds that nothing will separate them, honestly, nothing will. What if there’s another woman trying to take him away? If another woman tries to woo your husband, pretend as if you are the one outside trying to woo him. Do all things possible to woo him like you are just dating all over again. Once you feel the presence of another woman around your husband, don’t just sit down there and cry or begin to fight or report him to anyone. Create a plan to woo him. It is your right as a wife to woo him over to your side as many times as you feel necessary. Change your looks, your wardrobe, your hair style, your language, your movement. Begin to do the unusual and before you know it, you will have him back. Why am I saying this? Because you are the bonafide owner and you will back this up with the Bible. Except you are not legally joined together you not win the case. He will surely fall into your hand because you sure carry a weight compared to the other woman. It is wrong to think he will automatically come back to you. There are very dan-

WOMAN

February 16, 2013 gerous women outside who will go any length to take him away. Do not discuss anything with him; just carry out your plans quietly. Trust him still, treat him well, respect him, submit to him as the Bible instructs. Allow him talk; do not raise your voice against him for anything; do not be rude to his family members and please do not discuss him with friends and neighbours, it can boomerang. Report him only to God , be faithful, be prayerful and you will definitely have the last laugh, the best laugh. Even if he packs out of his own house, do not bother, stay with your kids and continue in faith, he will come back.

Keeping ABREAST

What do you have to say for those living apart? I will advise that they try to re-consider their stand. If it is due to their career, they should find quality time to spend together. They can pull up lots of surprises that will have good impacts on their relationship. How fulfilled is the teaching career to you? I love teaching and I am really fulfilled by it. A lot of students by the grace of God have passed through my tutelage and are doing well out there today. I am glad to be part of their success story. Besides, it is only in teaching that you have people running to you at old age and even when you are yet to be old, shouting “mummy, mummy, it is me, don’t you know me again?” And you are made happy in the midst of your friends and on-lookers. The children of those years now make you proud as big men, big madams in the society now. I have always been a private school teacher and I am proud to be. We cannot all teach in government-owned schools and I have no regret. Apart from the car my husband bought for me, as the principal of a good secondary school, I also have an official car to drive around. I appreciate God for the life I am living. How best can Nigeria education be improved? Government and management of private schools, especially, will help improve the level of our educational system by employing competent and qualified teachers for each subject. It is wrong, for instance, to employ an engineer to teach Physics and Maths. Once such a person gets the right job, he will abandon the students. Teachers must indeed be trained and tested before being employed. It is painful to have some teachers from Colleges of Education that cannot speak good English. Imagine a teacher saying “I’m not finished.” What do you expect such a teacher to teach students? Private primary schools should desist from employing secondary school leavers as teachers; they can never give their best as they are still students themselves. Teachers in government schools should work with their conscience. Exam malpractices should be frowned upon by everyone. There should be standard science laboratories, workshops, libraries, computers and others alike. Regular seminars must be organised for teachers by government and related bodies on current teaching methodology, computer literacy, use of internet and so on.

Fertility affects women’s attractiveness, –Study

omen are most attractive to men at their fertile period suggests a study. The findings are plausible, the scientists note, since the ratings of attractiveness were related to hormonal shifts, which may cause facial and vocal changes in women. The research adds that women’s cycle is linked with various physiological and behavioural changes. For instance, earlier studies have found that when fertile, women’s sexual desire increases, as does their preference for strong-jawed men. Past studies have also shown men find fertile ladies’ dance moves more attractive, as well as her voice and smell, with one well-known study showing erotic dancers brought in better tips during the fertile phase of their cycle. In the new study, researchers took photographs of 202 women’s faces and

made recordings of their speaking voices at two points in their menstrual cycles. They also took saliva samples to measure hormone levels during both sampling sessions. More than 500 men rated the attractiveness of the women’s faces and voices from one of the two sessions. The ratings from the first session were averaged for each woman and then compared with ratings for her second session. Men rated faces and voices as more attractive when women’s progesterone levels were low and estradiol (estrogen) levels were high. “The only time in the cycle when estradiol levels are high and progesterone levels are simultaneously low is the late follicular phase, near ovulation when fertility is highest,” said the study’s lead author. Culled from huffingtonpost.com

Limiting caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods will fight an overactive bladder

voiding things that irritate the bladder, regulating your amount of fluid intake, and increasing your dietary fibre are just a few of the ways you can help your overactive bladder, says a study of some medical doctors.. These doctors have identified a number of foods and drinks that can worsen overactive bladders. They include: ◆ Caffeinated beverages and foods ◆ Alcohol ◆ Spicy foods ◆ Citrus fruits and juices ◆ Carbonated beverages ◆ Milk and milk products ◆ Sugar or honey ◆ Artificial sweeteners All of these foods and drinks contain irritants that, when they collect in the bladder, can cause the bladder muscles to spasm. Those spasms can create the

sudden urge to urinate and increase your frequency of urination. On top of that, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which mean they make your kidneys produce more urine. Even a moderate amount of alcohol, coffee, tea, or soda will increase the amount of urine your bladder must manage. Studies have shown that four cups of coffee a day will increase urinary urgency in most women, and as little as two cups will still have the effect in some individuals. Smoking cigarettes also irritate the bladder and increases the risk of bladder cancer, so people struggling with overactive bladders should quit smoking. Smoking can also cause coughing spasms that increase problems with stress incontinence. Culled from www.everydayhealth.com

February 16, 2013

Parenting

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

Teaching children table manners

ime after time, at weekends, on holidays, families get together to have a large family dinner just to catch up. When it’s time to sit down and enjoy a meal together, you don’t want your children banging on the table, screaming, smacking their food and driving everyone crazy right? Of course not. And that’s why it’s important to teach your children proper table manners so everyone can enjoy their dinner in peace and nobody will whisper things such as “She really needs to get control over her children.” First, you need to teach your children good table manners for when your sitting eating dinner at home. And never encourage bad behavior, it may be funny sometimes but if you really want them to have good table manners than you can’t laugh and tell them how funny it was or you’ll end up seeing them do it at a large family dinner.

Show them you have good manners. When you are at the table it’s important that you set a good example for your children. If you are burping, have your elbows on the table, chewing with your mouth open than they will see that it’s no big deal if they do it so set a good example and show them that you don’t just nag at them to have manners, you have them too. When they use bad manners: Don’t yell at them at the dinner table in front of everyone, this will embarrass them and make them act out more. Take them away from the table, talk to them and tell them to stop doing the bad things they are doing or there will be certain consequences to their actions. Tell them if they use proper manners they will get dessert, and if they don’t than there is no dessert for them. You have to teach your

child good manners because they won’t come naturally. Your children won’t know what real and proper manners are unless you teach them and show them. Before a big family dinner, sit down with them at the dinner table and show them all the manners they should have, such as not putting their elbows on the table, not tapping their hands and feet, no chewing with their mouth open, etc. And than every night at the dinner table, remind them so they can remember. Try having a dinner at home that will be similar to the family dinner, formal and good, classy foods. This is a good way to get them to practice using the manners you have taught them. Don’t just teach them manners for one dinner and don’t mention them again until it’s time for another big dinner. You should always remind your children to use manners when their at the dinner table so they can remember them and use them throughout the rest of their lives. Teaching children manners is very important and is something you should do

even if you don’t have big dinners often. You want your children to know manners so they can always be respectful in other people’s homes and have manners when they are out with important people such as business clients. What are some manners to teach your children? Well there are many manners that you can teach your children to use, but the most important ones are:  Sitting up straight.  Elbows off the table.  How to chew their food properly.  No tapping their hands and feet.  No yelling or screaming.  No saying inappropriate words or jokes.  No farting or burping.  Saying please and thank you.  Asking if you can be excused when you need to go to the bathroom. If you feel that you need to teach your child more manners than this, than that’s up to you. Just be sure your children understand why you are teaching them manners and why they need to know to do these things.

Tiny Feet

NAME: Emmanuel Tanidabioluwa BORN TO: Mr. and Mrs Isaac AGE: 3 months BIRTH WEIGHT: 3.8 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com

ParentingUpdate

10-year-old blind autistic boy displays outstanding music potential zSings open the eyes of my heart

hristopher Duffley, 10, is an amazing kid with an amazing gift. Born premature, Christopher weighed only 11b 12 oz at birth and was rendered blind due to Retinopathy of prematurity. Blind, and autistic, Christopher was adopted by his parents before they realised God had given this young fellow with the gift of music and a heart of gold. Stephen and Christine Duffley, Christopher’s adopted parents, shared their love for music with their son at an early age. Much to their surprise, Christopher began singing before he could hold a conversation. His first instrument was piano. He also loves to experiment with a variety of instruments including trumpet, guitar, and drums. Experts have determined that Christopher has perfect pitch and he has great musical potential Christopher had his first public performance during first grade at Northwest Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire. On that occasion, Christopher sang the Star Spangled Banner at a Memorial Day Assembly for family and veterans. Since that time, he has sung the National Anthem at over 100 sporting events, fundraisers, events for autism, local non-profits, as well as bringing

joy to nursing homes and church events. Most notably, Christopher has performed the national anthem at Fenway Park (July 2011) and NASCAR racing (Sept. 2011) which was his first major TV performance. He has also been featured at galas and conferences all over the US. Christopher’s story and music were featured by four major media outlets in the spring of 2011. He now has four recordings on itunes “I like singing because I have perfect pitch,” an excited Christopher said. When his adoptive mother, Christine Duffley, asked him how singing makes him feel, he said, “Happy. I feel happy.” A family friend provides a detailed account of Christopher Duffley’s difficult and rewarding life: “I think what Christopher teaches us is that every life is precious and it’s messy,” Christine said. “A lot of people ask how we do it. I think God’s grace is what brings a lot of people through their trials.” One thing that will continue, everyone agreed, is Christopher’s pursuit of music. “Actually, I’ll go on tour,” Christopher said. “I’m going to make music.” •Culled from www.yourlivingmanna.com

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

c i h c s s Busine B

usiness casual is a term used to describe a type of office dress code or clothing style that is a little more casual than traditional business wear. Many employers adopt this dress code in an effort to allow employees to feel more comfortable on the job and to have more freedom of expression through their choice of attire. Although business casual is casual, it also doesn’t mean that anything goes. Remember that skirts and dresses are acceptable as long as the hem falls past the knees. Discretion is the better of valor, as much as the female body is sexualized, so try to shy away from cuts that are distracting. As with men, black and grey are more formal, making for a safer bet. Avoid low-cut dresses or those with high slits. Avoid dresses (especially) and skirts that are more skin-tight. Looser-fitting does not have to mean classless. No sundresses. No jeans, unless otherwise noted. If jeans are allowed by your employer, distressed jeans, jeans

le StyGlam and

with Yemisi Adeniran

(08037801158) ydiran@yahoo.com

and “boyfriend” jeans are not desirwith holes, h able choices. Pants for women are usually on the baggier side. Shy away from skinny pants. Neutral colors are best. Tucked-in or untucked can both go, depending on the shirt. Use a collar for a more formal look, and collarless shirts for a less formal look. Try footwear such as leather shoes, flat trouser shoes, high heels and open toed shoes. Avoid flip flops, sandals and sneakers. Heels are okay, so long as they aren’t too conspicuous.

STYLE & GLAM

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fashion Frenzy

BEAUTY

Q&A

Your candid response to all fashion questions Top 5 blouses you need Blouses have become a staple in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closets around the world, and for good reason. They present a versatile look, and blouse styles can range from casual all the way to a formal look. Blouses are typically known to be made in a feminine way, and have been designed mainly for the female population for centuries. The blouse style first

became popular with women in the 1890s, when it was worn at work, during the day, and into evening wear. The look of a casual blouse has a loose and organic feel, which is great for the warm summer months. Dressier blouses usually appear more tailored than other types of shirts, and often include a collar and sleeves. They are commonly made out of cotton, linen, or silk. The top five styles of blouses today include the tailored button down blouse, the peasant blouse, the

wrap blous blouse.

History The des years since era brough

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

STYLE & GLAM

February 16, 2013

se, the short sleeve blouse, and the patterned and pinstripe

y of Blouses sign of a blouse has changed immensely throughout the e it first became popular for women to wear. The Victorian ht on a more simple look for informal wear, while the early

YEMISI ADENIRAN

hile jeans are traditionally considered casual wear, the right pair can easily be dressed up for your next casual ouiting , romantic date, or night out with friends. Jeans are a tremendously versatile wardrobe basic. As long as you start with the right jeans, you can create nearly any look by knowing how and what to match them with. Choose right The most important part of dressing up your jeans is knowing which jeans to dress up. 1 Stick with dark jeans for a traditionally dressy jean. You can still dress up light to medium wash jeans, but darker shades look nicer and more formal than lighter shades. Dark wash jeans are also the most appropriate for casual business occasions. 2. Go with a classic cut, such as a boot or straight, for the most versatility. A skinny jean may work under some circumstances, but a bootcut or straight-leg jean will work for nearly anything, from a fun night out with friends to a casual meeting with a new client. 3. Consider a coloured jean. Black or white denim can be dressed up with relative ease. Try to avoid funky, bold colours, however, since these may be more difficult to dress up and will likely go out of style after a season. 4. Make sure your jeans fit properly. The simplest, most important aspect of dressing up your jeans is to start with a pair that flatters your figure and fits your body right. Avoid jeans that are too snug in all the wrong places, as well as jeans that are loose and baggy. 5. Avoid jeans with holes or tears. While some fashion chic styles can be accomplished with rattylooking jeans, most dressy styles will be difficult to accomplish if your jeans have holes or stains. Choose the right top The simplest way to dress up your jeans is to add a dressy top. If you opt for a simpler top, be aware that you may need to adorn yourself with more accessories in order to achieve the level of dressiness you want. Throw a dress over your jeans. Pick out a playful, flowing spring or summer sundress to throw over a pair of skinny jeans. Gravitate toward kneelength dresses. Also stick with dresses that are a little more casual in nature, rather than formal dresses or work dresses.

1900s saw elaborate “lingerie blouse” designs that featured a large amount of embroidery and lace. Collars began to appear on blouses around the 1920s, and as the years progressed, different styles of collars were available to choose from as well. From the 1960s to the present day, blouses have taken on many different designs, with vintage and retro-inspired designs still popular today.

Facelift Age-defying hair styles Your hair is one of the first things people notice about you and it can say a lot about your age. How your strands shape your face and contrast with your skin can easily add or subtract years. Fortunately, changing your hairstyle is an easy fix. From a simple tweak to an entire transformation, follow these ideas to become as fresh-faced as a twenty something. •The ponytail When styled well, a ponytail is both sophisticated and girlish. When tied back snugly, it can act as a mini-facelift as it helps smooth the skin around the eyes and forehead and accentuate the cheekbones. Wrap a piece of hair around the tie for extra polish. •The side-swept bang Specifically, you want a piecey, side-swept bang, rather than a blunt bang, which can look retro or harsh on a mature woman. Bangs inadvertently draw attention to your eyes and disguise both crow’s-feet and forehead wrinkles clear signs of older age. •The side part Though a center part can help slim a wider face, it can look severe” and plain on a mature woman, and draw unwanted attention to asymmetry. A side part is more playful, and carves an unexpected hairline around the face, which helps to distract from and even conceal imperfections. •A full-bodied style A voluminous style lifts the face by drawing the observer’s eyes upward. While movement gives life to tired tresses, limp hair screams, ‘I’ve given up!. Volume can also create the illusion of fullness and health, which helps conceal one of the big issues with aging hair: thinning. Face-framing highlights When styled to frame the face, highlights help attract light, which creates a youthful glow around your features and brightens your complexion. To keep from looking washed-out, apply a base colour that’s no more than two shades from your natural hue. •The bob A bob works with, not against, bone structure which is why it is both timeless and, for the most part, ageless. It can be styled in different ways (chin- or shoulder-length, spiky layers), The best way to look young, edgy and confident is to angle the hair in an Aline style — shorter in back and longer in front.

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Male Essentials Corduroy Jackets

OLUWASEGUN IJABIKEN BIKEN

ooking good d is about wearing the right ght thing at the right time, putting on what suits your colour r , stature, getting abreast of what hat is currently relevant as well ll as creating your own style. With the current ent trend of men’s jackets and d blazers, every man’s wardrobe robe should comprise at least a corduroy jacket. They are so versatile in that corduroy can go with everything: jeans, s, slacks, Tshirts, long and short-sleeve shirts, sneakers, s, loafers, moccasins and so on. It’s rugged, cute and d comfortably designed for everyone. They come in variations, at times with fur collar, leather lapel, elbow and shoulder patches, Sherhes, pa linings, vented ed back or sides, velvet embellishments, bellishments, rounded hem, fittedly-sewn tedly-sewn or slightly loose, etc.. At present, there ere are early morning colds, longer onger nights which are occasioned ioned with mist or fog. With such atmomospheric condition, n, a jacket, a classic ic corduroy jacket at that, is ideal and d suitable. Get one for yourself today!

What to wear with a white dress shirt T

he white shirt: rarely has there ever been a piece of clothing more ubiquitous, or more versa-

tile. However, the white shirt has gotten a bad wrap lately as being boring, a fashion-less relic left in the dust of all the bright and shiny shirts it spawned. So to debunk that myth EveryGuyed has assembled the following article to show you that with the addition of just a few small elements, you can turn a basic white shirt into the foundation of a brilliant outfit. The navy suit Perhaps the most underrated, the most simple, and the most effective combo for a white dress shirt is the classic navy blue suit. Put on a blue navy suit,

a crisp white dress shirt and matching tie for that fresh pressed Monday morning look, and drop the tie for a very European casual-chic. A sweater and jeans A classic no-fuss, low maintenance look, throw on a pair of jeans, and pull any good clean sweater over the shirt. Though some argue that you shouldn’t tuck a dress shirt into jeans, the tail that a shirt produces can peek out the back and look unpleasantly sloppy, so tuck it in. This is a great casual choice that can be adapted for any look from young to old, from rich to poor. Just make sure the sweater is a good piece that’s clean and fits slimly but not snugly; also make sure the dress shirt underneath fits just

as well, even if you can’t see much of it. The Herringbone, tweed sport coat Rock the schoolteacher look by adding a herringbone or tweed blazer to your white shirt. Leave the shirt open for a casual sort of look; add a touch of prep by throwing on a bow tie; or just channel the spirit of the 1950s and get that Breakfast At Tiffany‘s style with a dark knit tie. The blazer screams academia and old world class, and pairing them with slacks or jeans can add a level of formality or casualness as needed. Shorts and sandals An overlooked beach option, combining a white dress shirt with a pair of sandals and swim shorts is a great way to take this shirt from the boardroom to the surfboard. White reflects the heat of

the sun, and even a heavy weight white cotton shirt will keep you feeling cool; this is your chance to wear it rumpled, and roll those sleeves up. A leather jacket Throw a white shirt under a leather jacket for a James Dean inspired badass look. The key here is to pair the quality of your shirt with the quality of your jacket; we here at EveryGuyed prefer rebel-chic with a won motorcycle jacket and a worn in white shirt. On its own The key here is to not over-think it. A white dress shirt on its own, paired with a good pair of jeans is a great casual option. Pair it with a brown leather belt and a pair of your favourite plimsoles and you’re good to go.

