Sunday, April 7, 2013

Big Read News

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Big corporations: Defiling their environment, death by instalments

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News

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4th Energy Group GMD Conference begins in Dubai www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vol. 3 No. 17

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Ekiti Deputy Governor, Olayinka, dies at 52 She fought a tough but courageous battle with cancer –Govt

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L-R: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; President Goodluck Jonathan and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, at PHOTO: NAN the 3rd National Presidential Breakfast Prayer in Abuja, yesterday.

Turai Yar’Adua backs amnesty for Boko Haram

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13 policemen, 3 others die in Bayelsa clash ...as gunmen kill 11 in Adamawa

2015: Tambuwal deserves higher office –IBB

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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What’s new Politics

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Seven Days TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST WEEK APRIL 7, 2013

Passion

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Reactions has trailed alleged decision of the Federal Government to scrap the National Examinations Council, NECO, and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, with many stakeholders in the education sector, such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, among others, in total disagreement with the decision.

They insisted that scrapping p g the two organisations g

wasn’t a wise decision.

ASUU’s National Treasurer and University of Ibadan’s branch chairman, Dr. Ademola Aremu, said both organisations had not lost integrity in conducting credible examinations, which was their major mandate, and therefore should not be tampered with.

NUT National President, Comrade Michael Olukoya, said Nigeria was tired of government’s policy somersaults.

Bad loans: No more rescue for banks, says AMCON The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, has said that banks will now bear the full cost of bad loans. The corporation said it stopped purchases of non-performing loans about six months ago.

Managing Director of the corporation, Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, said the stoppage of bad loans purchases was aimed at

discouraging excessive risk-taking in the banking sector after the 2009 financial crisis.

According to him, AMCON, which was set up in 2010 to clean up the banking system following a $4 billion rescue of nine banks that came close to collapse, would no longer serve as a lifeline to banks with bad loans.

Only l fforce will ill endd B Boko k As per love, I’m in O Haram –Chief of Army Staff a dicey situation The army chief mainChief of Army Staff, Lt. –Moyo Lawal Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has tained that jettisoning the

Nollywood star, Moyo Lawal, is a super screen diva you won’t forget in a hurry as she has actually made an impact on the make-believe world. In this interview, she says she cares less about losing her privacy as an actress. She discloses that she is trying to get over someone she thought they were going to build something together.

said that the use of force will continue until the terrorists sheathe their swords.

The army chief said this in Lagos at an interactive session with the theme, “Enhancing Military-Media Relations towards Improved Security”, held at the 81 Division Auditorium, Marina, Lagos.

use of force to fight insurgents or terrorists groups like Boko Haram may be counterproductive. Ihejirika also told journalists that the Nigerian government had every evidence that the Boko Haram group are trained, financed and supplied weapons by similar groups in the Maghreb region.

Beulah Marsh MD, GROUP MEDIA CONCEPTS

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Chief Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP, was the founding national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. But crisis broke out in the APGA in 2004 leading to leadership tussle between him and Chief Victor Umeh. In the long run, Okorie dumped the APGA for the UPP. But recently, a faction of the APGA led by Chief Maxi Okwu visited Okorie “to beg for forgiveness of the injustice” earlier meted out to the latter. In this interview, Okorie says based on the olive branch hoisted

by Okwu and his team, he has opted to forgive all his political rivals within the APGA and that the UPP may work with the APGA ahead of the November 2013 Anambra governorship election.

ASUU, NUT kick against scrapping of UTME, NECO

WED TUE

Those who schemed me out of APGA have finally apologised –Okorie

tiative of the Federal Government.

The ACN had earlier alleged that the SURE-P funds meant to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal have become campaign funds for President Goodluck Jonathan and his party ahead of 2015 general elections.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said its position stems from the crisis rocking the Lagos State chapter of the PDP over the sharing of the funds.

Mondays are for meetings with my staff to decide how the week would look like. Being the managing director of Group Media Concepts and the creative director, Pretty Dolls Modelling Academy as well as the presenter and co-producer of Pearl Show, a TV talk show aimed at celebrating women and womanhood, I have a huge task ahead.

On Tuesday, I pay attention to my fashion blog because I’m also a blogger. I sit tight before my system on Tuesdays.

My Wednesday is same as Tuesday.

THU

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The war of words between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, over the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme, SURE-P, funds took another twist with the ruling party accusing the opposition parties of mismanaging their own share of the funds instead of using such for the benefit of the people. Challenging the ACN to show what programmes it has for its own share of the funds, the PDP also lambasted the opposition party for trying to politicise the SURE-P ini-

I usually go to work early on Thursdays because I try to take advantage of the sanitation period when traffic is light. I start seeing clients after my short prayers. Most of my Thursdays are very busy because I fix appointments for clients coming to see me, including those I need to go and see. No matter how busy I am, I try to close from office as early as three in the afternoon. I start grooming my models on how to do their catwalks because I’m also a model groomer. This would last for three hours and by 6 p.m. I’ll be on my way home. I usually work on Thursdays with my husband because he is always off duty on every fourth day of the week.

FRI

Interview

The militant group said its planned attacks were provoked by the way and manner the trial of its leader, Henry Okah, on terrorism charges, was handled in South Africa.

According to the group, the conviction of Okah was based on “a forged threat letter contrived by the Nigerian and South African governments purporting to have originated from MEND.”

My Fridays are quite regular. I get to work early enough, work till 1 p.m. and start production meeting with my staff. This is when we appraise production for the coming week and then strategise. Later in the afternoon, I will be off to spa to pamper myself. This is when I do my facials, hair, nails and lashes if need be. If there is time, I go shopping for myself and the family.

SAT

PDP: Governors, others list Tukur’s ‘sins’, insist on sack

The Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has declared its readiness to resume attacks on oil installations in the region.

MEND, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, said it would begin “sustained attacks” on oil and gas infrastructure under an operation codenamed “Hurricane Exodus” as from midnight on Friday.

2015: PDP, ACN trade words over SURE-P

I like to rest on Saturdays. I go out for shows if it is necessary that I must to be there.

SUN

Henry Okah: MEND threatens fresh attacks on oil installations

On most Sundays, I’m usually at one event or the other and that is after service. I retire late to bed on Sundays. But where there is no event, I visit friends with my husband. *By Adaeze Amos (0802 301 2293)

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION April 7, 2013

The gas flare of Shell at Opolo, as captured from the Tombia-Amassoma road, Bayelsa State (Inset: Universal Steel Company road, Ikeja-Lagos)

Big corporations:

Defiling their environment, death by instalments Big industrial concerns have been acknowledged as the engine that propels any economy.

In Nigeria, the story is not different. Those that operate in the country have played this role over the years. But this positive impact of big corporations is coming at a cost as investigations have revealed that about 80 per cent of them pollute their business environment. The pollution is said to be responsible for the increasing death toll arising from heart-related diseases such as asthma, nose and throat cancers, among others. These are direct consequences of contaminated environment unsuspecting members of the public are meant to encounter on daily basis. Head, Special Investigations, Isioma Madike, visited some of these companies and reports

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niversal Steels Company Limited, located off Acme road, via Adeniyi Jones Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos is a very popular premises within that neigbourhood. It is one of the big corporations that employ a large number of Nigerians, though, as casuals or contract staff. It is always a beehive of activities, especially on week days as long queue of trailers loading its products are a common sight. But beyond its huge contribution to the Lagos State economy and, indeed, Nigeria’s over the years, not many seem to be happy with the company. Those who live or work around that vicinity would not have any cause to be cheerful. They have a common complaint against this industrial giant: pollu-

tions, which constantly threaten their existence. They live in perpetual fear; fear of sudden death.

Whenever the heavy machines of the company are at work, dark smoke billow into the sky, and loud sneezes by residents of the area and workers, become a routine. The fumes assailed the nostrils with a pungent, choking smell that easily drew tears to the eyes. Inhaling the fumes has, somewhat, become a way of life for those living in that neighbourhood. And the gas, just like air, goes anywhere the wind blows, permeating all facets of the environs.

Neighbours are quick to link the growing incidence of illnesses, birth defects and other health problems to the uncontrolled and acidulous smoke from the factory.

LAW ON ENRIRONMENTAL SAFETY OFTEN VIOLATED IN NIGERA –MORRIS

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Emanuel Ashikwe has his company in that locality. He has been there since 2003. In June 2009, he took ill. He was admitted to the Hilton Hospital, Agege, Lagos and diagnosed for bronchitis. His condition grew worse with time and he had to be transferred to another hospital at Ikeja for proper treatment. He also experienced nausea, abdominal discomfort and fatigue. Ashikwe was distraught. But, he was not alone.

Many of his colleagues have equally been affected one way or the other. Those living at the adjourning Adekunle Fajuyi Estate are also complaining. The estate, a lowdensity premium neighbourhood, used to be a beauty to behold. But, not anymore; the splendor was dented when the residents woke up one morning to find that their once adored trees have become weak and their flowers dying.

“The steel company emitted dangerous gas often into air, but the type that killed the beauty of this estate, remains the worst ever to be experienced. That period, every one of us was coughing. That was how we lost the beautiful flowers here. It was terrible. One could only imagine the toxicity of whatever it was that the company emitted that morning. And if the plants could suddenly die as a result of that, it meant that we are not safe here because we inhale the chemicals on a daily basis,” said a resident, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Another resident living next to the estate told Sunday Mirror that she is allergic to metals. She, however, said she CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

‘RESIDENTS RISK EPIDEMIC UNLESS CONCERNED AUTHORITIES ACT FAST’

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The Big Read

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Iron toxicity damage the heart and liver –Experts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 takes prescribed drugs to protect herself from the fumes. “Most times I find it difficult to breathe properly once I got home from Alade Market where I have a cosmetics shop. The pollution here is killing; those of us in this place are just on instalmental death row. I am supposed to have left this place but to where?” she asked.

Incidentally, some other people in the neighbourhood have started developing asthma as a result of the fumes. Some have linked the deaths of their beloved ones to the metal gases from the steel factory. Experts listed some of the metal releases by steel companies to include iron, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc. Dr. Ezekiel Ogunlewe, Consultant Cardio Thoracic Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), says excess quantities of these metals can trigger all types of sicknesses, including cancers. He advised that no one should live close to a steel company, especially one that releases its gases carelessly. “Iron toxicity damages the heart and liver, which can cause significant adverse effects, including coma, metabolic acidosis, shock, liver failure, respiratory distress syndrome, long-term organ damage and even death. Undue exposure to it could also reduce fertility in males. It could damage nervous connections, particularly in children and could cause blood and brain disorders,” he affirmed.

Yet, sources in the company have denied the neighbours allegations. An official, who pleaded anonymity because “I am not authorised to speak to the press” told Sunday Mirror that “it is not true. We have an abatement plant that takes care of the gases we emit here. We bought the abatement plant about three years ago and the Lagos State Government was here during the launch. Go to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and they will confirm this to you.”

At the LASEPA office, a man who took Sunday Mirror request to the General Manager, Adebola Shabi, said the GM confirmed that the company bought an abatement plant some years ago and was not aware that it was still polluting the environment.

But, the big corporations are not alone in the degradation of their environment.

Some smaller business concerns are also not exempted from this menace of polluting their environment. For instance, the Okobaba Sawmill Industry, Located at Ebute Meta, in the Mainland of Lagos State, close to the Third Mainland Bridge was in a mess when Sunday Mirror visited the locality on Wednesday. In the Sawmill, burning as a means of disposing sawdust, a byproduct of wood in the industry has raised a lot of environmental concern. These include pollution by particulate matter from sawdust, thick heavy smoke of the sawdust and the foul smell from logs of wood submerged in the lagoon awaiting processing. The Sawmill, it was gathered, sources its wood from the various forests in and around Lagos and are transported by rafting through the Lagos lagoon to the factory for processing to sawn wood and plywood.

Also in Bayelsa State, multinational oil firms have continued to flare gas from their exploratory activities in their host communities. Environmentalists in the re-

Front view of NB Plc, Kakuri, Kaduna State (Inset: One of the toxic waste pipes pouring into the stream)

The slags disposed of by the Dana Steel Rolling Mill, Katsina State

gion listed the defaulting firms to include Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron Nigeria Limited and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC). Investigations by Sunday Mirror revealed that the gas flaring has impacted negatively on communities, leading to poor health, deaths, pollution of water and farms. Foul odour is equally emitted into the air by these corporations. This scenario had degenerated into frosty relationship between the oil firms and the local communities as the oil companies allegedly treat their host communities with disdain.

NAOC, the Italian oil giant flares gas in Obama and Nembe local government area of the state as well as Ogboinbiri, Okokon and Ondewari, all in Southern Ijaw local government. Two gas flaring furnace at Imiringi belonging to SPDC have been on for some time now; only one of it has been extinguished. The company also flares gas in Joinkarama Four, Edagberi, Betterland, and Rumuekpe in Rivers State.

Project Officer of Environmental Rights Action in Bayelsa State, Alagoa Morris, told Sunday Mirror that it is regrettable

that every known law on environmental safety has been violated in the country.

“A good example of this is the volume of natural gas flared in the country. The average rate of gas flaring in the world is about four percent. In Nigeria, over 70 percent of associated gas is flared. Nigeria has the notorious record of 25 percent of all gas flared in the world. As far as the power brokers in the country are concerned, the people of the Niger Delta are good game; they do not, in the thinking of those in power, deserve the protection of their national government,” Morris said.

He said that gas flares have been burning constantly for over 50 years in Nigeria, where more than 60 percent of the people have no reliable electricity supply and other basic amenities. “In Nigeria, over 50 percent of the gas associated with crude oil extracted is flared. This act has been considered reprehensible because of its impacts, its wastefulness and its continuous and routine manner. Gas flaring is a sad metaphor for a profligate nation that eats her chickens and the eggs,” he lamented.

He did not stop there, but noted that gas

flares have potential harmful effects on the health and livelihood of the communities where flaring takes place. According to him, the flaring release a variety of poisonous chemicals including nitrogen dioxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, xylene and hydrogen sulfide, as well as carcinogens like benzapyrene and dioxin. “While burning off the precious resource that could have been used to generate electricity, citizens are subsidising governance by depending on private generators for the supply of electricity to meet domestic and business energy needs. Humans exposed to such substances, toxins from gas flares suffer from a variety of respiratory problems.

These chemicals could aggravate asthma, cause breathing difficulties and pain, as well as chronic bronchitis. Benzene, known to be emitted from gas flared in undocumented quantities is well recognised as a cause for leukemia and other blood-related diseases, “the environmentalist explained.

Though, industries used to be ubiquitous in Katsina State, the situation has, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Big Read

Sunday, April 7, 2013

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We visit companies every quarter to ensure compliance –Tejuosho Lanre Tejuosho is the Commissioner for the Environment in Ogun State. He says, in this interview with Femi Oyeweso, that Ogun State has a law passed by the state’s House of Assembly in 2004 that provides for the general management of the environment and to protect its inhabitants.

Is there any legal and institutional framework to curtail pollution by industries and other activities of corporate bodies in Ogun State?

First and foremost, we have a law that establishes the agency, which is the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency Law number 1 of 2003. It is the principal law we are using in the state. Likewise, we have a law by the ministry passed by the state House of Assembly in 2004; it is a law that provide for the general management of the environment. Besides that, we have some other regulations that have been passed by the agency, like the Environmental Protection Miscellaneous Agency Regulation of 2005. Then we have the Emission Control Regulation of 2012.

So, all these are aimed at preventing pol-

complied with the said regulation of the state. As per the present arrangement, the agency ensures that a company is visited every quarter of the year by staff of the department. So, when they go out, whatsoever they see that is wrong, they made their report to the office then the recommendations for the company to do. These are sent back as feedback of the visit that have been done. The next visit will now be based on whether they have done what they were asked to do. If they fail to do it, they know that they would be sanctioned according to the law.

Tejuosho

lution generally and control activities of industrial and commercial activities in the state.

How often do you now carry on the spot assessment of these industries to ensure compliance with the laws?

On the part of monitoring, we have in the agency, the Compliance and Inspection Monitoring Department (ICMD).This department is saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring that companies always

If you discover, in the course of your inspection, that any of the companies has violated the law, what is the degree of punishment available to such company?

When we see any abnormalities, the first thing is that we call the attention of the company to it, that we have observed something and that they must make sure that they put mechanism in place to correct such. Sometimes we do invite them for meetings where we discuss it because some of those things may not be things they can do immediately probably because those things require huge capital to fix. So, we try to see that; but at least, within reasonable time they provide us with information as to when they will actually do it. They make us know the capital involved and how long it can take them to

do it. Meanwhile, while they are trying to do that, they will still need to provide palliative measures during that period before they can actually get a lasting solution to it. But, in the process where we have drawn up a plan of action and they are not following it, we have the capacity to close their company down. We have closed down companies like that before. For instance, we have companies, which included one Chinese company, Drurry Nigeria plc and Sona Breweries. They were closed down around 2000. Drurry in Agbara has been closed down twice; first in 2004 and then in 2005.

What was the company’s offense?

We had complaint about their sulphuric acid plant that the gas was being emitted into the atmosphere and then the people in that area where the company was dumping it’s dislodge from the alum plant, complaint about the water that their animals are dying. The Commissioner for Environment in Ogun state then, Anthony Ojesina, made a visit to that area and then directed that they should carry out Contaminant Transport. Modeling of that area both air and underground water, which they were foot-dragging on. It is part of the plans to ensure that those errors on their part are corrected, but when they kept foot-dragging, we had no choice than to close them down.

Law on environmental safety often violated in Nigera –Morris CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 however, changed as most of them have folded up. Their folding up have been linked to the general lack of electricity, competitive disadvantage locally manufactures goods have over foreign ones, among other factors. But, Dana Steel Rolling mill, has managed to remain afloat under its Indian majority-share managers. However, its operation in the state capital has witnessed frequent air pollutions from its factory chimneys fumes that have covered parts of the capital like a dark fog. At times, the fumes make it difficult for clear visibility for motorists, and are often hazardous for people having breathing-related diseases like asthma.

The state government, through its Ministry for Environment, had cause to sanction as well as fine the company when fumes from their factory was disfiguring the environment and making residents uncomfortable. Apart from the fumes, the slags coming from the company is creating an eyesore for residents as well. Slags are stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore, and Dana steel disposes same behind their factory close to private residents.

Some of the residents close to the company lamented that the slags often made their homes very hot whenever they were freshly moved from the factory and disposed of. Incidentally, most of them seem not to be aware that the slags might constitute a serious health hazards on them.

Though, health experts say there are no recorded health risks associated with slags, they, however caution that fumes from factory chimneys could be dangerous to humans. They say such fumes could cause re-

spiratory problems and that people should avoid inhaling factory fumes at any given time. Yet, a source close to the factory said that the company has, over time, ensured it keeps its waste products from adversely affecting residents through adherence to strict waste management regulations.

Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State can also be called the “wretched of the earth.” Behind their backyard is where billions of petrol dollars are made; yet, they can barely feed themselves because crops hardly yield there anymore. The scenario presents a situation that has relegated farming in the communities to the background; it has, somewhat, become a worthless venture in that neighbourhood. The inhabitants find it difficult also to fish because the rivers are despoiled with spilled oil from ageing pipes of ExxonMobil. The environment is no better. The cocktail of toxic substances, which has been emitted in the gas flared for over 50 years, exposes the people to health risks, and property damage.

When Mobil producing Nigeria began its operations in the 1960s in the locality, the cheapest way to separate the identified product, crude oil from the associated natural gas was to flare the gas. That did not only waste potentially valuable source of energy in (natural gas), it adds significant carbon emissions to the atmosphere.

It releases substantial amount of dust and carbon monoxide, which contribute to air pollution problems. This could have been converted, according to experts, through modern technologies to capture the associated natural gas that exist as viable alternative to flaring. It could be re-injected also to boost oil production and the gas contents transported via pipelines and fur-

Refuse around Okobaba Sawmill, Ebute Metta

ther converted to liquids that can be more readily transported.

The effects of these flares on the rural people, who live next door to the roaring ground level, have been enormous. They have had to contain with some health problems such as cancers, asthma, chronic bronchitis, blood disorders and other diseases. This is made worse because the communities lack access to modern healthcare facilities. Gas flaring has also been traced to acid rain, which has caused low soil fertility that retards crops yields over the years. This has brought about hunger and poverty in the area. Fish and other aquatic lives, which are the peoples’ primary source of livelihood, had reduced drastically, owing to incessant pollutions while acid rain eats through villagers’ roofs that protect them from rain and sunshine. Most of these impoverished locals have little means to replace their battered roofs.

It is common to have places where there are two or more flare sites within a few hundred metres of each other. Apart from the heat and other discomforts arising from living close to these sites, various studies highlight the environmental and health impacts, including the risk of cancer and other respiratory problems from the gases emitted during flaring.

An Environment Scientist, Mike Etuk, disclosed that “a World Bank Report in 1995 suggested that low flare temperatures at some of the sites visited in Nigeria may result in incomplete combustion and consequently have more lethal effect. While considerable investment is required to stop flaring, the issue of stoppage of flaring is not a sudden idea in Nigeria and both the companies and government have had more than enough time to evaluate and plan for the economic implications inCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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The Big Read

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Residents risk epidemic unless concerned authorities act fast’

Okon

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 volved. The process has been on-going since 1969 and by 1983, companies were required to submit detailed plans on how they intended to re-inject or utilise the associated gas.

The first legislation that prohibited gas flaring except with the permission of the Minister of Petroleum was in 1984.

However, flaring simply continued unabated. Sometime in the mid 1990s, a target was set by both the companies and the government to stop flaring by 2008. The take-off of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project was expected to help towards greater utilisation of gas.”

Dr Francis Okon of Friends of the Earth in Eket also said, “the only reason why gas flaring continues at the rate it does in Nigeria is because of the lack of will to stop it on the part of both the government and the oil companies. The environment and the wellbeing of the local communities have for decades been sacrificed for short term economic benefits. But, in real terms, especially to the nation, there is no long term economic benefit from continued flaring of gas, which is nothing but a senseless waste of its resources. The unnecessary venting of this gas also makes no sense considering the concerns about climate change. Gas flaring in Nigeria is by no means a sustainable development of its petroleum resources. For the local communities, who live around these flares, their health and comfort is directly at stake. If, indeed, climate change does result in rises in sea levels, they would be the first to feel the impact considering that the Niger Delta is a wetland located at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean.”

Ayadi Udo, a fisherman in Ibeno told Sunday Mirror that “for many years, we have been living with continuous flaring of gas from Mobil. Our farmlands have been polluted. We labour hard to plant but little comes out. Our roofs are corroded. Our air is polluted. Our children are sick. Even the rainwater we drink is contaminated with black dirt from the gas flares. We cannot continue with this suffering. We need to take legal action to protect ourselves, our children and our future.”

For Okokon Ufot, a dealer in fish and crayfish, also in Ibeno, “Mobil flare more gas here than anywhere else in the world. Look at our roofs, go to our farms and streams, you will weep for our plight. But, be can’t continue this way; government should do something about this situation. Everyone agrees that gas flaring should stop because it is bad for people’s health and the environment. Nevertheless, the oil companies continue to prolong it.”

Apart from Ibeno, a first time visitor to the Oluyole Industrial Estate in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is usually welcomed with an offensive odour that permeates the area. This is courtesy of the waste passed into the gutter by the three major companies in the area: Procter and Gamble, Yale Foods and Seven-Up bottling company. The three companies have made the place a no go area to those who are asthmatic. What is passed into the gutter by the companies, according to a staff who refused his name in print, is the waste that could not be accommodated inside, which the workers are exposed to on a daily basis. “I have been working in one the companies here for more than two years and I can say that the odour is a daily occurrence. It has become part of the workers life; there is nothing we can do about it. Since I have been here, nothing tangible

Morris

Etuk

Part of Dana Steel Rolling Mill premises

has been done by any of the companies to ameliorate the odour while the workers’ unions kept complaining to no avail,” the source said.

The colour of the water in the stream around the area has turned yellowish as direct effect of the waste from the companies. Commercial motorcyclists, according to Muniru Babatunde, charged double fare to go to the area.

Babatunde told Sunday Mirror that the stench coming from the companies waste is a cause for concern among passersby and residents living in the vicinity. “Unless concerned authorities do something fast, the residents are at the risk of an epidemic. It is impossible for one to pass through the area without holding one’s breath. The stench coming from the dump is choking,” he said.

A resident of the neighbourhood, who preferred anonymity, said that he had been battling with malaria for more than a month as a result of the dump. “This rubbish dump around this place is what triggered the skin infection on my body. The place is dirty and there are so many mosquitoes here. Mere looking at the rubbish make me feels like throwing up,” another resident, who also declined to give her name, said.”

However, efforts to speak with the management of the three companies were unsuccessful as the officials, who refused to disclose their names insisted that a formal letter must be brought for the companies to entertain any question on the issue. At the state Ministry for the Environment and Habitat, the Commissioner, Barrister Lowo Obisesan, was said to be in a meeting with the relatives of the dead that was buried at the Sango Cemetery located along Mokola/UI road.

The Nigerian Breweries Plc Kaduna toxic waste flowing on its neighboring stream side in Kakuri, a suburb of Kaduna city has also been causing havoc around its vicinity. The waste, which flows into the nearby water round the area and residents no longer drink from it. Apart from the company’s byproducts dump that pollute the neighbourhood, big gigantic pipes conveying the toxic materials from the factory production kills aquatic life’s living into

the water as well. Host community residents, who spoke with Sunday Mirror alleged that the company’s pollution has sent many people to early grave.

“We are calling on government to monitor the activities of Nigerian Brewery Plc because we are not living comfortable with their operations. Air pollutions and the toxic waste coming out of their plants are killing us. We cannot fetch this water to use for domestic purposes because the toxic has terminated the water,” one resident, who prefers anonymity, said.

For the residents close to Dangote Cement Company at Ewekoro and staff at the cement plant, it is the same sad tale. The chemical contents of cement like calcium carbonate, limestone, calcite, cement kiln dust, iron, silicon and fly ash combine to emit air-borne particles, which are dangerous to their health. According to Bernard Uzo, a dealer on electronics in Ewekoro town, “when we sleep and wake up, we start to cough because every air we are breathing in is contaminated by dust. No matter how much one tries to shut the door against cement dust, one would still wake up each morning to see the bed covered with dust. Chest congestion, rasping and constant cough are common sickness we experience here. I personally don’t find it easy to breathe in and out.”

In recent times, municipal and industrial pollution has become a major environmental problem in Nigeria as most companies lack proper solid waste management schemes and the monitoring and control of industrial waste by government officials, has remained inefficient.

Even with its relatively low level of industrialisation, industrial waste pollution is a major problem in the country. In many cases, effluents from industrial processes are simply allowed to flow into public drains and rivers where they can percolate into surface or ground water to cause harm for both the environment and the citizens.

Additional reports by Emma Gbemudu (Yenagoa), James Danjuma (Katsina), Tony Anichebe (UYO), Kemi Olaitan (Ibadan) and Aza Msue (Kaduna).

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NEWS

Sunday April 7, 2013

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Energy Group GMD Conference begins in Dubai K AYODE FASUA

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he fourth Energy Group’s annual Group Managing Director (GMD) Conference begins today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as senior managers and eminent resource persons converge on the country’s capital city to brainstorm on management challenges.

The Group Managing Director of Energy Group, His Excellency, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR, will declare the conference open.

Dubbed ‘Dubai 2013’, the conference which attracts an array of academics, top public servants

and corporate leaders has as theme, ‘The Corporate Managers and The Burden of Crises in Turbulent Times.’

The conference is one of the Group’s efforts at developing and nurturing innovative leadership talents that will provide ground-breaking solutions to some of the recent challenges confronting private corporations and public sector managers.

This is being convened against the backdrop of an uncertain global environment.

Among the eminent persons expected at the conference are, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi; Minister of Finance

and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Governor, Bank of Ghana, Dr. Kofi Wampah; Group Managing Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde and Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta. According to Dr. Ibrahim, the conference has fallen within the period the Groups’ parent company, Global Fleet, is

marking its 10th year anniversary and to crown the epoch, the Dubia conference has come as fulfillment one of his great ambitions.

He said the theme of the conference would help managers address some of the issues still lingering from the global financial crisis of 2008.

Some of the issues engaging pundits at this conference include, how to handle uncertainties, the role of institutional failures, why employees resist change, preparing today for tomorrow’s problems, decision making, the role of special interest groups, indirect influence, crisis management and performance

measurement.

Eminent speakers to give presentations at the event are, Dr. Ibrahim himself, Prof. Taiwo Ajayi, a visiting professor of Geology, Osun State University and former Vice-President, Nigerian Mining and Geo-sciences Society; Prof. Sunday Oladeji, professor of Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and former Provost, OAUI Postgraduate College; and Dr A.A. Idowu, Professor of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University.

Participants from the Energy Group at the conference are drawn from subsidiaries including Global Fleet Oil and Gas, NICON Investments, NICON Insurance, NICON

Boko Haram: Northern govs laud Jonathan, seek expansion of amnesty committee

13 policemen, three ex-militants killed in Bayelsa clash EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

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o fewer than 13 policemen and three exmilitants were killed in a bloody clash last Friday night at Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw local government of Bayelsa State.

The incident is currently generating panic among residents of the community and the entire state.

It was learnt that some aggrieved ex-militants in the locality believed to be loyalists of an ex-militant leader in the area, Gen. Young Shall Grow, allegedly ambushed and sunk a speed boat conveying the cops for the burial ceremony of the ex-militant leader’s mother at Azuzuama.

A top police officer in the state Criminal Investigation Department, CID, who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident, but could not disclose the number of casualties.

It was not confirmed if any arrest had been effected by the police command.

Sunday Mirror gathered that the killing of the policemen generated a bloodbath between some cops and ex-militants who had invaded the burial venue.

Investigations revealed that the ex-militants had been in disagreement with

his men following the nonpayment of their monthly stipends for some months.

It was gathered that there had been shootings in Azuzuama in the past two weeks owing to the face- off between the exmilitant leader and his men.

Efforts are being made by the police authorities in the state to recover the corpses of the fallen colleagues in the river.

A source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the shooting that lasted for over 30 minutes ensued between some policemen and exmilitants which resulted in the killing of three exmilitants and injuring several others.

The killings almost marred the burial ceremony as invited guests and other inhabitants of the community scampered for safety, but normalcy returned to the area after an hour.

A police source told our correspondent that the Command had deployed a team of personnel in the trouble community In a bid to restore calm.

Several efforts to reach the State Police Commissioner, Kingsley Omire, proved abortive as calls and text messages sent by our correspondent to his phone were ignored.

Properties, Nigeria Re, NICON Hotels, Air Nigeria, Global Fleet Industries, Energy Bank, Ghana; Energy Bank, Sao Tome, National Mirror Newspapers, Newswatch Magazine and Newswatch Newspaper.

Over the years, the Energy Group, which comprises outfits operating in oil and gas, manufacturing industry, hospitality, banking, insurance, media and educational services, has given priority to the development of intellectual capacity by organising series of in-house retreats and seminars for its managers and other ranks, which has resulted in the accelerated growth of the conglomerate.

AYO ESAN

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orthern States Governors Forum (NSGF) yesterday lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up a committee to consider proposals for granting amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect.

L-R: Chairman, Niger Delta Young Professionals, Mr. Siloko Siasia; Minister for Special Duties and InterGovernmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, presenting a posthumous award to the wife of the former President Musa Yar’Adua, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, on behalf of her late husband, at the Niger Delta Young Professionals PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI Award Gala Night in Lagos on Friday.

Shema, Yuguda plot to remove sambo as vice-President, northern youths allege A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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he apex northern youth group, Arewa Youth Forum, AYF, yesterday alleged that the governors of Katsina and Bauchi states, Ibrahim Shehu Shema and Isa Yuguda were plotting to remove VicePresident Namadi Sambo in the 2015 elections.

AYF, however, threatened to expose the governors for blackmailing the office of Vice-President reiterating that Sambo being the political leader of the region should be accorded respect and honour.

In a telephone interview with Sunday Mirror in Kaduna, AYF National President, Gambo Gunjugu, said although they are not in support of Jonathan/Sambo’s 2015 ambition, they stressed that

northern leaders must dignify the Vice President’s office.

The group urged Shema and Yuguda to concentrate on what they have for now instead of sowing the seed of division in the region to oust and discredit the VP’s office.

AYF commended President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up Boko Haram amnesty committee which, according to it, would bring peace in the North in particular and Nigeria as a whole.

The group said, “We discovered that governors Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and his counterpart, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, have planned to remove Vice-President Namadi Sambo in 2015.These two governors are being sponsored by interest groups not from the presidency.

But we are telling them to respect the Vice-President’s office not because Namadi Sambo is occupying it. We are not supporting Sambo but for now the office must be given full respect because anybody can be VicePresident tomorrow. These two governors are about to finish their eight-year tenure and are desperately looking for another office.

They are always in Abuja or Niger Delta for their strategies.”

AYF however added, “We once again call on the leaders of the North at different levels, governors, senators, ministers, house members, federal, state commissioners and even those at the local government level to join hands with Vice-President Sambo who is the political leader of the North and tackle the problems in the region.”

It would be recalled that the sect uprising has left thousands of people dead and property worth millions of naira destroyed in the North since 2009.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday said the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to dialogue with members of the sect underscores the resolve of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led government to restore peace in the region.

He noted that a peaceful atmosphere would reinvigorate the region’s development.

Aliyu, through a statement issued in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, said the “Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) encourages President Jonathan in his effort to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis, with the hope that members of the sect would make themselves available for dialogue.”

The statement however called for the expansion of the committee’s membership to include critical stakeholders in the region whose input would facilitate quick resolution of the crisis.

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News

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Run for higher office, Babangida urges Tambuwal •Says emphasis should be on deepening democracy •Lauds Amaechi’s frankness on issues and politics

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ormer Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to consider running for higher office based on his performance so far in running the affairs of the Lower Chamber.

Coming on the heels of the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which many have attributed to the inordinate ambition of some key players in the current dispensation, Babangida said that owing to Tambuwal’s performance

and conduct in office, it had shown that he has the capacity “to sustain the labour of our heroes past”.

“When leaders like Tambuwal delivered on their electoral promise, we advise them to try something higher. For Tambuwal, your guess is as good as mine. Well done,” Babangida said.

The former military president made these remarks at the investiture of ‘Vanguard Man of the Year Award’ held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The award was presented to the Rivers State

Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Access Bank Managing Director, AigImoukhuede, as runnersup.

Even so, Babangida said the emphasis now should be about deepening the democratic process and enhancing public welfare of the people who, according to him, are the repository of power.

He said both the political actors and the man in the streets should begin to reassemble their thoughts and engagements on the basis of free choice, credible elections, inclusive participation and con-

structive engagement.

His words: “We must make the votes count in order to produce leaders such as Governor Amaechi and creating an enabling environment for free enterprise to nurture and groom professionals like Aig-Imoukhuede.

There must be synergy between the processes that produce leaders and the institutions that nurture such leadership”.

He said Amaechi was not just one of the governors with whom he was

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Conflict of interest: Group demands withdrawal of AGF’s SAN rank ...He’s entitled to his opinion -Spokesperson OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

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group under the auspices of Anti-Corruption Network (ACN) has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Legal Practitioners Privilege Committee (LPPC) to immediately begin the processes of withdrawal of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) conferred on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke.

ACN also accused the Justice minister of incompetence, abuse of office and conflict of interest.

The civil rights group insists that the constitution should find a way of separating the Office of AGF from the Ministry of Justice to avoid this conflict of interest.

Executive Secretary of ACN, Otunba Dino Melaye, at a press conference in

Abuja at the weekend lamented that Nigeria was facing perilous times due to massive abuse of office and gross incompetence of the AGF. He said, “We are in times of vicissitude and vacillation in Nigeria due to conflict of interest and outrageous use of powers against public interest by the AGF. With abuse of office, incompetence and conflict of interest rising to its crescendo, we call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to immediately sack Mr. Adoke Mohammed as the AGF and Minister of Justice if his fight against corruption is genuine.

“We also call on the NBA and LPPC to put their engines in motion for disciplining Adoke for gross professional misconduct.

The former Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa was stripped of his SAN position for lesser offences.

So we implore the NBA

to investigate and punish Adoke accordingly in the interest of the country because he is worse than Aondoakaa.”

Reacting to the call, the Chief Press Secretary to the AGF, Mr. Ambrose Momoh, advised Melaye to forward whatever grievance he had against Adoke to the ministry for appropriate response.

He, however, maintained that the ex-lawmaker was “entitled to his opinion”.

“I cannot respond to a press conference that was addressed and I was not there to know what transpired. You will concede to me that it will not be appropriate to respond to what he (Dino Melaye) has said.

“If he formally presents his allegations to the ministry, there will be an official way of responding to him. I don’t respond to issues like that; Melaye has aired his views and opinions and he is entitled them,” Momoh stated.

en by their convictions like Amaechi and AigImoukhuede, Nigeria still has tremendous hope”, he said.

The former president stressed the need for the citizens to make the nation’s project work, adding that a marriage that had survived almost 100 years can no longer be said to be an accident.

“We should desire to be Nigerians whose hearts and minds flood with abiding faith in our nation’s virtue, generosity and above all as citizens whose relation to society is untormented by mutual suspicion, ethnicity and political differences,” Babangida advised.

Ekiti Deputy Governor, Olayinka, dies at 52 AYO ESAN

President Goodluck Jonathan (left) welcoming President John Mahama of Ghana in Abuja at the weekend

well pleased, but one that had been able to make a bold impression about promise and performance in a Nigerian space that has, according to him, been grappling with challenges of development and good governance.

Babangida praised the governor for his conviction that the federating units should be allowed to enjoy some level of independence and exploit their comparative advantage, saying, however, that this stance had often got him into trouble.

“I do not envy him.

With leaders who are brutally frank about issues and the politics of transition, leaders who are driv-

he Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Adunni Olayinka, died yesterday evening after a fitful battle with cancer. She was aged 52.

Olayinka had been out of public glare for close to two months thus fuelling speculations as to her state of health.

A statement issued by the Ekiti State Government a few hours after she passed on, signed by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Hon. Tayo Ekundayo, said Olayinka died yesterday evening “after a tough but courageous battle with cancer’.

Mrs. Olayinka, an accomplished banker and corporate sector player, worked in the financial industry for 21 years before she opted for politics. She was picked as running mate to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007 but the duo was initially deemed not to have won the election when Mr. Segun Oni of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared winner of the election.

But two years after, following legal battles, the Appeal Court finally declared Fayemi and Olayinka as winners of the election.

Indications that Olayinka was battling health chal-

lenges first became public when bloggers speculated on the social media that she had resigned. The state government promptly dismissed the news.

After a while, the state’s PDP also issued a statement, giving the state government a 48-hour ultimatum to disclose Olayinka’s whereabouts, to which the government responded.

The government revealed that Olayinka applied for a sick leave and that “Nigerians should pray for her.”

Following tips that she was hospitalised at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island, our correspondent visited the hospital yesterday but was told that she did not die there.

A source, however, informed that the deputy governor was likely to have died at a United Kingdom hospital.

