Saturday, July 21, 2012 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Ogun: LG elections hold today

Vol. 02 No. 32

P. 12

ABOMINATION! Dreaded Ibadan masquerade, P. 35&36 Oloolu, disrobed, beaten

N150

Saturday, July 21, 2012

INSIDE

P. 17

Celebrity

Fuel tankers set on fire by the Joint Task Force at Eneka road in Atali, Rivers State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

‘Entertainment can give Nigeria more money than oil’ P. 18

Sammie S ammie Okposo Okposo

Rivers: 25 feared dead in fresh fire incidents

P. 7

$650,000 bribery scam

I’m ready for trial –Farouk Lawan •Challenges Otedola, police to produce evidence

P. 7

Minister of Defence: Make provision for wives S’South, S’West lobby of political office holders for Yoruba candidate in Constitution –First Lady P. 12

P. 8

Living

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

INSIDE 17 years after marriage, Pastor, wife have quadruplets

P.39

Landlady bathes ex-tenant with acid

P.40

Displaced residents

Man drills holes in wife’s genitals, PADLOCKS them

P.25

Amazing girl, two, performs her first piano concert

P.26

Hoodlums shoot late monarch’s son for father’s ‘sins’

P.52

Beautician sentenced to 200 lashes for providing women with make-up, tattoos P.25

The agony of displacement zPain, despair as Makoko residents lose homes

Most residents of Makoko/Iwaya in Lagos are still in shock. Suddenly, they have now found themselves homeless. The Lagos State government last Monday demolished their homes. A greater percentage of them are still dazed and confused as they strive to pick up the pieces of their lives. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports

esidents of Mokoko/Iwaya in Yaba Local Community Development Area (LCDA) will not forget Saturday July 16, in a hurry. It was the day the lost their homes. Many of them had gone out on their normal businesses within and outside the community, assuring their neighbours of returning after the day’s activities. This was not to be after all as at their return what they met on ground was not their homes but wrecks of what used to be their residences. While this set of people were out, the structures they called home had been demolished. Makoko, is a slum neighbourhood located in Lagos. It comprises of about 40 communities. It was established in the 18th century primarily as a fishing village and its current population is considered to be about 300,000. Many of the houses in the area are structures constructed on stilts above the Lagos Lagoon. Despite the fact of producing about 30-35 per cent fishes that Lagosians eat, Makoko is essentially self-governing with a very limited government presence in the community. The people of the slum rely so much on personal sacrifices and World Bank

assisted projects to live an average life. To the surprise of many of the residents, Lagos State government on Monday July 16 commenced the demolition of the shanty settlement in Makoko after giving the residents a 72 hour eviction notice following its address to the community leaders on July. The government’s action has rendered thousands of the settlers homeless and it has also scattered many families as many children are roaming about in the community without access to their family members. The demolition has also forced many people to be living under the open sky and on the Lagos Lagoon. Saturday Mirror during a visit to the displaced community beheld many of the residents with their remaining possessions inside boats and canoes taking refuge after the demolition. Some of them were even covering their head with cloth, blanket and nylon to protect themselves against the elements. A 10 year old boy, Papa Esegbe, was seen on some joined logs sitting dejectedly. Asked what the matter was, he said; “I don’t have anywhere to go to, I have not eaten for days because I don’t

have anybody to give me food.” A great-grandmother who claims to be a hundred years old, Madam Mardalane Aronsu, while expressing her plight to Saturday Mirror said: “I don’t have anywhere to go. I have been sleeping on the lagoon since the demolition of my house. I don’t have anything to eat and I have been drinking water from the lagoon. I don’t have anywhere to go.” Though the demolition seems not to have gone down well with many people, the state government has defended its action saying that the action was carried out in the interest of people of the community. Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Adesegun Oniru, said the government carried out its action because of its determination to ensure safety, security and protection of the state and its residents. He explained that the demolition of shanties on the state waterfront in Makoko/Iwaya area on Monday was part of pragmatic ways the state wanted to forestall tragedy. The commissioner disclosed that the exercise was a clearing of the waterfront and not demolition, stressing that any attempt by government to delay the demolition because of sentiment would be inviting future calamity. His words: “There are people living under a powerline in that area. The water level is also rising rapidly, but the people ignored this and instead continued building more shanties up to CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Saturday Starter

Two Thursdays ago, Nigerians, nay the world, woke up to the news of another fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria with the usual attendant devastating effects. More worrisome, this time, is the causality figure which was horrifyingly high. No fewer than 200 people including pregnant women and children died in the inferno that accompanied the explosion. Since the devastating news, so many questions have been agitating the mind. For instance, how could such a high number of people of such composition be at the site of a fallen petrol tanker scooping fuel at such a time? The tanker crashed around 6am. In spite of the awareness on the volatile and highly inflammable nature of fuel tanker crash sites, why should Nigerians still run over themselves to scoop fuel? Is this how lives will be continuously lost to avoidable causes in a land that is the sixth largest exporter of crude oil in the world? Questions, questions and questions, yet few answers.

A costly scoop CHINEDUM EMEANA

blood curling scream permeated the entire emergency ward of the Ahoada General Hospital, Rivers State. It came from Oluwafemi Ekpete. Her elder brother, Gift, had just been pronounced dead by medical practitioners around him. He was one of those involved in the petrol tanker explosion in Okogbe community of River State. Gift Ekpete just graduated from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and was waiting to be called up to serve his country in the second batch of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. It was not to be after all. He gave up the ghost on Friday afternoon at the Ahoada General Hospital. His death, like many others who perished in the incident, wrote an end to hopes and aspirations. Oluwafemiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grief is understandable. Giftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death had brought the figure to three of the members of her family

lost to the inferno that ensued after the explosion: her mother and two brothers. Joined in the emotional outburst of grief was her aunt, Mrs. Reuben, whose husband had sponsored the education of the just departed Gift from primary school through university. The uncle, Mr. I. Reuben, was also distraught at the demise of his ward at a time when their family should be reaping the fruits of their investment. Mrs. Joy Abel and her 19 year old daughter, Blessing, are also victims. But unlike Gift who had crossed the great divide, they are still fighting for their lives, though the medical personnel at the hospital describe their cases as still critical. Unlike most other victims of the fuel tanker fire who were caught in the inferno while trying to scoop fuel from the fallen tanker, Blessing and her mother were working on their farm when the fire from the explosion engulfed them. The same situation applies to 19-year-old Miss SalvaCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

July 21, 2012

Saturday Starter

Tanker fire as weapon of mass destruction CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 tion Warri, an SS2 student of Igbuduya Community Secondary School. She is still struggling for life, while her brother Godday and sister, Choice, keep vigil by her bedside. Like many other relatives of those who are still winning the minute by minute battle to remain alive, they are praying for salvation to come from God. But the battle for survival for those hospitalised in various public and private hospitals in the state remains dicey, as Dr. Sampson Parker, Rivers State Health Commissioner lamented, “every 10 minutes lives are being lost”. He assured victims and their families that doctors would continue to give their best to save lives of survivors at various disaster wards created at different government hospitals. At the last count, no fewer than 200 persons, including pregnant women, youths and children perished, on the East-West Road, at Okogbe community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, when a petrol tanker from which they were scooping fuel exploded with the content. The ill-fated tanker, eyewitnesses said, was trying to avoid a head on collision with a commercial vehicle at about 6am that fateful Thursday. It subsequently lost control and ran into a ditch, falling on its side. Several other persons sustained various degrees of burns while sympathizers rushed survivors to the hospitals. No fewer than five buses and scores of motorbikes were destroyed in the inferno, which also affected

... Dreams cut short

Fuel fire victims

a section of a filling station, some distance away from the scene of the tragic incident. According to witnesses, when residents rushed to the scene, the fuel in the tanker was gushing out and they swooped on it with jerrycans. Just as the residents were helping themselves with petrol from the tanker, it exploded in a huge flame and consumed those in the ditch scooping fuel. Almost in a flash, the raging fire was on the main road cutting off the route and

also engulfing those on motorbikes carrying the scooped fuel in plastic kegs. Some people at a distance from the crash site were not speared. Such was the rage of the fire which also caught Blessing and her mother above while working on their farm nearby. It was 12 July, 2012. Fifteen days later, another disaster of likely similar magnitude was averted in Lagos.

Nigeria’s history of tanker explosions

anker fires have practically become a recurring decimal in the anal of the country’s history. Walking hand in hand with this is scooping of petroleum products from fallen tankers and pipelines; all which had left devastating effects in their wakes. The line is long and bloody. The earliest most reported was the October 17, 1998: Jesse, Delta State pipeline explosion which killed no fewer than 1200 villagers some of whom were scooping fuel. The Jesse incident seemed to have opened a flood gate for the avalanche of deaths that follow. Next was July 10, 2000 when another pipeline exploded near the same Jesse killing no fewer than 250 people. In Warri, Delta State on July 16, 2000, at least 100 people were killed when a ruptured pipeline exploded. Days later the same year, a petrol tanker rammed into vehicles in a traffic jam along the Ife-Ibadan Road. It was the most horrible in the country to date. The number of causalities could not be ascertained.

But thousands were believed to have been killed in the carnage. No fewer than 120 vehicles were involved. On November 30, 2000, a leaking pipeline caught fire near the fishing village of Ebute, near Lagos, killing at least 60 people. A pipeline punctured by thieves exploded, killing about 125 villagers near Umuahia, Abia State on June 19, 2003. A little over a year later on September 17, 2004, a pipeline punctured by thieves exploded and killed dozens of people in Lagos State. Also, on October 21, 2005 more than 60 oil thieves were killed in a fire after a pipeline exploded in Delta State. May 12, 2006 recorded the explosion of an oil pipeline also punctured by thieves. It killed 150 people at the Atlas Creek Island, Lagos State. The Yuletide mood was sadly punctured on December 26, 2006 at Abule Egba, a densely populated area of Lagos State. Fuel pipeline vandals that left an underground pipe open caused an early morning inferno which claimed no fewer than 500 lives. In May 2007, over 100 people were roast-

ed alive in Katugal Village, Kaduna while trying to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker which later exploded. Tanker explosion rocked Western Avenue by Stadium Bus Stop, Surulere, Lagos, killing dozens on 3 October, 2007. Sometime in 2008, a multiple tanker explosion in Orile, also a densely populated area of Lagos, killed dozens. On 16 May, 2008, Ijegun a suburb of Lagos exploded. A pipeline explosion killed scores of people, mostly school children. May 2, 2009: A fire caused by two tankers by Mafoluku Junction, along Airport Road, Lagos. On 28 August, 2011 four people were burnt to death and 40 others injured severely in Okpoza, Okpokwu LGA of Benue State while also trying to scoop petrol from a crashed tanker. On 17 March, 2012 at least six people made up of a family of four and two others were burnt to death and 25 houses destroyed and four vehicles were razed when a petrol tanker turned over at Igwurata at Ikwere LGA, a suburb of Port Harcourt in

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Survivors to spend six months in hospital

– Chief Medical Director, UPTH

niversity of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) heading the panel raised by the state government on the fire has said that 218 people were affected by the tanker fire explosion at Okogbe, Ahoada West LGA of Rivers state on two Thursdays ago. He told Saturday Mirror exclusively that 49 of them were treated as out-patients and sent home because their burns were not serious. But only 10 survivors are now in the care of the government. Ojule added that all the survivors being treated in Ahoada General Hospital and Braithwaite Memorial Hospital were on Monday transferred to the UPTH for better management, care and treatment. “What has happened so far since the July 12 when this thing happened, a lot of victims were involved, some died at the spot, some of those that were severely injured were taken to hospitals. Those that had minor injuries were treated as Out Patients and went away. So far as at this morning (Wednesday) when we reviewed the situation… the statistics we have been trying to put together…we have come to a total number of 218 affected people. Some 49 of them were treated as Out Patients and were discharged. Out of all that number, we have 10 that are survivors in this hospital as at this morning. Yesterday about three people signed out and left against medical advice. Nobody can be compelled to be in hospital. All we can do is to counsel and leave to make their choices on their own.” “Those that are with us now are stable, we have created a special ward for them and we are treating them,” he said. Ojule said surviving victims have passed the acute stage, but stressed that they still need to remain in the hospital for between three and six months because burns management is not easy; adding that surgeries may need to be carried out, complications may arise that would have to be managed. The Professor said the victims cannot be flown abroad at this stage because there is no need. However, he said if complications arise in the course of treatment that the hospital cannot handle they may think of flying abroad, saying “when we get to that bridge we will cross it.”

Ojule

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Saturday Starter

Okogbe: Community where night life thrives

rofessor Aaron Ojule, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital UPTH and chairman of the 12-member panel set up by the Rivers State government told Saturday Mir-

ror that 218 people were affected by resulting explosion and fire. How did that huge number of people get affected by the tanker explosion such early in the day, when a village community such as Okogbe would

‘The tears will not stop now’

r. Chima Obediah, his wife and children live at 31 Afikpo Street, in the Diobu neighbourhood of Port Harcourt, far away from Okogbe where the tanker fire incident happened. However, the effects of that explosion hit his family hard. His younger brother, Okuje and his wife perished in the explosion. Indeed, while the brother died at BMH and was buried last Saturday, his wife did not have that ‘luck’ of resting with her people. She was burnt to ashes. Her body could not be identified. The couple left behind four children with 12 year old Okpara as the eldest. Obediah’s wife also lost her elder sister, Mary Ibani, to the tanker fire incident. Ibani’s husband died last year. Their five children are now orphans. “When I came back from work that Thursday around 9.00 pm, there was no electricity, the house was gloomy, everybody wearing long faces. Apparently they have heard the news which I was not aware of. I suspected something was not right. But my wife did not say anything; she gave me water to bathe and gave me food to eat. Then she said, “home no good” and told me what happened at Okogbe, our community,” Obediah recalled.

Obediah

On hearing the sad information that night, Obediah said he went out immediately to see his friend who lived about five streets away at Okokwa. That friend has a car. He said when he got there, to ask his friend for assistance to get to his village, the friend, who had already heard of the news, obliged and together that night they travelled to Okogbe. “What happened in my village was terrible. Brothers died, sisters died, husbands and wives all lost to the one single incident. The cry will not end even till next year, it is a horrible thing”, he moaned.

‘My daughter thought it was kerosene’

rs. Beatrice Egbe, a teacher at the Adventist Day School, Ahoada and mother of 19 year old Miss Salvation, who is at UPTH receiving treatment said the many deaths in that incidents is a reflection of the level of poverty in the area. She told Saturday Mirror that her daughter was on errand to fetch firewood for cooking from the bush when the news of the fallen tanker spread. According to Egbe, her daughter and some others thought the tanker was carrying kerosene, so they went to scoop when the fire started. Egbe, who is camped at the UPTH with two of her sons and other relatives of other survivors, commended the gesture of the government of taking responsibility for the treatment of the victims. She said obviously government does not want them to spend money, but the family had to spend N22, 000 to buy two pints of blood at UPTH on Tuesday. She said the money was obtained from a money lender at a rate of N500 payable on every N1000, and which must be re-

paid in three months or risk increase in the interest rate. “Actually, the hospital called us to donate blood, but we were not healthy enough to donate blood, that is why they asked us to buy blood. We borrowed N22, 000 to buy the blood and we have to pay back N500 extra on every N1000. We know Government has assisted us greatly, and we will appreciate it further if they refund the money we spent on the blood so that we can pay back the loan. “Since we were transferred from Ahoada General Hospital to this place (UPTH) we have spent over N55, 000 on transportation, feeding and other things. We also sleep here in the hospital corridors exposed to mosquitoes and cold,” she said. She said the hope of the survival of her daughter and others rests on Jesus Christ, adding that she had made prayer request to her church on behalf of her daughter. She regretted that she did not add other survivors’ names in the prayer request, but said she is praying for all of the survivors.

probably just be rousing from its night of slumber? The answer probably lies in the dangerous but burgeoning night economy of that area, fuelled by the fact that about five years ago Okogbe welcomed tanker drivers to use their area as a tanker stop. Unknown to the outside world, prior to the explosion and devastating fire that had decimated its population; the Okogbe community in Ahoada West LGA of River State was a bubbling and thriving one, especially, in the evening. Saturday Mirror findings indicate that these tanker drivers, who were before then using Mbiama as their stop-over location, were chased out by Mbiama people who felt that the drivers were polluting their women and land. Hence, the tanker drivers and their fuel laden tankers relocated to the Okogbe axis of the East-West Road. Some residents of Okogbe and surrounding communities said that because of that situation Okogbe axis of the East-West Road became a dangerous stretch to drive through at night as trucks park on both sides of the road sometimes forming very long stretches. This has resulted in a high rate of accidents along that route and the

business of dispossessing accident victims blossomed. A resident said the presence of the tankers every night with easy money to burn led to upsurge in prostitution among the women of the area. Coupled with this is the illicit sale of petroleum products which were siphoned by the drivers from their wares by the roadside. Drinking joints and other places started experiencing boom. Even landlords were not left out as Okogbe attracted girls of easy virtue who rent rooms there for their night activities. According to Saturday Mirror investigations, some girls from higher institutions in the surrounding communities have rooms at Okogbe where they relocate to on weekends to do “runs”. As Mr. Chima Obediah, who lost several relatives to the fire confirmed, Okogbe thrives on the business of diesel and petrol, as it became a station for tankers to anchor for the night. Such was the composition of the community which explained why such a high number of people could be up that early to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker. It was another opportunity to get their merchandise free and sell later in the day at the thriving surface tank “fuel market”.

How the fire started

bviously, the continuous parking of the big vehicles on the road had created some depressions on it. It was one of the created depressions which aided the loss of control by the driver of the ill-fated truck as he tried to swerve and avoid a head-on collision with another vehicle.

Okpara

Throwing a wrench in the spreading tale of the fire being caused by a GSM handset was one of the survivors, Ugochukwu Okpara, now receiving treatment at the UPTH. The story, according to Okpara, is false. “The explosion was not caused by

phone call as people have been saying. The fire was started by someone who attempted to light a cigarette to smoke there. That is what caused the fire. I was told that he was lamenting at Ahoada before he died that he is the cause of the fire that killed so many people”, he said.

70-yr-old man who lost relatives, slumps, dies

eventy years old Hassa Shife woke up hale and hearty on the fateful Thursday but he never survived the day. He did not die in the incident. He, however, died of its effect. His in-law’s younger brother lost two sons in the fire. They were Nyemeche

and Kaniye. They were two young men in their prime. Their death ushered in another tragedy. According to another relative, when Hassan heard the sad news, his heart just could not just handle it, he slumped and died.

I wanted to rescue my brother – Survivor

zoma Maxwell, one of the survivors said he was rushing to the place to get his brother away from

scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when the fire happened. He said his brother is also receiving treatment at the hospital.

Tanker fire disaster: Poverty not excuse – Amaechi

July 21, 2012

Saturday Starter

Psychologists speak on recurrent tanker fire casualties •‘It is poverty’

that people who have guaranteed sources of livelihood would not do it. “They do it because individuals in this part of the world would rather think that when they are scooping the fuel, there won’t be a fire outbreak, that a fire outbreak wouldn’t happen to them and that they can make money by doing it.

“Too many things are wrong in this country, and these are leading to such needless acts. There are so many things we have to do to forestall such behaviour. The standard of living essentially has to improve. “Go to the United Nations and the World Bank. They have the statistics and definitions of what it is to live well but what are our governments doing about our living standard? Go to Ghana. Ghana meets the standards. But if you go to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc, you will see that something is wrong with us. “So, we need to search ourselves to for what is wrong. There is poverty everywhere; people can’t afford three square meals a day. It’s so sad and that’s the fundamental thing.” Proffering the solution, he said, “We can do so many things and not only from the part of the government but everyone. We should look at the lending rate that doesn’t encourage entrepreneurship. If the lending rate was sensible, people can establish small scale businesses, but if a farmer for instance should manage to obtain a bank loan, how will he pay back, considering all the pros and cons? “That’s why we all have a lot to do though the majority lies with the government to put everything in order.”

tunists. Even the politicians that rule us are all opportunists. They have nothing to offer us than oppression and to siphon our wealth to suit their own needs while every other person can go to hell. So for those people who go to such extent of putting their lives at risk just because of some peanuts are only doing so because of their past deprived lifestyle which had virtually turned them into hopeless persons. Sometimes when you even try to caution, they tell you that, that is their own share of the national cake. It is a very sad situation that we all find ourselves. What do you think is the way forward now? The only way forward is for our leaders to pay attention to our youths because the youths of today are the future leaders and if we do not do something about the

situation, the future spells doom for us in this country. The government must have consideration for those who voted them in by providing employment for people and making them have a sense of psychological engagement. However, what our government does is to siphon money to overseas account. Money that could have been useful in creating employment opportunities for people, they waste it on their lavish lifestyles. The money they looted from Tafa Balogun, what did they do with it? It is not enough for EFCC to arraign people and recover loot but what does the government do with the loot? Everyone one of us is corrupt and not until the issue of corruption is tackled, it may be difficult for us to get there. We all need to change and help our youths of today become better persons for our tomorrow to be okay.

CHINEDUM EMEANA PORT HARCOURT

overnor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has insisted that poverty is not enough reason for people to engage in activities that endanger their lives as happened in the Okogbe petrol tanker disaster, where about 200 people who rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker were killed. The governor said this on Thursday when he and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Dickson Seriake, accompanied Dame Patience Jonathan, the President’s wife on a visit to the 10 remaining survivors at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). “For the fact that we are hungry does not mean we should go and die immediately. There could be other healthy means of livelihood,” he added. He noted that the news of the incident was received with shock by the people of the state and he prayed that it never happens again. “Like I said when I went to see the villages that witnessed the incident, may it not happen again”, he prayed. Amaechi thanked Dame Jonathan for visiting the victims of the tanker fire stressing that such gesture demonstrates that she is really a daughter of the state. He urged her to convey the state’s appreciation to the President whom he said has shown serious concern over the incident prior to her visit. “The President and I spoke about it on phone and he wished us a lot of support and sympathy,” he said.

Amaechi

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

r Femi Akintayo of the Department of Psychology, University of Lagos, was unequivocal in saying it’s the psychology of poverty that makes people try to scoop fuel even though they knew it would endanger their lives. According to him, the basic reason such people do so is because they are poor and

‘Nigerians are deprived’ Dr. Rotimi Animashaun is a psychology lecturer at the Guidance and Counselling Department of the University of Ibadan. FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

hy do people still go ahead to scoop fuel at tanker accident scenes knowing they could be killed? Such actions can be summarized in a theory propounded by Sigmund Freud which says in summary that every deprivation suffered by individuals which occurs at the younger stage is not forgotten but only repressed in the subconscious mind and would be brought forward later in life and manifested in their attitude later in life. A lot of people have suffered a lot of deprivation in many ways like unemployment, poor lifestyle, and so on. As a result of the deprivation experienced by these people, it has made them tough to the extreme and they think every opportunity must not go untapped even if it is at the detriment of their life. Even with the many cases of death report tolling such incidences? It is when you have hope that things would get better one day that you would think of the future. The many years of deprivation had so engulfed everyone. Everybody today has virtually turned oppor-

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

National News

July 21, 2012

$3m bribery scandal: I’m ready for trial –Farouk Lawan •Dares Otedola, police, SSS to produce evidence •His lawyers re-strategize for defence

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ormer Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Fuel Subsidy Fund Management, Hon Farouk Lawan, accused of demanding US$3million from the Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, Mr Femi Otedola, yesterday declared that he is ready for trial. He spoke against the disclosure that a prima facie case has been establshed against him even as the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), hinted that trial would commence in the case in a matter of days. Lawan, who insisted yesterday that he committed no

crime dared both Otedola and the Nigerian Police to come out with their evidence. He said they would all end up proving nothing. He spoke yesterday through one of his lawyers who disclosed to Saturday Mirror that the defence team just met over the Lawan case following the denial by the Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Economic Crimes, Hon Jagaba to the effect that Lawan, contrary to his claim, did not carry his committee along in the bribery saga and that he did not give any bribe money to him or any member of his committee. The senior lawyer who spoke with Saturday Mir-

ror yesterday on condition of anonymity also disclosed that the defence team had just met to re-strategise on how to handle the case notwithstanding the fact that Jagaba disowned Lawan. He said “We are ready to go on with the case. I can tell you that Nigerians are yet to see anything. When the trial starts, it will be very clear that there is no case against our client,” the lawyer said. Otedola had accused Farouk Lawan of demanding for US$3million dollars from him to assist in clearing his companies indicted by the House Committee of involvement in fuel subsidy scam. He had said that he did offer Lawan marked US$250,000 bribe in his

house, twice, in a sting operation arranged by men of the State Security Service (SSS) and that all that transpired were recorded with a pen camera. The audio visual tape which he claimed was his evidence and which he had guarded jealously was said to have shown the images of Lawan collecting the dollars and keeping some in every available pockets and cap. Lawan who had kept quiet for a long time after Otedola released the bombshell later came out from his cocoon to fault the bribery allegation and the purported audio visual tape, challenging Otedola and the SSS to produce their evidence showing that he did demand for the bribe.

L-R: Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, displaying their driver’s licenses with Corps Marshal of Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, in Abuja, recently.

Why names of dead SANs appeared on our voters’ list –NBA •Says election free, fair •Ngige claims election was rigged ISE-OLUWA IGE

he Nigerian Bar Association yesterday admitted that names of dead Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) were on the accredited voters’ register used for the just concluded election of the body which produced Mr . Okechukwu Okey Wali (SAN) as its 26th president. The association however said that it was an error innocently committed and without capacity to rob the election of its integrity. The association which spoke yesterday through its outgoing General Secretary,

Mr. Olumuyiwa Akinboro, in Abuja, over the allegation by one of the presidential candidates in the election, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), admitted yesterday that the wife and the son of the outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Asociation, Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN) were not qualified statutorily to be members of the association’s National Executive Committee (NEC), he however explained that the same constitution of the NBA gave its leadership the powers to co-opt members of the Bar into its NEC which the Daudu leadership did. Akinboro explained that

the names of the deceased SANs found their ways into the accredited voters’ register simply because the names of the SANs were copied from an authouritative document which they sourced from the Supreme Court. He said that none of the members of the NBA electoral committee knew that the SANs were dead. A respected member of the inner bar and presidential candidate in the just concluded election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) had alleged that the outgoing leadership of the association allegedly ma-

nipulated the electoral process to rig the election for his opponent, Mr Okechukwu Okey Wali, who emerged as the 26th president of the lawyers’ association. He cited so many anomalies to establish his claim, including that the NBA leadership not only breached the association’s constitution by co-opting unqualified lawyers into its National Executive Committee (NEC) to truncate the wishes of lawyers in the election, he said names of dead Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) also made the voters’ list while their ‘ghosts’ voted in the election.

Rivers: 25 feared dead in fire incidents CHINEDUM EMEANA PORT HARCOURT

arely one week after a major petrol tanker fire at Okogbe, in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State which claimed nearly 200 lives, four separate fire incidents on Friday rocked Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital. In the various incidents, no fewer than 25 persons were feared dead. The fire incidents happened at Tide newspaper, Rhythm 93.7, a jetty at Abuloma. Another fire incident also occurred at Rumuokehi The Abuloma Jetty fire which started around 9.00am yesterday, claimed about 30 persons comprising vessel crew members and casual workers who were apparently trapped in a vessel, said Mr. Ransome Iyala Opuiyo, Public Relations Officers of the Abuloma Youth Council. Competent sources at the scene told Saturday Mirror that the vessel which was dry-docking at the jetty for repairs to leaking parts was engulfed by fire instigated by a spark in the course of welding. The fire, which burnt for several hours before fire fighters arrived, spread to a nearby vessel and eight Tug-Boats berthed by the jetty. Mr. Emenike Umesi, , South-South coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who visited the scene of the fire incident said that five persons were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment. He however said that he had not been able to establish the exact casualty figure. Reacting to the incident, Mr. Ransome Iyala Opuiyo, Public Relations Officers of the Abuloma Youth Council, told news men that its vigilance noted that the vessel is a “a foreign vessel” that is unknown here.” “It docked here because it had major leakage on board. It was when they were welding the leaking part that it sparked fire and the remnant of oil on

the vessel caused this fire disaster. “It is said that about 30 people are trapped on board this vessel. We have seen five people rescued and rushed to the hospital this morning (yesterday).” Despite efforts of fire fighters from the Rivers State Fire Services and Elf Multinational Oil Company, the fire was still raging at about 2.30 pm when both fire teams ran out of water. In the case of the 40year old Tide newspaper, owned by the Rivers State government, its second floor offices were burnt. The fire destroyed office equipment including six new computer sets, tables, chairs, air conditioners, and files among others. Fire started at about 2.00 a.m. when all staff, except the newspaper’s production people had closed for the day. By the time Rivers State Fire Service, NEMA, Police were called in to put out what was left of the fire, the whole floor had been razed. According to Mr. Celestine Ogolo, General Manager of the newspapers, the fire might have been caused by electrical fault. Electrical fault was also blamed for the fire at Port Harcourt offices of Silverbird Communications, owners of Silverbird Television and Rhythm 93.7 FM radio, according to Mr. Segun Owolabi, head of news at the radio station. He said the fire started at about midnight Thursday destroying its power system and UPS. As at evening of Friday, the radio and TV stations were still off air, even though Owolabi assured that they would come back soon. The fourth fire was at Rumuokehi area of Eneka, on the way to Igwuruta, where five petrol tankers, suspected to be carrying adulterated fuel from illegal bunkering operation, were allegedly set ablaze by men of the Joint Military Task Force. The explosions from the incident sent shock waves and panic through the whole community.

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July 21, 2012

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assures Nigerians on Amend constitution to recognise Mark 1999 constitution review Office of First Lady, others –Patience Jonathan S AMOUR UDEMUDE ASABA

EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has called for the recognition of the office of the First Lady in the constitution of Nigeria. The wife of the president, made this call against the backdrop of the plans to amend the nation’s constitution. Speaking in an interview with journalists yesterday in Yenagoa, shortly after her swearing-in as a Permanent

Secretary along with 18 others in Bayelsa State civil service, she said it was regrettable that the Office of the First Lady and others belonging to other wives of political office holders were not recognized by the constitution. She said in view of the signicance of the roles played by the wives of political office holders their offices should be recognized to enable them have benefits at the end of their husband’s tenure. Speaking on her new appointment, the wife of the president said it came as a

result of her position as a civil servant way back in the old Rivers State. She noted that she was promoted to the level of a director in the Bayelsa State civil service, some 13 years ago. Declaring that her appointment was justifiable and not in any way peculiar, she said some public and civil servants in the country had been promoted while serving in government. Her words: “I want to tell Nigerians to be patient .During the time of His Excellency, the former Head

of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, his wife was a Judge throughout his tenure .During the time of former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, the wife was a Judge . The wife of the Governor of Adamawa State is a serving judge. When the former Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili was in government, she was promoted as a Professor in the University. When Prof Jerry Gana was a Minister of Information , he was promoted to the position of a Professor by his university.”

enate president, Mr. David Mark has assured Nigerians of adequate representation of interest in the review of the 1999 constitution. The senator president who gave the assurance yesterday at the opening of retreat on the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution taking place in Asaba, Delta State capital noted that the military constitution being operated in the country was not perfect. According to him, it therefore needed to be amended and promised.