People

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gbenga Komolafe: Uncommon passion for informal workers TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

omrade Gbenga Komolafe has an uncommon passion for the down trodden. In the last few years, he has been the voice of informal workers on the platform of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON). Komolafe, a human rights activist and former Senate President of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) was one of the student union activists who played a prominent role in the historic anti-SAP struggles during the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led military regime. He has also played different roles in trade union activism as a member of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria for many decades. Komolafe is today the General Secretary of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria, an organisation that provides a platform for informal, grassroots workers, artisans, the self-employed, traders, market women and other classes of people who work basically on the streets and in their tiny sheds in small businesses.

As the scribe of the organisation that protects the interest of informal workers, Komolafe, on several occasions, has been in the fore front of fighting for his people. He played an active role during several struggles by Okada (motorcycle) riders to upturn the partial ban placed on their activities by the Lagos State government. Speaking on his interest in informal workers, the FIWON scribe says, “Statistics say that informal workers constitute 80 per cent of the working force. It is a critical sector of the workforce, which has been neglected for so long. But hopefully, under the platform of FIWOM, we will try to project some of the very serious developmental challenges facing the Nigeria economy, especially as they concern informal workers. “Having worked in TUC for many years, I feel that the informal workers have been neglected for so very long because they are largely unrecognised by the Nigeria Trade Union laws. Not only that, they are excluded from most programmes of government which are supposed to make life worth living for Nigerian workers. For instance,

informal workers are not part of the pension scheme fund. But then, like all humans, they also grow old. Gover nment also has a re s p o n sibility to

ensure that they don’t suffer as well in their old age.” Speaking on his activities in defence of informal workers in Nigeria, Komolafe posited that life has been difficult for those working in the informal sector because they have been neglected by government and because there is nobody to champion their cause. He also kicked against the various plans by state governments to ban the operation of informal workers, espe-

February 16, 2013

cially motorcycle riders. He said “Rather than banning the activities of motorcycle riders, considering the fact that people feed from the business, government should work out modalities on regulating the activities of these informal workers. What a r e the

challenges of organising informal workers? The FIWON scribe said that: “My challenge with informal workers is the fundamental challenge of organisation. Most informal workers may have their association, but it is not like the formal setting where workers are compelled to pay their dues, which are remitted to the Union’s account. There is a funding problem which is linked to lack of organisation.”

Adaobi Ezenwelu: Championing the cause of widows FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

of a ch he first child family of five girls bo Adaobi and one boy, d c Ezenwalu spent her childhoo where Kadun years in Kaduna over bo she was born ago. dec three decades her h She had and primary prim secondary education in Kaduna later and a studied for a Diploma in Aviat i o n a n d Ticketing in

Lagos. Not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Ezenwalu was determined to make something good for herself in life. She embraced the virtue of hard work which has taken her this far today. She says, “Growing up was not smooth at all, because I was not born with a silver spoon. But I was determined to make the best of my life. And looking back now, in retrospect, I can only thank God for taking me this far in life.” With a burning passion to give to society, Ezenwalu has directed her energy towards widows through her Adaobi Ezenwelu Foundation for Widows. Why widows? Ezenwalu, who spends every second Friday of the month ministering to widows at her office in Ikeja, says, “At a time in my life when I was petitioning God for the

fruit of the womb in my marriage, God instructed me to take care of widows. And that was how I started charity work with widows. “At the moment, we have about 120 widows registered with us that we care for. Some of them are homeless, some are sick while others are jobless and can barely feed or take care of their children. So we do the best we can to assist. For now, I cater for them from the little I make from my travel agency business. But I know that God who has assigned me to do this work will surely accomplish what he has started. “Each time I remember the prayers I get from these widows, it gives me a strong feeling of fulfilment and the urge to keep doing more. I have seen the blessings of God in many ways and this has kept me going till now. I’m just begging God to keep providing for me so I could do more for them.”

February 16, 2013

Dear Igho

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

TTel: e 08023924679 (SMS only) ighomit@gmail.com

Having diﬃculties with relationships, family, work or any other aspectt off your life? lif Help is at hand with TOBORE IGHO OVUORIE

My husband is cheating on me! Dear Igho, I pray God continues to strengthen you. I am 52, and in my 2nd marriage for 15 years. I just found out my husband, for a year now, is on dating sites, going on dates, seeking sex (any kind). We are facing financial problems, and there was a lot of weight on me to find solutions. Everything came out. He says he loves me, but I do not belive him. We are trying to make it work but we only argue. I feel devastated. I do not know what to do. I do not realy know if he wants to be with me, or he feels sorry about me. Thanks Sad wife. Dear Sad wife, I think he wanted his life with you, and he also wanted his Internet life that led to cheating outside the marriage. I don’t think he felt sorry for you. However, this is a big deal, and I won’t whitewash it. You now have some financial problems, and you’re the one expected to fix the mess while this is going on. Dear Aunty Igho, I’m 14 years old and a female. I’ve been having a lot of family problems. My mother called me fat, today, and she also said she wouldn’t care if I killed myself. I was starting to think I should. Now, she wants to buy clothes for me and I don’t want that. I’ve been crying for two days, now, because she’s being so mean to me. I don’t know what to do. She even laughed at me when I was crying today. Seyi Holloway, VGC. Dear Seyi, There’s no test parents take before

His extreme selfishness is hard to dismiss. You must know this has become a huge problem in some marriages, because the easy access to strangers, beyond what was once available, is at the touch of a finger. Of course, if he truly wanted to cheat, it wouldn’t take a computer to do it, but it’s

a powerful draw that some people can’t resist. But he also made a choice to do it, and any apology that comes now is cold comfort. If there are other negative facets to this relationship, his infidelity may be the final blow. And if that’s the case, perhaps it’s best to start planning a big

change in your life. I know divorce would not be something you’d want, but I don’t know if you can forgive and forget the depth of his cheating. Only you can know that. Don’t be hasty, but get serious about your options, as well.

Mum says I should kill myself! having children, and if there were, your mother would certainly get a lousy grade on the sensitivity section of that test. It is not all right to call a child fat, nor is it okay for a mother to say she wouldn’t care if her child killed herself. Where she has rights as a parent telling you not wear band stuffs with bad things written on them. You can however let your mother know that calling you fat, and other nasty comments that are unproductive and hurtful are, well, UNPRODUCTIVE AND HURT-

FUL! It may not get the results you want, but at least you’re on record for suggesting that this isn’t the way to parent a 14 year old girl! You could ask a five year old if this is acceptable behavior and he, or she would tell you, “No”. If she buys you clothes you do not like, choose not to wear them, but this is not in direct opposition to her position on appropriate clothing to wear. Were your relationship with her to become more antagonistic, please your school counselor or send me a text so that I will get involved.

For your mother to tell you she wouldn’t mind if you killed yourself is cruel, and some intervention may help. But then, always remember that you will be an adult someday (and sooner than you realize), and it’s best to see this period of your life as only a blip on the radar screen of it. One day, if you prepare properly, you can lead your life the way you want, and put this period of your life in perspective. Parents are human, and good parenting is not a given. i’m waiting to read/hear from you.

My son’s girlfriend is always sleeping over! Dear Madam Igho, Our son is 29 ,and his girlfriend is 25. Their sleep overs started out as weekends, but in the last six months, it’s like five out of seven nights. It’s too much. I’ve talked to my son, but he says she wants sleep overs all the time. I honestly don’t know what to do. I like the girl but not comfortable with her sleep overs. Thanks

Mrs. Bewaji Abuja. Dear Mrs. Bewaji, Unfortunately, the time to nix it was when it began. Now, a new precedent has been set, and it makes it harder to shift course. I understand how you feel. You have a family, and although you may like this girl, there was nothing written that she had to become a new member of

Should I resign Dear Igho, The president of my organisation and his terminally ill wife were fired

for difference of opinion with the coowners. As an employee who thinks the conspiracy was immoral, do I

it without due process- and a fixture in your home for that matter! You have a right to set down rules in your household and, as long as your son lives with you (at 29) and you’re paying for a roof over his head (and I am sure other expenditures), you can implement them. Decide what’s acceptable to you (and what isn’t), and tell both of them - not stay or quit? Anonymous Dear Anonymous, You don’t want to work in a place you now detest, but it’s not a good idea to leave until you have another job lined up. I’m not sure whether you truly know all

only your son. Your son may take umbrage, and his girlfriend appear wide-eyed, confused and embarrassed, but if this is what you want, you have to stand by it. I’m certain they will find other places to be intimate, and you’ll probably see your son less, but you shouldn’t allow yourself to be manipulated by them if it’s interfering with your need for some privacy, or a suppressed objection to them sleeping in the same room, and in the same bed. the reasons for the firing (only hearing one side of the story), but if you think you have it right, as I said, don’t put yourself in a position of going without based on a certain moral principle. You need food on the table, and money to pay the bills, and it’s morally right to take care of your basic needs, as well. Good luck!

Living

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Kidnappers ‘feast’ on women in Lagos SEGUN ADIO

emisola Uthman Ogunyemi’s husband, family and friends are currently running from pillar to post to ensure the safe return of their wife and daughter following her kidnap by suspected kidnappers. For the Ogunyemis, Kemisola’s kidnap could not have come at a worse time. The family is still trying to deal with the loss of their matriarch. Kemisola’s mother died on Boxing Day in 2012 and being a Muslim, she was buried the same day. Kemisola’s father, a resident of Ikorodu area of Lagos State, is yet to come out of the shock of his wife’s death. And it was in her effort to comfort her father that Kemisola went to Ikorodu on the day she was kidnapped. Since her mother’s death, Kemisola, 29, has taken it upon herself to visit her father every weekend to tend to the old man’s needs. Only three weeks ago, she moved to Ajah area of the metropolis with her husband and the couple have been quietly settling into their new neighbourhood. Though not blessed with children yet, the couple are said to be inseparable. On Sunday, February 10, 2013, Kemisola made her usual weekend trip to Ikorodu to see to her father’s wellbeing. She left her Ajah home in her black Nissan Murano SUV with registration number AJ685ABM (LAGOS). As usual, she attended to her father’s needs and made sure all was well with the old man. Around 6:30p.m, and with about two hours to drive to her house in Ajah baring any unexpected gridlock on the way, Kemisola bade her father goodbye, hopped into her SUV, and sped off. She told her father that she had to be at home early enough to prepare dinner for her husband. That was not to be after all. About an hour after she left Ikorodu, Kemisola was allegedly kidnapped and her SUV driven away by unknown persons. For the rest of that day, Kemisola was held incommunicado by her abductors. When her father thought his daughter would have arrived in her matrimonial home, he called her mobile phones, but all were switched off. After several unsuccessful attempts to get her on phone, the old man called her husband to ascertain that his daughter had arrived safely back home. Kemisola’s husband was shocked to hear that his wife had left Ikorodu more than a few hours ago without getting home. He too began to make frantic calls to his wife’s mobile phones, but the calls would not go through. That was when he realised that all was not well. The matter was promptly reported at Area ‘J’ Command of the Nigeria Police, in Ajah and law enforcement agents immediately swung into action.

Kemisola

Abductors demand N60m for kidnapped woman’s release ….As victim’s SUV is found with one shoe in it A couple of days after the incident was reported, policemen attached to Ogombo Police Station in Ajah, reportedly located Kemisola’s SUV around Jeffrey Plaza, Ajah. On a thorough search of the vehicle, one of leg of Kemisola’s pair of shoes was discovered in the vehicle. About three days after her alleged kidnap, some strange people started calling her husband to demand for N60 million before Kemisola could be released. Kemisola’s abductors reportedly use her mobile phone to call her people. One of Kemisola’s cousins, a woman who pled anonymity, told Saturday Mirror that her family members are not get-

ting enough assistance from the police. She claimed that some policemen were demanding money for logistics before they would do their job of locating the abducted woman. “We have started getting calls from Kemi’s abductors. They will put her on her phone to talk to us and immediately switch it off. They are now demanding that we pay N60 million before she would be released,” the cousin said. Kemisola’s father is naturally downcast over the abduction of his daughter. Another family source says Kemisola’s situation has already caused a lot of confusion in the family. According to the male relative, who also declined to be named, “Kemi is an easy going per-

son who would not hurt a fly. I don’t know why this is happening. Her father is totally downcast now. He does not know what to do. The amount the people are demanding is crazy. Sixty million Naira! Who has that much money?” the man queried. Attempts to speak with law enforcement agents at Ogombo Police Station where Kemisola’s SUV was reportedly found did not materialise, as reporters were directed to go to the Area Command office. There also, no information was forthcoming. A police source at the station simply said, “We are on top of the situation and once we are able to apprehend the kidnappers, we shall let you know.”

LIVING

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

How I escaped being slaughtered by kidnappers – Housewife Somewhere between boarding a bus at Ladipo Bus Stop (Oshodi area) and alighting at Egbeda-Akowonjo area of Lagos, the story of Mrs. Blessing’s life took a curious turn. She ended up at a kidnappers’ shrine along Badagry Expressway. She escaped the cruel fate the kidnappers had in store for her, but she is still bedridden and tottering between life and death from shock and trauma induced high blood pressure.

OSEYIZA OOGBODO

rs. Blessing (not real name) belongs to an exclusive set of Nigerians. They are so few in number that their actual number is not known. They are also not popular so most of them are not known and will never be known. The fact remains however that Mrs. Blessing and others like her are an extremely special set of Nigerians. What is special about them, you ask? Okay, they have had an encounter with ritualists who intended to use them for some sort of sacrifice or the other and they survived the encounter. The manner in which they survived it is what makes them very special. They didn’t survive by escaping through their own resourcefulness or cleverness. No. They survived because the ritualists discovered that they were not suitable for their sacrificial altars. If you’ve been hearing the stories before of such people whom ritualists couldn’t sacrifice because their heads were too strong, as they are referred to in local parlance, and you’ve doubted the tales, doubt no more as Mrs. Blessing is a living example. She is from Abeokuta, Ogun State, is approaching fifty years of age and is all flesh and blood, just like you, not an extraterrestrial or a supernatural being that is immune to spiritual attacks. On January 31st, a Thursday to be precise, she went to Ladipo area on the LagosAbeokuta Expressway to collect N300,000 in cash on behalf of her first daughter who was at work and unavailable to make the trip herself. “The money was my daughter’s share of the contribution she was doing. She was the one who collected last and she was supposed to collect it in December but her fellow contributors travelled for the Yuletide period and that’s why they contributed it for her in January. And since

WHILE AT THE SHRINE, TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN MY PRESENCE. THEY WERE NOT SLAUGHTERED BUT BEHEADED. THEY WERE TIED TO TREES, THEIR EYES COVERED WITH RED CLOTH AND THEIR HEADS WERE CUT OFF.

INTO KEGS.

THEIR BLOOD WAS COLLECTED

THERE WERE MANY OF SUCH KEGS AT THE SHRINE. THEY WERE LABELED EITHER MALE OR FEMALE DEPENDING ON THE GENDER OF THE PERSON WHOSE BLOOD WAS IN THE KEG

she couldn’t go and collect it by herself, I elected to do so for her.” Mrs. Blessing’s daughter stays at Egbeda-Akowonjo and that was where she was to take the money to. Since the daughter wouldn’t be around when she would get to her house, she was supposed to stay the night with her and then go to her house deep in Ogun State the following day, Friday. So she boarded a commercial passenger bus going to Egbeda at Ladipo Bus Stop and there the drama began. “Shortly after the bus took off, it began sputtering, moving erratically and it stopped totally at PWD Bus Stop. All of us passengers came down while the driver attended to it. He did so unsuccessfully so we boarded another bus. This was after 1pm in the afternoon and that was all I remembered when I was abruptly woken up at around 6pm in front of a shrine located deep in a forest.” Needless to say, she was scared for her

life as the facial expressions of the shrine’s operators were terrible to behold. “My first thoughts on returning to my senses were: ‘Where am I?,’ ‘How did I get here?,’ ‘What am I doing here?,’ ‘Is the N300,000 still with me?’ I didn’t have much time to dwell on these thoughts, however. I just confirmed that the contribution money was still with me and then we were ordered out of the bus and it sped off. “We were handed over to three men whose look would instill fear in even the bravest of men. Their voice was harsh and evil radiated from them. They herded us into a group and didn’t really go out of their way to guard us. Later, we found out that the area was secured by charms so we couldn’t escape. Since we had a bit of freedom, I did as if I wanted to go and ease myself and I used that opportunity to call my Baba Aladura of the Cherubim & Seraphim church I attend. His number didn’t go so I called my second daughter as I knew my first daugh-

ter wouldn’t be able to receive a call while at work. When my second daughter picked my call, I explained my predicament to her and told her to tell my husband and also the Baba Aladura. “My next move was to switch off the phone and hide it in the bush. I marked the spot that I hid it and I returned to where we were told to stay. Shortly afterwards, one of the men came to us with an object and started placing it on our heads. After placing it on someone’s head, he would tell the person to move to another spot. “But when it got to my turn, he placed it on my head the first time and then the second time and looked at me unhappily. He then told me that he saw a big cross every time he touched my head with the object and asked if apart from my ear ring which was made of crosses, I had another large cross on my body. I didn’t answer him so he touched me with the object a third time and then told me to move from the location of the people whose heads had been touched with the object to another place. “After touching all the heads, he and the two others came to me and told me that since I wasn’t useful to them for their ritual purposes, they would hold me captive at the shrine and I would be working for them. Looking around me, I could see such people. Some of them were pounding what looked like human parts or grinding some substances. I knew I didn’t want to be condemned to such a life.” So she kept praying and a voice that can only be said to be that of God ministered to CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

February 16, 2013

The music stops for Joe Igbile Joe Igbile, 47, was Head of Sports at Channels Television …until last Saturday. He was presenting Sports News at 9pm when he started feeling uncomfortable. He called for a break. It was a live programme! He asked for water. No improvement. He slumped. Friends and colleagues quickly gathered themselves together and rushed him to the hospital. He died before he got there. Shocking! FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

ast Saturday started so well for Joe, as Joe Igbile is fondly called by friends, colleagues and relatives. No one had any inkling that he would not outlive that day. Did he himself know? Sadly, the dead don’t talk. Joe, in his usual vivacious but diligent manner, put in a hard day’s work, hoping to return his family after the day’s work. But that hope was dashed around 9pm. It was time for the Sport News at 9. As usual, Joe kick started the programme. A few minutes into the programme, however, Joe suddenly felt some discomfort and called for a break on the live programme. Nodi Okonta who was copresenting the programme with him takes up the story. “During the break, Joe requested for water which was given to him immediately, thinking that his throat was dry. Some few minutes after taking the water, his condition became worse as he grew very weak and slumped with heavy breathing like someone snoring. Suddenly, his nostrils and ears started to bleed. We rushed him to the hospital immediately. But before we could get there, Joe gave up the ghost. It was a rude shock,” Nodi says, her eyes misting over. Before the unfortunate few minutes, Joe did not show any sign of ill health or fatigue. According to Toyin Ibitoye, another of his colleagues, they were together all day of planning the programme and putting together the stories that would go into it. Says Ibitoye, “I was with him all day that Saturday. Indeed, he was actually standing in for me since I was travelling to South Africa for the completion of the tournament. We were together and even after I left him to go and pack, I was still communicating with him and everything was fine. I was on the verge of boarding the aircraft at the airport when I was called that Joe had collapsed while presenting the programme and that they are trying to get him to the hospital. I kept calling his number. After a few minutes, I was told that Joe was dead. It was a big shock. As a matter of fact, I have not come to the full realisation of his death. I still keep having this feeling that he would call me one day to tell me that

Igbile

DURING THE BREAK, JOE REQUESTED FOR WATER WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM

IMMEDIATELY.

