Saturday, December 1, 2012

Bianca gets lion’s share of Ojukwu’s Will

Vol. 02 No. 51

INSIDE

Celebrity

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Attah makes up PDP elects new BoT Chair with Akpabio at January 8 P. 7 wife’s funeral z z z z

P. 11

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N150

Saturday, December 1, 2012

HIV/AIDS: Benue, A’Ibom, Anambra record highest rates

•FG fails to fund control –CDC

P. 9

P. 18

Ify

WORLD AIDS Day P. 19

Stella

Road Show on HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign to Mark 2012 World AIDS Day in Abuja yesterday

Photo:ROTIMI OSASONA

Missing $12.4bn oil windfall

Ruling, setback to anti-graft war –SERAP Army demolishes terrorist camp in Zaria

...As gunmen kill five in Borno

P. 6

P. 8

P. 11

Page

Two World AIDS Day special ‘You’re not negative until you’ve checked your status’

P.34

‘I was sentenced to death 17 years ago’

P.35

‘I lost two jobs because of my status’

P.35

‘HIV has not stopped me from seeking love’

P.34

‘My husband hid his status from me’

Top Stories

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

December 1, 2012

Ojukwu’s Will throws up surprises DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

I

t was surprise galore as Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s Will was read yesterday at the Enugu High Court. While his widow, Bianca, got the lion’s share of the inheritance, his supposed first son and split image, Debe Sylvester Ojukwu’s name was missing among the eight children captured in the will.

Equally surprising was the mention of one Tenny Harman as Ojukwu’s daughter, who inherited his Jubilee Hotels in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Suprise also came the way of Emeka Ojukwu, Jnr, who according to the Will is Ojukwu’s first son, but who got only his father’s country home in Nnewi, Anambra State.

Bianca Ojukwu and her three children were the greatest benefactors of the Will. They got Ojukwu’s palatial home in Enugu with all the exotic cars, money and personal effects. Ambassador Bianca will also replace her husband on the board of the disputed Ojukwu Transport Company.

The eight children listed in the Will are: Tenny Harman, Emeka Ojukwu, Mmegha, Okigbo, Ebele, Chineme, Afam, and Nwa-

•Bianca and her children get lion’s share •Presumed first son, Debe’s name missing •Strange daughter mentioned as beneficiary •Bianca to lose Nnewi land if she remarries

Ojukwu

Bianca

chukwu.

The Will, which was read by the Chief Registrar, Enugu Judiciary and Probate Registrar, Mr. Dennis Ekoh, failed to make mention of Lagos-based businessman, Debe Sylvester Ojukwu who has been at war with the late Ojukwu brothers and sons over his real paternity.

The Will also threw up another surprise when an “unknown” name, Teny Harman, was mentioned as number one among the late Ojukwu’s children.

The Will appointed Bianca, the

late Igwe of Oraukwu, Emeka Ojukwu and James Chukwuneme as trustees and executors.

The names of the children were listed next; and the late Ikemba stated that only the eight listed and no other person should be regarded as his children.

Bianca who arrived the Enugu High Court premises in a black Toyota Prado at about 8:30am could not hide her surprise when the strange name of Teny Harman was mentioned among Ojukwu’s children. But she was all smiles

later when she realised that the Will awarded her ‘Casabianca,’ Ojukwu’s palatial Enugu mansion located at No: 7 Forest Crescent GRA, which was named after her.

Bianca also got two properties located at Plot 20 Jabi, Abuja, with Certificate of Occupancy number 4405, as well as another property located at Kuje, Abuja.

The late Eze-Igbo also willed to his beautiful wife all his personal effects, monies and cars for her upkeep and that of her children. He also allotted to her two hectares of land at Umuezeani Umudim Nnewi if she doesn’t remarry.

Ojukwu’s strange daughter Teny was allotted Jubilee Hotels, Zaria. But when the codicil was read, it was observed that the hotel had been sold. Thus she would receive the proceeds from the sale.

Ojukwu further willed a hectare of land each to all his daughters but directed that his Nnewi property is “to remain a binding legacy to us for generations to come.”

I turned down my father’s offer –Debe Ojukwu TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

F

ollowing his exclusion from of the Will of the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, his presumed eldest son, Chief Sylvester Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has revealed to Saturday Mirror that he turned down his father’s offer while writing his Will.

Speaking to Saturday Mirror in an exclusive interview in Lagos, Debe also denied having a running battle with his father’s widow, Bianca, and other members of the family over inheritance.

His words: “I don’t have any running battle with my father’s widow, Bianca. The problem is that there are some misunderstandings which need to be put in proper light. She is my father’s widow and there is nothing like a running battle between us. My relationship with her is still cordial. The only thing is that during my father’s

WHAT I’M FIGHTING FOR IS MY RIGHT, NOT INHERITANCE. IN A SITUATION WHERE I’M STILL ALIVE AND SOMEBODY IS CLAIMING TO BE THE FIRST SON, HE NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED burial, they were misguided by certain branches of the family.

“What I am fighting for is my right and not inheritance.

In a situation when I am still alive and somebody is claiming to be the first son, he needs to be corrected for future purpose and that is part of what I am trying to correct. My duty as a first born is to put things right even if it is painful.

“If any of the children was close to my father during his lifetime, I am the one because it is to me that he revealed many things. There is no way a child will know about a Will unless it is written. With the level of my father’s education, I expect that he should have a Will. In fact, once, when my father was

Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu

writing a Will, he asked me to come and sit beside him. But I refused. He asked me why and I said, ‘I don’t know whether you are going to give me anything.

Because if you are giving me anything and it now turns out

when the Will goes into probate that I sat with you, it could be assumed that I influenced you to do certain things in my favour.

So, I left him and his lawyer in the parlour to continue writing the Will.”

On the ongoing crisis in All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), founded by his father, Debe Ojukwu called on Nigerians, especially the Igbos, to join hands together to put an end to the crisis.

“When a building is built, one thing that everybody knows about the building is that it gives shelter. But the builder will tell you how skilled the builder is. He can never give a guarantee that that house will never leak.

APGA is a house he built and certainly, there must be cracks and leakages. It is our duty to mend and block those cracks and leakages. So it is not a forgone issue. It is our duty to join hands together and try to still maintain that house (APGA) he built because it is a good vehicle for the unity of Nigeria.”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

3

December 1, 2012

Saturday Starter

The stigma persists In spite of the millions of Naira spent on HIV/AIDS enlightenment, Nigerians who are living with the virus are losing their right to work, education, dignity, privacy, health-care, housing and marriage every day.

As the world celebrates yet another World AIDS Day today, the plight of these Nigerians will be examined again with another round of seminars, ‘celebrations,’ and politically correct rhetoric.

But as they report with cracking voices and trembling lips, it is not yet Uhuru. And they should know. He who wears the shoe knows where it pinches.

YEMISI ADENIRAN

N

kechi Joseph went to work one day recently to find she had lost her job. When she asked for what led to her sack, her employers referred her to the medical test she did the previous week. Joseph had tested positive to HIV and because her company funded the test, the doctor who received the test reports chose to brief her employers before he revealed the result of her test to her. So she set out for work on the day in question, totally unaware of her HIV status and the fact that it had just cost her her job Narrating her pain, Joseph says: “I felt insulted and very humiliated because of this. I did not know my status until that time and so, I and others freely went for the test. I was not looking sick but I knew I was falling sick more frequently than before. Even if they had suspected anything, which we did not know, at least, I did not know. I expected the doctor to have told me first.

Painfully, a lot of my colleagues were also in the know of the development before I knew. It was quite humiliating.

“And then, the management did not think it right to make it confidential to give me an option. It is very dehumanising. I could have sued them but, I thought it was really not necessary. What is important is for me to take care of myself and prove to them that it is really

not the end of the world. I already have two wonderful children and may not bother to have any more. I have lost their father and I won’t bother to marry if necessary. But I will work hard to cater for my kids and make good impacts on my generation.”

The action of the doctor in Nkechi’s case has been listed as one of the several violations of medical ethics to which Persons Living with HIV/AIDS are regularly subjected. A report released recently by the Social and Economic Rights Action Center, SERAC, a non-governmental organisation in Lagos, says that there is a gross violation of the rights of Nigerians living with HIV and AIDS. Seventy-nine of the 160 HIV-positive persons SERAC interviewed lost their jobs because doctors informed their former employers.

SERAC says the action of the doctors violate the affected people’s rights to work, the protection of their dignity, privacy, health-care, education, housing and marriage.

Although the national policy on HIV/AIDS/STD says no person shall suffer any discrimination on account of his/her HIV/AIDS status, several people with the virus are losing their jobs in Nigeria.

Even now, it has become a popular action by employers of labour to require of applicants to submit themselves for HIV/AIDS tests before recruitment. This action, according to Felix Morka, director of SERAC, violates article 23 of the universal declaration of hu-

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December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Saturday Starter

Everyone must know his or her status tional births attendants are key in preventing vertical transmission of HIV/ AIDS, that is, Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT). If a pregnant woman living with HIV/AIDS is not given the right intervention, baby would be infected by the virus during birth. And we don’t want this to happen. So, we have Hence, the need to work with traditional birth attendants.

In our secondary facilities, we have the prevention of PMTCT going on with supports from our development partners. Since we discovered that most women patronise the traditional birth attendants, we have called together these attendants, through the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, to sensitise and educate on universal safety precaution and how they can counsel the women on HIV/AIDS so that those who are positive can be referred to PMTCT centres for proper care. And so far, we have been able to work with about 350 traditional birth attendants who are also working with other traditional birth attendants towards preventing vertical transmission and also to let them know that if they do not abide by the universal safety precaution, they are at the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS while attending to a pregnant woman with HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Dayo Olajide is the Principal Project Officer of Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA). She spoke with THOMAS USHIE, on the agency’s efforts to remove the veil of ignorance from Lagos residents on the HIV/AIDS pandemic among others. Excerpts:

W

hat is the first step one should take against the pandemic?

Everyone must know his or her status. When you know your HIV/AIDS status, you will know how to take care of yourself. You will live a healthy live and ensure a healthy society only when you know your status. And this is advisable when you are still healthy. When you know your status before taking ill, even if you are positive, your immune system has not been compromised yet and at that stage, you have a better chance of being taken care of by care supporters.

It is not every person that is positive that needs to be on drugs. You can live your life by observing simple hygiene and living positively when you know your status in time before the virus breaks down your immune system.

What about those who are not in the urban areas?

We are channelling our efforts towards the rural dwellers to ensure we arrest the spread of the virus there. We have told NGOs working with us to gear up towards this target and we are providing them with all the necessary encouragement. Most NGOs don’t like working in the rural areas but with the encouragement, we hope to make them work.

The Local Government Action Committee response is very necessary in achieving this.

What exactly are the functions of your agency?

LSACA is in charge of the coordination and control of all HIV/AIDS activities in Lagos State. And as such, we have the responsibility of coordinating and controlling all persons, groups or organisations working on the field of HIV AIDS in the state, to ensure that they are doing what they supposed to do properly.

We provide linkage between the development partners and the CSO. We also coordinate the activities of the line ministries and the LocalGovernment Action Committee on AIDS. The Local Action Committee is very important in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria because they are the one that take the messages from the federal, state to the local level. It is in charge of coordinating

Olajide

YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO FREE HIV/ AIDS TEST AT ALL GENERAL HOSPITALS IN THE STATE, ALL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRES AND AT THE LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL the affairs of this all important level. The membership of LSACA includes NGOs who offer Care and Support Services to people living with HIV/AIDS. LSACA is made up of over 400 NGOs, CSOs, FBOs. Achievements Although the agency has its peculiar challenges, the project officer said that it has always strove to look beyond it in order to achieve the aims and objectives which necessitated its establishment. The agency has been able to set up a monitoring and evaluation system to monitor the activities of our partners to ensure that they do what they ought to. Presently, we are running a state strategic plan on HIV/AIDS spanning five years from 2010 to 2015. This will enable all working on the field to key into the plan to combat the spread of the virus. With supports from our development partners and funding from the Lagos State Government, we are forging towards minimising and eradicating the spread of the virus in Lagos.

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has

a very keen interest in the agency and wishes that Lagosians are aware of how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as eradicating it in Lagos. And from time to time, he sends us memos just to keep us on our toes.

Also, with the support of the governor, we have been able to provide sterilising kits for barbers across Lagos State through their association. This became necessary because one of the media which the virus is spread is through the use of unsterilised barbing kits.

What is your agency doing about the other modes of transmission?

Right now, we are working with traditional birth attendants to ensure safe delivery without the baby contracting HIV/ AIDS. This also became very pertinent because we have found out that an average woman in Lagos, even though she attends ante natal, prefers patronising traditional birth attendants to give birth.

We have also found out that these tradi-

What are you doing towards the World AIDS Day? While combating the scourge of HIV AIDS through advocacy and campaign, the agency is working in the present while projecting into the year 2013, with its adoption of the slogan “1.3 by 13” for this year’s World AIDS Day. All hands in the agency are on deck to ensure that by 2013, we would counsel and test at least, one million, three hundred people in Lagos State.

We are starting our “1.3 by 13” campaign today. We have our flag off seminar at the Education Resource Centre, Ojodu, next to Babs Fafunwa Millennium School. The programme will commence at 9.30 a.m. After the seminar, we would go into the field to offer free counselling and testing on the go. Our mobile HTC vehicle would move from Ojodu, through Berger, Makoko, Ojota, and Yaba. We are also partnering with Friends of Africa for a novelty football match at Campus Square. through We have also equipped all the NGOs participating with necessary kits to offer same services to all Lagosians in their community of operations.

Where can one go to test for HIV/ AIDS free?

You can have access to free HIV/ AIDS test at all general hospitals in the state, all primary health care centres and at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

5

December 1, 2012

Saturday Starter

Morka

man rights which says that “everyone should have access to employment without any precondition, except the necessary occupational qualification.”

Besides the issue of sack and unemployment due to HIV status, persons living with HIV in Nigeria are also being denied their rights to education. Relating his experience, Charles Ogbonia, who is HIV positive, revealed that his father stopped paying his school fees when he found that he was HIV positive.

Remi Aladeselu reported that her school threatened to expel her, but through the intervention of some HIV/AIDS activists, she was eventually retained, by which time she had missed her examinations and had to repeat a whole session.

“They demoted me. They made me repeat a whole session. I am sure they were hoping I would die before I could finish my education. I am still here though”, she said.