Fashola sets up emergency management committee MURITALA AYINLA

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence, and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, during a condolence visit by the Ekiti State Governor to the Ajimobis’ over the demise of Alhaja Sikirat Ajimobi, in Ibadan, Oyo State... on Thursday.

Terrorism: Security beefed up in Kano …As gunmen kill three AUGUSTINE MADU WEST KANO

ecurity has been beefed up in Kano, the Kano State capital, following a renewed gun attack which claimed three lives on Friday. The attack which was carried out by some men on motorcycles coincided with the state government’s relaxation of the six months old restriction of movements. The restriction of movement prohibits the use of commercial motorcycles beyond 6 p.m. following cases of gun attacks. With the lifting of the ban by the government on Friday, motorcyclists in Kano can now operate up to 8 p.m.

The action, the governor said, was in the spirit of the Muslim period of fasting, Ramadan, which commenced yesterday. Kano police spokesman, Mohammed Dutse, said the gun men on a bike opened fire on a group of card playing young men, killing two on the spot. The third died on the way to the hospital. Mohammed said the attack occurred at Kwanar Radio Freedom in Sharada, a Kano suburb. No arrest was made as at the time of this report. The police said they received a distress call from some residents in the neighbourhood and rushed to the scene. “Two were already dead when our men arrived; the

other one died on the way to the hospital,” Dutse said. Huge presence of security personnel was witnessed yesterday in different parts of the city, while the mosques, especially the high profile ones have been

fortified by a combine team of police and soldiers . The state special antiterrorim squad, the joint task force, are known to be combing the nook and cranny of the state for the extremists.

Mark while stressing that impunity would no longer be welcomed in Nigerian electoral processes, said that section 8 and 9 of the constitution vested on the National Assembly the exclusive rights to review the constitution. He added that the amendment of the constitution without attitudinal change would amount to fruitless efforts that would not guaranteed a better democracy. In his remarks, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said they were in Asaba to brainstorm on the review of the 1999 constitution which is a continuous process.

s part of efforts to effectively prevent and manage disaster in all the nook and cranny of the state, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday inaugurated the first Local Emergency Management Committee in Ojodu Local Council Development Area. The governor said that the committee which was the first of its kind to be inaugurated at the grass roots level in the country would serve as first responder to disaster incidence at the council. Speaking during the inauguration of the com-

mittee, Fashola who was represented by the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that the thrust of establishing the committee was to avert and manage disaster through quick response by the residents of the grassroots. His words: “Disaster management is not a oneman show and a leading horse should assist other horses. The state has taken a bold step. You don’t have to wait until it happens. Disaster is not what anyone wants, but we have to prepare for it by taking proactive measures to curtail it, if it happens.

CACOL calls for removal of Jonathan, Oteh TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

he Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) yesterday lauded the efforts of the House of Representatives at ensuring 100 per cent implementation of the 2012 budget. It also called on the lower chamber of the National Assembly to make good its threat to move for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan in case he fails to fully implement the 2012 budget by September 18 deadline given to him. CACOL, in a statement by its executive chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, also called for the removal of the embattled Director-

General of Security and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arumah Oteh over allegations of corruption and underhand dealings that rocked her tenure as the boss of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Adeniran, in a statement made available to Saturday Mirror, noted that, “Full implementation of the budget, especially the capital projects, is the basis of good governance. Any government that desires a notable change in the society must be committed to implementing the budget fully. The reluctance exhibited by the president, when it comes to capital project execution, is not only suicidal to the masses, but it is an act of grand corruption.”

Politics

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July 21, 2012

INEC: Inching towards credible elections TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

rior to last Saturday governorship election in Edo State there was anxiety. Not many could say specifically what would be the turn of event on the D-day. The reason for the apprehension is the amount of accusations and counter-accusations that preceded the election. For example, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was accusing the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of plans to rig the election, the latter also countered, saying that it was indeed the PDP that was already out to engage in electoral malpractices. The tension soon become very high and that informed the amount of security measures put in place. Not only were the police around, soldiers also took over the streets of Edo State, all in the bid to ensure the election was free and fair, and that sanity prevailed. The election is now history. Losers have emerged and a victor has sang the song of joy. Significant is the fact that despite the accusations by some of the politicians that were deeply involved in the election that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was suspected to be working to manipulate the situation in favour of one party or candidate, peace reigned. The election was considered free and fair. Many have declared it credible. With the general verdict that the election was free and fair, it has become obvious that INEC is improving by the day. At least, compared to the situation in 2011, last Saturday election was an improvement. In terms of security, conduct of the exercise, reduction in the rate of irregularities and spate of violence, the electoral umpire has impressed more than before. Infact, the quick release of results within 24 hours after the election added to how better INEC is believed to have become. Little wonder that the result of the election was accepted by members of the PDP that even lost. President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party were among those who, very early after the result was released, congratulated the winner, Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Keen watchers of the political development in the country are quick to declare that the Edo governorship election and other previous governorship elections after the April 2011 general elections conducted by INEC have given an inkling of what Nigerians should expect in the forthcoming 2015 general elections. Some are of the view that there is the possibility that INEC would build on its past performances and give Nigerians the much desired credible, free and fair elections. Since the outcome of the Edo governorship election, a discourse has been opened, with many looking at the possible reasons for the improvement recorded. To some, it is believed that one of the factors that contributed to INEC’s performance in recent past is the staggering of the elections. The format, it is argued, gave INEC and security agents the opportunity to deployed more human and financial resources to the field during the elections. For example, last Saturday in Edo, about eight electoral commissioners and almost 10,000 military personnel and policemen were deployed in Edo State for the

election. During the exercise, the deployment of security personnel was well coordinated and most polling units had, at least, two security agents. There were also scant incidents of intimidation and use of force and in most places where these were recorded, it involved military personnel. However, the force was not excessive and did not disrupt the proceedings at the polling units. Security personnel also conducted themselves very well and were impartial in the discharge of their electoral functions. Also, the introduction of security and serialisation of the electoral materials by INEC made rigging to be difficult for politicians and this development contributed immensely to the success recorded by INEC. Desirous of improved electoral processes, many Nigerians cannot therefore wait for 2015 when they hope and expect that INEC would have improved far more than it did in the last election in Edo State. Speaking to Saturday Mirror, a chieftain of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, who believes, like many others, that there is need for improvement on the part of the INEC, tasked the electoral body to improve on its logistics in preparation for future elections. His words: “While I commend INEC for gradually removing the mindset that free and fair elections cannot be conducted in Nigeria, it must be stated that Nigerians are concerned that INEC, which is saddled with the responsibility to conduct elections in 772 local governments in Nigeria could not conduct elections in 18 local governments without lateness. After several elections conducted in individual states, one would have thought that INEC would have had “lesson learned” in each of the states and used the “lessons learned” to improve. “INEC needs to study the cause of lateness and establish procedures to nip it in the bud. It was lack of good planning that usually resulted in lateness and that led to the transportation of election materials using a boat without life jackets. Also, paralysing the economy during elections is enough pain on the people. Further pain being imposed by requiring voters to first line up for accreditation, go home and then return to vote needs to be revisited. If the objective is to know the numbers of the accredited voters that objective could be attained by simply allowing a voter to accredit, have the accreditation recorded by INEC and party agents present and vote immediately after accreditation. This will reduce the pains being inflicted on the voters and encourage more voters to exercise their rights.” In his view, the outgoing chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Comrade Mashood Erubami, said that there had been improvement on elections in Nigeria since April 2011 general elections, considering how INEC conducted elections in some states. Said he: “INEC has continued to improve on the elections since April 2011, particularly the governorship elections in Kogi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers states. The only areas where we noticed shortcomings consistently are late arrivals at some polling stations; delay in picking up electoral officers after voting and providing for enough cubicles to allow for secret voting as stipulated in the law. These areas can be CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Jonathan

Jega

Abubakar

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July 21, 2012

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ceeded in doing is to pre-empt the system and possibly coerce them into submission. Let us be happy because there were no violence and everything went well. The election came and is gone. Thankfully, INEC conducted a very credible election but unfortunately, if the PDP had won, the story now would have been Jega must go. So, people should be able to understand that what makes a system work are the elements, the stakeholders that are involved, the politicians that are involved among others.

Aduwo

‘Cost of organising election is becoming alarming’ Olufemi Aduwo, the national coordinator of the Rights Monitoring Group (RMG) is one of those who have been advocating for good governance and sustainable democracy in Nigeria. Aduwo, who was one of the observers at the last governorship election in Edo State, in this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, speaks on the conduct of the election; the victory of Governor Adams Oshiomhole; why Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the election, among other issues. Excerpts:

s an observer in last Saturday governorship election in Edo State, what is your assessment of the exercise? Election observation, many don’t know, include how the candidates emerge; media coverage in terms of how much the political parties spent, whether it conforms with the law or not; electoral rules and regulation, among others. We observed all the processes to the buildup of the election and we are not also unaware that there were lots of accusation levelled against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); many aspersions were cast on its integrity by some alarmists. Having said that,

let me say that what is said to be free and fair elections in this country and even in another world is subjective. Also, remember that about two months ago, even the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Bola Tinubu, called for the removal of the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, saying that he (Jega), is worse than Professor Maurice Iwu. Also, the Secretary General of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) said that Jega must go. Even on the election day, the winner of the election accused Jega of wanting to manipulate the election process. All these background and permutations should be considered before one can say that an election was free and

fair. But in all, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was declared the winner. I think by now, he should tender an unreserved apology to INEC. Why do you think Governor Oshiomhole and ACN leaders accused INEC of attempting to manipulate the process of the election? They are alarmists. What they do is that whenever they are unable to reach out to electoral officers, they rationalise that it is because their opponent has done that. They felt that everybody is corrupt, whereas it is not true. There are so many electoral officers and observer groups that are above board. What they suc-

During last Saturday election security operatives and electoral officers from about 14 states were deployed to Edo State. Considering the resources involved, don’t you think the cost of organising election in Nigeria is becoming very high? The cost of organising election is becoming alarming. You can imagine that a team of RECs was deployed to Edo State; then, other commissioners were there too. It is becoming so alarming. Thousands of police officers and military personnel were also on ground. Assuming this is a general election, would there be this number of security men? Meanwhile, that was because of the palpable fear and tension created before and during the election. If there is internal democracy, there will not be any reason for the tension. You may also ask: How did these candidates emerge? Some of the candidates, especially incumbent governors in Nigeria don’t usually emerge through primary anymore. They are just endorsed and imposed on other party candidates. ACN accused PDP of printing illegal voter’s card and the ACN was accused of doing the same thing. All of these gave a kind of concern to the government that everything must be put in place to ensure success. Alright, security men had to be deployed, they deployed thousands. Imagine DIG was there just to create a kind of level playing ground so that nobody will have any kind of hidden agenda. Commissioner of Police has to be out, all these things cost money. Prior to the election there was an opinion poll that placed PDP candidate ahead of ACN candidate, and with federal might and other structures on ground many people had thought that PDP would win the election. Why do you think PDP lost the election? Edo State PDP has problems. There were internal crisis and as a result, they worked at cross purposes. They worked against themselves. Many of the stakeholders marvelled at how the PDP candidate, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), emerged as the party flag bearer. They feel it was not proper to come from nowhere and be made the candidate. Forget what they called reconciliation. They were just cosmetics. Imagine a situation where former candidates for same position were not given any nod; talking about former Edo State governor, Prof. Osunbor, among others, for example. Do you think they were happy? Some top PDP members shifted ground for their own selfish interest because as far as they are concerned, it is better for them to lose the election now than in 2015, where they may likely contest. If the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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July 21, 2012

‘Cost of organising election is becoming alarming’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 PDP candidate had won, won’t he seek reelection after four years? That is food for thought for you. I am also not saying that the winner of the election was the best candidate because in Nigeria, all of them are the same. What we have is just difference in names. Do you expect any of the candidates that lost in the Edo State governorship election, especially the PDP candidate, to go to the tribunal? I think the PDP doesn’t need to go to court because they lost the election within their own arrangement. They don’t need to go to court over Edo election. Even though, unfortunately, it has become a norm that when the PDP wins election, they will say it is rigged, when it is ACN or CPC, it is a free and fair election. I have the pictures on many things that transpired at some of the polling units. In my team we have about two or four journalists; we recorded a lot of scenes where, in a polling unit, beer were being served openly, people were drunk. We witnessed where people cast their votes and collected money at the back of the booth. So, in that situation, election

may be free at its best value but people are not voting according to the dictates of their conscience. So, it is not that we failed. I think Nigerians should be able to change this mind that whenever PDP wins the election is rigged. PDP may win, it may be rigged; also, CPC may win through rigging. Ondo State governorship election is the next on the list of INEC. What are your expectations on the election? There may be a problem in Ondo State because as it is, credible people were ignored. That drives home my point that internal democracy is lacking within the parties. I am not saying that the flag bearers are not credible but there are some persons who had been waiting for that privilege to contest but were not even given the opportunity to participate in the primary because none was conducted. To me, if I go for primary, let me lose the election, than for a foreign body to just come and impose his choice on the people. If you know that you are a democrat, you go for primary because that is the beginning of democracy. You go for primary; you taste it there and then; whoever emerges becomes the choice of the party. Then, the party will work for him

INEC: Inching towards credible elections CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 worked on for better performance. “INEC has scaled the challenges of fraudulent collusion with political parties, inadequate materials and late announcement of results, which were the case in the past. INEC now allocates enough time and resources to election planning, staff training, staff recruitment and procurement of materials. It now engages local and international observers, better than before to ensure transparent and peaceful conduct of elections. “INEC also conducts its activities transparently, winning the confidence of stakeholders. It has also ensured the accessibility of the voting process to marginalised groups. INEC now engages the media and shares accurate information through them to the public. We could only expect that these improvements will continue without backsliding.” In its own view, the Manager, Accountability and Justice of CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Chinedu Nwagu, while addressing newsmen in Benin after the Edo election, recommended that for future elections in the country, INEC should undertake a complete review and harmonisation of the Voters’ Register to reduce incidents of double registration, missing names and photographs, and fake voters’ register among others. He said that the training and deployment of security officers for election should be harmonised and better co-

ordinated to ensure synergy. He suggested that security officials should be given more training in crowd control and should be better equipped to manage conflict situations. He also advised that the involvement of military personnel during elections should be minimised as it usurps police’ functions and undermines their ability to learn from previous experiences. His words: “INEC’s logistics deployment strategy can still be improved upon and would benefit from better understanding of the terrain where the election will be conducted. INEC should also undertake a complete review and harmonisation of the voters register to reduce incidents of double registration, missing photos etc. “The training and deployment of Security officials for elections should be harmonised and better coordinated to ensure synergy. Security officials should be given more training in crowd control and should be better equipped to manage conflict situations. The involvement of military personnel during elections should be minimised as it usurps police functions and undermines their ability to learn from previous experiences and build the capacity to secure elections.” If the performance of INEC in the Edo State governorship election is anything to go by, then Nigerians may look forward to a nationwide credible, free and fair election come 2015. But would INEC deliver? Only time will tell.

Aduwo

to get the popular approval or choice of the people. But people are just being imposed as if democracy is a one-man show. So, when you talk about credibility of the election, there are many factors that make an election to be free and fair. There are many factors that make an

election credible and acceptable. I want to also use this opportunity to call on security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, interrogate some of these INEC commissioners during the election and ask them if they received strange calls from some top figures. I know, in Edo State in particular, a commissioner was sent a text that he had to leave the state. At the end of the day, what he thought was not what happened. As a political analyst and a realist, do you think it will be easy for Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State to win the coming election? I am from Ondo State but I have never been to Akure in my life. So, I don’t even know the office of the governor. But the way ACN chose their candidates is below what is acceptable in an ideal democracy. All those candidates of ACN who indicated interest were very credible. Most of them fought for this democracy. So what the party should have done was to make sure that there was a primary election. But this never happened, leaving other better candidates disgruntled. Believe you me, Akeredolu is a big lawyer but not many know him. In fact, the fact that it is him, makes it a walk over for Mimiko. But the emergence of Chief Olusola Oke is another big threat. ACN is out of it because of the manner the candidate emerged. He can be a governor but the system, the process that produced him is funny. Also, many will tell you that Ondo people don’t serve foreign gods. You can’t impose anybody on them.

In your refreshingly different Child prostitution: A country’s growing monster It is not new, the age long trade in flesh otherwise known as prostitution. The society frowns at it but this has not deterred the ‘aunties’ who lure unsuspecting teenagers and their parents into releasing their young ones. What are the tricks employed by these good “Samaritans aunties”? Why do parents fall for this tricks? And how do these young

women who were never allowed to enjoy their youth feel? It is a compelling read in tomorrow’s paper.

Furore over Yoruba leadership

Tuesday, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) appointed Major General Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd) as the leader of the Yoruba nation. To many, this should have put to rest the year-long search for an acceptable Yoruba leader, or so one would presume. But this may not be so after all. The move has thrown up fresh controversies on how the Yoruba leader should emerge. What are the opinions? Who are those talking? Keep a date tomorrow.

Oko, a community in trauma

Oko community, Anambra State, birthplace of former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, is in trauma. The community’s trauma is caused by the rainy season. When most people should be celebrating, it is not the case with Oko and the communities adjourning it. The reason is simple: Rain that should have been a blessing is the cause of the heartache. This is because most buildings in the community are being gradually washed away by erosion. The monarch’s palace and some other prominent citizens’ country homes are not spared. Pick your favourite Sunday Mirror tomorrow for the story of a community in trauma.

‘Music brings me before presidents, kings’ Effervescent Essence Okoro is popularly known for her inspirational songs. A graduate of Theatre Arts from Delta State University, this musician believes that there are so many advantages derivable from being a musician. A shot: “My job opens doors of goodness and favour for me. Music has taken me to the farthest places. I have performed for kings and presidents. She reveals more on her career, home and fashion preference tomorrow. These and many more available tomorrow in your

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Eulogies as Olusola is buried

z Nigerians should emulate his virtues -Jonathan FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

he remains of the former Nigeria Ambassador to Ethiopia, Chief Segun Olusola, was yesterday commited to mother earth in his country home at Iperu-Remo in Ikenne Local Government area of Ogun State amidst encomiums. Among those in attendance at the funeral service held at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral,

Iperu Remo were President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented by Secretary General, National Summit Group, Tonny Uranta; the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former Minister of Sports, Chief Alex Akinyele; former World Court Judge, Prince Bola Ajibola and Chief Raymond Dokpesi. Others included the Yeye Oge of Lagos, Chief (Mrs) Opral Benson; Sir Kessington Adebutu; Chief Tola Adeniyi;

Ambassador Brownson Dede; Professor Johnson Ekpere; Chief Kayode Onafowokan and others. The funeral service which began as early as 8:00 a.m. with a lying in state came to an end as his remains were interred at exactly 2: 58 pm at his residence in Television House in Iperu Remo. In his sermon, the Bishop of Remo Central Diocese of Methodist Church of Nigeria, The Rt. Revd. Gboyega Ohu,

described the late Olusola as a trusted Nigerian, who used his resources to benefit the less-privileged. Bishop Ohu, who anchored his sermon on the vanity of life, told the gathering to always bless the less-privileged with their riches and wealth just like the late ambassador did. “Many of us occupy exalted positions in our communities, but today our time has expired. Are you blessed with riches

and wealth of this world? You must always remember that somebody gave you that ability which you shall return one day. A day of accountability is imminent. Never think everything starts and ends with you. Death is a divine appointment. “Olusola died at a time the unity of this country is being threatened. He was an African man that promoted African culture in its true sense. Refugees will never forget his noble contribution,” he added. The bishop, who berated the Nigerian political

class for not considering the plights of the masses, urged the leaders to learn from the life of former president of South Africa, Dr. Nelson Mandela. Ohu preached that Mandela had billions of opportunities to enrich himself while in office but did not do so in the interest of the masses. Represented by Tony Uranta, President Goddluck Jonathan described the late Olusola as a great leader who was genuinely concerned about thepeace of not only Nigeria, but Africa and mankind. The president urged Nigerians to emulate his virtue of integrity and service to mankind.

Ogun: Local govt election holds today TEMITOPE OGUNBNKE

L-R: Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, David Iorhembe, representing Governor Gabriel Suswam; Mrs Veronica Umaru, representing Mrs. Titi Abubakar, wife of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and Rector, Gateway (ICT) Polytechnic, Igbesa, Ogun State, Dr. Godwin Ejodame, at an award ceremony organised by Corporate Media Africa Communications Ltd, in Abuja, recently.

Defence Minister: S’ South, S’ West lobby Jonathan for Yoruba candidate SEGUN ADIO

ome top personalities in the SouthWest and SouthSouth geo-political zones of the country have embarked on an intense lobby of the Presidency for the appointment of a Yoruba for the position of the Minister of Defence. The lobby group which membership includes some former federal lawmakers and retired military top brass from the South-South zone of the country as well as some prominent traditional rulers from the South-West. It was gathered that the

lobby group’s selling point is the purported marginalisation of the SouthWest geo-political zone in the Jonathan presidency. It was also gathered that the group is of the opinion that appointing a Yoruba into substantive position in the ministry, would ‘give the people the opinion that appointing a Yoruba into substantive position in the ministry, would give the people of the region a sense of belonging and togetherness in the running of the affairs of the country. The group further argued that there is the need for balance of the security positions in the

country with the view not to over concentrate the appointments of such sensitive positions like the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser and the Minister of Defence in a single geo-political zone so that it would not create apprehension in the minds of people from other geopolitical zones, especially in the Southern parts of the country. The group also hinges their new stance on ‘removing the misconception that their overwhelming support which was translated into high number of votes for the election of Mr. President dur-

ing the April 2011 general polls has been adequately compensated for. The source, a prominent South South leader, who begged for anonymity, said, “In fact we feel that the Yoruba have not been adequately compensated in spite of their supports for the President and we are trying to convince the Presidency not to give room for a situation whereby an equally important part of the country noted for its peaceful and orderliness conducts is perceiving security imbalance in the polity.” The source disclosed further that the group was not against any particular ethnic group nor individuals to aspire to any position of their choice in the country.

he people of Ogun State are expected to troop out en-masse today to take part in the local government elections across the 20 councils in the state. Toward today’s election there have been a lot of preparations by political parties and their candidates for the chairmanship and counsellorship seats in the state. Today’s election will therefore determine those that would be at the helm of affairs at the third tie of government for the next three years. Some of the political parties that are expected to take part in today’s election, having scaled through the OGSIEC’s screening

are the ruling party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Labour Party (LP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). According to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), about 77 and 500 candidates would be contesting for the 20 chairmanship and 236 counsellorships seats respectively in today’s election. Saturday Mirror gathered from a reliable source that at the OGSIECs office in Abeokuta yesterday, all the materials needed for the elections were seen taken away by the electoral officers in charge of the 20 councils amidst tight security.

Fire service vows to mitigate fire disasters OMEIZA AJAYI

he Federal Fire Service has expressed its readiness to continue to collaborate with the organised private sector to evolve more efficient ways of mitigating the consequences of fire disasters across the country. The Service which lamented the loss of personal and public assets to recent fire incidences across the nation said it was poised to reduce its response time to distress calls by investing more in technology. Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Engr. Segun Okebiorun,

stated this at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with 2Toc Solutions with which it has concluded plans to launch a Fire Alert System (FAS). He said the alert system would assist in proffering lasting solutions to fire getting to an escalated level before response is called. Disclosing that the project would be officially flagged off on August 2, Engr. Okebiorun added that the service was currently experimenting the project in most parts of the Federal Capital City and that efforts will be scaled up to expand it to other states.

Sport

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

CAF Champions League

Sunshine seeks redemption against Etoile

Sunshine Stars player, Sunday Emmanuel (right), celebrating with teammate after scoring a goal against USFA of Burkina Faso in last year’s CAF Confederation Cup played in Ijebu-Ode. INSET: Gbenga Ogunbote.

IFEANYI EDUZOR

igeria’s representative in this year’s CAF Champions League, Sunshine Stars of Akure will today confront Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia in the second match of the group stage of the money spinning competition which kicked off a fortnight ago in various centres across the continent. Sunshine which got their Orange CAF Champions League off to a less colourful start with a home defeat to defending champions, Esperance of Tunisia in Ijebu-Ode is expected to use today’s match to re-launch itself back to reckoning, knowing that anything short of the maximum three points will put their chances of progressing further in the championship in jeopardy. The Tunisian side which is second in ‘Group A’ behind Esperance having defeated ASO Chief of Algeria 1-0

in their first encounter in Algiers will be gunning for a total victory against the Nigerians to improve their chances of progressing to the semi- final stage of the championship, while the Akure outfit will try to avoid another defeat which might be detrimental to their campaign this season. Although, the Nigerian representatives were a shadow of themselves in the match against Esperance and could not re-enact the form that made them create record as the first club to debut in a CAF competition and go ahead to play in the semi final of last year’s confederation cup, they are optimistic that they can still put the defeat behind them and qualify from the group considering their away record in last year’s CAF Confederation’s Cup campaign. According to the Chief Coach of the team, Gbenga Ogunbote, his players has recovered from the set back and are ready to turn the table against the 2007

NFF commits to Soccerex seminar P. 14

champions who he described as good, but beatable. “It is unfortunate that we lost our first game to the defending champions, but we are going to bounce back against Etoile du Sahel in today’s encounter. “They are a good side, but we are not going to have too much respect for them as we did to Esperance which made us lose our first match; we are going for the maximum three points because the team is beatable. “People should not write Sunshine off with the first match because we still have other matches to play at the group stage and hopefully by the end of today’s encounter, people will see a different team because we have prepared well for the match,” Ogunbote said. In a related development, Sunshine Stars hit man, Godfrey Oboabona whose strike hit the goal post to deny the team a goal against Esperance said he is optimistic he will record his name in the

Mascherano ready for new Barca deal P. 41

scorers, chart in today’s encounter. He told our correspondent, that the team had put the last loss behind them and were eager to win their remaining matches to ensure they qualify from the group. “Although we lost our first encounter to the defending champion, but we are optimistic that we can still qualify from the group and that is why we are taking the match against Etoile serious. “I was unlucky not to have scored in that match but I am confident that I will score in today’s encounter because I have prepared adequately for the game,” Oboabona affirms. Meanwhile the Chief Coach of Etoile du Sahel, Mondher Kbaier, has promised that the team will keep a clean slate in today’s encounter. He noted that his players were in good shape to confront Sunshine and were ready to increase the woes of the Nigerian representatives.

Our male athletes are not committed P. 42 –Ikhaobomeh

SPORT

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

London 2012 Olympics and Nigeria’s medal prospects

ome July 27, the attention of the sporting world will be shifted to the beautiful city of London for the commencement of the 2012 Olympic Games. Expectedly, Nigeria will be featuring in eight events, namely boxing, athletics, canoeing, taekwondo, basketball, weightlifting, table tennis and wrestling. As a kicker, how prepared is Team Nigeria for the global showpiece and what colour of medals should Nigerians expect from the hastily prepared team? Past records have shown that Nigeria’s first appearance at the Olympics was in 1952 at the Helsinki Games in Finland. And since then, the country has participated in 16 previous Olympic Games from Helsinki to the Beijing Games, held in China, in 2008. The country’s first medal at the Olympics was a bronze won at the Tokyo 1964 Games, in the 67-71kg (light-middleweight) boxing event by Nojim Maiyegun. And Nigeria’s second medal which was a bronze was won in Germany after two successive Games at the Munich 1972 by another boxer, Isaac Ikhouria, in the 75-81kg (lightheavyweight) category. Nigeria’s best outing so far at the Olympics was recorded in the United States of America at the Atlanta 1996 Games where the country won two gold, one silver and two bronze medals. There, Chioma Ajunwa, leapt to gold in the long jump event for women, while the men’s football team (Dream Team), coached by Dutchman, Jo Bonfrere, defeated a star-studded Brazilian team on its way to picking the Olympic

HARD TACKLE with

Andrew Ekejiuba anelsports@yahoo.com soccer gold; the first ever by an African country. In summary, Nigeria has won a total of 23 medals at the Olympics; 2 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze medals since joining the league of sporting nations in the global event. Looking at our medal prospects following the amount of preparations put in by Team Nigeria for the Games, our country’s medal prospect in the twoweek competition looks bright. But, it may look hasty for HT to predict the kind of medals our athletes may return home with at the end of the day in London because of the quality of opposition they will face in their various events. After conquering Africa at the just concluded 18th African Senior Athletics Championships held in Porto Novo, Benin Republic, The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has continued to assure Nigerians that the team is not going to the London games for a jamboree, but would be there to prove to the world that the athletic prowess of the country is still potent.

SPORT NEWS

Airtel to bring Arsenal’s first team stars to Lagos ANDREW EKEJIUBA

eading Telecommunications Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has partnered with Arsenal Football Club to bring four first-team players of the prestigious London Club to Lagos, Nigeria. The players are expected in Lagos later this month and have been scheduled to take part in exclusive Airtel events and engage with supporters in Nigeria. Tomas Rosicky, Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker and new signing Lukas Podolski will travel to Lagos with club officials for a flying visit the weekend after next. The players will take part in club events and other activities

organised by Airtel. The move follows the postponement of Arsenal’s game against Nigeria which was scheduled for Sunday, August 5. Arsenal’s head of global partnerships Vinai Venkatesham said: “We were disappointed to have to postpone the game and intend to visit Nigeria next summer. However we are delighted to be bringing this group of players to Nigeria to take part in events with our regional partners. It will give us a chance to engage with local supporters and reinforce our commitment to the market.” The players will take part in a busy schedule of events in Lagos and will also be making appearances for mobile network operator Airtel.

08034343377

In the past for example, Nigeria had produced such great athletes and Olympians like Chioma Ajunwa, Chidi Imoh, Innocent Egbunike, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa, Mary OnyaliOmagbemi, Falilat Ogunkoya, Gloria Alozie, Olusoji Fasuba and the late Sunday Bada who held the athletics world spell bound with their performances in their various events. So, it is expected that Nigeria would continue their dominance in the track and field events in London. In the table tennis event, national table tennis coach, Nasiru Bello, has affirmed that the players are in top shape and eager to make the country proud. He also added that the table tennis team which is made up of Funke Oshonaike, Offiong Edem, Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri would feature in the single’s event only, where they could likely garner medals. But it is the stand of HT that Toriola may not reckon as a potential gold medallist in London on account of being 37 years of age. Therefore, it is expected that he will succeed in making history as Nigeria’s record par-

Chioma Ajunwa making her historic gold jump at Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games.

ticipant at the quadrennial event with a consecutive sixth appearance since Barcelona ’92. It is true that the Francebased star has dominated Africa and the Commonwealth Games with unrivalled records in table tennis, especially his five-star performance at the Beijing 2008 Olympics by becoming the first and only African to make it to the quarter finals stage of the global event, but the young man requires a miracle to replicate such feat in London because of age. In boxing, the sport used to be one of Nigeria’s strongest medals hopes, but today, things have fallen apart and is expected that our boxers would only try to rewrite history or get their names written in the dustbin of history.