SOME FEW MINUTES AFTER TAKING THE WATER, HIS CONDITION

BECAME WORSE AS HE GREW VERY WEAK AND SLUMPED WITH HEAVY BREATHING

LIKE SOMEONE SNORING.

SUDDENLY, HIS

NOSTRILS AND EARS STARTED TO BLEED all that is happening now is not real. It is a very sad situation. He was an easygoing, gentle and peace loving person. Joe will be badly missed both at work and as a friend. I honestly can’t just come to terms with the fact that Joe is no more. He was such a loving, selfless and peace loving person. He was very gentle and easy going, and of course very industrious. His demise is a very big loss.” Another colleague, Yemi Adebayo, also attests that Joe Igbile did not show any sign of illness before his death. “Ever since I have known him, he has always been strong and always working. He was okay and did not show any sign until his sudden death. I still spoke with him on phone that day. There were some things he said I should do for him concerning the programme he was to anchor and he sounded well. The next thing was for me to receive the shocking news of his death. It is a big loss and he would be greatly missed by all,” says Adebayo. Irene Evbuomwan, who says she has been working with Joe since 2007, simply describes him as “selfless, peaceful and a complete gentleman.” Ngozi Igbile, his widow, is apparently

Family man: Late Joe and his two daughters

still in shock. She told Saturday Mirror how she had expectantly waited for the return of her husband, who usually comes back around 11pm, only to receive a phone

call from his younger brother that all was not well with him. She says, “I didn’t know that the unexpected had happened to my husband that fateful night. I was at home and was expecting his return because he normally comes in late. He usually comes in around 11pm and so I was all along waiting for him to return, only for me to get a phone call from his younger brother telling me that all was not well with my husband. I was so worried, so much so that I started shouting demanding to know what exactly the problem was. All he kept telling was that I should calm down. Not too long after, I got another call from my pastor who was also telling me to calm down, that my husband was being attended to by doctors. I was more than worried. I kept calling his number but could not get to speak with him. It was ringing and no one was picking but I persisted. After several attempts, someone picked but it was not Joe, I was told that he couldn’t speak to me, that he was under intensive care; I was worried and needed to know where he was. After some time, I got another call from a hospital staffer who said if I could take a bike down to their hospital, I should come. “My pastor had already called some of our church members to come to me. I followed them to the hospital in Ikeja. When I got there, I demanded to see my husband but I was told that he was under intensive care, that could not see him. When I insisted, they took me close to the room but didn’t let me in and said I should calm down that he was being attended to. When I got back home, someone now told me to take heart, that my husband was dead. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. I burst into tears. “He was such a loving man, very gentle and very peaceful. He doesn’t like trouble at all. He would rather inconvenience himself than to have a quarrel with you. He was so selfless and caring. I miss him so much and can’t ever stop missing him,” she said, bursting into fresh tears. On how the children are taking the news, Ngozi who has two children aged 10 and 5 says, “Because of the distance of their school to our present house, the children are currently living with my elder sister in Iwaya (Lagos). However, because of the nature of my husband’s work, it was in the news. And though the children were not told what had happened to their father, their classmates told them. A friend of my ten-year-old daughter was asking her why her father was not in church the following Sunday. My daughter said she did not know. In response, her friend said, ‘Your father is dead, we saw it TV yesterday.’ It is so devastating.” So what went so terribly wrong with Joe Igbile? Nodi Okonta who was copresenting Sports News with him when the unexpected happened says, “The doctors said it could have been as a result of stress, which made his blood pressure rise and caused the bleeding in his nostrils and ears. However, an autopsy is being carried out to ascertain the actual cause of his death.” Joe Igbile will most certainly be sorely missed.

LIVING

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Displaced in Jos, exposed in Lagos Hadiza Mohammed escaped the crises in Jos with her triplets. But she faces a fresh crisis in Lagos where she fled to. Hunger has driven her to camp in front of Jakande Estate, come rain, come shine. Not minding the traffic, pollution, noise, dust, filth, miscreants and all she is exposed to with her little ones, she needs to be out begging to keep body and soul together.

THOMAS USHIE

or women generally, a baby is a bundle joy. And when they come in multiples, such as twins or triplets, they are considered as multiple blessings. While Hadiza Mohammed, a displaced mother of a set of 11-month-old triplets shares in the general love for babies, there is no doubt that her triplets are a sort of burden to her. Call them a joyful burden, if you like. Hadiza sits at the dusty gate of Jakande Estate, Isolo, begging for alms for the survival of her children. As motor vehicles of all sizes and axles drive by, pumping dust and carbon monoxide into the air, the triplets and their mother inhale all. This is definitely not the kind of life a mother would wish for her babies. Definitely not! But until tangible help comes her way, Hadiza and her triplets for now, have no choice. In spite of it all, her face creased with dimpled smiles as she spoke to Saturday Mirror. But even as she smiled, it was not difficult to know that her heart was frowning. “This is not the kind of life I want for these children. I am constrained. But they must survive! I must toil to attract public sympathy for our survival,” she wailed. “My name is Hadiza Mohammed. I am the mother of these babies. They are 11 months old. I gave birth to them at Jos. The babies’ names are Hawa, Hassan and Hukena,” she stuttered in a mixture of English and Hausa, while constantly reminding the reporter that “I don’t understand English but I will speak smallsmall” Bemoaning her excruciating condition of existence, she said that while she is happy to have three babies from one pregnancy, the blessing of the fruit of the womb is too overwhelming for her to bear alone, hence her resort to public sympathy. “Because of the ‘wahala’ (crisis) in Jos and the fact that I cannot take care of my

I need help to feed these babies –Mother of triplets I CAME TO LAGOS SEEKING HELP FROM THE PUBLIC. I DON’T HAVE MONEY. I DON’T HAVE A HOUSE. OUR HOUSE WAS DESTROYED IN THE ‘WAHALA’ IN JOS. I THANK ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PASSING THROUGH THIS PLACE AND

SHOWING THEIR CONCERN.

I THANK THOSE

WHO HAVE BEEN GIVING MONEY TO MY

BABIES.

HELP.

I AM VERY HAPPY FOR ALL THEIR

I PRAY THAT THEY WILL NOT BEG TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN

three babies, I had to leave for Lagos. I have heard of Lagos and I thought I could find help here. I came here to survive with my children. I cannot sit down there in Jos and let them die of hunger or anything. Since I came to Lagos, I always come to sit at this place from morning till twelve O’clock seeking for help for my children. I cannot take care of them on my own. Three chil-

dren at the same time, that is too much for a woman in my condition. I am happy that God blessed me with these children. I am very happy. That is why I am sitting here every day since I came to Lagos, seeking help from the public without feeling so bad. I don’t have money. I don’t have house. Our house was destroyed in the ‘wahala’ in Jos. But I thank all those people who have been

passing through this place and showing their concern. I thank those who have been giving money to my babies. I am very happy for all their help. I pray that they will not beg to feed their children. “I need more help. I look forward to help from government and other people. I don’t want the life of these children to be like mine. No. I want them to live a better life than me. I would like them to be good and better people in the future and help other people as they have been helped,” she said. As the babies happily shove and thrust their hands in all directions, Saturday Mirror enquired from Hadiza if the children had eaten. While she responded that they had eaten noodles, the looks of the children bore eloquent testimony to the fact that all is not well, as, according to her, the children are “11 months old” but are still looking like four months old babies. “They have eaten. I gave them noodles this morning that is why all of them are happy. Before I leave, I will give them another food. They will grow big with time,” she hoped. Stories abound of women who hire CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

February 16, 2013

‘I need help to feed my babies’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 children for the “begging business.” These women can be found all over Lagos hugging these babies close and hawking them like merchandise in Lagos traffic just to make money for themselves and their agents. But Hadiza and her triplets are different. The triplets, if the age long philosophical disputation of “appearance and reality” can be laid to rest in this particular case, look like their mother. The babies look like her. They bear striking facial resemblance to their mother. Speaking with Saturday Mirror, an expectant mother who simply identified herself as Amarachi and who called the attention of this reporter to the facial resemblance of the triplets and their mother when the reporter asked Hadiza if she was the “real mother” of the triplets, wondered why such question should cross the mind of anybody when “the children look exactly as their mother”. Amarachi, who was one of those who gave alms to the triplets while Saturday Mirror was chatting with their mother, was full of admiration for the triplets, positing that “I came to sow some seeds into the life of the woman and her babies. Innocent children, they are so beautiful. The children look so much alike. This is not like the stories we have heard in the past of people hiring children for begging. So, what you are thinking cannot be true. The children look like their mother,” she submitted while dropping the sum of N100

Hadiza

into a bowl for the triplets. While cheerful givers have continued to respond to the menial and immediate needs of the children with N20, N50 but seldom N100 and N200 let alone a “lump sum”, the need for privileged individuals, corporate organizations and governments to come to the rescue of these babies is urgently necessary as the environment in

which they are presently surviving is precariously not conducive. “I don’t have a choice but to do what I am doing now so that these babies will survive. If I had the money, I would not have been sitting here to attract public sympathy to my problems. If I have the means to take good care of them, I will not expose these children to dust and sun, although I

don’t move about with them in the traffic because I cannot hold three of them properly at the same time. I need help from everybody to take care of them,” she cried out. Asked if she dreams of giving the children good Western education, she replied that it is the dream of every parent to nurture their children for a better future, and that she would like to do the same if she has the financial wherewithal to send them to school. “I don’t want the children to suffer like I have suffered. I want them to grow up well and go to school so that they can do something better for themselves and the society. That is my dream but I don’t have the money. I will be very happy if somebody would help me and the babies to achieve this dream,” she begged. And surely, when these children survive the dust, the carbon monoxide which they are daily exposed to at the estate gate, to savour the privilege of Western education which their parents could not have, it would not take them long to appreciate the full implication of Ann Taylor’s Poem, “My Mother”, a popular poem recited or sang in nursery/primary schools: “My mother. Who sat and watched my infant head, when sleeping on my cradle bed, and tears of sweet affection shed, my mother. When pain and sickness made me cry, who gazed upon my heavy eye, and wept for fear that I should die, my mother.”

‘How I escaped being slaughtered by kidnappers’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34 her: ‘Give them the money with you.” “I heard the ministration clearly and acted on it soonest. Shortly after midnight, when one of them was passing by, I called him, kneeled down and gave him the money. He called the other two and they asked how I came about such money. Something told me to lie to them so I came up with a story that my mother was sick and that as the eldest child, I went to secure a bank loan with my undeveloped land so that my mother could be taken care of in the hospital. I told them that the doctor had estimated at least N300,000 to operate on her. I hoped this would elicit their sympathy and it seemed to. “They went inside the shrine to consult with those there, and when they came out, they told me to enter their car, an old model Volkswagen Beetle and they drove off and dropped me somewhere in the bush at about 2.30am. I could know the time because I went to retrieve my phone when they went into the shrine and I switched it off when I kept it on me.” From the fear of the ritualists, her fear became that of wild beasts. “All by myself in the forest, I was afraid that animals might come to devour me, but I kept heart and couldn’t sleep. Later, I heard cars zooming by and I checked the time on my phone. It was 4.40am. I traced the sound of the vehicles and came out on an expressway. “I tried to flag down the vehicle, but they

didn’t heed me until one of them finally stopped for me, expressed concern at my disheveled appearance and even at my location at that spot. He told me we were on Badagry Expressway and asked where he could take me to. I told him Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja or Igando. He dropped me at Idowu Egba Bus Stop in Igando. I called my family and they came to pick me up.” Presently, Mrs. Blessing is still trying to recover from the shock of her near-fatal experience. “While at the shrine, two people were killed in my presence. They were not slaughtered but beheaded. They were tied to trees, their eyes covered with red clothing and their heads were cut off. Their blood was collected into kegs and many of such kegs were at the shrine. They were labeled either male or female depending on

the gender of the person whose blood was in the keg.” Looking up to the sky, she said, “I just want to thank God for saving my life. Whoever says that God doesn’t exist or that prayers don’t get answered should think again. Anyway, I have handed over the ritualists to God for appropriate judgment.” Offering her opinion on how she and her fellow passengers were abducted, she said, “I believe they sprayed something in the bus that made us all sleep off from 1pm until 6pm when they woke us up at their shrine. I think they also sprayed the thing in the bus before we entered it as I didn’t see them spray anything after we boarded it.” She was also able to offer an insight on what probably made her useless to the rit-

ualists’ purpose. “As I said, God answers prayers. I’m a very prayerful person and I prayed throughout my time with the ritualists. But again, the incident happened exactly a week after we observed two weeks fasting in our church. “We were told that there was a vision that a calamity would befall someone, and since we didn’t know whom it was, we were all advised to fast for two weeks. By the grace of God, I was able to observe all fourteen days of the fast. As at the tenth day, I was very tired and very down from the fasting that my husband advised me to quit, that God would understand, but I said I would observe it all as I had done ten days already so there wasn’t really any point in not observing the final four. “It’s just God that said I wouldn’t be needlessly sacrificed. For instance, when I was at the shrine, I was able to make a call to my daughter. Normally, this wouldn’t have been possible but God made it so. That call I made enabled my Baba Aladura and others to hold a 12-hour night vigil for me from 7pm that Thursday until 7am the following day. There’s no doubt whatsoever that their prayers and supplications to God on my behalf helped me greatly to survive.” And after surviving such a terrible experience, she had another near-brush with death. “When I was taken to the hospital, the doctor discovered that my blood pressure had risen so very high that it could have killed me if for example, someone just pushed me and I fell down.”

LIVING

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

A woman and her afflictions Is time really a healer of wounds? Not for Mrs Kemi Sogbetun. The 58-year-old woman became widowed at an early age, lost her son soon after, only to realise the devourer that visited her family was HIV/AIDS after she fell ill and tested positive. She lives with her scars but has found courage to carry on

‘How AIDS shattered my peace’

YEMISI ADENIRAN

ack in the 90s and years before, Mrs Kemi Sogbetun’s life was the stuff of dreams. She was married to the man of her dreams and had seven children, boys and girls to show for it. A full-time house wife, her husband provided for her and the children. She was a petty trader. She sold her wares around her house in Ojodu area of Lagos State. The petty business, to her, was just to keep her busy and not to fill any notable financial gap. She says, “Although my husband travelled most of the time, he came home almost every weekend. He always found time for his family. I was a happy wife with an enviable family. I had all that I needed and could manage with whatever I lacked until he came around. I had no reason to be unfaithful,” Kemi said. Sadly, her period of bliss was not meant to last long. Tragedy was lurking around the corner for her. Kemi’s descent into the valley of death started when her once loving and committed husband started staying away from his family under the guise of work. “At a point, my husband who would never miss the next available bus to get back to his family was now staying away from us. It was a contrary development and I asked him where I had gone wrong. He accused me of nothing and blamed his action on his job which, according to him, had become more demanding,” she recalled. Although that did not sound quite satisfactory, Kemi, like any other obedient wife would do, accepted his explanation. “I smelt a rat, especially when he kept skipping home on days he would ordinarily not have. I decided to keep a straight head while I prayed inwardly for a change,” she said. Her prayers however were not answered as her husband soon became sick, bedridden and died. Mr. Sogbetun’s death in 1998 was a mysterious one. Or so it was believed. Long before his death, he suddenly took ill and carried the burden of his sickness about without a solution. From one hospital to the other, he gave the sickness a good fight. Despite the determination with which he fought, he appeared to be

Women at an HIV/AIDS event

losing the battle. A relatively robust man, he soon became a mere shadow of himself, looking very gaunt with rashes covering the whole of his frame. His state of emaciation was amazing and his family concluded that only a spiritual battle could wade off the affliction that the strange disease was thought to be. He was, therefore, taken to a Cherubim and Seraphim church where all kinds of prayers were showered on him to no avail. Perhaps believing that his enemies were at work, prayer and traditional spiritual healing were employed to overcome his troubles. Sometimes, it would appear as though he was getting better. Later, he would relapse. He could not eat and just kept emaciating. Kemi continues further “When he was not improving, we had to take him to his village. His family refused to take him to the hospital and all kinds of traditional treatment were used on him. But none worked. When his condition became very scary, I took him on my own to the General Hospital, Sagamu in Ogun State. All tests were conducted on him including HIV/AIDS and he tested negative. ” Eventually, he gave up the ghost, and everybody concluded that the enemies had done their worst. Before Sogbetun’s sickness reached an advance stage, he had put his wife in the family way. The baby, his seventh, was born before his death and his happiness, despite his illness, was palpable. But the poor boy also became sickly. According to his mother, he would complain of fever and a feeling that something was walking up his legs and other parts of his body. Could he be a sickler? No one could say. The boy’s sickness also became very serious and not long after the death of

his father, the boy also gave up the ghost. Kemi Sogbetun became grief personified after the death of her husband and her son. She was weighed down by the burden of woe that had visited her family. However, as though that was not enough, she also became sick. She was alarmed and terrified. Was that going to be her own end too? But she decided she was not going to give up without a fight. So, what should she do? She concluded that she was going to visit the hospital and have a comprehensive test. It was at that point that she became aware of her status – her HIV/AIDS status. She realised that she had been infected. She was HIV positive. The declaration sounded like a death sentence. That was in April 2003. It was a time when many would rather not go near a screening point, much less know their status. “I had visited many hospitals and they could not really diagnose the nature of the sickness. In the process, I spent all the money left by my husband and feeding the family became a difficult task,” she explained. “Time after time, I was having this epileptic attack which obviously did not look like anything close to the HIV virus. I would fall and within two seconds, I would be up again. I had boils all over my private part. The disease dealt with my private part, it was all rotten. My face was all muddled up. For months, I couldn’t see. I had emaciated and continually had other opportunistic infections like diabetes, asthma and others.” Respite, however, came when she came in contact with a woman from Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), an international organisation with a concern for people living with HIV/AIDS.