Olayinka was born in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on June 20, 1960 and had a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) from Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States in 1981 and 1983 respectively. She was three times winner of the Dean’s Honour roll.

A Marketing Analyst & Strategist who started her career in Banking with First Bank of Nigeria Plc in 1986, she later worked as Relationship Manager for

Corporate Accounts in Access Bank, the now defunct Merchant Banking Corporation (MBC) and United Bank for Africa Plc. In August 2002, she took up a new challenge in Corporate Communications and promptly proceeded to Head the Corporate Affairs Division, United Bank for Africa. She later became Head, Brand Management & Corporate Affairs, thereby leading the Team responsible for delivering a compelling Brand proposition and re-branding of the United Bank for Africa which helped to drive the bank’s business strategy & added value to the total image of the Brand.

She was also the 2nd Vice President of the Association of Corporate Managers of Banks between 2002 and 2004.

She played notable strategic roles during the Merger process of the erstwhile United Bank for Africa & Standard Trust Bank where she co-chaired the Branding Sub-Committee.

The late Olayinka

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insecurity: Don’t be weary, President urges Nigerians

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged Nigerians not to weary or be deterred as the Federal Government was partnering with security agencies to overcome “the evil” confronting the nation.

Jonathan gave the charge at a Presidential National Breakfast Prayer held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. ``Nigerians must be hopeful, focused and watchful to overcome all that is evil confronting the nation. ``Today as we pray, our thoughts no doubt will be dominated by the challenges facing our nation, particularly that of security. ``Providence has placed us all at our various posts at this particular time in our nation’s journey to greatness, therefore, we must not be deterred or be weary in spirit at this time. ``We should remember the saying of the scriptures that with men, it is impossible but with God all things are possible.”

The president noted that the breakfast prayer was coming after the Easter, a period when every Christian was expected to be focused, rededicated and reborn.

He, therefore, enjoined all Nigerians to always pray to God for divine guidance in battling all forces of evil who were bent on causing social disaffection among the peace loving people of this nation. ``In the book of Jeremiah, God said if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. ``May we seek him with all our hearts, empower us to overcome all the evil forces trying to derail this nation, may we seek him with all our hearts to let his light shine over our nation and to guide us in leading our great nation to its destined goal.”

Jonathan, who described the breakfast prayer as a way ordained to link up with ``our creator’’, challenged Nigerians to always do the right thing, individually or collectively to move the nation forward.

Ex-First Lady, Turai, backs amnesty for Boko Haram •Northern elders shielding sect members, says Jonathan

SAM OLUWALANA, PORT HARCOURT; SINA FADARE, L AGOS

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idow of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua, at the weekend joined the clamour for amnesty for members of the Boko Haram insurgent group.

Turai made the call in Lagos on Friday night while she was being honoured at the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP) awards ceremony held at Eko Hotel. The deceased President also got a posthumous award.

At the occasion was the Akwa Ibom State governor and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio, who was equally honoured.

Speaking, Turai appealed

to President Goodluck Jonathan to “look into the Boko Haram situation in the North and do something about it because it is not only northerners that are suffering… ” During a brief acceptance speech after the bestowal, the former First Lady reminded President Jonathan that her late husband gave amnesty to agitated militants in the Niger Delta who were up in arms against the federal government for a better deal for oil producing areas.

Her words: “Mr. President, as your sister, l want to tell you that youths and children are dying in the North due to insurgency of Boko Haram.

If there is no peace in any part of the country, there is no peace in the entire nation”.

She admonished the President to identify carefully, genuine advisers who will assist him on the issue at hand, so that a lasting solution could be achieved in the end.

She also enjoined the

President to tackle poverty and other problems besetting the North.

President Jonathan, who was represented on the occasion, said noted that the continuous insurgency of the Boko Haram in the country was as a result of the complete silence of the northern elders, particularly the governors on the whereabouts of members of the dreaded sects.

The President, who was represented by the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator Kabiru Taminu Turaki, added that if the northern governors are cooperating and ready to discuss with the sects who live within their domains, the situation ought to have been arrested.

“When the issue of Niger Delta was raging on, the leaders and particularly the governors were drivers of the process; they reached out to the peo-

ple and the leaders talked to them and were sympathetic to their plights, which resulted in the amnesty. For goodness sake, what efforts are leaders of the North doing on this direction?” He asked rhetorically.

Jonathan further stated, ”Security agencies are not magicians and neither are they spirits. Those perpetrating these criminal activities did not come from the moon; they live with us, they are our families and we know them.

Therefore, they should be fished out.”

He lamented, “Why are the leaders not assisting the government to provide necessary information about the sect so that the problem of insecurity in the country could be solved once and for all?”

In the same vein, a pressure group, Nigeria Rebirth Initiative, NRI, has urged the Federal Government to heed the call for granting amnesty to Boko Haram.

11 die as gunmen invade Adamawa Dep Gov’s village

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o fewer than 15 persons were reportedly killed in the early hours of yesterday as gunmen attacked Midlu village in Madagali Local Government area of Adamawa State, the native home of the state’s Deputy Governor, Bala Ngilari.

It was learnt that in theattacks carried out in different places, two guards were gunned down in the home of the deputy governor before the attackers set the building ablaze.

The Adamawa Police Command yesterday confirmed killings.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Ibrahim, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident to the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola. ``So far, the information

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku (right), with the United States Consul-General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, during the envoy’s courtesy visit to the presidential aide at the weekend in Abuja.

available to me is that 11 people lost their lives in the village, including two private security men at the

NIGERIA IN BRIEF Scrapping JAMB, NECO’ll lead to job loss –NLC Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, Kwara State chapter, Mr. Farouk Akanbi, has said that Federal Government’s decision to streamline Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and National Examination Council (NECO) will lead to massive job loss in the country.

Akanbi, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria

News

Sunday April 7, 2013

(NAN) at the weekend, said the decision had both positive and negative implications.

According to him, one of the most negative implications is the thousands of jobs that may be lost as a result of the cancellation of the two examination bodies. ``If JAMB and NECO is scrapped, what will be the fate of the workers of these organisations that are in all

the 36 states of the country?” he queried.

Akanbi said government should not rush to streamline the examination bodies without first considering the fate of the workers.

The NLC chairman also said that a lot of things should be put in place before government entrust the responsibility of conducting examinations solely on WAEC.

deputy governor’s house,’’ Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, an eye witness, who pleaded anonym-

ity, told NAN that the incident took place in the early hours of Saturday around 2 a.m.

...Sultan may head FG’s amnesty committee

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here are indications that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, may head the Federal Government’s Amnesty Committee for Boko Haram.

According to an online publication, Huhuonline. com, apart from the Sultan, also reported to be on the list are former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Major Abdulrasheed Aliyu; National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasauki (rtd); Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim; Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and a representative of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

Reactions to the composition of the committee have been mixed, some praising the decision and others condemning it.

But the online publication yesterday quoted the Secretary-General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Musa Alake, as describing the amnesty offer as outright insensitivity to people who had been killed or injured and their families.

“Here are innocent people driven from their homes and separated from their loved ones for no crime of theirs. That is why I consider the northern elders’ call for amnesty for Boko Haram members as insensitive.

“While many people, some of who are women and children are deprived of their breadwinners, somebody somewhere who does not know how to live without security is saying ‘give amnesty to some faceless individuals’. It is unfair and these are the so-called elite in the North who would not even visit and see what is happening to the victims.”

It added that contrarily, Rev. Isaac Achi, the priest in charge of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, once a victim of the sect’s attacks, argued that the amnesty offer would help Nigerians to know the true Boko Haram members.

Economists score economy low in first quarter Some financial experts have rated the performance of the Nigerian economy in the first quarter low.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos yesterday that the economy performed poorly during the period.

A Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Lagos, Dr Tunde Adeoye, said that the real sector was inactive during

the period due to lack of government’s intervention over a long time.

Adeoye said that the poor performance of the sector made it difficult for the sector to provide employment opportunities.

The Managing Director, Boaz Management & Financial Strategies Ltd., Mr Oluwole Ibikunle, also said that numerous economic challenges contributed to the slow pace of economic

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growth in the first quarter.

Ibikunle identified inadequate power supply as one of the problems, stressing that many companies spend huge sums on diesel to generate energy for their operations.

Mr Ayodeji Fagbenle, the General Manager, Cash Craft Asset Management Ltd., also said that the performance of the economy in the last quarter was not encouraging.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Man in the News APRIL 7, 2013

One of the pun-making shirts

SHEMA OBAFAIYE

Gaffe that almost ruined a thoroughbred officer AYO ESAN

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r Shema Obafaiye is the former Lagos State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. Known for his bravery and high performance in the fight against vandals in Lagos and as a thoroughbred officer, he is sought after by most journalists. About three weeks ago, he participated in a television programme but that has turned sour as he has become an object of ridicule on the social media.

Obafaiye’s ordeal began on March 12 when he appeared as a guest on the Channel Television’s morning programme, Sunrise Daily.

In the course of the event, one of the presenters had asked him about the domain name of his organisation’s website. This question was based on reports of a recruitment scam that had to do with some people setting up fake websites of the paramilitary organisation (NSCDC) to defraud job seekers.

But to the presenters’ surprise and shock, Obafaiye, appearing confident had said he could not give the domain name of the website now, and the reason he gave was that eventually it could turn out to be different from the one that would be turned in by his boss.

As he put it, “My Oga at the top” (his boss) would give a different domain names later.

As if the presenters wanted a precise answer to the question, they prodded the commandant further, explaining that they merely wanted the organisation’s functional website so that the public could be wary of falling victims in the hands of fraudsters, who had set up the fake web-

sites to con desperate job seekers.

Obafaye, radiating confidence, however, shocked his interviewers and the viewers of the programme when he gave the NSCDC’s domain name as “www.nscdc”. He said, “If you want to know about the NSCDC as at now”, “ok, www.nscdc....” a forced pause and a vociferous cough followed and he added, “that’s all” without including the “.com” or “.org” or “.ng”, that should ordinarily have completed the website address.

This was seen as the highest display of ignorance and it became a celebrated one. Many felt he was either not in tune with the computer age or he was not in keeping with the trends. Others described him as an internet savvy. It was a defect that was not expected of modern day leader either in the civil or in the military service. It is expected that a modern-day leader must be updated with technological trends and developments in all sectors of the economy.

He apparently didn’t compose himself well. Perhaps, a simple answer of saying he was not conversant with the website could have saved the day.

Many individuals who played on the shortcoming of his computer literacy upped the ante of his folly as the expression “my oga at the top” has become a running cliché in the country’s public service, especially in the military and paramilitary services.

After Obafaiye’s howler, the footage of the interview instantly went viral on social media, and it became an object of uncontrolled rude jokes. The one minute, eight second video of the interview has become the most watched on the YouTube in recent times.

What followed the Obafaiye gaffe is that “my oga at the

top” has become the in-thing all over the place. This includes the graphic illustrations on Facebook, Blackberry Messenger, Twitter, T-shirts, mugs and musical mixes by DJs. Also a remix of the buzz word is now a hit on several music applications, ring tones and even a new Nollywood with the title of ‘My oga at the top’ has been shot. There is also a video film entitled ‘My oga at the top’, which is now selling fast.

It was gathered that the T-shirts bearing the inscription of ‘my oga at the top ‘were said to have sold several thousand pieces within and outside Lagos, with several celebrities donning the outfit. It was a cruel joke that successfully entertained many Nigerians.

Reports were to later indicate that Obafaiye was psychologically knocked down by the outcome of his poor showing at the television house, as he was said to have lost sleep and even appetite for days.

Almost three weeks after his gaffe on Channel Television which brought him and his organisation to ridicule, he has been redeployed from his post to Oyo State.

He has been replaced by Mr. Adesuyi Clement from the Oyo State Command.

The hint of Obafaiye’s removal was given penultimate weekend when the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Olu Abolurin, while visiting Lagos over the recent killing of two of his men, introduced Clement as the new commandant of the NSCDC in Lagos to journalists.

Although Abolurin did not give reasons for Obafaiye’s replacement, many are of the opinion that the transfer was as a result of his embarrassing outing on the television programme.

His redeployment is thus seen as the organisation’s response to the embarrassing outing last month.

Another school of thought, however, said the embattled Obafaiye requested to be redeployed out of Lagos State to douse the embarrassment that his blunder has caused him.

Sources however said he had been adept in the policing of many petroleum pipelines in Lagos and its environs. The source noted that the recent frequency of arrest of pipeline vandals and petroleum product thieves is because of Obafaiye’s vigilance and mastery of his job.

He is believed to have been determined to crush several cartels and it was believed that what we have been reading and hearing about many arrests of the vandals are as a result of his determination, steadfastness and sense of purpose.

Believing in his officer despite his current travail, Abolurin said Obafaiye had committed no offence and so would not be punished.

Many watchers of events have said the issue is overcelebrated and that the former commandant should be shielded from further embarrassment and allowed to concentrate on his new job at the Oyo Command of the NSCDC.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES

APGA: Controversy trails apology to Okorie P 13

APRIL 7, 2013

HOW COME THAT WHEN THE JOINT TASK FORCE, JTF, RAID AND KILL BOKO HARAM MEMBERS, THEY COME OUT TO TELL NIGERIANS THAT THEY HAVE KILLED TOP COMMANDERS OF THE SECT? HOW DID THEY KNOW THAT THOSE KILLED WERE COMMANDERS OF THE SECT IF THEY ARE FACELESS? –DR. BABANGIDA ALIYU

PDP: Governors, others list Tukur’s ‘sins’, insist on sack T

he Peoples Democratic Party is the party in government since 1999 and it has boasted to the hearing of anyone who cares to listen that it would remain in power for at least 50 years. In the last 14 years which it has ruled Nigeria, the party has churned out about seven chairmen, starting with Chief Solomon Lar and presently Bamanga Tukur. In between them were Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbe, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr. Bello Mohammed and Kawu Baraje.

But with the exception of Lar the founding chairman and Nwodo the pioneer National Secretary, Tukur could be said to be not just a founding father but a foremost political figure in Nigeria who has held many top political offices including the Adamawa governor as well as Industry minister. He still holds an enviable position as the leader of African Business Roundtable.

But since his assumption of office as the National Chairman of the PDP more than a year ago, Tukur has had more than he can chew as important stakeholders in the party have all agreed to disagree with him in all party matters in spite of all efforts to resuscitate the party from its present prostrate position.

On his assumption, he has promised to restore sanity to the party and reconcile embittered members who were kicked out unjustly from the party. He also promised to retrieve power from individuals particularly the governors and return same to the party. Incidentally, even before he could venture into such dangerous game, it was the governors that have continued to ensure his stay is made unpalatable.

Just a few days ago, the Jigawa state Governor, Sule Lamido, told Sunday Mirror that the report of the Presidential Committee on the Adamawa PDP crisis is ready and will soon be presented to the President. It is believed that the report is heavily tilted against Tukur and his faction in the Adamawa crisis. Tukur has been on a political war with Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, on who controls the soul of the party in the state. While the National Chairman appears to draw strength from the presidency, the political calculus has since changed because, President Jonathan has been told in clear terms by the 24 PDP Governors that in a situation where he supports Tukur against one of their own, then his dreams of returning in 2015 as the president will only remain a dream unachievable.

The reconciliation tour embarked on by the Tukur-led National Working Committee, as a way of pacifying aggrieved mem-

•We have confidence in him –NWC members National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, is in the eye of the storm and he is doing everything possible to weather it. Obiora Ifoh takes a look at the crisis and the survival strategies the political gadfly has deployed to win back loyalty from the party leaders.

Briefly Amnesty for Boko Haram, a welcome development –Lamido

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has lauded the setting up of a committee by the Federal Government to look into the possibility of granting amnesty to members of Boko Haram.

Lamido, who made this known while fielding questions from the State House correspondents in Abuja at the weekend, described it as “a welcome development”.

He expressed optimism that the insurgency of Boko Haram would soon become a thing of the past.

According to him, the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan is an indication that wisdom has prevailed and peace is expected to return to the country while issues of development will receive due attention.

“Wisdom has prevailed. It is all about what do we do to secure out country, especially when Nigeria becomes a country that is very stable so that we confront the problems of human development.

“This country needs our energy, our political skill and a number of things which are begging for attention.

“Therefore, whatever it is to be able to get Nigeria united, to get Nigeria very secure, we should do it. So, ignore whatever has been the other misconception. We are now doing the right thing”, he added.

Jonathan set up a committee within the National Security Council on Thursday to consider the request for amnesty for the members of Boko Haram and other options to address the insecurity situation in the country.

The committee, which is expected to report to the National Security Council within two weeks, is also to consider the feasibility of the amnesty.

The terms of reference of the committee are to collate views of different interest groups who want the government to administer clemency on members of the group and make recommendations on modalities.

The committee is to work with the office of the National Security Adviser and the report of the committee will be presented to the National Security Council in the next two weeks when the council is expected to meet again.

Some northern elders explained that granting amnesty to the insurgents had become necessary in the face of destruction of lives and property in the North and other parts of the country.

Lamido

LG spends N165m on basic infrastructure in 12 months

Tukur

bers and stakeholders only succeeded in gathering crowd but the real elements that have constituted hiccups for the chairman which include the governors and of course, the State Executive Committees of the party shunned the meeting. In some instances, some of the governors even quarrelled publicly and there were reports of walk-away and the like. However, the final straw that broke the carmel’s back was on the day of the grand finale in Abuja when only two out of 24 governors made personal appearance. No cogent reason was given for their absence but it goes to show that all is still not well in the party.

Governor Lamido also while chatting with our reporter said that the party leadership had decided that it would not em-

barrass the National Chairman, even as he admitted that though the party might be going, it had decided to move on for the interest of the nation. The governor who is the chairman of the committee said that “Whatever the problem between us and the national chairman, we see ourselves as one family. There must be respect, there should be care. The PDP will not embarrass him. ACN, ANPP don’t experience one percent of PDP headache. The bigger the head, the bigger the headache but we have the capacity to overcome it. We don’t fear crises.”

While expressing that the deliberation on Adamawa crisis was going on well, Governor Lamido said that the report was CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

The Sabon-Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State has said that it spent N165 million to provide basic infrastructure in the last one year.

The council Chairman, Alhaji Idris Gobir, made this known in Sokoto at the weekend Gobir said that the projects were in the areas of water-supply, roads grading, health care delivery, culverts, classrooms construction, among others.

He said that more than N100 million was spent on the construction of 10 primary health centres in each of the 10 wards in the council area.

The chairman explained that the aim of the exercise was to make health care service delivery accessible to the people in the rural areas.

“Already the 10 health centres have been inaugurated and equipped with medical facilities and personnel.

“We have also constructed and inaugurated 10 motorised boreholes to boost water supply to our people in the rural areas,” he said.

He urged the people to continue to support his administration by living in peace with one another.

Gobir assured the people that his administration would continue to put in place policies and programmes that would further better the lots of the people.

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Politics

Lamido

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Akpabio

PDP governors insist on Tukur’s sack CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

ready and would be submitted to the President very soon.

He, however, said that all the factions would be harmonised.

“You are saying what you are hearing. At the end of the day, they are all going to align with PDP and PDP candidates.

Our party’s interest first; the party fortunes, what we are going to do to restore confidence of Nigerians. Do you know what they call human management? Naturally, in any human gathering, there are crises, there are problems, but you see, the PDP has the capacity and the sagacity to solve and overcome its own problems. We have been trying to work as a family, to get the family harmonised and what we are doing is in the interest of all key players in the party. We have been able to bury our personal ambitions and interests for the sake of the party, because it is the only hope for Nigeria.

So, what we discussed here is, what do we do in the sake of PDP for the sake of Nigeria’s interest? I want to assure that we shall not fail Nigerians.”

“The governors’ anger and complaint basically centre around Tukur’s leadership style which stakeholders described as alien to the party. Many efforts to correct what the stakeholders see as an aberration has been met with stiff resistance by Tukur, who would rather prefer to do things his way.

“Besides the governors, some secretariat staff of the party are also complaining about Tukur’s novel style of administration. A few of them who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity alleged that this has reduced the vibrancy the party is known for, adding that the national secretariat now wears a look of despondency since Tukur took over the party’s leadership.

“When Tukur came on board last year, he came with an alien policy unknown to the party. For instance, he disclosed he would be spending Monday to Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat and Thursday to Friday at its presidential campaign office known as “Legacy House.” The Tukurled NWC also placed its members on salary, a development that contrasts sharply with the sitting allowance that was the norm since inception in 1999.

“But at the moment, it appears Tukur has moved the secretariat to his house, where he now gives directive without minding the feelings of other members. This may explain why a source close to the party’s leadership said, “Tukur is carrying on like a School Headmaster who issues orders to his pupils without considering their sensibilities.

“Tukur’s determination to model the running of the PDP after the South African National Congress (ANC) where the party is supreme, has become the genesis of his trouble with the PDP governors who are used to issuing directive to the party leadership. Remember, immediately after Tukur emerged the PDP National Chairman at the controversial Congress, he led his National Working Committee on a working visit to South Africa’s ANC where he understudied the system in order to place the party above its elective officers in the country. But, the practice in the PDP, as you know, is that most members of the NWC are nominees of their state governors and are therefore accountable to them.

“So, his talking tough on party supremacy is alien to some of these state governors who literally become thin gods in their states. They also see this as a ploy to exclude them from taking important party decisions,” added the source who craved anonymity.

But just as the Chairman is grappling with the crisis in the Adamawa state PDP and contending with the massive forces of the governors in the party, the internal crisis in the party executive arm is yet to be dispensed with. The National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is still out in the cold as a result of intrigues in the party, but not less than

half of the 12-man members of the NWC are still rooting for the return of the former Army General-turned-politician.

Though, his office has since been ceded to his deputy, Barr. Onwe Solomon Onwe, most of his duty schedules have been distributed to some members of the kitchen cabinet of the National Chairman and this is brewing up another discomfiture with NWC members who see these latest developments as destabilising roles in the leadership and an encroachment on their statutory assignments and have vowed to clip their wings.

The aides which have been accused of usurping the details and duties of the NWC members include the Principal Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Idah; Political Adviser, Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, and a former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu.

Sunday Mirror gathered from two members of the NWC that the four men have held the National Chairman prisoner and have created very wide gulf between the chair-

JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, THE JIGAWA STATE GOVERNOR, SULE LAMIDO, TOLD SUNDAY MIRROR THAT THE REPORT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE ON THE ADAMAWA PDP CRISIS IS READY AND WILL SOON BE PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE REPORT IS HEAVILY TILTED AGAINST TUKUR AND HIS FACTION IN THE ADAMAWA CRISIS man and the rest of the NWC and as a result, they rarely agree to do anything as concerns the well being of the party. Senator Mantu who is practically in charge of Tukur’s operation in the North, was said to have advised Tukur to cripple the NWC members by making sure that meetings were not held regularly and if it had to hold, it must be in Tukur’s house.

The last NWC meeting held in Tukur’s house Wednesday, last week was said to have been convened after the National Chairman had met with his trusted aides and had taken positions before the arrival of the rest of the NWC members. One of the NWC members who spoke to our reporter said that the Principal Secretary, Senator Idah and the Political Adviser, Alhaji Gusau have been mandated to run the activities of the NWC. According to him, “Tukur has pocketed the daily running of the party. We have not been meeting as a body for quite a long time. I think the rumour making the round of the impeding dissolution may have been creating some reputation damages and suspicion. But I sincerely think that you people in the media are hyping the whole scenario but I must tell you, we are seriously not coordinated anymore and it is affecting the house.”

He said that Tukur had sold a dummy to the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, that all he was doing was to protect him from the governors’ antics. Tukur had capitalised on this to sideline the NWC members who he felt were appointees of the state governors of the party.

It was in a bid to demonstrate their displeasure against

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tukur’s leadership style that some members of the party’s NWC numbering 10, moved to plot his removal, which the chairman narrowly survived. No thanks to the quick intervention of the President. The failed ‘coup’ however consumed the party’s National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was made the proverbial sacrificial lamb.

Apart from his style of leadership, Tukur has been accused of breaching the party’s constitution, prompting the speculation in some quarters that his NWC will soon be sacked. It was believed that the PDP governors could be championing this cause and were said to be waiting for the party to call its National Executive Committee’s meeting before making their position known.

A governor from the North who would not want his name in the press said that he and his colleagues were not happy with the refusal of the Tukur-led NWC to call for NEC meeting, which he said was one of the offences being listed against the party’s leadership.

He said, “I can tell you that we are not relenting in our desire to stamp our feet that the constitution of the party must be obeyed. The party’s constitution says there must be a NEC meeting at least in a quarter, yet there is no meeting for about nine months and they want us to keep quiet.”

Tukur’s insistence of conducting a zonal congress for the election of the party’s national secretary to replace Oyinlola was one of the grouses of the governors. Tukur had said a fresh congress would be held in the South-West zone to elect a replacement for the former National Secretary of the party, Oyinlola. The former Governor of Osun State was ousted by the court, which ruled that the zonal congress where he emerged as the candidate from the South-West, where the office of the national secretary was zoned, was not the proper congress.

Already, pressures are being mounted on the President to dump Tukur as the party’s chair, to pacify the governors, regarded as leaders of the party. The governors are also blaming the present state of the party on Tukur, as they accused him of running the party as a personal estate. With the Adamawa drama still playing out, the governors are finding it pretty difficult and uncomfortable to allow the party remain under Tukur.

However, the National Chairman has continued to dismiss the growing speculations making the round that there was a rift either between him and the governors elected on the platform of the party or himself and the members of the NWC. Tukur had told Sunday Mirror that “There is no rift between me and our governors; the governors are the Commanders of our party in their respective states, working along with the chairmen for the progress of the party.

There is no competition between me and the; our common goal is to win the next general elections” While applauding the successes recorded by the recent tour of the Zones by the leadership of the party ahead of the 2015 elections, Tukur said that he along with his team in the NWC would embark on the tour of all the states of the federation for the total reconciliation of the entire PDP family for the task ahead.

Also, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr.Victor Kwon, said the party was not deliberately breaching the its own constitution. He said, “We are handling issues, which has not allowed us to hold our NEC meeting as and when due. We are not deliberately breaching the constitution of our party. We are law-abiding and believe so much in the party’s constitution.”

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, also said that it is untrue that some members of the NEC were plotting to sack the NWC members, stressing that they have a constitutionally guaranteed tenure that ends in 2015.

The PDP spokesman while disclosing that the inability of the party to hold the NEC meeting was resolved with the election of the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih.

He also explained that not only does the NEC lack the powers to remove any member of the NWC, there were no immediate internal threats that would warrant any unconstitutional moves against the party’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Tukur is not relenting in ensuring that he survives these hard times. His new-found romance with money bag and Governor of AkwaIbom State, Obong Godswill Akpabio has not helped matters as some other governors have equally distanced themselves from Akpabio and the newly formed PDP Governors Forum. The forum was the brain child of Tukur to seek support of the governors, but the recent comment by Akpabio where he referred to fellow governors as Judases has rather created more feud than bring the governors together.

Presently, it appears that President Jonathan is relying more on BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih in his search to entrench peace and unity in the party, preparatory to the 2015 general election. That is certainly not good news to the Tukur camp but obviously, members hope that things will look up someday for the be-troubled party.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Nwobu-Alor

Okorie

APGA: Controversy trails apology to Okorie ...As party stakeholders disown Kwentoh, Umeh, others CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

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he philosophy of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its pattern of politics changed drastically last Tuesday when its national leadership led by its Interim National Chairman, Maxi Okwu, visited Enugu and apologised to the party’s founder, Chief Chekwas Okorie over his removal from the national chairmanship post and for the injustice he has suffered over the years.

The development portrays vividly the maxim that in politics, there are no permanent enemies but permanent interest and that the reaction of political actors are determined to a large extent by the exigencies of the moment.

It was an event which jolted many APGA members and keen watchers of the contemporary Igbo politics, particularly that of Anambra State, more so that it happened when it was least expected. The crucial question now bothers on the issue of, to what extent will the new development affect the fortunes of APGA? Can there be prospect that the Enugu event will lead to the merger of APGA with United Progressive Party, UPP, which Chief Okorie is now leading as the founder?

However, before the answers to the foregoing crucial questions are proffered, it should be noted that the reconciliation of the APGA leadership with Okorie, a former antagonist and currently the National Chairman of UPP, has created new twists in the crisis bedevilling the APGA. Already, key leaders of the two factions that have been fighting for the control of the party, namely the APGA led

by Governor Peter Obi and the one being piloted by the embattled National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, have reacted to the development in varying contending forms.

It should be noted that while the Chairman of APGA Stakeholders Forum, Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor and other chieftains of APGA led by Obi as Deputy National Leader have unanimously applauded the reconciliation between Okorie and the interim Management of APGA under the leadership of Maxi Okwu, the faction led by Umeh has repudiated the event, saying that it is illegal, since it did not receive their consent.

Speaking with Sunday Mirror on the issue of the apology that was tendered to Okorie and the on-going congresses, as well as the planned national convention of the APGA, Chief Mike Kwentoh who was on Thursday removed from the post of Anambra State Chairman of APGA, stated that they were not part of the entire thing as they were not consulted.

He contended that Okwu cannot do that on behalf of the party, because he is not the National Chairman.

According to him, “We are not part of that reconcili-

ation, we were not consulted and Maxi Okwu to the best of my knowledge is not the National Chairman, because there was no convention of the party where he was crowned the National Chairman of APGA”.

Chief Kwentoh also disassociated his group from the congresses of the party which began last Thursday for the reason that their tenure which he said would end in 2015 is still subsisting.

The APGA led by Okwu and the key party stakeholders, as well as its Anambra State Executive Committee have disowned the duo of Kwentoh and Umeh and their allies on the issues of their rejection of both the reconciliation which the current APGA leadership made with Chief Okorie and the move being made to reorganise and reposition the party through the congresses from where new party leaders would be selected.

The Governor Obi-led APGA has since gone on the offensive. The Anambra State chapter of the party had on Thursday April 4th, after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Committee sacked Kwentoh and other two principal officers of Anambra APGA from their positions on account of alleged anti-party activities. Those that were sacked with Kwentoh included Chief Ifeanyi Udokwu, the former State Deputy Chairman and Mr. William Obiorah, former Assistant State Secretary.

Announcing the sacking of the trio at the party’s headquarters in Awka, a member of the State Executive Council of APGA and Vice-Chairman, Anambra North Senatorial Zone of the party, who presided over the Thursday strategic meeting, Chief Fidelis Okafor, gave the names of those that were chosen to replace the dismissed officers as Honourable Obi Mbonu, the new Acting State Secretary, Mr Sunday Onuorah as Acting State Deputy Chairman and Mr. Angus Ochiogu as the new Acting State Secretary.

Chief Okafor who read the communiqué of the meeting wherein the sacking of the former state officers were validated, outlined their alleged offenses to include, “total insult and disregard to the followership of the party who looked up to them for proper guidance and leadership; total dereliction of duties and attempts to create confusion and disorganise our much needed congresses, actions detrimental to the image and integrity of our party, APGA both in Anambra State and in Nigeria”.

The politician who further restated loyalty and support of the State Executive Council to the national and state leadership of APGA, under Governor Obi, stated that he fully supports the on-going congresses of the party and the forthcoming national convention.

An influential chieftain of the party in Anambra State and Chairman of APGA Stakeholders Forum, Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor has also thrown his support for the apology given to Okorie, as well as for the removal of Umeh and the trio of Chief Kwentoh, Ifeanyi Udokwu and

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Umeh

Williams Obiorah from their cherished party positions.

Speaking with Sunday Mirror on the latest developments in APGA, Chief Nwobu-Alor who described the opposition made against the apology and the on-going congresses by Chief Kwentoh as arrant nonsense, stated that they decided to reconcile with Okorie when they discovered that Umeh misled them into fighting the APGA founder.

He also accused Kwentoh of an anti-party activity saying, “As it is now, Kwentoh is involving himself in an antiparty activity, I am sure he has offended the party grossly and all the penalties which are meted out to those who go against the party will be given to Kwentoh, no matter whatever Kwentoh and his group may do, whatever bickering they may introduce, we are definitely set to win any election that will be conducted from now, particularly in Anambra State”.

Nwobu-Alor disclosed that what they are doing now is to bring back to the party all the people he alleged were unjustly sacked by Umeh.

Shedding light on why they deemed it necessary to reconcile with Okorie at this critical period, Nwobu-Alor said, “On Chekwas, we discovered that Umeh did not tell us the whole facts in the first instance and that is why we decided to go back to him and ask him to come back, besides, Chekwas is an asset to a political party and we want him to come back and join us in establishing a vibrant and cohesive political party we are struggling to build”.

Concerning the contentious congresses of APGA which Umeh and his group have denigrated, Nwobu-Alor who sounded very optimistic in his assertions contended that they have been conducting the whole programme since last Thursday on the basis of APGA constitution and the authority given to them by the appropriate bodies.

His words:”The congresses started today; Mike is out to scuttle the congresses, we are definitely not listening to the rubbish, the congresses are on-going and the convention will take place as scheduled on the 8th of April” Having seen the contentious new twists in the APGA crisis and the positions which the key contending groups and their supporters have taken, the next question is, what is the implication of these latest developments for Umeh and APGA? Is it possible that the whole thing would lead to a merger of APGA with UPP now?

And as for what lies ahead for Umeh and APGA in view of the reconciliation between the Interim Management of APGA led by Okwu, and Okorie, the fact remains that the new developments could fuel further antagonism in APGA, as well as distance Umeh the more from his former benefactors and beneficiaries, as well as his allies.

It is important to note that both sides that appear to have since reached the point of no-return in the crisis, have now deployed all the weapons in their possession to outwit the other.

However, Nwobu-Alor was emphatic in his views that the new developments will not adversely affect the chances of APGA at the coming elections in state. He maintained that in Anambra State, no matter what happens, if any election is held now that APGA will win overwhelmingly.

Concerning the prospect of APGA merging with UPP based on the new friendship between APGA leaders and Okorie, this is a matter that will be resolved with time, however, before the expected time, it is most likely that APGA which will remain an independent party, may enter into an alliance with a friendly political party in respect

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Opinion

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

All you need to know about tinted vehicle glasses FRANK MBA

T

he Police High Command has observed with concern the unnecessary controversies that have trailed the recent announcement by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the ban on the indiscriminate use of tinted glasses on vehicles plying Nigerian roads.

The Force has observed that one of the issues that have generated so much contention and sometimes endless arguments between police officers enforcing the ban on the one hand, and motorists on the other hand, is the contention by some vehicle owners that there is no valid law restricting the use of tinted vehicle glasses in Nigeria.

Others who claim to be aware of the legal restriction argue that because the tints on their glasses are ‘factory-fitted’, they are under no legal obligation to obtain a permit. Yet, others hinge their arguments and objections on the fact that their car tints are not as dark as others and thus, should be excused from the requirements of obtaining Permits.

While some of these arguments may sound persuasive or even plausible, they are unfortunately devoid of any known legal foundation. Nigerian Laws are unequivocal in their restrictions on the use of tinted vehicle glasses. For instance, regulation 66(2) of the National Road Traffic Regulations (1997) provides that: ‘All glasses fitted to a vehicle shall be clear and transparent to enable persons outside the vehicle see whoever is inside the vehicle and the glasses shall in no way be tinted except as may be approved by the Inspector-General of Police for security reasons.’ (Emphasis mine) However, it will appear that the most comprehensive legislation on the use of tinted car glasses in Nigeria is the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, CAP M21 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Formerly Decree No. 6 of 1991).

According to Section 1 (1) of this Act, except with the permission of the ‘appropriate authority’ and for ‘good cause’, “no

person shall cause any glass fitted to a vehicle to be tinted, shaded, coloured lightly or thickly, darkened or treated in any way so as to render obscure or invisible persons or objects inside the car”. Under the Act, it is also an offence to aid, counsel or procure the commission of the offence. From the reading of the law, it is clear that the law made no distinction between manually fitted tints and factory fitted tints.

For purposes of the Law, ‘appropriate authority’ refers to the IGP or any other person duly delegated by him, while ‘good cause’ means health or security reasons.

The implication of the above is that it is only the IGP or any such person or persons duly authorised by him that can issue a tinted glass permit. In addition, such permit can only be issued on health or security grounds.

Owners of vehicles with tinted glasses are therefore mandated by law to seek the authorisation of the IGP before deploying such vehicles on our roads, whether such vehicles came with factory tints or whether the tints were manually fitted. However, by the operation of Section 3 of the Act, such persons – importer, buyer, donee have 14 days grace, from the date of the purchase of the car or the date of arrival of the car in Nigeria (whichever is applicable) to either remove the tinted glasses or obtain the tinted glass permit.

Persons convicted for committing offences under this Law are liable to a fine of N2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both fine and imprisonment. Where the offence is committed by a corporate body, the Police may by the operation of Section 4(2) of the Act, proceed against its director, proprietor, manager, or other senior officers of the organisation.

It must be noted that legal restriction on the use of tinted car glasses is not peculiar to Nigeria. There are many countries – both developed and developing - with similar restrictions. The law is designed to promote and protect the collective security of all, through visual transparency. It reduces the chances of persons plying vehicles with opaque glasses from ferrying dangerous objects such as explosive devices,

arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials undetected from one part of the country to the other. It is also designed to enhance the smooth discharge of Police duties, by making the monitoring of motorists easy. It is therefore advisable that persons without good reason to use tinted glasses in their cars should refrain from doing so.

In Nigeria at the moment, the decision by the Police High Command to ensure a strict enforcement of the relevant laws prohibiting unauthorised use of tinted glasses on our roads is predicated on the need to effectively tackle contemporary security challenges in the land and ultimately serve the common good of all Nigerians. Intelligence reports and empirical statistics at the disposal of the Police Force indicate that majority of crimes relating to terrorism, suicide bombing, kidnapping, gun-running, human trafficking, armed robbery and other related offences are committed with the use of vehicles with tinted glasses. Perpetrators of these heinous crimes hide under the cover of tinted glasses to ply their nefarious trade. It has therefore become a matter of urgent national security importance that indiscriminate use of vehicles with tinted glasses be checked in accordance with our laws.

The good news, however, is that the law authorises the appropriate authority (in this case the IGP) to issue tinted permits to Nigerians on health and security grounds if they are so qualified. Persons desirous of obtaining tinted glass authorisation are advised to follow the following steps: (a) Write a formal application to the IGP for the use of factory tinted glasses, stating the reason for use, bearing in mind that approval of such application is predicated on health or security reasons only. (b) Applications should be accompanied with the following: (i) Photocopies of all relevant particulars of the vehicle. (ii) Photograph of the vehicle. (iii) Profile of the applicant with relevant background information. (iv) Passport size photograph of the owner of the vehicle. (v) Any other supporting document/

Abubakar

information that may help to justify the request.

The Police authority, conscious of the fact that some unscrupulous police officers may take advantage of the new regime of enforcement to engage in the harassment and extortion of helpless motorists, has issued strong warnings to all policemen charged with the responsibility of enforcing the law to ensure that they act within the confines of the enabling laws and the Police Code of Conduct at all times.