But Bosede Johnson, a mother of three was the worst hit. Recalling her ordeal, she said: “I used to teach in a private school in Ikeja, Lagos. One day, I took ill in school and was rushed to the hospital where I was admitted for six days. When I returned home, my two children – Biola and Tade - who were in primary three and four – were asked to stop coming to school. When I reported back to work in the school, I asked the headmistress why and she said that she had information that I had AIDS and she did not feel it was safe for me and my children to continue in the school.” She was sacked. Her children were expelled.

People with HIV/AIDS are equally being denied their right to healthcare in the country. Out of the 160 people with HIV/AIDS interviewed by SERAC, 60 reported that they were being denied medical care by both private and public hospitals. The pregnant women were denied antenatal care. Most of them said they were thrown out of hospitals as soon as their doctors found out that they had the virus. Health workers, they said, often complained about lack of bleach and gloves which they needed to work with for protection.

Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS have also complained of eviction by landlords. Where they are not evicted, co-tenants deny them access to toilets and kitchens. Among the 160 interviewed by SERAC, only 20 reported that their landlords did not evict them after knowing their HIV status. Eighty-five of them suffered unpleasant reactions from their landlords and their cotenants.

Asked if he would retain a tenant with HIV/AIDS in his house, a landlord in Lagos, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Much as I will pity the patient who is my own tenant, I will no doubt eject him or her. The reason is if

I do not and other tenants discover on their own, they may pack out of the house, which will be a minus on my side. You know how people feel about this HIV virus in this clime now.”

Meanwhile, the progression of HIV virus to AIDS in human body is now being delayed through anti-retroviral drugs such as AZT, HIVID, Invirase, DDI, Riutonavir, Sawuinaiv, Abacavir and Indinavir. These drugs are on sale in Nigeria for between N35, 000 and N55, 000 for a month’s treatment.

Dr Rotimi Ola of the Medical Doctors Association, Lagos, says, “Most of the human rights violations now being suffered by HIV-positive Nigerians are as a result of the “myth” that the virus is contagious. But it is not,” he emphasises.

Explaining further, Ola points out that the virus is usually carried and transmitted in body fluids, mainly blood, semen and vaginal fluids of infected people.

“Therefore, any act that involves the exchange of these fluids between people will lead to infection. HIV infection cannot be spread through shaking of hands, hugging, light kissing, coughing, sneezing, toilet seats, towels, food, or mosquitoes.”

Some of the established modes of transmission, according to Ola, are sexual intercourse, intravenous drug use with unsterilised needles, infected blood transfusion and mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy.

Dr. Christopher Duru, medical director of Emmanuel Medical Centre, Lagos points to transfusion of unscreened blood in most Nigerian hospitals, maternities and clinics as one of the serious threats to the fight against the epidemic. According to Duru, “a study conducted last year at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Lagos, showed that four per cent of blood donors from seven different hospitals in Lagos were HIV positive.

“Yet in many hospitals throughout the country, blood continues to be transfused without screening for transmissible infections and diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and syphilis because of the cost of the test kits and the

Ogbonia

urgency the transfusion often demands,” Duru laments.

“Only four of the 36 states in Nigeria have laws which stipulate that the transfusion of blood without screening is an offence. Even then, the laws are rarely implemented in the four states. I am alarmed to observe the appearance in the past 10 years, of many private blood banks, especially in big cities throughout the country from where hospitals and private clinics are supplied.”

Another obstacle to the prevention of HIV epidemic in Nigeria is that people with the virus are not ready to be known publicly. Duru traces this to the fear of social stigma. “As long as people will continue to avoid and look down on people with HIV, its prevention and cure will remain obstinate. But if they will be accepted with open arms, PLWH will relate freely and take people into confidence.”

MORE STORIES ON PAGES 33, 34, 35

Questions you need to answer on HIV/AIDS Are you at risk of HIV/ AIDS? To find out, answer these questions: Do you have more than one sex partner?

Is it possible that your partner has sex with other people?

Do you have sex without using condom?

Have you even had STD like gonorrhoea?

Have you even been transfused with unscreened blood?

Do you share skin piercing objects?

If you answer “yes” to any of the above questions, you are at risk of having HIV. And you need to know more about the virus and it resultant effect, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Is HIV and AIDS real?

Yes. HIV and AIDS are real.

Many people have HIV but do not know and thousands of Nigerians have died and many are dying of AIDS. What is HIV and AIDS HIV stands for Human Immuno-

deficiency Virus. It is the virus that attacks the body and causes AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

How is HIV Contracted?

It is contracted mainly (80 per cent) through unprotected sexual intercourse. Other sources of contracting HIV are through transfusion of unsafe blood and blood products. That is, HIV+ Blood or Blood products; From HIV+ mother (mother who is infected with their HIV) to her unborn child; unsterilized sharp cutting instruments, e.g. needles and blades.

HIV is not contracted through: Casual contact, sharing clothes, dishes etc., hugging or shaking hands, mosquito bites.

Symptoms of HIV and AIDS HIV has no symptoms in the early stages. Late on symptoms may include: persistent fever, white coating on tongue, prolonged diarrhoea/stooling, enlarged gland in neck/groin/armpits, persistent cough, skin infections, unexplained weight loss of up to 10 per cent of

body weight. However, these symptoms do not necessarily mean you are HIV+. An anti-body test should be done.

Does HIV and AIDS have cure?

No, but there are drugs and positive living techniques that can help.

How to prevent HIV infection Abstain from premarital sex.

Mutual fidelity is important. Be faithful to your partner. If you cannot do the above, protect yourself by using condom (correct and consistent use). Make sure the blood/blood products you or your relations are getting have been screened and are fit for transfusion.

Do not share needles, blades, etc. If you are pregnant, go for a test to know your HIV status and protect your unborn child.

How do I relate with people living with HIV Respect their fundamental human rights. Show them understanding and love. Relate with them as you would do to others and the way you would want others to relate to you.

6

NATIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gunmen kill five in Borno

Capital oil: Ifeanyi Uba knows fate Dec. 11

INUSA NDAHI

EMMANUEL ONANI

MAIDUGURI

S

ome gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram launched an attack yesterday in the peaceful area of Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar local government area of Borno State, killing five people.

The victims were a bakery staff , an indegine of Michika council area of Adamawa State, one Igbo man

and two others suspected to be immigration officers.

Damasak is a border town between Borno State and Niger Republic and about 120 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital.

This development is coming barely two weeks after Governor Kashim Shettima of the state visited some communities in the area which were ravaged by flood, and almost 24 hours after one of their own who the Chief of Staff,

Government House Maiduguri, Alhaji Abu Kyari, paid the affected communities a sympathy visit after returning from Saudi Arabia.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen numbering about six came in a four wheel drive Sport Utility Vehicle at about 7 am on Friday and opened fire at their victims before they fled without being arrested.

When contacted on phone, the Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdullahi Yu-

guda, was not reachable, but the Information Officer of the Council, Mallam Babagana Mustapha told our correspondent that, six gunmen suspected to be terrorists laid ambush and killed two Michika boys, one Igbo man and two security men suspected to be an Immigration and Custom officers.

As at the time of filing this report, the Information Officer said, they were still compiling the reports related to the attack.

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, First Bank Nigeria (FBN),Capital Limited, Mr. Taiwo Okeowo; Member Osun State House Assembly representing Ifelodun Constituency, Hon. Lekan Afolabi; and Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, during the Investment Forum of the State in Lagos, yesterday.

ABUJA

J

ustice Abdul Kafarati of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has fixed December 11, to deliver ruling in an application brought by embattled Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba. The presiding judge adjourned for ruling after counsel to Uba (applicant), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), and that of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, Kemi Balogun, adopted their addresses in respect of an application to vacate in its entirety, an earlier order of court made on November 13.

Although the court made the order of total forfeiture of Uba’s properties, it later varied the order, where it granted Capital Oil access to twenty five per cent of its total cash disclosure made by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. AMCON insists that Capital Oil is indebted to it to the tune of

N48.014;making it one of the one hundred and thirteen companies and four hundred and nineteen Directors/Shareholders that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, listed as AMCON’s debtors.

On why the court should vacate the forfeiture order wholesale, Olanipekun argued that, doing so would be “in the general interest of the public” saying, “Capital Oil and Gas is the second largest supplier of fuel in the country and the forfeiture will have negative impact on a larger number of society”.

This is even as he added that AMCON was yet to commence the recovery of the debt.

However, AMCON’s counsel punctured the above argument when he submitted that the report of the joint investigation carried out by all concerned parties revealed that the quantity of the product in Capital Oil tank farm is just twenty one million litres, which he argued, could only be enough for a day’s supply in Lagos.

Court did not stop Nigeria should invest in the youth –Okei-Odumakin Babalakin’s trial-EFCC TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

T

he President of Women Arise for Change Initiative and Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Joe OkeiOdumakin, warned that any constitution amendment process without the input of Nigerians, especially youths cannot produce the much desired peoples’ Constitution.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday at the first annual emerging leader conference organised by the World Youth Alliance of Nigeria, Okei-Odumakin urged federal and state governments to invest in Nigerian youths.

“It is important to caution that the process of designing constitutional rules must involve enfranchising people (especially the youth) and providing them with the facilities to participate fully in constitutional deliberations.

If, as was the case during decolonisation, the transformation process is controlled and domi-

nated by urban-based indigenous adult elites and their foreign benefactors, the outcome will be an institutional arrangement that’s unable to efficiently direct development on the continent,” she said.

The CD boss, while speaking on the need to empower Nigerian youths, stressed the need for concerted effort by government to ensure the development of the potentials of youths through direct engagements and actions so as to create wealth.

According to her, all economic development policies must be personspecific.

“Dependence on natural resources at the expense of human and institutional development must be discouraged and measures and policies put in place to deliberately encourage the development of the agricultural sector so as for Africa to be capable of feeding its population and producing surplus.

“There must also be

development of special programmes that enhance the capacity of the youths to be creative enough to solve community problems. Youth themselves

must be willing to solve community problems, one community at a time, and also equip themselves to see opportunities where it seems to be non-existent.”

Customs vows to pursue passage of CEMA bill AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

T

he customs 2012 Comptroller General’s Confrence which ended in Katsina yesterday has resolved among others, to vigorously pursue the passage of the CEMA Bill currently before the National Assembly.

The service also promised to cooperate and collaborate continuously with other government agencies involved in international trade towards achieving improvement in trade facilitation.

These were part of the resolutions contained in its communique issued at the end of the conference and made available to Saturday Mirror.

The communique appealed for better funding of government agencies as well

as an enhancement of the security of international trade supply chain via facilitation of movement of legitimate people and goods through the introduction of single window clearance process.

Others are: Encourage the development of one stop shop for importers/licenced customs agents while creating a customer centric servive enviroment with single window clearance process.

It is also to ensure the usage of intelligence driven border control measures and holistic reforms and modernisation amongst all stakeholders.

It is to sustain too, the custom relations committees at the border posts and build stronger relationships with the media and other stakeholders.

OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports that there was an order stopping it from prosecutingthe chairman of BiCourtney Company Limited, Dr. Wale Babalakin.

A statement from the spokesman of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, stated that the ruling by Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which many had construed as a restraining order, merely granted leave to the applicant to apply for an order of prohibition preventing the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation from going ahead with his arraignment.

The statement reads in part: “This was one of three prayers sought by Babalakin through an ex-parte application. But Justice Idris turned down the two other prayers, which included an order to restrain the respondents from pros-

ecuting the applicant.

“Their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction against the EFCC and the AGF is scheduled to be heard on December 12, 2012.

“Babalakin was to have been arraigned on Thursday November 30 before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on money laundering charges but failed to show up, claiming sudden illness that necessitated his hospitalisation at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

“The businessman and four others : Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Remix Nigeria Limited are facing a 27-count charge for fraudulently transferring various sums of money on behalf of the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, through third parties to some foreign accounts under the guise of purchasing a Challenger Jet Aircraft.

“Justice Onigbanjo has adjourned the case to December 12, 2012.”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

7

Nigeria to hit 5 trillion economy in five years –Investment council

Jonathan commiserates with Buhari over daughter’s death

ROTIMI FADEYI

ROTIMI FADEYI

ABUJA

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igeria will, in the next five years, become a five trillion economy if the current growth environmental score is sustained, while more is needed to be done to project its image positively to the outside world.

These were the submissions of members of the Honorary International Investments Council (HIIC), a group comprising of prominent investors across the globe that advises the federal government on investment drive.

At the end of its 13th meeting at Berkeley Hotel, London, chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the co-ordinator, Lynda Chalker, described the meeting as one of the “the most energetic and exciting meetings in recent time. We have heard presentations from members of the council and members of the government.”

She spoke further on the

need for Nigerian media to shift focus from negativity to positive projection of the country to the outside world.

“As I said in Abuja at the last meeting in July, Nigeria has real opportunities and I hope that you members of the press will talk about these real opportunities. You actually let your own country down when you focus on negative. We have to see what we can do to make sure you focus more on the positive because really it is there”, Baroness Chalker noted.

According to her, the security challenge in some parts of the country does not have negative effect on the drive for investments, insisting that the media should shift attention to reporting the positive developments at home while governments is addressing the security challenge in the north.

Speaking further on the meeting, the Minister of Trade and Investments, Olusegun Aganga, said one of the two external speakers,

Jim O’Neill, Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, informed the council that Nigeria has recorded improvement in terms of growth environment score in the past 14 years.

“We are delighted to note and hear from an independent source globally and internationally acknowledged source that in the last 14 years for example, Nigeria has been one of the biggest improvement in items of the growth environment score, which is an indication of the economy that is growing.

“It is also pleasing to note that if Nigeria sustains this improvement in its growth environmental score for the next 14years, it could become a five trillion economy which will put it ahead of a number of countries.

“So, the good news is that we are in a right position, we are in a better position to drive our growth… Recognising that Nigeria has been growing by seven per cent for the last 14 years is a high return environment.

These have been confirmed by the number and quality of investors investing in the real sector of the economy”, Aganga said.

Aganga also spoke about the macro economy, which he said Council expressed satisfaction going by the available indicators.

“We spent some time looking at the macro economy.

The good news from that is that Nigeria has a very good and compelling story to share with the world. It has a strong and stable macro-economic environment. From all indicators, exchange rate has been stable for quite sometime. Nigeria credit rating has just been upgraded when compared to other countries that have been downgraded,” Aganga said.

“So, it’s a very different story, it is strong, it is positive and investors are reacting to this positively all over the world. People are excited about the credit of Nigeria, they are excited about the credit of the country and we have seen a lot of investors in the country.”

ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) on the death of his eldest daughter, Zulaihatu.

In a condolence letter to the former Head of State, Jonathan prayed to God to comfort himi and grant him and members of his family succour from the pain of losing a beloved child.