“With good gadgets, I tested positive. I was almost a full-blown AIDS patient. MSF took me up and I was resurrected again,” she said gleefully. With the required counselling, she took her fate and realised that she could live a good life despite living with HIV/ AIDS. It was at that stage that she realised that the affliction that sent her husband and child to the great beyond was no other thing than HIV/AIDS. Although the disease succeeded in killing her loved ones, in her own case, it created a change in her life and she became a campaigner against the dreaded disease. She is, today, living a fulfilled life. Today, Kemi Sogbetun, a counsellor at MSF foundation and the officer in charge of Inri Widows Foundation, Oke Afa, Lagos, is not bothered about the stigma and the fact that she has to live with the virus of HIV for the rest of her life. She has these words of advice for other women “I never slept with another man except my husband. It was indeed saddening that I got infected. But then, the virus of HIV/AIDS, as we all know, can come from other avenues aside sexual intercourse. At first, the thought of revealing my status to my children was killing. But I thank God that when I finally did, they accepted me. My advice to women is that they should try and protect themselves via condoms and plead with their partners to have protected sex for his sake, yours and that of the family in all. As for those living with the virus, they should know by now that it is not the end of the world. All they need is to get informed and live their lives. Generally, everyone should check their blood for the virus time after time and endeavour to live responsibly.”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

several months after a physical or emotional shock. Examples include sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever, or a death in the family.  Hair-pulling disorder. This mental illness causes people to have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, whether it’s from the scalp, their eyebrows or other areas of the body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on the head.  Certain hairstyles. Traction hair loss can occur if the hair is pulled too tightly into hairstyles such as pigtails or cornrows.

Risk factors  Family history. Your risk of hair loss increases if relatives on either side of your family have experienced hair loss. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the developmental speed, pattern and extent of your baldness.  Hair treatments. Overuse or improper use of hair-coloring products, hair straighteners and permanent waves can leave your hair brittle and prone to breaking off at the scalp. Excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pull your hair too tightly cause traction alopecia.  Poor nutrition. Your hair may thin out if you skimp on good dietary sources of iron and protein, such as red meat, nonfat dairy products and iron-fortified cereal. Hair loss related to poor nutrition often accompanies eating disorders and crash dieting.

Alopecia CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Medications Hair loss can be caused by drugs used to treat:  Cancer  Arthritis  Depression

 Heart problems  High blood pressure

Other causes of hair loss  Hair loss can also result from: A physical or emotional shock. Many people experience a general thinning of hair

Tests and diagnosis A complete medical history, family history and physical examination can help in a diagnosis. The pattern and rate

of hair loss, the appearance of nearby hairs, and accompanying symptoms are considered when making the diagnosis.

Lab tests  Your doctor may perform blood tests to determine if you have a medical condition that causes hair loss, such as thyroid disease, diabetes or lupus.

Biopsies and samples  During a pull test, several dozen hairs are gently pulled to see how many come out. This helps determine the stage of the shedding process. Scraping samples taken from the skin or from a few hairs plucked from the scalp can help verify whether an infection is causing hair loss. When a diagnosis is difficult to confirm, your doctor may perform a punch biopsy. During this test, the doctor uses a circular tool to remove a small section of your skin’s deeper layers.

When to see a doctor Talk to your doctor if you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair. Sudden hair loss can signal an underlying medical condition and may require medical treatment.

LIFE SAVERS These tips may help you avoid preventable type of hair loss:  Eat a nutritionally balanced diet.  Avoid tight hairstyles, such as braids, buns or ponytails.  Avoid compulsively twisting, rubbing or pulling your hair. CONCLUDED

LETTER

Retarded growth and weak erection Dear Mirror doctor, What is the cause of retarded growth and weak erection? +234813-------48 Mirror doctor replies Delayed growth is poor or abnormally slow height or weight gains in a child younger than age 5. This may just be normal, and the child may outgrow it. Common Causes include Constitutional growth delay which refers to children who are small for their age but are growing at a normal rate. Puberty is often late in these children. They continue to grow after most of their peers have stopped. Most of the time, they will reach an adult height similar to their parents’ height. However, other causes of growth delay must be ruled out. Genetics may also play a role. One or both parents may be short. Short but healthy parents may have a healthy child who is in the shortest 5% for his or

her age. These children are short, but they should reach the height of one or both of their parents. Delayed or slower-than-expected growth can be caused by many different things, including Chronic disease, Endocrine disorders, Emotional health, Infection and Poor nutrition. Many children with delayed growth

also have delays in development. Considering the second aspect of your question, a weak erection is caused by insufficient blood flow to the penile spongelike tissues. When this doesn’t get a high enough level of blood flow, it cannot expand fully. Also, if the sponge tissues can’t hold the blood, it restrains it from growing to its full size. There are a variety of

Getting pregnant Dear Doctor, Good afternoon. Please I want to know when and how a woman canget pregnant? +234803------72. Mirror doctor replies I am sure from your mail you want to know the right time for conception. Normally, a woman gets her period usually

once every 21-40 days. In between her periods, the woman ovulates (she releases an egg). If the egg makes a love-connection with any sperm, it gets fertilised and she might be pregnant. However, if the egg doesn’t hook up with any sperm, the egg leaves the woman’s body and she gets her period like usual -no pregnancy. Sperm leaves a man’s body in his cum and precum. In other to fertilise an egg, the man

factors that can cause the arteries and veins to constrict and reduce blood flow. Notably, smoking and a high fat diet contribute to reduction of blood flow. Venous leaking brought on by a penile injury can keep a penis from holding blood flow, even sufficient flow, and this can also cause a weak erection. A weak erection can also cause anxiety that can lead to premature ejaculation, not to mention that weak erections can be physically responsible for premature ejaculation, too. must ejaculate the sperm inside the woman’s vagina. So, women are most likely to get pregnant around the time they release an egg. Ovulation happens around a week after your period until a week before your next period. For a 28 day cycle, usually ovulation may occur around the 14th day though it may be two days earlier, or two days later. But don’t count on it! Your period might not be that regular, and ovulation can happen at any time, even during your period. Plus sperm can live in a woman for days waiting for the egg!

LEISURE

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Forget hiring foreign Technical Director, Nwosu tells NFF

… As Gara-Gombe cautions Keshi

Sign of victory! Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi expressing his delight at Eagles’ triumph at South Africa 2013 AFCON. INSET: Henry Nwosu

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

ormer Super Eagles captain, Henry Nwosu, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to forget the idea of hiring a foreigner as the Technical Director of the football running body. Speaking exclusively to Saturday Mirror in a telephone interview yesterday, Nwosu revealed that there are many capable Nigerians who can man the job. “I think this issue of hiring a foreigner as the Technical Director of NFF is unnecessary because we have lots of qualified Nigerians who can do the job. “Football technocrats like Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Kashimawo Laloko, James Peters and Tunde Disu are few Nigerians who I believe will man this position and do a better job than a foreigner. “Aside the fact that the move will tantamount to waste of tax payers’ money, the job needs a Nigerian who knows about the history and quality of the game the country is known for. Therefore, we must begin to look inwards to develop our game because a patriotic Nigerian will

go an extra mile in doing this job than a foreigner,” Nwosu cautioned. In his reaction on the same matter, former chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Shuaibu GaraGombe, said the recent comment by Chief Emeka Inyama that the NFF will not go back on its decision to a foreign Technical Director, was a plan hatched during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa. “The truth of the matter is that, the plan to hire a foreign Technical Director started shortly after our Group C opener against Burkina Faso, because after the match nobody was happy following the 1-1 draw the Eagles played. “The coaches and the players were really under pressure from Nigerians after that game, and I can recollect that there were plans to sack the entire NFF board by some football stakeholders in Nigeria with the support of sports ministry. So, when this report filtered from Abuja, the NFF board was helpless, and they decided to save their heads starting with organizing a meeting with the technical department of NFF and the Super Eagles

P. 43 Airtel congratulates Eagles over AFCON triumph

coaching crew. “From the outcome of the meeting, I learnt the Super Eagles coaching crew were not happy, especially over the language used on them by the NFF board members. And it was there that this plan was hatched. “But as far as I’m concerned, there is only one Nigerian I feel that can handle this Technical Director’s job and that person is Sunday Oliseh. However, if you look deeply, Oliseh is having a long running battle with the NFF which I feel will affect his chances,” Gara-Gombe said. Speaking further on how the arrangement will affect Keshi’s work, the foremost sports critic said the Super Eagles sweat merchant should focus on his job rather than dabbling into a media war with NFF on the issue. “Keshi should stop taking things too far and he must not let the AFCON victory that he and the players achieved go into his head. He must concern himself with his job because the Technical Director will not interfere with his job if employed. “I spoke to him more than 15 minutes at the airport in Johannesburg on the need for him to remain level-headed and avoid

Eagles triumph will usher in new dawn in sports development –Ezeonwuka P. 44, 45

Gara-Gombe

engaging himself in controversial issues. Even when he worked in Mali and Togo, did he not work under a Technical Director, so why all the noise?” Gara-Gombe fumed. Gara-Gombe further referred to the Technical Director’s job to that of a holy book, where the template is always there for whosoever is in charge to interpret well, for our game to move forward and called on the NFF to consider giving the position to Oliseh who is a qualified Nigerian.

Zabaleta issues P. 45 rallying cry for City

SPORT

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tapping into Eagles AFCON triumph

he just concluded 29th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa where the Super Eagles emerged victorious for the third time since the commencement of the continental showpiece in 1957, has confirmed that all hopes are not lost in the development of football in world’s most populous black nation, Nigeria. Though, AFCON 2013 came with lots of challenges on the part of the Eagles, especially during the build up, but both the players and the coaching crew of the team led by Stephen Keshi never allowed such lapses to deter them, as they rose up to the occasion and made the country proud by winning the trophy, far away from home. However, one school of thought still believes that this was a tournament we ought to have won back-to-back in 1996, if not for the diplomatic spat between Nigeria and South Africa which forced late General Sani Abacha to withdraw the team from the 1996 competition held in the same former apartheid enclave. Coming back to the subject matter, South Africa 2013 was one major tournament which the media and majority of soccer pundits worldwide never gave the Nigerian team a chance to reach the final of the competition, talk less of lifting the trophy, but at the end, the Eagles proved them wrong. Indeed, it was not an easy win for Keshi and his lads, but was a confirmation of our soccer prowess. As a kicker, it is not the intention of HT to rubbish anybody who never gave the Eagles a chance, but to acknowledge them

HARD TACKLE with

Andrew Ekejiuba anelsports@yahoo.com for their positive criticism which eventually brought out the firepower in the team to accomplish what many saw as an impossible mission in South Africa. It is also on that aforementioned premise, that I challenge Keshi over his claim that he dedicated the trophy only to those local coaches whom many soccer pundits never gave a chance to take our game to a reasonable height. HT feels Keshi should give kudos to the efforts of the media who critised his initial shaky approach in the team’s build up to the event which was also evident in their Group C opener against Stallions of Burkina Faso in South Africa. Without their criticisms they could have wallowed in a world of their own, believing that the team was intact. Secondly, HT still believes that the inclusion of Osaze Odemwingie in the Eagles fold could have still helped the course of the Eagles in South Africa, because he could play all wings in the team and has shown in the past that he had the potentials of doing what

08023103605

Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, displays the AFCON trophy won by the team in South Africa.

Jonathan Pitroipa did for the ambitious Stallions of Burkina Faso. However, the determination of the players to break-even saw the team through and accomplished Nigeria’s third AFCON title win. Deviating a little, it is true

that Egypt holds the record of the most successful nation in the AFCON’s history, having won the tournament a record seven times between 1958 and 1971, while Ghana and Cameroon have won four titles each. Therefore, with Nigeria having won the trophy for the third time, nothing stops the present squad of winning it the fourth time when the tournament holds in 2015 in Morocco, if given all what they needed in terms of support from both government and corporate bodies. The reason for the aforementioned assertion is that the present crop of players in the Eagles team has shown that they are very patriotic Nigerians who never put money first in their bid to making the nation proud. Also, they have reaffirmed through their victorious outing in South Africa that they have great potentials of overrunning all opposition in future big tournaments since majority of the players in the team still have many more years to play active football at the highest level, thanks to Keshi’s ingenuity. Another good lesson that could be drawn from the Eagles victorious outing is that Keshi used his wealth of experience to prove that our local league players if given an opportunity have the potentials of ruling the world with their God-given talent. The exploits of Sunday Mba, Godfrey Oboabona and Ejike Uzoenyi in South Africa 2013 is worthy of mention here, as their achievements will remain memorable in the hearts of many soc-

cer-loving Nigerians. On the side of government, they should device measures by which this victory could be sustained, so that sports generally will enjoy a new lease of life. According to a sports analyst who prefers to remain anonymous, it is a great honour for a country to win a trophy of AFCON magnitude, but it is more honourable for the same country to devise a good measure to sustain its winning mentality, since a loser has nothing to cheer. Sports, especially football, is one area of life that has impacted positively on the unity of the nation and it is the opinion of HT that this must be sustained for future generations of Nigerians to emulate. It is true that legacy is not achieved in one day, but with what Keshi and his players have accomplished in South Africa, it will forever be remembered by future generations of Nigerians, if government can tap into this victory. HT believes that the best way to tap into Eagles victorious outing by government is by rewarding the players and the coaching crew handsomely, and then follow up by devising sustainable means by which sports development can be improved in the country. Next week, another bumper package awaits you, especially on the inglorious attitude demonstrated by the so-called administrators of football in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) during South Africa 2013. Be assured that HT will never spare the killers of our beautiful game!

SPORT NEWS

MultiChoice Nigeria commends SuperSport over AFCON coverage ANDREW EKEJIUBA

ultiChoice Nigeria, the leading premium pay television service provider in the country has commended SuperSport for the comprehensive coverage of the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition which was won by the Super Eagles of Nigeria. The company says that the live coverage of the tournament could not have been possible if SuperSport had not gone ahead to secure the rights for the benefit of millions of soccer-loving Nigerians. SuperSport secured the rights to the matches of the AFCON competition for DStv, GOtv and DStv Mobile

subscribers and made the competition a memorable experience via the comprehensive coverage of live matches interspaced with highlights, magazine programmes, news, interviews and analyses; which made it possible for Nigerians who would otherwise have missed the tournament– to experience the best soccer showcase on the African continent while supporting the Super Eagles to victory. While congratulating Coach Stephen Keshi and the team for winning the tournament for the third time in the history of the competition, Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, says MultiChoice is happy with the role the company played in rallying the nation behind

the Super Eagles and ensuring that AFCON 2013 is a success story for the entire African continent Ugbe listed the DStv, DStv Mobile and GOtv Mega promos which produced 20 subscribers as winners of all-expenses paid trip to the AFCON tournament and the slashing of the price of the Walka 3.5 handheld device among others. “We took a decision that the best gift we can present to Nigerians is to make it possible for them to be a part of the history of AFCON 2013. We are therefore happy that we did not only make it possible for Nigerians to see the competition, we have invested in ensuring that the whole of the African continent was part of the history of AFCON 2013,” he said.

Rugby: South Africa lifts USA Sevens title ANDREW EKEJIUBA WITH AGENCY REPORT

he Blitzbokke of South Africa produced a stunning performance to beat HSBC Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand 40-21 and claim the USA Sevens title in Las Vegas. Recalled playmaker Branco du Preez put in a sparkling performance for the Boks, combining brilliantly with Paul Delport to inspire the team to victory. The Boks scored six tries in all to lead 40-7, before a late kiwi rally. In winning the Las Vegas title, their first since 2011, the South Africans have become the fifth different nation to win a Cup title from five events played, as the nine-round HSBC Sevens World Series edges past the half-

Blitzbokke of South Africa rugby team celebrating their USA Sevens title win in Las Vegas.

way stage. Heading into rounds six and seven in Hong Kong and Japan, South Africa have climbed to second in the Series standings on 73 points, 23 behind New Zealand (96) and ahead of Samoa (71) and Fiji (66). The two island nations combined to put on a thrilling curtain-raiser to the final in the 3rd/4th play-off, the Samoans win-

ning 36-31 in extra time. In the other trophies, Canada beat hosts USA and then Scotland to claim the Plate, France edged Argentina to the Bowl and Australia was too strong for Uruguay in the Shield. Across the three days of competition, the USA Sevens 2013 enjoyed a record crowd of 67,341 - 3,000 more than last year’s previous best.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SPORT

February 16, 2013

Champions League: Rangers are ready for Príncipe test –Gero SAYO OGUNDEJI

R Super Eagles players celebrating with the AFCON trophy they won in South Africa recently.

angers International of Enugu striker, Alhaji Gero, says his side is ready to take on the visiting Sporting Príncipe of Sao Tome when the two sides meet tomorrow at the preliminary stage of their CAF Champions League. Gero, who was released from the Flying Eagles camp preparing for the Africa Youth Championship (AYC) to join his teammates ahead of the much-important encounter, believes his side possesses more fire-power to shoot down the visitors. According to the national U-20 forward, Rangers are ready to make a statement on

the continent, adding that their ambition is to go beyond their first round exit of 2006. “The players are all aware of the fact that Rangers FC is representing Nigeria on the continent and the best way to approach the tournament is to start on a good note which we hope to achieve on Sunday. “The team failed to make it beyond the first round in 2006, but we are determined to go beyond that. “Though the premier league has been on break, the team has been busy preparing for this important match and we hope to use that to our advantage when the two sides take to the field on Sunday, as we hope to bring the coveted trophy back to Nigeria,” he said.