Team Nigeria will be featuring two male boxers, Lukmon Lawal (light-heavyweight) and Muideen Akanji (middleweight) who earned their places on the Olympic train, thanks to their performances in the African qualifying event in April and one female boxer, Edith Agu Ogoke won a place at the World Championships in China in the middleweight division. Unlike table tennis, not much is expected here, except if Ogoke could surmount all opposition and conquer the inner jitter that often grab first timers at the Olympics to make a statement in her weight category. The only areas that Nigerians could probably win medals could be in athletics, canoeing, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling. But we cannot rule out more than three medals from athletics. Nigeria’s brightest chance for medal in athletics appears to be in Amaechi Morton, who will compete in men’s 400m hurdles. He won gold at the African meet in Porto Novo and is one of the best quarter-mile hurdlers in the world this year. We could also win medals in the women’s 4X100m and 4X400m relays. From the foregoing, our athletes are ready to erase the bad press they recently received after three of their top athletes were dropped prior to the games in London as a result of drugrelated issue. Therefore, Nigerians should go into their various closets to pray for the success of Team Nigeria in London because nothing short of gold rush is expected from them!

NFF commits to Soccerex seminar ANDREW EKEJIUBA

occerex has announced that the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has confirmed he will be attending the Soccerex Seminar in Lagos, between September 27 and 28, 2012. He will be delivering a keynote speech as part of the opening session entitled, ‘Football in West Africa’. The session will also include the Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, Seyi Akinwunmi and President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi. The NFF was formed in 1945 and became affiliated with CAF in 1959 and

FIFA in 1960. As of 2008 it organises three leagues and five cup competitions. Alhaji Aminu Maigari stated: “This is a landmark achievement that should be celebrated considering what Soccerex has been doing in the area of business for the past one and a half decades. The NFF is encouraging all efforts and endeavours geared towards promoting the game and making Nigerian football a bigger brand than it ever was.” The Soccerex Seminar Lagos will deliver a conference agenda exploring current football business topics in West Africa and will gather speakers from regional rights holders, governing bodies and agencies along with internationally-renowned

personalities to debate key issues such as youth development, doing business in West Africa, lifecycle of an African player and football’s social responsibility. Following this recent addition to the growing line-up of senior speakers Duncan Revie, CEO of Soccerex added, “We’re delighted to have the support of the NFF and view this is a seamless continuation of our fruitful relationship with the Lagos State Football Association. The aim of the Soccerex Seminar Lagos is to develop football in West Africa. Having the Nigerian Football Federation and the Lagos State Football Association on board is crucial and will only contribute towards that

development. Lagos and Nigeria will be welcoming the world of football with open arms this September.”

NFF President, Alhaji. Aminu Maigari.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

SPORT

6 DAYS TO GO

July 21, 2012

London set to receive Olympic Flame ANDREW EKEJIUBA

JULY 27 - AUGUST 12, 2012

he London 2012 Organising Committee have disclosed a selection of highlights for the Olympic Flame’s journey around London and its final cruise down the River Thames on Friday 27 July. The Flame which has

visited over 1,000 communities around the UK, celebrating the achievements of over 7,000 Torch bearers, presented by CocaCola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung will travel around 200 miles, carried by 982 Torchbearers throughout the capital. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said: “We have

Wazobia Lounge to open July 27

Ukah

IFEANYI EDUZOR

hairman of Marketing Commission of Nigeria Olympic Committee, Patrick Ukah, has described the Wazobia Lounge put up by the country at the Africa village in London as the most important place any Nigerian participating in London 2012 Olympics must visit to enable him feel at home and be treated to the best of Nigerian culture and hospitality as he further explained that the lounge will be officially opened on July, 27, 2012.

Nigeria and 25 other African countries secured a space at Kingston Garden to offer opportunities to their citizens to feel at home during the Olympics as well as showcase their rich cultural heritage. Disclosing this to the media during an interactive session, he noted that the lounge which will serve as a major event and fun centre will be handed over to the NOC on July 23, by the contractor. There will be exhibitions courtesy of Nigerian Gallery of Arts, showcasing the country’s history, while the official team song will be unveiled before the official opening ceremony of the Olympics. Explaining the concept behind the lounge, the Event Manager, Goke Dokun, noted that those to exhibit at the stands are emi-

nent Nigerians both in the country and Diaspora who have excelled in various aspects of human endeavour to serve as image laundering for the country. According to him, state resource forum by at least four Governors will be held at the centre just as he announced that a lot of Nigerian musicians and Nollywood actors will entertain people daily. “ To make Nigerians feel at home in London, prominent Nigerian musicians and Nollywood actors will entertain people daily with free drinks from one of the leading brewery companies served to Nigerians. “There will also be exhibition of Nigeria history in pictures by Alhaji Baba Shettima who has the largest collection of pictures from both pre and post Nigeria independence,” Dokun said.

DStv’s SuperSport collaborates with Olympic icons

ome of the world’s greatest Olympians, among them Haile Gebrselassie, Mark Spitz and Sir Steve Redgrave, have collaborated with SuperSport for their “All the Games” Olympic promotion. The production crew travelled to the US, Britain, Ethiopia and Kenya for the shots, with the brief to tell the Olympics’ greatest stories. In an unusual twist, SuperSport sought these stories from the mouths of Olympic heroes, lending the campaign greater depth and credibility. “SuperSport is pulling out all stops to bring fans the best coverage ever of this great event and we therefore utilised some of the unforgettable Olympic legends to help us promote our superb offering,” explained Andre de Villiers,

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SuperSport’s marketing director. Commenting on the work, director Gareth Whitaker of production company Thackwell and Whitaker said, “We were very ambitious, but the stories that unfolded were just incredible.” Other athletes used in the campaign are Vivian Cheruiyot, three-time world champion and reigning Laureus Sports Woman of the Year, multiple Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, two-time Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, gymnastics icon Nadia Comaneci, former world record holder and Olympic champion Penny Heyns and football gold medallists Victor Ikpeba and Daniel Amokachi. The power of the stories lies in them being told by

democratized the Olympic Flame; stay in your Borough and wait for the Torch to come near you.” According to Deborah Hale, Olympic Torch Relay Producer, the vision of the Torch relay which started on May 10 has always been about celebrating community and extraordinary people. Enthusiastic

crowds have followed the Olympic Torch Relay on its journey around the UK – an estimated 9 million people have cheered on the Torchbearers to date. Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG said: “Thank you to everyone who has cheered on the Torch bearers right around the UK and helped

to build the excitement towards the start of the Games. With eleven days to go until the Olympic Flame lights the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony it is great to see London ready to welcome the Flame and set to celebrate inspiring people and amazing places in each and every Borough.”

Idowu’s fitness still doubtful

Idowu

hillips Idowu declined to talk to the media on Thursday following his kitting out at Loughborough University, fuelling concerns over his fitness ahead of the Olympics. The triple jumper was one of only two athletes who have refused to speak to the media out of over 450 athletes who have now collected their kit. The 33-year-old has repeatedly denied injury problems following a string of withdrawals from com-

petition, the latest being last weekend at the London Grand Prix – his last outing ahead of the Games. Speaking in a pre-recorded interview at Loughborough that was distributed in his absence, Idowu spoke confidently of his chances at the Games but did not refer specifically to his fitness or preparation. The Hackney-born athlete said his family have tickets to the Olympics but added: “I’m going to wait and see how my nerves hold out to see if I can cope with

them being in the stands.” Idowu, the Beijing silver medallist and former world champion, has competed just three times in 2012, with his last appearance coming at a Diamond League meeting in Oregon in June. He struggled to hit top form in that event with leaps of 16.43m and 17.05m before a foul in the third round, after which he took no further part in the competition. He has since withdrawn from meetings in Oslo and Paris and the Olympic trials in Birmingham.

9.8sec in 100m won’t be good enough for podium –Gay

he world’s second fastest man, Tyson Gay, says someone may break 9.8 seconds for only the second time in an Olympic 100m final and still fail to win a medal. “I really truly believe that; it will take a 9.7 to even get a medal. Its mind blowGebrselassie the Olympians. Spitz, for in- ing,” said the American stance, talks about Jesse Ow- sprinter. Only once in an Olympic ens and Michael Phelps tranfinal has a sprinter run 9.7 or scending history. Redgrave faster , Jamaican Usain Bolt tells of watching Comaneci smashing the world record record a perfect “10” and with his 9.69 at the 2008 OlymHeyns tells of experiencing pics. Second placed Richard the glory of Thugwane’s Thompson of Trinidad and miracle marathon triumph Tobago clocked in at 9.89. in 1996.

Now with Bolt, Jamaican world champion Yohan Blake, former world record holder Asafa Powell, American Justin Gatlin and Gay headed for an August showdown, one could foresee a 100 metres of historic proportions even without a world record, Gay said. As late as early March he could not even jog because of 2011 hip surgery that kept him off the track for almost a year. He ran his first race in June but still made the U.S. Olympic team later in the month, finishing second to Gatlin in the American trials.

Gay

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Relationships •Should men always make the first move in bed?

Coco Ice

Hot! Not cold

July 21, 2012

Sammie Okposo has been consistent at the top of the gospel music sector for years and continues to remain relevant. In this interview with OSEYIZA OOGBODO, he speaks on his oncoming album, potential of the entertainment industry among others. Excerpts:

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Celebrity

hat’s the latest about you? The latest? It’s about my album, The Statement. It’s about to be unveiled. It’s a 22-track album with three bonus tracks, that’s a total of 25 tracks in one album. It will be distributed internationally by a label based in Oklahoma called TMG Records. Proper distribution. All the contracts have been signed. We are getting ready to release it internationally and locally and that is what I’ve been working on all these months. We are ready to go now. Are you unveiling with a concert or just a launching? There will be an album unveiling concert where people will listen to almost all the tracks on the album. Those who attend will also have the opportunity of going home with the CD that day. As the CD will not officially come out until the end of August. You mentioned proper distribution. Were you not having proper distribution before? Do we have distribution in Nigeria? That’s the question. We don’t have the structure for distribution that’s accountable. It’s not that albums are not being distributed. We are doing it in the way we know how to do it. But trust me; artistes are not being properly remunerated for their works in Nigeria because the distribution structure is terrible. That’s why you see artistes always releasing album after album. It’s because they want to remain relevant. But in the Western world, you see an artiste that releases one song and he just keeps getting his royalties from billboard charts and radio airplay, because there’s a system that works. The artiste does not need to struggle to be releasing albums every six months. That is what I mean by proper distribution. Since TMG is taking care of the international release, what are you doing to ensure proper distribution locally? We are still releasing it the way we have been doing here before because Nigeria is my home regardless of what we are going through or whether there’s structure or not, I still love Nigeria and this is where my music career started from. I will never release an album and forsake my people because it was because my people in Nigeria patronised me that the whole world started hearing about me because your people must take you up first. Which collecting society do you

‘Entertainment can give Nigeria more money than oil’ support for royalties, COSON or MCSN? In terms of using the word support, I am a member of COSON. And I think so far I have been getting what we call royalties for my work as a COSON member. From time to time, I get cheques when my songs are being used for reality shows, I get paid. I’m not saying that because I’m trying to promote COSON or downplay MCSN. I don’t have any problem with MCSN. Is there a law that says there can only be one collecting society? I do not know. But as long as whatever collecting society that is out there is doing what it’s supposed to do for the people who are their members, I have no problem. When will there be an end to the distribution and piracy problems? When the government decides to come in because you cannot combat piracy as an artiste. When you look at America and Europe which have a proper distribution structure in place, you will see that the governments of those countries are very, very involved, because there’s also the issue of taxes. The practitioners in their entertainment industry pay their taxes, so the government makes money from that industry; hence it has a duty to protect them. But in Nigeria so far, the

government looks at the entertainment industry and they like it and they know it’s an industry that is doing something good but they have not taken out the time to do a proper feasibility study of the financials of the industry. If they do that, I dare say that the kind of money the government will realise from the entertainment industry will surpass that of oil and gas. It is very possible because the amount of wealth that is in the industry in Nigeria has not been tapped yet, and it is not something that the entertainers themselves can do. The government needs to come in. Does the government see it as an industry for riff-raffs? No, not really, they know that it’s not for riff-raffs, they know that one. If not they wouldn’t be getting us involved in what they are doing. I mean, they invite us to come and do stuffs with them, to come and be part of what they are doing in government. What are you doing to make the government do something? We have different bodies and different presidents that should be in the forefront of this crusade. I don’t even know what PMAN is doing. PMAN is a joke. In fact,

sometimes I don’t even want to speak about them. Since the days of Chief Tony Okoroji, after those days, I don’t know what happened to PMAN. And that’s why COSON is doing as well as it’s doing, because of Okoroji’s involvement. But if the PMANS, the MCSNs, the COSONs, if they come together, then the different guilds in the movie industry put one voice, the government will begin to look at us. It is only unity that can solve this problem, they all have to be united and present a common front. What would you say has been your most substantial contribution to the music industry? As I am right now, I run my own company called Zamar Entertainment, and we look at upcoming acts because, it was quite a difficult road for us to rise in our days. And it was just because of the mentors who took it upon themselves without wanting any financial gains to just identify a talent and see how they can help that talent up. So at Zamar, we have been able to do that. We were part of the whole promotion and packaging of the artiste Jodie. As Zamar Enteratinment and as Sammie Okposo, I would do that just to find a way to push these artistes forward and help them find their feet.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Entervaganza

With OSEYIZA OOGBODO

08023755142 kingseiza@gmail.com

Ali Baba queries God

nhappy at the constantly worsening socio-economic situation of the country, King of Comedy, Ali Baba, has queried God above. In the letter posted on his blog last Wednesday, Ali poured out his grievances without beating about the bush. “Dear God, God Almighty, c/o Jesus Christ, Heaven, Above,” he began, “Ikira for you … hey, hey, heyyy!!! It’s me your son, Atuyonta Alleluya Akporobomemerere, I also go by the name Ali Baba. That’s my guy name. I have had some matters that have been pressing hard on my heart. So I thought to let you know. “I hope this letter meets you in perfect condition. If so, doxology. I know you are ok, just checking noni. How is everyone in heaven? Jesus, Holy Spirit, Holy Mary, Angel Gabriel, Saints Peter, Paul and Micheal, ehen Ajayi Crowther nko? Shay dada ni everybodi? A dupe. “First of all, God, I take God beg you... Do something about Nigeria naaaa. Shuo! Don’t leave us in the hands of these politicians o! Some of them are soooo ... See me telling you. You know na. They have finished us in this

country o! The good people SEF are not many again. Just when we have one good person that gives us hope ad we think you will just take him. We offend you ni? God ABEG na... Forgive and forget. You kukuma know us. Just tamper justice with mercy. Ok if you want to take anybody, because of our sins, why don’t you just take from those who we chose to represent us at the National Assembly. How you see am? It’s not like I am reminding you o! Before you now tell them to write it down in the book of life. I am just making small talk with you oooo.” Still rapporting with the Almighty in an intimate way, he continued, “Anyway, God, between you and I, who killed Dele Giwa? Tell me. Because I know you know. Ok let me make it easy for you. Who sent people to kill him? What of Bola Ige? Funsho Williams? Chineke, lemme tell you something, don’t you think enough is enough? Ok look now, BOKO Haram is killing people anyhow and making life unlivable in the north. Yet they claim it’s you that they are fighting for. The senseless killing in your name has gotten out of hand. What can I say. Today, 30 people

died. Tomorrow it would be 60 in another place. ‘Next tomorrow’ now it will be 43 people. And all we hear is ‘we condemn this’ and ‘we are saddened by this shocking development and atrocities’... God ABEG naaa. “On a non-related matter, God how do you monitor the tithe that we pay in church? I know it doesn’t get to you. But the amount sometimes can be tempting for the pastor and the people who work in churches and help in collecting the offering. “On a lighter note, Abasi Mbong, what football club do you support? It’s important I know now, before the season starts so that when we, Arsenal FC, play against your team we know who to pray to. I know you can influence the match. But if there is anything we can do to help you as our guy, it’s to go easy on your club ... Before you call it blasphemy. Because the beating we will be dishing out this season will be painful on all levels. Whether the devil is red, blue, orange, green or colour bar... Them go hear wen!” The letter further veered from the serious to the hilarious. “God is it possible to remove lust from the sub-section of sin?

Ali Baba

Not because of anything, but you gave us eyes to see, and you may think I am trying to flatter you, but these girls are beautiful. Not for any bad reason o... Just admiring them. Can you? Or should I go through Jesus Christ?

You can read the full letter on Ali’s personal blog. So far, reactions to it have been complimentary. What do you think yourself ? Send us an SMS to tell us your view.

Dagrin taught me so much

Coco Ice

er name might be Coco Ice, but if she’s anything, it’s certainly not cold but hot. And she’s leaving no stones unturned in her bid to attain the top in the music industry. After she spit lyrical fire on her version of Dagrin’s Pon Pon Pon titled If You Don’t Know, she followed it up with the video which she dropped recently and it’s fast gaining ground.

Signed to magic Entertainment, Coco, whose real name is Mojisola Serah Sowole, certainly deserves the massive success now coming her way. Like most artistes who we feel suddenly blew into our consciousness but have actually been underground for some time paying their due, she too has been in the game for years working with several producers and other artistes in the search for fame and fortune. While she is luckier than most, as her hard hustling is now paying off, she is determined to really raise her game to the next level so she is also learning to play music instruments including the guitar and keyboard. “I’m out to set a high standard and separate myself from the band wagon. As a good artiste, irrespective of the genre of music you play, you must be able to play at least a musical instrument. This is why I’m working so hard to learn the guitar, keyboards and drums,” she stated. And according to the highly ambitious artiste who also has her own distinct hairstyle like her colleagues BOUQUI and Eva, she did her own version of Pon Pon Pon to pay tribute to the late Dagrin who taught her so much and brought out the best in her.

–Coco Ice

NEL Awards to rock London

he second edition of the Nigerian Entertainment and Lifestyle Awards (NELA) is set to hold in September at the NH Harrington Hotel, South Kensington, London. Conceived by Sam Onigbanjo and Seye Aina, NELA’s simple aim is to identify, nominate and reward excellence in the Nigerian entertainment and lifestyle sectors. In a chat with Entervaganza, Emmanuel Oghenede, NELA’s media consultant, said, “There are 14 categories of awards and seven of them are open to nomination while the remaining seven will be bestowed on deserving recipients.” He added that “the seven categories open to nomination are restricted to professionals based in the United Kingdom while the rest are meant for those based in Nigeria but whose work have made an impact in the UK.”

The categories on offer are Best UK Nigerian Make-up Artist, Best UK Nigerian Actor/Actress, Best UK Nigerian Media Personality, Best UK Nigerian Fashion Designer, Best Nigerian Film in the UK, Best UK Nigerian Musician/ Group and Best UK Nigerian Entertainment & Lifestyle Business. The rest are Outstanding Contribution to Fashion, Lifetime Achievement Award, Best Student, Best Ambassador, Special Recognition Award, Best Electronic Media Journalist, Best Entertainment Journalist. The ceremony is not just about celebrating achievers, though. Oghenede said that proceeds from a raffle draw conducted during the event will be used to raise awareness and funds for the benefit of Children’s Development Centre supporting disabled children in Nigeria and the Down’s Syndrome Foundation Nigeria.

ENTERVAGANZA

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CLASSICAL RYHMES

AIRWAVES LINK

People say they will pour hot water on me –Goldie F

ollowing her eviction from the Big Brother StarGame, Nigeria’s last standing representative, Goldie, has disclosed to Good Morning Africa (GMA) that “lots of people say they will pour hot water on me when I arrive at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.” According to Raymond Sile, GMA’s producer, she also disclosed that prior to her participation, she had never watched Big Brother before and that she cried a lot while in the House

Goldie and Sile

because she’s a very emotional person and it’s her weak point. And on her love affair with Prezzo that made many people dislike her, she said she became attached to him because they clicked naturally as they are both into music and he showed her love and she fell without knowing that he was just using her to play the game as she is not manipulative in nature. Goldie has since arrived in Nigeria and no one poured hot water on her.

Agatha Amata’s Inside-Out clocks 15 R eputed talk show, Inside-Out with Agatha, turns 15 next month and Inside-Out Media, producers of the show, intend to celebrate the milestone achievement of the programme which stands uncontested as the longest running talk show on Nigerian television, running for over 13 years on 16 television stations. According to the producers, the anniversary will kick off properly with the first-ever recording of the programme outside Lagos today in Delta State. The grand finale will then hold on with the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan as a special guest of honour and the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Hon Adejoke Adefulire, as the mother of the day.

“We are proud to have e been on air consistently y for the past 15 years. Many y programmes have come e and gone but we are stilll here, getting stronger and d re-inventing to be fresherr every day, so we are going g all out to celebrate this milestone,” Agatha Amata, its executive producer and host said. She added that a raffle draw is also holding with different prizes to be e won and interested people e should visit their website to o enter the draw. Inside-Out with Agatha a began in 1997 and has since e grown to become a modell for talk show programmess on Nigerian television and d an influential platform forr many youths to air theirr views on issues.

Agatha

Pana TV aims to be everywhere

et another television channel that is capitalising on the platform of the internet to exist is Pana Televison (PTV) which prides itself as an internet television channel that legally streams African-inspired video content

worldwide. But PTV doesn’t intend to broadcast on the internet alone. Its intention is to be everywhere and available to viewers at every second through computers, mobile devices and even the regular TV sets.

Already, its catalogue of contents includes movies, documentaries, fashion, sports, sitcoms, news, reality and many others in many languages including English, Portuguese, Arabic and French. Since its contents are all

Africa-themed, its target audience are Africans and other blacks basically while its main motive is to entertain, educate and spur positive discussions about Africa and eventually change the global perception of the continent.

Darey

Not The Girl Artiste: Darey Chorus: You’re not the girl I used to know You’re a shadow of yourself I think I lost you long ago Like a book that’s left the shelf I hear the footsteps down the hall And I know someday that will be you Leaving me, for good Verse 1: I’ve been sitting here for two straights hours Watching you asleep Wishing I could talk to you There is no denying we both have Emotions running deep Oh if I could talk to you Cause I’m scared Cause when I try to take your hand You’re not there Even though I see the signs you Think I’m just scared Gimme one reason why I should hide my fears When it’s killing me inside Repeat chorus Verse 2: We have been together for so long You seem a part of me Just how did this go all wrong And you say you gave to me your best Just to make this work But just how did this all go wrong Cause I try See my eyes are empty from all the tears I cried Since this perfect love is hardly satisfy Gimme one reason why I should hide my tears When it’s killing me inside Repeat chorus Bridge And if I ever come across a girl like you again I don’t know if I would let my emotions show I’ll just look the other way I don’t care what you might say Cause I’m not so sure how much of this My poor heart can take Repeat chorus till fade

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ENTERVAGANZA

July 21, 2012

BOX-OFFICE HITS

BRAIN BEHIND THE SCENE

Seyi Moscow … All-round producer

“I

enjoy staying behind the camera,” says Seyi Moscow, and he truly means it. Though he sometimes has to come out from behind the scene, when contingency demands that he should conduct an interview, he is mostly behind the scene, so his name is more popular than his face. Ardent TV viewers will definitely have come across his name at one time or the other as the producer of several TV programmes, especially Video Wheels, Box Office and Our Home. He is now the executive producer of Two Sides of A Coin, a drama series that is presently the rage on TV and which the shooting of its second season will commence next month. Moscow can be said to be flying high in the television industry today, at least when compared to those who are just about e m b a rk i n g on a career in TV. But it hasn’t been just an easy ride for him. It has b e e n t h e usual jour-

ney of being tested and being tried severally for him to become the force he is now, and it all really started for him when he was in the higher institution and became the Social Director of the Students Union. He had to be creatively versatile to entertain his fellow students and his success while on campus conceiving and implementing entertainment programmes showed him the direction he should take in life. Talking of the challenges he faces as a producer, he said it would really be good if all the funds and equipment for a production are ready before shooting commences but he has discovered that when you don’t start sometimes with what you have, you won’t ever get it done.

serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50s (played by writer-director Charles S. Dutton) to take a closer look at his life. Motivated by a misguided obsession with getting Barack Obama elected, John takes an overwhelming involvement in the Presidential campaign. While John becomes obsessed with the ideal of change that Obama represents for Americans, he has in turn neglected to create positive change in his own life, particularly with regard to his health and familial relationships. He hides his health problems from his strong, yet supportive wife, Molly

Moscow

hile recent animated blockbusters have aimed at viewers of all ages starting with fantastic concepts and breathtaking visuals but tackling complex emotional issues along the way, Ice Age: Continental Drift, is crafted especially for the young ones and it works. Venturing back to prehistoric times once again, the fourth Ice Age film paints broad strokes on the theme of familial relationships, throwing in plenty of physical comedy along the way. The main thrust of the film comes when Scratch the Rat accidentally cracks the singular continent Pan-

(Vanessa Bell Calloway), creating a strain on their marriage. He seeks the support of a Republican relative, MLK (Katt Williams), who initially starkly resists supporting a Democratic candidate. His son, Kalil (Wesley Jonathan), rebels against his father’s avid support of Obama by supporting the Republican candidate as well. He neglects to support his daughter, Tamika (Megan Good) at a crucial moment in her life, as she has recently fallen in love and become engaged to be married. He faces additional discord with his other son, Jamel, an up-andcoming boxer (Zab Judah), who gets mixed up with a shady manager, Slim (Glynn Turman), as he rises toward a professional boxing career. Joshua, his recently-paroled brother (C.J. Mack), also struggles as he attempts to find work in a tough economy and to maintain his new marriage. When Molly discovers that he has been hiding his health scares from her, she urges him to take positive action to improve his bad habits and he works to get back on the right path with his health and family as Obama soars to success in the campaign. gea into the world we know today. Manny, Diego, and Sid find themselves stranded on an iceberg, once again forced on a road trip journey of survival. The rest of the herd embarks to meet them, giving Steffie time to realize the true meaning of friendship with help from her mole pal Louis. The ham-handed lessons may drag for those who’ve passed Kindergarten, but Ice Age: Continental Drift is a lot of fun when the main gang crosses paths with a group of villainous pirates. Quickly, Ice Age becomes an old school pirate adventure, complete with maritime navigation, buried treasure, and sword fights. Gut (Peter Dinklage), an evil ape with a deadly fingernail, leads the evil-doers, who pose an entertaining threat for the familiar bunch. Jennifer Lopez pops by as Gut’s second-in-command, Shira the White Tiger, and the film’s two cats have a chase scene that should rouse even the most apathetic adults.

ENTERVAGANZA

CELEBRITY FAVOURITES

July 21, 2012

SHOWBIZ SNOOPS

Send your views and comments as SMS to 08023755142

Big Brother StarGame update

Keitta

Prezzo Goldie

Harare tycoon pledges to buy Maneta a new car

Judith Audu Favourite Food OGBONO SOUP WITH PLENTY ASSORTED MEAT AND FUFU Favourite Drink FANTA AND WATER Favourite Designer I’M NOT A NAME TAG PERSON. I DON’T REALLY Have A Favourite Designer. I WEAR WHAT I FEEL LOOKS GOOD ON ME Favourite Restaurant/Bar LOVE CHILLING AT CACTUS Favourite Day Of The Week IT’S ALWAYS CHANGING DEPENDING ON OCCURRENCES SO I WOULD SAY I DON’T REALLY HAVE ANY PARTICULAR DAY Favourite Perfume LIKE I SAID EARLIER I DON’T DO NAMES. IF IT SMELLS GOOD I WILL WEAR IT. I HAVE A LOT OF PERFUMES THAT I PLAY AROUND WITH Favourite Fashion Item I WOULD SAY MY SHOES Favourite Movie OH MY GOD! I HAVE A LOT OF FAVOURITE MOVIESSSSSSSS. I DON’T HAVE ONE PARTICULAR ONE Favourite Brand Of Telephone Handset I’M NOT A PHONE FREAK, SO I DON’T HAVE A FAVOURITE BRAND OF TELEPHONE AS LONG AS IT WORKS. (HOPE I’M NOT SOUNDING STRANGE) Favourite Quote WITH THE 3 DS (DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE, DEDICATION) AND HARD WORK NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

lamboyant and controversial Harare businessman Wicknell ‘B.I.G’ Chivayo has boasted that he will buy disgraced Big Brother StarGame contestant Maneta Mazanhi a brand new car to spite her ‘haters.’ Maneta and fellow Zimbabwean contestant Roki were booted out of the House after the two brawled live on TV. Since her return, Maneta has been a figure of hate with many people blaming her for starting the brawl. Even though she claimed during the show that she was dating Chivayo, the businessman quickly dismissed the claim. Tongues will however be wagging after Chivayo, driving a silver BMW X6, told a local paper: “I am buying her a car this week. I am just waiting for quotations from dealerships and I will purchase it for her. It is my way of making the haters hate more and show them that they do not even matter. Maneta and I will be like brother and sister. “She is my sister and also a very nice girl. As for plans of hooking up in the other way, no. That relationship will not even last as I have a girlfriend and Maneta is too small for me, anyway. I love big women,” he said. Chivayo has in the past been in the news over accusations of fraud. The flashy businessman was facing eight counts of fraud and one count of money laundering and was acquitted a month ago in Bulawayo.

I cannot join the Illuminati – Eazzy

lluminati is the fastest growing organisation at the moment when it comes to celebrities. US stars like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyonce, Chris Brown and other hip-hop musicians are all alleged to be connected to the society. As to if these people rumored to be joining the group is true or not, no one can substantiate without digging up conspiracies. Rumour also has it that Nigerian mega-

Eazzy

star D’Banj has joined since he signed on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music. Not long ago, when Ghana’s own Sarkodie went to grab his BET award, there was a video which interpreted Sarkodie’s Saa Okodie No track which featured Obrafour as an illuminati track. The authenticity of the Illuminati symbols is up to the viewer. Mildred Eshon known in the music word as Eazzy has however proclaimed that she cannot join the Illuminati for reasons best known to her. She disclosed this when she was giving her top 10 videos list on Mix Bag on TV3 over the weekend. Her number eight went to Kanye West’s Power Hour. When asked whether she would like to be part of the Illuminati, she stated : “I just like his [Kanye West] music. Nothing dark, I’m so light.” Eazzy who is currently promoting her single Rock This Party which features the rapper Kwaw Kese will be rocking Kumasi in August.