“I write to extend very

sincere commiserations to you and your family on the death of your eldest daughter, Zulaihatu.

“I can well imagine the profound pain, sadness and sorrow brought upon you by the tragic loss of a beloved child whom you have nurtured and raised to adulthood.

“My heart goes out to you as you mourn Zulaihatu.

I pray that God Almighty comforts you and grants you and your family succour at this very traumatic time for all who knew and loved her,” Jonathan wrote.

PDP elects new BOT chairman January 8, 2013

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he People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will on January 8, 2013 elect a new chairman of its Board of Trustees.

The decision was announced after an emergency meeting of the board at the Presidential Villa, Abuja which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The seat of the chairman of the board has remained vacant since April 3rd of this year

when former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, resigned from the post Speaking on the development, the national secretary of the board, Walid Jubrin, said the party was interested in electing a sound and acceptable chairman for the board.

He said the meeting was basically to address the modalities to adopt in electing a new board chairman.

Unemployment: NGO to recruit 66, 564 EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

A L-R: Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Igho Joe; Chairperson, Communique Committee, Prof. Stella William, and Team Leader, U.S. Alumni Engagement Innovation, Dr. Morufat Balogun, at a workshop on ‘Kenaf Clean-Up the Spills’ in Choba, Rivers, in River PHOTO: NAN State on Thursday.

Labour pledges support for transformation

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embers of the labour union under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, FAAN, Lagos branch, have pledged their support for the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian, stressing that the policies of management have given the entire staff true sense of belonging to the authority.

The branch president of the union, Comrade Uka Williams, made this remark

in Lagos on Thursday when he and some members of the branch executive paid a courtesy call on the General Manager, Corporate Communication of the Authority, Hon. Yakubu Dati.

He also commended the efforts of the Minister of Aviation, Princes Stella Oduah in bringing visible, positive changes to the country’s aviation industry, especially in her determination to fully implement President Goodluck Jonathan’s

transformation agenda in the aviation industry.

The union leader also noted that the newly commissioned MMA Terminal 1 is an evidence of the commitment of this administration towards transforming Nigeria into a major hub in the West African sub-region.

The union members also asked that the human element of the transformation which involves their members should be taken into consideration since the

human resource is a major element in the successful implementation of the transformation agenda.

Hon. Dati, in his reply, appreciated the kind gesture of the union in aligning with the transformation agenda and assured the members that he would always partner with them in their effort to protect the welfare of all well-meaning staff who are determined to make the transformation agenda succeed in FAAN.

Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative, CAEI, has concluded plans to recruit about 66,564 Nigerians as part of its drive to partner with government in reducing unem-

ployment in the country.

Making this disclosure yesterday in Abuja, Executive Director of CAEI, Mr. Gambo Bala Iggi, said the 66, 564 candidates would be deployed to the 774 local government areas in the country to help in the recovery of soft loans facilities granted to five thousand Small Scale business owners.

Eminent leaders commiserate with Buhari

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minent national leaders under the aegis of Project Nigeria – National Consensus Group – have commiserated with the national leader and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) on the death of his first daughter, Zulai Ibrahim, 40.

Zulai died Thursday night, from sickle cell anemia, following complications after

having a baby two days ago at Chasel Hospital in Kaduna.

The emergent political group led by leaders like Prof Ben Nwabueze, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Chief Audu Ogbeh among others, in a terse statement, issued at the weekend in Lagos by its national scribe, Sir Olawale Okunniyi, condoled with the former head of state and the husband of the deceased.

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NATIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Missing $12.4bn oil windfall: Ruling, a setback to anti-graft war –SERAP ISE-OLUWA IGE

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ocio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), yesterday described as “disappointing” and “a setback in the fight against large scale official corruption” Thursday’s ruling by an Abuja Federal High Court dismissing an action seeking to compel former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to account for how his leadership expended the $12.4 billion oil windfall between 1988 and 1994.

In a press statement issued by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation stated that, “At a time when this country has enacted the Freedom of Information Act, the ruling on the suit seeking accountability for the missing $12.4 billion oil windfall is a major setback for victims of large scale corruption.

“It potentially could en-

courage impunity of perpetrators of corruption. The ruling sends a wrong message that it is alright to steal public funds and that there will be no accountability for suspected perpetrators.”

According to the group, “On the one hand, the court held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi to bring the case. On the other hand, the court stated that the plaintiffs should not be seen as busy bodies but patriotic citizens.

“The court even praised ‘the courage and dedication of SERAP in instituting the matter calling the group a serious minded organisation desirous or ridding Nigeria of all forms of corruption.’ But these statements would seem to be contradictory.”

“We therefore reject the ruling in its entirety as it does not reflect the correct position of the law in Nigeria today, as aptly articulated by the Court of Appeal in Fawehinmi vs President,

2015: UPP zones presidential slot to S’East OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

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head of the 2015 general election, the newly formed United Progressive Party has zoned its presidential slot to the South-East geo-political zone and has called on all interested aspirants from the zone to make appropriate contacts and take advantage of the party’s platform.

The party which said that it would not go into any form of merger or alliance with any other party however said that it would constructively engage other political parties and work in concert with them to ensure free and fair election and promote the credibility of the electoral process.

In a communiqué issued after the inaugural National Executive Committee meeting of the party, held in Abuja, it said that the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission and its officers, as well as the conduct of all agencies associated with the conduct of

elections in Nigeria would come under its close scrutiny at all times Addressing the press, the national chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said that to ensure early and adequate preparation, the party would immediately put all machinery in motion for effective participation and contest of the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria.

“In this regard, NEC has approved the zoning of the presidential slot of our great party for the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria to the South-East geo-political zone.

All aspirants from the SouthEast geo-political zone wishing to contest for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the 2015 presidential election are welcome to do so on the platform of our great party.”

In its first meeting after it was registered on the 2nd of October, 2012, the NEC also resolved to uphold the strictest sense of internal party democracy at all levels of the party’s organs and in dealing with members on all matters.

(2007) 14 NWLR (Pt.1054) 275, to the effect that ‘the issue of locus standi, in a country like ours, should be construed liberally, so that people and organisations should not be denied access to the courts.’

“The Court of Appeal also made it clear that it is wrong for a pressure group or even a single public-spirited taxpayer to be prevented by outdated technical rules of locus standi from bringing matter to the attention of the court to vindicate the rule of law and get any unlawful conduct stopped,” the group also stated.

The group quoted the Court of Appeal as saying that, “The Constitution or any other Law can only be tested in Courts; it is access to the courts for such test that will give satisfaction to the people for whom the Constitution or the Law is made.”

“Similar position was taken by the ECOWAS Court in the celebrated right to education case where the court stated that ‘first, the doctrine of ‘Actio Popularis’ developed under Roman law to allow any citizen to challenge a breach of public right in Court was a way of ensuring that the restrictive

approach to the issue of standing would not prevent public spirited individuals from challenging a breach of a public right in Court. Second, SERAP citied authorities from around the globe which all concur in the view that in a human rights violation the plaintiff need not be personally affected or have any special interest worthy of protection. This is a healthy development in the promotion of human rights and this court must lend its weight to it, in order to satisfy the aspirations of citizens of the subregion in their quest for a pervasive human rights regime,” the group also said.

It would be recalled that the ruling was delivered after several adjournments.

The day the ruling was to be delivered, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Muhammed Adoke brought an application asking the court to dismiss the suit.

In reaching the decision, the court said the applicants lacked the legal right to institute the action as they failed to adduce any cogent reason that confers them with the right to sustain the action.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

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HIV/AIDS: FG fails to fund control –CDC MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

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he federal government was yesterday accused of failing to fulfill its part of HIV/AIDS counterpart funding.

Country Director, Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Dr Okey Nwanyanwu, who said this in Abuja disclosed that the United States of America had fulfilled its part of a jointly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide $250 mil-

lion counter funding for the disease yearly. He said Nigeria was yet to play its part.

Nwanyanwu made the revelation at a one-day workshop organised by the Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) for Network of People with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN) to mark this year’s World AIDS Day. In an address, chief executive officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, Patrick Dakum, stated that the institute was working towards ensuring no new born baby is

infected with the virus.

According to him the best strategy is to get every pregnant woman tested, and be given Pre Exposure Prophylaxis if positive, to enable her have free HIV/AIDS children.

The workshop allowed the people to rub minds with their mentors-mothers and fathers.

The participants left the venue with a clear message – HIV positive mothers should give six months exclusive breastfeeding to their babies before comple-

mentary feeding.

Some of the participants at the event had said they were confused over various forms of medical advice they received from health workers on breastfeeding. One of the participants who pleaded not to be named said some of the health workers who attended to them at various health facilities were not always specific on whether the HIV positive mothers should breastfeed their babies at all or give exclusive feeding.

A pediatrician, Mrs. Grace Adamu, advised the mothers that the World Health Organisation had directed that mothers on retroviral drugs could breastfeed their babies without the babies being infected with the virus.

“HIV positive mothers, according to our National Guideline on Infant Feeding says every woman that is pregnant and is delivered should breastfeed exclusively for six months after which they will now do complementary feeding.

For those who are found to be HIV positive, they will be covered with the AnteRetroviral Drugs (ARD), which the Federal Ministry of Health would provide.

“Right from the beginning when we were doing

infant feeding options and counseling, there was never a time that breastfeeding was discouraged in total.

All we were doing that time was that: ‘cancel them and tell them they have options which include option of breastfeeding exclusively or option of doing exclusive replacement feeding’. But we later had a consensus and the new thing in the national guideline is that all women should breastfeed, while those positive with HIV will be covered with the ARV,” she added.

She advised all pregnant women to ensure they go for ante-natal care as the best way to accessing a health care.

The theme for the IHVR-sponsored event was “Zero Tolerance to MTCH: Way Forward.”

Partner with govt, govt tells Nigerians in Diaspora

T L-R: Former FCT minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai; former Minister of Solid Minerals and Board Member, TEAP Football Club, Oby Ezekwesili, and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Rep. Godfrey Giaya, at the public presentation of the club in Abuja on Thursday.

PHOTO: NAN

…NMA seeks access to healthcare in remote communities MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

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he plight of People Living With HIV/ AIDS living in hardto-reach communities is of great concern the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) as the world commemorates HIV/AIDS Day today.

The plight of the PLWA in such communities include lack of access to services as a result of nonavailability of health facilities including the challenge of insecurity.

In a release made available to Saturday Mirror yesterday, and signed by the president of the association, Dr. Osahon Onabulele, the group noted that the state of insecurity in some parts of the country “is worrisome and has the implications of creating localised pockets of resistant disease with grave implications”.

The group therefore called on security agencies in the country to step up efforts at curtailing the trend.

While commending the federal government over achievements made in tackling the scourge over the past years, NMA called on the government to increase yearly budgetary allocation for HIV/AIDS to further help in containing the disease.

According to the association, “The HIV prevalence in Nigeria which was 4.6% in 2008 has declined to 4.1% in 2010. Also, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS receiving anti-retroviral drugs increased from 230,000 at the end of 2008 to 500,000 and the number of sites for providing these drugs increased from 296 at the end of 2008 to 491 at the end of 2011.

“Related to these, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV has increased from 7% in 2008 to 32% in 2012 and the number of PMTCT centres has from 533 in 2008 to 800 in 2012. With respect to HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT), the number of testing centres has increased

from 896 in 2008 to 1357 at the end of 2011. So also has the number of Nigerians that have been tested.

“The list is not exhaustive but clearly indicates a positive stride towards a remarkable outcome.

Despite those strides, significant gaps still exist in the HIV national response.

About 1.5 million people living with HIV require treatment. An estimated

1000 new HIV infections occur daily. 100,000 AIDS related deaths are recorded annually. Nigeria has a gap of 30% in the coverage of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. About 700 billion naira is required to fund the National Strategic Framework 2010 to 2015 and 1.4 billion US dollars is required to fund the national HIV response from 2012 to 2022.”

he Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, on Friday in London called on Nigerians in Diaspora to partner with the government on national development initiatives.

Maku made the call on Friday in London, at ``The Nigerian Conversation Peace and Unity Forum’’ organised by the Commonwealth Youth Organisation of Nigeria.

He said the Nigerian community in diaspora could be a major driver of the nation’s developmental process, by bringing their experiences to bear in all sectors of the economy. ``What we need is partnership with Nigerians in the diaspora, to place them in a position that they will become major drivers of our national development.

``They can bring their experience from Europe, UK, and U.S. back home,’’ the minister said.

He recalled that in the 1970s, the Chinese in diaspora, keyed into reforms in that country, and contributed to making China an economic capital.

The minister, who spoke against the backdrop of government’s effort to enhance the nation’s investment drive, said in spite of the nation’s security challenges, a lot had been achieved.

He said though some investors were concerned about Boko Haram activities in parts of the country the ``Chinese and Indians are trooping into Nigeria, because what others see as challenges, they see as opportunities.

Benue, A’Ibom, Anambra, FCT top HIV/AIDS prevalent areas SEKINAH L AWAL

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enue, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, top the table of states with high HIV/ AIDS prevalence rate.

This was disclosed by the Director, Clinical Services Department, Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN), Dr. Ernest Ekong, yesterday during a briefing to commemorate this year World AIDS Day and the

launch of new antiretroviral medicine by MSD. According to Dr. Ekong, globally, 31.4 million to 35.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2011.

“An estimated 0.8% of adults aged 15-49 years worldwide are living with HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 20 adults (4.9%) living with HIV and accounting for 69% of the people living with HIV worldwide,” he said.

Some of the factors

responsible for new infections, he said, include multiple concurrent sexual partnerships, intense transactional and intergenerational sex, ineffective and inefficient services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), inadequate access to and poor quality of healthcare services, entrenched gender inequalities and inequities, chronic and debilitating poverty, stubborn persistence of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.

Also, he stated that across the country, urban preva-

lence is higher than rural in all six geo-political zones.

Speaking on the new HIV anti-retroviral drug, the Commercial Director, MSD West Africa, Mr. Kingsley Okeke, said ATRIPLA, a one-pill-aday treatment for HIV has been shown to be effective and has a well-established tolerability profile in patients.

“There are 3.4 million Nigerians living with HIV, 1.49 million requiring ARV therapy and only 29.8% of them are on treatment.

There is still a huge gap towards providing access to comprehensive services.”

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REGIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH WEST

Oyo lawmakers to attend US parliamentary session KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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awmakers in the Oyo State House of Assembly will tomorrow leave for the United States of America (USA) to observe the parliamentary session at the state of Georgia from Monday.

The Speaker of the House, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, said the trip will afford the lawmakers to build on the experience they gathered at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in South Africa earlier in the year.