Airtel congratulates Eagles over AFCON triumph Cowries Rugby Zenith League: ANDREW EKEJIUBA

eading telecommunications operator, Airtel Nigeria has congratulated Nigerians and the Super Eagles for winning this year’s edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which ended recently in Johannesburg, South Africa. Airtel described the Super Eagles victory as one of the greatest things to have happened to sports in Nigeria in the last two decades. According to Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel Nigeria’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, “the Super Eagles have confirmed the well-known fact that with focus, dedication and leadership, Nigeria’s huge potentials will surely arrest the attention of the world.”

Ogunsanya described the victory as extra-ordinarily sweet because the trophy was won by an indigenous coach who showed great confidence in local talent. “At Airtel Nigeria, we are particularly delighted that this victory is an emphatic endorsement of our two-year-old decision to make a difference with our Airtel Rising Stars (ARS), an initiative which was set up to discover and nurture young local football talents from different parts of the country,” he said. The Airtel CEO stated that on the part of Airtel, they are looking forward to the day some of the products of their ARS project will play in the national teams and win laurels for the country, as they remain committed to making the project bigger and better.

Karate: Ogungbemisola eyes international glory IFEANYI EDUZOR

ne of Nigeria’s promising karate athletes, Femi Ogungbemisola, has revealed his readiness to write the country’s name in gold in the game, even as he believes that he has what it takes to take the international scene by storm. In an interview with our correspondent, the 2nd Dan black belt holder who started his karate lessons at Supreme Shotokan Karate Academy noted that the training he has acquired over the years will be of tremendous help in exporting his talent to the international community. “I want to assure Nigerians that having performed creditably well at the local level; this is the time for me to export my talent to the outside world. “The experiences I garnered over the years at the Supreme Shotokan Karate Academy will surely help me in winning laurels for the country and be among the best karatekas in the world,” he enthused. Ogungbemisola who has participated in many National Sports Festivals, as well as representing the country in many championships in the West Coast of Africa, explained that he is not intimidated by the credentials of foreign fighters, as he is capable of withstanding them. He however appealed to government and corpo-

rate organizarganizations to help him achieve hieve his dreams of ruling the world of karate. “ H av i n g participated ipated at the National Sports rts Festival in n 2002, 200 002, 2 2006, 2009 09 and 2011 with laurels to show for my efforts, orts, I believe this his is the th he time to go interernational al and win laurels for the country ntry. “My manager, Abimbola Molade,, has Ogungbemisola been off immense help to me, morally and financially fina ancially and I want the government and corporate rporate organizations to compliment mpliment her efforts and support pport me at the international level,” evel,” he concluded.

Club retains league title ANDREW EKEJIUBA

efending champions, Cowries Rugby Football Club of Lagos, has successfully defended the Rugby League title for the third year running, when it won the 2012 edition of the ‘Friends of Rugby League’. In an entertaining encounter decided at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The club defeated Police Rugby Football Club by 42 points to nil to retain the title and cart away the giant trophy and N250, 000 cash. The Police machine team walked away with N150, 000, while Lagos Rugby Football Club received N100, 000 as the third best team of the league. In the other matches played before the epoch finals, Gosar RFC defeated Young Lions RFC by 29-0 while Lagos RFC beat their Ilorin counterparts by 8-0. At the end of the league, which was preceded with the observance of a minute silence for Adebowale Emmanuel Lawal of Ilorin Rugby Club who died in a ghastly motor accident, Young Lions Rugby Football Club were awarded the Fair Play trophy for conceding the least number of cards (only one yellow card), and were rewarded with a cash prize of N50, 000. The prize of the highest “Try Scorer” was shared between Police Rugby Football Club Fly-Half Samson Yahaya, and Ilorin Rugby Football Club’s Percy-winger Ibitaye Ifeoluwa, who both scored 9 Trys at the league respectively. They were rewarded with N25, 000 each with Azeez Ladipo of Cowries getting the same sum for amassing 80 points to win the highest points scorer of the league. Meanwhile, the Rugby family in Nigeria has commiserated with the family of late sports broadcaster, Joe Ighile whom it described as a strong supporter and promoter of the game of Rugby in the country.

Deepwater will retain title, says Atosu SAYO OGUNDEJI

head of the first phase of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League which is set to dunk off this month, First Deepwater Basketball Club of Lagos guard, Upe Atosu, says her team will do its best to retain the trophy. Deepwater are the defending champions of the women’s league after beating their arch rival, First Bank of Lagos to the title last year and Atosu remains confident her side will mount serious challenge to ensure the trophy comes to the team at the end of the season. She however admitted that her side faces stronger resistance from the likes of First Bank, Dolphins, and Sunshine Stars in the new campaign, but added that the experience gathered over the years will help them to achieve victory. “Winning the league again in the coming season is very paramount in our mind and I believe we are on the right track into achieving that, going by our preparation ahead of the competition. “The club has been able to retain majority of the players in the team, which is an advantage that will help us overcome our opponents who will be hoping to dispossess us of the title,” she concluded.

Atosu

SPORT

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fallout of AFCON 2013

Eagles triumph will usher in new dawn in sports development –Ezeonwuka ANDREW EKEJIUBA AND NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

hief Rommy A. Ezeonwuka is the first and only Nigerian to own a private stadium situated at his prestigious Rojenny Tourist/Games Village in Oba, Anambra State. When Saturday Mirror paid him a short visit recently he had a lot to tell and celebrate following the massive renovations going on in his Games Village and the Super Eagles victorious Nations Cup outing in South Africa. Speaking exclusively on the feat achieved by the Eagles, the amiable sports administrator and traditional ruler revealed that the victory in South Africa would usher in a new dawn in sports administration in the country. “The Super Eagles AFCON triumph marks the beginning of a new dawn in sports development in Nigeria because we have labored for more than 19 years since we last won the trophy and today we are proud to see that winning mentality coming back to our sporting terrain. “With the victory, the dark days of Nigerian football are over, as Nigerian football will now witness a boom where all the soccer stadia will be busy with activities. I foresee a situation where people will now begin to give up the craze to watch Euro league matches and throng our local stadia to watch the best of Nigerian football. “It is now left for the administrators of football and sports in general to capitalise on this new dawn to take sports development in the country to a new level by engaging the youths actively. And with this new dawn, bombing, kidnapping and armed robbery will not be fashionable anymore for our youths to engage in because they will be busy, as they will be looking for ways to make the country proud through sports,” Ezeonwuka began. To buttress his point, the Ogirishi Igbo title holder revealed that during the Nations Cup in South Africa, Boko Haram members ceased bombing and many of the kidnappers were glued to their television sets watching the best of African football. And this according to him is what the new dawn of sports development will bring to our nation soon. Speaking further on the magic formular employed by Coach Stephen Keshi that re-engineered and brought in the sudden turn-around in the Super Eagles, Ezeonwuka went down memory lane. “I want to say here that everyone has his own luck in every sphere of human endeavour and Keshi is not an exception. “Keshi, through this victorious outing of the Eagles has shown that he is a true and patriotic Nigerian, who was born and bred in the country. He played active football during his days for Nigeria and made us proud by winning the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994 as a captain. This time, he has repeated the same feat by winning the trophy as a coach. So, I see him as a lucky man whom God has shown great favour.

“The same favour also follows Christian Chukwu. Remember in 1980 Chukwu captained the Nigerian team to a victorious AFCON outing, and he was a coach under Clemence Westerhof in 1994 when we won the trophy for the second time,” Ezeonwuka said. Speaking further on the tactics applied by Keshi which gave him good result in South Africa, the proprietor of Rojenny Tourist/Games Village revealed that he never allowed anyone to influence his choice of players for the tournament. “One major tactics that Keshi applied which worked for him was that he never considered federal character as done in politics in the selection of players. “He never cared about which state the players were coming from in the country, but went ahead to select the best legs the country could offer at that time for the Eagles. “Keshi never cared whether the team is populated by the Igbos or Yorubas, but he went for the best players on ground and you could see the marvelous achievement he made with the team in South Africa. “He also knew the potentials of homebased players and you could see how he graciously blended them with their foreignbased counterparts to achieve victory at the end of the day. So, one can say that Keshi’s magic formular was based on his determination to assemble the best legs on offer and commitment in blending the team,” he said. Speaking on the massive renovations going on at the Rojenny Tourists/Games Village, Ezeonwuka said he embarked on it in preparation for future use by talentedathletes in the state as a result of the boom which is envisaged to engulf Nigeria’s sports industry following Super Eagles triumph. “I’m the one doing all these massive renovations because I believe that I must be prepared to welcome the new dawn for sports development in the country following the Super Eagles triumph. “In the past Rojenny Stadium used to be the busiest stadium in Nigeria and with football activities about to pick up in the country, I must prepare the place for clubs to train and play matches. Remember, this stadium has hosted seven continental matches (CAF competitions) which saw teams and countries like Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Cote D’Ivoire and others, playing here during the days of Jasper United and Udoji United. “And it is on record that this is first privately-owned stadium to have hosted seven continental matches including a Nation’s Cup qualifier in Nigeria. “Aside all these, I want to also reveal to you that it was at this Games Village that the 1993 world-conquering Golden Eaglets were camped for two years and three months under Coach Fanny Amun. The team had the likes of the Babayaros, Kanu Nwankwo, Wilson Oruma and others who camped and trained here for that period and I was like a father to them. “I put them on special diet and even gave them scholarships as way of motivat-

Ezeonwuka at the Rojenny Stadium that is undergoing renovation.

WITH GOOD SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS IN CHARGE, THEY CAN UNIFY NIGERIA THE MORE, BECAUSE SPORTS IS A MASSIVE WEAPON THAT CAN MAKE A BOKO HARAM MEMBER FROM THE NORTH TO DRINK FROM THE SAME CUP OF VICTORY WITH A NIGER-DELTA MILITANT. ing the players, especially those of them that wanted to further their education. “I did all these because some of the parents of the players wanted to withdraw them from camp as they preferred their wards to be educated than playing soccer. But I was convinced that giving them scholarship to further their education will really help the players actualise their dreams of having good education and I did that for the love of my nation,” Ezeonwuka added. However, he said with a tinge of regret that since the Eaglets left, government has not deemed it fit to bring more teams to camp in the games village and made a passionate appeal to the administrators of football in the country to have a change of heart in this regard. “I am proud that it was from this Games Village that the Japan’93 Eaglets were nurtured before they went to conquer the world and brought honour to the nation and now government knows how I took care of these players, so I’m appealing that they should give me more teams to camp here so that I would continue to contribute my own quota for sports development in Nigeria, especially with this new dawn in our football development. “That is the reason why I’m renovating the Games Village and you could see that this is a 60,000-sitter capacity stadium and the largest in the South-East geopolitical zone of the country. “Last time you all visited here, I revealed to you that the government of Anambra State has assured me that they will support in the renovation of the place and I strongly believe that the promise is still effective. “We are also waiting to see them actu-

alize what they assured us here, because what we are doing here is for the good of the state and Nigerian youths in particular. Even the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Anambra State, Dr. Edozie Aroh, has assured me that Governor Peter Obi is still optimistic of renovating the place to help keep our youths busy through sports and discovering future talents for the state and the country at large,” he said. Aside all the renovations going on, Ezeonwuka revealed that the stadium requires a tartan track urgently to enable athletes train in. “The state government has assured us of assistance, but I think Rojenny needs a tartan track for our athletes to train on. We need to produce good athletes here in Nigeria and aspire to beat other countries like Jamaica in the event. “Anambra has produced great athletes for the country in the past, like Mary Onyeali-Omagbemi and Uchenna Emedeolu, and currently lots of talented athletes abound in the state seeking for who will nurture them to stardom. “So, I am waiting for the state government to come to our aid of providing a tartan track here to enable our athletes to train with. And with this in place, we can host school sports and talent-hunt programmes,” he affirmed. Ezeonwuka hailed the governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, for showing interest in sports development in the state as against what it used to be in the past and also took time to blast previous governments in the state for neglecting the sports industry. “As far as I’m concerned, Gov. Peter CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SPORT

February 16, 2013

Zabaleta issues rallying cry for City

ablo Zabaleta says Manchester City can use the disappointment of last weekend’s surprise defeat by Southampton to try and recapture the spirit that saw them snatch last season’s title from rivals Manchester United. The 3-1 loss at St Mary’s dealt a huge blow to second-placed City’s hopes of retaining their Premier League crown as United took advantage with a win over Everton to move 12 points clear.

Defender Zabaleta, 28, admits City were deflated by last Saturday’s result but says he and his team-mates now have a much more positive mind-set that they can carry into tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth-round tie with Leeds and then the ongoing title race. “We had a great session on Wednesday afternoon and the feeling among the lads is very positive. “Sometimes after a game like Southampton you need a few

days to think about what went wrong and why, and then come back stronger and I believe that’s what will happen,” said Zabaleta. The odds are now stacked against City in the title race after last Saturday’s game, which Zabaleta believes was the team’s worst performance for two years, but the Argentine still has hope they can force their way back into contention over the remaining 12 games.

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Zabaleta

Inter striker Milito out for season Szczesny seeks Gunners success

nter Milan striker Diego Milito is likely to miss the rest of the season after damaging knee ligaments in the UEFA Europa League win over Cluj. The Argentina international sustained the injury just seven minutes into the 2-0 victory at the San Siro and is now set for a long spell on the sidelines. Tests revealed that the striker has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and fibula collateral ligament which is another blow for Milito, who returned from a month-long absence in Sunday’s

Milito

Serie A win over Chievo. Inter boss Andrea Stramaccioni admitted the injury was the major downside of a win achieved thanks to two goals from Milito’s replacement, Rodrigo Palacio.

ojciech Szczesny is determined to get his hands on silverware this season and bring Arsenal’s trophy drought to an end. The Gunners have gone eight long years since they last experienced that winning feeling. Arsene Wenger’s men are well adrift in the Premier League title race, and suffered Capital One Cup humiliation against Bradford City, but they remain in the hunt for FA Cup and UEFA Champions League

honours. Their next outing will see them face Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round of the FA Cup and Szczesny has warned that there is no chance of the Gunners taking a tie against Championship opposition lightly.

TEAM

PTS

1. Man Utd

2. Man City

3. Chelsea

4. Tottenham

5. Arsenal

6. Everton

7. Swansea

8. West Brom

9. Liverpool

10. Stoke

-5

11. West Ham

-9

12. Fulham

-6

13. Sunderland

-6

14. Norwich

-15

15. Southampton

-9

16. Newcastle

-12

17. Aston Villa

-25

18. Reading

-15

19. Wigan

-21

20. QPR

-22

EURO BRIEF

Ronaldo plots Red Devils fall

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is hopeful his side can see off Manchester United in their Champions League second leg but the Portuguese revealed he

had no intention of celebrating when he scored against his footballing “family” on Wednesday night. Ronaldo scored a stunning header to give Real a 1-1 draw.

‘Eagles’ triumph will usher in new dawn’ CONTINUED FROM 44 Obi has surprised many people, especially those doubting his sincerity in transforming the state with the massive construction projects going on in the state. “In the area of sports development, the governor is doing his best with the limited resources at his disposal and I believe that he has in his portfolio unfolding plans for sports development in Anambra State. “The free-fall of sporting activities in the state has to do with the poor administration of sports by the previous governments in the state. “Previous governors before Peter Obi never took sports development serious in the state and this really worked against the state. “Today, the present governor has built two mini stadia in Onitsha, and you can see that the people are beginning to renew their interest in participating in sporting activities, which is commendable,” Ezeonwuka said. Reacting to the fact that Onitsha is one of the commercial nerve centres of Nigeria, and the failure of the private sector to sponsor sports development in the state, despite the huge amount of profits declared annually by the companies doing business in the state, Ezeonwuka expressed his regrets in this regard. “I blame this development on the door steps of some Igbo business men, especially those that reside in the state. For those outside the state, they only return from Lagos or Abuja with lots of mobile policemen and don’t care what happens to the state where a branch of their companies is situated. “Today, they complain of kidnappings and all the other vices happening in Anambra and I strongly believe that if they can have a change of heart in this regard by contributing to sports development, the state

will be a heaven for sportsmen and women. “Like I noted earlier, it is the hopelessness of the youths that is aiding crime in the state and I advocate that they must be kept busy using sports as a tool. “Previous governors in the state never had sports development in their agenda which led to the free-fall witnessed by Anambra in sports, before the coming in of the present government. And to actualize all these, Peter Obi brought in a sports-loving personality in the person of Dr. Edozie Aroh as the Commissioner for Sports which is a sign of good omen for the state. “I knew many decades ago that government alone cannot sponsor sports, that was why I set up this edifice and I expect every business man doing business in the state and beyond to come home and contribute their quota to sports development in the state. “Not during elections, these so-called billionaires who never contributed anything to sports development in the state will suddenly return to make noise and try to convince people why they should vote for them, which as far as I’m concerned is unacceptable. “They need to leave a legacy on ground for future Anambrarians to remember them for, especially in sports,” Ezeonwuka cautioned. In his advice to sports administrators in the country, the widely travelled proprietor of Rojenny Tourist/ Games Village in Oba charged them to be more transparent in their dealings, so as to be able to handle effectively the gains that will come with the boom following Super Eagles triumph in South Africa. “Like I noted before, the Super Eagles triumph in South Africa on February 10 will surely bring about a revolution or a boom in our sports industry which has been lacking for some time now. “The spirit of sports development which

Entrance of Rojenny Tourist/Games Village, Oba, Anambra State

was stolen from us as the result of the interest of our youths to embrace foreign leagues will now return home and I foresee corporate bodies falling over each other to sponsor different sports in Nigeria. “For our sports administrators, the advice I have for them is that they should be more creative in their planning this time, in order to manage the boom that will engulf our sports industry. “They should endeavour to know that there are enormous gains that accompany good planning of sports programmes, thus they should not be selfish this time or look out for only what will line their pockets, and they should sincerely be transparent in all their dealings such that we can sustain sports development in the country. “With sports being given its pride of place in Nigeria, the unity of the country can be assured because this is one aspect of our life that has held us together. “In sports, Nigerians love themselves, but in religion or tribe there are a lot of di-

versities. But with good sports administrators in charge of sports they can unify Nigeria the more, because sports is a massive weapon that can make a Boko Haram member from the north to drink from the same cup of victory with a Niger-Delta militant. So, with his secret, our sports administrators could turn it to be the rallying point or idol of this nation,” Ezeonwuka stressed. Finally, on the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Ezeonwuka charged the Eagles not to slack in their quest to secure one of the tickets for the mundial. “For sure, all eyes will be upon Nigeria, but the Eagles should not slip because they need to prove to the entire soccer-loving world that their achievement in South Africa was not a mere fluke. “I expect them to come out smoking redhot and crushing every opposition that come their way ahead of Brazil 2014. “I’m optimistic that we are coming back to that era when Nigeria was ranked 5th in the world,” he concluded.