Prezzo disses Goldie

ays after her eviction, Nigeria’s Goldie still has her name on everybody’s lips with reactions from different housemates as regards her eviction. The most shocking however is from her ‘boyfriend,’ Prezzo, who was full of criticisms and complaints about the singer. The Kenyan rapper during his diary session with Biggie last Monday was full

of complaints about the behaviour and attitude of the Nigerian singer while she was in the House. He described her as irresponsible and unemotional and toying with his feelings while he continued to love her truly. According to him, she was irresponsible during her stay in the House and always found a way to avoid being responsible for her mistakes which was the reason for their fight shortly before her eventual eviction. “It’s sad because for me I was actually open and honest with her. I was always there for her,” he said. When asked how he feels about her eviction, he replied: “The most important people that anyone can take away from me are not here.” Prezzo is presently on the eviction block along with Namibia’s Lady May and Keitta who, unluckily, was chosen by Head of House Kyle to replace Keagan.

More wise words from big brother Keitta

ver the past few weeks Jannette and Keitta have grown increasingly closer and it has become apparent that the Ghanaian feels quite overprotective over the insecure lass. A few days ago the Upville lad was full of words of encouragement for the Ugandan after she revealed that she walked out of school before getting her high school diploma. A startled Keitta sat her down and advised her to go back to school. On Thursday the StarGame gent once again gave his buddy a motivational speech over her self-esteem issues. The Ghanaian shared that he too was once insecure but he eventually learned to love himself for who he is. “You are who you are and you can’t change that,” he counselled his timid friend. He also showered her with compliments telling her, “You are beautiful and you are smart.”The entire time Jannette listened intently and looked to be soaking up all of the praise. Hopefully Keitta’s speech was able to get through to her and maybe she will finally learn to love herself. As for the StarGame lad the more we see of him the more we begin to think that Mildred is lucky a girl to have such a sweet guy.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ENTERVAGANZA

July 21, 2012

I saw hell in my marriage TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

ctor turned politician and member of the House of Representatives, Rotimi Makinde, has debunked the speculation that he parted with his wife of 17 years, Bolaji Abiose, shortly after he became a federal lawmaker. Makinde, who is now representing Ife Federal Constituency in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, said that he and his wife parted due to some irreconcilable differences and it was as a result of their differences that Bolaji voluntarily packed out of her matrimonial home in October, 2010, which was even before the elections. His words: “It is not true that I parted with Bolaji because I am a federal lawmaker. Though we parted due to some irreconcilable differences, it has nothing to do with my new responsibility. You can verify these facts from those who are close to us as family friends. The truth is that she voluntarily packed out of my house in October, 2010 which was even before the elections. “Bolaji remains the mother of my lovely kids and I am not prepared to talk about her. We were together for 17 years

–Rotimi Makinde

and it would be improper and unsocial for me to speak evil of her at least in the overall interest of our innocent children. Marriage has taught me lot of lessons, I passed through hell but God has compensated me. I was very much in love with Bolaji Abiose. We were together as husband and wife until the devil crept in and she gave room to the devil and finally fell for it. “It is on record that she voluntarily opted out of our matrimonial home a month before her 2010 birthday and as God would have it, God compensated me with the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola on her birthday and again five months later, I became a legislator and a Member of House of

Makinde

Representatives. I thank God for all these my beautiful and lovely kids through her. I am not prepared to spoil their joy and I am seriously determined to give them the best of everything they so desire; and to their mother, I have forgiven her because I want God to forgive me and my sins too. My case is settled.”

‘I hope to become Miss World’ HENRY IYORKASE

Usar

ynthia Mimi Doo Usar, current Most Beautiful Girl in Benue, has said that Agbani Darego, the first Black woman and Nigerian to become Miss World, is her role model. “Agbani Darego is my role model. I look up to her and respect her so much. I hope to also become Miss World like her,” she gushed. The only daughter in a family of four, Mimi Doo has been contesting in pageants since 2009 and before becoming the MBGB, she was Most Beautiful Girl in Benue State University 2011 and second runner-up Face of Benue 2011 among oth-

ers. She also told Entervaganza that she contests in beauty pageants because she believes she can affect the lives of the youths, especially the females, more positively if she is a beauty queen. Even as she keeps the Miss World crown in sight, she added that her pet project is the creation of Miss Tiv which is about projecting the image of TIv women. “The Idoma who are our closest neighbours have the Miss idoma who is like the voice of their youth but the Tiv nation with a larger population cannot boast of having one, it is for this reason that I intend to promote the creation of Miss Tiv Nation so as to symbolise the Tiv Lady and in addition give the Tiv lady a voice.”

Obesere crowns Pasuma King of Tungba

he self-acclaimed Paramount King of Music, PK 1st and National President of Fuji Musicians Association of Nigeria (FUMAN), Abass Akande Obesere, has crowned top fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma as King of Tungba music. The crowning which was witnessed by many fuji acts and other prominent musicians was done on Friday July 13th during a show by LTV inside its Agidingbi premises. Before the crowning, the FUMAN chairman asked the crowd if the artiste is worth the title and he was greeted with a noisy scream in accordance. The Orobokibo exponent therefore was all smiles as he gladly accepted the title.

Giving reasons for his action, Obesere said Pasuma deserves the title as he has contributed immensely to fuji music. He added that Pasuma should learn to stay on his own as a hero than staying under the shadow of another artiste. In his words: “When you call someone a king, there should be paraphernalia of office around him, and Pasuma really has it all, massive fan base, his own style and brand of music. That means he is a king on his own and should not be attached as someone’s chief or Otunba as he is being addressed.” There are unconfirmed reports that the two parties are currently planning to stage an elaborate party to officially launch the new status later in the year.

SHOWBIZ SNOOPS

Ruggedman rewinds the hands of the clock

n a bid to remain relevant in the music industry, rapper Ruggedman has returned to his biggest hit to forge a path for himself in the present. Some four years ago, Ruggedman released the smash hit single, Ruggedy Baba. He featured 9ice on it and it brought them both unprecedented commercial and critical success. Since then, 9ice has gone on to become the bigger artiste while Rugged continues to remain visible based on his past successful songs like Baraje, Peace or War, Eh Ehn! Pt 1 and others. Now as he bids to return to the top of the music game as was once his lofty status, he has returned with a new version of Ruggedy Baba titled Ruggedy Baba Pt 2. Unfortunately, since he and 9ice are no longer on the best of terms, he had to feature another artiste, Mbryo, on this new version which is already heating up the airwaves. But will this new Ruggedy Baba live up to the success of its first part and make Ruggedman the main man in rap music again? Let’s wait and find out.

GLADE to honour celebrities

he third edition of the much anticipated Global Leadership Awards for Excellence (GLADE) is set to hold tomorrow. Key players in the Nigerian movie, music, society and corporate sectors are already primed for the epoch making shindig scheduled to hold at Time Square Events Centre, Ikeja, Lagos. Organised by the publishers of Global News magazine, the award is aimed at celebrating those who have been outstanding in their respective careers over the years and the awards categories cut across music, movie, politics, hospitality, banking and service to humanity to mention a few. Some of the movie stars who will be honoured for their contribution to the make-believe industry under the year in review include sultry actress Chika Ike, Best Actress (English), Mercy AigbeGentry, Best Actress (Yoruba), Yomi FashLanso, Best Actor, while Funke Akindele and Hakeem Rahman will be given the female and male cross-over actor awards respectively. Other entertainers that will be rewarded for their creativity include May D, Next Rated Music star, Flip Tyce, Best Music Producer and Esther Igbekele, Gospel Musician of the Year among others.

Davido launches album

Pasuma

here’s no doubt that Davido is extremely hot at the moment. His song, Dami Duro, is what made him hot and thereby created anticipation for his debut album. And at long last, the album will finally become available to his eager fans when he launches it with a talkof-the-town concert tomorrow at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. Appropriately titled O.B.O The Genesis album launch concert, the concert is expected to be smoking hot as Davido will be supported by many of his superstar entertainer colleagues to make it memorable.

July 21, 2012

Woman

‘Christianity is not against glamour’ Evangelist Elishama Ideh is the Founder and Pastor-in-charge of Christ the Ever Present Ministries (CTEM), a ministry devoted to delivering people from every devilish yoke, and the Partnership

here did you grow up and what was it like? Although I hail from Ewohimi (Ishan land) in Edo State, I was born and bred in Lagos to a police-officerfather and a business woman. I was the only girl in the family, so, I enjoyed a lot of love and attention from my parents and even my siblings. I had my primary education at the Mayflower Primary School, Ikenne, Ogun State and my secondary education at the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Onitsha. I had my tertiary education at Bowie State College Maryland, USA, where I studied Mass Communication. Like I said, I grew up in a loving environment and therefore had a splendid time as a child. What were you doing before you went into ministerial job and how did you respond to the call at the initial stage? Before I got the call to start CTEM, I was into business and doing well to the glory of God. I was enjoying what I was doing and so, when God started speaking to me, I thought it was not a serious thing. I ignored it and just went about my thing. God, Himself saw my attitude and decided to use force to get me to do His will. He allowed the enemies to attack my business and even myself. The business that was keeping me away from yielding to Him, finally crumbled and in March 11, 2000, I gave up my struggle and gave in to Him. I discovered that no man can run away from His maker. Jonah did it in the Bible and was dragged back to the track by God’s infinite power. How has the experience been especially as a widow? I must tell you that ever since I submitted to His wish, I have not regretted the action, one day. God has been faithful and wonderful to me, my children and even His ministry. As a matter of fact, the business He called me into is His and

For A New Nigeria (PFANN). The ther of three, who became a mother dow at a tender age, told YEMISI widow ENIRAN of the challenges of ADENIRAN her peculiar ministry and life as a dow. Excerpts: widow.

n quite in charge. I was thinkHe has been ow to go about it but He that ing about how has called me has made all things ready ess unknown to me. As the fafor the success atherless and the husband of ther of the fatherless the widow, God Almighty has been there eeps watch over us daily and for us. He keeps provides for all of our needs miraculousade life very easy for us even ly. He has made more than when their father was alive. It has been an amazing experience and ng is the fact that my chilmore exciting ionship with Him has been dren’s relationship ing that I cannot but keep so outstanding im. We all have seen the thanking Him. ministry as our responsibilities and n helping us. God has been till miss your husband? Do you still e, yes. He died when no one Of course, hen I was younger, but there expected, when is no how I can question God. He is une anyway. I miss him all of questionable d so do the kids. When he was the time and ered his shoulders on issues alive, he offered concerning the church and the home. ays it is not good for a man to God, who says live alone, knows the need for compand so, when that companion ionship and is no longerr there, you can imagine how it feels.. I miss his presence, his advice, love and all. He was a friend ow how it feels not to and you know nd you are used to. Fihave a friend e was there for the nancially, he ut now, he is gone. ministry but e, this is the will of All the same, God and Hiss will must be done always. y beautiful womAs a very an and a single woman atter, how have for that matter, you been able to prevent especially, scandals, rds to relawith regards ith men? tionship with Beauty and life particun by God Almighty. larly is given

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

WOMAN

July 21, 2012

He will demand how we use every gift He has given us at the end of our sojourn on earth one day. This, I keep at the back of my heart as a guide in all that I do. I know the reason why He has brought me to this world, to show forth His praise, for His pleasure and I intend manifesting that till I die. Staying holy for God is no joke but God has been very helpful. I have been guided by His fear and words daily. I can’t afford to let God down and I will not by His grace. Again, I want to be a mentor to my children and I strive daily to achieve this by His help. You are a very fashionable woman despite your faith. How would you advice women to combine spirituality with fashion? The bible preaches moderacy in all that we do as a child of God. It does not go against being fashionable. As a Christian woman, you are expected to be decent and presentable as moderately as possible. Nothing stops a Christian woman from being glamorous or fashionable. I will advice that you wear clothes that will enhance your personality and flatter your figure. Be moderate though and be conscious of the fact that in all things, you must glorify God. I will also say they should be mindful of the event they are going for and wear appropriate clothes. As an ambassador of God, you must not dress shabbily; it can only put people off even as you try to win their souls for God. I won’t advise a child of God to wear any clothe that will show her boobs or bum; it is wrong. Leaving people to imagine what you have under the clothes is decent and better. You cannot be a true child of God and be showing off your breasts or part of your buttocks all over the place. The issue there is even that Christians are the bibles that people are reading today; if you open a horrible side of your own bible, you won’t have anyone to read it and you will be blamed for it even in heaven. This is not in dressing alone, our attitude, and our words should tell people that we are Christians. If you dress elegantly and moderately, you will have some people who will, because of that, follow you to your church and thereby, get saved totally. What about mini-skirts? If a Christian woman must wear a mini skirt, it must be a bit below the knees. This will enable her to sit without causing an unnecessary attention to herself. If you sit and your laps are showing, you are as good as displaying your naked body. It is not right. Not so many ministers venture into deliverance ministry. What has the experience been like? With God, it has been worthwhile. You don’t need anything extra to heal or deliver the bond; all you need is total commitment to God and His words. The devil itself knows the word of God and it is the word of God that it knows that you can use to fight it. Before a person can be delivered, he or she must be made to have a strong and clear relationship with Jesus Christ, the personification of

the Word. Once he or she is in line with Christ, a space is created for Him to perform the deliverance, otherwise there is a risk in it. That is if he is delivered of a demon and he or she goes back to sin, the same devil will return with full force with seven other demons more powerful than the original one. Once the deliverer is right with God and it is his call, the job is made easy. What is the thrust of CTEM and PFANN? Christ The Ever Present Ministries has a mission to reveal the love of Christ to the lost generation, reach the unsaved, rejected, oppressed and the destitute with the purpose of restoring hope in them. The Partnership For A New Nigeria (PFANN), is committed to raising godly leaders for the nation. It is meant for the body of Christ to enthrone godly leaders because only righteousness can exalt the nation. Nigerians must realise that for as long as they distance themselves from direct or active participation in politics, ostensibly under the notion that politics is dirty, we will continually be under the rule and dominion of the kind of leaders we have unfortunately been saddled with since independence. What advice do you have for widows? They should not look down on themselves because God is interested in them. He is the husband of the widows and expects them to connect well with Him. They should resist every stigmatisation and get on with their lives. The death of a husband doesn’t mean that the life of a wife has ended abruptly, after all no woman or man will live together forever. Separation is bound to come at one time or the other, whenever the separation comes, they should take it as the will of God and rise above their situation to impact on their immediate family and society as a whole. Life must go on. They should bear in mind that they need to live for their children and the people who look up to them. Withdrawing from the society will only make their situations worst, as they will continue to live in self-pity How would you counsel women in marriages going through challenges right now? I will advise that they present their cases to God Almighty who is the brain behind holy marriages. Life itself is a challenge and we must be prepared to face it with the sword of the spirit in our hands. The bible says in the world, we will experience tribulations but we should be of good cheer because He has conquered the world for us. As a woman, we must strive to look deep into the root of our marital problems and do all possible to straighten things out. We must not pay evil with evil but rather pay evil with good. Patience and prayerfulness are some of the keys to sustaining a good home. Meanwhile, we must teach our children in the fear of God and to look for this first in whoever they wish to marry. It is good to build homes on Christ; He is the only foundation that can never fail, no matter how tough the storm is.

Keeping ABREAST

Victim on a makeshift bed in hospital (husband inset)

Man drills holes in wife’s genitals, PADLOCKS them

ndian woman, Sitabai Chouhan, was taken to hospital after attempting to commit suicide with rat poison. But when nurses examined her, they made a horrific discovery that was medieval in its barbarity. Four years ago, the housewife had been drugged by her husband Chouhan who then punctured holes with a needle on either side of her genitals. He had carried out the agonising assault so he could seal her private parts with a padlock when he went to work to stop her having sex with anyone else. When she was admitted to the Maharaja Yashwant Raoin Hospital in Indore, India, the crudely-fashioned chastity belt was still in place. It was only removed when police tracked down her husband and retrieved the key. He had kept the keys in his socks.

Head constable Chhaganlal said: “The nurses confirmed the existence of a small lock. It was only after the husband’s arrest that the lock could be opened.” Her husband said he had done this because several women in his family had ‘strayed’ in the past. Mrs. Chouhan is being treated in hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Her husband, meanwhile, has been charged with cruelty and voluntarily causing grievous hurt. Gender rights activists say Indian women face a barrage of threats in India. Many of the crimes against women are a result of a deep-rooted mindset that women are inferior and must be restricted to being homemakers and child bearers.

Beautician sentenced to 200 lashes for providing women with make-up

beautician has been sentenced to 200 lashes for secretly visiting the homes of Saudi women to cut their hair and apply their makeup. The Lebanese man - who is also a tattoo artist nicknamed the ‘master of tattoos’ by his clients - was also sentenced to one year in prison for tattooing women by the Jeddah District Court. The hairdresser was caught by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (A Hai’a) in an undercover sting operation in Jeddah. He was stopped while walking into what he thought was a client’s house with hair dyes and scissors. Strict gender segregation is enforced between men and women that are not married or related in the conservative Gulf kingdom. The unnamed man claimed the products and tools were for use in his hairdressing shop in Lebanon, but investigators from the Investigation and Prosecution Bureau in Jeddah later found text messages from female customers on his mobile phone, as well as

images of women with tattoos and business cards. His bags were also reported to contain breast firming and skin whitening creams. The expatriate, who had been working in Saudi for nine years on a business visa, initially operated out of an apartment but began visiting clients in their homes after starting to suspect that he was under surveillance. He was caught when the Hai’a enlisted the help of an undercover policeman to pose as the driver of a potential client. The hairdresser was then arrested as he entered the supposed home of the new ‘customer’. Prosecutors are understood to be seeking a tough sentence for the beautician. Tattoos are not officially banned in Saudi, but they are not in keeping with Islamic tradition. The kingdom’s feared religious police patrol the streets enforcing rules including dress codes and the strict separation of men and women. Culled from www.mailonline.com

July 21, 2012

Parenting

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

How can young mothers Tiny Feet avoid sleep deprivation? B

eing a new mom is an exhilarating experience. No one can rival the extent of love a mother feels for her new born baby. Once the heady initial days are over, a new mother faces new challenges which she often finds hard to cope with. If you are a young mom, you may know the feeling. The issue most young mothers find hard to deal with is lack of sleep. Your baby chooses to sleep peacefully during the day and decides to wake up exactly when you go to bed. How do you deal with it? This lack of sleep often dampens the wonderful initial feeling and may make you short tempered and irritable. You may not be able to change your baby’s sleeping pattern, but there are some steps you can take to get more sleep. Don’t let this affect your life. Take a short nap when your baby does Your prime responsibility as a young mom is your baby. Your baby is likely to spend most of the day sleeping. When your baby’s sleep-

ing during the day, take a break yourself and enjoy a nap. This will not only help you relax but also make up for some of the sleepless hours of the night. Plan your day ahead The most rigidly organized women can become overwhelmed with their responsibilities when they become new moms. The result is in the form of chaotic days and sleepless nights. This will not happen if you prioritize your tasks and follow a schedule. Planning ahead is the key to keep you calm and in control. It’s not just you who needs to follow a schedule but also your baby. With some careful planning (and patience), you can put your baby’s activities in order so that the baby feeds, sleeps, and plays in set times. This may sound impossible to you right now but many successful moms have learned and applied this trick. Plan your night: Impossible as it may sound, it can be done if you work toward this goal. If you carefully monitor your baby’s night activities, you

ParentingUpdate

The talented pint-sized pianist doing her thing.

er hands are so tiny her fingers barely span more than a few keys at a time. She uses a booster seat to get level with the keyboard and it takes all her concentration to play without looking. But even before she is three years old, Lavinia Ramirez has astounded experts – with her first public performance on piano. Lavinia Ramirez had only been learning to master the keys for six weeks when she stepped out to perform Mary Had a Little Lamb in

front of a 200-strong audience at a local church hall at just age 2 Her teacher, Matej Lehocky said her talent was ‘remarkable’ for someone so young, describing her ability as ‘outstanding’. ‘To play at her age is something extraordinary, something very special,’ he said. ‘Usually young children are not able to control themselves or do what they are told. Normally they just run down the keys and get bored.’ By that stage she had been to only eight lessons. Mr Lehocky,

will realize that the baby actually follows a routine. This is true for most babies. According to a mother of three, her firstborn would get up exactly at 3:35am crying for a diaper change and sleep again by 4:30am after being changed and feed. Once she realized this, she prepared her mind for this daily routine. Once she accepted this fact, she was able to fall asleep with her baby instead of feeling resentful and irritable. Get your partner to help you Remember, your child is not only your responsibility. Divide some of the tasks with your husband. This will not only help relive some of your responsibilities, but also positively affect your relationship. Help your newborn learn to sleep Every new mum longs for sleep and you can start teaching your baby good sleep habits right from the beginning. Put your baby down to sleep when he/she is still awake ideally you want your baby to learn right form the start to fall asleep on his own. If you make the effort to

NAME: David Babatunde

BORN TO: Mr and Mrs Babatunde AGE: 6 months BIRTH WEIGHT: 3.5 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com

do this, you will save yourself lots of pain later. Babies that learn to fall asleep while feeding or being rocked will need this every time they want a sleep. It may not bother you at the beginning but 10 months down the line you will find it rather wearing when they are waking 8 times a night needing to be rocked! If you teach your newborn to sleep well, you will sleep well, and when you’re getting enough sleep

you will be able to handle the other challenges of parenting a lot more easily. Teaching your baby that night time is for sleeping is a good lesson for her to learn straight away. You’ll do this by creating a beditme routine which could consist of bath, PJ’s, feed and quiet cuddle. Rather than come back into the noisy living room, it’s a good idea to take your baby to the bedroom for his bedtime feed.

Amazing girl, two, performs her first piano concert just six weeks after she started learning to play Her piano teacher called her ‘remarkable’ and claimed she was the best piano playing child in the UK who studied at the prestigious Prague Conservatory of Music and learned to play when he was four, agreed to tutor her after realising she was exceptionally bright and clearly interested to learn. She loves listening to classical music and occasionally asks him to play for her. Bizet’s Carmen is her current favourite.’ She is so mature for her age that you forget you’ve got a two-year-old sitting there with you,’ he said. ‘It’s as if she is five or six. She’s really only a baby though, so of course there are times when she gets distracted. But what she has is something exceptional. Her hand-eye co-ordination is remarkable. Her stunned teacher, said it was remarkable that someone of her age could play so well and said she was the best piano playing child in the UK ‘Neither of her parents plays an instrument but she became interested in music after getting a toy piano for Christmas. Mrs Ramirez and her husband Ian, both managers at a Tesco supermarket near their home in Ivybridge, Devon, bought her an

upright piano when they realised she had such a thirst to learn. Recalling her routine, her mum said: ‘She plays that at home, using a booster seat on a dining room chair instead of a piano stool.

Sometimes she’ll play on and off all day, sometimes she goes a week without playing. We let her decide. As for the future, we won’t push her. We just want to allow her skill to develop naturally.’

Careful what you say around the children: Babies can ‘hear’ words at just 9 months old – Study

arents should be worried about what they say in front of children. Youngsters can recognise speech at nine months old, claim scientists. That is far earlier than previously believed. According to the researchers, “Research results show infants have the ability to detect different types of speech, even if they need visual cues to assist in this process. “Our results show that infant speech perception is resilient and flexible. This means that our recognition of speech is more refined at an earlier age than was previously thought.” Tests were conducted on children aged nine months old, with responses to human and parrot speech and non-speech sounds

measured to find out how early in life we develop the ability to recognise speech. As tots cannot verbally communicate their responses, the researchers used a common method to measure the process - seeing if they gaze longer at what they find interesting or unusual. Looking longer at a visual paired with sound could be interpreted as a reflection of recognition, so the study paired sounds with visuals, including a adult female faces and a cup. The results showed children listened longer to human speech, compared with human non-speech sounds, regardless of the visual props. Culled from www.mailonline.com

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July 21, 2012

le StyGlam and

with Yemisi Adeniran

(08037801158) ydiran@yahoo.com

Working your Ankara W

ondering how to make your entrance with the Ankara fabric in an unusual way? It is very simple. Just avoid going the full Ankara way; get a plain cotton material of your choice and add a touch of the Ankara fabric either on the neck or at the waist for an office look or have it as a jacket or short skirt for a classic casual outing. If you must wear it as a dress, ensure to make it as skimpy as possible. To make an outstanding statement, you can employ a different fabric with a contrasting colour and designs. Touch up your wears with bold chunky earrings and heels and you are just good to go. Give it a try this season and you will have necks turn your side. With our models this week, I wonder who still believes the Ankara fabric is only meant for casual outings.

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

neon look N

eon-bright splashes of colour are ubiquitous this season as fashion designers trotted out fluorescent shoes, dresses and handbags to add a shot of newness to women’s wardrobes. Neons, as it were, are very happy, optimistic and excited numbers that fashion freaks, definitely won’t do without this season. Although colourful wears have always been on before now, the neon combinations come easy for only bold and daring fashionable women. They are fun and give you a definite

BEAUTY

Q&A

energy boost. With a small taste of it you can add a lot of flavour to your wardrobe. But if you are not the loud type, you can just have a touch of it in your choice of outfit, like pulling on a scarf, a tie or a belt of a very bright colour. However, choosing the neon option can easily put you on the fashion faux pas line. To indulge in it safely, avoid pairing neons with black, an intense contrast that makes the bright hue all the more stark. Adopt the neutrals instead, for a more modern and classic look.

Your candid response to all fasion questions Beware of fake Miss Rola weave Short hair style, if you have noticed, is a big trend now and one of the weave that is just best for it is the Miss Rola type. It is fluffy and adaptable into any style the wearer may choose to have it. Unfortunately, I have bought and used it twice now and the outcome has been

very disappointing. What exactly is wrong? I can assure you there is nothing new in what is happening to you. You don’t need any soothsayer to tell you that you have bought a fake type of Miss Rola weave. You are not the only one who is experiencing this, a lot of ladies have similarly gone through the same. Once there is a trend favouring a particular brand of product, it is bound to be adulterated by some people.

It is not only what is happe popular of la market. We ca a way of gett

My girlfri gift should I

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Fashion Frenzy

film makers that experience piracy; I guess this is ening to the Miss Rola product. It has become very ate and so the fake ones are equally dominating the an only call on its manufacturers to act and deduce ing their customers know the real ones.

iend’s birthday is in some days’ time. What I give her?

Facelift

How to apply false

eyebrows

he eyebrows frame the eye, give emphasis to your facial expressions, and add to the appearance of alertness, health and wellbeing. Without full, healthy eyebrows, you may look tired and older than your real age. Perfectly shaped, groomed and defined eyebrows are a desire for many, but not all people have enough brow hairs or the hairs are too light for the brows to stand out. If you are tired of using pencils, creams and powders to make your brows look fuller or more defined, try giving false eyebrows a try. False eyebrows are basically “wigs” for your brows with a transparent or semi-transparent backing. You do not have to shave your natural eyebrows to wear them, but they do adhere best over extremely sparse brows or bare skin. So, if your brows are bushy, it may be more difficult for the brows to stick firmly to the area. Tips to fixing fake eyebrows Right placement  Fake eyebrows need to be applied along the brow bone. If you drew a line up from the outer edge of your nostril, that is where the full part of the brow should begin. The arch should be over the edge of the iris of your eye, which is the coloured part. The eyebrow should be just a bit longer than the corner of your eye and should not extend into the temple area. Shaping the eyebrow  In choosing a shape for your fake eyebrow, remember that an extreme arch will give you an unnatural look of surprise. A natural, graceful curve looks best. One helpful way to decide on an eyebrow shape is to buy a package of eyebrow stencils. Choose from three or four subtly different styles and pencil in the shape you want before applying the f a k e e y e b r o w. Some beauty w e b sites p r o vide printable eyebrow stencils. Y o u c a n trim the fake eyebrow to the shape you but prefer, only a little at a time.

By now, you should have known those things she likes most. But if you must get something from here, I advise that you present her a good and qualitative jewelry pack. You can buy this on a budget or make it very expensive; all depend on your financial strength. A necklace or earrings with her birth stone can be found in a price for every budget. If you are buoyant enough, consider buying diamonds or gold with a heart shape describing your love.

STYLE & GLAM

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Model

Trendz

As far as on, Peju Odion, a rising model, is d, concerned, sexual nt harassment is a must challenge to be faced by l. any model. er “The higher he you go, the more the nt,’ harassment,’ des she confides in YEMISI N ADENIRAN In this interview.

Ethnic clutches YEMISI ADENIRAN

old and beautiful clutch bags with mustard middle panel showcases the beauty of the Ankara print fabric, which is the fabric of choice in contemporary African fashion. It teams up equally well

‘No model can run away from sexual harassment’

hy are you more inclined to modelling hair and beauty products than fashion labels? The hair is the beauty of any woman. It is the first thing that will attract anyone and you know, it does a lot of projection for a woman. I love my hair and my face and will go any length to keep it beautiful just as I believe any fashionable woman will any day. Beside all these, there are a lot of hair and beauty products around these days which offer any model to exhibit her potentials to the maximum. They are willing to give any willing model the chance to have a face. This is what I have grabbed and I am enjoying it presently. This, however, does not mean that I cannot model for fashion labels or any other product or manufacturer that beams the light my way. How financially rewarding has your deal with these companies been? I must say, so far, it has been very fair. I love the exposure they have given me and I must say too that I have been made to smile to the bank most times. They, however, can do better and I pray they will overtime. What do you want to achieve in modelling? My aim is to encourage young girls like me to look inwards and discover what they can do for themselves in the most decent way. The days we are in now do not give us the opportunity of

getting helped by the society like the elderly ones have claimed. We are in the era of creating something for ourselves. If you can make your face up in a way that is not common to others, do and stand out. If you can use your hands to create something outstanding for others to envy and emulate, do so and make a living out of it. This is what I want to preach or pass across to my generation as I move upwards in this career. Are there challenges you like to share with us? Of course, each job has a peculiarity and this one is not an exception. There are lots of models out there and companies using them are not willing to pay well. There is again the challenge of who knows whom, which is a general problem in Nigeria presently. However, this is no big deal and I know with God and determination, I will get to the top. What about the challenge of sexual harassment? That is a must; no one can run away from it and the higher you go, the more you face it. It is now left for you to apply your senses as they come. Who are your mentors? God, my maker and the one who makes all things possible for me; my wonderful parents and of course, everyone who has encouraged me to take the giant step of delving into this career.

with formal evening wear and more relaxed occasions. They come in different shapes and designs that suit your outings perfectly anytime, any day. But wait a minute; if you want them to come out well on you, try and pair them with a plain colour outfit whether formal or casual types like one of these models.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Male Essentials

08036961187

with Oseyiza Oogbodo kingseiza@yahoo.com w

How to get the best shirt Find a reputable tailor To find a tailor that you can trust, begin by asking around in your circle of friends or at work among colleagues with sartorial savvy. After you’ve rounded up a few promising prospects, pay a visit to each tailor and ask to see samples of their work. Inquire about which fit and collar type would work best for your body type and face. A good tailor should have no difficulty determining which style of shirt will meet your personal preferences for comfort and most flatter your bone structure, proportions and physique. Additionally, good tailors will always take your measurements, so if you come across one that doesn’t offer this prerequisite as part of their routine service, keep looking.