She said the journey

is part of the statutory annual parliamentary tour budgeted for by the government and in lieu of the international CPA slated for Sri Lanka in September.

Sunmonu said the House reasoned that it would be also profitable for the lawmakers to ob-

serve sessions in a very developed democracy and presidential system of government along which the Nigerian presidential system is patterned.

Her words, “This tour is the annual parliamentary tour approved by the government. It is al-

ways in the budget every year. It is either done as a whole or at committee levels. This is in addition to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference which legislators in Commonwealth countries attend twice yearly. The local CPA meeting held in South Africa this year

and we were there.

She explained that the legislators need progressive exposure, particularly in developed democracies, saying “robbing minds with legislators in other countries also enriches us and ultimately helps us to make better laws for the good of the state.”

Demolition: Surveyors urge Amosun to review compensation process FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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he Ogun State branch of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), has called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to take a second look into the process of compensating affected property owners in the demolition of structures to pave way for road expansion across the state.

The surveyors made the call yesterday when the paid a courtesy call on the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle in his palace in Ilaro, the headquater of Yewa South local government area of the state.

Led by the chairman of the branch, Mr. Ola-

lekan Lukan, NIESV argued that the governor had not created the room for owners of such structures to have right of claimant.

The surveyors also stated that there was need for government to allow owners seek the consent of a private valuer other than relying on the valuer presented by government alone.

The chairman further advocated for the creation of unit for surveyors so as to checkmate the excessive activities of land speculators.

The association appealed to government to allow surveyors in the state benefit more from government contracts, saying this would stimulate interest of the

profession at the heart of young graduates.

Lukan said “the only aspect that we are begging the government is the right of claimant. In this present administration, the estate surveyors and valuers handling government jobs are mostly from Lagos.

“In the local government establishment, we have made frantic efforts but it has never yielded

result. If we have surveyors in all the local government areas, there is no way young graduates will not benefit from it”.

In his response, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Olugbenle lamented that the profession had not enjoyed sufficient media hype which he said was responsible for the inability of the professionals to enjoy government pa-

tronages.

The monarch, who himself was an estate surveyor and valuer before ascending the throne however, admonished members to synergize and work together towards benefiting from economic prosperity posed by potential companies who would soon bombard the state.

He bemoaned the absence of private prac-

titioners in the state, warning that if proactive measures were not put in place, quakes could take over the profession.

Olugbenle charged the branch to identify with institutions offering the course, expressing his desire to open up a firm in the state in order to contribute his quota to the reduction of unemployment.

Wole Soyinka centre to honour journalists in Abeokuta TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

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ole Soyinka Award for Investig ative Reporting (WSAIR) will honour the winner of the WSCIJ-Nigeria Investigative Journalist of the Year 2012 in Abeokuta on Sunday December 9, 2012, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

In a statement made available to Saturday Mirror by Motunrayo Alaka, WSAIR Centre Coordinator, it said the finalists will go home with the prestigious award plaque, cash and kind prizes and certificates of commendation.

The statement reads: “The 2012 Judges’ board of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) chaired by the Dean, Lagos State School of

Communication, Professor Lai Eso, decided on 6 winning works, 6 runners-up and 4 commendations after three weeks of assessment and a oneday scores collation session held on Tuesday 27 November in Lagos.

“The winners, runners-up and commended works will be announced at a public award presentation ceremony scheduled for Sunday 9 December 2012 at the Hubert Ogunde Hall of the Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, from 2-5pm. The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun will be the Chief Host.

“The winners are journalists whom the board have adjudged to demonstrate journalistic courage, individual creativity and public benefit.

L-R: Pro-Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada,( IOU), Prof David Awanbor; Deputy Chancellor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion; and Guest Lecturer, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor during the 10th Convocation Ceremonies of the University, in Okada, Edo State, yesterday.

Lagos to employ 600 Area Boys for music concert MURITALA AYINLA

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t least, 600 Area Boys will be rehabilitated and groomed as security officers for the world biggest all night prayer and music concerts tagged: “the experience” by the Rock foundation next Saturday.

The event which is the 7th edition of the concert, is expected to feature about 500,000 participants from across the globe.

Briefing journalists on the arrangement put in

place to host foreign and indigenous artists at the event billed to hold at Tafawa Balewa Square, the convener of “The Experience”, Pastor Paul Adefarasin explained that all necessary measures such as security, health and transportation logistics had been put in place to ensure success of the epoch-making event.

He stressed that the event will also feature performance by foreign gospel artistes such as Fred Hammond, Doen Moen, Deitrick Haddon,

Israel Houghton, foreign spiritual gospel singers among others.

While indigenous artistes like Wale Adenuga, Sammie Okposo and others will also thrilled participants.

He said:” It is going to be an awesome experience with God this Friday December 7, 2012, as over 500,000 guests will be hosted to this year’s edition of “The Experience” an annual gospel concert which returns to the historic Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS)”

On the choice of the venue, Adefarasin explained that the venue is where Nigeria’s independent was fought for and achieved, saying that apart from the historical and spiritual significant of the TBS to Nigeria, the venues is also good for logistic reasons.

The convener added that all the security operatives in the state and at the national and international level would be involved to forestall security breach during and after the event.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

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SOUTH SOUTH

Akpabio, Attah settle rift at ex-gov’s wife’s burial TONY ANICHEBE UYO

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he lingering feud between Governor Godwill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his Predecessor, Obong Victor Atah, appeared resolved when the two political gladiators embraced at the former Governor’s wife funeral ceremony in Uyo yesterday.

A no love lost had been reported between the two former governors of the state in the last five years, as efforts made by different notable personalities across the nation to settle the feud had deadlocked.

Saturday Mirror gathered that Governor Akpabio effort to have late Nneyin Allison Attah, former Governor Attah’s Wife given a state burial was stoutly rejected by Attah who equally discourage the publication of the state

government condolence messages on the souvenir programme for the burial.

Saturday Mirror equally gathered from a very reliable aide of the erst-

while governor that Governor Akpabio was not even invited for the funeral ceremony which took place at Cardinal Ekandem Seminary School

Brooks Street, Uyo. But midway into the funeral service, Akpabio stormed the burial ceremony with his entire cabinet members forcing peo-

ple to move from different directions to catch the reactions of the former Governor to the arrival of the one he considers an intruder to the event. But

R-L: Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio (right) exchaingig pleasantry with his predecessor in office, Obong Victor Attach (middle) and Senator Ita Enag (left) during the funeral service of Nneyin Alison Attah, wife of Victor Attah, in Uyo, yesterday.

it was all smiles for the Governor and his predecessor as they embraced each other with smiles and whispers on their ears.

However, the officiating priest, Bishop Joseph Ekuwem, the Catholic Bishop of Uyo, in a brief comment, urged both men to use the opportunity to reconcile wholeheartedly and work together for the benefit of the state noting their continuous feud will be of no benefit to both political giants.

Alluding to a native parable on the transient nature of power, the clergy told the crowd that only God grants power and human beings should not see themselves as custodians of power.

The clergy therefore advised both men not to speak at the event to avoid comments that may mar the fragile peace made at the already successful funeral ceremony.

Isoko nation meets to seek a new future AMOUR UDEMUDE ASABA

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n its determination in making sure that the Isoko people of Delta State, speak with one voice politically across the globe, a socio-political pressure group, the Isoko Advancement Network

(IAN), has concluded arrangements to hold an enlarged interaction session with Isoko sons and daughters in government andin the private sector.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the group’s chairman, Hon. Mike Ogwah, and

made available to journalists in Asaba, the group said the town hall meeting will hold in Lagos today.

Ogwah, who claimed the time is now for the Isoko people to come together and speak with one voice, says, “We be-

lieve in mutual interest, therefore, the progress and growth of every Isoko man is paramount to us,” he said.

Ogwah, while enjoining all sons and daughters of the locality to attend the meeting said the outcome of the meet would

chart the future course of the Isoko people.

Ogwah continued, “The future holds great promises for the Isoko people and the Isoko nation. The time has come that we must take our destiny in our own hands but we cannot achieve this if

we don’t put our house in order and speak with one indivisible voice.”

Prominent Isoko sons and daughters including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay are expected at the occasion.

Libel: Edo Dep Gov demands N100m compensation Port Harcourt airport to get face-lift from Airhiavbere

SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN CITY

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do State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu has demanded the sum of N100m as compensation from Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo 2012 governorship election for alleging last week that he brought the man that collapsed inside the tribunal for “some dubious mission.”

Odubu’s demands, which also include a retraction that must be pub-

lished through another well-publicized press release from the Charles Airhiavbere Campaign Organization that authored the alleged libellous material in question, a written undertaking not to publish such damaging materials about Odubu in the future and a 48-hour action response from Airhiavbere to avoid litigation, were contained in a legal notice made available to Saturday Mirror on Friday evening in Benin City.

The notice that was dated 28th November was written and signed on the

letter head of Messrs Ken Mozia (SAN) & Co., with Reference number KEM/ GEN./Vol.08/11/12, and was addressed to Airhiavbere through Mr. Osaze Jesuorobo, who authored the alleged libelous press release.

In the letter, Odubu stated that the publication that referred to him by name, was understood by him to mean an attempt to: influence or interfere with the ongoing proceedings of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal through the activities of a native doctor in order to pervert the course of jus-

tice; engage the services of native doctors for diabolical and fetish activities; indulge in immoral, backward and unscrupulous engagement of native doctors for dubious missions and live without regard for the dignity and sanctity of the exalted office of the Governor of Edo State and therefore not fit to remain in office as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.

The letter states: “The above allegations are false in every material respect.

Our client has thus been brought to public scandal, odium, opprobrium and contempt.

G

eneral Manager, Cooperate Communications, Federal Airport Authority Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, has said that Port Harcourt International Airport is being transformed to boost international business.

Dati made the remark in Port Harcourt on Friday during a facility tour of the airport to ascertain the level of re-modelling work at the airport.

He said that the airport was among the airports in the country being designed for the international business, adding that the Murtala Mu-

hammed International Airport, Lagos had been completed and inaugurated.

Dati said that the Port Harcourt Airport was at an advantage due to the existence of oil and gas business in the area.

According to him, the remodeling exercise will not only drive aviation, but shall also project the image of the country with a world class facility being put in place at the airport.

Dati said that the remodelling exercise at the airport would take the country back to its original state of being a country with world class facility in Africa.

12

REGIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH EAST

Imo students condemn NANS’ award to Okorocha CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

T

he National Association of Imo State Students (NAISS) has condemned the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), over its recent award presented to the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, describing it as a betrayal of students’ unionism.

NANS delegation, led by its National President, Comrade Dauda Mohammed, recently in a solidarity visit to Okorocha at the Government House in Owerri, presented an award to the Governor for his free education programme.

The Imo students chided NANS for hinging its award on the free education policy of the state government which the Imo student leadership said NANS

endorsed without seeking the opinions of the direct beneficiaries.

Reacting to the award presented to Governor Okorocha, , National President of NAISS, Comrade Madunezim Chukwuma, noted that the action of NANS did not

ENUGU

F

ollowing the rampant cases of rape of elderly women in Opi, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, the state’s House of Assembly Ad hoc committee vested with the authority to investigate the cases and proffer solution to the menace has adopted the recommendations of the committee.

Presenting the report on the floor of the House, the Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon Mi-

were happy with the free education programme, not outsiders.

It was cheap blackmail

by NANS and ploy by the State government to buy support for its unpopular and ambiguous education policy”.

Chukwuma further

chael Onyeze, representing Igbo-Eze North, said that incessant cases of rape meted to old women of Ibeku and Ogbozala communities in Opi was real and that the investigation unraveled that about 28 elderly women were raped between 2010 till date.”

In the words of Onyeze, “The act was perpetrated by youths of Opi, who are largely drug addicts that are predominantly ideal making them to prone to various vices associated with idealness.”

Onyeze told the House that politicians from the

area armed the youths perpetrating the crime during the electioneering campaign and later dumped them. He claimed the dumped youths then resorted to illegalities at the end of the day.

Onyeze continued, “In carrying out our investigations, we liaised with the Police, women societies, religious bodies, traditional rulers, neighborhood watch groups, faith based organizations, civil societies, Umuada Igbo, and the local council to come out with practical measures which will put an end to this menace” Onyeze stated.

The Lawmaker noted that if this ugly trend is not checked, it is capable

of marring the peaceful co-existence of members of the community which could snowball to an alarming level that will bring negative image to the state in general.

The Committee recommended that a Police Station be established in the community for quick intervention in times of crisis adding that the police should engage in constant surveillance of the community and its environs to check the activities of these hoodlums.

Mr John Ukuta, representing Uzo-Uwani constituency, moved for the acceptance of the report by the House which was roundly adopted by members.

Obi launches construction of 3 bridges

I

n pursuit of his determination to make Anambra State an investors’ haven, Governor Peter Obi yesterday launched the construction of three bridges in AtaniOzubulu Road in the state.

The three bridges are of 60, 45 and 45 metres long in the area. The governor also vowed to complete the three bridges within the life span of his administration.

Valued at the combined

stated that, “Imo State students have not shifted grounds on our earlier demand for bursary instead of the free education programme”.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the NANS delegation had quarreled over the sharing of their

L-R: 1st Deputy President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye; ECCIMA President, Dr. Theo Okonkwo; Representative of CBN Governor, Mr. Chidi Mmano and representative of Enugu State Government, Ms. Nneka Onuora, during a symposium on cash-lite economy in Enugu, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Enugu House committee on rape presents report DENNIS AGBO

reflect the position of Imo State students, who were not in support of the free education policy of the government.

His words, “As far as we are concerned, the NANS award to Governor Okorocha is null and void. We ought to initiate it if we

cost of over N2 billion, the bridges, excluding the 12kilometer roads component, are being handled by TAMAD construction firm based on their satisfactory execution of Amansea-Ebenebe Bridge.

Valued at the combined cost of over N2 billion, the bridges, excluding the 12kilometer roads component, are being handled by TAMAD construction firm based on their satisfactory

execution of Amansea-Ebenebe Bridge. Already, the Government is constructing the Onitsha-OgbaruAkiliozizar-Atani-Ogwuikpere road terminating at Rivers State. The over 60Km Federal road with difficult terrain is costing the State more than N16 billion.

With the construction of the stretch from Atani to Ozubulu, the entire areas would become accessible.

Speaking at the flag-off

of the three bridges, Governor Obi said that he would continue to satisfy the yearnings of the people of the state until the last day of his administration. His words,”We have seen those in authority flag-off many projects even when they did not safe money for their execution, but in our own case, for any project we are flagging of, we have saved money for that,” the governor said.

financial gift presented to them by the governor in appreciation for the award.