Command Commissioners of Police have been charged to ensure strict supervision of men deployed for these duties while the IGP Monitoring Units have been empowered to arrest and bring to book any officer found acting in a manner inconsistent with his or her oath of office. Police officers are also warned to desist from harassing Nigerians who have already obtained valid tinted glass permits, as provided by the extant laws.

Finally, the Inspector-General of Police calls for the support, understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians, including corporate citizens as the Force embarks on a strict enforcement of the tinted glass laws.

•Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police, is Deputy Force Public Relations Officer

Victor Adedapo Kayode: Lest legend becomes myth FEMI FANI-K AYODE

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ne of the most important foundations of any civilisation is history. If we do not know our own history, who we are, who and what our forefathers were and where we came from then we are truly lost. In the film production of J. R. Tolkien’s famous book titled ‘’Lord Of The Rings’’ one of the most compelling yet tragic lines reads as follows- ‘’Thousands of years passed bye....history became legend and legend became myth’’. Few words are as profound as this and the import of those words resonate nothing but the deepest wisdom. The lesson that we can draw from this insightful truism is simple. If you do not learn and continue to remind yourself of your history as a person, as a family, as a people, as a nationality, as a tribe and as a nation the likelihood is that what is historical fact gradually pales into an intangible and unlikely legend and then it eventually turns into nothing but an ephemeral myth. And once such sacred historical facts become nothing but myth it destroys the soul and the foundation of your very existence as an individual, as a

family, as a people and as a nation. When you do not know, care to know or care to learn and remember what your roots are, no matter how humble or seemingly inconsequential those roots may be, you become a nothing. It is to avoid the possibilty of history turning into legend and legend turning into myth that I have chosen to put on record the facts about one of the most distinguished and welleducated Nigerians that ever lived by the name of Victor Adedapo Kayode.

Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode, was an Anglican priest who studied theology at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leonne and who graduated with an M.A. (Durham) in 1892. He was of the yoruba tribe and came from the ancient town of Ile-Ife in the old Osun province of south-western Nigeria. He was educated by the Anglican church from a very young age and after graduating from university and finishing at the seminary he rose through the ranks of the church and served as an Anglican priest throughout his life until he died in 1932 at the age of 58. He built, planted, established and pastored some of the earliest Anglican churches in Ile-Ife itself and in Osun province, Ondo province and Ijebu province as they then

were. Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode married Miss Sophia Cole (the sister of the famous Lagosian Rev. M.S. Cole) and they had 13 children out of which 9 survived. The first of those children was Victor Adedapo Kayode who is the subject of this essay and who was born in 1899. Mrs. Sophia Kayode (nee Cole), came from a very distinguished and illustrious lineage. Her mother was from the famous Savage family of Lagos and her first cousin’s were lawyer William Akinlade Savage (who was called to the English Bar in 1906) and Dr. Richard Akinwade who with Sir Kitoye Ajasa, Dr. J.K. Randle and Dr. Orisadipe Obasa established the conservative People’s Union in 1909. This was Nigeria’s first political party and they were opposed to Sir Herbert Macaulay’s more radical approach to political issues in the Lagos colony.

Macauly later established the NNDP and cultivated the support of the largely illiterate Lagos masses whilst the elites gravitated towards the Peoples Union. The NNDP was to later metamorphosise into the NCNC which turned out to be one of the greatest and most powerful forces in the politics of south-western and southern Nigeria in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. In

1945, whilst on his deathbed, Herbert Macaulay handed over the leadership of the NCNC to a rising young igbo star that had been resident in Lagos virtually all his life by the name of Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The first son of Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode and Mrs. Sophia Kayode , Victor Adedapo Kayode, was educated at Kings College, Lagos. In 1917 he matriculated at Selwyn College, Cambridge University and in 1920 he graduated and was awarded his M.A. degree in law. He did his masters at Cambridge as well and he graduated and was awarded his LLB masters degree in 1921. Victor Kayode enrolled at the Middle Temple and was called to the British Bar in 1922. He came top in his exams at both Cambridge University (both the first and second year tripos) and at the Middle Temple.

This remarkable feat was repeated by his own son Victor Babaremilekun FaniKayode approximately 20 years later when he followed in his illustrious father’s footsteps and attended both institutions.

Victor Adedapo Kayode got married to Miss Aurora Fanimokun in Chelsea, London in 1920.

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Interview ENCOUNTER WITH A NEWS MAKER APRIL 7, 2013

Those who schemed me out of APGA have finally apologised –Okorie

We thought you had left APGA for good. Why are you now involved in the party’s controversies again?

It will be unfortunate for anybody to see it that way. I founded APGA and for eight years, I was maligned, I was accused of all sorts of things, resources were not spared in promoting propaganda against me. I was almost demonised and resources were also not spared in suppressing my defence. So, what I had to say to defend myself was hardly given space. Then at the level of judiciary, I saw the judiciary in all its nakedness and ugliness. Justice was suppressed. All these things happened and I endured because I did not establish APGA for personal gains. I was determined to see if the soul would be saved for the purpose of the people for which it was established, but when that was not happening and ultimately the de facto leader of the party, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu passed on, knowing that he was the only one that could call them to order at that time, there was nothing left for me to do anymore.

What I did was to go and establish yet another party to prove a point that there was something I wanted to offer that I was not allowed to do. If I did not have convictions on why I established the first party, I would not have gone to establish yet another party. Now one year after we had left APGA, the same people who accused me-except for one person-all said ‘no, we have done something wrong, we must go and apologise.’ There was no moment I was invited to return to APGA, so the insinuation did not happen.

The first to render apology was Sadiq Masalla, about one and a half years ago, and when they later came in the open to fight Victor Umeh, he granted several interviews that he had gone to apologise to me. He did and I forgave him.

Now this Maxi Okwu’s visit is a more formal thing being done on behalf of the party. I don’t know anybody in the world who would not receive them not only with open mind but also with tremendous pleasure that in his life time, he has been vindicated. Nobody is inviting me to my own child, I am the founder of APGA and there is no question about that. Even those who came on the visit did not dispute that; so there was no invitation to APGA. So what did the APGA people come to apologise over?

It was simply to retract their allegations. It is not Maxi alone that is saying ‘I am sorry.’ He initiated something; they said their deputy leader, Governor Peter Obi (of Anambra State) was in full support and gave the mandate to do what they did and you saw that Maxi didn’t come alone. You saw that there was every trapping of the state government in my premises. They came with the pilot car, in a convoy of the government vehicles; so don’t personalise it to Maxi Okwu. He led an initiative that has been well received and as we speak, there is commendation across the world; one, for the humility of accepting that they were wrong and, for the magnanimity on our part, for embracing them.

Has Governor Peter Obi spoken to you since then?

No, he hasn’t.

But he is the main actor in these episodes?

Must he speak to me immediately? People came here in full delegation with his mandate and are they not supposed to report back? Wouldn’t he analyse the visit as we are analysing the visit?

So why didn’t Obi think about bringing you back as the national chairman of APGA since he has found out that he erred?

That question again is unnecessary. With due respect, a party registered by INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) in October 2012 as United Progressive Party

Chief Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP, was the founding national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. But crisis broke out in the APGA in 2004 leading to leadership tussle between him and Chief Victor Umeh. In the long run, Okorie dumped the APGA for the UPP. But recently, a faction of the APGA led by Chief Maxi Okwu visited Okorie “to beg for forgiveness of the injustice” earlier meted out to the latter. In this interview with Dennis Agbo in Enugu, Okorie says based on the olive branch hoisted by Okwu and his team, he has opted to forgive all his political rivals within the APGA and that the UPP may work with the APGA ahead of the November 2013 Anambra governorship election. Excerpts:

Okorie

is already in place, that party participated in the FCT election at Abuja just a couple of weeks ago and the party did so well that it put APGA, PPA and others far behind it. In Abuja, we went to election without assistance and still performed well. So the idea of bringing me to come and head APGA is not a logical thing to think of. But if you are talking about APGA and UPP working together, that is a more logical thing to speculate. I gave as much hint that a foundation has been laid for building of blocks that would open the door for other possibilities for APGA and UPP. I think it is a better way, not about who takes over from what.

Will UPP merge with APGA? Not merger. Merger has a process, it is a process well

defined by the Electoral Act; there is nothing like merger.

Even those who said they have merged, have they merged?

Watch out the processes they will take and they will end up not merging in the true process. If you are merging, APGA certificate will be returned to INEC and Umeh is in custody of APGA certificate. We are in custody of that of UPP. Merger is really not an option for political parties that are looking at an election coming soon in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. There is no time to begin to go into the nitty-gritty of merger but yes, there could be alliances, there could be coalition, there could be accord. These are terminologies that have featured in Nigeria’s political lexicon from the First Republic till now.

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Interview

Sunday, April 7, 2013

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‘Umeh destroyed my 22 years relationship with Ojukwu’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 So is it possible for APGA and UPP to reach an understanding for the purposes of the Anambra governorship election coming up this November?

It is a possibility that cannot be ruled out and the door for the possibility has been opened.

Do you still have confidence in Governor Obi to the extent of working with him?

I have a very open mind in my relationships. Lessons have been learnt, no doubt. Some of the mistakes of the past may not be repeated; otherwise we would have learnt nothing. It was clear to all that there was a character that was allowed space to cause maximum damage and that person is (name withheld). Whoever he sticks to like a leach, he sucks his blood like a vampire, almost to dryness.

For a long time, Peter Obi was under his spell; later on, he crossed over to Rochas Okorocha but that one did not last for long and whoever he has relationship with, he damages the opportunity. So it was blackmails, allegations, fabrications that kept the crisis in APGA on and on, but everything that is not of God has an expiry.

Are you saying that Victor Umeh was particularly responsible for your travails in APGA? Victor was 90 percent responsible. All those that he used, he simply used people to facilitate his desire. It was Victor as a treasurer that organised people to go to a hotel room and NUJ Centre at Abuja to announce that I have been removed. It was Victor who used people to penetrate the Presidency and influence INEC for what they wanted to do because APGA had not held a congress to change its leadership. By the time Maurice Iwu came, they were able to manipulate their way to give recognition to a treasurer.

It was never done anywhere even in a primitive society where there is no written order. I had 22 years relationship with Ikemba (Ojukwu), I don’t want to keep referring to him again because he is already gone, and I brought him out from APP, rehabilitated him politically, raised his hand at an open field in Abuja and he became the presidential candidate of the party, de facto leader and Chairman, BoT (Board of Trustees) of the party; from an ordinary member of APP. And when Victor came, he destroyed this 22 years relationship and it was never rebuilt until the Man died. Victor’s sins are too many.

Could it be said then that Umeh played Governor Obi’s script?

Have you not been following their altercations since they are quarrelling? Is Umeh not the one saying that he made Peter Obi and Peter Obi said he funded him to become chairman? If he had admitted that it was Peter that made him and that it was Peter that sent him on errand to remove me and to demolish the party, which will be a different thing. But you are now hearing different roles each of them played. So, that is not the area I should delve into.

But which of the divides of APGA do you now lend your support?

Which one are you talking about support? You were there when a group came to apologise to me. What was I supposed to do? To go and embrace Umeh? You see, the question is unnecessary!

Do you think Okwu has legitimacy in the control of APGA as he now parades?

You see, it is not in the spirit of the new rapport for me to start making these kinds of assessments.

I asked the question because the same thing that happened to you is now happening to Victor Umeh.

There is nothing that happened to me that is playing out on Victor Umeh because it is a complete different ball game. Umeh has never been a legitimate chairman of APGA; he was never elected from 2004 till today, which is the truth. If anybody can point at where he was elected, let him say. The Constitution of APGA is clear. The argument that once you don’t have another candidate you get automatic ticket is pedestrian because you don’t interpret a mandatory provision to suit you. So he has never been a legitimate chairman. But the Enugu High Court said it all. Has it not been brought open that those he nominated for 2011 elections were illegal? Somebody has already gone to court over that. He didn’t nominate Peter Obi in 2010 because INEC didn’t allow him then; he went and obtained

Okorie

NOW, ONE YEAR AFTER WE HAD LEFT APGA, THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ACCUSED ME… ALL SAID ‘NO, WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, WE MUST GO AND APOLOGISE’ an injunction restraining me from nominating Peter, then by some kind of intervention by the late ate President Yar’Adua. I allowed Ikemba to nominate when he was not an officer of the party and that was how Obi went for second term. So, at what time was Umeh chairman of this party? He never nominated Peter in his first term; he did not nominate him in his second coming. He illegally nominated those who went for 2011 elections which the court has proved. So when was he chairman to try and compare what happened to me and what happened to him? They are two different situations.

Maxi and Umeh started APGA with you, that’s why one wonders if you are returning…

(Cuts in)....To correct your impression, Umeh was never a founding member of APGA, please. Don’t ascribe to a man what he didn’t do. Listen! On November 2001, Umeh resigned from APGA. In fact, it was UPGA then, because he said there was no possibility of registering the party.

He had no participation in the registration process of the party. When the party was registered, he later came back through Barrister Jacob Nwokolo as chairman of the zone. He was never at the national level until Okey Nwosu resigned. So don’t ever say Umeh was there at the beginning, he was never! But Maxi was there at the beginning, yes.

So what is the way forward for APGA? You see, these questions you are posing to me are not meant for me. Sit with Obi, seat with Maxi, and Victor, get their views. These are the people struggling over APGA. It’s like going to CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) to ask the chairman about ANPP 9All Nigeria Peoples Congress).

But UPP has not had the kind of glamour that APGA had at the beginning; we have not seen it yet in UPP.

APGA and UPP are different because I am in a position to tell you the difference. When APGA was founded or rather registered on the 24th of June, 2012, we had few months to election. Candidates had even taken positions in other parties. So we were picking whatever we needed.

We launched immediately into the field; there was no planning at all. We launched directly into the field. Six months after, Dim Odumegwu joined and we issued him with a membership card on the 7th of January 2003. That was where I said that three Generals will lock horns at the presidential elections, a General from the North which was General Buhari, a general from the West which was General Obasanjo and a wise General from the East, General Odumegwu Ojukwu. What you call glamour was without foundation, we just flushed into the scene; we even went to 2003 elections without polling agents in the 1,020 polling units in Nigeria. Even in Nnewi, we didn’t have polling agents. That was the situation, for lack of funds and time. Glamour of what? But at the end of the day we made modest achievements. We had House of Representatives; Obi finally won in court. But in terms of UPP, we are not under any pressure. Structures are being put in place in 36 states of Nigeria.

We have our roadmap; very soon, we shall be lunching in the South-East. We then move to the West and the SouthSouth. In case of the North, we have to follow the security situation in terms of the launchings and these things will be before the election. So to me, the build-up is very satisfactory, it is based on solid foundation that we never laid before and I am glad with the attention that is being drawn. All these visits are build-up to what will happen.

And remember, we have paucity of fund because we don’t have any government behind us and we don’t have moneybags. It is about strength, it is a party for the masses. So watch out for what will happen. First, we will win Anambra State with very wide margin and if you do that, have you not taken a foundation for leading the South-East and making impact elsewhere? Anybody who thinks he can beat us in Anambra should step forward!

Does UPP now have a national spread like APGA used to have?

(Laughs) APGA didn’t have national spread; it is now that we have national spread. I specifically told you that APGA did not have time to have a national spread. We had drawn a roadmap for the spread in 2004, to commence in 2005 as an agenda but in December 2004, Umeh led his band of people to launch this rebellion that has lasted till this day. So, this is the one that has national spread, the other one didn’t.

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FG’s takeover of constituency projects

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he lingering controversy over the management and supervision of constituency projects between the federal executive arm of government and the National Assembly may just be heightened to heat up the polity, given recent reports that the Federal Government has taken over the projects nationwide in order to ensure their timely completion. The FG which recently released N30 billion for the projects for the first quarter of 2013, also brought their execution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs for proper execution, monitoring and supervision.

Briefing newsmen on the development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, suggested that the execution of the projects by members of the National Assembly was not being done very transparently, prudently and equitably when he said his ministry got presidential approval to take over the constituency projects to ensure that the dividends of democracy got to Nigerians. It would be recalled that the disagreement between the FG and NASS members over funds budgeted for constituency projects was responsible for the long delay in the signing into law of the 2013 appropriation bill by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In confirming government’s resolute resolve to take over the execution of constituency projects, the minister reportedly said: “We have the mandate not only to give out the jobs but to monitor their implementation and make sure that they are properly implemented, because

the president is interested in the projects. Although Turaki claimed that major points of disagreement between the Presidency and the leadership of the NASS on the development had been sorted out, it should be noted that the mandate of executing constituency projects invested in members of the parliament was in itself an aberration in governance.

More importantly, we see it as one of the practices in the polity that encourage corruptive collaboration between the executive and the legislature. Indication to this obvious reality was, indeed, manifest last year when NASS members awarded contracts worth N60 billion to themselves as constituency fund allocation for the 2009 fiscal year, a development that was described as a monstrous fraud by the opposition.

It would seem, therefore, that the Presidency felt concerned and was apparently forced to consider public reservations on the misnomer of lawmakers handling constituency projects, when they should indeed be performing oversight functions on projects’ conception, distribution and execution by the executive arm of government.

We believe the error, whether conscious or otherwise, of placing constituency projects’ implementation in the hands of NASS members had been a pain in the neck of the executive which, for instance, regarded the insistence of new members of the legislature to initiate constituency projects in their names, rather than continuing with projects in the names of their predecessors, as hampering the implementation of the 2012 budget. It would also be recalled that one of the points of contro-

versy between the executive and the legislature was the 100 per cent implementation of the 2012 Budget by September of last year; for which the House of Representatives dangled the sword of impeachment on President Goodluck Jonathan.

There were, likewise, feelers that the Due Process Office was directed to re-examine the N60 billion constituency projects in the 2012 Budget with a view to preventing similar projects from hindering the full implementation of Appropriation Acts in the future.

Consequently, we consider the placement of constituency projects’ execution under the Ministry of Special Duties a fall-out of last year’s controversy. Our concern, however, is that this seems a convenient political solution to one of the many enduring imperfections in governance in the country. In the operation of an untainted democratic system, the principle of separation of powers and the existence of checks and balances are prerequisites for the purposes of nurturing good governance, transparency and accountability.

Returning constituency projects’ implementation to the executive arm of government can thus be said to be a step in the right direction for a polity in dire need of sanity. But we are apprehensive that a federal legislature that thrives on blackmailing the executive to submission when it is canvassing for the pecuniary interests of its members, instead of defending public interest and righteously scrutinising the health of the country’s governance system, will take kindly to the ‘hijacking of its members’ pot of honey’ camouflaged as constituency projects allocation.

Reminiscences MARCH 31, IN HISTORY 1948: WHO established in Switzerland

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is established as a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health.

1957: Electric trolley ends run in New York

New York City’s last electric trolley completed its final run from Queens to Manhattan.

1963: Tito becomes Yugoslavia president

Tito was named as the president for life of the newly named Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1978: Carter delays Neutron Bomb production

President Carter delayed Neutron Bomb production. The bomb was designed to kill people while minimising damage to property unlike a conventional nuclear missile which destroys everything in its path. This was achieved by producing a small blast but massive amounts of lethal radiation.

1994: Civil war breaks out in Rwanda

Civil war broke out in Rwanda when Hutu extremists murdered an estimated 800,000 innocent civilian Tutsis in the worst episode of genocide since World War II. Rwandan armed forces killed 10 Belgian peacekeeping officers to discourage the international community from intervening in the forthcoming genocide.

2001: Riots in Cincinnati over black’s murder

An unarmed black man wanted on 14 misdemeanour warrants was fatally shot by a white police officer in Cincinnati, sparking three days of riots.

2008: Olympic torch relay arrives in France

Olympic Torch Relay arrived in Paris, France where due to the large number of protests the route was shortened at the demand of Chinese officials following widespread protests by pro-Tibet and human rights activists and due to problems, the flame was extinguished five times.

2011: Briton sails across Atlantic on raft

Former BBC presenter, Anthony Smith, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with a crew of three on a 12 metre long raft made of pipes. The 85-year-old made the 60-day journey from England to the Caribbean in hopes of raising awareness of the lack of clean water much of the world faces as well as money for the charity WaterAid. By the time the crew landed at St. Maarten, an island in the Caribbean Sea, they were able to raise over 50 thousand pounds for their charity.

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Opinion

Sunday April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria and South Africa: Rogue police in big democracies Uncensored U nc

Sheriff S Folarin

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

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he news of the brutal treatment of Mido Macia, a Mozambican taxi driver in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, that led to his death was another example of poor policing in that country. Mido was accosted by a detachment of policemen for parking his cab at an unauthorized place, which led to an altercation and eventual beating and tying of the taxi driver to the police van by the security men. The poor driver was then tied to the rear side of the van and dragged along the streets and road by the men who had jumped into their van for onward prosecution of the “offender” in their station. It was later confirmed that Macia died in the cell, apparently of the multiple injuries sustained from the dragging and subsequent beating at the police station.

The footage of Macia’s inhuman treatment had provoked outrage with President Jacob Zuma labelling it “horrific, disturbing and unacceptable. No human being should be treated in that manner.” Police Chief Riah Phiyega responded by suspending the eight officers involved and promising to remove the station commander from his duties. She had tried to douse the tension by saying: “We would like to assure the country and the world that what is in the video is not how the South Africa police service in a democratic South Africa goes about its work.”

I disagree with the police chief. The footage of the incident caught by one

of the bystanders went viral and this, coupled with the follow-up to the video exposé, brought once again, the incompetence of the South Africa (SA) police to the spotlight. Last year, a troop of police boys were on a shooting spree of protesting miners, with over thirty of the unarmed miners murdered in cold blood by the trigger-undisciplined policemen. This incident sparked off rage across the beleaguered nation and indeed shocked the world. The Macia-police scandal and the Marikana miners’ shooting hitherto were unprofessional displays by supposedly trained policemen in democratic South Africa, which was, again, coming on the heels of the “fun” another group of five policemen were having with the life of a harmless protester, Andries Tatane, a Mathematics teacher whom they severely beat up and shot in the chest and belly at close range that led to his death. The police men soon disappeared from the scene.

All this shameless show of the SA police does not come as a surprise. But it brings to question the foundations of that institution. The police is legacy of the apartheid regime, with a notorious reputation for being an instrument of oppression and intimidation. Incidentally, post-apartheid South Africa police has not been scandal-free. It has consistently been dogged by allegations of brutality, corruption and sheer incompetence in conduct. Not too long ago, its chief was removed by the Zuma administration for a heap of scandals bordering on corrupt enrichment, misappropriation of fund and incompetence.

This brings us to the Nigeria police.

The height of corruption in the Nigeria police had led to the fall of one police chief after the other. The worst casualty was the big man, Tafa Balogun, the Inspector-General himself, who had been sacked, arrested, docked and convicted for multiple cases of fraud and general corruption. More recently, a Police Commissioner, Zakary Biu was fired for aiding the escape of a Boko Haram terrorist, Kabiru Sokoto, the man alleged to have been the mastermind of the 2011 Madalla

Catholic Church bombing on Christmas Day. In January 2011, during Occupy Nigeria protests against the arbitrary increase of fuel prices by the government, a police boss in Lagos had opened fire on a harmless protester and had bragged after killing the poor man that nothing would happen. The police boss had been accused of previous arbitrary killings and had never been apprehended. Just last week, some policemen had come to the rescue of oil thieves, killing fellow security men with the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the process.

I have experienced police brutality twice. The first one was when I was in my Form 5 (final year in secondary school).

It was during the anti-SAP riots in 1989. I had left school (situated in a university) to go home early enough and save my parents the agony of uncertainties of worries about the whereabouts of their son in the heat of one of Nigeria’s bloodiest university students’ protests. As I made to enter a bus, policemen dragged me down (I was a very young teenager then) along with some non-protesting adults who made to leave the scene. Before I realised what was happening, 11 heavily armed men had descended on me with batons, gun butts, and jackboots. I heard a gunshot and by the time they were done with me, one of the innocent adults dragged from the bus had been killed.

It was like a bad movie for a very naïve secondary school student like me. When they left me bruised all over and crawling on the floor, another group of policemen emerged from nowhere and made me their soccer ball and punch bag. A couple, who had watching from a distance earlier, later ran to pick me up in their car and drove me home. I woke up with medical people beside me. Funny enough, this gang of rogue policemen did not know that they were brutalizing a grandson of a Police Commissioner.

Three weeks ago, a group of policemen who had mounted a checkpoint in front of Canaanland (Winners’ Chapel, Ota, Ogun State), ran in front with a rifle pointed in our direction and stopped my

friend’s car, in which I was. I challenged him politely why he had to stop us in that manner, to which he took offence and made to cork his gun instead. He was so upset with me that he asked me to come down and in his own words, “I will finish you now”. I smiled and told him that if he tried it, he was ‘finished’ as well as he and his family would never know peace and freedom again if he tried it right in front of my home, Canaanland. As he was fuming, the mention of “right in front of my home” caught the attention of his immediate boss and himself, as they asked us to go. Imagine if I was just another person, the police would have finished him and lied later that the “man was a smuggler who had attempted to shoot at them as he resisted arrest”.

That is the lot of the police in Nigeria and South Africa, two great countries and two big democracies that should be leading the way in shining examples of decent policing. The police should recruit people who have got the aptitude for policing. They should be people, who like Plato prescribed, should have demonstrated the appetitive spirit to be a guardian. They should not be charlatans desperately seeking any job. Again when touts or persons with a record of kleptomania join the police, they will steal or aid and abet crime as it has been the case many times.

The police needs reorientation. There is a general need to deconstruct colonial and apartheid legacies in the police and reinvent the institution in Nigeria and South Africa. Very educated and highly skilled policemen are more likely to demonstrate decency and professionalism.

Where the policemen are trained and where they live as well as good working conditions will also ennoble the officers and positively impact on their conduct.

The police in Nigeria and South Africa need to show good examples to their counterparts in the continent.

•Dr. Folarin is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, Political Science/ International Relations, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

Achebe: Writer of polished prose gem BAYO OLUWASANMI

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n March 21, the intellectual world lost one of its most distinguished members when Chinua Achebe died after a brief illness in his eighty-second year.

Since the news of his departure invaded the airwaves, the world has been struggling to keep up with the volume of tribute that streams in daily.

Achebe needs no introduction to the general reader. His pen was active for more than over half a century. The sentence of his prose is like a polished gem.

In our generation, few writers have been celebrated as Chinua Achebe. In high school, ‘Things Fall Apart’ was our treasured companion. We carried it wherever we went.

Achebe was the prime force behind African Writers Series (AWS). My literary world and others of my age was formed, nurtured, and shaped by the talented story tellers of AWS. With six novels, eight short stories, six poetry, eight essays, and four children’s books, Achebe’s writings travelled

a range of thought as wide as the scope of political, social, and economic issues that plague our nation.

Achebe’s position on those great varieties of problems he wrote about was far reaching and breathtaking. Few modern writers dared as candid in the expression of unwelcome thoughts as Achebe.

Is there any difficulty for the reader to fully comprehend sociological and anthropological settings of some of Achebe’s works?

Is there any confusion for the reader to intimately grasp the social philosophy behind Achebe’s writings?

The lucidity, style, and content, of books, articles, and essays authored by Achebe amply testify to the simplicity and readability of his materials.

What makes Achebe’s writing unique is the incisive wit that permeates his works. With stylistic effortless ease, he’s been able to simultaneously combine intellectual brilliance and humor. ‘Things Fall Apart’, his literary masterpiece successfully portrays this quality.

One theme that runs throughout his works and indeed in Achebe’s life is the conviction that what the world needed

was the old fashion attitude of love and compassion for humanity.

Achebe’s writings are funny, but the message beneath the humor is deadly serious. He’s the most translated writer of his time. Achebe’s best – Things Fall Apart – was translated into 50 languages, sold over 10 million copies.

If the reader is careless and superficial to the extent he cannot find nothing more than the surface fun, it means he’s neglecting the more important relations and perspectives embedded in Achebe’s writings.

The strings of Achebe’s thoughts are delicately woven in triumphant chord of satire of protests against stupidity and sterility.

Achebe used a swift and sharp wit to express and expose the evil passions in human minds – suspicion, fear, lust for power, hatred, and intolerance – which stand in the way of a more benevolent Nigeria.

He was an inspired writer who had just the right measure of wit to spice his wisdom. His criticism was always constructive.

Achebe would not criticise a person, or group of persons, or an institution

without suggesting how to make things better.

In my mind, Achebe is one of the rare literary giants who combine common sense and uncommon sense to confront the excesses and other societal evils associated with a world devoid of benevolence.

He never flinched from any issue that was unpopular. ‘The Anthills of Savannah’, ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’, and lately ‘There Was A Country’ sparked firestorms of controversy and conversation.

Achebe was a multi-gifted mind, a man gifted with the ability to make people laugh – at themselves.

His legacy was not in literature alone.

Perhaps his greatest gift to mankind was his unfaltering courage and fearless stand he took in his campaign to preserve humanity.

All that Achebe struggled for and for which he sacrificed so much is beautifully summed up by Horace Mann: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”

•Oluwasanmi is a US-based Nigerian social analyst.

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EDIFYING GOD

QUOTE Achieving fame is not difficult, but you need character to sustain it –Pastor Bamidele

Sunday April 7, 2013

Be committed, rid Nigeria of corruption –Cleric TAI ANYANWU

T

he leadership and the citizenry have been called upon to take a bold step to bring down the demon called corruption by making personal commitment towards its eradication.

District Superintendent, West and Central Africa Headquarters of the Apostolic Faith, Rev Emmanuel Adeniran, made the call at the just concluded Easter Concert held at the church’s premises in Anthony Village, Lagos.

“I want you to know that the greatest challenge of humanity is not only a problem to man but a great concern to God; and that is the corruption of our mind, body and of our environment,” he said.

Adeniran added that corruption was not only a reproach to us within the international community, but also a reproach before God. “God holds the corruption of any nation and the individual, either the followership or the leadership; in bad faith,” he said.

The cleric noted that Nigerians had been yearning, praying and are willing to be freed from corruption.

Adeniran, however, regretted that many people would rather not do anything about the menace of corruption.

“But God did something. What did He do about corruption? God released His only begotten son so that He can come and die for our sins. And Jesus died that He might redeem us of the corruption of sin,” he further explained.

The clergy hinted that the sacrificial death of the son of God did not exclude from our responsibility to war against corruption, as a nation.

His words: “God made a personal commitment that men can be rid of corruption. His only begotten son made a personal commitment to rid the world of sin.

“Our government, leaders and ourselves must make personal commitment to rid sin and corruption in our nation.

“We cannot afford to handle corrup-

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Pope calls for action on clerical sex abuse Pope Francis has called for “decisive action” in the fight against sex abuse of minors by priests.

He told Bishop Gerhard Mueller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith - the Vatican watchdog that deals with sex abuse cases - to ensure perpetrators were punished.

It was the Argentine Pope’s first public statement on clerical sex abuse.

A leading sex abuse survivors’ group has responded with scepticism, saying “actions speak louder than words”.

The new Pope was elected last month, replacing Pope Emeritus Benedict, who became the first pope in 600 years to resign.

Holy Cross Redemption Parish holds Life Changing Night Holy Cross Redemption Parish 1 & 2 is set to hold its Mount Carmel 2013 crusade tagged, ‘Life Changing Night’ at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. It has as its theme, ‘With God All Things Are Possible’ and scheduled for Friday, April 12.

The chief host, Prophet Juwon Odubowale, in a statement, said that God would turn around and settle all difficult situation as you attend.

Rev. Adeniran

tion with careless hands. We must be committed to its eradication.

“It must be seen by our children, the younger generation that leadership and the elders have distaste for corruption.

It is only righteousness that exalts a nation,” Adeniran affirmed.

The clergy added, “Jesus is giving us an opportunity, a good platform to move after Him, to follow after His own model and make a personal commitment that we will not be corrupt.

“And God is going to help you. The nation and the leadership are being called to make a personal commitment to the eradication of corruption. We cannot do it by our power but God can help us.

“It is only righteousness that exalts a nation; a nation of integrity is what is befitting of Nigeria and that is what God wants for us,” he pointed out.

The Easter concert featured the Apostolic Faith Choir Orchestra and soul touching dramatisation of Jesus’ tortuous journey to the cross and His eventual crucifixion on Calvary.

Adeniran captured the lessons of the concert in the following words: “The significance of tonight’s event is making us to see that there is no good thing that comes without some personal sacrifice and that living a selfish life amounts to nothing.

“Jesus invested Himself; let Nigerians sacrifice their lives and invest all that they have into this nation with the hope that it will be better; God is going to make it better.

“Nigerians have hope if there is godliness in government and in governance.

Somebody must make a personal sacrifice to lead the way. When he does, many people will follow.

“Jesus led the way and many people have been following to live a life of righteousness which is giving by His own power,’ Adeniran explained.

He said the citizens should make a life of investment in the nation to help eradicate corruption and to deploy their talents and gifts to lift the country up.

“If we do that God is going to bless us,” the cleric said.

Reaping the gains of Easter –Pastor Muoka

The demon called fear,

by Pastor Chidi

Briefly

Fountain of Salvation begins crusade All is set for this year’s programme of Fountain of Salvation International Incorporated (City of God).

The event which has ‘Time to Rebel Against Kingdom Darkness’ as theme is scheduled for No. 1 Fountain Avenue, Boji-Boji, Owa, Delta State.

The crusade programme comes up on April 25 through 27.

General Overseer and Senior Pastor of the ministries, Apostle Ephraim Uwams, described the programmes as platforms where God would make his children victorious and grant them dominion powers over the forces of darkness as they attend.

Sunday Mirror/Babcock University Bible Quiz:

• Current and past winners can collect their prizes from the office of the Editor, Sunday Mirror, 151/161 Broad Street, Lagos anytime from Monday to Friday.

Participants should always indicate their names when sending their entries.

You must first be planted, says Pastor Olusore 24

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Praise & Worship

Sunday, April 7, 2013

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The demon called fear –Pastor Chidi

A

great number of people die because they are afraid to take the right steps in their lifetime. Most young women who take to prostitution joined the illicit trade with their body because of fear of the unknown. Likewise a great army of young men who carry gun to terrorise innocent members of the public, rob and destroy lives do that because they are afraid of their gloomy tomorrow.

They believe that future has nothing for them. So they decided to confront the future with violence.

Fear is a torment, fear can kill and fear can destroy. But as it pleases the Lord today, after this ministration every demon of fear in your lives will disappear, in the name of Jesus. Let us go to the scripture and see what God says about fear. Somebody open the book of 2Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of sound mind.”

There four key things that the Bible emphasised in that portion of scripture namely fear, power, love and sound mind. Out of the four key points, only one has negative connotation and that is fear. Incidentally, fear is the one that the Bible specified that God did not apportion to you and I. What then is F-E-A-R? Let define fear by understanding the alphabetical components of the word FEAR. ‘F’ stands for falsehood; ‘E’ when you think about it you begin to experience it; ‘A; stands for appear and ‘R’ stands for real. This fear is actually something that is not real; but it appears real to you when you begin experience it. If steps are not quickly taken to check the experience, it will become real.

How does fear operate?

If for instance you have a headache and you went to the hospital; and sample of your blood is taken by laboratory scientists who ran a test on you. The result of the test is taken to the doctor’s office. After a while, you are invited into the doctor’s office.

Right behind the table you find the doctor with a not-too-pleasant expression on his face. And the doctor says to you sit down; and you are immediately apprehensive so you asked: Doctor is there any problem?

The doctor replies, with a well practiced voice. “Oh! It is not death. However, the result of the test you just did shows that you are HIV positive. Many people actually are living normally with the virus; and you can actually do the same and live a normal life.

Now the spontaneous reaction of anyone that receives such disheartening information is that he or she will be broken down. Hot sweat will rush out of the person. No matter how much the doctor decides to colour the fact that HIV is devastating, the person will feel that the end has come. The hot sweat will dry up quickly, not because HIV virus has sucked it up but because of fear. That fear of HIV ravaging torment and consequent death will consume the victim day and night. Every minute and hour, the person imagines death knocking at the door and circling round his or her very existence. Eventually, the victim begins to dry up into a skeleton.

Fear takes over and fastens the rate of the ravaging HIV. A young lady came into my office and said Daddy pray for me. As I am talking to you now, I know mu mum is already dead.

I had a bad dream and i saw my mother lying in state. I tried to caution her but she asked me to pray journey mercy for me and that she dreamt that her uncle fell from a palm tree and died few years back

Your belief amounts to nothing if you have not conquered fear.

And you cannot actualise the full manifestation of God’s power in your life until you have dealt with the demon called fear. This was the focus of a recent teaching by Pastor Chidi Anthony, General Overseer of Kings in Christ Church, at Ajoa Estate Lagos.

Excerpts:

Chidi

and that before she could get to her village, her uncle died, as she dreamt. Similarly, she recollected that had dreamt that her father died and that if she did not hurry down to the village after that dream she would not have seen her father’s corpse.

Therefore she concluded that it was the turn of her mother.

I tried to assure her that nothing would happen to her mother but she insisted that her dreams always come to pass. I ask her if she is married she said no. Then I said to her: “if your dreams always come to pass why not dreamt that Obasanjo’s son came to marry you so that also will come to pass?

“Must you always dream negative dreams only,” I asked her. It took me time before I could convince the lady that dreams are either a reflection of once thought, satanically instigated to corner people into evil fate or a revelation from God which can be influenced changed if right steps are taken. Then she decided not to travel but prayed against the dream.

After one month, I called the lady and asked to go back to her and find out how

her mother was doing. She did; when she got to the village and narrated her dreams to the mother, her mother said to her: “My daughter; if not God, I would have been a dead person. After taking my berth that fateful day, I slumped at the door of the bathroom. If people did not gather to revive me I could have been a dead person.”

The truth is; if the young lady had travelled to her village that day, her mother could have died; because the Bible says believe and it shall be established. Whatever you believe in has far reaching implication on your affairs and circumstances.

Fear can destroy. There is this young lady who always hangs around happening hotel in Owerri. I decided to straighten her up.

So, one day I confronted her saying, “You always come here .

What are you doing here? I know you are a prostitute,” I said firmly. She replied, “No, I am not prostituting; it is coded runs.” “What do you mean by coded runs,” I further enquired? She said, “I use it to help myself in school.” And men will sleep with you and give you money; is that what

you mean? She said yes. Then she said yes and I replied why? You are just a young girl. Why do you want to destroy yourself ?

She said; “I know you are a man of God. The other day, I saw a vehicle enter the hotel and carried a clergy. I know you are a man of God; you will not understand.”

I asked how do you mean. She said that they are many in the family, the father died and there is nothing for any member of the family to eat except she provided. If I don’t do this there will be none to train me. From this, you find out that she entered into prostitution because of the fear that her family might not have food to and fear that they might not die. But she forgot that there are some other people in worst situations than hers; and God uses other decent miraculously means to provide for them. Fear can destroy, fear can kill.

I was on a preaching programme at Awommamma, in Anambra state. After the programme, I saw a piton crawling nearby and I rushed to pick a stick to kill the piton. The people there said don’t if you kill this snake you are in a big problem. We don’t kill pitons here; if you do you are in trouble; the piton will rise and fight you. Before they could finish talking I killed the piton and I said Oya piton rise and fight me. I am still here preaching. I went another place in the same state called Agulu , for deliverance. I got to that town around evening and elected to sit outside to get some fresh air before the programme began. Immediate I saw another piton close by and shouted that I had seen a demon. Everybody rushed after me to see the demon. I grab a cutlass and led the way. When I pointed it out they said eh daddy don’t touch it.