Choose your fabric What holds true for bedding holds true for dress shirts: The higher the thread count of the fabric, the better. High-end shirts often exceed 200 threads per inch, but any cotton with a count above 140 will be very soft to the touch. Finer dress shirts are also constructed from two-ply fabric, which makes them even softer, stronger and less prone to wrinkles. As well, pay attention to the country from which your fabric originates.

Shop by occasion

Tattoo tripping G

one are the days when tattoos served serious purposes only. Then, they were names or symbols th that tha served as identification. And when the Western world A became aware of the art of tattooing, tattoos served American gangsters as coverings for their knife or bullet wound scars. le Nowadays, though, people just trip for tattoos and go on ju tattoo trips without really knowtat ing what tattoos are all about. Since the probability is that once Sinc one tattoo, you will trip you have h for another, another most men who have it actuthan one. ally have more m now, they have an accepted fashFor now mostly entertainers darion trend, with w ing to have them brazenly. DJ Sose for has his in the boldest of all instance, h places: his face, and it is so big that you

TATTOOS SERVED

AMERICAN

GANGSTERS AS COVERINGS FOR THEIR KNIFE OR BULLET WOUND SCARS can’t fail to notice him because of it, this has made him a celebrity of a brand. Other entertainers who also trip for tattoos are Davido, Peter P-Square and Kcee. Davido has several all over his body but none on his face, likewise Peter, Kcee and many others. The furthest most other men go to having tattoos on their face is to have it on their neck. And even though the men who have tattoos have them for fashion purposes really, their tattoos still end up as means of identifying them.

Decide where you plan to wear your custom-made shirt because it will make a difference when it comes to the fit, fabric and detailing. For instance, for formal occasions, you’ll want a dress shirt with a very tailored fit in a neutral-colored, luxurious fabric. On the other hand, if you’re shopping for shirts to wear for an evening at a swanky restaurant or bar, shirts with a slimmer fit and trendier patterns are more appropriate. For business meetings, when you need to dress to impress, a French cuff shirt will help you create seriously fashionable ensembles.

Get measured Whether you’re shopping online or in-person for your custom-made shirts, obtaining the correct measurements is of the utmost importance. Get this wrong and you botch the entire process. To avoid the situation in which you end up with a custom-made shirt that looks like it was made for someone else, always have a tailor to take your measurements. If you plan on buying a custom-made shirt online, go to your local tailor, pay him to take your measurements and then proceed. Request collar, chest, shoulder, halfshoulder, sleeve, waist, hip, and length measurements.

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Relationships

Should men always make It’s frustrating

ne of the top male fantasies ever is a man seeing his woman turning into a sexual tigress in the bedroom. This top male fantasy cuts across all races, intellectual and social strata. Men are sick and tired of starting the whole process of luring a woman to bed. The process starts from the first glance and smile to giving gifts and then thinking of how to finally consummate the act itself. We generally don’t mind doing so because it’s part of the mystery of the chase. But believe me when I say it is no rumour that we want to also feel wanted. We are tired of always initiating sex with our partners. To always go through the fear of rejection with its attendant stupid excuses which in most cases even sound lame to the women themselves can be very emotionally tasking. Just imagine a woman coming home from the office to complain of a headache when we make the moves for sex as if we also didn’t go through the same stress from very early in the morning when we had to face the rigours of traffic to overbearing bosses and then a heavy workload that is not commensurate with the salaries we bring home at the end of the month. We also have to go through the mental stress of thinking about coming home and still meeting up with our manly duties. Please believe me when I say rejection is the most cruel way of welcoming us back to a home that’s supposed to be our sanctuary. The fear of rejection has turned a lot of men into a shadow of themselves. Some have even resulted to violence as a way out and these are not supposed to happen. Having to force or cajole one’s partner for sex amounts to rape. The bottom line is that even when she finally accents to the act, it is with reluctance and or pity, and we are sick and tired of being objects of pity. As a man, I’ve always loved it when a woman initiates sex and anything romantic without

being asked to do so. It’s a silent sure simple way for the average man to know the extent to which his woman also wants him. It is a known fact and foregone conclusion that our women generally are preconditioned from childhood to be demure and not talk about anything sexual, not to talk of being bold enough to even want it by showing that they want it. Little wonder that a lot of men gravitate towards bold women who do not hide how they feel about anything sexual. Most older folks in the society especially fellow women wrongly assume that women shouldn’t initiate sex, but thank God for a younger group of women who know what they want; which is, keeping their men and they know that men can be easily kept at home by a woman who is very bold, aggressive and adventurous in bed. The society is at fault here because a lot of women have been raised to believe that a woman who initiates sex is invariably a prostitute. A lot of women have been told to subdue their urges so that they would not be looked upon as sluts. Women have been told wrongly that if they show that aspect of their womanhood, their partners will treat them as whores and the relationship won’t last but it’s a very big lie because men will never see their women that way. A lot of women who complain of their men hardly staying at home have forgotten that in every man there’s a little boy who wants to go out and play but you have to look for an alternative ‘game’ that he’ll enjoy for him to play at home. Let me tell you the truth, hardly will any man turn you down if you try to initiate sex and if on the off chance he does, it must mean he’s really tired but believe me when I say he’ll really appreciate the gesture and he’ll definitely find something good to compensate you with later because you’d have made him feel wanted and loved.

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

11 potency protection tips Erectile Dysfunction (ED) becomes more common as men age. But it is not necessarily a normal part of aging. How can men avoid ED? 1. Watch what you eat. A diet that’s bad for a man’s heart is also not good for his ability to have erections. Research has shown that the same eating patterns that can cause heart attacks due to restricted blood flow in the coronary arteries can also impede blood flow to and within the penis. The blood flow is needed for the penis to become erect. Diets that include very few fruits and vegetables along with lots of fatty, fried, and processed foods can contribute to decreased blood circulation throughout the body. Recent studies show that ED is relatively uncommon among men who eat a traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, heart-healthy fats including nuts and olive oil, fish, and wine, particularly red. 2. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can bring many health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, which can cause nerve damage throughout the

body. If the diabetes affects the nerves that supply the penis, ED can result.

3. Avoid high blood pressure and high cholesterol. High cholesterol or high blood pressure can damage blood vessels, including those that bring blood to the penis. Eventually, this may lead to ED. Make sure your doctor checks your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. You might also want to check your blood pressure between doctor visits. Blood pressure monitors are also sold for home use. If your cholesterol or blood pressure is out of control, get it treated. Blood pressure drugs can make it hard to get an erection. But doctors say many cases of ED that get blamed on these drugs are actually caused by arterial damage resulting from high blood pressure (also called hypertension).

4. Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all. There is no evidence that mild or even moderate alcohol consumption is bad for erectile function. But chronic heavy drinking can cause liver damage, nerve damage,

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RELATIONSHIPS

July 21, 2012

CHINWE ANNIE AMAECHI 07028684481 chinweamaechi@gmail.com

the first move in bed? Not always

This column is x-rated and other conditions -- such as interfering with the normal balance of male sex hormone levels -- that can lead to ED. 5. Exercise regularly. Strong evidence links a sedentary lifestyle to erectile dysfunction. Running, swimming, and other forms of aerobic exercise have been shown to help prevent ED. Watch out for any form of exercise that puts excessive pressure on the perineum, which is the area between the scrotum and anus. Both the blood vessels and the nerves that supply the penis can be adversely affected from excessive pressure in this area. Bicycle (or Okada) riding, in particular, can cause ED. An occasional short ride is unlikely to cause trouble. But men who spend a lot of time biking should make sure their bike fits them properly, wear padded cycling pants, and stand up frequently while pedalling. 6. Don’t rely on Kegels. One form of exercise that doesn’t seem helpful is Kegel exercises, which involve repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles in the pelvis. Kegels can be helpful for men and women suffering from incontinence. But there’s no evidence that they prevent erectile dysfunction. 7. Keep tabs on testosterone. Even in healthy men, testosterone levels often begin falling sharply around age 50.

This column is x-rated Every year after age 40, a man’s testosterone level typically falls about 1.3%. Symptoms like a low sex drive, moodiness, lack of stamina, or trouble making decisions suggest a testosterone deficiency, as do spongy erections. Your doctor can check on that. 8. Avoid anabolic steroids. These drugs, which are often abused by athletes and bodybuilders, can shrink the testicles and sap their ability to make testosterone. 9. If you smoke, stop. Smoking cigarettes can harm blood vessels and curb blood flow to the penis. And nicotine makes blood vessels contract, which can hamper blood flow to the penis. 10. Steer clear of risky sex. Some cases of erectile dysfunction stem from penile injuries that occur during sex. Keep your penis from bending painfully, jamming against your partner’s body, bending the wrong way or being weighted upon. 11. Curb stress. Psychological stress boosts levels of the hormone adrenaline, which makes blood vessels contract. That can be bad news for an erection. Anything a man can do to ease tension and feel better emotionally is likely to give his sex life a big boost.

he general rule is that men are hunters and women are to be wooed. In other words, men are generally expected to take the first steps and women are to respond to the men’s moves. Men are to woo and propose and women who propose to men are usually tagged as desperate, forward and shameless. However, when it comes to sexual relations, should the general rule apply at all times? Since sex is (or should be) a major ad regular occurrence in marriage and each spouse owns the other’s body (ideally), should every sexual intercourse be initiated by the man? Like the saying goes, “different strokes for different folks”. Some men get the kicks when their women make the first moves, while some get turned off by such. Men in the school of thought, who feel they should always make the first move, in my opinion, are very selfish and chauvinistic. This is because the primary interpretation of that theory is that a couple should have sex only when the man is in the mood, whereas, the ideal norm should recognise the fact that women are entitled to have sex when they feel like doing so. But in the actual sense, men are always in the mood (most men!). So, a man should actually be thrilled whenever his woman makes the first move. A woman’s initiation of sex should not make a man feel less of a man or under her control. It also should not make a man feel like his wife is going “gaga” or becoming a maniac. One may wonder what really amounts to “making the first moves”. Should the first moves be direct or indirect; verbal or non-verbal? This could actually determine how a man would interpret the propriety or otherwise of his wife’s first moves. It seems that it is “proper” for a woman to give “green light”, rather than come out straight with her desire. In other words, she should use body language – a nice perfumed bath, followed by a sexy lingerie, etc. But real-

ly, I reiterate that married people own each other’s bodies so I don’t think there is anything wrong for a woman to be direct when she wants sex; it’s just that the “green light” method works better. Men are turned on by what they see while women are turned on by what they hear and feel. As private and sensitive as this topic may sound, it is a silent issue in the minds of many women. A lot of women are wary about making the first moves even when they feel mushy; they don’t want their husbands to brand them as shameless maniacs. So what do they do? They wait till their husbands are in the mood; after all, women have the ability to control their sexual appetites. The downside is that some of the husbands to such women also silently wonder why their wives do not make the first moves. Is it that their wives don’t find them appealing or don’t enjoy sex? Or do their wives see sex as a routine performance of conjugal duty? Such silent questions actually create a void in the relationship after a while. That is why communication in marriage is very vital. Bottom line: you cannot really answer this question effectively in a personal sense, if you do not communicate well with your spouse. Study your man and learn to ask questions about what he likes or dislikes, even with regard to your sexual relations. No need to assume. If he would rather make the first moves all the time, then it is either you make him see the issue from another angle or you simply abide by his rules and pray he is in the mood whenever you are (Lol!). Also, you could try the very subtle green light method which will make him feel like he made the first moves, anyway. If your husband gets thrilled when you make the first moves, indulge him from time to time, but don’t make it too frequent; you may lose your appeal. My two cents!! So should men always make the first move? Not always.

July 21, 2012

Dear Igho

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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

They want to help my mum only after sleeping with me! Dear Igho, I am 17 years old and through with my secondary school education. My parents are not rich neither are they living together. I live with my dad while mum lives in a small kiosk in the open space three streets away from us and she can hardly feed. My problem is that I always go to visit her but of recent I stopped going because guys in my street always abuse and call me gutter girl just because my mum lives in a kiosk.

They always tell me to let them have their way with me and they will help me relocate her to a better area but I am very scared and confused.

I need a Christian lady Dear Igho,

Dear Confused gal, Reading your text message, my heart reached out to your family in prayers, that the Lord will restore you all. I don’t know exactly what must have led to the separation between your parents, but I request of you to do all within your reach to accelerate reconciliation between them. Often time, the devil makes faithful disciples of children in such situation and I pray it would never find you or any of your siblings worthy for its mischief. I will however encourage you to continue visiting your mum until the reconciliation between your parents become reality; you just can never tell what that seemingly unimportant visit means to her. It could actually be the reason she is still alive and holding unto hope for a brighter tomorrow; I’m certain every time she beholds your presence, her heart is gladdened that at least she has a friend. Now, imagine what would happen when you deprive her of all these simply because of some riffraff who don’t know the value of a mother. Should your mum die of loneliness, be rest assured that these guys will yet not desist from calling you names.

Dear Jesusore, My name is Jesusore. I’m 26, in need of a Christian lady for a serious relationship. She must be good, attractive, romantic, and fair in complexion and she must be between 21-25 years old. She must also be God fearing, and a working class lady. Any interested lady should call me on: 08059771187.

Dear Igho, With your phone number published, I believe women with that statistics would contact you. But I hope you’re equally God fearing and a working class single who is not expecting a perfect lady because such don’t exist. Wishing you the best in your search for love!

He is dating my course mate too Dear Igho, I started dating a boy six months ago only for me to discover recently that he is also dating my course mate who is also in my level. What do you advise I do? Lara, LASU, Lagos. Dear Lara,

You have to be certain he is dating your course mate and not that he dated her before your relationship started. You have to patiently inquire about his love life and be certain he is not one of those guys on campus who have a penchant for asking every lady out especially course mates. But if after thoroughly investigating, you discover he asked her out after starting a relationship with you, I will advise you dump him before he does that!

I will advise that if you love yourself, maintain more than a social distance from those young men because they are up to no good. If they really care about you, they wouldn’t call you names but would want to see to how peace could be restored to your family by helping to reconcile your parents. They would genuinely want to assist your mum without any fringe benefits attached to it. My sweet sister, should you allow them have their way with you, they will not only call you more horrible names but you will become the talk of that community for they will announce it to anyone who cares to listen. The worst of it all is that they will not assist your mum as they are claiming and will deny you should you get pregnant or contract any sexually transmitted disease. Flee from these angels of the devil; they are only out to ravish your youth and dump you when they’ve had their fill of you. Rather, get closer to God in prayers; have a personal relationship with Him for He is the one who gives without adding sorrow. Commit your family to His care and watch Him work wonders. Meanwhile, continue the visits to your mum. You could keep a part of your meal and share with her when you visit her. Spend quality time with her for she needs you than you can imagine. If you dad can afford it, learn a trade so that you could have financial independence, if not, make friends with a female tailor in your area and run errands for her so that you could use the opportunity to learn the trade. But make sure you commit every of your steps to God and He’ll guide you through. Please, keep in touch and let me know how everything goes.

Confused gal, Lagos State.

I’m an ardent reader of your column. I’m having a serious problem with my fiancée; she despises sex and often gets tired shortly even if we have had it just once. I have been nursing this for two years now. I am the one who deflowered her. What could be wrong with her? Why is she like this? Junior, Surulere.

My fiancée is not good in bed

Dear Junior, There is nothing wrong with your fiancée; rather, you have to patiently teach her. She is unskillful in bed because like you said, you met her a virgin. Virgins are like babies; they acquire only what they are taught. When anyone, that includes men, loses their virginity, they don’t automatically become experts in bedroom matters; they

learn over time. You ought to be happy that two years after you broke her hymen she is still faithful to you; this is obvious in her lack of skills. Everything lies in your court- groom her into what you want her to be in the bedroom and not she going outside to do that. But sincerely speaking, since she is already your fiancée, why not get sexually active with her after you’ve taken her down the aisles. This way, you’ll be preserving your (both of you) dignity, integrity and her self esteem. I stand bold to tell you that deep down within her, she would love to have sex only within the confines of marriage.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Living

KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

or a first time visitor and residents, especially females, of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, one festival that is dreaded in the city is that of the masquerade, no thanks to the myth surrounding the most fearful of all the masquerades, the Oloolu. Indeed, the fear of Oloolu is the beginning of wisdom for the women folk in the largest city South of Africa, this is because the tradition is that no female must see the masquerade whenever it is out during the period of the festival, the consequence for any violator of this myth is death. While this tradition has been on time immemorial, this year’s festival was to take a new twist on Tuesday, 3 July, when some youths in Popoyemoja area of the city waylaid the masquerade. The masquerade was mercilessly stabbed by the hoodlums. And if not for the intervention of the officers of the state police command, the masquerade would have been stripped naked in the open and the myth surrounding it destroyed. For two consecutive days the city was engulfed in the rumour that the Oloolu masquerade had been wounded and its right hand man, called “Awo” killed. It, however, was not true eventually. Saturday Mirror learnt that trouble started when some people in the area were observing the eight day fidau prayers for an Islamic cleric, Alfa Rafiu Fasasi Adisa, and the Oloolu must pass through the area to pay a visit to a prominent chief in Ibadanland, the Otun Olubadan. The masquerade’s passage necessitated the females at the Fidau prayers scampering to safety in order not to run foul of the myth surrounding the Oloolu. Hence, when the Oloolu got to a place called Akala in the area around 4.00 pm, the Muslims observing the Fidau prayers resisted its passing through the place. Their action was considered as an affront by the Oloolu and its entourage with the belief that there is nowhere in Ibadanland that is forbidden for the masquerade. The Muslims were said to have offered the masquerade a sum of money to prevent him from passing through the area because of the large presence of women whom tradition forbids from seeing the dreaded masquerade. The Muslims were said to be irked by the fact that after collecting the offered money, the masquerade initially beat a retreat, only for it to return sometime later. The Muslims would not take this; hence a free for all ensued. It was reported that within the twinkle of an eye, thugs and street urchins, also known as area boys, appeared from nowhere, mixed with the foes of Oloolu on whom they descended with weapons which included cutlasses, guns and cudgels. These were freely used on the masquerade and its followers. However, when gun shots and machetes had no effect on the masquerade, the thugs then resorted to cudgels and cow bones. With these, the masquerade went

Oloolu and Wasiu Ganiyu, one of his followers, after the attack.

ABOMINATION! Dreaded Ibadan masquerade, Oloolu, disrobed It was an attack on tradition not me – Oloolu In Yorubaland, masquerades are revered. They are also feared. They are regarded as the spirits of the ancestors. ors. But recently in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, tradition was as thrown to the dogs, when some people attacked one ne of the dreaded masquerades of the city, the Oloolu. Its ts offence: It made to pass through an area where a Fidau u prayer was being held. At the event, there was a heavyy presence of the people meant not to see him: females. down in a pool of its own blood. It was the arrival of policemen from the Mapo Division that saved the Oloolu from further punishment which might have lead to its death and destroying the myth surrounding the masquerade. After the Oloolu was stripped of its garb (which was later recovered), the masquerade, it was gathered was rushed to a private hospital nearby for treatment. This led to another person putting on the masquerade cloth the following day, which was Wednesday, and the first point of call of the masquerade was the scene of the fight obviously in the attempt to seek revenge. This, however, was to backfire as the arrival of the masquerade in the area led to another bloody free for all with many people injured and several proper-

ties destroyed. Oloolu The area boys were to capitalise on this to break into many houses in the area and embark on n a looting spree. place is called AroSpeaking with the Saturday Mirror, womoko, Sakapena while the one of the residents of the area said, “it incident happened in Popoyemoja.” An elderly man, Pa Rafiu Adeyemo, all started on Tuesday when the Oloolu came here and was not allowed. The whose car was also vandalized, said he Oloolu was to reappear the following parked it in front of his house where it day, a Wednesday, leading to another was eventually destroyed. “They have stopped my means of bloody fight, with not less than 21 vehicles including mine destroyed. I was livelihood because they have destroyed standing nearby when from nowhere all the glass of my vehicle with cutlass, came one area boy brandishing gun and for now there is nowhere I can raise and cutlass with which he destroyed the kind of money that will be required my Toyota Corolla car with registration to put the vehicle with registration numnumber DG 916 AAA. The most painful ber LAGOS JU 173 KJA, back in shape.” aspect of it was the fact that it was not CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 here that they fought on Tuesday. This

LIVING

July 21, 2012

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Demystification of Oloolu, dreaded Ibadan masquerade

Iyawo Sam Ojebode

Olori Alaagba Ibadan

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 Apart from a Mercedes Benz V Boot car with number ONDO AP 659 that was destroyed, it was learnt that no fewer than 17 others were affected while 18 motorcycles were stolen. When Saturday Mirror visited the house of the deceased Islamic cleric whose fidau prayers led to the crisis, the widows said the children came from outside the city for the prayers and had left for their different places of work. Two of them, Mrs. Amuda Fasasi and Mrs. Fatimo Fasasi, explained that, “we did not go out as we are widows, we did not know what happened during the prayer session. What we know is that there was no fight here, it was open space on the road that was used for the fidau, when the Oloolu was to pass through the place, the masquerade was offered money and drinks which he accepted so that it would not come there because of the presence of many women at the prayer session “They had first left, but those following the masquerade returned and there was a naming ceremony also going on in the area at that time. They were then throwing stones, snatching phones and bags, indeed it was so bad, one of those affected was a member of the house who is still in the hospital. It was what they did that resulted in the people retaliating. If you had come a day or two after the incident, you would have seen broken bottles littering the ground. “The masquerade came back the next day. We learnt that it was another person under the mask. They came with guns through Alekuso. They started shooting. When we heard gun shots, we had to close our doors. It was over there that they were forced to beat a retreat, it was not our family that was responsible for the crisis.“ At his residence, the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, confirmed that it was his house that the Oloolu and its supporters were coming before the crisis erupted. According to him, because of the fact that the masquerade was expected to visit, instructions had been passed to the women to steer clear as they were forbidden to see it. “I learnt that it was at Idi Arere that they turned back, on their way they passed through the road that was tarred by Akala, the place did not lead to this place but some of the area boys had made it so for their own benefit so that they would be able to collect money from the people. We waited till 8 pm, and we did not see them

THE MASQUERADE CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY. WE LEARNT THAT IT WAS ANOTHER PERSON

UNDER THE MASK.

THEY CAME WITH GUNS THROUGH ALEKUSO. THEY STARTED SHOOTING. WHEN WE HEARD GUN SHOTS,

WE HAD TO CLOSE OUR DOORS knowing full well that the visit could not pass that time. All that we prepared to give the Oloolu are still there. We have not given them out because we did not see them. When I asked where the Oloolu was attacked and was told somewhere in Popo Yemoja, I gathered that the masquerade first branched at its friend’s place. Why they did that I would not know because it was my place that the Oloolu must come straight. I also learnt that it was those having fidau prayers that waylaid it. They now wanted to get to my place through short cut,” he said. But by the time everything subsided, not less than 20 supporters of the dreaded masquerade including its right hand man and three hoodlums were rounded up by the police. The arrest of the supporters led the Oloolu and other chieftains of masquerade in Ibadanland to cry out to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade 1. At the palace of the Olubadan, the leader of the Oloolu family, Ojetunde Akinleye Asoleke, who led the team said the development was a desecration of the tradition and culture of Ibadanland, stressing that it was the first time such would happen to the masquerade. The Olori Alaagba while alleging that the assault was orchestrated by some Muslim youths, lamented the indiscriminate arrest of about 20 of his supporters, noting that the most bizarre of the unfortunate incident was the removal of the traditional regalia of Oloolu as well as the arrest of the carrier. Asoleke debunked the claim that the carrier of Oloolu died in the process, explaining that the news was mischievous just as he stated that the man was badly injured, but not killed. “We feel saddened by the report that our man was

killed as this was far from the truth. No doubt, he was badly wounded as you can all see (showing the wounds sustained by the Oloolu on his arm and head), but he was not killed. The costume seized by the men of Operation Burst had been retrieved and the festival would resume in earnest”, he said. The head of the Oloolu family appealed to the Olubadan to ensure the release of all the supporters arrested and detained by the police. He also called on the monarch to prevail on the security agencies not to allow them to be used to cause disaffection among the people. Speaking with the Saturday Mirror during a visit to his residence, the Oloolu, Mr. Ojeyemi Oripayimo, said, “I was not the one beaten, it was the Olubadan and the chiefs in Ibadanland that were beaten. We are just caretakes, our task is just to keep, the Ololu tradition alive. “ The Olubadan can call us at any time to come and make sacrifice for the peace of the city, the Oloolu is a deity. It is in the month of March that we make sacrifice for the progress of the city. It is the Oloolu that the Olubadan sends on this errand. When we finished the sacrifice, by the month of April, we would fix the date for the egungun festival which is usually in the month of June. After the coming out of smaller masquerades such as Atipako, that usually embarked on sacrifice of dog for the Olubadan on Monday, and followed by others such as Alapansapa, it would be the second week that the Oloolu would come out. “There would be vigil for the Oloolu on Monday while there would be a visit to the Olubadan on Tuesday. After leaving the palace of the Olubadan, the Oloolu will visit Omiyale. It is after that that we would visit Adetunji. It was Adetunji that we were visiting around 4 pm, we passed through the new road in front of the petrol station at Idi Arere, on getting to the junction, we saw them throwing stones and bottles but we were going straight. We did not collect any money from anybody. We did not know that there was any ceremony going on, if we knew, we would not go through the place. We don’t normally go to Popo Yemoja before, it was when Adetunji became Otun that we stated going there, we branched at Yemoja house. “We had told our supporters that they must not steal any phone and that they must not cause any trouble. We did not have any intention of fighting, it was then they started shooting, they shot me and also used cutlass, but when they realised that these did not have effect on me, they resorted to using animal bones, you can see the marks that these caused on my body. Apart from a stick and cane, there is no other thing with the Oloolu, policemen also followed us but they did not enter the compound with us because it was raining. It was the policemen that took me to a private hospital. It is unheard off that the Oloolu was waylaid, if the Olubadan and the high chiefs believed that the incident is an embarrassment to them, they should take steps to avoid future occurrence.” Speaking with Saturday Mirror on the development, a public commentator, Mr. Awodele Siaba, said nobody dares waylay the Oloolu if not that such people want to turn the custom upside down. On his own part, the Secretary General of Oje Parapo, Ibadan, Chief Lasun Adebayo, said, “ since it was on the way to the house of Otun Olubadan that the Oloolu was attacked, it was not the masquerade that was embarrassed because the Oloolu is for all Ibadans. Thus it was tradition that was embarrassed. It is important for High Chief Adetunji to do something concerning the issue, not because of this incident but because of future occurrence. It is important to know that such an incident has not happened in the history of the city. We are expecting the steps to be taken by the Olubadan and the high chiefs; we do not want Ibadan to be put to ridicule.” In a statement he issued, the Alaagbaa of Agugu, Ibadan, Chief Ojegboyega Adepoju, called on the state government to intervene in the matter so as to save the custom and tradition of Yorubaland

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LIVING

July 21, 2012

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 the Third Mainland Bridge. It is not a good sight for anybody to see and beyond that the issue of safety is more of concern to us. What we are doing is to clear the environment of the danger that is looming in that area. We moved in to protect the lives of the people on that waterfront.” The Lagos State government may see the erected structures as shanties erected on the river but to the people of the community the so-called shanty is a house since that is where they live and worked. To many people irrespective of the motive of the government giving the Makoko residents 72 hours to vacate their place of abode smacks of insensitivity considering the effect would bring to the poor trodden masses living in the slum. It is also believed that rendering the people homeless without any alternative in the name of development will add to their plight. Saturday Mirror, during a visit to the community on Thursday, gathered that some people had become ill as a result of sick the incident. An aged old man was also reported to have died on Thursday as a result of cold related ailment since there was nowhere for him to lay his head after the demolition. Many of the residents, especially those who were not around when their homes were demolished could not stop counting their losses. “I lost my money and property during the demolition. On that day I went to the market and it was when I returned that I found out that my home had been demolished. I was not able to bring out my money and other items from the house before it was demolished. A lot of my money and property went with the water,’ Juliana Aronsu, a trader, told Saturday Mirror. A community leader, Mr. Atiyeye Ephraim, said the people of the community are not opposed to development of the area but government ought to have given them enough time before forcefully ejecting them from where they had been living for over 100 years. His words: “What we are witnessing today in Makoko has been done in Bariga. We are not opposed to development. If you want to develop any place and you want to remove people who are living there, the government must be able to put adequate alternative facilities in place. It is unfair to government to drive people away without providing an alternative for them. Government must be able to prepare a place for us or compensate with good money so that we can go and buy a land or house in any place of our choices. It is not unfair for people to be living and sleeping on the boats and canoes. They are human beings.” The Secretary of Ilaje Crayfish Fishermen Association of Nigeria, Mr. Ewajane Osomo, corroborated the claim that thousands of people had been rendered homeless by government’s decision and further demolition would bring more difficulties who don’t have any other place to go

Makoko: Where would 300,000 residents go to?

Some houses on the river

since they have being living in Makoko for over 100 years. The Executive Director, Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC), Mr. Felix Morka, expressed the belief that the eviction notice was wrong and in total violation of the rule of law. He said giving homeown-

ers such a short notice was unkind on the part of the government. “We condemn the action taken by the Lagos State Ministry of Waterfront and Infrastructure Development. It was done without proper notice. Giving people 72 hours to vacate their homes, under any circumstance, is dif-

ficult and shows lack of understanding,” he added. With the ongoing demolition, only time will tell what would become the faith of the people living in Makoko community. Would they ever get succour from the government? This is a crucial question begging for answer.

‘I am hungry and can’t locate my family again’

Papa Esegbe, a 10-year-old boy

10 year old Papa Esegbe, abandoned on the river

What is your name? My name is Papa Esegbe Where do you live? I am living there (pointing to one of the demolished houses) Since your house was demolished, where have you been sleeping?

I have been living and sleeping on this (pointing to some logs he sat upon on the lagoon) Why are you living here? Because I don’t have anywhere to go Where are your parents? I don’t know where my family went to

after our house was demolished. Since the incident I have not seen them because everybody scattered after the demolition. How have you been coping? I don’t have anywhere to go to. I have not eaten for days because I don’t have anybody to give me food.

LIVING

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We have been living on water since 18th century - Baale Chief Francis Agoyon, Head of the Baales in Makoko/Iwaya axis. What is your reaction to the demolition? We are not happy with what happened because we have being living here for long. We have being living on water since the 18th Century when our fathers first came from Badagry and other places to this place to settle

Mardalane

I have been here since birth – 100-year old great-grandmother How long have you been living here? I am over 100 years and I was born here. I gave birth to all my children here. My children also had their own children here. We were all living here in peace before the demolition. How have you been coping after the demolition? I don’t have anywhere to go. I have

been sleeping on the lagoon. I don’t have anything to eat and I have been drinking water from the lagoon since my home was demolished. I don’t have any other livelihood. What do you want from the government? Government should do something to help us. We don’t have anywhere to go.