It was reliably gathered that the students’ leaders had engaged one another in a free for all fight right inside the Government House before they were ordered out by security operatives.

It was gathered from a Government House source that the NANS executives were fighting over the N1million given to them by their host to take care of their transportation.

However, when contacted the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Chinedu Offor said he was not aware of any fracas among NANS executives but noted that NANS was not induced or lobbied to present the award to the Governor.

Group plans 3 festivals for Ndi-Igbo NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

T

he Ogirishi Igbo Foundation, a newly established Igbo Institution says it is planning three annual international festivals for the unity of Ndi Igbo both at home and in the Diaspora.

The Ogirishi Igbo, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka disclosed this yesterday at EnugwuAguleri in Anmabra East Local Government Area of Anambra State during the 2012 Olili Obibia Eri Festival. Ezeonwuka said the festivals are aimed at uniting Ndigbo culturally and politically.

Ezeonwuka explained that the three international events which included Iwa ji Ndigbo ( Igbo New Yam festival), Igu Aro Igbo (Counting of Igbo Calendar Year) and Olili Obibia Eri (Home coming of Eri people), would be celebrated on an annual basis in three historic Igbo communities of Igboukwu, Agukwu-Nri and EnuguAguleri.

He further explained that the Igu-Aro festival would be celebrated every February at Nri, to mark the beginning of farming season for Ndigbo, while New Yam festival would be celebrated at Igboukwu archeological home of Igboland in August, just as the Obibia Eri would be celebrated in November at EnuguAguleri, the place where Eri, the son of Jacob settled.

Ezeonwuka disclosed that the Ogirishi Foundation had decided to support the festivals and make them international event, which would attract all Igbos in and outside the country as well as African-Americans of Igbo extraction, more so as it concerned the three principal lineages to the progenitor of all Igbos, who is Eri himself, the son of Jacob.

He also noted that the festivals are aimed at putting to a stop the strife between the three principal kingdoms laying claim to the great progenitor of Igbos – Eri.

Politics

David Mark

Sanusi Lamido

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

December 1, 2012

13

Jonathan

Call for sack of civil servants:

Knocks, kudos for Sanusi TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, has again rekindled the debate for reduction in the number of public office holders.

Speaking in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday at the opening of the 2012 edition of the Capital Market Committee Retreat of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sanusi canvassed the sacking of public sector workers as part of measures to halt the nation’s economic woes and engender sustainable growth.

The CBN boss also advocated for the scrapping of the 774 local government councils and drastic reduction of seats in the National Assembly as one of the options to cut government’s spending on recurrent expenditure and create means to fund capital and development projects.

His words: “At the moment 70 per cent of Federal Government’s revenue goes for payment of salaries and entitlement of civil servants, leaving 30 per cent for development of 167 million Nigerians. That means that for every naira government earns, 70 kobo is consumed by civil servants.

“You have to fire half of the civil service because the revenue of the government is supposed to be for 167 million Nigerians. Any society where government spends 70 per cent of its revenue on its civil service has a problem. It is unsustainable.

“The various tiers of government should cut down their recurrent expenditure and use the fund to provide basic infrastructure like schools, hospital, etc. How can we be using the proceeds from our major source of revenue to service recurrent expendi-

ture, by paying salaries, allowances, etc. The country should be thinking of enhancing its productivity base rather than spending on things that cannot create wealth.”

Sanusi, while stressing the need for reduction in the number of seats in the National Assembly said that Nigeria did not need over 100 senators and 400 members of the House of Representatives to make laws. He said when the expenses of lawmakers, civil servants and those in the executive arm of government are totaled; Nigerians will find out that their national revenue has been consumed by the Executive, lawmakers and civil servants.

“Do we need 774 LGAs? Do we need 36 states some of which are not viable? Why not just remove them and have only state governments? There are state governors whose monthly allocations are barely enough to pay salaries. I hear such governors complain and I say ‘why complain when the solution is simple?’ It is irresponsible to use all your money to pay salaries and wait for another month’s allocation and pay salaries and after four years, you would have done nothing,” he said.

To some Nigerians the position of the CBN governor is commendable while some simple dismiss it as one fuelled by sheer hatred for the survival of the Nigerian masses.

In the last few years there have been several agitations for reduction of states, scrapping of local governments and reduction in the number of members of the National Assembly, considering the resources the government coughs out to service the public office holders.

It is, of course, against this backdrop that those who align with Sanusi in his position, seem to do so.

As far as many of them are concerned, such a step

as mooted by the CBN governor would help minimise wasteful spending in public office.

A comparison of the amount spent in running government today and what obtained during the First and Second Republics would show that there is so much wastage today.

During the First and Second Republics for example, there were few public office holders and their performance could not be compared to that of the present government in time of capital projects and in delivering dividends of democracy to the masses.

Though Sanusi may be right about the need for reduction of civil servants and public office holders, many Nigerians are of the view that the basic problem of Nigeria is corruption and not the resources devoted to serving public office holders.

Speaking to Saturday Mirror, an elder-statesman and former Kano State Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, agreed with Sanusi on his position, saying that any government that spends about 70 per cent of its revenue to service bureaucracy cannot develop.

“What Sanusi is asking for is reduction in the cost of maintaining bureaucracy. The recurrent expenditure is eating up majority of the revenue Nigeria is earning. It is not a healthy development for Nigeria to be spending about 70 per cent of its revenue on bureaucracy. No country will develop if it is spending 70 per cent of its revenue. As a former Commissioner of Finance in Kano, I know that any government that is spending 70 per cent of its revenue to service bureaucracy cannot develop,” he said.

Corroborating Yakassai’s view on the need for reduction in government’s spending, former Federal Permanent Secretary and former governor of AnamCONTINUED ON PAGE 15

14

POLITICS

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We are close to convoking a national conference –Uranta The need to review or amend the Constitution has been emphasised over time.

What are your views on the issue of the review and the process so far?

I was part of a presidential retreat for civil societies where papers were presented by Justice Belgore, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha. The president also addressed the gathering. At the retreat, very prominent civil society leaders; professional association leaders, including the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Bar Association, National Council of Women Society, the youths and different groups made presentations and it was virtually understood that we all were in favour of, not a constitutional review per se, but a national conference or dialogue at which the peoples of Nigeria will sit down, discuss the process by which they want to live together. Through that process, we will fashion out a people’s Constitution that could be seen and known to the people which will now be ratified at the end of the day by a referendum.

It was at this point that the leadership of the House stood up to say that there was no provision in the Constitution for a referendum and that they did not see why they, as ‘representatives’ of the people, having been voted for by the people, could not deliberate on behalf of the people. After we had gone to and fro, Presidency introduced a unique form of electronic voting where we were supposed to finally say exactly where we stood. Interestingly, the Nigerian factor also played its own part in that. While we agreed that we wanted a national dialogue, the communiqué that came up at the end of the day was not subjected to ratification by the body and it was whilst we were sitting that they announced the communiqué in spite of voices protesting that we were not allowed to subject it to our review.

Yes, they said there was going to be a national dialogue worked out by a National Assembly. So far, as far as I am concerned, it was not the position we wanted. Therefore, we did not make too many winds about it. As it has stood out, we had anticipated this process that the National Assembly has gone through.

They want us to believe it will reflect the genuine opinion of the Nigerian people, but as it is, it has shown that it cannot be.

Why did you think so?

To start with, I attended all the hearings at the constituency level, senatorial and zonal levels and I am telling you that there were plethora prayers made which all cannot be heard in about six hours.

How do you find out what people want within six hours? Whereas a national conference would have carried out this same thing that we went through over a period of weeks and months. People will submit positions, they will be debated,

Mr. Tony Uranta, Secretary of the National Summit Group (NSG), believes only a national conference or dialogue can produce a peoples’ Constitution, which many Nigerians are yearning for. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports.

Uranta

reviewed and they would be slept on and returned for debate and the final position will be arrived at at the constituent level and at the state level. After this, you will now come to the national conference.

The national conference, from our experience, is the one that was done by civil societies under the aegis of Pro National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) which I was a Chief Officer, or say the one that was done by the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It will take days and weeks of deliberating solely on those issues that are brought on the table by the different constituents parts.

As it stands now, what inputs would you love to see should the process survive?

I will not condemn it outright because there are two issues prayed at the retreat that the legislature should do. I know that the NBA and others emphasised it. They should make Chapter 2 of the Constitution justiceable. So, I can take somebody to court if public officers do not live up to their responsibilities. I will now have the right to take them to court whenever I notice an anomaly. Secondly, enact a law that will make any future constitution subjectable to a referendum of the people before it can become a constitution. I am not saying that the reviews

or whatever is gathered now should be subjected to a referendum. No, that will be unconstitutional because there is no space for referendum in our constitution, but we are asking them to amend this constitution, including at the very least, those two items.

In the wake of all these, how close are we to convoking a national conference?

I think we are very close. When PRONACO existed there wasn’t consensus. It was more of a sovereign proboscis with a few Northern interests joining in. Now, with the National Summit Group (NSG) creation, when it took off publicly in February, there were few protests that it was not representative of the nation and those protests were backed with claims that certain groups were not present or were not invited or did not make relevant inputs. Since that period, the NSG has been crisscrossing the nation with different groups like the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum, Middle Belt Union, Eastern Mandate, Oodua People’s Congress, Niger Delta Youths, Igbo Youths Congress, different ethnic groups, NBA and other civil societies and even diplomatic missions. And by the meeting we had before this last one, everybody had bought into it. Why I said everybody is that all these groups have sent their members to dif-

ferent meetings. We believe that it is now more consensually agreed that the nation needs a dialogue and a national dialogue and you will note that even the President in his last media chat with the nation said he is in support of a dialogue and that what he will not support is what used to be the battle cry of those of us who were at the frontline during the war against the military.

Now haven agreed with that, the issue now is who convokes the national conference? How do you pick representation to the national conference? We at the NWC of the NSG arrived at two possible parts and I am not free to divulge that. But I can say this without breaking the understanding of the NWC that we have worked out two possible parts that will allow for representation from the lowest possible constituent unit that all parties will agree to, both governmental and non-governmental. We shall try to sell these ideas to the Nigerian people beginning with the executive, including the national leadership of the national legislature and including the governors’ forum, which by the way, is an unconstitutional body.

What role will the youth play in all this process?

This really should be their fight. The youths of Nigeria will be carried along more than ever before. We want to say we find it appalling that in the whole of the constitution, youths are only mentioned in the issue of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) and there is nowhere that there is provision for the elderly or the handicap. I am getting to be a senior citizen and there will be a period where I will not be able to be productive. How am I to be assured that I am going to live a reasonably comfortable life without having to become a beggar or dependent? We are no longer living in our villages and our hamlets where the extended families institution could comfortably accommodate the elderly and we are having a burgeoning population of young people whose parents have starved to put through school, not to mention the millions who are uneducated and unemployable and even millions of graduates who are all over our villages, our creeks, unemployed. They have an idle voice because tomorrow is today. We kept calling them leaders of tomorrow and they themselves bought the foolery. They are leaders of today. If they don’t join in fashioning tomorrow, it will be lost to them and they will all join us in sitting either in anarchy or in woe. We are also going to make them realise that they too will be consumed in the conflagration, whether military or socially, that will inevitably take place if we do not convey or convoke a national conference according to the process that we all agree to at the soonest possible time. But we agree that this review must, at least, come to include an Act empowering the Nigerian people to speak through a referendum.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

POLITICS

December 1, 2012

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 bra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said a developing country must spend more on capital than recurrent.

His words: “What Sanusi is saying is that we must cut down the recurrent expenditure so as to have more capital expenditure in the system. A developing country must spend more on capital than recurrent. I am not in support of some of his view because we have a high rate of unemployment in the country and reducing the number of work force may not be bearable. We may be saving money and be killing the whole country.”

The national leader of Citizen Peoples Party (CPP), Chief Maxi Okwu, also supported a drastic reduction in government’s expenditure.

“I believe that we have an over-bloated administration at all levels. They nation cannot afford the titanic wage bill of political office holders and civil servants. I support a drastic reduction in big government and a leaner and more efficient workforce.

“I am not in support of scrapping our local government administration system. What is required is a return to status quo pre the Dasuki reforms of 1976.

Local government must be local and not national. Local government should not be an integer for federal revenue allocation or treated as a tier of governance.

Every state of geo-political zone should be free to determine its local government system and number. The only national condition is that they must be democratic,” he said.

In his view, former Minister of Transportation and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, kicked against the 50 per cent reduction of civil servants, arguing that any attempt to reduce the work force may inflict more pains on Nigerians. His words: “Sanusi is entitled to his own opinion under the democratic constitution that we run, but I don’t agree with any of his proposition. To ask that we should sack 50 per cent of the work force is an open invitation to chaos and disorder in the country. To also ask that we should scrap local government is to say that they have no basis to be run by constitution in this country. Sanusi is free to express himself not minding the position he holds but definitely a Governor of the CBN must be very cautious and wary of making statement that can destabilise our country.

“It is a good economic measure for every government that has the interest of the people at heart to be very careful in the area of spending money. That is, to ensure that the cost of running a government is not one that will run the country into problem economically. But it is a dangerous thing to say, sack 50 per cent of the work force. By that position, he is not calling for control in government expenditure but something which is fundamentally anti-welfare of the people.”

Elder statesman and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said that scrapping of the local government councils will not be in the interest of the people considering the fact that local government is the closest government to people at the

15

Call for sack of civil servants: Knocks, kudos for Sanusi

grassroots.

“There are lots of joblessness in the country and any attempt to reduce the work force may increase the rate of unemployment in the country. But at the same time, Sanusi’s position may be justifiable because you find out that in the civil service, there are many ghost workers being paid without working.

So, the reduction may be good but what happens after the reduction of workers is what we should look into. I don’t agree with the idea of scraping of local government because local government is meant to serve the people at local level.”

Commenting on Sanusi’s position, former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, said that the decision on the sack of civil servants and reduction of members of the National Assembly should be left for the president and governors to decide and not the CBN governor..

He said: “He is too specific but his job is to warn about the fact that our recurrent expenditure is too high and it is not advisable. I believe the decision on the sack of civil servants and reduction of members of the National Assembly should be left for the President and governors to decide. We have to take into consideration political issues before the reduction in the number of civil servants is looked into. Sanusi is a technocrats, he doesn’t understand the political terrain. So, in taking decision, majority of Nigerians should be put into consideration.