This one is piton, the owner of the house. And I replied which house owner is this. They said if I killed the piton I would have to bury it like a human being.

An old woman soon appeared with native chuck and began to eulogise the piton, calling it names. The piton raised its head up and was watching. Then I said I must kill this piton. I gave them an option that I will either kill the piton or I allow the piton to do the deliverance programme. At that juncture they told me of a family that killed a piton in the town and all died.

They said I should go instead of killing the piton. I had to go because two masters cannot operate in one kingdom.

But the truth is that in every village there are pitons. Every piton is piton. The difference is that in my village, if you kill a piton people will shake your hands because you have rid the village the snake that eats their fowls and destroys; but in Agulu is what Agulu people and such places where Piton is worshipped imparted into their children, their believe.

They succeeded in making their people to believe that if they kill piton they will die.

That is why each time they kill piton they die. The Bible says believe and it shall be established.

Many people are not prospering today because they are afraid. They do not invest in profitable businesses because they are afraid that they might lose money. Let me tell; it is a risk not to take risks. Anyone who wishes to succeed in life must take risk; but if must take risk take genuine risk. Faith in God is profitable risk.

Keep a date with us next Sunday.

•Contact Us. Email: kingsinchrist@yahoo.com. www.kingsinchrist.com/home Phone: 08033166174 18/20, Osolo way, Ajao Estate Isolo, Lagos 23401. Nigeria ...

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21

Understanding your dreams, by Pastor Adewunmi Your dreams have far-reaching implications. Pastor Segun Adewunmi of House of Prayer Ministries provides useful guide to understanding your dreams. Excerpts: Continued from last week

D

reams as we discussed last week are of three types namely: Natural Dream, Inspired Dream and Demonic Dream. We were able to analyse the Natural Dreams and Inspired Dreams. We shall now explain what demonic dreams are.

Demonic dream is a dream where lives of the victims of such a dream are manipulated by demonic agents and such lives become worse. In a demonic dream, witches lift up the spirit of the sleeper and take it into the spirit realm for manipulation.

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”

(Matt 13:25) Manipulating is sowing tears.

The real life battle is spiritual, as stated in Eph. 6:12.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

(Eph 6:12) Manifestation of spiritual battle follows “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. (Matt 18:18) Interpretation of the above is that what is initiated in the spirit realm affects our situation in the physical realm. Example of such manipulation is that of Balak who commissioned Balaam to manipulate the children of Israel using the instrument of a curse in order to weaken them spiritually.

At sleep, Man is unconscious

of his physical environment. His flesh and his soul are no longer active. It is the realm where his spirit takes over but the spirit of man, since the sin and curse of Adam is, in coma or unconscious state. This is why witches can easily manipulate it. Witches are demonic human agents who use demonic power to gain consciousness in their spirit dimension. Demonic power provides witches with the ability and capability that are beyond what ordinary person has. Witches can fly out of their bodies to attend their night meetings or do havoc as they desire.

The first manifestations of spiritual attack are in the dream where the victim is pursued or chased by policemen, masquerades or robbers. The implication of the police in dreams is that the person concerned has been reported to the congregation of witches often called ‘coven’ for an arrest. If one is harassed by masquerades or robbers that means the attack is not justified. Usually, as the Bible says ‘No cause without a curse’.

“As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”

(Prov. 26:2) Man is endowed with spiritual immunity against the demonic people. It is his sins that remove the immunity and expose him to the attack of the witches. If one gets arrested in his dream such a one becomes a spiritual slave. A slave is one that has no authority over his life. He lives at the mercy and pleasure of another. He could therefore be sold into the congregation of witches as Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Medianite merchants. According to Isaiah 47:15 “Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured,

even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander everyone to his quarter; none shall save thee.” (Isaiah 47:15) Merchants are life manipulators. The Bible calls the one whose destiny is in the custody of witches a prey. Prey here is the one arrested by the witches and becomes a spiritual slave while lawful captives indicate that such a one has been legally enslaved because he has been properly sold as it happened to Joseph.

Those sold are people experiencing dreams such as follows: •Eating in dreams •Picking of snails •Sexual intercourse •Finding yourself in the old school •Unable to climb the hill •Examination in dream •Unable to descend the hill •Gun shot Spiritual slaves may also experience being pressed down and suffocated at sleep. Some may receive marks on their bodies while some can experience meeting cobwebs even in the daytime.

The implication of the above is failure. What works for others does not normally work for spiritual slaves. He is under constant and perpetual manipulations.

He experiences promise and fail, stagnation and hatred. People underrate him and would not give him the opportunity to do what he has the ability to do. There are some dreams that have peculiar implications as stated below 1.

Gunshot is sowing of sickness into the life of the sleeper. It is the removal of spiritual immunity to make the victim vulnerable to contacting a predetermined sickness. Victims of gun shots are people with fibroid, HIV and other terminal sicknesses.

2.

Medical solution may

Adewunmi

not work if the sick person finds himself repeating usage of the drug or injection that he received during the day in his dream.

3.

Ladies wishing to be pregnant can experience failure when they suddenly see red objects in their dream.

4.

Animals like a dog and a snake, when cited in the dream means bad omen. Dog is about a fight or a serious quarrel while snake is about deep conspiracy.

Generally – In reality, witches attack people with good destiny to steal, kill and destroy their destiny.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Normally, witches cannot abort a man’s destiny. Attacks of witches are external and could be termed ‘rejection’.

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev 13:17)

The aim and objective of a spiritual attack is to weaken us and cause dejection. Dejection happens when our will to succeed fails due to sustained and repeated spiritual attacks. It is a very common pattern in the lives of the chosen. In the scripture, those who were able to stand against the devil succeeded while those who gave up failed.

Examples of those that succeeded include David, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Daniel and Paul. Those who failed include Adam, Eve, Saul the King, Eli the Prophet, the servant with one talent, the 10 spies who desired to go back to Egypt.

That one had a bad dream does not mean such a dream will be actualized in his life. You can easily cancel the manifestation of bad dreams. This will be discussed in a future message.

•For counseling, contact Pastor Segun Adewumi on 08039425631 Or Email: past orsegunadewumi@ gmail.com

House on the Rock opens 14,000-capacity cathedral RICHARD EGHAGHE

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n fulfillment of its divine vision, the House On The Rock Ministry, founded and pastored

by Paul Adefarasin of ‘Experience’ fame, is set to formerly declare open its new ultra-modern, multipurpose cathedral at the Lekki axis of Lagos come

April 20 and 21, 2013.

The first of its kind in modern church ministry, the multi-billion naira Rock Multipurpose Cathedral will now house the international headquarters of the House On The Rock, as well as the Rock Foundation.

The magnificent edifice, with a total floor area of 32,000 m2 (the largest footprint for a single building in the commercial city

of Lagos) accommodates facilities for worship, education, healthcare, community development, reformation training, recreation and social rehabilitation, among others.

The large auditorium of the ergonomic state -of –the- art cathedral is designed with capacity to comfortably seat about 14,000 people and structured to efficiently evacuate all human traffic in just

10 minutes.

It is well fitted with automated and integrated lighting, state of the art audio visual facilities, 24/7 alternative power supply, round-the-clock manned security, access control, CCTV and stage capacity to conveniently accommodate 200-person choir.

A release from the office of the General Overseer hinted that the Rock Foundation would be com-

mitted to the reformation of our nation with specialised training that will produce future leaders who are virile, visionary and equipped with the relevant secular skills to excel in the various sectors of industry.

“It is designed to run four separate educational systems which include primary school, an adult education centre, a skill acquisition centre and a Bible College”.

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Taking the right steps, by Pastor Oloruntimilehin Do you want to avoid the pitfalls of life? Then take the right steps. If you do not, do not blame witches because no one tells lies about the principalities of this world and go unpunished. This is according to Pastor Joshua Oloruntimilehin Daramola of Omnipotence Mission of God. Excerpts:

J

esus Christ did good work son earth.

God created Him at the time and He worked uprightly. He was highly honoured; because He knew how to carry His steps. Sometime, people take wrong steps as they walk and they could fall into a pit or step on a nail and get injured. Such persons have walked at a wrong time. It is possible for a woman to be pregnant during a war and get killed in the war. Then she got pregnant at the wrong time.

Someone sometimes ago got angry that there was too much oil in the soup his wife had prepared. In an attempt to throw the oil out, he splashed the oil on a passer-by and stained the fine clothes the person was wearing. He had to apologise to the passer-by and beg for forgiveness. That is where his anger landed him. What the man could do was to beg but there was no remedy to the stained cloth. But the man had walked at a wrong time also.

I pray in the name of Jesus that we will not walk wrongly. Amen.

Sometimes, a person can be doing a job that is not his or her own. The person is wrongly doing the job. All these wrong incidences are not bewitchment but wrong coincidences. A very important woman came to me with the problems of one of her children. I told her that the child is not her own because she gave

birth to the child wrongly. She asked if a woman can give birth to a wrong child.

I said it is possible because sometime a woman would be pregnant and give birth to abnormal or deformed Siamese children. The woman had mistakenly given birth to the Siamese children.

At the formation of the two foetuses, they could coincidentally become inseparable. Therefore, in a person’s journey of life, one can meet coincidence. For instance, a person could join a commercial bus that the driver is under the influence of alcohol, unknown to the passenger, and then if the bus has an accident and the passenger died, the passenger has coincidentally boarded the bus at a wrong time. He was not bewitched. All these are negative coincidences that occur in some people’s life.

Similarly, positive coincidences also occur in some people’s lives. For instance, a man came to call my friend’s son for an errand. Unfortunately, the son was not around. Then the man decided to call another person to go and exchange some foreign currency for him. Incidentally, the other errand runner-person made huge amount of money from the transaction. When my friend’s son came back, he asked him where he had been to when the man was looking for him.

By the time he saw the man, he learnt another person had done the errand

and made substantial money. Sometime people may not get money quickly or the job they are doing may not progress quickly. This does not have anything to do with bewitchment. But some people always attribute such coincidence to the handiwork of wizards and witches. This is where the problem starts.

Nobody tells lies against the principalities of this world that goes unpunished. They compound the person’s problem because they have been implicated for what they did not do. At times, people are not bewitched; they only walk at a wrong time, which is mere coincidence. Sometime people request at the wrong time or they do not know how to request, so they do not receive.

The problems some people are facing today are self-inflicted. A person who earns N30, 000 monthly and his lifestyle may not show that he earns such money.

He keeps concubines, drinks alcohol a lot, etc. Then he is attributing his inability to make ends meet to the principalities of the world.

Brethren, do not attach all your problems to the witches and wizards; check your steps, otherwise you might fall into the pit. In the name of Jesus, we shall not take wrong steps in our journey into the world. Amen.

Oloruntimilehin

From prison to palace…a reward of godly character –Pastor Bamidele The journey to the top is fraught with tribulations. But only a godly character will lead and sustain you there. According to Pastor Lai Bamidele of Christ Glorious End-Time Evangelical Ministry, achieving fame is not difficult, but character is needed to sustain it. Excerpts:

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t is a man’s absolute obedience that enhances God’s divine intervention. All things end well that start and progress with God. Only one bad relationship can sink the ark of a man’s destiny. Very shortly, I will be showing you few people that built on their godly character and those ones who did not build on their godly character.

God is not going to release wealth to you when you are not mature enough to maintain that wealth. For God to build a man experimentally, He will subject him to tribulation. When God was to build Joseph, when God was to experiment with Joseph over the greatest height that he was taking, Joseph faced tribulations. And one of the tribulations he faced while he was building his character is in the book of Genesis 39, from verse 1. If you read that scripture to verse 20, you will see how his master’s (Portipher’s) wife wanted to destroy Joseph’s destiny. But because of godly character, Joseph ran from the woman, but he paid for it; he faced tribulation.

There is no greatest height in life until you face tribulation. That is why He said, to build you up experimentally, He will subject you to tribulations. Achieving fame is not difficult, but you need character to sustain it. It is not difficult for a man to achieve fame. But you can only sustain that fame with your godly character. Joseph had the potentials to become a great man. But he needed character to reach enlargement. And when his master’s wife held unto Joseph that he must sleep with him, the Bible says Joseph removed his garment and ran away.

If God gives you a ridiculous instruction, He is actually setting you up for a miraculous intervention. If you look at the character of Reuben, he slept with his father’s wife. If you look at the book of Genesis 49, the father called all the children and he began to release words before them. He was speaking about what tomorrow has in stock for them. When it was the turn of Reuben, the Bible says Jacob said so many good things about Reuben.

But he destroyed everything with only a word. He said,

“Reuben, you are unstable as water. You will not excel.”

Why? Because Reuben slept with his father’s wife; Reuben saw his father’s nakedness. He was a man that had every potential to be great, but he finished his destiny because of immoral and ungodly character. But Joseph ran away from Portipher’s wife. He did not run because of Portipher, but because of God; he said, “How can I do this wickedness against my God?” The greater the problem, the bigger the victory.

That is why Joseph faced that problem; he was imprisoned over what he had no hand in. He was jailed unjustly. Why? There was a greater tomorrow for him.

And when he came out of the prison, he found himself in the palace. There are two ‘Ps’. One is ‘prison’; the other is ‘palace’.

It is your character that will determine the level of your greatness. Reuben forfeited his position of leadership because of an unstable character. God is not interested in your gift or talent or potential, if it is not by good character. God gives gift in a day but he spends years building a man’s character. God can give someone a gift in one day but He takes years building on the character of a man.

When you act wrongly, you bear the consequences of your wrongdoing. Reuben acted wrongly and he bore the consequences of his wrongdoing. He suffered. Joseph acted wisely; he bore the consequences of his wisdom and ended up in the palace.

Other men you can cite as examples are Abraham and Lot. Lot could not see his tomorrow. Abraham could see and picture his future. And when Abraham looked, he said there is no need for us to quarrel over unnecessary things. Choose where you like; and Lot chose the wrong direction and he finished his destiny. In the book of Genesis 13: 14-15, you’ll see that story.

As I said earlier, if you act wrongly, you will bear the consequences. The book of Galatians 5:22-23 also says something about that. It is a man’s character that takes a

man to the peak of his career.

It is also his character that will sustain him to remain in that position for long. Achieving fame is not difficult but you need character to sustain it.

The character you build will build you up. You cannot be in haste and not be a waste. Yearning for greatness is the womb of greatness. If you exhibit pride with the little gift that God has given you, He will not commit something great into your hand, because you will soon turn yourself to a God. Humility is the hallmark for an all-round success. That is why a man must learn to exhibit godly character in everything he does.

•For counselling contact: pst_ lai@yahoo.com, phone 08074484415, 08027502864 and 08161285586

Bamidele

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Praise & Worship

Sunday April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Muoka

A cross section of testifiers at the just-concluded revival, of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries.

Reaping the gains of Easter, by Pastor Muoka RICHARD EGHAGHE

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he Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, a miracle and Bible-believing ministry with international headquarters at Ijesha, Lagos, seized the opportunity of last weekend’s Easter holidays to organise a massive two days revival retreat for its members and non members alike.

The event, which held at its expanse prayer ground, at 10, Odofin Park Estate, Ijesha, along the ever busy Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, featured various Christian activities, including worship, praise, healing, deliverance, testimonies, ministration of the world and lots more.

In an opening remark, founder and General Overseer of the Church, worldwide, Pastor Lazarus Muaka, assured the congregation that the message from the two days retreat is bond to “mark the beginning of our miracle.

Brethren, you shall be blessed. Today and tomorrow will mark the end of whatever that is going wrong in your life because my Father in heaven says whatever I bind here on earth shall be bound in heaven. So your participation in this special Easter crusade marks the beginning of good things in your life.”

He observed that there are many reasons for our celebration of Easter. “Prominent among them is that our Master, Jesus Christ, paid the supreme price for our sin that we might be blessed. So, even if you are running away from the blessing, by your participation in this revival, the blessing will overtake and overwhelm you. Even if you are sleeping, the blessing will wake you up. If you are among those having slippery blessings, from today, abundance and permanent blessings of the Lord shall follow you. I also want to let you know that the blessing of God maketh rich.

I really don’t know how many of you that claims to be Christian or born again and you are full of sorrow, poverty and problem? My brethren, that problem shall be replaced with blessing from today. I am positively sure that by your presence in this crusade, blessing shall be your portion.”

Following his powerful supplication to God and prophetic declaration, countless number of souls came out with clear testimonies of instant miracles. A middle-aged man testified to have been suffering from stroke but got his instant healing after the G.O prayed. One Pastor, Don Gabriel, from another church in Liberia testified that he went somewhere to pray for a member and suffered spiritual attack. He lost his senses and became paralysed, deaf and dumb and had been moving from one country to the other, seeking solution. He glorified God to have experienced in-

stant healing at the retreat and following the powerful infectious prayer by Pastor Muoka.

Also, a woman that was crippled after a motor accident and brought to the crusade ground on clutches also proclaimed her healing and ability to now walk after the prayer session with the G.O. There were equally series of testimonies by people from past crusades and revivals of the Lord’s Chosen.

According to John 14:6 which states, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” and John 10:7-10 states, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enters, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly and Galatians 3:13 and 14; 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Pastor Lazarus pointed out that the chapters and verses lend credence to the main theme of the retreat: “He Came That We Might Be Blessed”. Before delivering the sermon, the powerful man of God gave a prophetic declaration: “I want you to open your mouth and say I shall be blessed. I want you to open your mouth again and declare: today, tomorrow, blessing will follow me. Also say bye-bye to curse, bye-bye to poverty, bye-bye to sorrow, bye-bye to affliction, bye-bye to failures. Say mercies of God are my portion and if you believe it say Amen”.

As we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, everyone should endeavour to know the reason because in the absence of this knowledge, we have no cause to celebrate. Remember the Bible says in John 8:32 that “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” and in Hosea 4:6, it says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”.

Also turning to the book of John 13:13, which reads, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

The G.O also impressed it on the participants that ‘knowledge brings blessings, citing the book of Daniel 11:32 which says “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

Many people all over the world who are on holidays for Easter are bond and yet don’t know the meaning or benefit of Easter. Some will attend their church Easter service or retreat or special programme without foreknowledge or benefit of Easter. When you do not know what you are celebrating this time, you will just be celebrating in vain. In the light of this explanation we are bringing this message to people to be full beneficiaries of Easter, now and forever more because the blessing of Easter does not stop now. It continues till eternity and that blessing shall be your portion. It will come upon you today, tomorrow, till eternity. Remember Jesus said in the book of John 10:10 that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”. By the anointing upon me as minister of God, I decree that the abundance of life shall be your portion; better life shall also be your portion.

As long as Jesus Christ had come, the blessings of his coming shall be your portion. If you believe it, say Amen.

The book of Mark 10:30, reads: “But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” It is my prayer that the purpose of His coming will make each and every one of us to have eternal life. Eternal life in heaven shall be your portion and abundance of life on earth shall be our portion. I don’t know what you are going through now, but I know that that thing you are going through is as a result of lack of knowledge. Today you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

The plan of God and the unfortunate situation: our father in heaven has a wonderful plan in creating man. The book of Revelation 4:11says “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”. Take note that God created you and me for His own pleasure, which is a wonderful plan. No wonder He cre-

ated our forefathers, Adam and Eve, after His own image and likeness.

In Genesis 1:26-27, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Now our Bible tells us that God created us to be like Him and there was no sin at the beginning when God created man. He was full of God’s glory or the divine nature of God, which included: holiness, love, righteousness, humility, peace, meekness, power, compassion. He also gave man dominion over all His creation to control the garden of Eden. He handed over everything He created to man. Genesis 1:28 and 29, states “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” As you can see God handed to man, everything that He created. Take a look at Genesis 2:15 “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Now the first man and woman were not ashamed when they were created because there was no sin. They were covered with the glory of God. Again, if you look at the book of Genesis 2:25 “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed”. They were not ashamed because they were clothed with the glory of God and the glory covered them. As a result, our father in heaven always meets with them and takes pleasure in them. In verse 16 and 17 of Genesis chapter 2, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” This means, God was just discussing with man freely and telling man what he should do and what he should not do. But then, something fundamental to mankind happened. Remember that God earlier instructed that the fruit of the tree in the garden, don’t eat because if you eat it, you shall die. Satan, who was cast out of heaven because of his rebellion and pride, sought an opportunity to retaliate by causing man to sin against God. Read Revelation 12:7-10,” the man of God urged.

PASSION A Lifestyle Magazine

‘I poured Quaker Oats into my mother’s underwear >>Pg 29 drawer’

Sunday April 7, 2013

As per love, I’m in a dicey situation –Moyo Lawal >>Pg 26

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Passion

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Concerning love, I’m in a dicey situation –Moyo Lawal, actress Nollywood star, Moyo Lawal, is a super screen diva you won’t forget in a hurry as she has actually made an impact on the make-believe world. In this interview with Adaeze Amos, she says she cares less about losing her privacy as an actress.

She discloses that she is trying to get over someone she thought they were going to build something together.

What new thing are you into now?

Moyo is alive, Moyo is well and that hat is the most important thing. That is what is new about Moyo.

You recently featured in Halima Abubakar’s akar’s movie, Mistresses; what is it all about?

It is a movie that showed the topical cal issue in the society. It showcased infidelity. It is a topical story tory I think everybody would be able to relate with. I think k it is one that everybody would enjoy and apart from that, hat, it is something they can actually learn from if they choose to.

As an actress who is versatile, are there ere some roles you wouldn’t accept no matter the he amount at stake?

As an actress, acting is my job. There ere is no role I would not accept. My job is to imitate and interpret any character that exists. ts.

Would you take up a nude role?

Everything depends on the story, the he message and the entertainment. My job is to entertain and whatever I have e to do to entertain is what I would have to do. For instance, in Mistresses I played the role of a wife and I did it well.

What aspect of stardom are you enjoying?

I’m happy that my career is growing. I’m getting more opportunities to interpret characters that I would love to do. I keep building my career. For me, that is the most important thing as well as to bring joy to people.

The fact that people see me and they are excited about what I do make me glad. They usually tell me that the movie I was doing affected their lives, that the character I interpreted inspired them and that they would want to treat their husbands the way I did in movies I featured in. Those are the things I enjoy most in my career and they bring g me so much joy to see people react that at way to movies I have done.

How do you feel about the fact that you ou don’t have privacy?

Not having privacy is the life I chose ose and I do not have a problem with it. I love e my job and life basically.

What are those scandalous stories about bout you that made you grieve?

I would not lie, I have had incidents nts where I didn’t know what I was going to do with my y life and how I was going to move on. But I have been able ble to overcome these.

Right now, I hear people say stuffs like ike that and I laugh because I think I have had all my scandalous alous fears in the past. Basically, nothing really gets on me Have you ever thought of getting married ried one day?

Yes, I want to get married. I’m the first child. I will like to make my par-

ents proud. But I still have a career, and for me right now, that is still the most imand kids come, that would be good. portant thing in my life. When marriage a marriage is crashing of late, especially Aren’t you scared about the way marr those of celebrities like you?

I’m not scared. Everything I go into, I give it a hundred and one per cent. I know my marriage is definitely going to work whenever I get wedded.

What qualities are you looking out for in your ideal man? should be the one that I would be able My ideal man shou That is all that matters to me. This is to make happy. Tha the only quality tthat I require.

Don’t Do D n’t you put iinto consideration whether he can also you happy? a al so make yo make him happy, then I am happy.

If I can m When Wh W en then the will we hear your wedding bells?

That would be when a husband finds me.. I w will be here and I will be waiting for m me him. h hi m.

Who Wh W o is right now occupying the love zone z zo ne of your heart?

Concerning love, I’m in a very C dicey situation. I’m trying to get d di c over ov somebody I thought we were going to build something togethg go er. er I’m healing right now. I’m not searching, se What are you actually doing to W wriggle out of the pains of the w heartbreak? h I just concentrate on work and do d what I can for my family and people.

I try to make others happy p because when they are happy, they b make me happy. That is how I do my m own ow thing.

When Whe are you coming up with your own movie?

Everything depends on God. I’m Ev working towards it, I’m hoping for the worki best. It is one step at a time. I’m cementfrom time to time. ing my footstep f What is your yo style?

My style is simple but marvellous. I love clothes and they love me. I like to dress well bat sically.

What makes you happy? h I’m happy when I fulfil my responsibilities to other people. I’m happy when wh I have done my duties towards you. That is when I have ha contributed my own quota into your life. That gives me joy and I feel fulfilled. That is my source of happiness.

What are those obvious lapses in Nollywood?

In every industry, we have lapses. laps We are working on our lapses. I would want to leave those lapses wrapped.

After all, you are not going wr to tell lapses that your own industry has. h We are people in progress. We are young Nollywood working towards making things better and that is all m about us. We can only get better.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Applause

My ideal man must have high IQ – Sylvia Oluchi ANGELA DAVIES

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ne striking feature of pretty Sylvia Oluchi is her amiable smile. The Nollywood actress who has been in the industry for about three and half years revealed that she never wanted to be an actress, however, she has no regret for her decision.

Her motivation came from her mother. According to Oluchi, because of the way she imitates her teachers every day when she returns from school, her mother believed she was going to be a good actress.

“Funny enough, I never wanted to be an actress. My mother was the one who would always tell me ‘you will make a good actress’ and that was because I will always come back from school and start to imitate my teachers at home. She advised that I take acting as a professional. Here I am doing what mother said. You know what they say, mother knows best. I have been in the industry for three and half years,” she emphasised.

On whether she has any regrets being in the industry, she said, “Not at all. I am enjoying every bit of it. In fact, I don’t think I have started. I am only just waiting for better opportunities to come.” About the most challenging role she had played, Oluchi was quick to say, “I don’t know if I have played the most challenging role but I have played the role which has gotten me the most recognition. It is the character of a young girl called Idara, which I played in the movie ‘Bent Arrows’. From that movie I won my first award for the Best Rising Star at the Nollywood Movie Award in 2012.”

For the gorgeous fashionista, style is personality. “Your style is your personality, it is basically who you are. I always tell people, don’t follow trends. You don’t have to necessarily do what everybody does because your personality is unique to who you are, so also should your style be.

However, my style is afro-chic because I always like to mix African and other fabrics to my outfits. But I also try to put them in updated styles. I am an African woman through and through so I like that to reflect in my style. I would say that there is a lot of afro-centricity in my style,” she revealed.

What is that fashion item she cannot do without as a woman? “I will never leave the house without applying mascara because I have big eyes so I like to frame them up with mascara. For me, when it comes to make-up, I say less is more,” Oluchi explained.

According to her, everybody says her eyes are the sexiest parts of her body and so she would just go with the crowd. However, if she has to flaunt any part of her body, she would show off her stomach. “I think I will flaunt my stomach because I spend so much time doing sit-up every day. I deserve to flaunt it and I don’t mind flaunting it once in a while.”

As a woman who loves fashion, what puts Oluchi off fashion? For her, it is when women don’t dress to suit their body type. “Women should dress to suit their body type and not look at anyone else for their style. Also, I think we over-accessorise. African women do it a bit too much sometimes.”

For Oluchi, her most cherished fashion item is her underwear as she believes that it is the key to confidence.

“Funny enough, because I believe that underwear is the key to confidence; it is my most cherished fashion item. I always tell my friends that if I wear torn T-shirt with very sexy matching underwear, I will still carry myself with confidence. The key to confidence is a sexy, good-looking and clean underwear,” she stated.

As a fashionista, does she look up to other fashionista’s for her style? “As I said, fashion is very personal so I don’t look up to anybody else for fashion although, I do admire some women. I like Rita Dominic a lot because of what she wears and Jennifer Lopez as well.” she reiterated.

Although still single, Oluchi disclosed that her ideal man must be highly intelligent, nevertheless she does not mind which country he comes from. “I am not married yet but my ideal man basically must have high IQ (intelligent quotient), it doesn’t get better than that. I don’t have pref-

erence about where he should come from. I couldn’t be bothered whether her he is Asian, American or African, as long as he has as high IQ and the fear of God.” Everybody has their down or unhappy moments; at such times what does Oluchi do to make herself happy? appy? “I smile. I tell myself ‘just smile, smile ile only’ and I just force myself to laugh h and from forcing myself I actually start to laugh for real.

It works every time.” ime.”

It is the dream am of many young female actresses es to work with one or two famous ous male actors they admire and nd for Oluchi that is not different. rent. According to her, she has worked with OC Ukeje e who she admires. But she he would also like to work rk with Ghanaian and Tinsel star actor, Chris ris Attoh. “I will like ke to work with Chriss Attoh of Ghana,” she revealed.

About what hat motivates her in life, the Theatre re Arts graduate e revealed that, t, “I think I like e pretty, expensive things, so that alone motivates me enough to want to work hard so that I can afford them.

Also, I like to as much as possible help other people and there is no way you can help others when n you have nott helped yourself. f.

Oluchi is enngaged in a lot of hobbies. “I have ve tonnes of hobobbies because for me, life is all about out trying a new thing hing every day. I am m the kind of person n who is very adventurous. urous.

But my major hobbies obbies are reading and d travelling because travelling avelling exposes you and nd makes you see new w things, hence, her philosophy losophy of life which states, es, ‘A new thing everyday’..

Oluchi has featured in movies such as ‘Bent Arrow’, ‘Alan Poza’, ‘Finding Finding Love’, ‘On bended knees’, nees’, amongst others, which will all be coming out in the cinemas mas this year. She sees herself in the next five years not only producing cing her own movie but also opening ng up a business or two because she e loves and wants to be an entrepreneur. r.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Faces

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

& Events

APRIL 7, 2013

The couple at the Church Registry

Oluwafeyidamilola and Adeyemi Oyewumi wed

L-R: Aro of Ogbomoso and former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and parents of the groom, Yeye Oba Olaronke and Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III.

T

The couple at the cutting of the cake.

he wedding ceremony between Oluwafeyidamilola Adetokunbo Hassan and Adeyemi Abdulazeez Oyewumi took place at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Opebi, Ikeja on Saturday, March 30.

A royal reception followed immediately at The Haven Event Centre, GRA. It had in attendance dignitaries such as His Royal Highness, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, CFR, Awujale of Ijebuland; former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and Aro of Ogbomoso, Gbenga Ashiru, among others.

PHOTOS: YINKA ADEPARUSI

L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and parents of the bride, Yeye Otunba and Otunba Hassan.

The

Parents of the bride, Otunba (Dr) Hassan and Yeye Otunba Adetola Hassan, the Obaruwa/Baalemole of Ijebuland

Presentation of certificate to the new couple

Actr Founder and former Chairman, Diamond Bank, Mr. Pascal Dozie (right) and his wife.

L-R: Father of the bride, Otunba Hassan; mother of the groom, Yeye Oba Olaronke Oyewunmi; the couple Yemi and Feyi; father of the groom and Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi, and mother of the bride, Yeye Otunba Adetola Hassan.

L-R: Mother of the groom, Yeye Oba Olaronke; Sen. Oluremi Tinubu and father of the groom, Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi.

Oba Sikiru Adetona giving his speech.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru (right) and Chief Tunji Ayanlaja.

Royal fathers at the wedding

L-R: Socialites, Mrs. Ngozi Are, Mrs. Tokunbo Ajanaku Ogunsaya and another guest.

Kud

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Dude Style I personify my style –Don

Naughtiest Thing The naughtiest thing I’ve ever done

Iruvwe Okeremuta Don, popularly known as De-Don, is a stand-up comedian and radio presenter. He told Angela Davies that he personifies his style.

What’s your style?

My style is myself. I just wear anything that comes to my mind when I want to go out. The truth is that even if my outfit is a mistake, it is a style and if I get it right, it is also a style.

What’s that clothing item you would not be caught wearing?

That will be agbada. If I must wear it, then it should be a must wear costume. I do not just feel comfortable in it.

I like being smart.

What is your favourite clothing?

They are shirt, pant and blazer because they make me feel trendy and smart.

Who’s your best designer?

I like Mudi because his designs are unique. Also, he is the only designer that makes me look exceptional and different.

Which is your signature perfume?

I use any one I like. However, sometimes, I use Burberry or 212 for men.

What’s your best after-shave?

I don’t know all their names but I use anyone that works for me. But I remember Keplus; I like it because it does not give me bumps and it is a Nigeria-made brand.

What’s that clothing item you cannot do without?

My jean, T-shirt and canvas because each time I go out when I am not working, it is what I feel comfortable in.

What’s the most expensive fashion item you’ve ever bought?

My shoe; it’s expensive because I bought it for an event that I was well paid to host.

What is your best colour?

White. It signifies purity and love.

What’s your philosophy of life?

Just be real, natural and do what God asks you to do.

What are your likes and dislikes?

I like money and honest people. I dislike fake people, liars and people that live above their means.

I poured Quaker Oats into my mother’s underwear drawer –Vanessa Adekola When I was a little girl, I didn’t like Quaker Oats at all. Any time it was served, I felt I wam being punished for no just cause. As such, most times, I did not even touch it because it was not just my kind of food.

Whenever my mother was in the kitchen preparing the meal, if I perceived the aroma, I got angry. Although, she always made sure it was well prepared and tasty by adding enough milk and sugar, yet I didn’t like it no matter how much she tried to make me love and enjoy it.

Whenever she prepared it, she made us eat at the dining table just to ensure my siblings and I emptied our plates before leaving the table. “Our bowls must be empty before any of us leave the table. However, if she is not at the table, wherever she is within the house, she must come and inspect our bowls just to ensure that we don’t waste it.”

One morning, my mother served us Quaker Oats for breakfast and I got so angry. I was expecting to see bread and fried eggs or even something different for breakfast but I got to the dining table only to see a bowl of Quaker Oats once again. When I noticed that my mother was busy in the kitchen, I took my bowl of the meal and quickly ran to her bedroom. When I got there, I quietly opened her knickers/underwear drawer and poured the whole bowl of Quaker Oats there and hurriedly left.

Since she was still too busy in the kitchen, she didn’t know what I had done. A few minutes later, I took my empty bowl to the kitchen and pretended as if I had finished my Quaker Oats and I noticed that she was impressed.

However, as I watched, I wondered what she would do should she eventually discover what I had done because obviously she would know that I committed the act knowing full well that I hated Quaker Oats.

When she found out the next morning, she gave me the beating of my life.

Vanessa Adekola is Miss Nollywood Uk, Nollywood Actress, CEO Hot Legs Dance Company and TV Presenter.

Interview by Angela Davies

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Pregnancy Talk with

Adaeze Amos ‘Pelvic floor exercise in pregnancy reduces leakage problems’

A

re you heavily pregnant and each time you cough, sneeze or laugh, a sudden drop of urine flows through your pants? You are unable to control this? You need not worry, as you are not alone in this because it is common among most pregnant mothers. But that should not make you feel unconcerned or to totally ignore it.

Don’t say who will notice if a pregnant mother has urine problem or who cares to check your back if there is some map-like urine stains. Even if no one has the time to look at you because you feel you are heavily pregnant, hygienically it is wrong to constantly have some drops of urine on your panties. Besides the foul odour that is associated with this, you will be feeling uncomfortable going about in soiled, wet undies.

There is, however, a way out of this. Kegel exercise or pelvic floor exercise, of course is the way out. Some inquisitive women may want to know why it is called kegel exercise and who exactly is this Kegel. Arnold Kegel is the name of the person who invented the perineometer which is an original pelvic toning device to facilitate the measurement of the strength of the pelvic muscle when at rest and being actively squeezed.

According to experts, “Kegel exercise consists of repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor. This is usually done to tone the pelvic floor muscles in order to reduce urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after childbirth.”

To tone up your pelvic floor, all it requires is to “squeeze the same muscles you would use to stop your urine. Your belly and rear end (buttocks) should not move. Hold the squeeze for three seconds and relax. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times a session and do three or more sessions a day,” medical experts advise.

The interesting thing about this is that only you would know you are doing it. Kegel exercise, medics say, can be performed while travelling, at work, or at random moments during the day.

The exercise is often combined with biofeedback techniques to teach the proper methods and to make sure the act is working. Biofeedback allows you to see, feel or hear when an exercise is being done correctly. This can be done by placing a finger in your vagina or anus to feel its

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

A finger in your vagina can help you feel when the pelvic muscles are exercised.

contraction when the pelvic muscles are exercised.

A general practitioner, Dr. Ezeibe Ezeribe, asserts that women who do Kegel exercise are more likely to improve and cure their incontinence and that such women had fewer leakage problems. You can continue with it after delivery because, according to medical experts, women who do this during and after pregnancy can reduce their chances of urine leakage after delivery.

Kegel exercise, Dr. Ezeribe added, do not pose any risks to a woman’s health, and it should be repeated as often as possible to achieve good results.“Kegel exercise requires a high level of motivation and frequent repetition to be successful,” Dr. Ezeribe stated.

Single’s Bliss with

Akpomiemie …a peep into the world of a seriously searching sister!

Now behold my car!

I enjoyed j d every momentt off that th t Sunday S d service i especially i ll beb ing called Desmond’s wife. See the yeye female church ushers as they were flocking around me; I know that it’s Desmond that they are after and I’m ready to mentally finish them!

Well, when we left church, we headed home - to Desmond’s place and he fixed lunch even when I insisted on doing that. Chei!

This guy knows how to pamper a lady silly o!

While we were enjoying a movie, don’t ask me the title because I can’t remember as I was only enjoying Desmond’s company, my phone rang. It was Alex. Oh! I picked the call to ward off any suspicion and kept shouting: “hello! I can’t hear you. Please, let me call you back”.

Fast babe! Immediately the call dropped, I used one secret password to lock the accessibility of the phone. Are you confused?

Well, learn this today: there is a special code for Airtel users who don’t want to be contacted by anyone but you can dial out! Pay the necessary consultancy fee to me to get the secret code! I can see a big grin.

Back to our gist! Well, I simply coded the line and no calls ever came in. When you use this code, your callers will either be told that you’re not within network coverage area or will indicate network congestion! You then put up a mischievous smile.

When the first movie ended, I told Desmond I needed to be on my way home but he refused. He wanted me to remain with him that week. He said we would go clean my place together on Friday evening noting that I may have even gotten a change of address before then. Hmmmnnn, that meant he could get me a place on the Island as my house is just too far from him. See blessings in disguise o! Poor Simisola, she will choke with envy when she hears this!

I enjoyed the rest of that evening as we both went strolling. I surprise say Desmond didn’t even mention Alex! As usual, we went to bed in separate bedrooms like the previous night.

I was already on air the next day reading the mid-day news when the receptionist dropped a note on the console in the studio. I saw it was for me. Immediately, I was done, I read the note and saw that I had a visitor at the reception. Since I had no advert to play, I asked my assistant to continue playing music while I left for the reception. It was Alex smiling like he had won American visa lottery!

Well, I joined him while he led me outside. Hands in hands, he took me to one brand new SUV utility sport car! Behold, my new car; delivered as promised!!! He even gave me N3 million cheque as upfront fuel money and other stuffs I will gist you about later!