Agoyan

down and started trading in fish. How has this demolition affected the people? Some years ago we were told not to go near the high tension cables (power line) and we are all aware of that. But what we found out was that some Baales (traditional rulers) started allowing some people to be building their houses near the power line. We agreed with the government decision that we should move away from the power line but what we discovered with the demolition was that government had gone beyond demolishing houses that are 50 meters to the power line, they are now destroying houses that are about 100 meters to the power line, which was not in accordance with what it earlier told us. What then do you want from the government? We are calling on the government to come to our rescue and empathise with us. They must stop the demolition of our houses because we are going to experience a lot of hardship if our people are sent away from this place without any alternative.

‘Govt is playing politics with our lives’ Mr. Agbe Emmanuel (JP) is the leader of the Egun Community and President of Fishermen and Fish sellers’ Society in Egun Community, Makoko,

Agbe

Were you properly informed prior to the demolition? We received a letter from the Lagos State government on July 12 that we must clear our loads from where we were living within 72hours. Many people in the community came from different places, like Badagry, and other far places within and outside Lagos State. Many people don’t even know where they came from. We were born in

Mr. Musbau Agbodemu, is the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos Marginalised Communities Forum.

this community and we don’t have anywhere to go. Since the demolition took place many people have been living inside their canoes and boats because they don’t have anywhere to go to. What we were told before was that the government was planning to destroy the houses built in about 50 meters to the power line. We believed that the government was trying to save our life and we were also ready to move 50 meters away from the power line. But what surprised us is that the demolition of the houses had gone beyond the 50 meters that the government initially talked about. We are begging

‘Demolition will increase crime’

hat is your take on the recent demolition of houses in Makoko/Iwaya? There have been several records of people being displaced from their places without adequate compensation and alternative. The first demolition in Lagos State started as far back as April 24, 1984 at Shangisha in Magodo. That is about 28 years ago. The second one was in July 14, 1990 at Maroko in Ajah. The third one happened at Makoko/ Temidire/Adekunle community in May 2005 and about 15,000 people were displaced without any compensation or creating any place for them to settle. The fourth one happened at the same area in Adekunle in 2010.

the government that we don’t have any house to stay and we don’t have any place to go. We are fisherman and fish sellers. The demolition without any alternative would bring a lot of suffering on the people. We want Nigerian people to help us beg Governor Babatunde Fashola to please leave us and allow us to live on the water in as much we don’t build 50 meters to the power line. What government is saying is that Juliana you are not supposed to live on water, if there is alternative to live on ground provided by government, would you go? Government is supposed to have got a Mrs. Juliana Aronsu big land, built houses on it and relocated How long have you been staying us there before embarking on the demolition of our houses. So for government not here? I was born in this place putting up any available structures before How many people are staying in demolishing our houses means that govyour building? ernment is playing politics with our lives. We are 15 in number including my grandmother Where were you when your house was demolished? some of the demolition process? I went to the market and it was when I After that we have series of meeting returned that I found out that the house with state officials that how do we manage had been demolished. all this. They must know that we multiply Did you lose anything in the process? day by day and we must make provision Yes, I lost my money and property. I went for the people. Displacing people without to the market that day and it was when I realternative will create a lot of social vices. turned that I found out that my home had We don’t know what would be the benefit been demolished. I was not able to bring and dividends of democracy on the poor if out my money and other items from the government is not thinking of giving us a house before it was demolished. A lot of better life. my money and other things went with the What would be the effect of the dewater. molition on the people and the society? Were you not adequately informed If we continue in this way the slum will of the demolition? continue to multiply because people must No. I was not informed about the demolive and survive. Secondly, if we continue in lition. The Baale did not inform us about this way without any adjustment, we would any ultimatum given to us by government continue to have security threats like inseto vacate the place before the demolition. curity.

Agbodemu

The fifth one was at Ago-Egun in Bariga in August 21, 2011. At Lagos Mainland, they had also demolished part of the houses in Ilaje Otumara. We are witnessing now the demolition of houses in Makoko/Iwaya area. Have you ever made any move to prevail on government on how to reduce

‘They have rendered our family of 15 homeless’

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

LIVING

July 21, 2012

look into the eyes of the couple reveals the depth of their joy at the bundles of joy they now have after 17 years of waiting. Pastor Samuel Olayiwola and his wife, Victoria, are now proud parents of a set of quadruplets after 17 years of marriage and childlessness. When Samuel and Victoria got married in 1995 little did they know the battle awaiting them. They never had any premonition of the long years of fasting and prayer they would go through all because of childlessness. For the couple, the joy of being parents after nearly two decades of trying is immeasurable, especially with the attendant frustration and search for solutions which took them to various hospitals before they finally discovered the Medical Assisted Reproductive Therapy Centre, Lagos, headed by internationallyacclaimed fertility expert, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru. While tracing the history of their childlessness, Samuel said the problem became even more complicated when doctor after doctor told him and his wife that they were normal and could achieve pregnancy as a couple. This was after they had done all that was humanly possible yet unproductive. “When you are told you have no biological impairment as to be barren yet you have no child, then you wonder what the problem is all about,” he recalled. According to Samuel, the puzzle and prayers continued until he came across an article in a newspaper about the possibility of having children through scientific processes. According to him, without any delay, he located Prof. Ashiru who was interviewed for the story. While speaking with his wife, Victoria, on what was the driving factor that kept her going over the years before she finally had a child, she responded; “The long and short of the matter is that God is the driving force that kept me going where everything else failed. Again, encouragement from people was another source of strength to me” Victoria also disclosed that for one to sail through the situation also required strong confidence in God. “Confidence in God is also very key in matters of this nature and that took me really far. The confidence that I always have was because before I got married to my husband, I prayed about it and God assured me that I was on the right path marrying him and I surely know that God will never lie, He is always faithful; that kept me on all through those times. Again, to be happy in life is a choice and I already decided that nothing would make me unhappy because there are times that people would tell you things that could make you very unhappy. But all through, with the help of God, I ensured that I was always happy” However, when asked if she was expecting this much blessing of a quadruplet from God when she eventually got pregnant, Victoria said excitedly; Although I was not expecting a quadruplet, I have always thought they were going to be a twin but a quadruplet is simply beyond my imagination and expectation” said Victoria. Olayiwola however said he is always

17 years after, Pastor, wife have quadruplets Samuel and Victoria Olayiwola are a Christian couple. Not only that, Samuel is a pastor. These, however, did not prevent them from seeking scientific help (IVF) to help them out of their childlessness 17 years after marriage. Now, the couple are proud parents of a set of quadruplets.

The quadruplets

sure of the promises of God for him and his wife. “Even as a pastor and in our childless state, God used me to pray for people who were looking for fruit of the womb and they conceived and got pregnant and later came to give their testimonies in church. I strongly believe that in due time, God will surely do his miracle, and the funny thing was that I had always expected three or more children because I know I have the anointing of overtaking grace in me. God certainly made up for all the time we have waited” he said excitedly rocking one of the babies in his hand. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Olayiwola was smart enough to use the opportunity of improved medical sciences and technology to fulfil the promises of God in his life. While speaking with him on why he did not wait only for prayers on the issue? He replied; “When God is in a say, it will always work out. Before I embarked on the IVF project, I spoke with God and he gave me a go ahead. After all if it was not God at work, don’t we have people who have done this same IVF two, three times and yet with no result? We did it just once and my wife became pregnant. If God did not bless the doctors who are doing the research, if God did not bless them or endow them with brains, it would still not have worked out for them at the long run. So it is still God at work and I believe that, that is the way or means via which God wants to do his miracle” Victoria also added that, “it is very important for people to learn to trust in God and also pay attention to medical sciences. Medical technology has improved tremendously and it can be a great help if one engages in it.” Olayiwola added: “To further show that it is the will of God that I have my

Ashiru

The couple with their quadruplets

miracle through IVF was the fact that considering the cost, one would not be able to get the fund. One would have thought that the money would be a challenge but because it is His will for us, God provided a way for us and we were able to do all we did.” In addition, Olayiwola also admonished the general public on the need to explore all areas and not always shy away because of finance. “At times, people shy away from genuine opportunities because they are afraid of cost. However, things don’t always go that way. If our trust in God is deeply rooted, money will not be an issue because He will surely pave a way where there’s no way. “I remember that when we went to make enquiries for the first time and we were told what was involved, I ran away from there for good two years before going back. So, allowing money to be a source of discouragement will be sort of limiting the power of God in our situation.” However, one may wonder if IVF would work even in women who are ad-

vanced in age, Professor Dapo Ashiru the medical director of Medical Art Centre and one of the pioneers of IVF in Nigeria, told Saturday Mirror that age is no barrier to getting using IVF. “I agree that after age 40 both the man and the woman may need a little treatment to boost the eggs and the sperm but age is not a barrier to using IVF as long as they are still within their productive age limit,” Ashiru explained. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is a major treatment for infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves monitoring a woman’s ovulatory process, removing ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a fluid medium in a laboratory. When a woman’s natural cycle is monitored to collect a naturally selected ovum (egg) for fertilisation, it is known as natural cycle IVF. The fertilized egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy.

LIVING

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Landlady bathes ex-tenant with acid There has been no love lost between Jugai and his former landlady, Felicia, at their Odongunyan quarters of Ikorodu, Lagos State. Despite this, Jugai never expected what happened to him: he was given an acid bath. SEGUN ADIO

ad Sunday Jugai known the evil that laid in wait for him, he would obviously not have headed back to the vicinity he once lived for many years. For daring to return to his erstwhile locality, Jugai is currently lying critically in a hospital battling for his life. His former landlady allegedly poured acid on his body apparently as a warning to him never to return to the area he once lived having bid the locality farewell before. Thirty seven years old Jugai, until last year, was a tenant in one of the buildings on Olopomeji Street, Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, in Lagos State. Jugai, 37, was said to have had irreconcilable differences with his landlady, identified as Felicia (not real name), back last year and the woman had asked him to move out of the house. Jugai did not hesitate. He did move out a little over a month after the ultimatum of his landlady. Felicia, 47, is reportedly dreaded by residents of the area apparently for her fierce attitude to residents of the area. Felicia is an Isoko, in Delta State. However, Jugai, a bachelor, still has some friends and business associates who reside on that street. He even still patronises his auto mechanic whose workshop is also on Olopomeji Street. On Saturday, 2 June, 2012, Jugai was off duty and also needed to service his car. Since his mechanic’s workshop is located on Olopomeji Street, he felt compelled to take his car there. He actually did that fateful day. His mechanic waited patiently until Jugai drove his car into his workshop. The mechanic soon loosened up the vehicle. But the mechanic needed to get some new parts to fix into the vehicle. Jugai later gave the mechanic some amount of money to go in search of the said motor parts. While he awaited the return of his mechanic, Jugai chose to stroll down the street he once lived in. Right opposite on his former house is a Hausa trader operating a kiosk. A lover of small chops, Jugai stopped by the Hausa trader to get some biscuits with which he intended to keep his mouth busy. Jugai was reportedly loved by both young and old while he lived on the street. On sighting him in the vicinity, some of his old admirers flocked around him shouting his name and hailing him. The noise and shout of Jugai’s name report-

Jugai

I REMEMBER THAT THE WOMAN OFTEN BOASTED OF BEING ABOVE THE LAW ANYTIME SHE HAD

SQUABBLES WITH ANYBODY IN THE AREA.

THIS

MADE PEOPLE TO FEAR HER A LOT edly infuriated his former landlady who allegedly came out of her house to warn the noise makers to steer clear of her building. The woman also allegedly confronted Jugai asking him what he came to do in her domain yet again having left the area the previous year. A couple of Jugai’s admirers that had gathered round him immediately dispersed once the woman made her displeasure known. Also, the kiosk owner hurriedly closed shop, apparently not wanting to incur the wrath of the acclaimed fierce landlady. At that stage some verbal warfare crept in between Jugai and his former landlady. Before Jugai knew what was happening, the woman allegedly ran inside her apartment and came out with

a keg containing some liquid which turned out to be acid. This, she allegedly poured over all over Jugai’s body. But for the thick clothes he was putting on, his entire body would have been burnt. In a telephone chat with Saturday Mirror, Jugai claimed he had no issue with Felicia which warranted the treatment she allegedly meted out to him. His words: “The way and manner the acid was poured on me by the woman still remained a miracle to me. When she came threatening some of my friends greeting me that they should leave the front of her house, I never gave her threat any serious consideration until she ran inside and came out with a keg containing acid,” Jugai said. Jugai also claimed that his erstwhile

landlady used to brag when he lived in her house that she was above the law and could not be tampered with by any law enforcement agent in the land. Jugai continued, “I remember that the woman often boasted of being above the law anytime she had squabbles with anybody in the area. This made people to fear her a lot,” Jugai concluded. Attempts to speak with Felicia proved futile as she was said to be away from home. The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case, one Michael, told Saturday Mirror that the intransigence of the woman infuriated his DPO and that the police boss ordered that Felicia be charged to court and also remanded in the cell at the inception of the case. “This matter would not have got to the level it is now. When the matter was first reported, Jugai’s body was not what it looks like now, and the affected ex-tenant only wanted the woman to show some remorse and he would forgo it, but the woman remained adamant. I also urged her to go and beg the man for peace to reign. Still she would not,” Michael said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SPORT

July 21, 2012

Mascherano ready for new Barca deal

avier Mascherano is on the verge of extending his contract with Barcelona until 2016. The former Liverpool man’s current deal runs until 2014 but he is keen to extend his stay in the Catalan capital. “The new deal is on the right track and I hope it

will be closed shortly. I am happy, I feel valued and I want to continue for many years. “Signing for Barca was the best decision of my life. I have won people’s confidence and now I want to maintain it,” Mascherano said. The Argentina international also hinted that

his future lies at the back rather than the holding midfield role he deployed in England and previously in his homeland. Mascherano, meanwhile, backed his compatriot and team-mate Lionel Messi to retain the Balon d’Or as the world’s best player later this year.

Mascherno

razilian defender Naldo has set his sights on leading Wolfsburg into the UEFA Champions League after finally completing his move from Werder Bremen. The 29-year-old passed an extensive medical after a knee problem saw him fail an initial examination and threatened to scupper the move.

Gago

expected to be made permanent in the coming days.

The 21-yearold spent last term on loan at the Mestalla, but

his opportunities were limited by two serious knee injuries.

Lukaku to consider loan

Rodgers

Rodgers rules out Carroll loan

Naldo sets sights on Champions League

travelling

iverpool boss Brendan Rodgers insists there is ‘absolutely no way’ he would allow Andy Carroll to leave on loan, but accepts the Reds will consider any offers they receive. The £35million England international has been tipped for a swift Anfield exit this summer amid reports that he does not figure in new manager Rodgers’ plans. Newcastle have already seen one loan approach turned down for the former St James’ Park favorite, while

EURO BRIEFS

Valencia closes in on Gago Ferguson to reduce

alencia has confirmed it has agreed a fee with Real Madrid for midfielder Fernando Gago. The 26-year-old Argentina international arrived in Valencia on Thursday evening after the fee, reportedly in the region of 3.5 million euros ($4.12 million) - and personal terms announced on its website. Gago initially made a strong impression after joining Madrid for more than 20 million euros ($23.55 million) from Boca Juniors in January 2006, helping the club to Primera Division titles in 2007 and 2008. But he fell down the pecking order after the arrivals of Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira and Nuri Sahin, and spent last season on loan at Roma. Sergio Canales looks set to join Gago in transferring from the Spanish capital to Los Che, with his loan move

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admitted their own tentative talks came to nothing. Rodgers has rejected suggestions that he does not believe the 23-year-old can fit into the fluid passing style he adopted during his time at Swansea and claims he is ‘an important part of the group’. But he accepted that any offers which are tabled for Carroll throughout the transfer window will be discussed by the Liverpool hierarchy, as they would be for any member of his squad.

anchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson concedes he will have to cut down on the amount of travelling he does in the future. Ferguson was taken to hospital a couple of months ago after suffering a nose bleed during a function in his home city of Glasgow. The 70-year-old, who has had a pacemaker fitted, confirmed the issue was not a problem with his heart, but acknowledged he had been doing too much travelling. “I took too many flights that week,” said Ferguson from South Africa, where United are currently on a pre-season tour. “It was a bit silly to be flying as much as I did. Belfast, Berlin, Newcastle, Manchester, Belfast, Manchester, up to Glasgow. It was seven flights in five days. “If you do a straight 12hour flight to South Africa and back there wouldn’t have been the same problem. But I was going up and down all the time.

Naldo

Arsenal reject United’s bid for RVP

Ferguson

“It’s not as if it was anything to do with my heart but when the club doctor explained what he thought it seemed reasonable. We are all vulnerable to age aren’t we? It doesn’t come without penalties. “Maybe that was a way of telling me to slow down a bit in terms of travelling,” he said. Ferguson laughed when it was suggested someone who is regarded as indestructible due to his phenomenal workload had shown a normal human trait.

helsea striker Romelu Lukaku is determined to make his mark at Stamford Bridge but accepts he may have to go out on loan first to realize that dream. The 19-year-old Belgium international, who signed an £18million deal from Anderlecht last summer, has seen his opportunities limited so far in West London. Lukaku scored twice in the 4-2 pre-season victory over Seattle Sounders during the Blues’ summer tour of America, the first time he has found the net for the club. “If I can stay here at Chelsea and be part of the starting XI and score a lot of goals for the club and make the team win, that’s good for me and for the

rsenal has yet to decide whether to bring Robin van Persie on their pre-season tour of Asia. Manchester United has made an offer for Robin Van Persie, although it is not believed to be sufficient to tempt Arsenal to sell. The London club wants at least £20m for their captain, and United have not yet threatened that figure.

Van Persie

No Chelsea move for Pereira

lvaro Pereira’s agent insists there has been no contact from Chelsea for the Porto star. The Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for some time with Pereira equally adept at playing at left-back or on the left side of midfield.

Pereira

Lukaku

club as well. “But if I can go on loan and play in another team and score goals and then come back and explode it will be good as well. “I just keep my feet grounded and work hard each day and then after the tour we will see what will

happen,” Lukaku said. Despite only making fleeting appearances last season, the majority coming from the bench, Lukaku still feels that his career progressed during his first 12 months with the new European champions.

Graham: Arsenal are no longer contenders

ne of Arsenal’s most successful managers, George Graham believes the fans need to be told the truth that the club has been left behind in their ability to compete financially and that means the trophy drought may go on for some time yet.

SPORT

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Our male athletes are not committed –Ikhaobomeh Nigeria is not going to feature in the men’s 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays when the Olympic Games begin on July 27. Athletics coach, Isaac Osagie Ikhaobomeh, speaks to YEMI OLUS on this development and other issues that may hinder Team Nigeria’s quest for medals haul at the global showpiece. Excerpts:

hat is your assessment of the performance of our athletes this season, considering the fact that this is an Olympic year? Our standard this season is high, compared to last year and previous years. There were many competitions this year just as we used to have during previous years, so I will give kudos to the present board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in this regard. Do you think the home-based athletes had enough activities to keep them in shape this year? Let me put it this way; Oliver Twist will always ask for more. There is no way I will tell you that the number of competitions for the home-based athletes is enough. Even if we have 50 competitions, it won’t be adequate but the board has tried. How will you rate our Olympics team and what are our chances in terms of garnering medals? To be honest, the athletes have done their best, but where will it take them to? It won’t take them anywhere especially for the male athletes; except for one or two of them, like Tosin Oke the triple jumper and Stanley Gbagbeke in the long jump if he has a good day. I believe we will only go there and do our best, but how far that best will take us remain to be seen. If we return with medals, good, but if we don’t come back with medals, it is also good because the essence of the Olympics is participation. But the team won the African Championships in Port Novo… Doing well in Benin is not a yardstick for us. We are meeting the whole world where we have the likes of Jamaica, USA, Canada, and the Bahamas competing. When the chips are down, what will happen? Will we dance well or will we dance on wobbling legs? Whatever we come out with will be the consequence of our preparation. I think the federation did their best to see that our athletes

Action recorded during national athletics trials in Calabar

WE DO NOT HAVE DEDICATED ATHLETES AMONG THE MEN ANYMORE. MOST OF THEM JUST TRAIN TO QUALIFY AND AFTER QUALIFICATION, THAT IS THE END.

do well. Some went to Atlanta and other places, but the zeal is now missing in our athletes. It is not the way it was before. I want to say that the 2003/2004 set of athletes took track and field away. As they left, the sport died in this country. We just have to get back to the basics because we have ‘tired legs’ now and that’s what we will use. The men’s 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams are not going to participate in the Olympics. As a relay running country, how do you think this will affect us? I am not surprised but it is a good thing that we are not going to run, because if we run the relays and come last, it will not be good for us. Before now, we were a force to be reckoned with, so if we do not do well, it will tarnish our image. But I believe the women teams are doing well and I’m sure that they are going to win a medal. If we are going to get any medal, it will come from them, if the baton does not fall. It is the same thing for the 4x400m women’s team if they are mentally alert. what’s the problem with the men? The problem has been there for a long time. We do not have dedicated athletes among the men anymore. Most of them just train to qualify and after qualification, that is the end. The women want to show that they are still the best in this country and that is why they are doing well. That is why they will keep coming home with medals. Recently it was reported that three female athletes failed dope tests, though the results from the ‘B’ samples are being awaited. What do you think about this development? It is very sad and a dent in the image of this country. It is not something that I personally like. After all the preaching and enlightenment campaigns, some people are still caught. It is not good at all. Do you think athletes are under more pressure, considering that this

Ikhaobomeh

is an Olympic year? No; it is like any other year or any other competition, but some people will always want to cheat. Even in an exam, some people will still want to cheat. If you play the music, you have to dance to it. There must always be people who want to cut corners and nemesis has to catch up with them. Supposing they weren’t tested, they would have gone scot-free. We just need to keep on educating the athletes, but drugs cannot be ruled out of sports globally. This phenomenon is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. It seems female athletes fail dope tests more than their male counterparts, bearing in mind the incident that also happened at the 2009 World Championships. Is there any reason for this? If you look at it, the women are doing well, unlike the men. The men are not among the top in the world but the women are. They are caught because they are doing well and all eyes are on them. Our young athletes returned empty-handed from the World Juniors last week. Do you think there is hope for the sport? If we look at the athletes who went for

the competition, you have to ask if they are truly young. That is one question we need to ask ourselves. We need to stop our ‘winning at all cost’ syndrome. In 1999, some athletes represented this country at the World Youth Championships from which they graduated to the next phase. We don’t have athletes that graduate from the youth to the junior and then the senior stage anymore and that is why we need to go back to the grassroots. It shows that we are not doing what is right. We no longer have U-13, U-15, U-18 and U-21 competitions. Athletes are picked once they just run in the classics. Some people might lie about their ages and since you aren’t their parents, you have no way of verifying the truth. But in a situation where age-group competitions abound, we will surely bounce back. We need to go back to the schools. I started from my school’s inter-house sports, then Lagos State School Sports competitions, and so on. Such programmes need to be revisited. We used to run Folawiyo U-15 and U-18 competitions, but they are all gone because there are no more sponsors. What should be done after the Olympics in preparation for the next season? Trust Nigerians, we will go to sleep after the games, which is not good. We should start planning for the next four years. If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. People will say they want to rest. What are we resting for? The day you die is the day you are resting. The board will go so everything will be grounded. Practically nothing will happen after the Olympics.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SPORT

July 21, 2012

Junior tennis players Hamilton craves quality friendlies for Super Falcons depart for Senegal IFEANYI EDUZOR

ormer Super Eagles handler, Paul Hamilton has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to organise ‘Grade A’ friendlies for the Super Falcons ahead of the African Women Championship. The Super Falcons were drawn in ‘Group B’ alongside Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia in the biennial championship slated for Equatorial Guinea from October 28 to November 11, 2012. According to him, women football has come of age in the continent and there is the need for proper preparation of the team before the kick off of the competition. “Women football has come of age in the continent and there is the need for the NFF to prepare the Super Falcons well. They should

Hamilton

realise that Cameroun stopped us from going to the London 2012 Olympics and Cote d’Ivoire is also an emerging power in women football and as such ‘Grade A’

friendlies should be organized to prepare the players adequately for the competition,” he said. He noted that the eight-time champions, Nigeria, should start early preparations for the championship to enable them blend on time for the competition, even as he explained that this year’s championship will be keenly contested because of the development which women football has witnessed in the continent. “The fact that Nigeria has won the champions eight times should not be the yard stick to determine their performance at this year’s edition because women football has witnessed massive development in the continent. “Therefore, there is the need to inject new blood in the team as well as start early preparations for the competition to enable the players blend and have adequate exposure,” he concluded.

Dodan Warriors set for play-offs –Ahmedu IFEANYI EDUZOR

resident of Dodan Warriors Basketball Club, Col. Sam Ahmedu (rtd) says that his team is ready to win this year’s Final 8 play-off which is expected to dunk off from Monday, July 23-28, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. Four teams qualified from each conference to make up the eight teams for the finals. Defending champions Royal Hoopers, Dodan Warriors, Islanders and Police Baton emerged from the Atlantic Conference while Kano Pillars, Yelwa Hawks, Niger Potters and Kada Stars qualified from the Savannah Conference.

According to him, his team which dominated the Atlantic conference will put in its best to ensure they emerge as the overall winners of the biggest basketball tourney in the country. “We are quite prepared for the challenge and the players have undergone rigorous training to ensure we win the competition. “The players being aware that all the teams have equal opportunity of winning the championship will not underrate any of them because doing so could be dangerous and I want to assure you that Dodan Warriors is in top shape ahead of the playoffs,” Ahmedu said. He noted that his team which did not drop any point at the Atlantic conference will be going

YEMI OLUS

ive players and national junior tennis coach, Mohammed Ubale, departed Nigeria for the 2012 ITF/ CAT African Junior Circuit taking place in Mbour, Senegal. The competition, which is a two-legged event, will feature U-12 and U-14 players who will play in the singles and doubles categories. The first leg will be held from July 21 to 25 while the second leg will take place from July 26 to 29 at the same location. The team, made up of two male and three female players include Timi Godgift, Emmanuel Sylvester, Zainab Oladimeji, Bunmi Are and Fortune Ariso. While speaking with Saturday Mirror before their departure, Ubale expressed confidence in the players’ abilities. “The preparation was fine and though the players weren’t camped together, we closely

Eko 2012: Ogundele vows to retain title YEMI OLUS

Ahmedu

for a clean slate in the play-offs even as he stated that this year’s championship will be keenly contested by all the teams.

inner of the women’s table tennis singles at the 17th National Sports Festival, Rashidat Ogundele, says her target this year is to retain the title she won at the ‘Garden Games’ in Rivers State last year. Ogundele won the title while she was four months pregnant and eventually had to take about 10 months off to focus on maternity issues. The 2010 winner of the women’s singles at the annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championships said she is channelling all efforts to ensure that she is fully fit when

Mana tasks Nigerian refs on good conduct IFEANYI EDUZOR

etired FIFA badged referee, Alex Mana, says there is the need for Nigerian referees to improve on their standard of officiating to be considered to handle matches by the world football ruling body, FIFA, and Confederation of African Football (CAF) respectively. In an interview with our correspondent on the non inclusion of any Nigerian referee to handle London 2012 football matches, he

stated that for the country’s referees to be considered for such high profile matches there is the need for them to take the development of the profession serious as well as avoid bias in handling local matches. “Nigerian referees should live above board and avoid bias officiating for them to be considered by FIFA and CAF to handle important matches like the various world cups, Olympics and African championships. “It is also necessary for them to embark on refresher courses

monitored their progress. I’m very confident that they will do well because of their performance during the qualifiers of the Africa Junior Championships which took place in Togo in February. Oladimeji won the girls’ U-14 event, Timi Godgift got to the final while Bunmi Are got to the quarterfinals. “I’m certain that they can build up on their previous achievements despite the level of opposition that they will be faced with. It is definitely going to be very competitive because it comprises of players from West and Central Africa,” Ubale said. Members of the U-16 team have not fared badly this season as Imeh Joseph is currently undergoing training at the ITF African Training Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, courtesy of a scholarship while Sarah Adegoke got to the final of this year’s edition of the Central Bank Open Tennis Championship where she made her debut.

to keep them abreast of the recent rules and regulations guiding the game and be ready to apply the rules at all times because doing otherwise will affect their rating by both FIFA and CAF,” Mana opined. Mana who is also a lecturer at the National Institute for Sports (NIS), posited that the development of Nigeria referees has been undermined over the years, even as he appealed for a proper development of Nigerian referees by the relevant bodies.

Rashidat

the ‘Eko 2012 Games’ commence in November. She showed a glimpse of her potential last week when she partnered with Fatimo Bello to beat her elder sister and former AsojuOba six-time champion, Ganiat Ogundele and Atinuke Olaide (both based in Europe) to win the Lagos State Table Tennis league which lasted for eight weeks. “I didn’t expect to play as well as I did because we lost in the final to the second Union Bank team. The good thing about table tennis is that it never leaves you; the only snag may be that you might not be as fit as you are supposed to. “However my ultimate goal for 2012 is to retain my title,” she said.

LEISURE

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

eases such as arthritis and other problems. Injuries: A knee injury can affect any of the ligaments, tendons or fluidfilled sacs (bursae) that surround your knee joint as well as the bones, cartilage and ligaments that form the joint itself.

Mechanical problems:

Knee pain D

efinition Knee pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout and infections — also can cause knee pain.

How is the knee designed, and what is its function? The knee is a joint that has three compartments. It is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint as well as crossing within the joint. These ligaments provide stability and strength to the knee joint. The knee functions to allow movement of the leg and is critical to normal walk-

ing. The knee is a weight-bearing joint.

Symptoms The location and severity of knee pain may vary, depending on the cause of the problem. Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include:  Swelling and stiffness  Redness and warmth to the touch  Weakness or instability  Popping or crunching noises  “Locking,” or inability to fully straighten the knee

Causes of knee pain The complexity of the design of the knee joint and the fact that it is an active weight-bearing joint are factors in making the knee one of the most commonly injured joints. Knee pain can be caused by injuries, mechanical problems, dis-

 Loose body. Sometimes injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage can cause a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. This may not create any problems unless the loose body interferes with knee joint movement — the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge.  Knee ‘locking.’ This can occur from a cartilage tear. When a portion of cartilage from the tear flips inside the knee joint, you may not be able to fully straighten your knee.  Dislocated kneecap. This occurs when the triangular bone (patella) that covers the front of your knee slips out of place, usually to the outside of your knee. You’ll be able to see the dislocation, and your kneecap is likely to move excessively from side to side.  Hip or foot pain. If you have hip or foot pain, you may change the way you walk to spare these painful joints. But this altered gait can interfere with the alignment of your kneecap and place more stress on your knee joint. In some cases, problems in the hip or foot can refer pain to the knee.