“Local government administration cannot be scrapped because there must be a government at the grassroots. We are practising federal system and the local government is seen as the third tier of government to meet the need of the down-trodden people at the grassroots.

They are required for basic delivery of services at local level. What I will suggest is that local government should be removed from the constitution and it should be made the responsibility of the state. Every state should be left to determine how to run its local affairs and how to meet the need of its people.”

National Conscience Party (NCP) chieftain and America-based Certified Public (Chartered) Accountant, Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, said that there are too many people in the National Assembly who are doing little and getting paid big time. He therefore called call for a unicameral legislature.

His words: “I concur that we need only one house. We have too many people in the National Assembly who are doing little and getting paid big time. I totally disagree that we should scrap local governments because of its unique functions in governance not to talk of in democracy. It is the laboratory for the practice of governance. It is so close to the people and effective actions on people’s challenges should be engaged in by local government leaders before any governor or any mediocre president in

Abuja could lift his finger to react. Perhaps Sanusi is advocating for oligarchy, where Fulani will kill all the people in Ketu, Ipokia government area of Ogun State before succour could come from Abuja. In my humble opinion, Sanusi is talking corrosive nonsense and I pray that his unbridled tongue would not cause him the wrath of the masses.

“His position on the issue of reduction of civil servant shows that he has a demented mind. Is he working to increase the membership of Boko Haram? You would expect him to offer solutions for the survival of those 50 per cent of the civil servants that will be fired. He didn’t because he does not care. In a country with over 50 per cent unemployment rate, how dare someone in comfort urge government to bring additional hardship to those already suffering? In a country where insecurity pervades, when 50 per cent of civil servants are forced out of employment, we would manufacture anything but robbers.

“If as a civil servant, he is that rich, we really need to start the reduction from his office, including his entourage. Sanusi is not advocating for the reduction of the estacode or allowances the appointees of the president, including himself, collect when they

travel out of Nigeria. The masses should rise to demand a cut in his salary, other emoluments and his entourage.”

An Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, Prince Hakeem Awolesi , said that all efforts must be on deck to reduce wasteful spending in the country.

“I agree that the number of members of National Assembly should be reduced to curtail wasteful spending. Each state in the United States of America is represented by two senators, so Nigeria can also do the same.

On the issue of local governments, I believe we should create more local governments and not state to bring government closer to the people,” he said.

Because of the important position held by Sanusi, it is not easy to dismiss his view, especially on economic matters, with a wave of the hand. If nobody views his opinion with seriousness, certainly the government would, and this may influence its decision.

But would government dance to the beat of Sanusi? Wouldn’t Sanusi’s latest declaration be another of his very many ways of swimming in troubled water? Only time will tell how well he can swim out of this.

In your refreshingly different Havoc from the social media Lately, most Nigerians have come to realise that there are more evils than good in relying on the internet social media as veritable source of information.

What with the realisation that it is subject to various forms of abuse, such as absolute falsehood, false alarm, half-truth, deliberate distortion, murder plot and dangerous maligning. Information posted on the net about an arrest that never took place, about a death that was not true or of an accident case that was grossly exaggerated, have all made many to be wary of the credibility of what they now read on the net. Sunday Mirror, in this detailed report, takes a look at the list of victims of these mischievous social media users and highlights what the practice holds for the future of readers, and of the Nigerian society. It is a must read.

Constitution review: Yoruba opting out?

As the National Assembly’s constitution review committee moves round the country, sampling views in an attempt to correct perceived imbalances in the 1999 Constitution, the Yoruba, one of Nigeria’s majority groups, is far from being impressed. According to some of its leaders, led by democracy activist and retired Army General, Alani Akinrinade, the current exercise is no more than mere window dressing, as it does not reflect the nature of a national conference, for which they have been agitating. What are the areas of contention, and why is the agitation coming from Yoruba leaders at a time like this? We tell you tomorrow.

UN building after the bombing

Over a year after the UN building in Abuja was blown up by suicide bombers, killing no fewer than 24 persons, a kaleidoscope of the ruins of the attack reveals a spirited effort by the Federal Government to rebuild the destroyed edifice. Ever since the incident, the workers are yet to fully overcome the trauma of the dark Friday. Besides, how is the government working towards rebuilding the bombed structure and resettle the UN workers? We provide the detail.

The murder of Dateline Bola Ige Come December 23, this year, it will

be eleven years after serving attorney-general and former governor of old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, was murdered in his Ibadan residence by assailants who are still at large.

Perhaps, many have lost touch with the detail of this high profile murder and ensuing trials and oddities. Sunday Mirror, in its inimitable way, helps you to fill in the gaps.

‘Drumming has taken me to places’

Oluwatosin Olakanye-Olayemi, the Project Director of Mother-Drum Arts, went to study one of the most difficult courses in the university, a man’s course-Chemical Polymer Engineering. But she became renowned in another unlikely area, a maledominated field-drumming, which has taken her all over the world. We tell you the story of Oluwatosin, otherwise known as Ayanbinrin, tomorrow.

These and many more available tomorrow in your

Enhancing Education Improving Water supply

Housing

Tractorization scheme

Kamazou road construction

Improving transportation

Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (CON) Executive Governor Kaduna State.

December 1, 2012

Opening up of rural areas

R KADUNA

Signed: COS, PPS, DOP, SSA ICT, SSA Projects, SSA Land Matters, SSA Publicity & SSA Media.

FOURTH BRIDG E ACROSS RIVE

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The Hayin Danmani road, ?

Repairs of the Jere – Kagarko – Kurmin Jibrin road, ?

Soba – Ikara road, ?

Gwari – Narayi – Bayan Dutse, and so many other roads, ?

Procurement of 50 buses for our KSTA,

facilities, water, health, youth and women empowerment amongst others.

These can be seen through the historic commencement of the construction of 31 new roads all over the state worth about N28 billion, in addition to the completion of the New Kamazou- Gobarau express road, including the 4th bridge.

We are proud to be associated with your achievements and wishing you 64 more years of being a yardstick for quality in Kaduna state.

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40 Nisan Sunny cars for taxis, ?

700 tricycles, ?

40 additional vehicles for operation Yaki, ?

187 tractors for farmers, ?

Aggressive infrastructural development of our educational

With these words of Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer, we can proudly say that despite the unfortunate and unnecessary security challenges in the state, you have still shown that leadership is defined by result.

‘Be a yardstick for quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected’ - Steve Jobs

16 Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

MAGAZ INE Ify

Aiming for the top

Sex talk

How to kiss your way to good sex

z z z z z z

Relationships When office romance ends in marriage: Who resigns?

z z z z z z

Fashion • First date glamour • Framing your face with the right earings

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December 1, 2012

Ify Concepta Duruji is an ex-beauty queen, movie producer, actress and model based in Abuja. She is currently organising a beauty pageant and she tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO lots more about herself.

Celebrity

Celebrity

What are the challenges you have as a producer?

It’s not just about producing but distribution. The biggest problem the industry is facing is the issue of distribution. How can you make five million people out of the over 180 million see your film? If this is sorted out, the problems of we producers will be reduced to the barest minimum.

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hy did you put in for Miss Peace Nigeria?

I always wanted to be a beauty queen. So I used to put in for pageants and I was modelling as well as part of my wider plans in the entertainment industry. When Miss Peace Nigeria came as another of such pageants, I gave it a shot. There were 18 other contestants and I came tops.

What have you learnt as a film producer?

To be patient and be the best of whatever I do.

Did you study to be a producer?

No. Do you then have any plans to study film production?

Yes of course. The world gives us room for improvement and education.

Have you ever thought what it takes to produce a Hollywood standard film? We need to get abreast with international best practices and the only way we can do this is to get more education no matter how expensive it is. If you say education is expensive, try ignorance.

Did you think you would win?

Everybody went into it with the aim of winning. So when I went, I had that spirit of winning and it saw me through.

What did you gain from being Miss Peace Nigeria?

I gained a lot, especially the platform to impact on the less privileged and bomb blast victims.

Do you think being based in Abuja is a hindrance to your movie production work?

Not at all. Film is a mobile practice.

You might have a studio somewhere but you can shoot wherever you want to shoot.

You are an ex-beauty queen now organising a pageant, Face of Peace Africa. How easy is it to organise?

It has not really been easy but the motive behind the pageant is the motivation that drives me. And that motivation is to use the pageant to promote peace in Africa.

How are you able to combine acting, producing, modelling and organising your pageant?

First it’s God who makes it happen.

Secondly, planning ahead and working with the best hands is also helping me greatly to achieve everything I want to despite my extremely tight schedule.

Why did you become a movie producer?

I became a producer because I see producing as a way of affecting the society positively. Films are meant to bring positive attitudinal change in the society. Its potency is what I want to maximise.

How many movies have you produced?

Just one for now, Spycing. However, I’m working on two other projects that will come out by next April. One of them is on cyber crime.

How easy or difficult is it to produce movies?

Nothing in life is easy and nothing is difficult. When you put your mind to anything, you can achieve it. I don’t see problems as challenges or obstacles. I see them as stepping stones.

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‘I will bring an Oscar to Nigeria’

Tell us some of the challenges you’ve encountered that turned out to be stepping stones for you.

Not seeing money as the barrier to achieving your set goal. Have a good product, package it properly and assistance will come. God does not start a thing He cannot complete.

How soon are you doing that?

Sooner than you can imagine. But it’s not something that you can rush. We have to do it the right way. We are talking to some people already and the prospects are very bright. We are being careful because we want to do something that will give us an Oscar. We want to be the first to bring the Oscar to Nigeria.

What are your plans as a movie producer?

My main plan is to collaborate with a studio in Hollywood to produce a movie that will be accepted internationally for its technical aspects and also be very successful commercially in the foreign cinemas.

You want to collaborate with an Hollywood studio. You want to win an Oscar. Are these not tall dreams?

Aim for the sun, you might get the star. They are all heavenly bodies. Watch Spycing and The Frontiers, productions we’ve done, and you will know we are

not far from attaining those so-called tall dreams.

What do you think is the actual selling point of a movie: is it the plot, the directing, the quality of equipment used or the cast?

A production is an ensemble, everything must be in place to make it work.

They complement each other. You need a good storyline, a good script, a good director to interpret it and good actors to interpret the director’s concept and good equipment to make the audience enjoy the story you have to tell so everything complements each other in a production process.

There were earlier reports that you were holding Face of Peace Africa in Abuja. Why have you changed it to Lagos?

Just for a change. My last event which was a movie premiere was on the May 27 in Abuja. I want to be referred to as a Nigerian showbiz personality, not just an Abuja one.

Since the problem facing production is distribution, what are you doing to solve it?

That’s still in the pipeline but it will be revealed soon. Let me give you an assignment. Nigeria has a population of about 180,000,000 people. If just two million alone can see your film, you are in business, so we are definitely going to do something about the distribution problem.

But if you believe you need education to produce Hollywood standard movies, why haven’t you acquired it?

Step by step we will get there.

What do you think is Nollywood’s strongest and weakest points?

Grassroots films are its strongest point while financing and distribution are its weakest.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

19

December 1, 2012

Entervaganza

With OSEYIZA OOGBODO

o s n e fash k a t o io d iv a

08023755142 kingseiza@gmail.com

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n

I

t seems that top music artiste, Davido, is a chip off the old block. His father is a very successful entrepreneur and Davido seems to have inherited his entrepreneurial spirit. His success in music within a very short time is still baffling to many people. The success is however as a result of the entrepreneurial ingenuity shared by father and son.

Now, Davido is set to visit his entrepreneurial talent on the fashion industry. Like P. Diddy, Jay Z, Ruggedman and many other artistes who have their own clothing line, Davido has revealed that his own clothing line, O.B.O, will hit the market next year.

Damasus

Tongues wag over Damasus, Ademinokan

Eva

Eva aims dig at eLDee?

I

t is no longer news that eLDee’s Trybe Records suddenly and unceremoniously sacked Eva from the label which is one of the most successful and consistent in the Nigerian urban music sector.

The main reason Trybe cited for sacking her was that she wasn’t sharing their vision and always wanted more than she was offered.

But like May D who was also sacked from Square Records by P-Square, Eva doesn’t seem to be feeling any after effects of her contract termination.

Rather, she even seems to be on the rise. She has been attending events, setting fashion statements in the process and is even more in the limelight ctressnow. singer Now, she has released Thelma a song, Big Biggie, and O’Khaz got more than there are reports that she bargained for earlier it was eLDee she this week when she tried did it for as a mesto assist her Nollywood colsage that life league, Ernest Asuzu. goes on for Her words: “I was on my way to her with or Surulere when I saw Ernest Asuzu without at Anthony. He said he was going my him. way, and as my colleague, I decided to

O

ne of the hottest topics of conjecture now in Nollywood is the exact nature of the relationship between the Nollywood duo, Stella Damasus and Daniel Ademinokan.

Though they are openly known to be business partners, some tongues are wagging and claiming that their relationship is more than the business sort. According to the tale peddlers, Damasus and Ademinokan are allegedly in an intimate relationship and are using their business relationship to cover it up.

The tale bearers also claim that Damasus is the cause of Ademinokan’s failed marriage and that the purported lovebirds might soon be forced to make their romance public as they are tired of all the stress that comes with keeping it secret.

Square Image Associates, Damasus’s publicists, have however denied the rumours of a love affair between her and Ademinokan.

“Our client is a very respectable memO’Khaz ber of the society who has no reason to engage in a secret romance. This is not the first time she will be accused of being in a relationship that she isn’t but we hope it will be the last. Our surprise, most of the policemen refused to help me. him to just client is just business partners They told me they were not there for me but another carry his things with Daniel Ademinokan and and leave. Before duty, that I should carry him and leave.” they have a very good workAccording to her, she was shocked by their insensi- he left, I had to write ing relationship which we tivity and she became more scared especially as they down my name, home hope will stand the test address and leave my car. even threatened her instead. of time and contribute “I was in shock and I told them that I was scared, I was called all sorts and extensively to the that they should help me tell him to leave my car but was told to thank my God befurther growth of they refused. A good policeman called Mr Onu and his cause if he hadn’t regained himthe Nigerian enfriend Olu however decided to help me. They took us self or died in the process, I would tertainment to the nearest police station. Some thought I’d used have been in more trouble.” industry.”

It will be recalled that Asuzu has had him for rituals and others believed me until one of them saw him and recognised him as an actor gone some ill luck tales trailing him for some time now. Reacting further to the incident, mad too.

“As they were planning to take him to LUTH with O’Khaz said she doesn’t like to listen or beme as the complainant, he got himself back suddenly lieve rumours but she knows better now. Asuzu and started asking how he got into the car. They told was, however, unavailable for comment.