Kai! Some CEOs are Chief Excessive Odes (mumu) not Chief Executive Officers! Do you know that this guy that bought me brand new jeep has not paid Simisola and his other workers their salaries for the past four months? Well, na their wahala be that!

You won’t believe this! Alex waited until 3 p.m. when I finished my shift just to take me out to lunch as part of the celebration of our new “baby”! My name: Akpomiemie is really at work o! In case you don’t know, it means life of enjoyment!

But yawa (trouble) was going to gas when my phone started ringing while Alex and I were having lunch! It was Desmond. It dawned on me that I was still living with him, thus, where will I tell him I got a jeep from overnight? See me see man trouble o!

Lord, deliver me for this na real at a crossroads wahala! I can see a confused face.

36

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Connecting

Vanessa with

Vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

Simple ways to win the heart of the man you love Dear Vanessa, I am 38 years old. I want to marry Ujunwa. I am from Anambra State and Ujunwa is from Anambra State too. She is a banker living in Enugu; I’m not a graduate but I want to marry her. Please tell me what to do Innocent - 08083720**** My answer Marriage is basically an agreement between two people who want to live together for the rest of their lives. Marriage is all about compatibility and the ability of both partners to lay aside their ego or personal achievements for the success of that union.

Having said that, it then becomes imperative to secure the love of the one you want to marry and be sure the person feels the same way about you before you go ahead to tie the knot.

From what I can deduce from your text message, I don’t think you have won the heart of this lady that works in the bank otherwise you will not be feeling insecure about proposing to her. You should not let your educational background hinder you from going for the woman you love. What should rather concern you is to find out if the woman is willing to accept you the way you are and if you are also willing to improve on your educational background if she asks you to.

So I’ll advice you to first of all work on your own personality. Build up your confidence and tell yourself you can win the love of the woman you love notwithstanding her educational background or social status. As much as you can, do not let inferiority complex overwhelm you because most women detest men with low self esteem and know how to easily rebuff their advances. No woman wants a man who cannot stand on his own or who does not know how to go for what he wants.

First try to know about her as much as you canlikes dislikes, hobbies, interests, nature etc. When you have done this, approach her subtly for friendship to gauge her reaction and acceptability. Do this without being too forceful or overbearing otherwise you’ll end up irritating her. Give her some hints what you feel for her; not directly with words but with your gestures and the way you behave towards her.

Make her feel that she is very special to you and what you actually want is a serious relationship and not just friendship alone. Show her love and let her get to know the real you. Make every moment you spend with her a special one so that when you are not there she would feel that something is missing in her life. You create this atmosphere by doing those things you have discovered that pique her interest.

Her reactions to the love you have showered on her will help you to know if she will accept your proposal or not. All the same, be bold to propose to her. If she loves you enough she will agree to marry you irrespective of the fact that you are not a graduate.

I wish you all the best and I hope Ujunwa accepts your proposal; but If she refuses, don’t despair, just move on with your life and find that woman who will accept you the way you are regardless of of your background.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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RESPONSES RE: Seek parental consent in your choice of a marriage partner

I’ll like to drop a few lines about the topic you treated last month about getting parental consent before you marry. The children of this generation need to learn that their parents are like the God that they are seeing now. All we want is to see our children happy but these days they don’t want to listen to us. So I’m very happy you raised this topic. Perhaps they will read it and understand the importance of seeking their parents’ consent of their partner before rushing into marriage.

Mr. Okronkwo. C., Awka, Anambra state The topic title “seeking parental consent in marriage” is a very interesting one. I wish I had read this article 5 years ago before I got married to my husband; maybe I’ll not be in the predicament I am today. I cannot go into details right now but all I can say is that I wish I had listened to my parents’ disapproval before going into marriage. So I’ll advice young people to listen to their parents especially the ladies because they are the ones who suffer most in a bad marriage. Bukky, Lagos

RE: Tasting the forbidden love

I’ll like to comment on the story of Ufuoma which I read in your column in Sunday Mirror titled “tasting forbidden love”. I’ll like to say here that what she did was very wrong. She knew he was a married man, yet she agreed to sleep with him. If she was that man’s wife will she be happy to know that her husband was spending the weekend with another man?

Ladies of nowadays should learn that is not right to sleep with another man’s husband no matter how much they try to justify their actions. One day you too will get married, would you like another woman to sleep with your own husband? Grace, Benin

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38

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

& ovies Music M Stories by Olumide Segun-Oduntan 08189418761 e-mail: lumidezy@yahoo.com

Duby’s amazing singles excite music scene The gospel music scene in Nigeria is set to bounce back as Chidubem Amanda Ikebuego, also known as Duby, releases the first three singles from her upcoming album.

The songs: Ojija Nma, More than Enough and For Real, were jointly produced by Fat E and Williams.

The singles which come off with a touch of pop, dance, worship and Afro-pop vibes are a product of her several years’ experience working at the background with some of Nigeria’s notable music artistes like D’Banj, Onyeka Onwenu and lately, Sammie Okposo, with whom she spent eight years.

Duby started singing in a church but only embraced music professionally at the age of 12 due to the influence of her friends who kept reminding her that she was blessed with a wonderful voice.

“I started with Tim Godfrey and the Xtreme Crew. It was at the age of 12 that I embraced music as a professional when my friends started urging me to do something with my voice. Before then, I was doing shows from one church to another; but in 2005, I met D’Banj.

“His band had just been formed and they were looking for backup singers, so I was part of the original band. From there, I moved on to join Onyeka Onwenu and eventually I got back to Sammie Okposo, whom I had worked with on and off. I have spent eight years with Sammie,” she revealed.

The fifth child of her parents who hail from Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Duby’s childhood which influences her music may have spurred her belief that voice is one of the strongest musical instruments in the world. “My greatest asset is my voice. That is why I like people like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Cece Winans, right from my childhood. But at the local level, I like Waje and a gospel artiste called Efe. Efe is so unique in her delivery and I am moved by what she does with her voice”.

Working with Sammie Okposo, according to her, has been very impactful. “Sammie is a unique artiste, that is why he is generally seen as the king of Gospel music in Nigeria and he deserves it. He is one very big force in this whole thing I am doing and a great influence on my career.

Our rehearsals are like being in real concerts, Sammie has this attitude that hard work is the only way out and he goes the extra mile to enforce it on everyone around him. He is also making sure that this album is completed in good time”.

Ikebuego

Jesse Jagz performs all-new single on reality show stage If you missed Nigerian Idol show this penultimate weekend, you missed two utterly engaging shows. Not only was the comeback queen with nine lives, a.k.a.

Safeeyat, saved by the judges, the contestants gave the performances of their

Jesse Jagz

lives, and, sensational singer, Jesse Jagz was in the building.

It was an off-the-chart weekend for the show, and though the elimination night was definitely a shocker with Safeeyat ousted in a shocking elimination, she was saved by the show’s judges; Jeffrey Daniel, Yinka Davies and Femi Kuti, using up the one lifeline of the competition.

On Sunday, the best performances of the show yet occurred, including Abasiakan’s stunning take on Invincible by Lemar, Debbie Rise’s sizzling performance of Tiwa Savage’s Kele Kele Love and Moses’ jaw-dropping performance of Peace by Asa. The evening went to wave-making singer, Jesse Jagz however, as the Jagz of all trades made his presence felt at Dream Studio, and knocked out a riproaring performance of his never-before-heard hit, Desire.

Debie Rise with Stella Monye

Shuga Band appreciates fans for winning Band Of The Year Award Shuga Entertainment Nigeria Limited, owners of the Shuga Band, has expressed deep appreciation for the support of its teeming fans, as it picked up the award of Band of The Year at the recently concluded WED Expo that features WED Awards to honor the achievements of practitioners in the Wedding industry.

Shuga Band was voted the Band of The Year in the competitive category that featured bands like Shuga Band, Top Band, Ebony Band, Sharp Band, Faith Band and Estimable Band. Speaking on the award, Akinloye Tofowomo, Shuga Band CEO, said “On behalf of Shuga Entertainment Nigeria limited, owners of Shuga Band, we want to say a big thank you to the organizers, our fans and clients for their patronage over the years. Also to all band members, technical crew and administrative staff through their relentless and collaborative effort to ensure every event is delivered with its unique touch and professionalism. To my family, I say a big thank you for your support”.

Shuga Band has always been at the front line when it comes to providing music and entertainment with the touch of class that separates it from other bands, and this has made the band the first of choice among corporate Nigerians for corporate gig, weddings and other social events.

Akin-Shugah

Yusuf

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

39

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Amazing performances on Nigerian Idol as music stars pair up with contestants In what some have tagged the most thrilling television moment this year, Nigeria’s top musicians of the 80s and 90s paired with the younger artistes of Nigerian Idol. Last Sunday night was

a memorable evening for both the contestants and the superstars that graced the stage for the evening.

With judges Femi Kuti, Yinka Davies and Jeffrey Daniel grooving to the en-

thusiastic performances, it was a fun night for the contestants, the judges, the guest singers and the audience.

Safeeyat has struggled with performance issues, but she looked set to put all that behind her as she performed her duet with Fuji legend, Adewale Ayuba in his song, We are Happy People. The collaboration had the judges dancing in their seats and the audience up on their feet, singing along.

Debbie Rise, performed like she was having the time of her life as she sang with the illustrious Stella Monye, reprising Stella’s monster hit, Oko Mi Ye. An awe-struck Debbie Rise was visibly flabbergasted after her performance, and the duet certainly created a party atmosphere in Dream Studio.

Guest judge Mike Okri paired with Moses for the classic hit, Time Na Money. The stupendous performance had the audience chanting Moses’ name, and even had Jeffrey saying, “The most electrifying performance of the night!”

With just two more shows to go until a new winner is crowned, there seems to be no clear winner yet. Who will Nigerians choose?

Singer, Akin releases anticipated music video Sensational singer, Akin Busari has released his first single of his anticipated new album entitled True Stories - Africa, which is sequel to his English album entitled True Stories.

Interestingly, Akin’s newly released single, Mo So Rire, which means “I am Blessed” in Akin’s native Yoruba tongue, has been blazing on Toronto’s top music station, G98.7 FM’s African Groove. By way of surprising fans this week, Akin released his highly anticipated music video for the single.

The music video tells the story of a man who discovers his purpose in life; knowing and understanding his worth, motives and ready to fulfill his destiny.

To Akin, being blessed is much more

than acquiring material possessions, it is also about discovering and working towards personal goals and your purpose on earth.

Hence, the music video attempted to capture this concept by showing less material possession and highlighting Akin’s focus on nurturing his talents. According to a source, Mo So Rire will hit the airwaves across Africa, on stations such as MTV Base, Channel O, AIT, NTA and more.

Akin is a one-of-a kind musician, his music is unique, powerful and has a strong message that will uplift and inspire many. His unique style pushes the boundaries of music by merging R&B, Hip Hop and Reggae with his African roots influence.

Sheifunmi Yusuf to be unveiled as V-Channel presenter Popular P Pop Po opul pula lar celebrity lar ce ele lebr leb brit bri ity blogger, ity blog bl ogge og gerr, TV ge TV and and radio an radi ra dio di io personality pers pe rson rs onal ality l , Sheifunmi Yusuf, is set to be unveiled as a one of the fresh, hot and young presenters of the new entertainment channel, V-Channel on Startimes.

Sheifunmi who runs a gossip blog, caught the eye of the management of the cable station, V-Channel which decided to add him to the league of its presenters that include the likes of Anabel, Papasam, April, Chemistboy, Bridget, Jude, Oyinda, to mention but a few.

Shei, as he is popularly called by his fans, is best known for covering gossip posts on celebrities, actors, musicians and other famous faces. He is also known for featuring upcoming artistes from different parts of the world, interviewing celebrities from Hollywood but recently has been interviewing Nigerian artistes and updates on recent music, movies and other showbiz events.

Sheifunmi, was the official live feed blogger for the MTV Music Awards 2010, Hip-Hop World Awards 2010/2012 and the Social Media Officer/On Air personality for Nigerian Idol Diaries. Over the years he has garnered numerous media support and acknowledgement for his works from MTV, Perez Hilton, Abiola Abrams (BET), BBC 1 Xtra and many more.

Fela-Durotoye

Omawunmi

Omawunmi set to shine in concert If you love an amazing concert with all the features of an exciting night out, then today is your lucky day as M&M can reveal that you will be treated to a lavish performance from celebrated songstress, Omawunmi in a concert.

The concert tagged: The Lasso of Truth, is billed to hold tonight at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

Apart from Omawunmi, who is the main performer of the event, other artistes billed to thrill the audience at the show include 2Face, Wizkid, Timaya, Flavour, Onyeka Owenu, WAJE, Seyi Shay, Tiwa Savage and Mercy.

The show, which is expected to be star-studded, promises to be an exciting night of wholesome entertainment.

Fela-Durotoye plans 100 Voices project Leading Nigerian makeup entrepreneur, Tara FelaDurotoye has expressed gratitude at being honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

The recognition is given for her professional accomplishments and commitment to society, alongside 198 other professionals from 70 countries.

“Our team at House of Tara was excited to receive news of this global recognition,” she said, upon receiving the news. “We are very focused on our vision of building a globally respected beauty company that Africans can be proud of whilst building the lives of young women through entrepreneurship around the continent. We are inspired to do even more.”

A lawyer and mother of three, Mrs. Fela-Durotoye is the founder and creative director of House of Tara International (H.O.T). She launched the first bridal directory in 1999, set up international standard makeup studio, and established the first makeup school in Nigeria.

In 2010, her company House of Tara was selected as the only Nigerian participant for that year’s Fortune/State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership Programme.

Mrs. Fela-Durotoye who has been described as the continent’s Mary Kay is currently working on the national project 100 Voices, aimed at creating a platform to share the stories of these women to help develop the nation.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

40

Lessons of Life

ANGELA DAVIES lessonsoflife2@yahoo.com 08023342083

TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART APRIL 7, 2013

‘How my three wives beat and confined me to a wheelchair’

I

never thought I would be a polygamist because I grew up in a strict Christian home. I believe, however, that when one gets to a point in life, one begins to mould his/her destiny, probably because of affluence.

I am married to three beautiful and wonderful women and I must confess I love and care for them dearly. Because I am bad-tempered and the way I treat them sometimes, they ganged up one day and beat me up mercilessly. That single act has left me in a wheelchair for almost two years.

From experience as a polygamist, I will like to say that a man can turn the women with the most beautiful hearts into monsters if all you do is punch and treat them as if they are your slaves instead of wives. Candidly, you would not know what hit you the day they would gang up against you. Today, I will tell my story from my humiliating wheelchair.

My name is Chief Osas. I married Helen my first wife when I was poor. But because of the love we had for each other, she stood by me. However, she was unable to bear children after three years of marriage, so I started dating Alero whom I met through my cousin, Ejiro.

Alero became my mistress until she informed me that she was pregnant. Since I wanted a child, I had to marry Alero as my second wife after discussing with Helen. “Helen darling, I want to inform you that a woman is pregnant for me,” I explained. I thought she would be furious but she suggested that I should bring her in as a second wife so that we can live together as a family. She smiled and said to me, “At least, there will be the cry of a child in this house after three years. I want you to marry her as a second wife. My love, I will give you my full support as long as she will not come between us.” Surprised, I asked, “Helen, are you sure you want a mate in this house?” She nodded her approval and I promised her that nothing would ever come between us. About a month later, I married Alero traditionally.

Initially, I was scared that there will be frequent quarrels and fights between them, but I noticed that they became close and behaved more like sisters rather than mates and this made me very happy. They helped and supported each other. In fact, they did everything together and I made sure they got whatever they wanted. The first

time I heard them quarrel, I warned that it should never repeat itself else I would throw them out of my house and stop their monthly allowances as well.

Helen took care of Alero’s son as it he was hers and a year later, Helen got pregnant and gave birth to a set of twins, a girl and a boy. Just as my family was growing, my business too was booming. I own an architectural firm and automobile shop in Delta State.

However, I realised that the more wealth I acquired, I became more aggressive and hot-tempered that I began to hit my wives at the slightest provocation. I never gave a damn if the children were there or not. Sometimes, I ordered my bodyguards to take the offender to the boys’ quarter; there I will flog the person with belts until I run out of strength. After, the beating, the other wife would console her mate. A day later, I will spoil her with expensive gifts and life continues. Helen and Alero had been tolerating this sordid and brutal attitude of mine for more than 10 years until I married Beauty as my third wife.

Incidentally, I met Beauty one Thursday morning on her way to attend an interview in my architectural firm.

It rained the previous night so everywhere was wet. As my driver sped past her, water splashed all over her body and this made her furious. I asked the driver to go and apologise to her when I saw her facial expression from the rear mirror. I noticed that she kept complaining so I had to get off the car to apologise to her too.

Dressed in lace agbada, coral beads, walking stick and red chieftaincy cap, I walked up to her and said, “Young lady I am Chief Osas. I want to apologise on behalf of my driver. I am sorry. Where are you going?” I asked. “Sir, I am on my way to a job interview at an architectural firm some blocks away from here. Now my clothes are soiled, I can’t make it anymore,” she retorted. “What is your name?” I asked. “Beauty,” she said. Smiling, I assured her, “Don’t worry Beauty, you will get the job.” I gave her my complimentary card, money for taxi and asked her to go home. “Just go home and see me in the office tomorrow at 11 a.m.”

She came the next day and was given immediate employment as an accountant. Beauty is really a beautiful woman and in no time, I took interest in her. Without wasting time, I told her I wanted to marry her. She told

me that although that was not the plan for her life, since I am very rich, handsome and caring, she will marry me on the condition that there will be no wife after her. I agreed.

When I discussed the idea of marrying a third wife with Helen and Alero, they told me I was an African man so I was free to marry as many wives as I wanted as long as the unity, love and tranquility in the home will continue.

Helen and Alero accepted Beauty not only as their mate but also as a sister and friend.

The first time Beauty saw me beat Helen, she called me a monster. That Saturday evening, it was Helen’s turn to cook and I demanded for pounded yam and banga soup.

Instead, she prepared and served me eba and banga soup.

When I enquired into why she disobeyed my order, she told me nonchalantly that she was too tired to pound. Before my other wives, I gave her s slap, and as she tried to get away from me, I chased, caught up with her and beat her black and blue. The next day, I told her to demand for anything and she requested for expensive George wrappers, lace blouse, shoes and matching bags. She got them. I made it a must that after every beating, bruises and black eyes must come expensive gifts of the woman’s choice such as landed property, trip outside the country, even if she wants a car. Beauty too has gotten her own fair share of beating and gifts too but she promised that the next time I touched her or any of her mates; I will live to regret it.

Sometimes, when I start to beat any of my wives, the other two would lock up themselves in their rooms along with their children. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I would chase the person round the house and then into the compound to the extent that our neighbours would begin to peep from their windows or stand at their balconies. They peep when they hear screams from my compound just to see what’s happening because it had become known that I had a strange way of beating my wives.

The truth is that whenever I get home angry, none of my wives must offend me because I will take the anger and frustration out on the person. It happened that one Friday evening, after I returned from a business trip and started nagging about how bad the meeting and the amount of money I had lost in a contract that I wanted so much. When Alero my second wife came to ask me what I would eat so that they could prepare it for me. I slapped her. Her agonising scream attracted Helen and Beauty.

When they got to the sitting room, they saw me punching at her and angrily screaming, “Did I tell you women that I am hungry? All of you just leave me alone.”

Immediately, Beauty and Helen pounced on me as if it was planned. Then Alero joined and they hit me with any object they could lay their hands on in the sitting room until I started screaming for help.

Fortunately, I was rescued by my bodyguards and rushed to the hospital. The doctors discovered that I had problem with my spinal cord and would not be able to walk again. I spent two weeks there. I was subsequently flown abroad but the situation has remained the same. I am tied to my wheelchair. Beauty told me later that they wanted to teach me a lesson that it was wrong to beat a woman. However, they apologised for the condition they have put me. Helen soberly told me it was never their intention to make me live the rest of my life depending on other people for help.

At a point, I was scared that my wives would leave me for other men but they are still with me and they attend to all my needs. They say they love me just the way I am and at last they won’t be scared that I will hit any of them at the slightest provocation.

I still run my company and business even though I have to be carried into my wheelchair when I get to the office or other places. Regrettably, I have learnt the hard way, not to be ill-tempered and never to beat my wives.

Please send your advice to the phone number or e-mail address above. No calls, please.

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o you need a miracle? This is a question that God is asking believers.

There is a difference between being a Christian and being a believer. It is possible to be a Christian without being a believer.

What do I mean by being a believer? A believer is someone who believes in God, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and does the will of God.

Doing His will is fulfilling His commandments and living upright in Him. An unbeliever on the other hand refers to someone who is living in sin. Even though he may be a self-professed Christian, he does not have the Holy Ghost. What category of people is God asking the question: Do you need miracles? It is you and I; because we are sinners saved by grace.

In the book of Mathew 11:28 Jesus Christ says, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden I will give you rest.

Jesus is calling upon us. But the invitation is not for everybody. Remember; the Bible says in the book of Mathew, “If my father did not draw you to me I will not know you.” It is only the Father that will draw you unto Jesus. So, you see that it is only the people that the father of our Lord Jesus Christ has drawn that will believe in Jesus Christ.

One of the people that the father had drawn to believe in Jesus and for a miracle is a man called Zacheus. In Luke 19:4-9, he was asked this same question. Do you need a miracle? Remember that Zacheus was a tax collector, more or less a Pharisee and a Jew. As a tax collector, he did not believe in Jesus, he was a sinner.

But one day, he heard about Jesus and the ministry of Jesus Christ and he decided to know Jesus Christ and asked who this Jesus Christi is? And the question was put to him: Do you need a miracle? He said yes. What is this miracle that Zascheus received that day he admitted that he was a sinner; received Jesus Christ as Lord and personal saviour; and turned from a tax collector to a giver?

Today, so many people are using their gifts, talents even from the house of God; use their anointing to tax people. Jesus said come unto me all ye that labour I will give you rest. Come unto Jesus to receive miracle. What is that miracle? That miracle is to come unto Him and receive Him as your personal saviour, to be born-again.

If you are not born-again Christ is not in you. He says in the book of Mathew, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, every other thing shall be added unto you. The miracle you are going to receive is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. That is the number one miracle of a man; it is not to receive a car, it is not prosperity, it is not good health, it is not material things and it is not pleasure. It is for your soul to be changed, transformed from a sinner to a saint.

This is supposed to be the first miracle we should crave for and experience. But today, many preachers are saying that miracles in Christ I healing, prosperity, wealth and what have you. Brethren it is not. The miracle is to be born-again so that we will make the Kingdom of heaven.

See the example of that rich young man in the Bible, he had money. Oh I have received a miracle, I am a rich man. Did he make heaven? He was so rich. What does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? He was so rich, but he was not a born-again. I want tell you if you need a miracle, the miracle you need to receive is to be born-again.

Change from being a sinner and become a saint. Turn away from your fornication, turn away from adultery and turn away from enviousness. Shun hatred, maliciousness, look-warmness, murder, false witness, pride; and do away with

Praise & Worship

Sunday April 7, 2013

Do you need a miracle, asks –Pastor Samuel Are you one of those who need a miracle and for this, you move from one church to the other in search of miracles? Pastor Samuel Daniel of Global Grace Church says salvation is the main miracle. Hear him: “seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto you.” Excerpts:

Samuel

every unwholesome character, satanic character then be like Jesus. That is your number one miracle, to live a life that is pleasing to God. Brethren I want to tell you, this is a very powerful message. This is the miracle you and the entire world need to receive today. Jesus came and died for you and resurrected because of you. If you are not born-again, it means you do not accept Jesus Christ. Heaven is not for you. Kingdom of God is not for you. If you don’t inherit the Kingdom, you don’t miracle. Salvation is your miracle; transformation of your soul, of your sinful nature is your miracle. If you desire this miracle, open your heart. According to Revelation 3:20, “If you open the door of your heart, Jesus will come in and save you from your iniquity.” And you shall be

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of; God only recognises you when you are born-again.

How can you be born-again? Come to Jesus and confess that you are a sinner from your heart. Don’t go to a man and confess. Man cannot save or deliver you.

Some of you go to a Reverend father.

That reverend father is a sinner saved by grace. Bible says that there is no righteous man on earth. Go to Jesus in your closet, in your quiet time, you and your God in the spirit and in truth; pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins.

And God, as the book of 1John1 says, “If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive all your unrighteousness, your filthy character. He is just, that is why he came to die for you.

You see this period; we are to check our life style. Are born-again? Are you still living in your sinful ways? Are still living in fornication, adultery, armed robbery, 419, stealing, back-biting, gossiping, hatred, jealousy, malice, enviousness and killing? If you are, repent now, that the doo is not yet closed. The Kingdom door is about to close; rapture is about to strike. This is end time, get ready for home going. There is not more time again.

Do not be like the five foolish virgin, the door was close right at their faces, because they were not ready and did not have in their lantern, so their light was put out. The oil there is the Holy Ghost and the light is Jesus the word of God. They had their light in their hand but no oil. You have the word of God in you but no Holy Ghost. You did not work according to the Bible, go and get the Holy Ghost, be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.

Baptise in the name of Jesus Christ according to Acts 2: 37-38, “All the apostles were baptised in the name of Jesus,” not in the name of the Father, the son and the Holy Ghost. Father has a name; son has a name and the Holy Ghost also. If you want to know the name of the father you can call me on phone, I will enlighten you. But the Father has a name, so do the son and the Holy Ghost. All their names is Jesus. He says if you have seen me you have seen my father. Be baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sin When you come to Him and confess your sins, go and re-baptise in the name of Jesus Christ. As you are being buried in water, it covers you then you are brought out, you are resurrected with Christ just like Jesus Christ arose, you become a new creature in Christ Jesus.

Old things shall pass away; you have put on a new garment of Holy Ghost. When you do that you have received your miracle. At the end, when you die you will inherit the kingdom of God. As I am speaking, the Lord told me that He is ready to take His bride home soon. He is bride are the people who are living righteously, according to God’s word. He said that people will start dying mysteriously; because He wants to start taking His own people home so that they would not deviate from His ways. I don’t who His own are but when hear this one has died that one has died remember that God has said that he is ready to take His own people home. So if you are a believer, please remain firm in the faith, it could be your turn tomorrow to enter in His rest. If you are a sinner, better repent for the time is up, that you will not die and go to hell like that rich young rich man.

born-again and inherit the kingdom of God that is your internal life.

Eternity, eternal life is your miracle.

Come on to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. That rest there is eternal life. If you do not receive eternal life, life in the Holy Ghost, you don’t receive miracle. Then every other thing shall be added unto you. Nichodemus received the miracle; he accepted Jesus Christ and he was born-again.

Brethren, which miracle do you want?

Do you want to buy a car? Do you want build houses? Is that your miracle? Do you want to be well known, a popular man? Oh! Is that your miracle? Oh! I want to tell you, that one is in vane, when you •For counseling contact Pastor Samudie you go to hell fire. God does not recogel Daniel via email globalgracechurch@ nise millionaire, God does not recognise ymail.com , www.globalgracechurch.org who you are or what stuff you are made or phone: 08060143296, 08164392405.

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Sunday April 7, 2013

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Why are you in a hurry to choose?

Family FORA wit Pastor N. C with

Amaefula

E-mail: familyfora@yahoo.com Phone:08060315052,

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t is your right to choose. Yes, but it is not just all about you. It is about the effect of your choice. Is it likely to be negative or positive? Your choice today determines your tomorrow. Yes, God has a beautiful plan to give you a good future and hope.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

However, will your choice agree with God’s purpose and plan for your better future? Or will it be at par with God’s. The choice is still yours. In line with the above, we should depend on God to direct our choice. Always commit everything you do to the Lord, including the daily choices you make. Trust him to help you do it, and He will. Psalm 37:5.

Every choice you make today has an effect on your life tomorrow. So you must understand the lasting effect of your choice.

Your ability to get this picture in your mind will really guide your daily choices in life.

It is really one thing to make a choice, but a different thing entirely to be thoroughly acquainted with the consequences of our choices. Different people at different times had been faced with choice making. It

is not an easy thing to choose one thing among others. Nonetheless, for one to make a choice that will not be regrettable, one must strive to have a good understanding of the pros and cons of such choice and its lasting effect.

In making choices that will determine the level of your success or failure tomorrow, you must avoid taking impulsive decisions. Since each step and decision you make in life determine the tune of your life tomorrow, why are you in a hurry to take such delicate decisions? Do not allow the seemingly gratification of your immediate desires to blind your reasoning and sense of good and sound judgment.

Esau was a man who ignored the reality and effect of his choice in his tomorrow.

He asked a question: “What good is my birthright to me now?” Genesis 25:32. The implication was that he made up his mind to sell his birthright and loose both material and leadership position to his younger brother Jacob. Esau also showed absolute disregard for the spiritual blessings that will accrue from his position if he had preserved it. He indeed took a radical and impulsive decision, satisfying his immediate desire for food. However, his inability to give consideration to the lasting effect and consequence to his choice made him loose the future benefits of his birthright.

“And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, bless me, even me also, O my father… And Esau said unto his father hast thou but one blessing,

my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.” Genesis 27:34-38.

He actually gratified himself but he had lost what he can never use that pot of stew to buy. What an unbalanced trade by barter. What a low level of value placement. He later sought for it in tears but it was gone farther than he bargained. He sold his destiny in a split second and never bought his future.

We all face the same situations in our daily living and more often than not, we still make the same condemnable mistakes. When we catch a glimpse of something we want, we are at impulse to get it.

Our feeling of fulfillment, satisfaction and applause for getting that which we want makes us belief so much in ourselves.

However, the big question has always been what is the lasting effect of your decision and choice making? Is it negative or positive? Can you congratulate yourself years later for taking the same decision or making such a choice?

The same whole process is also applicable to marital choices. When you see a man or young lady the first time, what do you conclude? Most of us will exaggerate our feelings and like Esau, these thoughts make our choice seemingly much easier.

This is because if you are void of this ‘so called love feeling’, then what good will your future consideration be.

There is always the possibility of the pressures of the moment to distort our perspective and make the decision seem

urgent. Whereas in the real sense, there is no urgency in decision making no matter the quarter from which the pressure is coming. We must for our own good and better future compare the short-term fulfillment of our choice with the long-term effect before we make our decision.

Furthermore, we might as well feel great pressure in one area of our focus that nothing else seems to matter in other areas and we tend to lose perspective. As difficult as these short, pressure-filled moments are, God is well able to grant us reasonability, discernment, and insight into the situations around us. And as we trust him, He will never lead us into making hasty decisions that are regrettable in the future. Avoid being a prey in the hand of your adversary by depending on God to discern between deception and truth.

Do not rush into your choice and hastily make decisions on your would be spouse or future endeavor. Exercise a little patience and observe one another in different conditions, situations and places. Time has a way of revealing beyond the wonderful and pleasant appearance and soft attentive touch. Do not allow anyone pretending to love you while looking for personal gain lure you into regrettable choice. But in all your choosing, choose Christ and your future choice will be guaranteed. Maranatha!!

•For Counseling and Prayers: Email: nneomamaefula@yahoo.com or call +2348060315052, +2348187464031, +2348052157173

Honouring the covenant of marriage, by Rev. Izuchukwu Rev Chukwudebelu Izuchukwu, Presiding minister of Assemblies of God Church, FESTAC (ii) explains God’s concept of marriage. Excerpts:

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gain I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Matt. 18:19.

If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? Deut.

32:29-30.

Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flashgun. 2:23-24.

From the scriptures above, we can easily ascertain the efficacy of covenant. It takes the covenant of marriage to enjoy a fulfilled file. Marriage is not a happenstance therefore it cannot be fulfilled by chance. Marriage is a school which you collect certificate on the first day; and instead of a graduation day, you run the course throughout a lifetime because there is no graduating date. Those who graduated themselves through divorce are not smiling about it.

The western community is the worst hit in our generation. In trying to rubbish marriage which is a sacred institution through unreasonable divorce, they have succeeded in destabilizing their lives. The union of man and woman which till date remains a mystery succeeds on the platform of covenant. When there is mutual agreement, you have fewer demons to bind and cast out, and accordingly everything

falls in line.

What marriage is “Marriage is an emotional fusion of two personalities into one functional operation, both retaining their personalities”, says Dr Fritz. According to him, in spite of this emotional synthesis, they can still retain the qualities that make up a person’s character, male or female. Every partner is very vital for the upholding of this great institution. A wise man said, ‘Marriage is not for boys and girls but men and women.’

The reason is that they have not grown up, mentally and otherwise enough to manage, lest they damage it. A young man wrote a book on ‘Ten laws of successful marriage’ but rephrased it twice when he got married to ‘Ten principles of marriage’, subsequently ‘Ten ideas of marriage.’ Marriage is a garden of teaching, learning of understanding, accommodating and appreciating. It is a covenant between man and woman for healthy living and harmonious future.

‘Marriage is a garden for two, to woo and be won, to love and to hold, to care and to cherish, to assist and uphold. It is the joining of man and woman for commitment and responsibilities”, according to Pastor Faith Oyedepo. Marriage is a garden for peace, not war, pleasure not pressure, attraction not distraction, comfort not discomfort and trust not distrust.

A family person is one married with attached responsibilities. Marriage is the foundation of families. Every family stemmed out of marriage. If the foundation is tampered with, even the righteous shall hit the rock. Whenever you see a trouble laden family, check the root that is,

Izuchukwu

the marriage it emanated from. Any faulty marriage is bound to bring forth a defective family; it is the irrevocable law of reproduction.

Marriage is a garden where God’s, treasure, love, beauty and glory abide. Marriage is a garden, God’s true garden. God is the author, the planter, the watcher and the centre. In the absence of God, every marriage is sure to celebrate anniversary of woes. For the fact that it is His creation, He alone has all it takes to run a tension, pressure and stress-free marriage. Anyone who sidelines God in his marriage has registered for casualty without knowing. Marriage is designed to be operated by the manufacturer’s manual which is ‘The Bible’.

Marriage is a garden; not for destruc-

tion, defilement, unfaithfulness, hypocrisy and lies. Your relationship with your wife determines the relationship you will have in future with your family members. The wife is to mother the husband, not to murder him, help him not to hurt him. The husband equally is to do likewise. When you can no longer help your spouse, the next in line is to hurt. However, there is always a price to pay when you are either a helper or someone who hurts.

•Presiding Minister, Assemblies of God FESTAC 2, Plot 268A&B, 4th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos. izuchukwudebelu@yahoo.com +2348028390885, +2348056027044, +234704414424.

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Praise & Worship

Sunday April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Receiving the miracle of instant healing!

T The Voice o of wisdom

with Dr. David

Oyedepo E-mail: bishop@davidoyedepoministries.org Phone: 7747546-8

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nderstand that God desires that you live a healthy life. Your health is an important part of His redemptive plan for you (3 John 2).

The major difference between healing in the Kingdom and healing in the world is the instant nature of healings in the Kingdom. For instance, Jesus rebuked the spirit of fever in Peter’s mother in-law, and immediately she was healed (Luke 4:39). Jesus touched the leper and immediately the leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3). Also, He spoke to the dead son of the widow of Nain and immediately, he bounced back to life (Luke 7:13-16).

What differentiates healing in the Kingdom from healing in the world is the instant characteristic of all miracle healings in the Kingdom. The word “immediate” appeared 55 times in scriptures, and all the 55 times were in the New Testament.

Most of it has to do with healing (Matthew 14:36).

Jesus is still touching people today, through the miracle of instant healing. He said: Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

(Isaiah 53:1). Every time faith rises in your heart, His hand is stretched forth to touch you. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He has not 08033258648, 08073285240

Disciplining the Nation with Bishop Wale

Adekoya

E-mail: shalom_ministeries@yahoo.om

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saiah 61:1-3 reads: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Jesus is declaring the mandate of God in the above verses. It emphasises the two keys to accomplishing the mandate: In verse 1, He enumerated the deliverance aspect of the mandate to preach the gospel to the poor thus: •Deliverance from sin’s penalty or salvation •Deliverance from poverty or prosperity •Deliverance from sickness or healing •Deliverance from bondages, captivity or liberation In verse 3, we see the discipleship aspect of the mandate. After the deliverance in verse 1, they must become trees of righteousness; the planting of the Lord that the purpose of God may be fulfilled. They become trees of righteousness: the planting of the Lord through the process of discipleship. They are established in righteousness, as in the fruit of the

changed!

The healing virtue from Christ and the Word are adequate for all who need healing. In Matthew 9:35, the Bible says: He Healed them all. He went about healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases, among the people. You won’t escape the blessing of this healing virtue. All you need is to believe.

Who are you to think of a sickness-free life in a world of sickness and disease?

What is unique about you? I will show you who you are, so as to get you angry to reject every insult of sickness.

Things that qualify you for a sicknessfree life: •You are now a child of God: Every child of God is qualified for a sickness-free life (1 John 3:1-2). So, everyone that is born again shares the divine DNA with God. That is your number one qualification for a sickness-free life. So, whatever is not in God is not legally permitted to be in you.

•You have eternal life: When you are saved, you no longer carry human life; you carry eternal life (John 3:15-16). You carry everlasting life; you share the same life with God. It was His breath that made you a living soul. That is what makes it instant, and when once discovered, God’s integrity is committed.

•You are a spirit: You are a spirit in human body (John 3:5-8). You have a spiritual identity. Spirits don’t get sick. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). You are a spirit. A spirit is naturally immune to sickness and disease.

Why Jesus heals instantly: •The price has been fully paid: The price for your total healing has been fully paid.

So, Jesus is not preparing your healing, it’s already credited to your account. All you need to do is to go and draw it. You take it by force (Matthew 11:12). If you wait, you waste! Note the impotent man, who waited for 38 years before he could be healed (John 5:2-9). There is no incurable case with Jesus.

•It’s in His power to do it today: He has been given the power and authority to do so (Acts 10:38). He won’t ask you to come tomorrow for it, when He has the power to do so today (Proverbs 3:27-28).

•Recognise that you have been re-positioned above sickness and disease: Redemption has re-positioned you above sickness and disease. You are seated today, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, far above the realm where the tormentors live. All you need is the shield of faith in your hand, to quench all the fiery darts of the devil.

•When you are hurt, God is hurt: Every time you are hurt, God is hurt (Jeremiah 8:21). Because He has the power and the authority, why must He keep Himself hurt?

So, He heals you instantly.

•He is a compassionate Father: Every time He had compassion on people, He healed their sicknesses. His compassion compels Him to heal instantly (Lamentations 3:22).

•He is our covenant Nursing Mother: God the Father presented Himself as our Covenant Mother in Isaiah 49:14-15. A mother who is not a witch would want instant healing for her sick child. These reasons are why Jesus heals instantly. Fundamental causes of sickness: •Curse of the law: One of the fundamental causes of sickness, is the curse of the law. Deuteronomy 28: 59-61, talks about

plagues, sicknesses, etc. So, sickness is one of those major issues of the curse of the law. Generational curses are curses of the law. But Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13-14).