Diseases and other conditions that can cause knee pain. Pain can occur in the knee from diseases or conditions that involve the knee joint, the soft tissues and bones surrounding the knee, or the nerves that supply sensation to the knee area. In fact, the knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic

diseases, immune diseases that affect various tissues of the body including the joints to cause arthritis.  Arthritis is inflammation within a joint. The causes of knee joint inflammation range from non-inflammatory types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, which is a degeneration of the cartilage of the knee, to inflammatory types of arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout). Treatment of the arthritis is directed according to the nature of the specific type of arthritis. Many people suffer from arthritis; the pain and discomfort can be so limiting that some patients may require a total knee joint replacement. Knee replacement surgery often allows the patient to regain much of their mobility.  Swelling of the knee joint from arthritis can lead to a localised collection of fluid accumulating in a cyst behind the knee. This is referred to as a Baker cyst and is a common cause of pain at the back of the knee.  Infections of the bone or joint can rarely be a serious cause of knee pain and have associated signs of infection including fever, extreme heat, warmth of the joint, chills of the body, and may be associated with puncture wounds in the area around the knee. These infections are often diagnosed by aspirating joint fluid accumulations with a needle (joint aspiration) and examining the fluid microscopically and with microbial culture techniques. Treatment involves antibiotics and sometimes joint surgery.  Tumours involving the joint are extremely rare (for example, synovial sarcomas, and giant cell tumours). They can cause ambulatory problems with local pain. Treatment usually involves surgery; a few individuals may require amputation of the knee and lower leg. Treatments and surgery depend on the tumour type. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

LETTER

Help, my sperm is watery Dear Mirror Doctor, I need your help. Each time I engage in sex, I notice that I ejaculate early and the sperm is watery. Is there a remedy to this? +2348051---------50 Mirror doctor replies In some instances, watery semen may be a normal occurrence. For instance, pre-ejaculate is often clear and watery. Some studies indicate that a man’s diet may also affect the consistency of his semen, and frequent ejaculation can also result in watery semen. Men with low sperm counts may also have semen that is

thinner than normal. Semen consists of a few components. Sperm makes up only a small percentage of semen, and it is produced in the testicles. Roughly half of semen is made up of a fluid produced in the seminal vesicles. This fluid is very high in fructose, which provides energy for the sperm to swim. The prostate and bulbourethral glands also produce fluids that make up the rest of the sperm. A substance known as pre-ejaculate is produced by the bulbourethral glands, or Cowper’s glands prior to ejaculation. This fluid is used for lubrication during sexual intercourse and ejaculation, and

it can often be seen on the tip of a man’s penis when he is sexually aroused. Although this substance alone does not contain sperm and is not actually semen, it can resemble watery semen. Diet may also affect, among other things, the consistency of semen. A man may have watery semen if he does not get the proper amount of certain essential nutrients. Protein, for instance, is believed to help make semen thicker. A man who does not get enough protein in his diet may have watery semen. The consistency of semen is also often affected by how often a man ejaculates. Generally, sperm takes a few months to

mature in the testicles. If a man ejaculates several times each day, such as with frequent masturbation or intercourse, his testicles will usually not be able to produce enough sperm to keep up. This will often result in less sperm present in the semen. Instead of the semen being thick and white, the lack of sperm could cause watery semen. A low sperm count could also possibly cause watery semen in some men, due to the same reason: not enough sperm in the semen. Several factors can affect a man’s sperm count. If the testicles are kept at too high of a temperature, for instance, sperm might not develop properly. Clothing that is too tight can sometimes cause a rise in the temperature of a man’s testicles, especially if he exercises with this clothing on.

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Charcoal business is dirty but lucrative’ FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

ollowing the poor supply of power in the country over the years, and the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products, many Nigerians have resorted to different means of sourcing power. In the area of cooking, to some, gas or kerosene has become a no-goarea. With the prohibitive amounts of the products, many have simply settled for charcoal. With a coal pot which costs far less than a stove, the kitchen is as a good as ready. To those who know, there is a business angle to the high costs of petroleum products and the irregular supply of electricity, and many are making good money from it. How, do you ask? By trading in charcoal which provides alternative means of making fire, of course. One of such persons is one Mrs. Adetutu Adeniyi who is located in Ikeja area of Lagos State. Having been in the charcoal selling business for over ten years, she is versed in it. She gives an insight into it: “Charcoal selling is an old business. Charcoal has been in existence even before the invention of stove and gas cooker. Although when stove and gas cookers became very popular, the use of charcoal reduced, but after some time, when there is increase in the costs of kerosene and gas, people returned to charcoal. “Apart from that, the use of stove did not take away the shine from charcoal when it comes to preparing plenty food for occasions. Many rely largely on charcoal, especially in areas like Obalende, Marina, Broad Street on the Lagos Island where people appear not to go to sleep. Nowhere in Lagos is black wood charcoal more consumed, or utilized like the Lagos Island axis and probably Ikeja area because of the density of people who earn livelihood via cooking with black wood charcoal.” Talking further on the business, Adetutu said that starting a charcoal business is not such a difficult one but it requires time and concentration. “I will not say that the business is time consuming but like every other business, it requires time and efforts, especially when one is new in the business.” When speaking with Saturday

Bags of charcoal

IF YOU WANT TO

START SMALL, YOU CAN LOOK AT A CAPITAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF

N50,000 WHILE FOR A LARGE START OFF, YOU WILL BE TALKING ABOUT

N500,000

Mirror, she explained that the initial capital might not be as big as many other businesses. She said however that how big the investor wants the business to be determines the capital needed. “For instance, if you want to start small, you can look at a capital in the neighborhood of N50,000 while for a large start off, you will be talking of N500,000,” Adetutu said. She added that transportation is usually one of the major factors that contribute to the high cost of the business. “Space is another very important thing in the selling of charcoal. You need space where your products will be kept safely and away from rain,” she said. Adetutu further explained that charcoal could be made from a number of natural materials including hardwoods such as hickory, oak, maple and fruitwoods. According to her, they have unique aroma and tend to produce a high grade of charcoal. High grades of charcoal, she said, comes from raw materials with low sul-

fur content. Speaking on the profitability of the business, Adetutu noted that with the poor power supply in the country, the business is very good. “The business thrives well, especially where you have dense population of eateries and cafeteria. The business will survive well in places like Lagos Island, Ikeja, and some other communities. “You know that electricity is not regular and people must eat on a daily basis. For instance, Lagos Island has people who are ready to buy food from vendors twenty four hours a day. Therefore, the sale of charcoal in the area as well as other places is in large quantity,” she said. She told Saturday Mirror how she started the business. Her words: “I started my business with about ut N20, 000 about ten years ago and today the business has grown very well. I take care of my family and I am able to pay the necessary bills as at when due. ue. I thank God for his mercies.” s.” Adetutu disclosed that the peak period of sale is the dry season. According to Adetutu her, de-

mand is always on the high side at the period. “The dry season is the peak period for sales because you have lots of festivities at that time and most people depend solely on charcoal to cook. It is not as expensive as gas or kerosene. Another reason the dry season is preferred is because you get very good charcoal at that time too because the woods will be dry and good. However, there is no time of the year where you will not find the need for people to cook with charcoal and that makes charcoal business lucrative. “It is not a white collar job, it is dirty and if you are not focused, you may not go far in the business. However, with time, as you grow in the business, you will have enough resources to employ more hands to do the job and as such lessen the burden on you.” Creativity, she said, is anCreativi factor in other important im excelling in the business. excelli “For instance, you can “Fo think of something different from others when doing the business. You may b decide to do your own customised bags to package charcoal” noted Adetutu. Ade On what wha could be the major challenge of the busichall ness, Ad Adetutu stated that getting the space to gett ge operate especially o when the trader does not have a house of his or her own, could be difficult sometimes.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Doing business making envelopes I ntroduction: (Product/market)

I felt embarrassed when one ‘malam’ told me to buy one small envelope for N10 (ten naira) at Anozie by Iloabuchi St. (Mile 2 Diobu) Port Harcourt. I querried: “Why on earth must I buy this small envelope with my only begotten ten naira when the same amount should buy me 2 at Aba or Lagos? os? The malam replied, “We get our supplies plies from Aba. “Na wa O”, I replied “Why, hy, must everything be coming from Aba? ba? Someone should take up the challenge allenge and start producing someomething,” I said. A very good friend of mine, who owns an extruusion plant/bag making outfit at Woji in Port Harcourt lamented to me in 1996. What happened? He retired from his brother’s business where he was general manager for 13 odd years. He was settled with a very generous offer, imported polythene roll extrusion plant and auto-sealing/cutting machines with auto pucher plus a palatial live-in factory. I put the cost of the outfits at N90 million at that time. Unfortunately, I said unfortunately, there was no feasibility study and there was no report. The man assumed that since he was the GM of a bag-making outfit, which was producing ‘customized bags” for a government parastatal then headed by his brother who also owned the factory, he had ‘qualified’ to run a polybag-making

outfit in spite of the fact that the production line he was to enter was a very competitive one. The equipment landed and he went to Aba and bought two bags of resins for his test run. He told me later that he did the test running with about a dozen his forstaff he “retrieved” retrieved from for mer company and literally

“combed” the whole of Port Harcourt searching for distributors but not a soul agreed to accept and sell even on credit. He said the “unanimous” response from all the people he met was, “we get our supplies from Aba.” A typical Port Harcourt resident would prefer going to Aba to buy anything money can buy even the products made at Trans-amadi are considered cheaper at Aba. But who is to blame? This is a challenge to PH residents and people across the whole length and

Making money producing bottled palm wine

alm wine and the rest of us I pay a glowing tribute to Mr. Jackie-Moore Anyaorah and the Sweet Breeze (SB family), the South Eastern rock group of the late 70s for their exciting rendition of sweet music in their chart busters; Palm wine tapper Remember me. Introduction / market and production technology Palm wine is traditionally a social drink of the rural people, but in recent times it has also become a favourite among city dwellers. Palm trees, from which palm wine is derived, grow extensively in the southern part of the country, especially the riverine areas. Much of the palm wine wastes away through lack of proper preservation method, because it goes sour after 24 hours if not properly preserved by scientific means. A preservation method for palm

breadth of this country to look inward and start producing something no matter how seemingly small. This is unlimited market for all types of envelopes, khaki, small, official, white, which come as 4 x 6; 4 x 9; 6 x 8; 7 x

9; 7 x 9; 8 x 10; 10 x 12; 10 x 15; 12 x 15; 12 x 16; 14 x 18 and customized options. Envelopes are used for dispatch of correspondences by individuals and corporate bodies at home and in offices. Envelopes are also used to

package money – pay packs in offices and homes. Educational institutions also use envelopes to carry or transmit information to their students and students’ parents/guardians. There is market also for envelopes in ECOWAS countries and parts of East and Central Africa. Technical aspect Envelope production involves: 1. Cutting the appropriate paper to the required sizes of the die. 2. Producing the required shape of envelope with the die which could be manual (wooden) or metallic. The metallic facility requires use of automated technology. There is also the manual punching technology. 3. Gumming of the envelope. 4. Packing and wrapping. Financial aspect The profit accrueable to investor depends on the status state. It is pertinent to state that it is not necessary to have knowledge in printing, publishing or even packaging to start reaping from envelopes. We have bridged the gaps. All you need do is process the minimum capital and get guidance on how you can go on. You stock no investors, no shops no headaches are necessary to start your journey to making wads of crisp shinning naira notes from envelopes for now.

Investment

Status

Capital

Accommodation

Project Yearly Income

Pilot

N0.8m

Intermediate

2.3m

One room

N5.6m

Industrial

N5m

Two rooms

N26m

N4m

ricated locally. Uptake of the project as a commercial venture will provide employment for the rural people and raise their standard of living. Apart from the large market already existing internally, there is a good prospect of the bottled palm wine being exported to foreign countries as it is being done already by a few people. The investor and the country therefore have the chance of earning hard currency from the sales of bottled palm wine abroad.

Production technology Palm wine preservation/bottling is done by first testing the palm wine for specific gravity and level of sugar to ascertain a good quality product. It is then poured into a mixer through a sifter and mixed with a measured quantity of preservative. The palm wine is then bottled and pasteurized at an appropriate temperature level. The bottled palm wine is then allowed to cool.

Investment

Status

wine has been perfected locally. It involves pasteurizing and bottling of the palm wine, which increases its shelllife to over six months. This method of palm wine preservation makes it more hygienic and consequently more attractive to the city dwellers. The equipment required is simple to operate and is fab-

Capital Net

Annual Income

(N)

Pilot

1.2m

N3.5m

Commercial

2.5m

10.3m

Industrial Sponsorship/funding 1. 2.

Abia North package Abia State package

25m

5m 3. 4. 5. 6.

South East Package Ndigbo in Diaspora package Equity participation scheme Franchise Scheme

Courtesy: S.E.C. Eleke, 08099409818, E-mail: chumsel@yahoo.com.

People

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Steve Omoarukhe:

Animal lover

OSEYIZA OOGBODO

teve Idowu Omoarukhe is widely known as Dogfather. The alias became his because he loves dogs and has a lot of them. He however claims that it’s all animals he loves, not just dogs. “Animals are very important, and I realised that when I was a little boy growing up under my father. He was the one that made me know it’s good to treat animals right and care for them with love. Despite his busy schedule as the Accountant-General of the old Bendel State, my father, Frank Gascoigne Omoarukhe, still kept a livestock farm of chickens, rabbits, goats, etc. “I was just three years old then and I would follow him to the farm and he was always so caring to them that I began to imbibe his behaviour, more so when he told me that animals give peace of mind and I felt it myself from relating with them.” From that little boy who liked animals, Dogfather has become a man who

has vowed to ensure that animals are no longer treated cruelly in Nigeria. “Animals are treated cruelly all over the world, but Nigeria is the worst in their cruel treatment. They bring chickens and cows from the North in overloaded lorries without adequate feeding and care while on the road. People buy dogs and lock them in cages all year without walking them. The cruel treatment of animals is just so much in this country compared to the Western world that I am working on an Animal Rights Bill (ARB) that I will soon send to the National Assembly for passage into law to prevent it. I cannot stand it anymore. “I know that people are cruel to animals because they don’t know better. But when the ARB is made law, people will stop being cruel to animals because it would then be a crime like in Europe and America.” Dogfather just doesn’t talk, though. He acts. “I have stopped eating meat. I cannot stop others from eating but I only advise them to treat animals right before consumption. Part of the reason I could stop eating meat was my knowl-

edge of the gorilla. It is three times the size of human beings and it eats only leaves yet it has a high IQ and perfect physique. So I thought to myself that if the gorilla eats only leaves and it is both intelligent and physically perfect, we eat meat and yet we have health issues so I might as well stop eating meat.” Claiming that he doesn’t regret the decision one bit, he disclosed that he organises Ruvela Dog Show (RDS) every year to enlighten the general public on how dogs should be kept. “Since 2009, I have been holding RDS

as my own way of letting people know that animals deserve to be treated right. People who come to the show certainly leave with a new impression of animals. At the show, you will see dogs doing all sorts of intelligent things that you will begin looking at them in a new and positive light.” Claiming that he doesn’t make money from RDS but holds it with his own money every year to create awareness of animal rights, he added that RDS is coming up shortly in Abuja and Lagos respectively.

Oluwakemi Ayodele-Bashorun:

Engineer per excellence

FUNMI SALOME JIOHNSON

orn 27yrs ago to his royal highness HRM Eng. Bashorun Ayodele of Ijebu land, Dr Oluwakemi Bashorun Ayodele today is a proud and certified engineer. Recently she bagged a doctorate degree (PHD) in Engineering from the University of Dublin Ireland Republic where she had all her post secondary education. Talking about her experiences while studying abroad in compar-

niscing on the past times with her mom, Kemi said: ‘I did not grow up privileged but was raised by a very strong and disciplined mother. Mum raised me to not be materialistic and to always work hard. She also raised me dream but importantly taught me how to work hard to achieve my dreams’ Taking to her mother’s constant advice on hard work really paid off for her as she graduated in 2006 with a first class honours ison to her home country, Kemi degree in civil, structural and enremarked: ‘When I started as an vironmental engineering. Reminiscing on her childhood, undergraduate at the University Kemi who was born in Lagos Isof Dublin I was the only black perland Maternity says she grew up son in the school of engineering. with her mom in Shomolu where This definitely motivated me to she had her primary education set myself apart not just by my cobefore moving to Ikorodu where lour but by my achievement. Here her mom moved to. in Ireland academics is straight And what was the drive she has forward, if you work hard you to life? Kemi enthused; “I always will achieve good grades’ remember my mother’s word on According to this Ijebu born good things not coming easy and princess hard work is a virtue she that cheered me up to wait and be has been taught by her mother persistent no matter how long it with whom she grew all her life took me.” until she left for Europe. Remi-

“On arrival to Dublin the first thing I did was to apply to university but I was told I was too young to attend because I was only 15 even though I had finished secondary school I was disappointed because I felt I wouldn’t be able to achieve my dreams of a western education if I don’t go to university. Undeterred, the next year, I applied again and was told I was still too young because I was 16 and need to be 17 on or before the 1st of September to be considered, but this time around instead of feeling dejected, I decided to go do the A levels exam. I attended a private college in Dublin where I did sit the exams and was successful at it. I finally got a place in Trinity in 2002” According to this pretty princess, that was an experience that taught her never to give up on anything in life. She eulogizes; “Going thru this experience of not getting admission because of my age taught me never to give up on my dreams but rather to keep

working hard at it. I believe this single experience has really got me to where I am today. Everybody in Nigeria knows that university education in Europe is not cheap, whilst studying, I had to work at least 3 jobs in order to pay my fees and also take care of myself and my sweet mother. I would be at work as early as 6am from there I would attend lectures at 9am lectures and in Europe last lecture is at 6pm and I would go straight to work after lectures where I would work from 7pm to 11pm. Indeed mom’s lessons paid off a lot.” “My mum taught me to wake up early to study so I would wake up at 3am to study and do assignments. During the weekends I worked long shifts as well. It was definitely tough but God was my strength and he definitely stood by me because after going thru all the stress to raise money for my fees and upkeep I was still able to graduate with a first class honours. Graduating.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

July 21, 2012

FG plans N140m for A’ Ibom SUBEB in 2012 Oshiomhole lauds CJN, IGP elevations SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN CITY

overnor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo State has congratulated the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Aloma Mukhtar and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dikko Abubakar over their respective career elevation. In a statement issued from the Governor’s Office and made available to our correspondent, Oshiomhole said Justice Muktar deserved the appointment considering the integrity she has displayed in the bar. The governor said, “I rejoice with you on your elevation to the exalted position of Chief Justice of Nigeria. Your historic appointment does not come to me as a surprise because you have always displayed a high level of impressive integrity.

he Federal Government released N150 million to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Akwa Ibom State for the training of primary school teachers, in 20122, and would release N140 million for the same purpose this year. The Minister of State for Education, Barr. Ezenwo Nyeson Wike disclosed this recently during the flag-off exercise for the distribution of educational materials schools in the SouthSouth Region. Wike regretted that apart from Katsina State that has accessed the funds for this year, Akwa Ibom is yet to access the funds for the year running, advising the SUBEB to access the funds from the designated bank. The Minister noted that the Federal Government chose Akwa Ibom to flag off the distribution of the materials at the zonal level

because of the role the state is playing in the improvement of educational sector. According to him, the choice of Akwa Ibom is due to the numerous achievements of the Godswiil Akpabio administration in the education particularly the transformation agenda of Mr. President. He said the exercise commenced in 2009 has not really reached the right source, saying it was done to complement the effort of the state government in the educational sector. In his own reaction, Governor Akpabio lauded the Federal Government for its effort in bringing a lot of things to bear n the governance unlike twhat was obtained in the past, thankingd the Minister o Education for bringing the distribution exercise to the state. Akpabio used the occasion to hint that Office of the Head of Civil Service in the state has al-

ways handled training of primary teachers, hoping that the money wouldf be refunded to the state gov-

ernment. He reiterated the state government’s readiness to partner the Federal

Government in the education sector to guarantee a better future for the Nigerian children.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, (l) presents a souvenir to the Minister of State for Education Barr. Ezenwo Wike, during a courtesy call to the Government House, Uyo, recently

Fayemi blames councils’ low performance on over-bloated workforce NURTW leader tasks Lagosians on BRT buses

former chairman of the Lagos chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), RafiuOlohunwa, has tasked residents of the state to make maximum use of the BRT and LAGBUS mass transit scheme introduced by the Fashola administration in the state. Olohunwa claimed that the minibuses hitherto operated in the state could not meet the increasing demand of Lagos commuters, especially in the face of new route diversion in the state. Te union boss said this while being conferred with leadership award by Illustrius Magazine published by Kareem Aregbe. Aregbe said the idea of magazine came to him some years ago to propagate Nigerian culture that is already in the verge of death.

kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has blamed local governments’ inability to embark on many capital projects on inflated number of “ghost workers” on the payroll of the councils, even as he declared that the state government does not fiddle with funds meant for the councils. The governor said this at the maiden edition of the quarterly briefing by the caretaker chairmen of the 16 local government councils of the State; adding that rather than tampering with funds meant for the local governments, the state government has assisted the councils in carrying out most of the responsibilities meant for the lowest level of government. In a statement by Olayinka Oyebode, Chief Press Secretary to Fayemi, the governor said that the councils in the state are still owing the state government about N1 billion. He added that

the on-going construction of five kilometre of roads in all the 16 local government areas of the State are jointly shouldered by the two tiers of government. He explained that a review of the workforce in the local governments has shown that bulk of the money which could have been expended on capital projects are spent on payment of salary to unknown workers who

are on the payroll system of the Councils. The Governor added that government would soon begin a proper staff audit in the councils so as to fish out the ghost workers and help the local governments live up to their responsibilities to the grassroots; saying that it is worrisome that there are 152 personnel in the Works department of a particular local government but not all of

them show up at work. Fayemi who expressed dissatisfaction that the recurrent budget of all the local governments was higher than their capital budget as a result of the inflated personnel stressed that he owes Ekiti people the duty to spend their resources with prudence and will not do anything that would deprive the grassroots of the dividends of democracy.

He said though there is improvement in the Internally Generated Revenue of Local Governments, his administration is the first in the history of the State to adhere to the payment of 10 per cent of IGR as statutorily expected. On the construction of 5km in all the council areas, the Governor expressed concern at the slow pace of work in 10 of the 16 councils areas.

S’ Court settles 20 years Ogun land dispute

he Supreme Court of Nigeria has resolved the age long land dispute between the Ado Chieftaincy Family and Odan Parapo Family in favour of the former. The land dispute between the two communities reportedly lasted 20 years before the July 9, 2012, judgement. The apex court held that the 20 acres of land and premises situated at kilometer 15 along Badagry Expressway, Lagos, actually belong to Ado

Chieftaincy Family. It was held that the Ado Chieftaincy family, the plaintiffs in the matter, were able to trace their title to the land in dispute vide traditional history and it was not challenged in the course of cross examination. In her supporting judgment, the newly appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, held that the Ado family succeeded in the lawsuit by providing their traditional history,

as earlier asserted in line with the principle of law that says ‘he who asserts must prove’. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta who read the judgment held that ‘though an action brought upon the judgment is statute-barred, the fact that the judgment was given can be pleaded and relied on in a subsequent proceedings’. He added that Ado family did not bring their action upon

the judgment titled LD/1213/76 but merely pleaded the judgment as a fact and relied on same as such. Another justice, Justice John AfolabiFabiyi, also supporting the lead judgment held that ‘a judgment does not become extinct or moribund for all purposes. If it is not reversed by a competent court, its content can be pleaded as a fact in a future matter as done by the appellants herein’.

REGIONAL NEWS

July 21, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Court validates Oloffa’s selection, installation 2 years after WOLE ADEDEJI

Pl t Plateau lift lifts curfew in four LGAs JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

lateau State government yesterday lifted the curfew imposed on four local government areas of the state. The affected council areas are BarkiLadi, Jos South, Jos North and Riyom Local Government Areas. The state government had on July 8, 2012, imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the affected localities to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the wake of attacks by gunmen on mourners in Matse Village of BarkiLadi LGA which resulted in the death of two lawmakers. But a statement by Commissioner of Information, Pastor Yiljap Abraham, and made available to Saturday Mirror said that government decided to lift the curfew after a careful review of the security situation in the state.

ILORIN

he selection and installation of Oloffa of Offa, Oba Muftau Gbadamosi, two years ago which had been a matter of litigation has been validated by a High Court sitting in Ilorin. Oba Gbadamosi succeeded Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun who passed on in October 2010. The court has established that two ruling houses can lay claim to the stool of the Oloffa as exists in the ancient town. The houses that were so cleared by the court are the Anilelerin and Olugbense. The late monarch, Oba Olanipekun, and the current, Oba Gbadamosi, are both of the Anilelerin house. The Olugbense house, had, in 2010, following the installation of Oba Gbadamosi, approached the court to declare the appointment of the monarch null and void. The claimant, Alhaji Raufu Keji, had through his attorney, Pastor John Baiyeshea (SAN), said the

INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

o overcome security challenges and sustain democratic structures in Borno State, the state government has gone into partnership with the Maiduguri and Biu branches of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). This, according to Governor Kashim Shettima is because members of the association have continued to “protect and sustain” democracy and good governance in Nigeria. Governor Shettima said this yesterday in Maiduguri at the Government House when members of the two branches of NBA paid him an official visit to present their newly elected executive council members of the two associations.

dants’ claim that Olugbense ruling house was extinct and disinherited, adding that the ascendancy to the Olofa of Offa was rotational between the two ruling houses. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the enthronement of Oba Gbadamosi by the kingmakers “is wrongful, illogical,

null and void and of no effect whatsoever in view of the established chieftaincy system in Offa. The Anilelerin house having produced the immediate past Oloffa, in the spirit of rotation, fair play and equity, it is the turn of Olugbense ruling house.” Defendants’ counsel,

Lawal Rabana (SAN), urged the court to dismiss all the declaratory reliefs sought by the claimant for lack of merit. He added that none of the evidence and exhibits in witness before the court alluded to the fact that ascension to the Oloffa stool is rotational between the two contending ruling houses.

Benue debunks bankruptcy claim HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

pecial Adviser to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Solomon Wombo, has debunked the claims in some quarters that the state is bankrupt, as speculations are rife that the financial status of the state is in comatose. The governor’s aide explained to some journalists In Makurdi yesterday that the state has paid salaries of staffers at third tier of government up to date, stressing that no one is being owed. Wombo stated that the

bankruptcy story is a calculated attempt to smear the efforts of the Suswam administration in Benue State. Wombo disclosed that those making these unguarded utterances are no other than members of the opposition who do not see anything good in the present leadership of the Suswam-led administration in the state. Wombo further observed that despite lean allocation being received from the federation account in recent times, the state has been able to meet its obligations by ensuring prompt payment of salaries.

The governor’s aide revealed that even NYSC which is a federal parastatal cannot meet the monthly expenses for its corps members, whereas Benue State is trying its best to address the needs of the people. He therefore said trhat the government of the state deserves commendation and not condemnation. Wombo enjoined the opposition to evolve a more constructive criticism in analysing government actions and programmes rather than always being confrontational unnecessarily. He added that elections have come and gone and now

is the time for collective effort to rebuild the state for the future leaders including generations yet unborn to one day come and benefit from legacies left behind by the past administrators. He also said the recent discovery of over 6000 excess workers cut across the23 local governments in the state the case is being looked into with view to ascertain the case of those who were genuinely employed such people when it is discovered would be duly retained while others that were engaged with fictitious documents will be shown the way out.

Ramadan: Shettima urges Muslims to pray for peace INUSA NDAHI

Borno partners NBA, donates buses

selection, appointment and recognition of Oba Gbadamosi by the kingmakers was wrong, null and void. Baiyeshea had added that the kingmakers relied on false historical evidence to deny the claimant right to the stool. He urged the court to discountenance the defen-

MAIDUGURI

overnor Kashim Shettima has called on Muslims in Borno State to use the holy month of Ramadan to intensify prayers for restoration of peace in the state and Nigeria at large and to also help the needy members of the society. Special Adviser to the Governor on Communications, Isa Umar Gusau, spoke for the governor in a Ramadan message issued yesterday in Maiduguri. the message read in parts, “To Muslims, the month of Ramadan is the most important period of gaining spiritual height, it is a holy month of worship, sacrifice and supplications to the Almighty. The Ramadan is therefore a very timely period for Muslims in Borno to commit our time for intense prayers in desperate search for the restoration of peace in our otherwise

peaceful state and Nigeria as a whole. Each and every one should take it as his or her shared contribution to pray for peace in our collective efforts to reclaim Borno’s lost glory. We were known for

peace and we desperately need to get back that very significant element of our existence as a people. Let also use the Ramadan to touch the lives of each other especially our neighbours in need.

The best amongst people are those that touch the lives of others by way of selfless sacrifices. Let us strive to help others as the Ramadan represents. The idea of abstaining from food as an essential

factor of the Ramadan is meant for every adult and healthy Muslim, the rich and the poor to starve themselves for the sake of Allah so that the rich can appreciate the hunger of the poor.

Wife of Borno Governor, Mrs. Nana Shettima, (m) being assisted by Governor Kashim Shettima to present empowerment items to beneficiaries at the launch of her pet project, “Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya Pupils (SWOT) Foundation” in Maiduguri, recently. PHOTO: NAN

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REGIONAL NEWS

July 21, 2012

Lake Chad Commission seeks $14b for water scarcity Insecurity: Yakowa tasks Muslims in Ramadan A ZA MSUE KADUNA

aduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, has called on Muslim faithful to use the holy month of Ramadan to pray for the nation’s insecurity. Yakowa further urged the Ummah to also pray for peace, unity, progress as well as the development of state and the nation at large. A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Reuben Buhari, said “As the Muslim Ummah begin the Ramadan fast, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa call on the Muslim faithful to sustain prayers for the nation .

AUGUSTIINEMADU-WEST KANO

xecutive Secretary of Lake Chad Basin Commission Sunusi Abdullahi said in Kano yesterday that the commission requires over N14.5 billion to transfer water from Congo to Lake Chad if the water shortage at the lake is to addressed. This was contained in a paper he presented at the 4th Annual Engineer SalihiIliasu memorial lecture/ induction ceremony, organized by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (Kano branch). Engineer Abdullahi who was a guest lecturer at the occasion, observed that Lake Chad is facing numerous challenges, prominent among which is the population upsurge around the area, which experts warned may lead to the drying up of the Lake within the next 20 years.