Thelma O’Khaz, Ernest Asuzu in ‘live drama’

A

give him a lift. Before I knew it, he started crying that he wanted to sleep and wanted to pee in my car.

“I got so scared and parked the car under the bridge at Stadium because I saw policemen. To my

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ENTERVAGANZA

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CLASSICAL RYHMES

AIRWAVES LINK

Year end releases flood radio, TV airwaves T

he approach of the year’s end is always an exciting one for TV and radio stations as musicians targeting the shows and concerts that come with the Yuletide period bombard them with newly released songs and music videos to enhance their commercial appeal for the Yuletide season.

And in keeping with that strategy, the list of musicians who have patiently waited to put out new material for this period includes Tuface Idibia, Ruggedman, Durella, Olamide, D’Banj, Ill Bliss.

While Durella is rocking the airwaves with Ozo, Olamide’s presence is being felt massively with his video

for First Of All and D’Banj too stakes a claim for airplay with his Bachelor video.

While Ill Bliss and Ruggedman just released new videos, Ruler and Push respectively, Tuface has turned out to be the king of the airwaves for this period. His Ihe Neme song and video are receiving so much airplay because the listening public just can’t get enough of them.

Other notable releases are Banky W’s Good Good Loving and Yes/No, Ice Prince’s More video, Sinzu’s Put It Down, Aramide’s I Don’t Mind, Skales’ Tomorrow and Reminisce and Sheyman’s If Only and Fed Up videos respectively.

MI

One Naira Artist: MI

Olamide

Benson Akindeju bags Asiwaju title

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Akindeju

op TV producer, Benson Akindeju, was yesterday bestowed with the religious title, Asiwaju Ijo of St. John Anglican Chuch, Igbotako, Ondo State.

The conferment ceremony was anchored by Bishop Ebunoluwa Ogunele who said Akindeju was chosen for the honour “as a result of his selfless service to humanity, both in the church and community at large.”

Chief Executive Officer of AK Media Concept, Akindeju is the producer of several TV

serials including Face2Face, Family Ties and Nowhere To Be Found. His first stint in production was as the marketing coordinator of Mahogany Productions before he joined Wale Adenuga Productions as a media consultant then general manager (marketing) before he established AK Media Concept.

Very passionate about the media as a whole and marketing as well, he has attended various seminars and workshops on Media and Marketing in Nigeria, South Africa, London and America.

Bukky Wright, Dayo Adeneye for youth symposium

S

ultry actress, Bukky Wright, and TV personality, Dayo Adeneye, have been named among the resource persons for the maiden edition of a youth empowerment symposium tagged ‘You and Your Youth.’

Organised by Key Media, the two showbiz personalities were said to have been selected for the event based on their immense contributions towards youth development and humanity. The symposium is billed to take place at the prestigious event place, Knot Center, Jibola Lawal close, Yaba, Lagos on December 14, 2012.

Others speakers include Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Abiodun Onasanya, Mr. Juwon Lawal, CEO Goldie, Chief Mrs. Dame Okoli Afolabi Odeyemi and Joe Okei-Odumakin.

Chairman of Suru group of com-

panies, Edward Akinlade, is expected to preside over the event while Mr Kunle Onime of Marketing & Promotions Concepts will moderate.

Speaking, key media’s spokesperson, Adeola Adeoti, said, “The symposium is aimed at bringing together youth from various tertiary institutions around the nation with different ideological, religious and cultural background to openly and professionally discuss global issues pertaining to the nation and future of Nigerian youth.”

Adeoti added that popular music and comedy stars which include Abass Akande Obesere (PK1st), Klever Jay, Zee World, Sule Adio Atawewe, Omo Jesu, Chibyke, Stormy Zino, Drama, Artquake and Lace among others will be on hand to spice up the event.

Wright

Verse 1 Hey princess I’m so into you Cause u see past what my revenue is And love me for me, clever you Leave you that is something I will never do Other girls just wanna get rich quick See them running things like Olympics Married men chopping them like biscuits They’re fast food girls, their fish stinks But what we have is so realistic There’s no for ming girl, no film tricks I no go chop outside no picnics Cause you and I above the statistics It don’t matter if I got ego We got something we can build on, Lego And even if your friends don’t say so, What do they know Chorus (2x) Whether na one naira Whether na one million Baby you got me Baby you got me Hook You‘re the only one that I see Mu na gi ga ñu garri Whether or not you get money I’ll stay with you if, you’ll stay with me Verse 2 If you stay now follow chop kwakwa When I’m living by the bay, takwa, Friends with Oprah and Obama Guess whose going be my baby mama And my wifey, (you) precisely Cause u loving me when nobody likes me And you feeling me when nobody hype me So when the money come you going be beside me You’re a diamond, your priceless A lot of girls shine you the brightest If you ever try to leave me like this I’ll follow you like three blind mice sis So here’s my proposal baby Love me though the money is a maybe And if your friends say that you crazy What can they see, (Repeat chorus (2x) Verse 3 You know I love you honey If no be situation If say I get money or better occupation Anywhere you want to go we go fly Anything you say you want, I’m gonna buy Just to show you baby girl What you mean to me Let’s take it easy girl Until we get there Things are hard right now, lot of stress yeah But I promise to always give you my best yeah I put my right hand on my chest yeah No money in the world can pay for This feeling that I feel when you say your My girl, I’m your king I’m your mayor I’ll love you forever and a day more Repeat chorus (2x)

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ENTERVAGANZA

December 1, 2012

BOX-OFFICE HITS

BRAIN BEHIND THE SCENE

Kwame … production guru

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ise of the Guardians is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost, legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities.

When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

Rise of the Guardians opens with a beautiful prologue showing Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) waking up in an ice-cold lake with no recollection of how he got there or who he is.

Soon, Jack realizes he has been given the power of cold weather. He can create slippery ice, snow days, and lots of cold mischief for young kids.

Skipping forward 300 years or so, the film picks up at the top of the world where North (Alec Baldwin) is busy

preparing gifts for Christmas when he sees that the evil bogeyman Pitch (Jude Law) has begun to insert terrifying nightmares into children’s dreams.

So, North, along with the other Guardians - Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth (Isla Fisher) and Sandman – try to convince Jack Frost to join their team and stop Pitch before children stop believing in them, and magic, forever.

A Kwame

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he name Kwame is one that rings bells in the entertainment industry. It is a name that has always contributed to the growth of the entertainment sector and continued to do so.

As a radio presenter at OGBC 2 and Star FM, Kwame stood out, according to musicians, because he was only interested in playing good music and not because he wanted to receive gratification for playing their music.

His later life proves why he had that philosophy. His vision went far beyond being just a radio presenter.

His aim was to become an executive and he achieved it.

He went from presenting on radio to producing a highly rated TV magazine programme, Global Sounds. Through GS’s platform, he produced a monthly show at the prestigious White House, Ikeja, Lagos. Just like when he was on radio, GS was dedicated solely to the promotion of artistic excellence, and it worked for him, making him into an household name.

Being that excellence was his watchword, he produced GS in such a unique manner that it set the

standard for TV entertainment programmes. Its segments, interview, news, etc, were presented in a style different from the norm and its editing was done with special effects that made people want to watch it.

Before long, he expanded GS into a 24-hour TV channel, Nigezie, which was broadcast on then popular satellite TV channel, HiTV. Like GS, Nigezie further raised the bar in entertainment programming, this time in a more ambitious way.

Airing 24 hours, it was able to bring more entertainment and lifestyle events to television and it is believed in many quarters that apart from the British Premier League and European Champions League soccer matches aired on HiTV, Nigezie was its main channel that sustained its viewership then.

Saying that Kwame has the Midas touch is an understatement actually. He is a pillar of the Nigerian entertainment and has become a gold fish that has no hiding place.

His work behind the scene is so important that he has become famous himself. Regardless of the fame he’s amassed, he however remains a behind the scenes personality.

21

n adaptation of Yann Martel’s bestseller about a 16-year-old Indian boy named Pi who survives a shipwreck and crosses the Pacific in a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker, Ang Lee’s Life Of Pi has managed to impress critics with its extraordinary visual effects, making the 3D exprerience definitely worth a watch.

Everything looks beautiful in Life Of Pi. The dangerous animals look beautiful. The terrible storms look beautiful. The crashing ocean waves, the twinkling stars, the wondrous carnivorous island on which the hero at one point lands: pure gorgeousness, shimmering with all the

wow that superlative 3-D technology has to offer.

Lee’s bigger theme isn’t God or survival, but the awesome adventure of making the imaginary visible, the adventure of making movies, and that is Life Of PI’s selling point.

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December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Relationships

When office romance ends in One with the less prospects

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esigning from a career all because of love and marriage or any other interests for that matter is not an easy decision for anyone, most especially when it is a career one has built one’s life upon.

While thinking of what to write about this topic today, I had the opportunity of sampling the opinions of other males who are in life enhancing careers, and believe me when I say that it is not easy to decide on who should resign.

It is only when a man is not truly sincere with his spouse that he will automatically assume that the woman should be the one to resign when the situation occurs that one person has to resign from a career in an establishment that demands that both parties can’t work within as staff at the same time.

There are very many different reasons why one partner has to resign after office romance has ended up in marriage. One of the most important reasons is that of company policy which may be an established policy for all company staff. A lot of businesses, especially those in the financial sector like banks have an unwritten rule that says that their staff shouldn’t get married and remain in the same branch, office or department.

Most times, this is to discourage fraud through conspiracy. It is assumed and believed that it is easier for fraud to be perpetrated when both spouses are working within the same office.

Another reason is that of saving the new family’s financial future through diversification of streams of income. It is almost like committing financial suicide for a family to have just one financial means of earning money. If both spouses are working in the same company and same office or department, and there is downsizing of staff in the department or office, the chance of both of them losing their jobs is very high. It is financially safer not to put all one’s eggs in the same basket. In these days of being financially prudent, it will

certainly be wise for one of the partners to leave the company for greener pastures.

At times too, it is wise to leave the company to reduce or limit office gossips. Most times, the affair that led to the marriage and even the marriage itself will become a topic for discussion at every office round-table or forum and this may not go down well with one of the spouses. This may not really be a serious reason unless we juxtapose it with others like victimization from a colleague who may have had or was thinking of having an affair with one of the partners.

The history of the romance is laid bared for all and sundry to pass judgement on. Whether the judgement is positive is immaterial. The basic thing is that every act or action forthwith becomes an object of gossip and discussion. No relationship can stand well under the microscope of office scrutiny, and an office affair that leads to marriage is no exception.

Some other people may decide to leave the company to create an opportunity for their spouse to rise faster in the company’s management structure. If your spouse is in a better position to head a team, unit or department in the company where you both work, wouldn’t it be better for you to leave to give room for your spouse to rise? Most times, the selfish nature of us in Africa dictates that the woman should leave, but I am of the opinion that it has to be a mutual decision because, as the saying goes; what affects the eyes also affects the nose. That you are the man and because it’s automatically assumed that you must be the bread winner in the marriage does not mean you cannot do that in another career. To therefore as an idea, believe that the woman should resign is not only illogical but stupid. And if you want to start crucifying me for holding this position, just remember that marriage is a partnership where each person must look out for the interest of the greater good.

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

How to kiss your way to good sex  Kissing is the cement of a good relationship ‘The next time you kiss her, make it long and nice. Men use kissing primarily as a means to an end—to advance sexual relations. On the other hand, women mainly use kissing as a way to monitor the status of the relationship, and especially a partner’s commitment level’

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en and women require relationships; relationships require intimacy; and intimacy requires kissing. Kissing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to let someone know that you care about them and are thinking of them.

It’s a form of closeness that transcends sex, and is the cement of a good relationship.

Physical intimacy does not always mean sex. You can be intimate without “going all the way” through kissing and hugging.

Most couples, especially those who have been together a long time, don’t do enough of it.

Women use kissing and hugging as a part of foreplay, while men tend to prefer visual foreplay and stimulation. That is not to say that men don’t like to kiss, they do. This is one of the reasons that men will be the first ones to ask to have the lights on during sex.

They are simply more visual, while women tend to be more tactile, or touchy. Kissing is a way of connecting to both.

A big mistake that men typically make is to only use kissing as a precursor to sex.

Women don’t always want to have sex as the end result of cuddling and kissing - and they often complain about feeling used as a result of an evening of hugging and kiss-

ing which feels like it needs to lead to sex in order for the women to feel loved. This is a huge mistake, guys. If you want kissing to lead to sex, you’d better learn to hug and kiss for no reason other than that the lone act feels good. If she feels appreciated, she will respond to the foreplay kissing much better and more often, than if she thinks you’re just kissing her to eventually “get some action.”

There are some very important tips for learning to kiss like a pro that will help you kiss so well that she will keep coming back for more.

Got a mint?

The number one turn off during kissing is bad breath. If you are on a date and go out to eat, be sure you have some mints or gum, and put it in your mouth soon after you finish eating, but spit it out or swallow it well before the kiss. For this reason, we recommend mints. Spitting out gum right before a kiss is a little juvenile. In fact, tasting of mint isn’t that great, so try to make sure you do the freshening up a little while BEFORE you plan to kiss.

Wet your whistle Your lips need to be moist during the

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RELATIONSHIPS

December 1, 2012

23

CHINWE ANNIE AMAECHI 07028684481 chinweamaechi@gmail.com

marriage: Who resigns?

Why should it be the woman?

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This column is x-rated kiss, but not wet, slobbery, or sticky.

Ladies, lip-gloss may look good when it’s on, but virtually all guys would rather kiss dry lips than gooey, sticky lip-gloss. It’s true, despite all of the marketing ploys to the contrary by cosmetics companies, guys do not like lip-gloss or heavy lipstick. Wetting your lips quickly and slightly before kissing will make it easier to slide into another position, but don’t make a comically big deal out of it.

Get your position right  When you close in, pause just for a split second to see if your partner has already chosen which way they will tilt their head, and adjust accordingly. If you’re sitting, lean in. If you’re standing, stand close.  Losing your balance during the kiss will be awkward, so watch it.  Close your eyes. Kissing with your eyes open is for couples who have been together a million years or started out that way. For the rest of us, it’s just creepy.  Don’t hold your breath and breathe through your nose.  Place your lips over your partner’s and either press or run your lips--not your entire, open, slobbering mouth--over theirs in a circular motion.  If they give you a closed lipped kiss, they are telling you to keep your distance. Might as well have been a smack on the cheek.

The French kiss The ultimate first base kiss is the French kiss.

This column is x-rated  Follow all the above directions but while you’re pressing your lips to your partner’s or running your lips against her/ his, slightly open your mouth and draw your tongue across their teeth.  Do not shove your tongue down your partner’s throat.