•Sorrow Of Heart: The reason for all kinds of sicknesses in the body, today, among others is brokenness of heart (Proverbs 17:22). It destroys your immune system. The more one is depressed, the more one suffers affliction (Proverbs 18:14).

Friend, benefiting from the miracle of instant healing is the privilege of children of God. You become a child of God as you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. You can be His child now, if you have not been, by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me! Now I know I am born again! I will continue this teaching next week.

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, you can get my books —Keys To Divine Health, The Healing Balmand Bible Sense For Total Health.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have three services on Sundays, holding at 6.30 a.m, 9.00 a.m.and 11.30 a.m. respectively.

•I know this teaching has blessed you.

Write and share your testimony with us through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww. org

Dominion mandate and deliverance spirit, character, godliness. The planting of the Lord means they are rooted, built up and growing in faith and manifesting the fruit of maturity in Christ. Deliverance alone cannot get this done. There is the need for proper discipleship for there to be fulfillment of the dominion mandate.

Verse 4 reveals the result of discipleship and deliverance. That is, there will be transformation of the nation, communities and cities, as opposed to what we see today, in our nations. There is no national transformation despite the millions who are born again. The reason is that we have emphasised deliverance from sin’s penalty, deliverance from poverty; deliverance from sickness, but much emphasis has not been placed on discipleship as a major tool for the fulfilling of the dominion mandate.

God is interested in our comfort i.e. (deliverance) and also in our character (discipleship). We may have removed the grave clothes (through deliverance) but we are yet to put on the grace clothes (through discipleship).

The story of Lazarus in the book of John chapter 11, is a revelation to emphasise the need for both deliverance and discipleship.

On the fourth day, Jesus came to the grave.

That is salvation, typified by Lazarus’s death and resurrection. But Jesus said ‘loosen him from the grave clothes’, which is the ministry of deliverance. Deliverance is a major part of the end-time ministry. But you will discover that if the grave clothes have been removed, Lazarus will remain naked and that is not the will of God. Therefore there is the need for discipleship, the process where grace clothes are put on Lazarus to make him to be truly covered and beautiful, thereby representing and reflecting the glorious church that is covered with grace clothes.

Also, the scripture in Obadiah 1:17, which reads, “But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house

of Jacob shall possess their possessions” helps to emphasize this truth: The people of God can only possess their possession if there are deliverance and holiness (discipleship process).

Holiness is possible through the teaching of discipleship which is missing in the church today, thereby making the church unable to fulfill the dominion mandate.

The conclusion of this chapter is that complete deliverance and discipleship are the keys to fulfilling the dominion mandate which is the will of God for the Church. For the church to emphasise deliverance and leave out discipleship is not right. And for the church to emphasise discipleship without deliverance will be a great error completely. There will be something missing and we will not be able to fulfill our mandate if we leave out any of the two. Jesus emphasized both deliverance and discipleship. He went about healing the sick (deliverance), setting the captives free, but He also took time to disciple the people that followed Him. And He said go and make disciples. So combine the two: deliverance and discipleship. They are the keys to fulfilling the great commission and dominion mandate.

What is deliverance? Obadiah 8:8 reads: “Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?” while the gospel of Luke 4-31 stated: “And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days”. So the ministry of deliverance is a major ministry of the Lord Jesus as seen in the gospels. Also in the ministry of the apostles (early church), It is a major part of the dominion mandate given to the church. Acts 8:5-8 Mark 16:17 & 18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick,

and they shall recover.

In the dominion mandate of Mark 16:17-18, we are told to heal the sick (deliverance from sickness) and cast out demons (liberation) in the Isaiah 61:1-3 version of the mandate we are told to preach deliverance to the poor (prosperity message and heal the broken hearted (deliverance from sickness). There is no way you can avoid deliverance in the true New Testament and end –time ministry of the church. Deliverance details: the deliverance package which involves :Salvation: which deliverance from the penalty of sin, experiencing the new birth or been born again. This happens when you confess him as Lord and savior after repentance and prayer.

Sancification: Deliverance from the power of sin. Daily overcoming of sin’s power, thereby becoming holy and godly. But the principles of discipleship are needed for this to be fully completed in the believer. Deliverance, becomesnecessary because of some demonic bondage involved in some sinful habits in the life of believers. Even after the confession of the new birth there are challenges in believer’s lives about complete holiness and that requires deliverance and also the discipline of discipleship.

Healing: Deliverance from the power of sickness and infirmity. This is deliverance from some demonic powers and curses. In the ministry of Jesus, you will discover that deliverance and healing go together. The root of some sickness has demonic bondage attached to it.

Prosperity: Deliverance from the power of poverty and curses. True prosperity cannot come except there is proper deliverance from curses and the spirit of poverty and wretchedness.

•Bishop Wale Adekoya is presiding bishop of Shalom International Christian Ministries, Gbagada Phase 1, Lagos

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Praise & Worship 45

Sunday April 7, 2013

Ingredients for good sex in marriage Christian Relationship with Taiwo

Odubiyi

E-mail: info@pastortaiwoodubiyi.org.uk

F

or African women, cooking of different meals is an essential part of education and training as they grow up. To cook different delicacies, various ingredients are used. Their different uses and place must be understood including the quantity and precise time to add these ingredients to bring out a very sumptuous and delicious food every time. In fact an old adage says the way to a man’s heart is through food. Some people add sex. If sex like food, is a major way to get to a man’s heart, then there must be some ingredients that can result in a good, sumptuous and delicious sex!

From the Bible and in the eyes of God, sex can only be right when it is between a male and female who are legally married.

Sex was God’s idea, and a good sex life is important for a healthy marriage as I mentioned in my book ’30 things wives do that hurt their husbands’. Christians should enjoy it without feeling ashamed.

They were both naked, the man and his wife and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25 KJV) “It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,

Shepherd Life with Bishop Kingsley

Enakirerhi Presiding Bishop of the Heroes of Christ Ministries, with headquarters in Ughelli, Delta State, in this sermon reveals that the dimension of patience we exercise in prayer pertaining to issues confronting us in life, attracts God’s divine power in our purpose. Excerpts:

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n the New Testament, Jesus Christ our Saviour instructed his disciples to wait until they are endued with the power of the Holy Ghost “… And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but WAIT for the promise of the father” Acts 1:4 (KJV).

Promises need manifestation. Even as the scriptures declare the variation and timeliness in the events and incidence of life, we should be able to understand that time in the dimension of the Spirit

and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. DO not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time…” (I Corinthians 7.)

Sex can be good and enjoyable or drab and dry. At a programme for married couples, I told the women, “Unfortunately, some Christian wives will die without ever experiencing orgasm or intense pleasure.” This is because people and culture have made some women to believe that they don’t have to enjoy sex, it’s for the husband. For such wives, initiating sex is a taboo, but it shouldn’t be.

This is not how God intended sex in marriage to be.

Not all married couples have sexual fulfilment together. As such, they should look for ways and concentrate on making their spouses feel amazing. For great sex, certain ingredients must be present in certain quality, quantity and at precise timings. Some of these ingredients are the following:

than wine. (Song of Solomon 1:2 NIV) Romance prepares the couple especially the wife for great sex. Some Christian wives are not romantic at all. Some of them get too spiritual that they think they are out of God’s will by being romantic or touching their husbands’ bodies. Romance is important because God wants marriage to be exciting. Some people don’t bother to help their spouses enjoy sex. Couples should touch, hug, and kiss.

•Trust Intimacy and enjoyment gets better when there is mutual trust and feeling of belonging.

•Environment A man could unashamedly have sex in the open, but it’s not so for many women who will want a secluded place, with the door locked. Make the environment conducive, and if your spouse does not want the light on, put it off. Great sex is about pleasing each other.

•Timing.

For a sweet and satisfactory sex, getting a good or appropriate time is important.

A spouse should not come when the other person is sick, tired, under pressure, working, or depressed. Doing it at an inappropriate time may take the excitement away.

•Love One of the vows of marriage at the ceremony is the verbal affirmation that the man loves his wife and is not using her to satisfy lust or a momentary need. Sex is better when a spouse feels loved as it will get their hearts involved. It brings an emotional connection. Having great sex is more than touching and coming together.

•Foreplay, romance, and good kisses.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for your love is more delightful

• Sweet words Sweet words spoken at the right time is a major ingredient that will trigger a posi-

tive response. Let your spouse know how much you cherish him or her. And if there is something the husband or wife wants the spouse to do, they should feel free to say it. There is nothing they cannot tell each other, and they should not feel embarrassed to express themselves. This will make sex better.

•Acceptance Each person should accept himself or herself, and also accept the spouse’s body even if there are flaws. If a spouse is selfconscious probably because of size or looks, or made to feel self-conscious, this can be distracting and make things awkward between them. Such a person might have a low self-esteem and would not be able to give the best performance. The couple should feel free with each other and enjoy their time together. Each spouse should be careful not to say things or give a look that will shame the other person.

Convince your spouse that the look does not matter and you enjoy being with him or her in spite of whatever it is that he or she is ashamed of.

•Be involved The wife should be as involved as her husband is. There are wives who lay down like a log of wood, expecting the husband to do all that needs to be done. Some wives give their husbands the look that says ‘Do what you want to do and get lost!’ This is totally wrong and is a recipe for disaster.

Each person should concentrate on pleasing and satisfying the spouse. This would make the sex great.

Waiting upon the Lord does not flow in the mind of God as it does in the natural frame. There is time for everything O yes! But God’s time is quite different from human clock.

One thing I have known God for is; “His own word is an authority”. It can never come back to Him unfulfilled and that makes Him the Almighty God. Jesus Christ told His disciples saying; do not go anywhere, stay here in Jerusalem, do not preach yet nor heal the sick but wait for the promise of the Father.

It’s disheartening to see that the patience of many in the word of God has been short-circuited. They move from one prayer house to another seeking for quick miracle. The promises of God in your life are wrapped up in His word.

The word of God needs your co-operation (patience) to manifest.

In Hebrews 6:12 the scripture says;“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit the promises” (KJV).

Faith operates with patience. While faith is the concrete outcome of the end not seen, patience is the road leading to that end of inheritance. Many fellows have gone their own way because they reasoned within themselves, articulated in their personal conviction, that God is too slow.

Better and lasting inheritance is in the promises of the Lord. His hands are

not too short to save, neither his ears too heavy to hear our prayers. The measurement of God’s time is in the patience which we willingly express in these promises concerning us.

“Since I was born, and now I’m getting old, I have never seen the Lord change”.

The Lord hasn’t changed. He is still the Lord that fulfilled the promise He made to Abraham our Father. All you need to do is to wait for Him. He has not abandoned you; you are His contract for there is no abandoned project in heaven. Your case will never be the first. God forbid!

Some folks will ask how do I wait without getting weary. You see, after Jesus had ascended to heaven, His disciples did obey His instruction. They went back to Jerusalem and waited in the upper room.

What do you think they were doing in the upper room? Complaining? No of course not. The scripture recorded in Acts 1:14 saying; “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…”

They were fully engaged in energizing the promise of the father. At that point, none of them were complaining about the departure of their master, they were all in one accord. Waiting in prayer and supplication reveal absolute trust and obedience to the promise of God.

In Luke 24:49 Jesus said again to his disciples; “And, behold, I send the promise of my father upon you: but tarry ye……” until ye be endued with power from on high”.

There is no success without accompanied power. Godly success is the express explosion of godly power. The church is becoming powerless today because they are no longer tarrying. Those who seem to be tarrying are not doing so in prayer and supplication but complaining.

Many people have been misled to patronise the herbalist and to acquire mystical power to grow their business and become popular because they refuse to wait. Anybody that missed the mark of Christ has missed it eternally.

What are the pains in your life? The Psalmist said “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver him out of them all”. Psalm 34:19 How does deliverance come? Call upon me in the days of trouble and I will answer you says the Lord of host.

When you put hope and exercise faith in the Lord, add patience for in due season you will reap if you don’t faint. Job 14:14 says; “I will wait until my change come”.

May God give you grace to wait for him in Jesus name. Amen!

•For counseling or enquiries send an email to bishopnoproblem@yahoo.com

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Praise & Worship

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday April 7, 2013

In rememberance of me

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n the deliverance of Israelites from the Egyptian slavery, God worked 10 mighty miracles and plagues. The final plague was deadly, involving the massacre of all firstborns of Egyptian families and livestock. However, that very night, no single Israelite home experienced wailing because the angel of destruction “passed over” their homes. This was the beginning of the “Passover” feast to commemorate Israel’s deliverance (Exodus 12:27).

This remembrance continued into the New Testament as in the following record: “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. . .

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel . . .” (John 13:1-5).

The ordinances of foot washing and the Lord’s Supper make up the Communion Service, as a way for all believers to enter into communion with Christ. This replaces the Passover and it is to memorialize His great sacrifice for our salvation.

As part of the Passover custom, partakers removed all leaven from their homes before the first day of the Week of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15, 19, 20). The leaven represents sin in the believer’s life.

In preparation for the Lord’s Supper, all believers should confess and repent of all their sins, known and unknown. We must get in the right spirit by eliminating pride, rivalry, jealousy, resentment, selfishness, and such like from our hearts so as to be in the right spirit to achieve communion with Christ at the deepest level possible.

The foot washing memorializes

Holy Inquiry with Pastor Paul

Nkirukah E-mail: pstpaul11@yahoo.com

Dear servant of God, I have an only brother but he refused to give his life to God and become born again.

I have preached repeatedly to him to surrender to Jesus and embrace the full gospel of life to no avail. I so much love him and I don’t want him to end up in hell. So, I am asking to know if I, as a true born-again person, can also stand for and accept Jesus for him, as his personal Lord and Saviour?

Is it scriptural? Thanks for urgent response.

My name is Vivian from Ogun State.

Dear reader, Let me first of all wish all my readers happy resurrection day and season.

As for Sister Vivian, you must be a very wonderful sister that every person would like to have for being so concerned about

Christ’s humiliation in His incarnation and life of service. “He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). Like him, we must treat others with humility, tenderness, meekness, love, and sensitivity: “Through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13). Furthermore, it represents a higher purification—a cleansing of the heart. Jesus said: “he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” (John 13:10). It is a fellowship of forgiveness. Only as we forgive can we experience God’s forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15). Finally, Jesus told Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). “No cleansing, no fellowship.

Those desiring continuing fellowship with Christ will participate in this ordinance.”

If Jesus, our Creator and King could wash the dirty feet of His fishermen-disciples, then must we wash each other’s feet as part of our fellowship with Christ and fellow believers! This provides opportunity for self-examination, confession of sins, reconciliation of differences, and forgiveness.

The Communion Service is the “table of the Lord” (1 Cor 10:21), “the breaking of bread” (Acts 20:7; 2:42), and the Eucharist—a reference to the thanksgiving and blessing aspect of the service (Matt 26:2627; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:24). Jesus became the Passover. “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7). Jesus is the Lamb of God (Gen 22:7-8; Isa 53:7; John 1:36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 5:6, 8, 12-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-10, 14, 17; 12:11). Jesus Himself instituted this replacement by observing the Lord’s Supper the night before his death on the cross. “Then He said to them,

‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16). “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

Every day of our life, we need to contemplate the cross of Christ, not only during the Easter season. He shed His blood for our cleansing and redemption. His sacrifice brings liberation from death. “At the cross the Innocent was substituted for the guilty, the Righteous for the unrighteous.” This magnanimous act provides forgiveness, peace, power over sin and evil, the robe of Christ’s righteousness, and assurance of eternal life to the repentant sinners. His substitutionary death must be commemorated by the Communion: “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you. . . This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:24-25).

The Bible says: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor 11:26). Hence the “Communion Service spans the interim between Calvary and the Second Advent. It links the cross and the kingdom.” Christ vowed that He will celebrate Communion with us in heaven (Matt 26:29). That will be the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). Jesus will serve the Redeemed at this supper like He did while on earth: “and will come and serve them” (Luke 12:35-37).

No one is allowed to institute another “memorial’ or “remembrance” for the

Answer these questions and win a prize 1.

Who was weighed in the balances and found wanting?

2.

Supply the Bible passage. Husbands are to love their wives as akin to…? Supply Bible passage.

3.

Irrespective of a person’s high learning God says he/she is a fool who says in the heart that; “there is …” Support answer with a Bible passage.

•Please, be informed that the first correct entry via text message wins the prize.

See next week’s column for answers to the quiz. Send your answers with your names to 08054238905. Gifts: courtesy Babcock University.

death, burial, and resurrection of Christ other than He Himself instituted in the Bible! Such is sacrilegious and presumptuous! We are not allowed to add to or subtract from the revealed will of God in the Holy Scriptures (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:1819). Some have erroneously advocated Sunday observance as the memorial of Christ’s resurrection. There is NO scripture to support such practice. If Jesus had wanted to change the solemnization of the Saturday Sabbath, He would have recorded such in the Word. Of all the eight (8) references to the “first day of the week” in the New Testament, none records the annulment or transference of the Sabbath (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; and 1 Cor 16:2).

Another ordinance that commemorates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is water baptism by immersion. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom 6:3-5). “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Col 2:12). While baptism is not usually done repeatedly, the Communion Service is to be done “often;” and with the inclusion of the foot washing. This brings about full cleansing from sin. It is like renewal of baptism. It is biblical remembrance and memorial of Christ’s death on the cross. Lest we forget Christ’s death and suffering!

•Tunde Ojewole, PhD, is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life. For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/SMS

Answers to March 17, 2013 Quiz 1.

Grace.

2.

Pentateuch.

3.

True.

Can one be born again by proxy? your brother’s soul. That is how it is supposed to be. It is part of the commandments of God that we should care and love one another.

You are indeed a good ‘brother’s keeper’.

But I am afraid it may not be possible for you to do what you are making inquiry about. Do you know why? Well, there is only one way or place in the scripture where we can find that out. So, let’s quickly and carefully examine the scripture in the book of Romans 10: 6 – 11, which reads, “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven: (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is to bring up Christ again from the dead) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach, 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, 11 For the scripture saith, whosoever be-

lieveth on him shall not be a-shame”.

Taking a proper and thorough look at the above scripture, especially verse 9, you will be totally convinced that it is not possible that someone get born again in place of another person, even if you are twin brothers or sisters; everyone has to bear his or her own cross. According to the scripture in that verse 9 above, the Bible says that with one’s mouth shall he or she confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in his or her heart that God has raised him from the dead, and when that is done personally, the person shall be saved. Verse 10 also went further to say that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

You can only use your own mouth and heart to confess and believe for your own very self, but not for someone else.

However, you can stand for any person to be healed, delivered, or to receive any kind of blessing from God, but you cannot use your heart to believe for anybody.

A pastor’s child may decide to be an idol worshipper, and there is nothing the father can do about it, because it is not by force to serve God but by choice, the highest

the pastor can do is to des-own the child.

Joshua 24 : 15 reads, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Meanwhile, you can pray and continue praying for God to touch his heart so that he can repent and give his life to Jesus Christ, otherwise the scripture says no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 12 : 3.

Moreover, Romans 10 : 1 reads, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

You see that you can only pray that God will touch him to repent and be saved? That is the only thing you can do and be doing.

My dear, this heavenly race is an individual race, try to run your own and finish in good faith; be concerned about your very self, but always put him in prayer at all times Who knows, he can repent tomorrow and be better than you are.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Opinion

Sunday April 7, 2013

PDP’s war of Jonathan ambition W

hat began as a stench of offensive intestinal gases has now gravitated to a simmering cold war and will sooner snowball into a war of attrition, as it were. Welcome to the quiet noises of political hullabaloo and sheer phantasmagoria threatening the soul of Nigeria’s ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reputed as the biggest political group in West Africa and a beacon of hope for charting the cause of stability and democratic governance in sub-Sahara Africa, the PDP came as a sort of behemoth and a rock of offence, against which other small parties fought in vain. At least that was the profile of the party for upwards of seven years since this democracy began fully, in 1999.

Was it not in November, 2009 that the then National Chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, blushed cherubically before declaring that the PDP would rule Nigeria for 60 years? He was so sure-footed then, realising the frenetic influx of politicians into the party, thus decimating the ranks of other strutting political parties. Though successful, provincial-wise, have been parties like All Nigeria Peoples Party, Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change, All Progressives Grand Alliance and to a little extent, Labour Party, the PDP is still the party to beat.

Out of 36 states, the party is in charge in 28 and above all, it has been producing the President since 1999.

But now, the lion that is the PDP is patently sick, having been wrenched sore by the unrelenting diving, noises and screeches of a troop of pesky monkeys personified in some of its governors,

senators and others along the line. While it all appears as a war of some members against their party, discerning observers are fully conscious that realities of the shape of things to come in 2015 is the underlying factor beneath the battle of wits that has whirled the PDP umbrella, wonkily.

The initial brickbats between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, probably came as a clash between the two politicians but it apparently ran farther in gamut as the Presidency itself and possibly, President Goodluck Jonathan was the subject of attack, though by proxy.

Amaechi, whose second and final term as governor will end in 2015, would naturally hope to advance the cause of his political career, just like other governors in his shoes. He could probably have weighed in-between the balance if a Jonathan Presidency in 2015 is sellable or if it is an Albatross. But for a President that would expect unwavering loyalty from the PDP governors in the light of a second term project, such attitude as flirting with the opposition is not only seen as sacrilegious but also a semblance of treason.

Assuredly, Amaechi has begun to pay for his ‘sins’ having had the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) which he chairs polarised with the emergence of PDP-Governors Forum headed by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. Except Jonathan is not seeking a return in 20i5, overtly challenging the President’s horse gallop cannot but resonate in a war of attrition, of which

the immediate loser is predictable.

Again, attempting to upset the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, is in the main a mere smokescreen, as he is not the actual target. Thus is the sympathy for the old man who laboured for one month, traversing the six geopolitical zones to bring reconciliation to the crisis-ridden party. After unsuccessful trips to pacify governors and other political heavyweights in the states who are potential spoilers for a Jonathan return, an apparently jaded Tukur returned to his base with philosophical calmness but apparently not without a feel of pinch in the gale of cold reception from some bellicose governors.

Now, reticent party dynamo and chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, known all over as ‘Mr. Fix It’, has been drafted in, to re-woo the angry governors and make them the friends of the party and of the President, once again. But a variable of palpable trepidation for a Presidency interested in brokering truce should also be to know that the heart of a man could be as deep as a bottomless pit. The Bible asks, “Who can know it?”

Nonetheless the party’s fitful moves at restoring peace, it is still the best for the President and his party to face the brutal facts. The governors now making what appear as rebellious moves are doing so for self-preservation, against the backdrop of resurging political alliances that are unfavourable to a 2015 Jonathan Presidency, both in and out of the PDP. The North’s anger over the 2011 zoning saga, sequel to the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, following which

47

Kayode de Fasua ua

kayodefasua@nationalmirroronline.net (07043855192; SMS only, pls)

the Boko Haram insurgency took deadlier dimensions, will, all things being equal, naturally make most northern states difficult for Jonathan to penetrate.

Again, Yoruba’s political Octopus, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose ACN is a leading partner in the formation of All Progressives Congress (ACP) will come back to his element and deliver the five Yoruba states under his control, as can be assumed.

Then in the Niger Delta, which is the President’s zone, two governors, namely Amaechi and to some extent, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, are widely believed to be worthy of pacification, should the President hope to win in their states, come 2015.

But then, these annoying permutations could embarrass President Jonathan, as he has not told anyone he would love to rerun. As for all merchants of rumours ahead of 2015, the President can only wish them a change of heart, as he works tirelessly to strengthen the PDP and prosper the nation, so we will soon hear.

As such, a whisper, and not necessarily a word, should be enough for the wise, in this dirty game that is the Nigerian politics.

Jonathan’s seal on corruption AYODEJI DANIEL

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nstead of fighting corruption, President Goodluck Jonathan is encouraging it.

That’s the message from the clemency he granted his mentor and former Bayelsa State Governor, D.S.P Alamieyeseigha.

Like Rev Chris Okotie rightly pointed out in his article, “A Presidential Seal On Corruption” published last week in the National Mirror, Mr. Jonathan only shot himself in the foot and brought the nation’s image down the ditch.

According to the reverend, “If this was intended as coup d’état, it is a gross miscalculation which may end up a ‘coup de grace’ on what is left of his reputation because this blatant assault on our national sensibilities would have dire consequence on the nation’s image.

“A disbelieving world is already reacting with disgust and umbrage; Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates has cancelled his proposed visit to Nigeria in protest, and the United States is likely to cut aid to our country because of what is clearly the biggest blunder of the Jonathan Presidency.

The western countries may sanction Nigeria for this politically naive decision.

The last time Nigeria was sanctioned by the international community was during the Abacha dictatorship when the nation became a pariah state. It is a tragedy that our democratically elected government is now taking the country on the same path of global isolation because of its revisionist policies.

This president is not only a revisionist, he can hardly hold his own or any issue without caving in to pressure. One of the key qualities of a good leader is his ability to stand his ground and resist pressures from his own people when taking difficult or unpopular decisions. In this regard, Mr. Jonathan fails easily.

During the fuel subsidy negotiation of January last year in the wake of the nationwide strike, instead of standing firm on his avowed decision to deregulate the oil industry by a wholesale removal of fuel subsidy as already decided, Mr. President yielded to Labour in less than 48 hours of minor pressure, and then pegged the fuel pump price at N97 from N141, when the entire nation had almost bought into the argument of the increase.

Now, he is back again to the vexatious fuel subsidy dispute, saying the pump price would inevitably be increased in the nearest future. This was a leader who told his countrymen three weeks ago that there was no going back on total fuel subsidy only to swallow his words when his planned increase was rejected by labour, with a threat to resume the suspended national strike of January 9, 2012.

A leader who flip-flops cannot govern a modern politically sophisticated nation like Nigeria, with all its complex geopolitical and socio-economic dimensions of competition for influencing government policies. President Jonathan could not look at his former boss, Alams in the eye and tell him pointedly, “Oga you are corrupt!”

Rather, Alams got a slap on the wrist for looting his state and bringing economic adversity on his impoverished people.

The fact that Mr. Jonathan was appointed

by Alams to serve as his deputy cannot be adduced to justify the illegal application of the sacred act of presidential prerogative of mercy.

It is a type of abuse of office for which the president would be held accountable by posterity.

With his Cinderella tale of rags to riches and power, all the lucky President should be doing is govern with integrity and a moral rectitude that raises the bar of public conduct for our corrupt public officers. The least we expected from our president is to preside over a regime in which its top functionaries indulge in corrupt practices with impunity and arrogance of power to butt. The sinful display of ill-gotten wealth by public officers under Jonathan’s watch without qualms shows how weak his presidency really is.

You couldn’t flaunt stolen money like that under the mercurial ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo. ‘Who born monkey!’

If we are to believe the claim of the ruling PDP that President Jonathan got the biggest election mandate ever given to a presidential candidate, why is he unable to take out the bad guys in his administration? He claims that some of the sponsors of the notorious Boko Haram terrorists are in his government, but so far, the President has failed to arrest them. In other climes, he’d have been censured for making this bizarre claim without doing

anything about it.

This is despite the growing audacity of the Islamist group which is already spreading its deadly campaign down south. A Boko Haram depot was recently uncovered in Lagos, hours before it planned to unleash simultaneous and coordinated attacks on six strategic economic targets in Lagos- namely Apapa Quays, the Apapa fuel depot, the Third Mainland Bridge, among others.

If that heinous plot had not been aborted by an alert police force in Lagos, thanks be to Almighty God for His mercies, the entire nation would still have been reeling in pains from the consequences of the attack. Worse, the terror war would have taken a new, dangerous ethnic dimension as swift reprisals against innocent northerners would have been launched in different southern cities. But, after all said and done, this state of siege is direct fallout of decades of corruption and mismanagement of the nation’s resources by the political elite and its Army cohorts.

This clique infamously called “the cabal” is the reasons for the emergence of this generation of terrorists, kidnappers, ritual killers, Facebook murderers, violent, angry youths who trouble our cities and disturb our peace. Indeed, corruption is now Nigeria’s top killer. It is a crime against humanity and its perpetrators should, as Rev Okotie once said, be tried in the International Court of Justice, ICC. Daniel lives in Lagos

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Growing Up

Sunday, April 7, 2013

DID YOU KNOW? Jumping rope burns calories faster

BIRTHDAY

rn sunglasses started to become more widespread, especially among stars of movies. It was commonly believed that this was to avoid recognition by fans. Hollywood legend and beauty icon, Raquel Welch, who first became associated with the brand in the 1960’s, returned as a spokesperson for Foster Grant’s 80th anniversary celebrations in 2009.

She starred in US television commercials for reading glasses and sunglasses collections and helped support Foster Grant’s US celebrations and related charitable efforts on TV, radio and Internet promotions.

Now part of FGX International, Foster Grant remains the largest distributor of sunglasses in the world and continues to create affordable, fashionable and on-trend styles. It is a leading designer and marketer of non-prescription reading glasses and sunglasses with a portfolio of established, highly recognised eyewear brands, including Foster Grant, Magnivision, Angel among others.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

W

ouldn’t you love to turn a plain cardboard box into a charming castle?

It is going to be fun but you will also need the help of an adult to help cut the cardboard. You can help by supervising and designing where the towers and barricade should go just like you want it.

Items needed An empty box of any size of your choice will do Heavy duty scissors or a craft knife String Crayons, paint, and markers

J

umping rope is a very intense aerobic workout and a great way to burn calories. However, you will need a four-by-six-foot area, and about 10 inches of space above your head.

Do not attempt to jump on carpet, grass or concrete. While carpet reduces impact, it also grabs your shoes and can twist your ankle or knee. You could jump rope on ground with smooth sand.

Children you can do it for fun but at the same time burn those excess calories.

Daniel Oladapo became a year old on Saturday, March 30.

Cardboard box castle Method • Find a box and cut off the top flaps. Any type of box will do, however a large cardboard box makes a large castle and a shoebox will make a fine, small castle. To cut thick cardboard, try a craft knife.

• Cut out a wide rectangle along the front, sides and the back to form towers (turrets) at the corners.

• Cut out rectangular walls along the entire top (the barricade) of the castle.

• Draw a drawbridge at the front of the castle. Using the point of a scissors, punch two small holes in the sides of the drawbridge and on both sides of the wall next to it. Cut out the drawbridge.

• Attach a string to each side of the drawbridge and the adjoining wall.

• Decorate the castle with paint, markers, crayons, or pictures that are cut from magazines and pasted onto the castle.

Have fun doing it, but be careful not to hurt yourselves.

TONGUE TWISTERS

The bootblack bought the black boot back.

Stage 1

Stage 3

Stage 2

Pretty Kitty Creighton had a cotton batten cat.

The cotton batten cat was bitten by a rat.

The kitten that was bitten had off the button made the cotton batten fly.

POEM

My brother John

M

y brother John is very small My brother John knows nothing at all.

He doesn’t know Go-Fish or nursery rhymes Nor how many seven by seven is times.

He can’t tell the hour by the clock on the wall Oh my brother John is so dreadfully small!

He can’t zip his coat, nor tie his own shoe He thinks all that stuff about Santa is true, But he knows how to wrestle, he knows how to run And when he’s not crying he sometimes is fun.

I chase him around, he barks like a puppy And makes a ridiculous face like a guppy.

He knows how to scream, and he knows how to laugh Which isn’t too bad for just two-and-ahalf.

POP Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

NATURAL WONDER OF THE WORLD Mount Everest

At 8,848 meters (29,029 ft), Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. It is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet. As the highest mountain in the world, it attracts climbers of all levels.

Mount Everest has many natural dangers such as altitude sickness, weather and wind. People who die when climbing the mountain are normally left behind and it is not unusual to find corpses near the climbing routes.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wellness YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES APRIL 7, 2013

Energy drinks contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risks –Experts FACTS

VANESSA OKWARA

Energy drinks have very high levels of caffeine and taurine; both these ingredients can greatly elevate blood pressure and contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk.

J

ulia (real names withheld) was at a party recently and saw a man mixing red bull with Hennessey. He filled about three quarters of the cup with red bull and the remaining part with Hennessey and took like four cups of this. When she asked why he did that, he replied that the energy drink dilutes the alcoholic content of the Hennessey helping him to consume as many cups as he wants without getting drunk or harmed by the alcohol.

Well, he couldn’t be more wrong as many medical studies have exposed the dangerous side effects energy drinks have on the body.

An “energy drink” is generally defined as any drink which has the capability of boosting your energy, especially when you are tired and need extra vigour to go through with your work. Energy drinks have soared in popularity since the late 1990’s and there are many readily available brands which have flooded the Nigerian market. Their marketing and advert strategies usually target the youth, making them very popular on campuses and clubs around the nation. They are usually packaged like soda, and have a soda-like taste, but their distinction from soda lies in the extra ingredients which are added to give the consumer the euphoria of added energy or mental alertness.

What then is in these drinks that have made them popular and at the same time dangerous to the human body? Speaking with Sunday Mirror, a renowned chemist who has served as a lecturer in various universities and hospitals across the country, Professor Hussein Abudulkarim, said energy drinks contain some dangerous chemicals which make them harmful to the human body. “A lot of people are ignorant concerning the chemical content of most beverages in the market today.

Also, the companies that produce them do not bother to write their correct nutritional value on the container, so people

Don’t ever try to make energy drink an alternative for the lost water in the system because the caffeine in the energy drink can leave a dehydrating effect on your body.

Consumption of energy drink causes the heart to stop functioning at intervals and that the consumption of a 250ml can of energy drink can lead to blood clotting, which is highly fatal Never combine energy drinks with alcohol because energy drink is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. You can imagine for yourself the contrasting effect that this combination can bring in your system.

Energy drinks

‘Taking energy drinks indiscriminately may result in heart failure’

are not aware of the dangerous effects of the chemicals these drinks have on their body system. Energy drinks contain high level of caffeine and people who do not normally drink much caffeine might have an exaggerated increase in blood pressure which can lead to hypertension or even heart failure,’’ he explained.

FG resuscitates Open Heart Surgery at UNTH –Maku

The Federal Government said recently that it had resuscitated the suspended Open Heart Surgery Unit at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said this in Abuja while briefing state house correspondents on the outcome

of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

It would be recalled that the unit was suspended 10 years ago following the movement of the hospital from its old site within the Enugu metropolis to its permanent site at Ituku-Ozala.

A study conducted recently by researchers who presented their findings at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions, published in the Medical News Today, says that these drinks can drastically increase blood pressure and disturb

the heart’s natural rhythm.

According to the lead author of the study, Sachin A. Shah, “Doctors are generally concerned if patients experience an additional 30 milliseconds in their QT interval from baseline. Energy drinks have very high levels of caffeine and taurine; both these ingredients can greatly elevate blood pressure and contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk. The correlation between energy drinks and increased systolic blood pressure is convincing and concerning, and more studies are needed to assess the impact on the heart rhythm. Patients with high blood pressures or long QT syndrome should use caution and judgement before consuming an energy drink.”

Equally, mixing the drinks with alcohol has been condemned by medics who say it alters the chemical content of the alcohol making it more dangerous. According to the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group in the USA, “mixing alcohol with energy drinks or purchasing ready-to-drink mixtures is an emerging trend among the younger crowd. An energy drink’s ability to mask alcohol flavor and rouse sleepy partygoers create a dangers situation because the youth are more CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

HEALTH NEWS ‘NAFDAC’ll support development of traditional/herbal medicine’ Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof.

Paul Orhii, has said the agency would support the development of traditional and herbal medicine.

Orhii said this in Lagos at a stakeholders’ meeting on the Regulation of Herbal Medicine in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC chief stated that he

was concerned about the proliferation of some traditional medicines, particularly, the herbs, roots or allied products.

He said these were put to the public through the media with “ridiculous and unsubstantiated claims of cure for ailments, including serious sicknesses like HIV/ AIDS”.

According to him, the time to reposition herbal medicines in Nigeria is long overdue and as such, needs more attention in order to make it relevant in the healthcare system.

The director-general stressed the need to standardise herbal therapy in the country, in view of the pharmacological effects of various herbal products.

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Wellness

Know your organs

Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes are small but very important structures in the lymphatic system, which is part of the larger immune system in the body. These nodes act as filters, removing harmful particles and fighting off bacteria.

Many people notice that some lymph nodes in their bodies become swollen when they get sick, because these structures are working overtime to produce more white blood cells to fight the infection.

The lymph nodes are a major site where foreign substances and infectious agents interact with the cells of the immune system. A major cluster of the lymph nodes is the spleen, which, apart from other functions, also helps fight infections and responds to foreign substances in the body.

Their locations A lymph node may be found alone or in a group throughout the body. The main locations are the neck, under the arms, and in the groin. The body has over 300 filtering selected white blood cells and foreign elements.

The lymph node is a component of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system moves lymph node fluid, waste substance, and nutrients throughout the body bloodstream and tissues. Each lymph node is also an important part of the immune system. The lymph node filters fluids, catching viruses, bacteria, and other unknown materials. Then the unique white blood cells destroy the unwanted materials. The cells in lymph nodes are lymphocytes, which produce antibodies (protein particles that bind foreign substances including infectious particles) and macrophages which digest the debris. They act as the “cleaner” cells of the body.

The inside protector A thick layer of fibrous tissue protects the inside of a lymph node, which resembles a honeycomb. This honeycomb design acts as a filter to pull out particles which are too large to pass through it. You can often feel your tonsillar lymph nodes, which are located just under your jaw.

Several mechanisms can cause the lymph nodes to enlarge (swell).

Infection: This can increase the number of white blood cells, which multiply in response to stimulation with a foreign substance (antigen) Virus: Immune reaction to a generalised infection in the body such as viral infections that can occur with the common cold as well as more serious infections such as HIV Inflammation: Infiltration with inflammatory cells during infection or inflammation in a region of a given lymph node Cancer: Infiltration with malignant cells (metastases) brought to the node with the lymph flowing from an area of certain types of cancer Cancer of the Blood: Uncontrolled, malignant multiplication of lymphocytes as in lymphoma or leukaemia Swollen lymph nodes are not necessarily a cause for alarm, as they indicate that your body is fighting an infection, and doing so with at least some success. However, when a swollen lymph node becomes extremely large or tender, it is a good idea to see a doctor. The contents of the lymph nodes are sometimes used as diagnostic tools to check for various conditions, and biopsies of surrounding lymph nodes are routinely taken when a cancer is identified, to ensure that the cancer has not spread into the lymphatic system.

‘Mixing energy drink with alcohol makes it more dangerous’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51 likely to be in accidents or sexually assaulted after consuming alcoholic energy drinks than when consuming traditional alcoholic beverages’’.

It was on this backdrop that a motion seeking a legislative ban on the sale of energy drinks in Nigeria was promoted by a member of the House of Representatives, Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu, in January this year. Mr. BushAlebiosu said the abuse of energy drinks had endangered a generation of Nigerians mostly the youth who are the target group that gobble down the drinks despite its health hazards. He noted that energy drinks are now found all over campuses, in bars, dance clubs and social functions across the nation.