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Any organisation without effective audit system is in a mess’ lished by the management are effective and efficient.

Mr. Michael Ewoh, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is a distinction graduate of HND in Accounting. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos and an MBA in Banking & Finance from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He spoke with STANLEY IHEDIGBO on audit development in organisations. Excerpts:

hat is audit all about? Audit is a review carried out to enable the reviewer express an opinion about the true and fair view of the financial position of an organisation. Also it is a kind of activity that helps to ensure that things are working in line with the expectations of the owners of the organisation. Every organisation has objectives and goals for which it was established. So, audit is like helping to ensure that activities, processes, procedures and operations are going on smoothly and in a manner that the overall objective would be achieved. In effect, any office without effective audit system is in a mess. What are the challenges of an auditor? Looking at it from two different angles, the internal and external auditors; there are a lot of challenges. But as an internal auditor, the major challenges are that the auditees (the people running the process you are auditing) most of the time see you as a witch hunter because your job entails reviewing what other people are doing, trying to correct them, trying to advise them on the best way to do it better to prevent errors, irregularities and fraud. So sometimes, a good number of the people you are auditing misunderstand your objective and what you actually want to achieve, and see you as a witch hunter who wants to expose them and make them lose their jobs. They see auditors as obstacles in the way of doing things their own way. They also see auditors as people who are just looking for ways of marring their careers. It is a very big challenge for an internal auditor. However you look at it,

Ewoh

by the nature of our work, it is difficult to convince people that the management has employed you to ensure that established controls are efficient in design and effective in operation, and not to witch-hunt people and make them lose their jobs. To do his job efficiently, the auditor looks at what people are doing, where there is need, he advises on corrections or whatever is needed to be done to prevent occurrence of errors, frauds and irregularities. He has to make such recommendations to the management. The auditor tries to introduce controls, procedures and methods that will prevent external and internal persons from actualising ulterior motives. And in some cases where errors, irregularities or frauds have occurred, he will be in a position to detect it and report to the management. So the auditor’s work doesn’t go down well with anybody who has fraudulent intentions. How can the efficiency of an auditor be measured? It is difficult to measure the efficiency of the auditor because he prevents a lot of errors, irregularities and frauds that people may not know about. As long as an auditor knows and does his job well, he prevents a lot of irregularities without even knowing them. The presence of an auditor who is sound and firm alone prevents breach of controls and procedures. The fact that they know that this man is there, and that if they do anything funny, he will detect it based on his antecedents is enough to deter them from being up to mischief. Moreover, in the Nigerian setting, the

tendency to commit fraud is very high. A lot of people have fraudulent intentions, so you have to work ahead of people at every point in time, trying to be on your toes to ensure that things are put in their proper position. Another challenge the auditor faces is rapid changes in the social, political, economic and technological environment in which he operates. He must be able to keep pace with these changes by constantly updating himself through personal and formal development programmes. This may take the form of formal academic programmes, reading of current articles, attending workshops, and seminars, otherwise he becomes stale and overtaken by events. What is the relationship between internal and external auditors? External auditors as statutory auditors are not as conversant with the day to day activities of the organisation as the internal auditor and thus need the assistance of the internal auditor for a better understanding of the system he audits. The extent of reliance on the quality of work done by the internal auditors determines the extent of work that the external auditor will do. The external auditor’s work may not be too in-depth. But where the contrary is the case, he may embark on more detailed substantive approach. Simply put, the relationship is that the external auditor relies on what the internal auditor has done. If the work done by the internal auditor is not reliable, the external auditor needs to do more to satisfy himself or herself that the controls estab-

Why is it that regulators or accounting bodies don’t sanction auditors who confirm some financial institutions healthy, only for such institutions to go under soon after? What actually happens is that in an organisation, the management has its own responsibility to ensure that the company is run in an efficient and smooth manner to achieve the set objectives. External auditors have their own responsibilities; and internal auditors also have their responsibilities. Even the employees have their own responsibilities. Everybody has a responsibility in ensuring the success of the organisation. When financial institution failure arises, the regulatory authorities normally look at each stakeholder’s role in the failure. The question that comes to mind is what has gone wrong, who has not done what he is supposed to do. So the reason why you have not seen auditors sanctioned may be that the regulatory bodies would have looked at how the different stakeholders played their roles and have not found the auditors wanting. In a situation where the auditor has done his job and made appropriate reports, he has discharged his own responsibility, which is not in his power to implement. His function is to review the system, make recommendations and advice the management. Where they have not implemented his recommendations, there is no issue of the authority sanctioning the auditors. Rather it will be an issue of who has not done what he ought to do. That is why the regulatory body knows the people that are responsible for the failures and they go after them. The auditors may have done their own job and presented the various reports, like the auditors reports which go with the annual financial statements presented to the shareholders as a whole. There are also other reports such as the management letter usually done by the auditor to bring management attention to weaknesses observed together with recommendations on how to improve the processes. There have been several occasions in the past where there were problems and the regulators called the auditors to question. The auditors presented evidences of work done, reports rendered, their working papers and the bases of forming their opinions. Based on satisfaction that the auditors did what a reasonable auditor would have done in the circumstances, the regulatory authorities could not propose any sanctions for them.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Iron casting business is lucrative but requires huge capital’

POWER IS THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE OF THE BUSINESS. LACK OF RELIABLE POWER MAKES IT HIGHLY CAPITAL INTENSIVE. TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS WITHOUT

FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

or those who have money to invest and are interested in metal works and art, iron casting business may be a good creative and business outlet. This is according to Muftau Alebiosu Olumo, managing director of Olumo Construction Works located along Lagos Abeokuta Expressway. Olumo, who has been in the business for over twenty years disclosed to Saturday Mirror how lucrative the business of casting is. He says, “Casting is an all encompassing business and it is a lucrative one.” However, despite the lucrative nature of the business, Olumo states that the major challenge in the business is the issue of power and finance. “Power is the number one challenge of the business. Lack of reliable power makes it highly capital intensive, because to ensure success in the business without interruption from the epileptic power supply, you will need to generate your own power and that adds to the cost of production” Olumo further disclosed that another major challenge apart from power generation is finance. “The business is a very capital intensive one and raising funds is a big challenge, especially so because banks are not giving out loans to Small Medium Enterprise (SME) and raising enough funds for this nature of business is not an easy task at all, especially for those with very humble backgrounds like us.

INTERRUPTION FROM THE EPILEPTIC POWER

SUPPLY, YOU WILL NEED TO GENERATE YOUR OWN POWER AND THAT ADDS TO THE COST OF PRODUCTION

Olumo

If you go to banks for loans, to borrow N500, 000 for instance, they will request collateral worth millions. It is not an easy path at all” Notwithstanding, Olumo affirms that with good capital, one could make something valuable out of the business. He recommends that after a formal training of about three years and a start off capital of about N300, 000 to N500, 000, one could actually kick start the business. He further explains that having a genuine love and passion for the job will enhance one’s output on the business. “If you have between N300, 000 to N500, 000, you can actually start the business. But you must go through formal training for about three years before you can commence the business. You must also have a profound love for the job because this will enhance the quality of your output. You need to be

creative and dynamic so that you can come up with catchy and trendy designs which will in effect give you a niche and be your unique selling point” The business, Olumo further explained involves a lot of time and perseverance, as well as training. “Casting involves a lot. It involves welding, blacksmithing and other things. Some only learn the welding aspect of the business while a few like us learn both the welding and blacksmithing aspect of it, which makes our jobs broader and better. The job involves having two workshops, which are the welding workshop where you weld and bond metals generally and the foundry workshop where metals are casted. It is usually better to learn both because that is what makes it complete. For instance, because of my experience on both, I build vehicles like tippers, luxurious buses, school play items and a host of other metal works. “In terms of getting returns on investment, iron casting business is not one you can expect returns on invest-

ment in a hurry. You need to persevere and allow time for it to grow and expand. “Location is also a very important factor in the business. If you have space along the road, which is not hidden, it will add more to the patronage and boost the business because it is what people see often that they are more likely to patronise. If you have a good product and it is not visible to those who need it, they will likely not patronise it, so you need to have a good location and good marketing strategy for the business to succeed.” Like every other business, iron casting has high and low seasons. “The last quarter of the year is usually a peak period for this business while the beginning of the year to around September may not be so favourable in terms of sales. It is towards the end of the year that most people want to complete their building projects. Although, you have some patronage in between, it is not as massive as the last quarter,” he concluded.

Crime Watch Crime Extra P. 51 Senator’s aide burnt to death by second wife

BRIEFS

Court sentences two men to five months in prison for theft

n Abuja Area Court on Thursday sentenced two men, Lawanu Lawal, 20, and Isah Salihu, 17, both of Mac-Global Estate, Gwarimpa, to five months in prison each for theft. Police prosecutor, Sgt. Mohammed Salihu, told the court that the accused persons were caught while attempting to steal electrical cables valued at N300, 000 from the house of one Dr Ogaja Anthony in Gwarimpa. Salihu added that Anthony, who caught the accused in the act, reported the matter at the Gwarimpa Police Station. He said that the accused, upon arrest pleaded guilty to the offence and ``are hereby arraigned on a two-count charge of joint act and theft’’. He said that the offences contravened sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code. Presiding judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, in his ruling said: ``In view of the plea entered by the accused persons and I listened to their plea for leniency, I must rule with a view to deter others with like minds.’’ He thereby sentenced each accused to five months imprisonment with the option to pay N5, 000 as fine.

Police arraign alleged fake Immigration Officer

he police on Thursday arraigned one James Daniel of Dnako village, before an Upper Area Court, Karu, Abuja for allegedly parading himself as an Immigration Officer. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Sani Yakubu, told the court that, in the process, the accused collected money from some members of the public and promised to give them jobs. ``The accused is facing a two-count charge of criminal impersonation and forgery contrary to the provisions of sections 322, 132 and 364 of Penal Code.’’ Yakubu said that one Tanko John and a police officer attached to SIB Department, FCT Police Command, Abuja arrested and brought the accused to the police station. ``The accused deceived and collected N89,000 from one Abdulkadir Hashim and 11others and promised to provide them jobs with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).’’ He said the accused absconded after collecting the money without providing the job to the victims and was not ready to refund the money. ``When the accused was arrested, investigation was carried out and some forged letter headed papers belonging to the NSCDC were recovered from him,’’ Yakubu said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Man nabbed with cocaine in baby powder enroute Gabon SEGUN ADIO

bele Iwegbunam is a highly skilled air conditioning technician. He has practiced this vocation in the last eight years. Iwegbunam has a number of corporate firms in the Lagos metropolis and neighbouring states as his clients and he is said to make a lot of money. Just like Oliver Twist, Iwegbunam wanted more money than what he was making from his vocation. Iwegbunam is still single, but he was planning to bid bachelorhood farewell and take his long term fiancée to the altar sometime in the middle of this year. He was determined to work his socks off to meet the financial challenges of his proposed wedding ceremony. He soon met a drug cartel and was asked to courier drugs for the cartel. It is said that Iwegbunam ran into a wellto-do childhood friend of his and both of them exchanged their contacts. The friend, who now lives in Libreville, Gabon, claims to run a provision and beauty care store in the East African nation for which he regularly comes to Nigeria to purchase supplies. Unknown to Iwegbunam, his nowwealthy childhood friend was a drug dealer. The friend soon introduced him to the illicit business. But before Iwegbunam would be entrusted with such a ‘sensitive’ assignment, he had to undergo some confidence-building trips out of Nigeria, which would expose him to some airport security checkpoints, albeit without any consignment on him, aimed at equipping him for the task ahead. So, on account of this, Iwegbunam, a native of Akwu-Ukwu town in Anambra State, was to travel to Gabon with some artificial hair, perfumes and artificial nails. That was how Iwegbunam was introduced to foreign travels while his international passport was boosted with three visas to that country without any hitch. Having concluded the series of tests given to him and passed, Iwegbunam was certified fit to join the trade. But because it would be his first time out with banned drugs, the plan was that Iwegbunam would not courier the drug physically but send it as unaccompanied luggage into final destination while he would travel with a different identity in the same aircraft with the consignment. The consignment Iwegbunam was to send to his Gabon-based sponsors included same artificial hair, perfumes and artificial nails, which he was given N130, 000 to purchase at Idumota market, in Lagos. The consignment also included baby powder in which the banned drugs were hidden. For his efforts, Iwegbunam was promised a paltry N30, 000. The shipment of the banned drugs was scheduled

Iwegbunam

through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos State via Askye Airline to Gabon. As fate would have it, during routine luggage checks on the flight, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered wraps of cocaine inside the packs of baby powder. Immediately the banned drugs were discovered, the flight was put on hold, while anti-narcotics agents went in search of the owner of the consignment. It did not take long before Iwegbunam was found and whisked into the observation room of the anti-narcotics agents. In his confessional statement, Iwegbunam claimed that he never imagined the friend that introduced him to the Gabon trips was into the drug trade. His words, “I was given one hundred and thirty thousand naira (N130,000) by my childhood friend to buy female hair attachment, artificial nails and perfumes. After the purchase and shipment, he said I would make about thirty thousand naira. I thought it was a good business until I ended up with this consignment that contained drugs. I bought all the items I was asked to buy. He then called me that somebody will give me baby powder to add to what I bought. So the person called me and gave me the powder which I added to the goods. It was in the process of search that the cocaine was discovered. This is

the fourth time of sending goods to him. Sending the goods to him was only an additional source of income.” But in-depth NDLEA investigations revealed that Iwegbunam lied all through his statements. It was discovered that Iwegbunam was recruited, trained and financed by a Gabon-based cartel. It was discovered that he was recruited to courier drugs for them with the experiment of three ordinary shipments before the cartel decided to introduce the drugs. NDLEA Airport commander, Hamza Umar, said that his officers are working round the clock to make the airport impossible for drug trafficking cartels. “We have a policy of physical examination of goods at the airport. It was in the process of search that the cocaine was discovered inside the baby powder containers. We are happy with the seizure and arrest. Our investigations will soon be concluded,” he said. NDLEA Chairman Giade, in his reaction to Iwegbunam ‘s arrest, reminded drug barons of the Agency’s preparedness to always counter their plans. “Nigeria to Gabon is not a normal route for cocaine trafficking, so this seizure is a warning that the Agency is prepared to tackle the tricks of drug cartels. I also want others to learn from this arrest, because it is not every business proposal that is genuine,” Giade warned.

Do you have a story for us? Contact 08138773277 or crimewatchmirror@yahoo.com

CRIME WATCH

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Hoodlums prey on small business owners

Hairstylist robbed, shot SEGUN ADIO

unisex hairstylist, Michael Jaiyeola, 25, is currently critically ill in the hospital as a result of being hit on the forehead by a bullet particle. Jaiyeola runs a hair saloon at 39 Akeju Street, via Onipanu area of Lagos. With what he makes in his saloon, he sends his siblings to school and caters for his aged parents. But for Providence, his dependants would have been thrown into eternal mourning when assailants attacked their young breadwinner’s shop on Saturday, February 9, 2013. On that fateful day, around 7.30pm, three men were waiting for their turn to have their hair cut when two men, clad in black attires, rode a commercial motorcycle to the front of Jaiyeola’s shop. Upon entering his shop, the two men reportedly informed the three men seated that they wanted to have their hair cut also. Surprisingly however, the duo left their motorcycle engine running. Neither Jaiyeola nor any of his three customers in the shop was aware that the engine of the motorcycle was still running, though. Jaiyeola would later tell reporters that the two men were well known to him, claiming they were Okanlawon Oluwa and another one identified as Isegun, an

Okada rider in the area. The said Okanlawon is reported to have only recently been released from Kirikiri prison for offences ranging from robbery to murder. Just as one of of Jaiyeola’s customers was trying to create a space for the two men to have their seat before it was their turn, Okanlawon, a.k.a Okla, reportedly asked the stylist who was Jackson among them. At that stage, Jaiyeola (whose nickname is Jackson) replied the man that he was the one bearing that name. Without wasting time, Okanlawon reportedly dipped his hand inside his inner pocket of his trousers and brought out a gun and aimed it at Jaiyeola. The other men in the saloon were reportedly ordered to lie flat on their faces while Okla and Isegun subjected Jaiyeola to several questions. In a phone conversation with Saturday Mirror, Jaiyeola claimed that the two men accused him of fraternising with people the two men called their enemies. Jaiyeola, an Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State native, vividly recounts the nasty near-mortal encounter. “I thank God that I’m still able to talk today, that I’m still alive. When the two men came in, I thought they wanted to have their hair cut. I knew Okanlawon in the area as a notorious person but I wasn’t concerned with that as he came to patronise me. So when he asked one of my customers who

Jaiyeola

Jackson was, I quickly replied that I was the one. I never had any premonition he had a gun on him. That was how he brought out the gun and aimed it at me.” After some time, the armed men ordered the three men lying down to run out of the shop and never return there again. As they ran out, Isegun reportedly clubbed them with a plank laden with nails and they sustained injuries as a result. Okla and Isegun reportedly ordered Jaiyeola to lie face down also, while Isegun ransacked Jai-

yeola’s pocket and brought out all that was in it, N20, 000 cash and his mobile telephone, which they took away with them. “When Okla pointed the gun at me, he shouted that I should lie face down or he would kill me instantly. That was when I knew there was a real problem. When I had laid down, Isegun came over to me and searched the three pockets of my trousers and he removed the N20, 000 I wanted to save towards my house rent and my mobile phone,” Jaiyeola recollects.