He expressed fears that the lake might disappear in the next 20 years due largely to population growth in the region housing it. He noted that the population had risen sharply from just 3 million within 15 years to over 30 mil-

lion. He therefore advocated engineering solutions from the consultancy services of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. The Secretary said the Commission is exploring the possibility of activating the water ways of

the Lake, so as to make it possible for sailors to sail from Adamawa to Borno, down to Ndjamena in Chad and even beyond to Libya. The plan, he said informed the decision of forwarding its strategy of soil water conserva-

tion and optimal water reservation around the six countries that are part of the Lake Chad Commission, with only Nigeria as an English speaking member, while all the remaining five countries are French speaking.

L-R: Assistant Director, Home Finance, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Nasiru Nabage; Sokoto State Accountant General, Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi and Secretary, Federation Account Allocation Committee, Mr. James Nongo, at a sensitisation workshop for stakeholders in the north-west zone in Kaduna on Tuesday . PHOTO: NAN

Imo Council judgment: APGA’ll abide by S’ Court ruling DENNIS AGBO

Enugu Prisons gets case management unit DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

case managements unit, an Information Communications Technology (ICT), data base that enhances provision of information about prisoners including the remand prisoners, was yesterday commissioned at the headquarters of Nigeria Prisons service (NPS) Enugu. Deputy ControllerGeneral of the Nigerian Prisons Service in charge of operations, Alhaji Nuhu Zuru, said the faculty will help NPS to deal with challenges of the agency especially as it concerns congestions in different prison yards in Enugu state. The new case management unit was designed and developed for Enugu State command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) by the Prisons Rehabilitation Welfare Action (PRAWA).

ENUGU

he All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has frowned at what it called the unconventional manner in which the implementation of the Appeal court judgment on local government councils in Imo state is being pursued. The party also condemned the haste with which the police moved to dislodge the activities in the local councils in the state without due regard to lay down legal procedures, saying it is regrettable that the action of the police is coming on the heel of an appeal by Imo State government against the judgment. A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Benard Akoma, said it is more worrisome that while the appeal and motion for notice of stay of execution of the judgment have been served, the police ignored it all, but instead continued to pursue execution of

a judgment whose appeal is before the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land. In the words of Akoma, “It is a known fact in law that whenever a motion for stay of execution is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, all parties are expected to

remain in status-quo. We wish to state that the party has never been served with any drawn-up order nor forms 48 and 49 which ordinarily are necessary warnings about consequences of disobedience as to empower the police to enforce the judgment by force.

“APGA in Imo State therefore cannot be said to have breached any judgment of the court as to warrant police invasion of the local councils on the guess of enforcing court judgment. We wish to state that APGA as a party is founded on rule of law as demonstrated in

Obi proscribes youth groups CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

nambra State Governor, Peter Obi, yesterday proscribed some youths organisation operating in the state, In a move he said, was to curb the organisations’ alleged sundry negative conducts. The affected organisations included Mpiawaazu group, Igbo Youths Organisation, Ogbaru Youths Organization and all other local government areas youth organizations in the state. Obi said that the Proclamation proscribing the named groups which was made pursuant to

Section 98(2) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State I991 is designed to outlaw some organizations whose activities were deemed dangerous to the good government of the State. The governor maintained that the legal implication of the order he gave was that it is now a criminal offence for any person to belong, associate with, manage or assist in the management of any of the concerned groups or organizations. In a state broadcast, governor Obi also announced the enactment of a law that prohibits and makes criminal certain conducts relating to

land, some of which are, namely, Any person selling land not belonging to him to another person, any person selling the same parcel of land to two or more different persons, any person demanding or collecting any fee not approved by law from any person developing or improving an already existing property in the state, any person willfully damaging ,destroying, puling down or removing any beacon or structure on any land belonging to another person and any person harassing, obstructing or assaulting any worker in a construction site with the intent to compel the worker or

Anambra State and other related cases and our position is that all parties should allow the judicial process to run its full steam as the party is prepared, willing and ever ready to abide by the outcome of the supreme court at the end,” Akoma said.

owner of the land to pay an illegal fee, adding that the penalties for these offences as provided by the law range from four to ten years imprisonment or appropriate fine. Announcing their outright ban in the broadcast, the governor also announced that enforcement committees which will see to the strict implementation of this law would be set up in all the local government areas of the state, while all community youths organizations must be registered with, supervised by, controlled and subjected to the town union and traditional ruler of that community which must take responsibilities for the activities of their youth organizations.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Crime Watch

P. 54

Assassins miss husband, attack wife, kids

BRIEFS

Man, 31, remanded for N.5m robbery

31-year-old man, Chukwu Emeka, yesterday appeared before an Ibadan Magistrates’ Court for alleged armed robbery. The prosecutor, Insp. Adewale Amose, alleged that the accused conspired with others at large, armed themselves with guns to rob one Adesiyan Sikirat residing at Bode area in Ibadan. Amos alleged that the accused and his gang stole N583, 950 and a black hand bag worth N2,500 all totalling N586,450 belonging to Sikirat. Amos said the offence contravened Sections 6(b), 1(a) (b) of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. RII, Laws of Oyo State 2000. The plea of the accused person was not taken. Chief Magistrate Fatimah Badrudeen ordered that the accused be remanded in the prison custody and adjourned the case to Aug. 14.

Police anti-bomb squad tackle 2, 000 incidences in 6 months - IGP

he Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on Friday in Lagos said no fewer than 2,000 bomb incidences were tackled between January and June by the anti-bomb command. Abubakar made this known during the graduation ceremony of 207 police officers, including 10 females, Antibomb Technicians and Investigators. Represented by the Commissioner of Police, Anti-bomb Command, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, Abubakar noted that all the recovered explosives would be destroyed He said that the training became necessary in view of the security challenges in the country, adding: ``this is one of the numerous measures taken to control the spate of bombings in the country. ``We took the initiatives by evaluating the grey areas of the Anti-bomb command operational neglect and put in place lasting mechanism to rectify them. ``This training confers on you the officers a new status as Anti-bomb technicians and investigators. ``The four-week intensive training qualifies you to be potential professionals in handling matters on explosives with versed knowledge on improvised explosive devices. According to him, the task ahead is indeed very challenging, when there is a bomb to be detonated or need for an expert opinion regarding explosives/allied materials, you would be called upon.

Adefela

Hoodlums shoot late monarch’s son for father’s ‘sins’ The late Chief Isaac Oyebajo was a thorn in the flesh of hoodlums during his life time. He fought them all his reign. At his demise, however, the hoodlums decided to visit his ‘sins’ on his children. Adefela is one of them. SEGUN ADIO

rince Adefela Oyebajo is the son of Baale of Fadeyi High Chief Isaac Oyebajo. However, the Prince would have long joined his ancestors as he was allegedly shot at and clubbed almost to death by suspected hoodlums but for Providence. The late Isaac Oyebajo died about two years ago, but his reign could not be said to have been peaceful as he reportedly had running battles with some notorious elements said to be terrorizing his domain at the time. That period his father was having running battle with the hoodlums, young Adefela was also growing up and as a teenager, he had been in conflict with some of the hoodlums in the past. But his late father had reportedly repeatedly warned him to keep off those ‘bad boys,’ often telling him that it was his own war and he (Adefela) should allow him (the late Oyebajo) fight it alone. Shortly after his father’s death, Adefela, 28, and his siblings soon became prime targets of the said hoodlums apparently wanting to take over the reins of the locality in the absence of a ruler. Since Adefela could not match the said hoodlums fire for fire, he reportedly fled his father’s domain and relocated to Shomolu area of Lagos State. But on Friday, July 13, 2012, Adefela, who had been on self exile from his ancestral domain in Fadeyi, was allegedly traced to Majiyagbe Street in Shomolu where he was attacked and even shot at. He missed death by the whisker. It was around 5:00pm. On the fateful day, Adefela, a spray painter by profession, had accompanied a friend of his, Yemi Badmus, to Majiyagbe

area of Shomolu, where the latter had gone to see his elder brother who resides there. The two had gone there on Badmus’s commercial motorcycle. Majiyagbe area is reputed to be a notorious part of Shomolu area in the state. While waiting for the man they went to see, Badmus was said to have called on his friend for them to have some bottles of beer, which the Adefela did not object to. While the two friends were still on their first bottles, a barber in the area, who recognized Adefela, allegedly put a telephone call through to the leader of the notorious gang identified as Ibrahim, who appeared moments later. While Badmus called for the second round of drinks for both of them, Adefela reportedly told him that he could no longer stay in the area and that he wanted to go. His friend would not hear of it, though. The two friends were in the heat of this debate when the alleged leader of the assailant group came into the street with some of his partners-in-crime. “I just think there are informants in the street for those people. While we were drinking I just noticed a barber close by making some frantic calls to some people. From them I became uncomfortable. I then told Yemi that he should let us leave the area, but he would not understand’, Adefela added. In less than five minutes, there appeared an Okada carrying three leaders of the gang,” Adefela said. Explaining how mother luck saved him from being murdered that day, Adefela continued his story: “Upon sighting me, the Ibrahim shouted ‘Get him! Get him!’ But I did not wait for Yemi, I just ran out of the place and took to my heels. I ran towards three streets after Majiyagbe and I suddenly hit my legs on a pavement,

which made me fall and I fainted. The place where I fainted is usually dominated by the OPC people, but they were not there that day.” Adefela explained that by the time his assailants would reach where he fainted, crowd had already gathered which somehow prevented them from attacking him. He claimed it was at this point that his own younger brother also joined the crowd. The brother was reportedly taken aback to see his elder brother being the object of focus. Adefela’s younger brother reportedly organised an Okada to convey him to an undisclosed hospital where he is still recovering from injuries he sustained in the attack. Asked what could be the reason for him being hunted by the hoodlum, Adefela claimed that it must be that they were trying to visit what they hoodlums perceived to be his father’s ‘sins’ on his own head adding that while he was being rescued, no police presence was felt in the area. Speaking with Saturday Mirror on the incident, Badmus claimed that he had gone to get some money from his brother who lives in Majiyagbe Street. He also claimed that the assailants actually came for his friend, Adefela. “I actually begged Fela to accompany me to the place, but I never knew some people would be trailing him. We were drinking when the boys rode an Okada to the place. They started shouting Fela’s name. The three of them held guns in their hands. When I saw them pointing and heading towards us, I abandoned my Okada and ran for dear life,” he said. Badmus told Saturday Mirror that on many occasions Adefela had been accused by the hoodlums of not supporting them in his father’s domain where they allegedly wanted to take control of motor/okada parks in the area. When Saturday Mirror called the phone number of the said Ibrahim who allegedly led the assailants, one of his aides answered the calls and claimed that his boss had been out of town for upward a month now and could not possibly have had a hand in the said attack on Adefela.

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

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CRIME WATCH

July 21, 2012

Thugs invade school, rob students of phones, cash

or teachers and students of a senior secondary school along Morocco Road, Shomolu area of Lagos State, Monday, July 16, 2012, would not be forgotten in a hurry. Both teachers and students of the school had resumed from the weekend break and refreshed after the weekend break. Academic activities went unhindered in the school that day, at least up to the time the lunch break bell was rung. As customary, some students of this school found their way out of the school premises probably in search of variety of foods or for reasons best known to them. But as the bell for resumption of classes was rung, something happened. It was around 1:30pm. While the students were returning to their classes after the long break, four fierce-looking suspected hoodlums reportedly stormed the school, allegedly wielding clubs and spears. The nature of their entry into the school and the supposed dangerous items they were wielding apparently sent the students to scamper for safety. It was reported that in the ensuing commotion, the men forcefully collected several GSM handsets, money and other valuables from some students. Investigations revealed that that was not the first time these hoodlums had forcefully gained entry into schools in the areas and dispossessing innocent students of their valuables. On this occasion, the four-man gang was allegedly led by one Sunkanmi Odele, an acclaimed unrepentant pickpocket. While the commotion lasted, some teachers reportedly also locked themselves up in their office, while frantic calls were made to nearby police stations. But a Senior Secondary (SS) 2 student, identified as Saheed Ibrahim, would not stand idly by and watch his school mates be robbed without testing his own fist. Ibrahim, who himself is no stranger to the antics of the hoodlums, had also lost his own handset and some money to the pickpockets at a similar incident sometime last year. Ibrahim was said to have confronted the hoodlums, but reportedly got the beating of his life. He also lost two of his teeth. This time round, Ibrahim, apparently told himself that he would not go down alone without taking one of the hoodlums with him. Ibrahim did give them a fight for their money, but the pickpockets beat the retreat when they learnt that alert had been sent to law enforcement agents. Before the hoodlums left the school, they reportedly made away with Ibrahim’s handsets and several others. Ibrahim told Saturday Mirror on telephone that about N5, 000 was also snatched from him by the gang. As a result of the milieu, the school hurriedly closed for the day. On getting home, however, Ibrahim reported the incident to his elder brother, who raged and set traps for the suspected hoodlums to be apprehended. As fate

The students and staff of a senior secondary school in Lagos never knew what hit them last Monday until they were forcefully dispossessed of their belongings by a gang of rampaging hoodlums right within the confines of their school. Fortunately for the hapless victims, nemesis did not take long in catching up with the hoodlums as SEGUN ADIO reports. p

Omo Alaja Odele

“IT IS NOT EASY TO GO TO SCHOOL HERE

AGAIN.

THIS SCHOOL

INVASION BY THESE THIEVES HAS BECOME A DAILY THING,”

would have it, barely three hours after the school invasion, Odele and another friend of his were walking down the street Ibrahim lives. The boy immediately alerted his elder brother and the two men were given a hot chase. Investigations revealed that while one of them escaped by scaling a fence, Odele himself ran into Alade Police Station, apparently seeking police protection in the hands of his assailants. He was not lucky after all. Ibrahim, who spoke to Saturday Mirror on phone, claimed that the menace of invasion of school by hoodlums in the area had become a daily occurrence and he urged appropriate authorities to quickly address the situation. “It is not easy to go to school here again. This school invasion by these thieves has become a daily thing,” Narrating the incident of that Monday, Ibrahim continued, “when the people came, they started collecting students’ phones and girls’ earrings and money. They could have gone for our teachers too, we did not know. When I saw them, and they asked me

to submit my money and phone, I refused and they slapped me. I then engaged them in a fight. A friend of mine, Stello, came out to rescue me from them, but he was injured in the eye. After they had gone, I ran home to tell my brother the story. He, in turn, promised to get my money and phone back for me. Fortunately, some hours later, I saw two of them walking towards us and I alerted my brother. The two men were given the chase. While one of them escaped, the other ran into a police station.” Since Odele had been on the wanted list of the law enforcement agents at the station, the Divisional Police Officer immediately ordered that he be detained. In a chat with Mr Busari, Divisional Police Officer of Alade Police Station where Odele reportedly ran to, the police officer claimed that the accused had a lot of criminal cases against his name in other police stations in the area. Busari, who claimed that he later released Odele to his Bariga counterpart, upon demand to face another case, said that the affected school authorities prevailed on the police not to bring the identities of the affected students into media glare. “The Odele you are asking about has a lot of cases to answer especially at Bariga Police Station. We had transferred him there since then. The affected students are young. We do not want to expose them. Since there are other ways to prosecute the man, without necessarily exposing the students, we will do that and that is why Bariga division has called for the suspect.” the police officer explained.

Businesswoman, 35, bags 2-months jail for contempt of court

he Ogudu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos yesterday sentenced a 35-year-old woman to two months imprisonment for contempt of court, after her deliberate absence from court on two consecutive occasions. Chief Magistrate Yetunde Aje-Afunwa convicted Elizabeth Thompson-without an option of fine -- for intentionally absenting herself from court when her case was mentioned. ``Based on this finding, the defendant is hereby adjudged guilty of contempt of court and thereby sentenced to two months imprisonment without an option of fine. ``The defendant’s case before this honourable court is still on and she will continue with her trial after she completes her jail term,’’ she said. The prosecutor, Cpl. Kemi Adeniran, told the court that Thompson, a businesswoman, who lives at No 44, Bayo Shinowo St., Off, Ogudu, Lagos, was on bench warrant before the judgement. ``Her trial started and she failed to appear before the court on March 28 and 30, without any reason,” said the prosecutor. He said that the offence contravened section 104 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State. The convict was earlier charged with defrauding one Anthony Idenak of 2,700 litres of diesel before she was arrested by the police.

Man, 56, jailed 14 yrs for raping 11-yr-old

n Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday sentenced a 56-year-old man, Samuel Olatoke, to 14 years imprisonment for raping an 11 years old girl. Chief Magistrate Adewumi Makanjuola, in his judgment, said the convict deserved maximum punishment for the gravity of the offence he committed. Olatoke, who was arraigned on a twocount charge of conspiracy and unlawfully having canal knowledge, had pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecutor, Sgt. Elisha Olusegun, told the court that the convict on June 11 at about 2:pm at Oluode area in Osogbo, conspired with one Funmilola Adefemi. The prosecutor said Olatoke arranged with the 15-year-old Adefemi to bring the victim to his house where he raped her for two hours. He said further investigation revealed that the convict had slept with many school children who were minors through the help of Adefemi. The prosecutor said Adefemi had confessed that the convict had sexual intercourse with her on two occasions before she started bringing her friends to him. The convict, in his statement to the police, confessed that he used to give his victims money to attract them. Chief Magistrate Makanjuola sentenced Olatoke to seven calendar years on each of the two-count charge ``without option of fine. ’’

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

Crime Extra

SEGUN ADIO

he Muslim Ummah at Idi-Araba area of Lagos State, some Christian friends and neighbours are currently on their knees praying for the quick recovery of Hajia Nofisat Dada Muhammed, who, recently, narrowly escaped death by the whiskers in the hands of suspected assassins. Hajia Muhammed, a Shuwa Arab from Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, was not the only one whose life God preserved in the hands of these agents of death: her three boys (all under the age of six) also escaped with their lives albeit after suffering untold hardship from the men of the underworld. On Thursday, 31 May, 2012, around 3:00a.m while the mother and her three kids were in deep sleep at their apartment at No 27, Moshalashi Street, IdiAraba, in the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, some men broke into the house asking of Muhammed Dungus, the head of the family. But Dungus, the husband of the assaulted woman and father of the three kids, was away from home to honour an invitation outside the state. While the Dungus were in their sleep, a loud bang on their door sent Hajia Muhammed, 28, scampering from her bed and rushing towards the window. She probably thought their apartment was being visited by robbers. She was soon to be proved wrong. While Hajia Muhammed tip-toed past the main door of the apartment towards the window, the door crashed open right in front of her. As she staggered towards the middle of the living room, six armed heavilybuilt men pounced on her. While one of the men wrapped his hand over her mouth, the leader of the gang, pointing gun at her, barked ‘Where is MD?’ Hajia Muhammed’s husband is often called MD by friends and business associates. At this time, the three kids were awake and had started yelling. When the armed men reportedly ordered the kids to stop their yell, but to no avail, they allegedly cut of some cables from the musical speakers in the living room and tied up the three lads. They also gagged the boys with cloths. The hapless boys watched helplessly their mother being beaten up and tortured by the assailants. Neighbours explained that they did not respond to the yelling of the Dungus for fear of being attacked by the invaders. While the leader of the gang reportedly held the woman at gun point in the living room, the remaining five were all over the apartment searching for Dungus. But he was nowhere to be found. While the search was ongoing, the assailants were reportedly breaking glasses, vases, cooking utensils and so on. The men later returned to report that their prime target was not in the apartment. It was then that they all took Ha-

The vandalised room

Assassins miss husband, attack wife, kids Hajia Nofisot Muhammed was in bed with her three kids when suddenly she heard a bang on her front door. Thus began the ordeal of a life-time for the woman and her three kids.

jia Muhammed and started ransacking the rooms again. This time, they were demanding from her where her husband used to keep his documents. They allegedly threatened to kill her if they did not find the documents they came for. But the woman told them that her husband never kept any documents at home. When they realized that the woman was not yielding in their demands, they used some of the bottles they had broken to cut her chests and entire body. The leader of the gang reportedly used the gun in his hand to hit her in the head. She then started bleeding from the head and became unconscious. On the orders of the leader of the gang, one of them produced a bag from where the leader produced a small lap-

top. The gang leader reportedly used the laptop to take the woman’s photograph and also used it to capture her five right finger prints. They later vanished into thin air. Hajia Muhammed claimed that the men did not go away with any of their property, not even her GSM handset. Once the men were gone, Hajia Muhammed crawled to the table where her handset was placed and hurriedly called some close relatives and family friends. It was Dungus’s younger brother that would raise his brother around 6:00am to tell him of the development. Dungus later rushed back home to tend to his frightened kids and battered wife. The matter was immediately reported at the Itire Police Station. Speaking with Saturday Mirror on

her sick bed, Hajia Muhammed claimed she is yet to recover from the trauma. She explained that the fingerprints capturing machines the assailants came with to her house was like those used by the mobile network providers to capture the fingers of their customers. “I tell you that one hour that the operation lasted was like my entire lifetime. I was tortured just like one was in a military camp, while my kids were made to go through what an adult even should not ordinarily be made to go through,” she said. “Really the target was not my wife and kids. It was me that they came for. The reason is obvious. Back in 2008, there had been series of threat phone calls to my line from highly placed individuals in the society. I am a unionist and I know the attempt on my life could not be unconnected with that. The matter had been handed over to police authorities and I hope they would fish the perpetrators of this act out without delay,” Dungus said. Dunguns claimed that the case’s file was marked ‘burglary’ at the police station. Saturday Mirror also spoke with one Segun, the Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case. The IPO claimed that the police is on top of the situation. “All I can tell you is that we are not sleeping on the case. We are doing our best. But we are yet to apprehend anybody linked with the case. Until anyone can say this person is the one responsible, we shall continue to look for them. We have not seen anyone since then,” the police IPO said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

July 21, 2012

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Colorado cinema gunman unveiled I

Dangerous Cement War

Dangote Battles Ibeto, FG

wo of Nigeria's biggest cement merchants, Aliko Dangote, president, Dangote Group of Companies and Cletus Ibeto, chairman, Ibeto Group of Companies are currently locked in a legal tussle over the control of the expansive cement market in the country. The legal battle is not limited to the companies owned by the two cement merchants because Dangote who instituted the suit, joined the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Board of Customs and Excise, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority as first to tenth defendants. What really are the issues involved in this war of cement merchants? Grab a copy of this weeks Newswatch for an indepth report on the feud.

The Return of Arunma Oteh

runma Oteh, director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, who was sent on compulsory leave in June in the wake of an investigation into the near-collapse of the country's capital market launched by the House of Representatives made a controversial return to her job last Wednesday. Her recall from suspension by the federal government was, however, greeted by protests by staff of SEC. Newswatch has the inside story of her controversial return and why the federal government recalled her.

Kaduna: Toxic Waste Controversy

ecently, a non-governmental organisation known as Kaduna Integrity Group alleged that the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochecmicals Limited, KRPC, dumped toxic waste in Rido village, Kaduna, its host community. The organisation claimed that the harmful waste has already killed some children. This has pitted the Rido community against the management of KRPC because the company claims there was nothing toxic about the waste. Newswatch has details of the raging toxic waste controversy.

400

Only

t has emerged that James Holmes, who is accused of killing 12 and injuring as many as 59 in the Colorado (USA) cinema shooting, had been studying at the University of Colorado’s medical campus until June this year. Holmes burst into a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado and fired indiscriminately at audience members at the new Batman film screening. Half-an-hour after the midnight screening began at the packed theatre in Aurora, Holmes kicked down a door dressed in a ballistic helmet, vest, throat protector, gas mask, black tactical gloves. He threw a smoke grenade and waited for it to explode before opening random fire with an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remmington 12-guage shotgun and a 40-caliber glock handgun. He also had another 40-caliber glock in his car, police said. Twelve people died in the horrific attack. The youngest victim is believed to be just 12. Holmes, who had been working towards his PhD for a year before dropping out - had one song blaring from his stereo in the hours before the massacre and left the music on repeat in his booby-

Holmes

trapped apartment as he departed to commit the massacre. His shocked mother confirmed that he was behind the massacre, telling reporters: “You’ve got the right man.” But neighbours at university housing in Denver described Holmes as a recluse who kept himself to himself. One student said: “No one knew him. No one.” Scores of injured victims are now fighting for their lives; the youngest is just three months old, and is believed to have been shot at blank point range in the back. Holmes was arrested in the cinema parking lot where he did not put up any resistance. He told police he had explosives at his North Aurora home, and they closed off the apartment to search. In an address today, President Obama said he was ‘heartbroken’

to hear of the ‘heinous’ crime. ‘Such violence, such evil is senseless. It’s beyond reason,’ he said. ‘But while we never fully know what causes someone to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living. ‘What matters, at the end of the day, is not the small things, the trivial things that so often consume us in our daily lives. Ultimately, it’s how we choose to treat one another, how we love one another.’ He added that if anything can be taken away from the tragedy, ‘it reminds us that life is very fragile’. Police said there was no immediate knowledge of the motive. The FBI say they are working with local police. They say it is still early in the investigation, but that there is no terrorism link so far.

North Korean man says his dog has given birth to a cat!

f the claims of a South Korean man are true, his pet dog’s offspring is going to grow up purring and meowing. For he insists that his dog, which has not been named, gave birth to a CAT earlier this week. And he was happy to show off what he says is the dog’s kitten when he revealed the litter to the world. “It’s quite true,” 63-yearold Jeong Pyong-bong told the Korea Herald as he showed off mother and offspring at his home. ‘This is a miracle.” He added: “I

think I know how this happened. My dog went for a long wander one night - in fact she was out all night - and I think she got up to some mischief with the ally cats. “How else do you explain this?” Despite Mr. Jeong’s insistence that his dog’s puppy is a kitten, experts said such a ‘miracle birth’ was genetically impossible. “It’s impossible for a dog to give birth to a cat,’ said Professor Son Chang-ho of Chonnnam National University’s College of Veterinary Science.

“The number and trait of chromosomes in canines and felines are completely different,” he told the Herald. “It is possible that this is a puppy that just looks like a kitten.” It is not the first time that ‘opposite births’ have been claimed in the animal kingdom. A similar claim of a dog giving birth to a cat was made in China a few years ago, while six years ago in Brazil it was claimed a cat had given birth to two dogs.

Culled from mailonline.com

www.

Quote

the

day

That a few commercial motorcyclists are involving in criminal activities does not mean that every okada rider is a suspect. Barth Igwedigwe, chairman, Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN), when okada riders stormed Anambra State Assembly on Thursday to plead for the rescinding of the alleged plan to ban okada transport in the state.

Saturday, July 21, 2012. www.nationalmirroronline.net

Towards a food-secure future (2) F

ood processors and manufacturers must work with farmers so that farmers can produce to the specifications, standards and requirement of the market. Also, processors and manufacturers must encourage farmers not only to produce but to secure the right market prices for their produce. The distance between the farmer and the processor must be the shortest possible without interposing plethora of middlemen in between. The farmers must be challenged to being innovative and seeking new opportunities. •Marketers and Distributors: What applies to processors and manufacturers more or less apply to marketers and distributors. The farmers and the marketers must work in close collaboration and cooperation without exploitation. Where possible, commodity exchange should be established and made to work as in Ethiopia. •Suppliers of Inputs: The suppliers of equipment from land clearing and preparation equipment to input of improved high-yielding seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, etc, play a most significant role in the value chain. They must ensure quality and specification and timely delivery of inputs. So must suppliers of inputs for non-crop aspects of the agribusi-

with President Olusegun Obasanjo hexcellency2011@yahoo.com ness like livestock. •Consumers: If the farmers are kings, consumers are super-kings. And that is where we all come in. If you are not any of the other eight actors, you cannot afford not to be a consumer. You have a role to play in the food and nutrition production, security and value chain. You have to eat well to live well. And it is in eating well-balanced and nutritional food that your health is maintained and that all the other actors get adequately compensated for the input, labour and sacrifice. It is that which makes the economy grow, creates employment, generates wealth and makes for progress, growth and development. The Report has given us diagnosis,

what to do and how to do it. We also have success stories to emulate. For too long, we have made excuses, we have been inconsistent, we have encouraged corruption, inefficiency, waste and incompetence. For too long, leaders at local level, national level, continental level and international level have got away with murder through poor, inadequate and incompetent performance. What this Report is saying is, “enough is enough”, Africa has suffered enough shame and disgrace. Leaders and the led must wake up to their responsibility of giving Africa a new name and a new image. The time of Africa will only have come if Africa throws away the toga and the policies that failed us in the past. This Report is the clarion

SPORT EXTRA

Flying Eagles, Falconets for international friendlies ANDREW EKEJIUBA

he U-20 men’s national team and U-20 women’s national team will fly out of Nigeria on Monday for international friendly games packaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to prepare both teams for upcoming challenges. Sam John Obuh’s Flying Eagles will fly out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday afternoon to Kigali, where they engage the Young Amavubi in a crack friendly on Tuesday ahead of the 2013 African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifying match against the Junior Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, July 29, 2012. The Young Amavubi will also use the

Flying Eagles coach, John Obuh

match to prepare for their 2013 AYC qualifying game at home to the Junior Eagles of Mali on the same weekend.

Edwin Okon’s Falconets, warming up for participation in next month’s 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Japan, will fly out to Accra on Monday afternoon to play the Black Princesses of Ghana in two friendly games on Tuesday and Thursday next week. The Falconets will return to the country on Friday, for some more friendlies with top Nigeria women’s league teams, before flying out to Korea Republic on August 1 for a two-week final training camp in Namhei, from where they fly into Japan for the World Cup on August 15, 2012. While Nigeria’s Falconets play Brazil, Korea Republic and Italy in Group B of the World Cup, Ghana will play Germany, USA and China in Group D.

call for a new dawn for African food and nutrition security. Again, to get to the promised land, we must have revolution – revolution of thoughts, policies and actions. It cannot be business as usual. This Report with recent books on agribusiness in Africa and programmes such as ‘grow Africa and feed Africa’ that are now being put forward on African food and nutrition security signal the beginning of the revolution. Every one of us must belong to at least one of the groups of actors earlier mentioned. We all, therefore, have our role to play and let none of us be found wanting in carrying out his or her responsibility to make Africa self-sufficient and indeed be a net-exporter of food in the shortest time possible. Let us be the change we want to see. I have set the year 2025 as the latest target date for Africa to reach the stage of self-sufficiency and net food exporter to the world. I see great light at the end of the tunnel for Africa’s food insecurity. Food insecurity is arguably Africa’s greatest solvable problem. Let us all wake up to our responsibilities and duties to Africa. Enough of theories and talk, let us now go for action. Let us walk and work our talk.

CONCLUDED

International Club Friendly Fixtures Today’s Matches Sparta Prague v Viktoria Zizkov 11:00 Motherwell v Everton 14:30 Ajax Cape Town v Manchester Utd 15:00 Accrington v Blackburn Rovers 16:00 Hoffenheim v Mannheim16:00 Nurnberg v Borussia Dortmund16:00 Ajax Amsterdam v Celtic 18:00 Norwich City v Hertha BSC 18:00 Auxerre v Metz 18:30 Toulouse v Ajaccio 18:30 Fenerbahce v Newcastle Utd 19:30

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