In his motion, Mr. Bush-Alebiosu said that “several brands of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Power Horse, Vault, Red Alert, and Burn, among others contain high levels of ingredients and stimulants that create dangerous health risks such as kidney damage, seizures and strokes, even life-threatening effects on blood pressure, heart and brain function. Other studies have revealed that the consumption of these drinks causes the heart to stop functioning at intervals and that the consumption of a 250ml can of energy drink can lead to blood clotting, which is highly fatal. The heart diseases caused by the consumption of these drinks, most especially among young people, is alarming, and threatening the health of the younger generations,” he warned.

He stressed that since most European nations such as Denmark, Germany, Norway and France, among others, have placed outright ban on the sale of these drinks in their countries, there is no reason why Nigeria should be a dumping ground for the companies that make them

thereby endangering the health of consumers.

Professor Hussein says he supports the banning of energy drink in Nigeria adding that it would help reduce the number of deaths that come from alcohol intakes and other related substances. “As a strict Muslim and also medical personnel, I’ve always advocated the banning of alcohol or any of these drinks that have stimulating effects on the body system. As a chemist, I understand the harmful effects these substances contained in these drinks can have on the body in the long run and always advise my patients to steer clear of them. I rather ask people to form the habit of drinking lots of water on daily basis.

Water is the best drink made by nature to quench as well as refresh our thirst. It has many cleansing abilities that help the body to function at its optimal level. I encourage people to imbibe the culture of making water their best drink rather than any other stimulant because it contains natural substance that improves our total wellbeing,’’ he counselled.

For people who are already addicted to taking these drinks or need a form of stimulation before they muster enough energy to engage in any form of activity or the other, the medical expert advised that they go for general body check up to ascertain their overall wellbeing. “If you feel constantly run down and you need energy drinks to get you through the day, I recommend you take an inventory of your life to determine the root causes of your exhaustion. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you nutritionally deprived? What are you eating? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting regular exercise? Fatigue will stem from being deficient with any one of those habits. Get them in check and you will soon find out that you have completely eliminated your desire for the “enhanced” energy drink,” he advised.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Your

BONE Health

with Dr. Olatunji Idowu

Osteoporosis: Causes, signs and symptoms (3)

Estrogen is important in maintaining bone density in women. When estrogen levels drop after menopause, loss of bone density accelerates. During the first five to 10 years after menopause, women can suffer up to 2 per cent-4 per cent loss of bone density per year! This can result in the loss of up to 25 per cent-30 per cent of their bone density during that time period. The accelerated bone loss after menopause is a major cause of osteoporosis in women, referred to as postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis risk factors and causes Female gender Caucasian or Asian race Thin and small body frame Family history of osteoporosis (for example, having a mother with an osteoporotic hip fracture doubles your risk of hip fracture) Personal history of fracture as an adult Cigarette smoking Excessive alcohol consumption Lack of exercise Diet low in calcium Poor nutrition and poor general health Malabsorption (nutrients are not properly absorbed from the gastrointestinal system) from conditions such as celiac sprue Low estrogen levels in women (such as occur in menopause or with early surgical removal of both ovaries) Low testosterone levels in men (hypogonadism) Chemotherapy that can cause early menopause due to its toxic effects on the ovaries Amenorrhea (loss of the menstrual period) in young women is associated with low estrogen and osteoporosis; amenorrhea can occur in women who undergo extremely vigorous exercise training and in women with very low body fat (for example, women with anorexia nervosa) Chronic inflammation, due to chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or liver diseases Immobility, such as after a stroke, or from any condition that interferes with walking Hyperthyroidism, a condition wherein too much thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland (as in Grave’s disease) or is ingested as thyroid hormone medication Hyperparathyroidism is a disease wherein there is excessive parathyroid hormone production by the parathyroid gland, a small gland located near or within the thyroid gland. Normally, parathyroid hormone maintains blood calcium levels by, in part, removing calcium from the bone. In untreated hyperparathyroidism, excessive parathyroid hormone causes too much calcium to be removed from the bone, which can lead to osteoporosis.

When vitamin D is lacking, the body cannot absorb adequate amounts of calcium from the diet to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency can result from lack of intestinal absorption of the vitamin such as occurs in celiac sprue and primary biliary cirrhosis.

Certain medications can cause osteoporosis. These include long-term use of heparin (a blood thinner), antiseizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and phenobarbital, and long-term use of oral corticosteroids (such as prednisone).

If you have any problem or question about your musculoskeletal system (bones, joints and muscles) do send me a mail at tunjiidowu@live.com for advice. Meanwhile, your comments and feedback on the issues discussed are highly welcomed.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business

53

FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

More praises, fewer knocks as FG scraps NAPEP TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

E

ven before the Executive sledgehammer dealt a fatal blow to its sagging reputation last Tuesday, most Nigerians have lost confidence in the capacity of National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP) to alleviate poverty in the land, as its operations have been mired in controversies, thus resulting in its inability to deliver on its assignment of alleviating poverty ravaging the ranks of the masses.

The decision to scrap the agency, among others, is in line with the recommendations of the Steve Orosanye Panel Report on the reform of government agencies and ministries which specifically recommended the scrapping of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and reversal of 14 to Departments and Ministries.

According to the government’s white paper on the Orosanye Report which was drafted by a committee headed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) under the proposal NAPEP would be replaced by an agency called National Agency for Job Creation and Empowerment (NAJCE) Before now, NAPEP has been in the eye of the storm following allegations of financial impropriety totalling N417 million involving the agency’s transactions with two companies, namely Keke Riders Association of Nigeria (KORAN) and Trimidan Nigeria Limited, both of which were involved in the supply of Keke-NAPEP tricycles. A Committee constituted by the Senate to investigate the allegation did not only indict the officials of the agency for mismanagement of the agency’s funds and poor corporate governance but also recommended that appropriate sanctions should be meted out on any of them found wanting.

At the end of the investigations, the Committee indicted top officials of the agency on sundry operational issues including, breach of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and operational guidelines by NAPEP and some micro finance banks; abuse of office; diversion of funds; misapplication of funds by benefitting cooperative societies; and lack of proper ‘monitoring and evaluation of the agency’s activities, amongst others.

For instance, on the alleged mismanagement of the agency’s funds, the committee “established that relationships between NAPEP and two banks were skewed in favour of the banks. It is observed that the funds meant for Village Economic Development Solution (VEDS) and COPE programmes – N5bn and N2.265bn respectively were managed to the disadvantage of NAPEP and poor Nigerians” Although the National Coordinator of the agency, Dr. Magnus Kpakol, rose spiritedly to defend the management by saying that the alleged N417 million fraud was a

Sunday April 7, 2013

fluke and that it clarify that the amount had to do with an outstanding remittance KORAN was expected to make to the agency, the findings by the Senate Committee and its recommendations that many of the officials should be sanctioned appeared to cast a moral veil on the agency’s already waning reputation from which it never fully cast off.

Reacting to the decision, the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Traders, (NANTS) Barrister Ken Ukaoha, said scrapping NAPEP would be desirable in the drive towards poverty alleviation in the country as the funds that the agency used to get from yearly budgets with nothing to show for it in terms of its intervention efforts can be utilised in better ways to address the worsening poverty situation in the country.

Ukaoha, a legal expert and trade and micro finance specialist, specifically blamed the managers of NAPEP for allowing its reputation to sag so fast thereby turning into one of the most inefficient interventionist agencies in the public sector in less than 10 years. He added that with the recent findings by some committees about its operations, there was no way NAPEP could continue to operate since most of its potential beneficiaries no longer believe in its operations.

“I think scrapping NAPEP is a welcome development in view of the fact that it has failed to fulfil its core mandate- alleviating poverty. Today, more Nigerians live below the poverty level than in four, five years ago which is an indication that NAPEP has lost focus. Although the war against poverty is not that of the agency alone but with what we have seen in the past few years, it is clear that the agency is no longer relevant in the poverty alleviation programme”, the NANTS’ boss said.

To Professor Ode Ojowu, a renowned Economist and Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the agency had outlived its good old days with the increasing level of poverty in the country and therefore the decision to scrap it was desirable in order to allow for a new strategic approach in tackling poverty in the country.

He said: “I think NAPEP has done well in the past but if the current level of poverty is used as basis of its performance, then its relevance leaves much to be desired. We are having more poverty now than before and that shows that in that aspect alone its interventions are no longer impactful as it used to be.

“So, I think scrapping it is a good development and it shows clearly that the Federal Government cannot be in Abuja and be fighting poverty at the grassroots. This implies that any new programme that may be designed to address the problem must make the States and Local Governments to be directly involved in poverty alleviation.

That is the only way we can achieve high level of success in the sustained efforts to

Oronsaye

Kpakol

fight corruption in the country”, the former university don said.

However, in his remarks, the President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), Dr. Solomon Nyagba, expressed shock over the development which, he noted, could undermine the modest contributions of the agency to poverty alleviation initiatives at the grassroots and further worsen the plight of the poor in areas of transportation.

“I don’t think scrapping the agency is a good development. We have over the past years seen how it has continued to provide safe means of transportation for workers, particularly at the rural areas, through its tri-cycle which is affordable to workers.

They have tried in this area and I don’t think that it is the only area they have been involved in poverty alleviation drive in the

country.

“For us as industrialists, we don’t know what could have been responsible for the decision but it is an indication that something is really wrong with our poverty alleviation agenda. I feel government should have looked at how best to further empower the agency like enabling it to assembly the tri-cycle locally rather than depending on imported ones.

“The decision, to me, is not likely to be in the best interest of the ordinary people in the rural areas, even workers in the urban areas where the tri-cycle has become more of the best means of getting to work and other places. If they intend to use SURE-P as a substitute for the services NAPEP is rendering to the poor, it may be a wrong step in the drive towards poverty alleviation in the country”, Nyagba said.

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Business

Property Watch •For Lagos area as at Friday April 5, 2013 A. Building materials Cement: Dangote Cement per bag of 50 kg.......N1,800 Burham Cement per bag of 50kg.......N1,800 Elephant Cement…………………N1,800 Sandcrete blocks 6 inches sandcrete block ..........N130 9 inches sandcrete block ..........N150 Sand Sand per tipper load .......... N12,000 Sharp sand (double) ..........N22,000 Gravel (single) ...................N18,000 Gravel (double) ..................N23,000 Granite ...............................N120,000 Reinforcement 8mm(153) pieces per ton (N125,000 10mm (153) pieces per ton .......... N135,000 12mm ............................................N161,000 16mm ........................................N172,000 20mm (53) pieces ....................N122,000

Sunday April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NDIC plans bailout for micro finance, mortgage D T

NPA, TFC unveil ‘community information system’

he Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, has said it would grant assistance to deserving Primary Mortgage Banks, PMBs, and microfinance banks, MFBs, as one of the efforts to reposition the sub-sector, for greater performance.

The NDIC Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, made this remark in Abuja when the Board of Directors and management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, paid him a visit.

Umaru said that the corporation was already developing framework for granting the financial assistance but stressed that stringent conditions would be put in place for deserving MFBs and PMBs to comply with.

He reiterated his warning that MFBs and PMBs that were deliberately mismanaged by their owners would not be eligible for such accommodation bill, stressing that details of the novel framework would soon be made known to stakeholders once it is approved by the Board

of the Corporation.

He also emphasised the strategic role of mortgage financing in the development of the financial services sector, and that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Corporation were working on possible measures aimed at reviving the sub-sector towards achieving the transformation agenda of the Federal Government in the area of affordable housing for all, taking cognizance, the huge deficit existing in the industry.

Wood Timber (hard) 1x1x12 ..........N1,000 Timber (hard) 2x2x12 ..........N600 Timber (hard) 2x4x12 ..........N700 Soft wood 2x2x12 ..........N250 2x3x12 ..........N300 Plywood 3x3x6-----------------N3,500 2x4x8-----------------N2,400 Roofing Sheet Corrugated iron sheet per bundle ...N10,000 Asbestos 4x8 per piece ..................N1,600 Asbestos (solo) ............................N1,100 B. Landed property Focus area: Lagos Mainland 1. Four bedroom detached house with BQ at Omole Phase 11, Kosofe -----N40m Estimated price in 5 years------------N60m 2. 800 square metres at block 47 at Isheri North Estate, Lagos ---------- N6m Estimated price in 5 years----------N15m 3. 6 bedroom wing of duplex plus BQ at Adeniyi Jones off Opebi, Lagos------- N55m Estimated price in 5 years------------N100m 4. A land measuring 5.081 square metre at Ajasa, Ipaja, Lagos------------------------------N25m Estimated price in 5 years---------N50m 5. 2 nos bungalows on 800 square metres along Oba Akran, Lagos----------------N150m Estimated price in 5 years----------N250m 6. 1.12 acres of land with uncompleted building at Marwa Road, Satellite Town, Lagos---------------------------------------------------N1,5bn Estimated price in 5 years------------------N2bn 7. Uncompleted block of flats at Isheri -Osun, Lagos--------------------------------------------------N15m Estimated price in 5 years-------N20m 8. Four bedroom duplex at Gbagada------N18m Estimated price in 5 years-----------N30m 9. 8 nos of 3bedroom flats with BQ at Surulere, Lagos---------------------------------N80m Estimated price in 5 years----------N100m 10. A detached house at Oke Ira, Ogba, Lagos--------------------------------------------------N22m Estimated price in 5 years---------N35m •Compiled by Dayo Ayeyemi, E-mail: dayoayeyemi@yahoo.com

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Laurus Development Partners, Mr. Carlo Matta; Director, Actis Capital West Africa, Funke Okubadejo; Chief Executive Officer, Actis Capital West Africa, Mrs. Ngozi Edozien and Chief Executive Officer, Primrose Development Company Ltd, Mr. Jide Balogun, at the prelaunch of the Heritage Place, in Lagos, over the weekend.

Customs seize goods worth N227m in Owerri

Z

one `C’ of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service at the weekend seized contraband and prohibited goods worth over N226.5 million in Owerri, Imo State..

The Customs Area Controller of the unit, Mr Victor Dimka, who displayed the seized items, said they were intercepted at various locations within the zone last month.

The zone comprises states in the South-South and South-East.

Dimka noted that the service had beefed up surveillance on the activities of smugglers whom he described as threats to the nation’s economy.

“The Federal Government is doing everything possible to see that more people are employed. The youths have no reason to engage in smuggling.

“The war against smuggling is now stiffer than ever before. ``We will not rest on our oars until we rid zone C of smugglers. We are more than 40 per cent on the way and will make more success in subsequent months.”

The deputy comptroller attributed the progress recorded

to the support provided by the comptroller-general of customs and the anti-smuggling squad of the unit.

“In line with the desire of the present management of customs service, no customs officer can afford to relent until the economic menace known as smuggling is completely reduced to its barest minimum.

“My mandate in this zone, therefore, is to personally lead the onslaught against this cankerworm called smuggling that ruins our economy.

“In March, the officers and men of the zone combed the nooks and crannies of the zone and their efforts culminated in high number of seizures that have not been recorded in this zone in the recent past,” he said.

Dimka said that nine smugglers caught by his men had been charged to court while the seized items would be gazetted by the Federal Government for auctioning to members of the public.

He warned those involved in the act of smuggling to desist forthwith as the arm of the law would always caught

up with them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items seized include 230 bales of second hand clothing, 15 bales of second handbags and two bales of second hand belts, seized along the AbaElele axis.

Also seized by men of the customs along the Ore-Benin and Okada-Iguobazia road are 3363 cartons of imported frozen chicken valued at N32.9 million.

Others are thirty jumbo bales of second hand clothing concealed in a haulage truck, 200 cartons of imported frozen turkey and chicken, impounded in Calabar.

Another 911 bales of second hand clothing were seized along the Aba-Eleme Road.

Also impounded were 300 pieces of used tyres, three bales of second-hand clothing and 56 pieces of used compressors, seized along Benin-Ore Road.

Other seized items include 210 pieces of second hand tyres, 200 bales of second hand clothing and 190 pairs of used footwear, seized along the Enugu-Onitsha Road.

ays of revenue losses are over at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Michael Goldsmith, the Interim Managing Director of the Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC), said at the weekend.

Goldsmith made the observation in Lagos on during the inauguration ceremony of a project titled “Integrated Port Community Information System (IPCIS)” which the TFC is managing for the NPA. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the TFC is a government owned, commercially operated company developed by the NPA in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and supported by the Presidency..

Goldsmith said that the IPCIS would be able to expand revenue generation of the NPA by 30 per cent once it was fully implemented.

He said that the IPCIS would enhance revenue generation because “it is a technology solution often referred to as the information highway that is “collecting, transferring, analysing, managing and disseminating information” on behalf of NPA. “The IPCIS is housed in the National Maritime Center and it facilitates information flow across all people, processes and infrastructure within Nigeria’s maritime domain.

“The National Maritime Center is operational 24 hours every day of the year providing various services to the maritime community.

“Its capabilities include a Vessel Traffic Management System, Cargo Tracking System, Fleet Management System and Physical Protection System, just to name a few,” the TFC managing director said.

Goldsmith said that the IPCIS would be able to capture data of everything that moved around the Nigerian Ports both in the Western and Eastern ports as well as track ships, manage cargo and container traffic and determine cargo throughput..

He said that the data gathered would help in a number of ways to provide information with which to respond to threats in the waterways.

Goldsmith said that the technology was already operational in the Western ports and would be operational in the Eastern ports in two weeks time, adding that collaboration among sister agencies would be facilitated by data sharing.

He said that the technology would not be a duplication of the Single Window Clearing platform of the Nigerian Customs Service and would not be managed in a competitive fashion.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

STORIES THAT TOUCH YOU APRIL 7, 2013

Elechi The disputed factory

Nigercem controversy

Disquiet in Ebonyi over Elechi’s dethronement of royal fathers DENIS AGBO ENUGU

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ssues relating to efforts by Ibeto Cement Company limited, the new core investor in revamping the collapsed Nigeria’s premier cement factory, the Nigeria Cement Company Limited, NIGERCEM, Nkalagu in Ishielu Local Government area of Ebonyi State has rather brought crisis than development with an impending showdown between the host communities of Nigercem and Governor Martin Elechi on the one hand and the new core investor, Ibeto Cement Company, and the state governor, on the other.

As it now stands, Governor Elechi claims to have dethroned the four traditional rulers of the host communities and had since refused the investors access to the factory that it legally bought through the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, in 2002 through the first core investor, Eastern Bulkcem Nigeria Limited which Ibeto Cement acquired in 2012 and inherited all its assets and liabilities, including Nigercem.

Governor Elechi had since 2008 opened hostility with Eastern Bulkcem, accusing the previous investor of incapability and insincerity in restoring the factory back to life. Elechi also claimed he had revoked the certificate of occupancy of the land that the company bought 60% shares with over N4bn. Easter Bulkcem then went to court where it among other things, obtained judgement, telling the Ebonyi State Government that it could not set up a judiciary commission of inquiry over a legal entity that has no government bearing.

According to Ibeto company, when it acquired Bulkcem, it immediately went to meet with Governor Elechi and expressed desire to settle out of court, and indicated readiness to commence immediate rehabilitation of the factory that is now dilapidated since production stopped there in 1982. Ibeto said that Board of Directors of Nigercem was immediately reconstituted following the acquisition of Bulkcem by Ibeto and the government of Ebonyi State that has 10 percent shares and it nominated Mr. Peter

Nwokpor to represent it in the new board.

Ibeto went on to disclose that in one of the Board’s meetings with Elechi, the governor suggested that it reduce its interest in the venture to 49 percent while Ebonyi State Government would acquire 51 percent, adding that it even agreed, provided that it would involve individuals of the state that would take up the shares instead of the government. Ibeto cited examples of other liquidated companies because of governments’ vested interests but Elechi responded that he would discuss with those he called the 13-man stakeholders of the state and invite Ibeto again for further discussions. “We are yet to receive that invitation more than two years after,” said Ibeto.

The situation was stalemated until February 25, 2013 when an interest group, Save Nigercem Group placed an advertorial in a national newspaper asking whoever was concerned not to frustrate Ibeto Group’s effort to revive Nigercem, an appeal to Ebonyi State Governor. That Group that has Chief Michael Onwe as Chairman and Mr. Anthony Nwagu as Secretary said that having studied the happenings against Nigercem, it made bold to accuse the Ebonyi State Government of being responsible for the sorry state of Nigercem.

The group expressed shock that the Federal Government was yet to intervene in that matter, given that the original mining and lease granted to Nigercem by the Federal Government was yet to be revoked. It added that if that is the case, the Ebonyi State Government has no powers to act the way it is doing. It cited section 1, subsection 1 and 2 of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining act of 2007 which stated that the control of property in minerals and other natural resources shall be vested on the government of the federation. The group wondered why Elechi feels that Nigercem could not be revitalised. It also alleged that the governor was colluding with external forces to frustrate the revitalisation of Nigercem.

Shortly after the position of Save Nigercem Group, the Nigercem Landlord Communities, comprising Nkalagu, Nkalaha, Umuhuali and Amaezu communities, on March 18, 2013, placed an advertorial welcoming Ibeto Cement Company Limited to reviving the comatose cement factory in their area.

The traditional rulers of the four communities congratulated Ibeto Company for the bold step and appreciated the company for strong faith in the future and potential of Nigercem. The monarchs said that for them, seeing Nigercem revived was their collective wish as a people since they were mostly severely affected in the present state of the Nigercem’s unproductivity.

The royal fathers said that they had been subjected to untold hardship and deprivation since 2002 when the current crisis in Nigercem started. “We have suffered huge socio-economic losses owing to the closure of the company.

Today, there is no access road to any of the Nigercem communities; no stable source of livelihood to the people of the area, no viable market for agricultural produce and no visible sign of community development. In effect, the road leading to our communities (Nkalagu-Ehamufu road) currently qualifies as the worst road in the country,” said the four monarchs that signed on behalf of their subjects.

Few hours after the host communities expressed their minds, the Ebonyi State Government announced the dethronement and ‘de-stooling’ of the four prominent traditional rulers. The state government alleged that the monarchs were sabotaging the effort of the state government towards reclaiming Nigercem from those it described as “economic invaders and fortune-hunters masquerading as cement manufacturers.”

In a statement by Dr. Oyekachi Eni, Chief Press Secretary to the Ebonyi State Governor, the government accused the traditional rulers of aligning with unapproved private investors to thwart its efforts towards revamping Nigercem.

According to the statement, the affected traditional rulers and regents were directed to immediately vacate their stools and cease to represent or parade themselves as the traditional rulers of the affected communities.

The statement read in part: “Regrettably, in spite the principled stance of the state government on the issue, some compromised traditional rulers in Ishielu Local Government area have colluded with agents of Ibeto Group to disparage the state government and sabotage its effort to stern the organised decimation of Nigercem.

“Consequently, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, has approved the dethroning and de-stooling of the following traditional rulers and village heads with effect from Monday 18th March, 2013. The affected traditional rulers include HRH Eze Mathias Nnaji, (Nkalagu) HRH Eze Michael Egbo, (Amaezu), Prince Benjamin Onwa (Regent of Umuhuali) and Prince Augustine Okwor (Regent of Nkalaha).

“Furthermore, the affected erstwhile traditional Rulers and Regents are hereby to hand over without fail, their respective Certificates of Recognition and Staff of Office CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

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SM Extra

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kaduna Easter attack

I regret being alive without 4 brothers –Survivor •I hid under a rock –Eyewitness •Drained phone battery saved my life –Resident

Some women with their children at the refugee camp.

Chief Wada

Mrs. Aliyu

A ZA MSUE

tres from the city of Kaduna.

A 60-year-old survivor, Mrs Godiya Aliyu, who is one of the displaced persons at the refugee camp, told Sunday Mirror in Hausa that she preferred to die alongside her two sons and two brothers who were brutally killed by the bloody attackers.

Mrs Aliyu said many residents of the affected communities were terrified by the sound of gunshots used by the invaders as everyone was running for their dear lives.

She said: “Imagine why my two sons and two brothers were slaughtered after receiving gunshot wounds in their heads.

When I heard one of the shots I felled on the ground and the attackers thought that I was dead. I was there for almost one day because if I stood up, the invaders would have killed me. The killings started on Saturday night and ended on Sunday afternoon on top of the hills. These hills are our ancestral homes; we stayed here while our brothers were down. We have many villages on the hills.”

Another survivor, Gwaya John, said he

KADUNA

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or the people of Fadan Attakar in Kaura local council situated on the southern part of Kaduna State, penultimate Saturday and the Easter Sunday were days they would wish not to recur as suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked and killed 28 residents who lived on the community hills. Sunday Mirror learnt that the people had lived on these hills for over a decade.

Fadan Attakar, which shares a boundary with Plateau State unlike other southern Kaduna communities, had a series of bloody attacks which claimed several lives and property destroyed by yet-to-be identified gunmen who most surviving victims alleged were Fulani nomads.

Over 5,000 people in the community have fled their homes to neighbouring villages following the attack which led to the burning of their homes while others are now taking refuge at the Model Primary School, Fadan Attakar, about 320 kilome-

may not go back as his life could terminate in the next attack. “The way I survived, only Almighty God knows because we were all asleep when the attackers came. I first heard a gunshot but I thought it was the police at Fadan Attakar market. Before I knew it, somebody shouted that, “Come and help me, this people have guns and machetes. I ran and hid under a rock. That was how I survived the killings.

I may not go back because I am not convinced yet because these people may come back for another round of attack.”

For Mr Shagaya Amos, his mobile phone low battery saved his life as he went to Fadan Attakar market in search of where to charge his phone and thus failed to come back.

“God is great. On that Saturday evening, I went to Fadan Attakar market to charge my phone battery. Unfortunately, the generator had no fuel. I waited till 8 p.m. after charging the battery. One of my brothers advi sed me to sleep in their house. On Sunday morning, I called my next brother who sustained injuries in the attack. He did not pick my call. I started coming back to the hills. On my way back, I saw people running to the town amid heavy shooting going on on the hills.”

The District Head of Mafang, Mr. Yusuf Bilong, who fled his home to Fadan Attakar, said he had never heard such sporadic shootings in his life.

Disquiet over Elechi’s dethronement of royal fathers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 as Traditional Rulers to the Chairman of Ishielu Local Government Council within 48 hours for onward transmission to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development” Buttressing the stand of the state government on lingering impasse, the Ebonyi state commissioner for Commerce and industries, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike accused Ibeto of going through the backdoor to buy Nigercem. Ike said that the state government was still investigating how Ibeto bought Nigercem when Ibeto allegedly went behind and brainwashed the host communities. “It was a betrayal because they did not consult government before taking the position. It was sabotage against the state government; it was a stab on government’s back. If we keep quite it would look as if we are not in control of the state as Chief Security Officer. It was an affront against the government,” said Ike.

The commissioner denied that Governor Elechi has a hidden agenda in the whole exercise and that contrary to the allegation that the Governor is punishing the host communities for not agreeing to be part of Ebonyi state creation when the agitation lasted. He said that Elechi may forgive the traditional rulers if they show sufficient remorse.

The state’s commissioner for cement production and mineral resources, Mr. Sunny Uguocha said that the state for years now has been exploring the lime stone potentials of the state with the view to commencing state-owned cement factory.

When our Correspondent visited the affected communities, people asked after their traditional rulers pointed the houses of the monarch the governor said he had dethroned. Though the monarchs refused to grant any interview to our correspondent, the people of their communities maintained that they remained their traditional rulers. The Igboesa general as-

sembly on its emergency meeting over the matter resolved among other things that the Governor should tamper justice with mercy and pardon the monarchs. “All of us apologize to Ebonyi state Governor for whatever the embarrassment their publication must have caused him. It would be appreciated if our request is given your approval especially this time of sober reflection in the Christian world,” pleaded the Igboesa General Assembly.

A group of 12 statesmen in the state otherwise referred to as the founding fathers of the state after berating Ibeto and accusing the company of cocktail of lies, said they unequivocally supported Elechi to protect their God-given natural resources and to exploit same for the economic development of the state and for the benefit of the people and the host communities.

A prominent politician from the state a native of Nkalagu, Chief Obinna Ogba, said he aligned himself with the resolution of Igboesa General Assembly asking

PHOTOS: AZA MSUE

His words: “I have never heard such sound of guns. The attack was launched on Saturday at about 3:00 p.m. The attackers shot at random killing mostly children and women. Some of those who went back to our village to look at the level of destruction could not return as they were killed by the gunmen. We left the hills to seek refuge in Fadan Attakar because we were scared of going back.”

Also narrating the incident, an eyeswitness, Matthew Bulus, from Mafang village, said the gunmen wore black clothes and were armed with sophisticated guns.

“When the military men came, there was nothing much they could do because they don’t know the terrain in our communities. They asked some of our youths to follow and guide them, but our boys were scared of accompanying them since they (the boys ) had no arms. But the soldiers eventually went into the hills in search of the invaders. We don’t know whether they were able to make any arrest or not,” Bulus said.

Paramount ruler of Takad Chiefdom, Mr Tobias Nkom Wada, disclosed that the invaders were Fulani herdsmen who had taken over their villages on the hills.

Wada, while calling on the government to dislodge the attackers on the hills called for urgent intervention by the authorities to rehabilitate the displaced people. the governor to recall the monarchs. Ogba stated that the monarchs did nothing to warrant their sack. “They are fighting a just cause. We don’t want to fight with the governor but the Ezes remain our traditional rulers. It is a fact that the Elechi government has not cited any single project in our communities since he came in 2007 but we don’t want to join issues with anybody,” said Ogba.

On his own reaction, the member representing Ishielu/Ezza North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Peter Ede, argued that if the governor removed the traditional rulers for their inability to secure Nigercem as the governor’s agents claimed, it was logical that Elechi as the chief security officer of the state should first of all resign, even before contemplating the dethronement of the monarchs. Ede corroborated the allegation that the governor was marginalising the area to the extent that no single person from the area is considered for political appointment, let alone build infrastructure in the area.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Why Accord Party ex-chairman was impeached’ SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

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s the crisis tearing Accord Party (AP), one of the opposition parties in the country into shreds gathers steam, more facts have been provided on what actually resulted in the impeachment of its former National Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Nalado, on July 29, 2011.

A major dramatis personae of that event and the current National Secretary of AP, Dr. Samson Isibor, has revealed to Sunday Mirror in Benin City the allegations that Nalado refused to attend a National Executive Council meeting to defend allegations levelled against him then.

One of such allegations was that as the National Chairman of the party then, Nalado contested election into the House of Representatives during the 2011 general election

News

Sunday April 7, 2013

under the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Katsina State, which was regarded as an anti-party activity, according to the scribe.

Isibor listed other ‘sins’ of the ex-chairman to include: running the party as a personal property, embezzlement of the party’s fund realised from sale of nomination forms and expression of interests, and gross failure to establish the presence and office of Accord Party in Katsina, his home base.

These and other allegations, according to Isibor, gave rise to the resolution to vote the former executive council out of office and hand them over to anti-corruption agencies for investigation.

Reacting to a story from the ex-chairman published from Akure on Tuesday in a national daily newspaper, Isibor advised Nalado to desist from running from pil-

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Three survivors of Edo SOUTH SOUTH multiple crash receiving treatment –FRSC lars to posts in a bid to use his political godfather to stage a return to the position from which he was duly impeached.

His impeachment, Isibor said, was indorsed by two-third of AP NEC members comprising state chairmen, six geopolitical zones’ national vice chairmen and presided over by the BOT chairman. Particularly, he advised the former chairman to stop parading himself as AP’s National Chairman.

“As we are talking right now, we have been able to establish beyond reasonable doubt that N91.8million out of about N120million was embezzled from the sale of party nomination forms and expression of interest forms for political positions.

“These ranged from House of Assembly to Governorship election forms. We did not see the money. T

...Mass burial likely for victims

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he Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr Kenneth Nwaegbe, yesterday said that the three survivors of the Edo multiple crash are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. here are indications that the dead victims of the accident might be given a mass burial if their identities cannot be ascertained more so as many of them were burnt to ashes.

Nwaegbe said the three survivors were rescued out of the 39 persons involved in the crash.

He said that investigations were still on-going to ascertain the cause of the multiple crashes, saying that at the end of the investigations, information would be released.

Nwaegbe, however, urged drivers to be patient while driving and ensure

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proper functioning of all vehicle parts before putting them on the road.

“But as it relates to drivers on our roads today, we use this opportunity to caution that patience is very important.

“Drivers should always give themselves gaps and should not be in a hurry to overtake.

“Checking of vehicle parts, especially the brake and wipers, ought to be done especially in this raining season.

“The vehicle ought to be in good shape before you put it on the road.

“Drivers need not overtake and they need to obey all traffic regulations and men on the road”, Nweagbe said.

He also urged members of the public to contact the FRSC on its 122 emergency toll free numbers to report auto crashes.

It was further gathered

that the remains of the victims have been deposited at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital mortuary while it was gathered that the police authorities were waiting for directives from Abuja on what to do with corpses.

State Police Commissioner, Folusho Adebanjo said relatives have started showing up to collect corpses of their love ones.

He said time would be given for relatives to identify corpses and added that the manifest showed that 36 persons died in the fire.

An official of the FRSC said they would soon remove the vehicles from the highway to ease traffic movement.

Owners of the shops, vehicles and motor-cycles affected by the fire have demanded for compensation from owners of the tanker that caused the fire.

Victor Adedapo Kayode: Lest legend becomes myth CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

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urora Fanimokun was the first daughter of the respected Rev. Suberu Fanimokun of the Lagos colony (as it then was) and he was the Principal of the famous CMS Grammer School, Lagos. Like his colleague in holy orders and future in-law Rev. E.A. Kayode, Rev. Suberu Fanimokun also graduated in 1892 with an M.A. (Durham) from Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leonne. After graduating Rev. Fanimokun married Miss Bucknor of the distinguished Bucknor family of Lagos. Her brother was the famous lawyer A.J.E. Bucknor who was called to the english Bar in 1895 and who was also a friend of Sir Kitoye Ajasa.

Apart from Aurora, Rev. Fanimokun and Mrs. Fanimokun (nee Bucknor) also had a son that graduated from Glasgow University as a medical practitioner in the early 1920’s. All these families constituted the cream of Lagos high soci-

ety in their day. It was by dint of fate and providence that the son and daughter of Rev. E.A. Kayode and Rev. S. Fanimokun, both of whom were contemporaries and illustrious Anglican priests, ended up getting married in 1920. The first child of that marriage was Babaremilekun Fani-Kayode who was born in Chelsea, London in 1921. At that time London was the most affluent city in the western world yet 30 per cent of Londoners were living below the poverty line. This shows that even the most developed cities and nations in the world once went through very hard times as well.

After being called to the British bar in 1922 Victor Adedapo Kayode went back to Lagos, Nigeria where he set up one of the most successful legal practices of his day. He specialised in criminal law. He occassionally intervened in the politics of the day in Lagos colony but his forte was law and because he

was acknowledged as one of the best lawyers of his day he was appointed as a magistrate in 1940. In those days there were no Nigerian magistrates and judges.

They were all British.

Olumuyiwa Jibowu was the first Nigerian to become a magistrate in 1931 and then Adebiyi Desalu followed him in 1938. Adetokunboh Ademola was the third in 1939 and then came Victor Adedapo Kayode, F.E.O. Euba and George Frederick Dove-Edwin in 1940. F.O. Lucas was appointed in 1941. These were the first Nigerians to become magistrates and virtually all of them went on to the higher bench and did exceedingly well. Unfortunately in 1941, just one year after being appointed as a magistrate, Victor Adedapo Kayode died at the relatively young age of 42 whilst he was presiding over an important land case. *Fani-Kayode is former Aviation Minister

An accident scene on Eket-Etinan road in Akwa Ibom State, yesterday.

Akpabio tasks Nigerian youths on unity A kwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has called on Nigerian youths to strive to keep the country united irrespective of tribal or religious sentiments as the future of the country rests on them.

Governor Akpabio stated this at the first Niger Delta Young Professionals Award Night held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos State.

The governor, who was one among the five recipients of the awards said he was elated by the ingenuity of the young professionals, as their passion for the total transformation of the Niger delta region, and by extension the entire country, is

an attestation of a rebirth of thoughts of the youth towards positive development.

While commending the group for recognising values, Akpabio said the award is significant as it will engrave in the hearts of Nigerians willingness and desire to offer selfless service to humanity.

He dedicated the awards to all Nigerian children especially those resident in Akwa Ibom state, and said his administration will continue to invest in the youths to prepare them for a greater Nigeria.

While describing himself as a detribalised Nigerian, the governor appealed to other Nigerian leaders to

see the country as one indivisible entity and maintain the integrity and unity of the country with pride.

Special guest of honour and Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, called on Youths to form collaborations and build strong bridges across the country irrespective of ethnic or religious bias.

The President, who was represented by the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tarakisan, congratulated the recipients for their hardwork and selfless service to humanity and for contributing their quota towards the transformation of Nigeria.

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North News

Sunday April 7, 2013

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gunmen kill 7 persons in Plateau JTF arrests terror JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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ome gunmen on Friday night attacked Karkashi Community in Langtang South local council of Plateau State and killed seven people while several other villagers sustained gunshots wounds.

Also in another attack which occurred in Zango village in Wase Local Government Area of the of

the state Sunday Mirror also learnt the gunmen also burnt over 10 houses belonging to the villagers.

It was however learnt that the villagers were able to repel the attackers and in the process, four of the assailants were killed.

One of the villagers, Mrs Nimfa who escaped being attacked described the incident as unfortunate.

She said: we did not expect that the gunmen will

attack the village because there was no sign of anything like. But suddenly, the gunmen appeared from nowhere and started shooting at us. I think it is high time the security agencies checked the activities of these gunmen before they kill everyone in the state’’ Spokesman of the special task force on Jos crisis Captain Salisu Mustapher confirmed the killing yesterday in Jos .

According to him at about 2.am unknown gunmen stormed the village and killed seven people while several other sustain gunshot wound.

He added that four of the attackers were arrested and are being interrogated to know the level of their involvement adding that they will be handed over to the police prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.

L-R: Executive Director, Civil Rights Congress, Comrade Shehu Sani; former Kaduna State Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Alhaji Kabir Umar and State Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Musa Soba, at the Greater Kaduna Group Association’s Summit on the Merger of Opposition Political Parties, in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

‘NECO exams to hold as scheduled’ PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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he governing board and management of the National Examinations Council (NECO) have assured the general public, particularly the stakeholders that the various NECO examinations

are to go on as scheduled.

In a statement signed

by Lamara Garba, Assistant Chief Information Officer of the council, it said it was necessary for the council to notify the general public as well as candidates and schools for the council’s examinations that the examina-

tions schedules and timetables remain unchanged.

It also stated that the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), slated for 13th April, 2013, the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), slated for between 9th and 23rd of May, 2013 and the Senior

School Certificate Examination (SSCE) fixed for June, 2013 would all hold as scheduled.

The federal government recently approved the recommendation of the Oransanye committee part of which suggested the scrapping of NECO among other decisions.

2 miners die in Jigawa mine collapse

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wo clay mine workers were yesterday killed at a burrow pit in YayarinTukur village of Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

One other person was also wounded in the accident, which occurred on

Saturday, when dozens of villagers were extracting gravel and clay at the pit.

An eyewitness, Malam Musa Umaru, told NAN that the miners were killed when a cliff collapsed and buried them.

Umaru said that the deceased were extracting

clay beneath a cliff when it suddenly collapsed, adding that two of them died on the spot while one other person sustained injuries.