After Isegun has dispossessed Jaiyeola of the valuables on him, Okanlawon started ransacking all the drawers in the shop. At that stage, Isegun went outside the shop, apparently to check if any of the three men they sent out had raised an alarm. Knowing that Okanlawon was busy with ransacking his shop ostensibly for money and other valuables, Jaiyeola suddenly dashed for the window closest by and attempted to jump out of it. It was around the same time that Isegun was coming back into the shop. When he sighted Jaiyeola trying to escape through the window, he yelled at his partnerin-crime who reportedly turned and fired the gun indiscriminately. Though the bullet did not hit Jaiyeola directly, some pellets which hit the wall and bounced back reportedly hit the hairstylist on his forehead and he fell on the floor. Lying in a pool of his own blood, Jaiyeole fainted while the assailants fled the scene immediately. But for the intervention of some co-tenants at the shop, the hairstylist would be dead by now. When he was revived, he was rushed to the Onipanu Police Station where a document was issued to him authorising that he should be treated at Ogunsolu General Hospital in the area. A police source at Onipanu Police Station says that the Okanlawon mentioned by the victim is already on the wanted list of the station and that a manhunt has been launched for him.

Chicken trader loses money, wares to thieves SEGUN ADIO

escribing Samuel Okhiku, an apprentice printer, as a Jack-of-alltrades, is an understatement. Aside from his apprenticeship in printing, Okhiku operates a commercial motorcycle around Akoka through Onike-Iwaya in Alagomeji area of Lagos. That is not all. During festive periods, Okhiku always gets himself busy with petty trading through which he reportedly made a lot of money. Considering his resourcefulness, Okhiku, 26, was not affected by the ban imposed on commercial motorcycle operators by the Lagos State Government. Once he is done with his day job, he runs his Okada business until late in the night. People who know him well claim that he makes a lot of money from these endeavours. In December 2012, he and a

friend of his reportedly invested in the trading of chickens, a venture on which they both invested quite a tidy sum. It is reported that while Okhiku still operated his Okada during that festive period, he also found time to sell his chickens. He sold his chickens until the early hours of the morning, as customers continued to throng his No 9, Bailey Street, Ifako base until the wee hours. But on Christmas Eve, Okhiku met what he did not bargain for in the hands of suspected thieves. On that fateful day, after the Edo State-born apprentice was done with his Okada business, he took some of the chickens to the market to sell. His friend, identified as Sodiq, with whom he dabbled into the trade, did not come to the market that day. Being Christmas Eve, the sales naturally doubled. Around 3am, on Christmas day, Okhiku concluded his sales, but not wanting to take the proceeds home because of the late-

Okhiku

ness of the day, he called his partner Sodiq on phone, intending to keep the money with him until the morning. Sodiq reportedly asked Okhiku to meet him at a carnival he was attending in the area. Okhiku found Sodiq dead drunk when he got to the carnival. Giving him the money would have amounted to throwing it

away. he therefore decided to take the risk of taking the money home. But he was not lucky. As he departed the carnival venue, he ran into a notorious thief, identified simply as Big Ahmed, who was in the company of his gang members. Okhiku tells the rest of the story. “When I met Big Ahmed on the way, I greeted him but his response was not good enough. Ahmed and his boys turned back and came to waylay me. They attacked me with broken bottles, machetes and other dangerous weapons until I lost consciousness. “They thought I was dead and fled, taking with them the proceeds of my sales, N45,000, as well as my Bold 2 BlackBerry phone. But for the Good Samaritan who rushed me to the hospital, I would indeed have died. I was rushed to a nearby hospital at Ladilak. When my condition would not improve there, I was taken to another hospital in

Mowe in Ogun State for further treatment. “They planned the robbery ahead. I noticed that one of them bought a chicken from me earlier that day. Apart from that, Ahmed called my number that morning and I wondered where he got my number from.” A middle-aged female eyewitness, who was identified as Khadijat, said, “This area was like a war zone that day. No one wanted to come out at first because of the time of day it was. But we thought it could be another problem if we remained indoors and allowed the man to die. So we came to his aid and he was quickly taken to the hospital.” A police constable at Pedro Police Station confirmed the incident and claimed that law enforcement agents were on the trail of the suspects. He, however, added that investigations were underway to ascertain the connection between Okhiku and the gang that attacked him.

Crime Extra

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

February 16, 2013

Senator’s aide burnt to death by second wife for spending too much time with his first wife AZA MSUE KADUNA

aduna city and its environs were thrown into confusion when Mohammed Ibrahim Matazu, a legislative aide to Senator Mohammed Sale, the Senator Representing Kaduna Central in the Senate, died of burns he sustained when his wife poured petrol on him and set him on fire. Matazu, a former Reporter with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna National Station, was rushed to the National Hospital and later the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada on Thursday February 7, 2013 when the incident happened at his Gwarimpa, Abuja residence. He died at about 4.00pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2012 at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Speaking with journalists over late Matazu’s ordeal in the hands of his second wife whom he married about a year ago, his younger brother, Engr. Magaji Ibrahim, said the women set him ablaze after complaining that he spends too much time with his first wife in Kaduna and less time with her in Abuja. Engr. Ibrahim narrated thus: “On Wednesday last week, my elder brother called me that he was coming to Kaduna from Abuja to represent Senator Mohammed Saleh at a meeting with the

SEGUN ADIO

wo people are currently in detention following the alleged rape of a teenage girl identified as Tomiwa. The alleged rapist, 20-yearold Amidu Fashola, is being investigated alongside a female, Biodun Odufowokan, who is alleged to have lured the victim to the house where she was raped. Amidu lives at No. 8, Araromi St., Ogudu, Lagos State in one bedroom apartment with some of his friends. The lady accomplice, Odufowokan, is reported to be a long term friend of Tomiwa, the rape victim. For several weeks before the fateful day Tomiwa was raped, Odufowokan is said to have been asking her friend (Tomiwa) to escort her (Odufowokan) to her boyfriend’s house somewhere in Ogudu. But on each occasion, Tomiwa had refused to follow her friend to her so-called boyfriend’s house. Then came Tuesday, January 29, 2013,when Tomiwa, 18, was reported to be in dire need of money. Because she could not easily raise the amount

Matazu

NNPC in Kaduna, and that the Senator was travelling to Imo State for another engagement. “So on Thursday morning, I saw missed calls on my phone, and I called

the number, only for the voice at the other end to ask me if I was Matazu’s brother, and I said yes. He narrated to me what happened to my brother, saying that my brother rushed out of his

room with fire all over his body while shouting that the fire was killing him. The neighbours rescued him, only for his wife to come out of the house, saying where is Matazu? By the time she caught up with him, she now asked him, ‘what can you do now?’ That was about 9 am on Thursday. “When the neighbours asked my brother what happened, he told them that it was his wife that poured petrol on his body and set fire on him. At this point, the neighbour now grabbed her and called the police to arrest her and take her to the police station.” Speaking at late Matazu’s residence in Kaduna, his boss, Senator Mohammed Sale described late Matazu as a very pleasant and friendly personality, saying he contributed a lot to the development of his party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). According to Senator Sale, “He did his best to contribute to the smooth running of my office and was actually the pillar of the office. This is a plain murder case. And when a case of homicide like this happens, it is a case between the State and the accused. “His wife who committed this heinous crime is in police detention now. And I intend to follow through to ensure that justice is done. I don’t know if this is a bail able case. But whatever it takes for us to see that justice is done, we will do it.”

Teenager enticed with N1,600 raped by five men needed, Odufowokan offered to bail her out of the financial mess she suddenly found herself. Odufowokan reportedly impressed it on Tomiwa to let them go see her boyfriend at Ogudu where she claimed she would be able to raise the amount Tomiwa needed. Not knowing how to solve her financial predicament, Tomiwa obliged her friend and both of them reportedly went to see Odufowokan’s boyfriend. Odufowokan reportedly put a call through to someone, who later turned out to be Amidu, that she was on her way to his house accompanied by Tomiwa, who he (Amidu) had been dying to meet. At Amidu’s house, the two girls were feted. After about an hour, Tomiwa told her friend that she wanted to leave. While seeing them off, Amidu reportedly gave Odufowokan N1,600 which she was asked to give to Tomiwa. Upon handing the money to her friend, Odufowokan reportedly told Tomiwa that they both had to go show appreciation to the man that gave

her the money she needed. Tomiwa obliged. But Odufowokan apparently had other plans. The second day around 10:00a.m, the two friends went straight to Amidu’s house apparently for Tomiwa to appreciate the gesture of the previous day. Tomiwa was oblivious of the danger lurking around for her. Unlike the previous day when she first went to Amidu’s house, Tomiwa was startled to see four other friends of Amidu in the room all watching movies. When they entered, the two young ladies reportedly sat on the single cushion chair in the room, while the five young men, including Amidu, lay on the mattress on the floor. It was reported that no sooner had the ladies sat down than Onafowokan claimed she wanted to buy snacks from a nearby shop. That was the last time Tomiwa saw her friend in Amidu’s apartment. Moments after Odufowokan left the room, Amidu and his partners-in-crime began to play

rough with Tomiwa. When she threatened to raise the alarm, the five young men reportedly overpowered her and ended up gangraping her. A helpless Tomiwa was reportedly left to bleed while Amidu’s four friends hurriedly departed the apartment. She was later taken to a hospital by her guardian for treatment and the matter was reported at the police station. Amidu was rounded up while his four friends took to their heels. The four young men are currently yet to be found. In his statement before he was whisked to the police station, Amidu claimed that Tomiwa was his fiancée of many years standing, a claim Tomiwa promptly denied. Amidu was quoted as saying, “I and my friends did not rape her. She is only looking for ways to put me into trouble because I asked her for sex and she refused.” Odufowokan, who lured her friend to where she was gangraped, was also arrested by law enforcement agents. Odufowokan, who denied setting her

friend up, however, admitted that Amidu had been worrying her long before that day to connect him with Tomiwa. Odufowokan also claimed that she actually went in search of refreshments only to learn that Tomiwa was raped while she was away. In her statement, Tomiwa, who debunked Odufuowokan’s claims, maintained that her friend knew all along that Amidu and his friends had evil intentions before she lured her to the place. She said, “Biodun is only lying that she did not know the intention of her friend, Amidu. She only lured me to the place apparently after she was ‘settled’ and left me in their midst. When I told the boy that I wanted to go and look for Biodun, he just pounced on me and all my shouting could not save me. That was how Amidu and his four friends raped me one after the other.” A police source said that investigation into the matter is nearing completion and the culprits would soon be brought to justice.

REGIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH EAST

Enugu school board suspends 5 principals for dereliction of duty

he Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) has suspended five school principals for laxity in

their work. The Chairman of the board, Dr Gabriel Okafor, said in Enugu, yesterday, that the principals failed to report for duties for

two weeks. He, however, declined to disclose the names of the affected principals and their schools. Okafor said the suspen-

sion, which took effect from January, would last for a term. The chairman said the affected principals would not be allowed to partici-

pate in any school activities during the period of the suspension. In the words of Okafor, “It was observed that some teachers did not like to work in rural areas and instead influence their transfers to the urban areas. The board would no longer allow transfers unless such persons had stayed for upward of four years in a place of posting. Some of the staff fail to turn up for work, while some only appear, just register their names and leave until the next day.”

The chairman said he assumed office in January 2012 and initiated morning assembly at 7.30 a.m. daily in a bid to get the staff to come to work. He said that teachers and principals of some schools in Enugu did not come to work early enough to conduct such morning assembly and instead left the responsibility to students to conduct. He called on the government to refurbish the schools and provide them with science and other equipment.

Igbo in Diaspora laud Njiko Igbo

National Youth Service Corpse 2012 Batch ‘A’ passing-out parade in Enugu, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN

Police grill Anambra transporter over robbery, attempted murder NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

prominent transporter in Anambra State (names withheld) is currently in police detention over alleged robbery and attempt murder on the life of National Chairman, Board of Trustees of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN) and Autobike Owners Association of

Nigeria (AOWAN), Chief Jimmy Okonkwo. Okonkwo had narrowly escaped death on Monday, August 6, 2012, when gunmen suspected to be members of a rival group allegedly attacked him at Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of the state. A special detachment of policemen from the office of the Inspector General of Police had report-

edly arrested and grilled the transporter over the town incidents. It was said that during the arrest of the transporter, his aides attempted to stop the police from arresting him, but when the police team over-powered them and whisked him off. On arrival in Anambra State last Sunday from Abuja, team reportedly trailed the transporter to Ekwulobia on his way to his church on Sunday morning, tracked him down and took him to the state headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery

Squad (SARS) at Awkuzu where he was detained before being ferried to Abuja the next day. The Officer in charge of Awkuzu SARS, Mr. James Nwafor, a Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Assistant Commissioner of police in charge of the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr. David Afolayan, had simply told newsmen in separate telephone chats that they were aware that a special police team came down from Abuja to Anambra to investigate certain complaints.

Okorocha wants Nigeria’s education system restructured

overnor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has called for the restructuring of the education system in Nigeria ``to produce quality graduates.’’ The governor made the call, yesterday, while answering questions from journalists after attending the 27th induction ceremony of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Abuja.

The governor stressed the need for the country to produce quality graduates, who could create jobs and become employers of labour. Okorocha condemned the situation where many graduates could not defend their certificates, saying ``the production of quality graduates is crucial to confronting the challenges facing the country. The governor also

called for greater harnessing of the immense material and mental resources in the education sector to boost creativity among youths. His words, ``our youths remain our strength. There’s need to challenge the youths so we can fire up those potential in them to contribute their quota to the development of this country. Any nation of mankind that is not do-

ing well simply means that the leadership and the youths are not doing well. We must fire up the youths, knowing that they remain the only instrument of development in any nation. He, however, said that the Youth Empowerment Programme in Imo, geared toward promoting skills, was a way of empowering, encouraging and repackaging youths in the state.

ome eminent sons and daughters of south east of Nigeria extraction rose from a meeting in Luxembourg recently to throw their weight behind a new ideology for people of the geo-political zone, which they called Njiko Igbo. The Luxembourg meeting was reported to have centered on 2015 presidency and the fate of the region. After the meeting in the European nation,

the 10 delegates issued a communique in which they endorsed Njiko Igbo ideology. The meeting also rose to commend Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State for the formation of Njiko Igbo. The communiqué reads in part: “We do not need sycophants to lead Ndigbo. 2015 Presidency of Igbo extraction is real and we shall all work together to achieve this great task.

Eulogies, tributes as Justice Nwizu retires from Anambra bench NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

ulogies and encomium were yesterday showered on a retiring Judge in the Anambra State judiciary, Justice Frank Chukwuemeka Nwizu who attained the mandatory statutory retirement age of 65. A valedictory court session organized in his honour was presided over by the Honourable Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi and attended by the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Peter Afuba; President of the Customary Court of Appeal; judges of Anambra and Enugu states judiciary, eminent Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), eminent personalities and mem-

bers of the state’s House of Assembly. In their separate speeches, both the state chief judge, Umeadi; the Attorney-General, Afuba and former Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Prof. Ilochi Okafor (SAN), described Justice Nwizu as an erudite, fearless and uncompromising judge when it comes to discharge of his duties.` A legal practitioner and human rights activist in the state, Barrister Orunkoya told jirnalists that Nwizu was a human rights activist on the bench with a radical character and a pain in his heart whenever he sees injustice, adding that he usually wasted not time in correcting the injustice through his rulings.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

NORTH

Dankwambo expresses worry on doctors’ exodus DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

overnor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State has expressed worry over state’s doctors’ abandonment of work for federal employment, in spite of bringing their salaries and allowances on equal terms. Speaking when he received in audience a team of medical doctors from Africa Health Development Trust, a United Kingdom based NGO, Governor Dankwambo expressed readiness of his administration to improve upon the healthcare status of the state and take it to the next level. According to the governor, Gombe State has never relented in training and retraining of its doctors, saying that the state even implemented doc-

tors packages including the approval of N700, 000 as training grant for each doctor. The Governor told the visiting doctors that the state government is constructing a specialist hospital for women and children with state-of-the-art

facilities aimed at checkmating mortality rates in the state. He said apart from the procurement of ambulances which move round all villages in the state daily to provide healthcare to the needy, his administration has also

introduced a subsidized medical scheme for the elderly in the state. Earlier, leader of the team, Dr. Abubakar Zubairu had told the governor that the team was in the state on the invitation of Governor Dankwambo’s wife to help attent to

patients with numerous ailments in the state. Dr. Zubairu also said they were also able to cover over 250 eye surgery cases, and also provided training for traditional birth attendants and provided them with kits to assist their functions.

The team noted among others, the increasing dearth in manpower capacity especially in the nursing and midwifery sector, the need for regular replacement of the special equipment and provision of infrastructure.

Toxic fume kills pregnant woman in Gombe ...Five others hospitalised DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

ragedy yesterday befell a compound in Bogo Area of Gombe metropolis in Gombe State, when a pregnant woman lost her life after inhaling toxic fumes from burning of incense. Five other persons in the same compound, who suffered similar fate,

were rushed to Doma Hospital, Gombe, and are currently receiving treatment with husband of the woman still in critical condition. According to one Dr. Esan, the medical doctor who diagnosed the patients, the six patients were brought to the hospital unconscious, but claimed that the woman was long dead before she arrived the hospital. Dr.

Esan claimed that the pregnant woman’s death could have been caused by the burning incense or due to fume from other source. In the words of the Dr. Esan, “As at yesterday we could not get the clear reasons for the incident but this morning some of them are getting better. The only thing we could detect is toxic fume inha-

lation, andwe are trying to find out what really caused it. Whether from other sources or from the incense the man is burning,” he said. Malam Bilyaminu, one of the survivors of the incident, said that he was with his friend, Mohammed and his wife to watch a football match. Bilyaminu maintained that moments after he left his friend’s house, Mohammed rushed to his house and banging at his door saying that his wife was sick. Bilyaminu also said that shortly after that, his friend strted burning incence apparetrly to Ac-

cording to Bilyaminu, “I noticed that both my friend and his wife started shivering, and after some minutes of using the traditional incense, I also started shivering and didn’t know when I started making noise and feeling somehow and suddenly became unconscious.” When contacted over the issue, Gombe State Police Command Public Relation Officer, ASP Fwaje Atajiri, said he was not aware of the incident, promising to find out and call back, which he never did up the time of filling this report.