“I was also extracting clay from the other side of the pit; then there was a loud bang and dust coming from the collapsed cliff.

“We rushed to their rescue but we found them dead,” Umaru narrated.

Alhaji Isa Bello, the Chairman of the council, confirmed the incident, adding that the wounded miner had been referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin-Kudu.

Ex-Benue commissioner decries disrespect for elders HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

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former Benue StateCommissioner on Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission, Chief Abu King Shuluwa, has said that the youth, who have found their way into governance, especially in the

North Central, have no respect for the elders.

He, therefore, called for attitudinal change with a view to closing up the gap, which existed and has created sharp division among the political stakeholders in the state.

Shuluwa made this known at the weekend when he lamented that the

sidelining of the elders in decision making on important issues had denigraded and caused severe setback in the state.

He said this has led to sharp decline of infrastructural development in the state.

Shuluwa made particular reference to the recent visit of the National Chair-

man of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was in the state recently for a two day working visit.

“The elders were neither contacted nor briefed before the visit to lend their support or help to deliberate on crucial matters affecting the party both at the national and state.”

suspect in Borno INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

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he Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, at the weekendarrested a terror suspect (names withheld) in Hausari ward of the metropolis on Dandal Way at about 2.30 p.m. Friday.

Hausari ward, according to JTF sources, is one of the 14 black spot areas identified by the security task force since July, 2011.

The terror suspect, according to eyewitness on came on a bicycle to a shop and bought a Coca-Cola drink; and started taking it among other people that just returned from Jumat prayers at Shehu of Borno’s palace mosque.

The source said, “unknown to the suspect, four people in unmarked Honda vehicle immediately alerted the JTF on the ‘presence and exact location’ of the suspected informant on Dandal way taking his drink, and 750 metres to the Shehu’s palace.”

An anonymous resident of Hausari also confirmed to Sunday Mirror that the arrested suspect is an informant to the Boko Haram sect that collates information on JTF’s patrolling strategy and various military posts in Hausari, Mafoni and Lawan Bukar wards of Maiduguri.

He said the arrested sus-

pect uses bicycle to crisscross the nook and cranny of the three wards to collate information for the Islamist sect instead of using the conventional vehicle.

“He gives out information to the sect before they target any military posts and other public buildings, such as schools and popular bus stops with high population.”

The soldiers, according to him, rushed to Dandal Way at about 2.35pm and arrested the suspect, by tying his hands to the back.

“They also removed all personal belongings from his pockets, including his handsets that he allegedly uses in relaying all the collated information on JTF operations and likely contacts and targets to be attacked.”

He said even though the suspect did not resist arrest of soldiers, he, however, pleaded at the scene of arrest saying, “Oga, for God’s sake, don’t arrest me now, because I am not the only member of Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri.”

When contacted on phone on the incident, the JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Sagir Musa’s phone number was not reachable.

The line remained dead as at the time of filing in this report.

But a top security agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest of the suspected informant.

Gunmen murder 2 clerics in Yobe, Borno INUSA NDAHI DAMATURU

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unmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram Islamist sect allegedly shot dead two clerics and a resident in two separate attacks in Potiskum town and London Chiki ward of Maiduguri metropolis in Yobe and Borno states over the weekend.

The clerics, according to eyewitness, were shot dead at Kandahar and Tjunction areas of Potiskum town, at about 8pm and 10pm Friday, while the Maiduguri resident was killed at 9.36am Saturday.

Potiskum is 100 kilometres west of Damaturu,

the Yobe State capital, which is also an epicentre of the Islamist sect.

Speaking on the incident, an anonymous resident said that the two gunmen trailed the resident on foot and shot him dead at a close range before men of Joint Task Force rushed to the scene and cordoned the road.

He said the body of the slain resident was immediately taken to the morgue of the Specialists Hospital in Maiduguri by the police for identification.

The bodies of the clerics, according to another reliable source, were buried yesterday at the Potiskum cemetery, according to Islamic rites.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Zonal News

Sunday April 7, 2013

SOUTH WEST

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SOUTH EAST

New rice mill in Iboko, Don canvasses UN permanent seat for Nigeria Ebonyi begins test-run

ormer Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Prof Babajide Osuntokun, has advocated a permanent seat for Nigeria in a reformed and representative United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

This, according to him, would only reward her in view of its leadership role on the continent, and her contribution to peace-keeping operations globally.

Osuntokun argued that the current political and economic realities globally point to the fact that nations like the United States, Germany and China are hegemons in their respective continents, just as Nigeria is the pre-eminent black African country in the world with the largest population in wielding great political powers in West Africa.

Delivering a paper titled “A Hegemon in a Peripheral Region of the World: The Future of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy” at the annual Nigerian Society of International Affairs ( NSIA), lecture in Lagos, Osuntokun, argued that

much as he did not expect Nigeria’s candidacy to go unchallenged, the country eminently qualifies for it when the restructuring comes up.

Justifying Nigeria’s qualification for such recognition, Osuntokun, a former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nigeria to Germany pointed to the nation’s population among other factors.

“The current population of Nigeria is estimated at 170,123,747 and the population of the remaining 14 ECOWAS countries put together is 144,589,549.

The nominal GDP of Nigeria is currently put at 238.920 billion dollars; whilst the total nominal GDP of the other 14 countries put together is 133.222 billion dollars,” he said.

According to him, “the closest to Nigeria in population and GDP is the Republic of Ghana with an estimated current population of 24,200,000 and a nominal GDP of 46.7 billion dollars.

This means that the Ni-

gerian economy is over five times that of Ghana, while its population is about seven times that of Ghana.

He noted, however, that African nations should forge a common front and concentrate on rapid economic development for which its vast natural resources entitles her and called for “a total restructure of the Nigerian economy to anticipate what would happen in the near future.”

Earlier in his address, President of the NSIA, Prof Jide Owoeye, said the society was set up to mobilise and orientate Nigerians towards greater awareness of the significance and role of Africa and other Third world countries in the international system.

Owoeye, who is the chairman, Governing Council of Lead City University, called for greater co-operation with similar societies in handling issues like sovereignty, war and peace, climate change, ecological sustainability, globalisation, gender issues as well as trans-border crimes.

T

he new rice mill in Iboko, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi, has commenced test-running.

The rice mill is one of the three new mills constructed across the three senatorial zones of the state at the total cost of over N1 billion.

Gov. Martin Elechi, while being conducted round the mill by Chief Romanus Nwasum, the Commissioner for Agriculture, expressed satisfaction at the state of the mill.

“I am satisfied with the state of the facilities here as I want the operators to ensure that the quality of the rice is enhanced to attain optimum target.

“We hope to increase the present five tons per hour capacity to 40 tons per hour when full operation must have commenced,” he said.

According to him, the State Executive Council decided to name the produce,

‘Ebonyi Rice’ to deviate from the popular ‘Abakaliki Rice’, associated with rice produced from the state.

“We want to ensure that the produce attains world standard in terms of processing, storage, distribution and marketing.

“The facilities would also have to be improved upon to change the parboiling mechanism from the manual to higher technological method.

“We are satisfied overall as work on the mill suffered setbacks due to the recall of the Japanese engineers handling the project by their government.

“This was caused by the abduction of expatriate workers in Bauchi,” he said.

He assured the people that the three new rice mills would be ready soon and called for patience and cooperation in realising the objectives.

“We will also provide ac-

cess roads to the new mills for easy accessibility and distribution of the produce.

“The people should be assured, that despite the court suit against the relocation policy by the Abakaliki rice millers, the essence of the relocation was to enhance the aesthetic nature of the capital city,’’ he said.

Nwasum in his remark assured the governor that efforts would be intensified to ensure that the mill and others commence full operations.

Mr Paulinus Chukwu, one of the Japanese-trained engineers handling the project, said that they were fully equipped technically and otherwise to ensure the full running of the mill.

“We were part of the equipment installation process as we assure the government and people of effective operation and maintenance of the machines,’’ he said

‘Lagos residents’ refusal to utilise PHCs puts pressure on tertiary hospitals’ T he refusal of residents to utilise Primary Health Centres (PHCs) is responsible for the pressure on tertiary hospitals in the metropolis, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Service, Lagos State House of Assembly, has said.

The chairman, Mr Suuru Avoseh, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday that residents were not patronising the centres due to neglect in the past.

“The primary health centres have many roles but because of the neglect

of the past, people do not see any good in them.

“That is the reason why the administration of Gov. Babatunde Fashola made effort to reinforce the PHCs in the state,” the lawmaker said.

He said that qualified medical personnel had been engaged for all PHCs to make them the first point of call for patients and to provide excellent health service delivery.

Avoseh noted that such patients could be referred to the General Hospitals or Teaching Hospitals, as the case may be, if the centres

cannot handle their cases’’.

“There is much pressure on facilities at the General Hospitals and Teaching Hospitals because the role of PHCs had been neglected in the past.

“But we have revitalised the centres and employed medical doctors and qualified midwives, and we know as time goes on, people will witness the difference.

“People should endeavour to start their health service from primary to the tertiary, so as to prevent any institution from being over-stretched’’.

Oyo monarch passes on at 60 KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

O

yo State yesterday lost one of its first class monarchs as the Okere of Saki, Oba Kelani Olatoyese Olarinre II, joined his ancestors at the age of 60.

The Oke Ogun monarch from the northern part of the state was on 9th April, 2012, presented with the staff of office by Governor

Abiola Ajimobi, six years after he had been installed.

The Media Assistant to the Alaafin of Oyo, Alhaji Azeez Fehintola, disclosed that the royal father passed on at 2 a.m. after a brief illness.

Olarinre, a Muslim, had a very strong affiliation with the Northern Emirs such that it earned him the title of ‘Sheu’.

His remains were interred yesterday evening in Saki according to Is-

lamic rites.

Okere’s coronation last year was attended by the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Onitede of Tede, Oba Raufu Oladoyin; the Onjo of Okeho, Oba Rafiu Osuolale; the Iba of Kishi, Oba Mosud Aweda Lawal; the Emir of Kita, Alhaji Idris Tutoru; the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; and the Aare of Ago-Are, Oba Jubril, among others.

L-R: Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State with the Senate President, David Mark, when the crew of Presidential fleet at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja surprised him with the presentation of birthday card on his way to Makurdi on Friday

At last, Anambra APGA holds state, local, ward congresses NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

T

he All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State has, at last, conducted its state, local government and ward congresses, to rest the seeming squabbles within the leadership of the party in the state.

At the Congress held yesterday at the Women Development Centre, Awka, the State Capital, Chief Egwuoyibo Okoye, a lawyer and former member of the State House of Assembly from Nnewi

South local government in the South Senatorial zone emerged the Chairman of the party in the State.

Chief Shedrack Anakwe from Awka North in the Central Senatorial zone was elected state Deputy Chairman.

Mr. Chukwuemeka Meze, also a lawyer from Anambra East local government area in the North Senatorial zone was elected the party’s state Secretary.

The party had earlier conducted its Wards and Local Governments Congresses respectively.

The National Conven-

tion earlier slated to hold in Enugu, the Enugu State capital on April 8, but, which had been relocated to Awka had already been approved by the INEC. A letter from INEC conveying the approval of the electoral body for APGA “congresses nationwide as well as national convention” was addressed to the party’s Chairman ProTempore All Progressives Grand Alliance, Suite 028 Lozumba Complex, Area 10, Garki, Abuja and signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Abdullahi. A. Kaugama.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We can emulate Mata targets top four finish Ghana to win with Blues U-20 World Cup P. 63 –Ajagun P. 62 KEEPING YOU ABREAST OF SPORTING NEWS Renovation work commences at Rojenny Games Village

Sport April 7, 2013

ANDREW EKEJIUBA AND NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

R

Tomas Rosicky (left) scoring Arsenal’s opening goal against West Brom with a thumping near-post diving header.

Gunners sink West Brom, as relegation threatens Reading ANDREW EKEJIUBA

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

T

omas Rosicky scored in each half as 10-man Arsenal yesterday withstood a West Brom fightback to move above Chelsea into fourth place in the Premier League.

Arsenal were back at The Hawthorns for the first time since winning on the final day of last season to secure Champions League qualification.

They returned in the midst of another battle to reach Europe’s elite club competition.

That perhaps contributed to an edgy start yesterday, in which Rosicky was forced to clear a Claudio Yacob header off the line.

But if his intervention was vital in defence, it was equally telling in attack.

Gervinho collected Mikel Arteta’s long ball forward, befuddling Gareth McAuley, before producing a strike that was intercepted by Rosicky with a thumping near-post header to give the visitors the opener.

West Brom offered little in attack, though they had strong claims for a penalty when Laurent Koscielny brought down Yacob.

With the Baggies yet to come from behind at half-time to win a game this season, and Arsenal in possession of the division’s best second-half record, a turnaround seemed unlikely.

Torres: I’ll stay at Chelsea P. 63

The odds lengthened when Rosicky doubled his side’s advantage, beating Foster at the second attempt having been set up

by Ramsey.

Top scorer Lukaku tested Fabianski with a deflected free-kick, before the Polish goalkeeper denied Chris Brunt from a tight angle.

Long then met a perfectly weighted pass over the top, drawing a clumsy foul from Per Mertesacker that earned the German a straight red card.

Morrison drilled his spotkick through the legs of Fabianski to haul his side back into contention with half an hour remaining.

As West Brom pressed hard for an equaliser, Ar-

senal manager Arsene Wenger sent on defensive reinforcements in the form of Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs and Francis Coquelin.

McAuley headed off target, Lukaku curled a glorious chance wide and Shane Long lashed over the bar to end scores at 2-1 in Arsenal’s favour.

West Brom remain eighth, which would be their highest Premier League finish, but they have only won once in their last five top-flight games.

Meanwhile, Reading’s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered another massive blow yesterday as they were beaten 2-0 by a Southampton side who have all but secured safety.

Pereira issues P. 63 rallying cry to Inter

enovation work is at advanced stage at the Rojenny Tourists/ Games Village, Oba, Anambra State, following the N30 million donation made to the management of the dilapidating edifice, to put the place into proper use, and also as part of the state government’s effort to partner with the management in the promotion of sports.

The proprietor of the Games Village, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka told Sunday Mirror that he was impressed with Governor Peter Obi’s kind gesture and that was why they have intensified work at the venue to justify the interest the state government has on the project.

“I’m glad that Governor Peter Obi came to our rescue with the initial seed of N30 million, because this is a project that will benefit our youths and upcoming athletes in the country.

“I remember the governor made a promise to partner with us because he has seen how vital the project is to the state and that is why we cannot relent in our efforts in meeting up with the aspirations of the state government in this regard.

“Rojenny Stadium is a dream stadium and a stadium of potentials, where

lots of sporting events can be hosted.

“Already you see that work is in progress at the VIP stand and the field.

“Aside the aforementioned, we also hope to lay tartan tracks round the field for athletics events,” Ezeonwuka said.

He further appealed to the state government not to turn their back on the project, especially now that work has reached advanced stage.

“I want to appeal to Governor Peter Obi and other stakeholders of sports in Anambra State to continue to support us in this project because stadium projects are capital intensive everywhere in the world.

“We urgently need tartan tracks in this place to aid the development of athletics in the country and what the governor has done following the donation he made is to ignite the light in this place, and you can see that the candle is burning here.

“It is our hope that the state government will continue in making sure work is in progress at Rojenny, by making sure that more funds are made available, so that we can upgrade this edifice to international standard for the benefit of our upcoming athletes and for posterity to remember all those involved in this project,” Ezeonwuka concluded.

Proprietor of Rojenny Tourists/Games Village, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (second from right) inspecting the field and works going on at the site.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday April 7, 2013

AFN: Nesiama assures on early camping of athletes IFEANYI EDUZOR

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Onduku

Onduku vows to grab Eagles’ chance SAYO OGUNDEJI

S

harks FC of Port Harcourt forward Gomo Onduku has stated his desire to make the best use of the opportunity given to him by Coach Stephen Keshi after he was included in the Super Eagles provisional squad to play the World Cup qualifiers in June.

Keshi had on Wednesday released the list of invited players expected to play Mexico in a friendly match on May 31, before two World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Malawi and Onduku, alongside Obinna Nwachukwu of Heartland FC and Gambo Mohammed of Kano Pillars were the only homebased strikers that made

the list.

But the former Bayelsa United player says the invitation to be part of the national team set up is a reward for hard work, adding that he would transform the same form into the Eagles.

“It is always good to be hardworking and I think I merit the invitation based on my club performance, but the best way to prove that is to go on the pitch and justify my inclusion which is what I am focused on doing if given the nod.

“Every player desires to wear the national team shirt and Coach Keshi has given the home-based players the platform to show the world how good we are and I am ready to make the best use of the chance,” Onduku enthused.

he Technical Director of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama says that the Federation will build on the successes recorded at the maiden edition of the African Youth Athletics Championships (AYAC) in order to post a good performance at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

Team Nigeria came first at the championship held in Warri, Delta State by winning 13 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals.

According to him, the Federation is putting logistics on ground to ensure that athletes discovered at the championship

IFEANYI EDUZOR

T

he North Central Zone 1 of the National Sports Commission (NSC) with headquarters in Jos, Plateau State, is to organize its maiden edition of the U-15 Youth Inter-Club Sports Competition and Symposium from April 24 – 27, at the Rayfield Sports Complex, Jos. According to a statement signed by the zonal Coordinator, Caleb Gidado, and made available to our correspondent, the programme with the theme “Organiza-

Polo action at the Lagos Polo Club Ground, Ikoyi.

T

he ancient city of Zaria is agog with excitement following the commencement of the 2013 MTN International Polo Tournament, which galloped off yesterday.

Clearly the biggest annual event in Zaria’s sporting calendar, the Polo fiesta galloped-off in grand style yesterday at the legendary Polo Ground on Queen Elizabeth Road in Zaria.

With the Lagos Polo Tournament, which galloped to an entertaining end, on March 10, all attention in the Polo world is now focused towards the MTN Zaria International Polo Tournament with ten days duration.

Dubbed as the most exciting polo tourney in many years, the prestigious event will feature popular Nigerian polo teams complemented by the presence of renowned international players from Argentina and South Africa.

Knockout IFEANYI Eduzor with

08055829770 ifeduz24@yahoo.com

Kareem set for title defence he assured Nigerians that he eigning Commonwealth will not disappoint them.

R Super-flyweight cham“I have trained hard and pion, Yaqub Kareem of Nigeria says he is in good frame of mind ahead of his title defence against British Paul Butler on April 12, at the Liverpool Olympia.

The fight which was originally scheduled to take place on March 8, was postponed because of late issuance of British visa to the champion.

He noted that he has trained very hard for the fight, even as

W

BO International light middleweight champion, King Davidson Emenogu, says he is making arrangements to defend his title in Nigeria in the next two months.

Emenogu in February in Southampton, London, defeated Russia’s Andrejs tion and administration of Iodinovs in the fifth round to retain his title. sports clubs in schools and The Commonwealth communities,” is geared to- bronze medalist told our corwards exposing youths un- respondent that his plans to der the ages of 15 years to competitive sports as well as update the knowledge and skills of Games Masters/Mistresses and local government sports officials in the area of the formation and administration of sports clubs in schools and communities.

The statement advised participating schools within the region to form U-15 sports clubs and register such clubs Emenogu for the competitions.

According to the Zaria Polo Club Captain, Alhaji Murktari Hazo, the host, Zaria, will field teams in all the major cup categories.

“Over 30 top class games would be decided during the fiesta. Let me also add that just like last year, foreign professionals will participate in the tournament this year. Royal Signal Cup, won by Katsina Max Air last year and the Emir of Zazzau Cup are the biggest trophies in contention at the event.

“The other major trophies to be carted away by winners at the tourney include the University Cup, Governor’s Cup, Veterans Cup as well as the Beginners Cup,” Hazo said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Zaria Polo Club, Alhaji Aliyu Musa, who is also MTN’s Marketing Manager, North West said that the 2013 MTN Polo Tournament would be one of the most exciting, with teams coming from Port Harcourt, Abuja, Katsina, Bauchi, Yola, Jos, Minna, Kaduna and host Zaria.

He confirmed that the MTN event has already been over-subscribed by teams within and outside the country.

“We are overwhelmed by the huge interest our tournament is generating, and we are eagerly looking forward to a real festival,” he said.

looking forward to next week Friday when I hope to successfully defend my title against my opponent.

“It is true that Butler is a good boxer and will have the advantage of fighting before his home fans, but that will not make any difference because I am ready to silence him before his countrymen,” Kareem said.

Emenogu plans title defence have the title defence in the in Nigeria country was to encourage

NSC set to organise inter-club competition

Zaria bubbles for MTN 2013 Polo tourney

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

are given all the necessary support to enable them excel at major competitions.

“We at the Federation are happy with the successes recorded at the championship and we hope to build on it to post a good showing in Rio, Brazil in 2016.

“I am assuring Nigerians that the AFN will always encourage young athletes to develop their potentials because our target is to catch them young and turn them to world beaters,” he said.

Nesiama noted that the AFN is working towards early preparation of athletes for the 2016 Olympics in order to avoid a repeat performance of London 2012 where the country could not win a single medal.

61

young Nigerians desiring to make a career in boxing as well as restore the lost glory of the pugilist game in the country.

Aside from the WBO International Light-middleweight title, Emenogu also holds other titles which includes the IBF, Pan Pacific Youth Light-middleweight, Australian Light-middleweight, and Pan Asia Boxing Association title.

Pacquiao returns to the ring Pacquiao in September lostLasthisJune, WBO welterweight

F

ormer seven-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao plans to fight again in September, but not in the United States because of tax reasons.

A spokesperson for the boxer said negotiations are ongoing for a re-match with Juan Manuel Marquez, who knocked out Pacquiao in December.

Pacquiao, 34, is running for re-election as a congressman in next month’s Philippines mid-term elections.

crown to American Timothy Bradley on a controversial decision before being knocked out in spectacular fashion by Marquez.

The defeats prompted calls for him to retire, but Pacquiao has consistently signaled his intention to keep on fighting.

Marquez would be the obvious opponent for his September comeback, with Pacquiao leading their fourfight series 2-1, with one fight drawn.

Manny Pacquiao (right) lands a blow on Oscar De La Hoya during their welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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Sport

Sunday April 7, 2013

Turkey 2013

you think the coaching crew needs strengthening in order to forestall the same scenario of losing out in Turkey this year?

Reaching the finals on two occasions in the past is indicative of the fact that we are a good side to be reckoned with as far as football is concerned at this stage, but we have to strife to go a step further by winning the trophy this time around.

I believe the coaches will study tapes of our past outings and the prospective opponents in Turkey which I think will help us understand why the former teams lost and how we can move beyond where they reached.

I am a player in the team and the duty to strengthen any area of deficiency lies with the coaches who have been given the responsibility of making sure the team delivers.

We can emulate Ghana to win U-20 World Cup –Ajagun

Nigeria’s U-20 male team, otherwise known as the Flying Eagles finished third at the just concluded Africa Youth Championship in Algeria. In this interview with SAYO OGUNDEJI, Flying Eagles captain, Abdul Jeleel Ajagun speaks on the travails of the U-20 team in Algeria and Nigeria’s chances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup slated for Turkey in June.

H

ow would you rate Flying Eagles performance at the just concluded AYC in Algeria?

It depends on the angle you want to look at it. We went into the competition with the intention of retaining the title, but everybody knows that football is an interesting sport and results sometimes do not go the way one wants it. But that does not mean the team is not good, but we only need to redouble efforts and see to it that the few mistakes we made in Algeria are not repeated in Turkey at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Would you say the loss against Mali in the first game fractured the team’s confidence for the entire duration of the tournament?

I don’t think so. If you check our performances and goals scored during the qualifiers and friendly games played prior to the commencement of the tournament, you will discover we were ruthless and looked like a solid team. We carried the same confidence into the competition, but unfortunately we lost the first game to the Malians which obviously is not a good way to start any major tournament.

However, we recovered from that defeat and that explains why we beat them during the third place match. The first game of every tournament is very important and we lost the game, not because we didn’t play well but for our failure to take numerous chances we created. I think that is down to the fact that few foreign-based

players who joined us shortly before the competition kicked off, needed time to adjust to the style of the team and they all came good as the tournament progressed.

What was your reaction when you learnt that Aminu Umar did not make the first eleven, despite emerging top scorer of the competition?

I was surprised just like anybody else because by my own standard Umar had a good tournament and should have been included in the squad. He scored the highest number of goals and contributed immensely to our outing at the tournament which in my opinion ought to have qualified him for the honour.

So I believed something must have gone wrong somewhere for that to have happened, but thank God they have corrected that by including his name at the end of the day and that shows our team was good despite not winning the tournament.

How do you feel being included in the team for the U-20 World Cup, and would you say any of your teammates deserve to make the team aside you and Umar?

I am excited to be honoured but it would have been better if my team had won the competition. We were like a family because we have bonded very well and have the same aspiration which is to become champions of the continent once again, but the team’s progress comes first before

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

individual honour.

Winning the tournament and being honoured by CAF at the same time would have been a perfect gift for me, but there will always be another opportunity to win both.

As regards more of my teammates being nominated in the tournament’s best, I think that decision lies with the organizers of the competition, but I am proud of my colleagues for giving their best to the team when it mattered most.

Nigeria is in the same group alongside Portugal, Cuba and Korea Republic and based on your team’s outing at the last AYC, how far do you think Nigeria can go?

We are aware of the challenges ahead and I hope the coaching crew is going to work on how to have a good tournament in Turkey. Our performance in Algeria will not in any way have any negative effect on our outing at the world cup because we have learnt our lessons and will do our utmost best to put smiles back on the faces of Nigerians who were disappointed with the bronze medal we won in Algeria.

Ghana, against all odds won the competition in 2009 and I think we have the quality to make it happen this time around despite the fact that the tournament is not holding in Africa.

The group’s composition looks easy on paper but we are aware of the fact that every team that qualify for the tournament has equal chances to go through and we are ready to seize the opportunity with both hands. Some of us have the experience at this stage and I believe that is good for the current squad. We are going to bring our experiences to bear and hopefully we’ll emulate what Ghana did and win the tournament in Turkey.

Nigeria lost the finals in the 1989 and 2005 editions of the WYC, and was also stunned 2-3 by France in the quarterfinals in Colombia in 2011. In what areas of the present team, do

Dolphins FC despite their pedigree on the local scene have not had the best of start to their campaign in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Will your arrival turn things around for the former champions?

The season is still young and I can promise you that Dolphins are coming back to the top because we have the experience as far as the league is concerned.

I hope to contribute my quota in making sure we win the league this season. Most of our players were retained which is good for the sake of continuity and if the players are injury free, we will surely go for the major trophies available this term.

OUR PERFORMANCE IN ALGERIA WILL NOT IN ANY WAY HAVE ANY NEGATIVE

EFFECT ON OUR OUTING AT THE WORLD CUP BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNT OUR LESSONS

Ajagun in action

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday April 7, 2013

63

EURO BRIEFS ‘very Mata targets top Falcao happy’ at Atletico Torres: I’ll stay at Chelsea F four finish with R Blues adamel Falcao insists he is “very happy” at Atletico Madrid and has revealed he has not been formally approached by any club requesting his signature in the summer.

Falcao, 27, has been linked with a number of European clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid, but the Colombia international has suggested he is not prepared to turn his back on Atletico just yet.

Despite winning the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup over the last year, it has been reported that Falcao will seek a move to a league-winning side next season.

The striker, who has scored 22 goals in La Liga this season, denies Atletico does not provide enough success for him.

“I haven’t received any firm offers and I have three years left on my contract with Atletico,” he said. “The moment will arrive when it’s time for me to leave but at the moment, I am very happy here (at Atletico).

“I am in a marvellous moment in my career. At Atletico, I don’t lack anything at all. We are a hard-working side and we have been able to win the Europa League and the European Supercup.”

J

uan Mata is certain Chelsea can finish in the Premier League’s top four this season claiming the club has learned from mistakes made last season.

Chelsea won the Champions League and FA Cup last year but finished sixth in the Premier League. But the Spanish international says qualification for the Champions League has to be the club’s main target as they head towards the end of the season, even though they are still involved in the Europa League and FA Cup. Demba Ba had said Chelsea must prioritise the cup competitions over the top four, but Mata doesn’t agree with his team-mate.

“If we can finish in the top four, after ending sixth last year, that would mean we have more consistency and is a step forward,” he said. “We’ve learned from what happened last year and won’t make the same mistakes again. We know we have to be playing in next season’s Champions League.

“But if we can win, say, the Europa League, it would have been another great season for the club. They have never won that trophy before. Neither have I and there are so many things

Mata

I still want to win: the Premier League is one. We are a present and a future team. We have so many players who have been here a long time and have won a lot of trophies, but we have a good mix in the dressing room with young players who have come in, like me last season, or Oscar. This club, and this team, has a bright future and, next season, one of the most important aims will be to win the title again. I want to do that here.”

Napoli can grab Serie A title, says Armero

N

apoli winger Pablo Armero claims the destiny of the Serie A title remains undecided as they continue their pursuit of Juventus.

The re-emergence of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani after an eight-game goalless streak has given Napoli renewed belief they can close down Juve’s nine-point lead over the eight-game season run-in.

His brace led to a 3-2 victory over Atalanta before he scored twice from the bench to seal a

5-3 win at Torino last time out, with team-mate Armero now warning Juve to look over their shoulders.

Ahead of today’s visit of Genoa, he said: “Nothing is decided yet and maybe Juve will drop some points. All we can do is our best and try to win every game, starting with the one against Genoa.

“Of course I’m hoping to play from the very beginning, so I’m working as hard as I can to reach my top level.

PREMIERSHIP RESULTS Reading 0 - 2 Southampton Norwich City v 2 - 2 Swansea Stoke City 1 - 3 Aston Villa West Brom 1 - 2 Arsenal PREMIERSHIP TABLE TEAM

P

GD

PTS

1. Man Utd

30

39

77

2. Man City

30

29

62

3. Tottenham

31

15

57

4. Arsenal

31

27

56

5. Chelsea

30

27

55

6. Everton

30

12

51

7. Liverpool

31

19

48

8. West Brom

32

-1

44

9. Swansea

32

1

41

10. Fulham

30

-3

39

11. Southampton

32

-7

37

12. West Ham

30

-9

36

13. Norwich

32

-19

35

14. Stoke

32

-11

34

15. Newcastle

31

-15

33

16. Aston Villa

32

-24

33

17. Sunderland

31

-10

31

18. Wigan

30

-20

30

19. QPR

31

-23

23

20. Reading

32

-27

23

ernando Torres has vowed to stay at Chelsea and recapture the form that earned him a £50m price tag. The Spaniard has struggled since his big-money move from Liverpool in January 2011, with former team-mate Didier Drogba and now Demba Ba the oft-preferred striker.

Torres

Ancelotti happy with PSG stay

C

arlo Ancelotti has reiterated his desire to remain in charge of Paris St Germain beyond the end of the current season. The Italian has led PSG to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they drew 2-2 in Paris against Barcelona on Tuesday, whilst the club also have a seven-point lead over Marseille at the top of Ligue 1.

Ancelotti

Sterling could miss rest of season

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iverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says winger Raheem Sterling will miss today’s clash against West Ham at Anfield due to a thigh injury. The 18-yearold was a key player for the former Swansea boss in the early part of the season, but has been rested recently due to injury concerns, resulting in handful of substitute appearances.

Sterling

Pereira issues rallying cry to Inter

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nter Milan winger Alvaro Pereira has rallied his team-mates to shrug off a shock injury in the group and continue their push for the Champions League with victory over Atalanta tonight. Just hours after Rodrigo Palacio brought up his 18th goal of the season with a brace at Sampdoria, the Argentinian winger was ruled out for up to a month with a thigh injury suffered in training.

Pereira

Montella aims to upset Milan

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iorentina head coach Vincenzo Montella is keen to spring a surprise on AC Milan and force his side back into contention for a Champions League place.

Six points separate La Viola from third-placed Milan, meaning that a home defeat today at the Stadio Artemio Franchi could leave Montella’s men nine points adrift.

Montella

Fergie: Only league title matters

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Ferguson

ir Alex Ferguson claims the Premier League is the only trophy that “really does matter” to Manchester United, insisting winning the title will help ease the disappointment of their FA Cup and Champions League exits.

United face a derby clash against Manchester City today, hoping to extend their league lead to 18 points, although the current gap already seems unassailable.

Although he has remained modest about his side wrapping up the title well before the final day of the season, Ferguson has finally admitted the league trophy is heading to Old Trafford for the 20th time in their history.

“In the context of the kind of competition we have, teams from London - Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea - Liverpool and Everton, there are massive challenges every year,” Ferguson

said. “For every one of those teams, their supporters hope they win one trophy. We have won the one that really does matter to our fans.

“Yes, I would have loved to win the European Cup again but we got knocked out in circumstances that everyone is still talking about, and the disappointment of getting knocked out by Chelsea is obvious. But the league form has been consistent.”

N I G E R I A

N47.5 Vol. 3 No. 17

Sunday, April 7, 2013

www.nationalmirroronline.net

N150

bn, amount the country manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Emmanuel Onyeje, disclosed as what the country loses yearly to intellectual property.

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F I G U R E S

N1.6

bn, sum the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Ryuichi Shoji, said his government earmarked for the improvement of primary education in Nigeria.

The NYSC posting debacle

Back Page

Comment

E-mail: nwaunah@yahoo.com Unah is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lagos

with Jim Unah

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ews report on the last Sunday of March, 2013 indicated that the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate has redeployed the corps members originally posted to the north-eastern part of the country – the hotbed of the Boko Haram terrorist activities – to the less volatile parts of the South. Many Nigerians are angry and unhappy with the news that the NYSC directorate not only contemplated, but actually mobilised some corps members to the crisis-ridden and violence prone parts of the country; even with the daily disclosures of the internecine bloodletting unleashed by the insurgents against fellow Nigerians.

It makes you want to wonder about and question the type of human beings that run and direct the affairs of the NYSC. After the 2011 merciless slaughter of the corps members posted to some parts of the North, why would any officer of the Directorate want to mobilise youth corps members to those trouble parts of the country? Have the insurgents stopped hating and killing

educated and civilised Nigerians in the north-eastern part of the country that the Directorate mobilised the corps members? To what intent and purpose did they post the youth corps members to the north-eastern part of the country? What point did they wish to make with that sort of vicious posting? Why did they not post their children, wards, and relatives to Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Kano and Kaduna states, if they are truly committed to national unity?

Why must it always be the other people’s children and wards that state officials should use as cannon folders; to sustain the opportune falsehood that all is well, even where everything appears hopeless? Why are the state actors, the politicians, colluding with their deceptive civil servants to jeopardise the lives of innocent Nigerians?

Isn’t this wicked practice of letting the other people’s children take the bullets for the ambition and miscalculations of power seekers that has bred the Boko Haram Frankenstein monsters? When will state actors and officials stop endangering the lives of Nigerians?

Successive regimes in the northern states since the attainment of political independence in 1960, have neglected to institute real governance and mobilise their people for civilised progress. The elite in the North sent their children to good schools at home and abroad; and looked the other way when

the other people’s children roamed the streets, begging for alms, and receiving instructions from demonic twists in some religions, that enlightenment and education were evils to be treated with disdain and askance. They remained aloof and kept their distance; failing to realise that injury to the psyche of one Nigerian is ultimately injury to all.

Nation states that have risen to the pedestal of goodness in the realm of social welfare, social service, and security to life and property provisioning, have internalised the canon that “injury to one is injury to all”; and that for there to be an “I” , there must be a “thou”. The Jewish Martin Buber’s classic in human relations is, indeed, entitled “I and Thou”. The challenge of the Humanities Division in institutions of higher learning is how to effectively teach the skill and communicate the culture of open, free, and dialogical human relations; in which there must be a responsibility of an “I” for a “Thou”.

It is half way cleverness to suppose that we could get it right with our children without showing concern for what happens to the other less privileged people’s children. That thought nurtured and nourished a tradition of violence and vengeance in the history of man. It is that tradition that mankind have been striving to overcome with various intellectual creations and

devices, such as the phenomenological culture; which insists that whichever theory or principle that we wish to apply to others should first of all be applied to ourselves. That is how the Western European man liberated his kind from the tribal mindset; which he is now preparing the rest of humanity to imbibe as quickly as possible, without realising that the thought habits requisite for the thriving of that culture has not yet been rigorously and painstakingly inculcated in the homo sapiens of our clime.

Even so, that is where we must begin to retrieve our sinking humanity. The true standard of morality which works like good medicine is to use the self as the measure of right actions by extending it to others; for human existence is a shared existence, and the life of the “I” is meaningless without the life of the “Thou”. Let the NYSC Directorate and all Nigerians learn from this: that we should not wish others what we could never wish ourselves; we should not apply to other people’s children what we could never apply to our own children; for what goes around comes around, and what we wish others ultimately bounces back on us.

Consequently, our thoughts and wish for others must be well intentioned and considerate; lest we should find ourselves in the same quarters in hell with the other people that we wish evil.

sink West Owolabi wants F’Eagles overhauled, as Eaglets return Gunners Brom, as relegation

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former Nigerian midfielder, Felix Owolabi, has called for the overhaul of the Flying Eagles before the 2013 World Cup in Turkey in June.

Owolabi spoke yesterday in Lagos against the backdrop of the team’s inability to defend their African Youth Championship (AYC) title in the 2013 edition recently concluded in Algeria.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the players performed poorly as title defenders, recalling that the Flying Eagles won a consolatory bronze medal at the AYC in Algeria.

“They didn’t perform well at all; their performance did not befit defending champions.

“It was an eyesore. Well, I am

sure that the technical crew is going to work something out before the World Cup. “John Obuh needs to reexamine the team, he needs to overhaul it, it may not be a total overhaul, but it is obvious that some players have not justified their inclusion in the team.

“World Cup is no child’s play, it will be tough and we need committed and competent players who won’t embarrass us in Turkey,” Owolabi said.

The Flying Eagles would play in Group B alongside Cuba, Portugal and North Korea in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the U-17 national team, Golden Eaglets will arrive today in Lagos after a

three weeks training tour to Doha, Qatar.

This is contained in a statement signed by the team’s spokesperson, Morakinyo Abodunrin yesterday in Abuja.

The team of 30 players and officials, the statement said would depart for Lagos aboard Qatar Airways.

It added that the team would depart for Morocco later in the week to participate in the CAF U-17 Championship holding from April 13 to April 27.

During their stay in Doha, the Golden Eaglets won its two friendly matches by beating Aspire’s Under 18 team 7-1 and recorded a 1-0 win over former Asian Champions, Al Sadd Sports Club.

threatens Reading

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PREMIERSIP FIXTURES

Today’s Matches Liverpool v West Ham 13:30

Tottenham v Everton 14:05 Chelsea v Sunderland 15:00 Newcastle Utd v Fulham 15:00 QPR v Wigan 16:10 CAF CONFED CUP RESULTS

Liga Muculmana 7-1 Lobi Stars USB Bitam 0-0 Heartland CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS

AC Leopards 0-0 Kano Pillars

Esperance 1-0 Primeiro do Libolo

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