Shema lauds DAAR communication over Katsina stations JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

A Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (right), Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and other well-wishers, during a meeting in London, recently. PHOTO: NAN

s Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM stations commence operation in Katsina State, Governor Ibrahim Shema said the stations would provide employment and open the state to rest of the world. Speaking yesterday

FUT VC: Why we stopped protest –Niger CP PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

iger State Police C o m m i s s i o n e r, Mrs. Desire Desaye Insirim, has given reasons why the state command refused to grant permission to a group simply known as the ‘Concerned Citizens’ in the state in their purported plan to demonstrate against the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal

University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Professor Musibau Akanji. The police boss said that the planned protest was halted to prevent break down of law and order that would like occurred should the group went ahead with their protest. She explained that the command would not stand idly by and watched the group cause mayhem in the state with the [protest against the new Vice

Chancellor’s appointment. Reacting to a petition written against her by the group for failing to grant them permission to carry out their demonstration, despite writing to the command on their plan, the commissioner stated that when their letter got to her, it bore no address through which she could communicate the position of the command on their request. Her words, “The letter

was addressed to me by the Concerned Citizens that they wanted to protest against the appointment of the FUT VC, but there was no way I could reply them. I didn’t know where to response as there was no address and they are not even a registered body.” The police commissioner also denied allegation that after the letter, the group contacted her again on the issue, saying ,”It is a lie. They never

contacted me again concerning their plan to embark on the demonstration.” It would be recalled that the host community of the university had kicked against the installation of Professor Akanji as Vice Chancellor at the expiration of the tenure of Professor Muhammed Audu last year insisting that they have a qualified candidate from the area that can fill the position.

during commissioning of DAAR Communications broadcast complex in the state, Governor Shema said with the establishing of the stations, the education, information and entertainment status of the state would greatly be lifted. Represented by his deputy, Abdullahi Faskari, Shem, assured of his administration’s support and cooperation for successful operation of stations programmes in the state. Chairman of DAAR communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, said the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had initiated establishment of the stations but the process was delayed due to technical hitches. Dokpesi, who commended state’s support in starting the two stations, said the television station (AIT) would begin broadcast on channel 29.

REGIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NORTH

2015: Lamido slams advocates of his presidential ambition SEGUN ADIO AND ABDULLAHI ODEY DUTSE

overnor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has cautioned advocates of his alleged presidential ambition to desist from the act, saying his political future can only be de-

termined by God and his party. Governor Lamido was responding to members of the Arewa Youth Forum who paid him a courtesy visit to persuade him to contest the 2015 Presidential election. The AYF which was led by its President, Malam

Gambo Gujungu, rated Lamido as the most performing governor, and also used the occasion to present a leadership award to him. Dismissing the call by the forum, Governor Lamido said that he is by principle a loyal and committed politician who practices politics based on

humanism, dignity and self-worth. Pledging his loyalty to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Lamido said it is the only party that has the exposure and experience to govern Nigeria for now, saying the party transcends religious or ethnic coloration being adduced

to it. On the recent merger of some opposition parties in the country, the governor says, “It is poisonous and based on pain and failure; it will offer nothing but self-interest”. Although Governor Lamido received the award presented to him by the group, he however made

it clear to them that “It is wrong and sycophantic to praise a leader who is elected to do his duty and nothing more.” Earlier, Gujungu had told the Governor that the forum was founded in 2005 with members drawn from the nineteen Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Constitution review: Dankwambo warns stakeholders DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

overnor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State has urged stakehold-

ers from the state to exercise caution in their contribution in the current bid to review the constitution of the country, saying they have to be ‘be just, fair and equitable in their

decisions.’ The governor gave the charge when he received the report of the state’s committee on the review of the constitution. He observed that the report

was a document of immense importance that would also serve as guide to many generations yet unborn. Governor Dankwambo also explained that the

position of government and citizens of the state would be based on the content of the report presented by the committee. Speaking earlier, acting chairman of the state’s committee, Alhaji Magaji Mu’azu said that the committee identified some strategic positions which it would like government to look into and consider as the state’s position on the proposed constitution review. The committee said that some of the areas

that require careful consideration are the onshore and offshore dichotomy, as well as revenue sharing formula which he added are of critical concern to the people of the state. Another committee is expected to be appointed to study the report and reproduce it in a more presentable manner. It is after this exercise that the state government would forward the report to the national assembly committee on the constitution review.

12 Zamfara corps members to repeat service year

CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, (CON) (left) while commissioning the North –East Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday. Photo by INUSA NDAHI

Explosions rock Maiduguri as CBN gov commissions projects INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

n the day Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was in Maiduguri, Borno State capital to commission Enterpreneurship Development initiatives, suspected suicide bombers detonated bombs which shook the foundation of the ancient city. Confirming the incident in a press statement, spokesman of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa says, “About 4.30pm today, Friday, 15 February,

2013, there was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion by terrorists targeted at JTF patrol vehicles at Gambaru Market General area, just about 1000 meters away from the main market on the road to Gambaru – Gala,” Col Musa said. Two people suspected to be the bombers lost their lives as a result of the explosion. No civilian was killed or wounded, but a JTF vehicle was damaged and a soldier was wounded. The CBN governor had, during the commissioning of the enterprenurial scheme, assured the peo-

ple of Borno State that the apex bank will continue to support them economically in transforming their lives through entrepreneurship development initiatives. The CBN boss gave the assurance yesterday in Maiduguri at the official flagging off / launching of the NorthEast Enterpreneurship Development Centre (EDC), which is an initiative of the apex Bank tagged “The Financial Inclusion Strategy Pilot Implementation Scheme (FISPI) in Collaboration with Borno state Gov-

ernment”. He said that Borno State was selected for the scheme because of the security challenges confronting the state, which he said has led to more poverty and joblessness. Alhaji Sanusi said the adult financial exclusion in Nigeria is estimated to be at 46.3 percent and is one of the highest in Sub- Saharan Africa, noting that this was what informed the implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) by the CBN.

amfara State Coordinator of the Natiob alYouth Servuice Corps (NYSC), Mrs Ruth Bakka, has said no fewer than 12 corps members in the 2013 Batch ‘A’ would repeat their service year. The slam on the corps members is sequel to the various offences committed during their stay in the state. Mrs. Bakka also claimed that another five corps members would have their service years extended. Bakka told journalists in Gusau, yesterday, that some corps members believed they could misbehave during their youth service and go scot free. She explained that among the 17 corps members penciled down for punishment, 12 absconded immediately after their three- week orientation in camp, while the remaining five were involved in truancy and insubordination. Bakka, however, said that eight corps members among the same Batch `A’ set did very well during their service year and were

awarded certificates of honour. The coordinator said that a corps member, Dr Umar Shuaibu, came first by constructing two toilet blocks, making 30 pieces of tables and chairs for a school and organising weekly extra moral class for some students. Shuaibu also donated writing materials, 200 insecticide mosquito nets, 200 anti-malaria drugs, diabetic testing kits, weighing scale and other consumables to hospitals. The second most outstanding corps member, Mr. Onuoha Udochukwu, constructed four toilets and donated two sewing machines, half dozen thermometers, blood pressure apparatus and stethoscopes, half dozen of plastic chairs and other consumables to the hospitals. Bakka said that other awardees did a lot of things to improve their communities during the service year and urging other corps members to emulate.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

February 16, 2013

Syrian opposition seeks partners “without blood on hands”

yria’s opposition coalition is ready to negotiate President Bashar al-Assad’s exit with any member of his government who has not participated in his military crackdown on the uprising, coalition members said yesterday. Syrian authorities have given no formal response to several offers of talks in recent weeks. But officials say they cannot accept preconditions about Assad’s departure and have privately dismissed what they say are no more than media initiatives. The political chasm between the sides, along with diplomatic deadlock

among world powers preventing effective intervention, has allowed fighting on the ground to rage on with almost 70,000 people killed in 22 months of conflict, by a U.N. estimate. Opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib made an offer of negotiations last month without consulting the coalition’s 70-in the coming political process.” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem is due to visit Moscow, one of Assad’s main foreign allies, later this month. Russia also hopes Alkhatib will visit soon in search of a breakthrough to end the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings.

North Korea for fresh nuclear test

orth Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, said a source with direct knowledge of the message. Further tests could also be accompanied this year by another rocket launch, said the source who has direct access to the top levels of government in both Beijing and Pyongyang. The isolated regime conducted its third nuclear test

on Tuesday, drawing global condemnation and a stern warning from the United States that it was a threat and a provocation. “It’s all ready. A fourth and fifth nuclear test and a rocket launch could be conducted soon, possibly this year,” the source said, adding that the fourth nuclear test would be much larger than the third at an equivalent of 10 kilotons of TNT. The tests will be undertaken, the source said, unless Washington holds talks with North Korea and abandons its policy of what Pyongyang sees as attempts at regime change.

Bloomberg opposes legalizing marijuana

he Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg says he opposes legalizing marijuana — or any other illicit drug. Bloomberg discussed the issue on his weekly WOR Radio show yesterday. A day earlier, he said New York City plans to stop booking and arraigning many people arrested on low-level marijuana-possession charges.

Bloomberg says he opposes legalizing marijuana because it’s stronger than it used to be. He added that if marijuana were legal, those dealers would just start selling something else, like cocaine. He says the policy change that takes place next month will ease congestion in courts and jails.

DUBAI EYE: Built on a fake island off the coast of the city-state, the ‘Dubai Eye’ is set to be nearly 690ft tall and attract more than three million visitors a year. The attraction, to be completed by 2015, is part of a one billion pound entertainment project called The Bluewaters Islands, which was approved by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum yesterday.

South African Pistorius denies girlfriend’s murder

outh African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has strongly rejected a charge that he murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Steenkamp, a 29-yearold model, was shot dead at Pistorius’s home near Pretoria on Thursday. Appearing in court in Pretoria, Pistorius wept as prosecutors vowed to pursue a charge of premeditated murder. An application for bail

was postponed until next Tuesday and the athlete will remain in police custody. Dubbed “blade runner”, he made history last summer by becoming the first double-amputee track athlete to run in an Olympic Games. “The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms”, said a statement released by Pistorius’s family and management company after the court hearing.

“Our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family - regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy,” it said. They were the first words released on behalf of the 26-year-old athlete since Steenkamp was found fatally wounded at his home in the gated Silver Lakes development outside the South African capital. However, he was seen hours earlier, sobbing dur-

ing his appearance at Pretoria Magistrates Court. Police were called to his home in the early hours of Thursday morning. They found paramedics treating the 29-year-old model with four gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. She died at the scene, and officers recovered a 9mm pistol. A post-mortem examination is being carried out yesterday but the results will not be made public, police said.

Armageddon: Meteor injures 700 in Russia

meteor streaked through the sky and exploded yesterday over Russia’s Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring more than 750 people. The spectacle deeply frightened thousands, with some elderly women declaring the world was coming to an end. The meteor — estimated to be about 10 tons — entered the Earth’s atmosphere at a hypersonic

speed of at least 54,000 kph (33,000 mph) and shattered about 30-50 kilometers (18-32 miles) above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement. It released the energy of several kilotons above the Chelyabinsk region, the academy said. Amateur video broadcast on Russian television showed an object speeding across the sky about 9:20 a.m. local time, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an in-

tense flash. “There was panic. People had no idea what was happening. Everyone was going around to people’s houses to check if they were OK,” said Sergey Hametov, a resident of Chelyabinsk, a city of 1 million about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of Moscow. “We saw a big burst of light, then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud thundering sound,” he told The Associated Press by telephone.

The explosions broke an estimated 100,000 square meters (more than 1 million square feet) of glass, city officials said. The city administration said 758 people sought medical care after the explosions and most were injured by shards of glass. Athletes at a city sports arena were among those cut up by the flying glass. It was not immediately clear if any people were struck by space fragments.

Pope approves German lawyer to head embattled bank

ope Benedict XVI signed off on one of the last major appointments of his papacy yesterday, approving a German lawyer and financier to head the Vat-

ican’s embattled bank. Ernst von Freyberg has solid financial and Catholic credentials as a former investment banker and member of the Sovereign Military Order

of Malta, an ancient chivalrous order drawn from European nobility. The appointment ends a nine-month search after the Institute of Religious Works ousted its previous

president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, for incompetence. The ouster came just as the Vatican was submitting its finances to a review by a Council of Europe committee in

a bid to join the list of financially transparent countries. The Vatican said von Freyberg, currently the chairman of a Hamburgbased ship component

group Blom+Voss Group, had been appointed by the bank’s commission of cardinals and that the pope had “expressed his full consent.”

Quote Saturday, February 16, 2013. www.nationalmirroronline.net

with President Olusegun Obasanjo hexcellency2011@yahoo.com tinationals are Africa-based companies that are wholly founded by African investors with African capital. Recent reports indicate that African multinationals are expanding across the region, building partnerships with players from other African countries, and opening up trade within the continent. Interestingly, Nigerian companies have taken the lead in this drive to explore the African market and integrate commerce on the continent. Examples of this include companies like United Bank for Africa (U.B.A), Dangote Group, Oando, Zenith Bank, DAAR Communications, among others. Within the last 15 years, these companies have rapidly expanded to other African countries and in doing so have hastened the process of integration and improved relations between their home country, Nigeria, and their host countries. For example, the Nigeria-based U.B.A Group operates in about 19 Sub-Saharan countries. As its deliberate policy of integration, a staff of U.B.A in Kenya,

for instance, is required to see himself as a staff of the multinational U.B.A Group instead of U.B.A Kenya. Closely related to the UBA example of how corporate Africa is removing borders is the case of the Kenya-based Equity Bank. The bank recently began its expansion into other East African countries by acquiring local banks. Reconciling employees of the acquired banks with Equity Bank’s corporate culture was timeconsuming and expensive. To mitigate these costs for new operations in Rwanda and Tanzania, the company brought 100 employees from those markets to work at headquarters in Kenya before they began work at the branches abroad. This is increasingly becoming the practice for African businesses, from all parts of Africa, with a continental vision. Efforts by the private sector in Africa to open up trade and commerce within the continent are enhanced by the advancements in information and communications technology. Undoubtedly, the global economy is increasingly becoming

SPORT EXTRA

Pistorius weeps as court hears murder charge ANDREW EKEJIUBA WITH AGENCY REPORT

outh African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius wept yesterday in court as prosecutors said they would pursue a “premeditated murder” charge over the death of his girlfriend. Model Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead at his home near Pretoria on Thursday. Saturday Mirror gathered that Pistorius held his head in his hands and

broke down in tears as the charge was read out in the magistrates’ court. An application for bail was postponed until next Tuesday and Pistorius, 26, will remain in police custody. Family members reached forward to touch his shoulder as he stood and left the courtroom in Pretoria. Dozens of reporters were also in court, where chief magistrate Desmond Nair was presiding. A witness in court revealed that the defendant cut a lonely figure, with his head forward and breathing heavily

day

Once you put your two eyes and mind in partisan politics, we lose respect. Government believes in us and in the traditional institution and that is the reason we have to be apolitical. Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, while urging traditional rulers to shun partisan politics to preserve their dignity, during a courtesy visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 on Thursday.

Towards a borderless Africa II t was not until the 1990s that African leaders gave non-state actors a strong voice in the continent’s integration initiatives. At the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) organised by the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF) and held in Kampala, Uganda in 1991, there was, for the first time, an extensive analysis and synthesis of how to promote regional cooperation and integration for Africa’s socio-economic development, security and stability which involved Africa’s civil society and other non-state actors. Participants at the conference agreed that “the process of integration is too important to be left to governments alone.... Equally important is the need to encourage and promote active involvement in the integration process of various socioeconomic actors such as trade unions, chambers of commerce, academics, women, youths and other professional associations.” In subsequent forums, the ALF continued to impress on African leaders that the major driver of integration is the private sector, not the government. The result of these civil society interventions has been a significant shift of focus from state actors to non-state actors in Africa’s integration process. In many more ways than are currently recognized, Africa’s private sector has proven effective in blurring state-border lines and promoting the free-flow of goods and services, capital, labour and markets. A significant catalyst for this cross-border commerce is the emergence of African multinationals which were non-existent about 20 years ago. The mul-

the

through tears. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued for a “premeditated murder” charge, as Pistorius slumped forward at the mention of the words. Media access was discussed and the magistrate ruled that there should be no live recording for the bail hearings. Pistorius’s legal team had argued against such coverage and cited his “extremely traumatised state of mind”. Both prosecution and defence agreed Pistorius could remain in custody at a police station and not in prison.

knowledge-based. While African governments are yet to connect with the role of ICTs in global dynamics, the effective deployment and utilization of ICTs by Africa’s private sector guarantees the African continent a pride of place in global trends. It also renders Africa’s physical barriers useless. What this last point shows is that, although it is slow, Africa’s integration will happen with or without the active involvement of the political leadership. Increasingly, private capital is proving that it has more capacity to overwhelm Africa’s physical borders than any political initiatives. It is rapidly advancing integration at a pace that other aspects would have to play catch up. In fact, it is becoming clearer that Africa’s private sector had long ago put the continent’s integration process in motion. Unfortunately, the political class failed to see it. Now, the political leadership can only play itself into recognition by speeding up the process with policies that promote private sector growth. Governments at regional economic community level and at the African Union level should keep their focus on NEPAD and NEPAD objectives, APRM – Africa Peer Review Mechanism. They must provide the conducive environment of democracy, peace, security and economic progress for the private sector and civil society to play their important role of acting as the cement for integration in Africa. Borderless Africa can no longer be delayed indefinitely in the light the happenings in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Let Africa set a target of one generation for its borderlessness – 2035.

CONCLUDED

English FA Cup Fixtures Today’s Matches Luton v Millwall 12:45 Arsenal v Blackburn 15:00 MK Dons v Barnsley 15:00 Oldham v Everton 18:00

Premiership Fixture Sunday, February 17, 2013 Liverpool v Swansea 15:00

Printed and Published by Global Media Mirror Ltd: Head Office: Mirror House, 155/161 Broad Street, Lagos Tel: 07027107407, Abuja Office: NICON Insurance House, Second Floor, Central Business District Area, Abuja Tel: 08070428249, Advert hotline: 01-8446073, Email: mail@nationalmirroronline.net. Editor: GBEMISOLA OLUJOBI. All correspondence to PMB 10001, Marina, Lagos. Printed simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja and Ondo State. ISSN 0794-232X.