Across the top of the teeth is a great start, and if they’re into it they will reciprocate by drawing their tongue across yours.  When it’s time to go deeper, lick their tongue with yours. This is the secret to French kissing.

It’s about exploring each other, not getting to second base, so take your time and thoroughly enjoy the moment with tiny licks that are light and sensual.  This should naturally move you onto sucking their tongue, and this is where it can get really hot. It is usually at this point that things begin to really heat up.

Know this and have a plan!

Kissing Trivia Yes, the French were the first to use kissing on the lips as a sign that the union was made. They did this during weddings. The Romans and many centuries of cultures that followed used kissing as a sign of respect; it was customary for men and women to kiss each other on each cheek as a sign of welcome. A sign of respect was, and is, to kiss the ring of religious leaders, and of course, mob bosses.

What does kissing mean to you?

Write in and let us know. Responses are most welcome.

e have stated in earlier series that “office romance” is a regular occurrence because most of us spend over 80 percent of our conscious lives (times when we are not asleep) in the office. The challenge some people face when office romance results in marriage is “job switch”. Who amongst the two love birds would have to leave the organisation?

Some people treat this issue very lightly on the culture-influenced assumption that the woman should be the one to take a bow and leave her job once she decides to get married to her colleague. She is the one that should submit, right? However, I wonder why people are so quick to forget that the woman already has to leave her father’s house and drop his name for the sake of marriage.

Also, if her husband is of a different ethnic group, state of origin or religion, she must ‘cross-carpet” to assume his. So, can you now imagine why the decision to leave her job may not be such a welcome development?

The most annoying excuse that some people give when compelling the woman to resign is the “you will still have to resign to take care of your children at some point so why not do it now?” So manipulative!

Another annoying one is the idea that the man needs the job more than the woman because he is the provider and she can always be a house wife. People just don’t consider the woman’s desire to be a successful career woman. Thanks to cultural beliefs!

However, regardless of the other things which the woman must give up by default and the fact that she may need to be a stayat-home mother at some point, she could still be the one to resign from the organisation and let her husband remain there.

Women are sacrificial by nature and once it is clear to them that no one is trying to manipulate them, they easily put others first.

In my opinion, when a couple has to decide who should resign from an organisation when they get married, such a decision ought not to be gender-based and each case should be decided with regards to its peculiarities. Some factors which should be considered are:  Job type/status: If one person’s job is permanent while the other person is a “contract staff ”, the reasonable thing may be for the permanent staff to retain his/ her job.  Designation/position in the hierarchy: This can be considered from two perspectives. The person who has a higher designation may have better alterna-

tives to his/her present job. On the other hand, one’s high position may be a strong reason to remain on the job because of the prospects of heading the organization and retaining the good remuneration that is already available.  Work experience: Someone who has more years of work experience may find it easier to find another job.  Availability of other options: The couple should weigh each person’s alternatives to the job. Other job offers, business prospects, desire to further one’s education, could help in determining who to resign.  Age: These days, job vacancies have age limits tied to them. If someone on entry level is above 27 years, he/she had better retain the job. On the other hand, a fairly experienced worker who is above 40years may still find it difficult to switch to a new organization, except he is exceptionally skilled.

The truth is this: the above listed factors are not exhaustive and each should not stand alone. The couple’s peculiarities could require them to consider a combination of factors. In any event, the “job switch” challenge is something the couple ought to take up long before they pick a wedding date. Once they agree to get married, they should start discussions on who should resign.

People tend to avoid the discussions until a few months to the wedding when friends and family are aware of the wedding date. They feel that bringing up such a sensitive topic “at the early stages” of marriage discussions could lead to a break-up. My answer: if such discussions can break up a marriage engagement, it is either the people involved did not handle the issue maturely or they are simply not ready for marriage.

What people fail to consider is the fact that the pressure from friends and family as well as the unavoidable pressure that comes with planning a wedding can negatively affect their ability to take the right decision. Imagine what will happen when friends and family on each side asks questions like “why must you be the one to resign”? I believe this can be avoided if the couple discusses the issue without external influence; this can only be achieved before they make their marriage intentions known to all and sundry.

True love should make you consider your partner’s career and should compel you to take a bow from a job when it is the reasonable thing to do.

So, who should sacrifice his/her job for the sake of marriage to a colleague? It depends on the circumstances.

24

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Woman ‘I teach to improve lives’ Dr. (Mrs) Jumoke Mekiliuwa is the 2012 best graduating student at the L.I.F.E. Theological Seminary organised by the First Square Gospel Church, which held recently. A lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, and the Chief Executive Officer of Power in the World Ministry, she spoke with YEMISI ADENIRAN on the vision of her NGO, her marriage of 18 years among others. Excerpts:

W

hat is the vision of your organisation, World Ministry?

Basically, the vision is to impart to people, the knowledge that will enable them live highly successful lives. We discover that so many people suffer for lack of knowledge in terms of health and finance.

We give empowerment. We do it in a variety of ways; primarily we organise teaching seminars quarterly to bring the needed knowledge in the areas of marriage, parenting, health, finance, Christian living, and education and so on and so forth. We are also into publishing; that is, Christian education.

When people read, they discover knowledge. I write Christian books aside my area of discipline as a lecturer. I also organise seminars. They have their advantages. While books go beyond the shores of Nigeria, seminars are restricted. However, we record tapes to help people have insight into what we are talking about.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written about seven books. They include: “It’s not hard to be a woman”; “Insight into praise and worship”; “Men of like passions”; “ Winning on the race of life”; Get down from the throne” and “The nine steps to success in life”.

What are the targets of your seminars?

We have everyone as our target audience because our focus is health and finance. We have a session on natural well-being; we have two sections targeted at two categories of people: women waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb; this includes men too. We address the issue of infertility. There are consultants on hand to attend to the needs of those present at the seminar. There are also people with cardio vascular problems. What we actually plan to do like I said earlier is to bring more awareness about heart problems. For instance, there are many executives who don’t know much about the heart or even those who know don’t pay any attention to it.

For how long have you been publishing and organising seminars?

I’ve been into publishing since 10 years ago. The seminar aspect took off just last year and it is going on well. We are actually trying to explore the benefit of the presence of power in the written and spoken words.

For how long have you been married and how did you meet your husband?

I got married in 1994. That was some two years after I started lecturing, having finished my bachelor’s degree in 1986. I got my Masters in 1991 and started my PhD in 2009. I met my husband at a wedding. He was the best man and I was the chief bride’s maid. We soon got talking and became attracted to each other. The rest is now a story as they always say.

What was the main attraction to your husband?

Basically, it was his temperament.

He came across as a refined gentleman. But primarily, we were brought together because we were, and still are born –again Christians.

How would you describe the journey so far?

With God, the journey has been good; that is not to say the journey has been without its challenges, there had been challenges, but God has been good.

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We have been through several phases of life and we hope to sail through more as they come by the special grace of God. How do you cope with working and playing the role of the woman at home?

I won’t tell you it has been easy.

Balancing one’s career with the home front is huge task, especially, in a society such as ours. However, when you realise that whatever you have is from God, then you won’t have any problem. If you have a husband that does not feel threatened by your success, a man who buys into your vision, then, you should count yourself lucky because you really won’t have any problem. My husband has been supportive; he bought into my vision and I bless God for that. I don’t joke with my home. I believe that if you have lost it at the home front, you have lost it all. With his support, while I was doing my PhD degree, I was able to also do my bachelor’s degree in Theology. It was not easy, but I thank God for his help. It takes a lot of wisdom and organisational skills to do all together. When you are able to get your priorities right by placing the family first, you won’t have problems. You must also be responsible not to give excuses of the home for not performing your duties at your work place.

God has helped me in that wise.

What would you say is responsible for increase in the number of broken homes these days?

The reality is that the marriage institution has come under several attacks since the time of Adam and Eve. The breaking up we have now is alarming indeed. I think we have lost focus on some of the things that make marriage work. From my counseling with people, and personal meditations, I have discovered that we have lost endurance, patience and tolerance. The reality is that in the past, people were encouraged to endure and stay on in their marriages, but these days, people advise you to leave if you cannot cope because you have one life to live. They tell you that you need to be happy. It is true that one needs to be happy but we must be ready to play well our parts. If only we will be more patient and more understanding, we would have long lasting marriages. We must be ready to make sacrifices; we must take our time to understand the psychological reason for the other person’s way of behavior. We need wisdom, knowledge and understanding to make marriages successful. We must have that portion of the Bible at says “ through wisdom, a house is built, through understanding, it is established and by knowledge, the chambers are filled.”

Everything is not just about material things; we must know that whatever stress one is passing though, is seasonal; it is a phase that will pass.

Marriage goes beyond the physical and material things. I once had my own grumble when my husband

WOMAN

December 1, 2012

was engrossed with his job but I endured and that is why we could move forward till today. We must discover the principles that make a marriage work, not just about he has a good job, so, we should marry and when he loses the job, the marriage is over. Or, she is beautiful, so, I will marry her and when she has added some weight because of childbirth, the love gets sour. We must cultivate the principles of genuine love, endurance, patience, tolerance, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

25

Keeping ABREAST

Does your organisation have any plan for teenagers and the youth?

We have plans for them. Many of them also have health issues and they also need to know more about finances. We’ll focus on them more in the next seminar.

How do you fund your programmes, especially under the present economic hardship, the world over?

The Lord has been providing for us. All that I’ve been doing so far has been from my personal pocket.

We have not asked for money from anyone. It is a vision form God and we believe God will make provisions available.

How fulfilled have you been?

I’m fulfilled. Teaching, to me is a calling. I teach in the classroom, through my books and seminars. The joy of being appreciated by students and people who read my books and call me time after time to express their joy of being impacted upon is inestimable. I feel fulfilled.

What would you have been doing if not teaching?

There is an artistic side of me which I probably would have explored like event management, fashion designing and homes and decor. I am also a minister of God and all these make me fulfilled.

What are your words of advice for the youth?

My tip for them is that they should fear God. The fear of God is relevant to all. The level of corruption in the society is very high because not many fear God. They have a number of people as mentors up there and because these ones are rich in one way or the other, they also want to make money quickly. They are too materialistic, but if they have the fear of God, they will be guided aright. They should develop their own God-given talents.

What would you advise the government to do for youths?

The society generally should assist to empower youths. This include the government at all levels, NGOs, corporate organisations as well as meaningful individuals who have achieved and have reached a level of success to empower them economically and mentor them well.

New device monitors baby’s breathing, sends alert to parents’ smart phone • It works by strapping around an infant’s foot and measuring heart rate and blood-oxygen levels • If the child stops breathing or has a significant change in heart rate, the monitor will notify parents by alerting them on their smart phone.

M

ost new parents spend hours worrying about how their newborn is doing with their illiterate househelp or at the creche.

And for those who prefer their babies to spend the night in cots, sleepless nights are spent worrying whether their child is breathing properly while tucked up in their cots.

But a new device may help parents rest easier while their baby is back home with the househelp or at the creche, or even while tucked up in the cot. A team from Brigham University, Utahn (USA), have created a sock-like baby monitor which straps around an infant’s foot and uses pulse oximetry to monitor the heart rate and bloodoxygen levels.

If the child stops breathing or has a significant change in heart rate, the monitor will notify parents by alerting them on their smart phone.

The researchers hope the device, which is completely wireless and uses safe, non-invasive technology, will reduce cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

“Our hope is that we can give parents time to react and see that some-

thing’s wrong before it’s too late.”

The device joins a host of other high tech gadgets for new and expecting and anxious - parents.

Culled from www.mailonline.com

26

December 1, 2012

Parenting

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

Eight steps to boost Tiny Feet your child’s creativity

R

aising a creative child has little to do with nature and a lot to do with nurture. Creativity isn’t “born”.

We all have the capacity for creativity, and if we encourage our creativity, it will grow. Here are some simple steps you can take right now to nurture your child’s creative spirit.

1

Set boundaries and limitations Setting limits can boost your child’s creativity; total freedom inhibits creativity. Think about that – if you can do anything you want any time you want, you don’t have to think up a creative way to achieve your goals given your situation. Total freedom creates anarchy and laziness. We don’t live in a totally free world.

We have to obey the law, and we have to get a job. Our children should learn to live within these limitations. Our children should have set bedtimes. They should have a time to eat, to take a nap, to take a bath or shower, to pick up their toys, to do their chores, and a time to play. Within those boundaries and limitations, encourage your child to find ways to enjoy them. “Can you pick up all the yellow toys before the timer goes off ?” “Can you find five toys that float?” “Can you make a face on your pizza (or pancake) with these topping ingredients?”

2

Play thinking games with your child Encourage him to think, to dream, and to explore ideas.

“What would happen if,” is a good start. What do you think would happen if we took a bath before we went out to play, instead of at night before bed?” Other favourite thinking games include, “I spy with my little eye….something ______________.”

You fill in the blank. Perhaps you say “something red.” Then your child starts naming red things he sees in that room. “Is it the coffee pot? The curtains? The magazine?” If he doesn’t guess in a few turns, you add another clue. “Something red and square.” The game continues until he guesses the item. Then it is his turn to make you guess.

3

Read a lot!

Good books develop the imagination. Read books to your child. Lots of books! Reading broadens the brain, stretches the horizon, builds strong character, helps the child to gather lifetimes of experience. Highly creative people are readers. They read everything including road signs, dictionary and the encyclopedia. Read children’s non-fiction. And help him learn to read when he’s ready, but don’t push early reading if he is not ready.

Don’t watch T.V. Ever. It is a proven fact that TV turns your brain to mush

4

ParentingUpdate

C

hildren born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes run twice the risk of language development problems, according to a research team.

Researchers compared the vocabulary and grammar skills of 221 children whose mothers were diagnosed with gestational diabetes to those of 2,612 children from a control group. These tests were conducted at different intervals between ages 18 months and 7 years.

Results showed that children born to mothers with gestational diabetes achieve poorer scores on tests of spoken vocabulary and grammar than children of healthy mothers. The differences between the two groups are probably due to the effects of

gestational diabetes on the brain development of babies. The study shows that these effects persist even after the children start school.

This study is the first to isolate the effect of gestational diabetes from other factors including family socioeconomic status, alcohol and tobacco consumption as well as maternal hypertension during pregnancy.

However, the study suggests that the impact of pregnancyrelated diabetes on language development is not inevitable, as children of more educated mothers appear less affected. “This protection may be the result of the more stimulating environment in which children of more highly educated mothers develop, but it could also be due to genes

and worms begin to feed on it.

Take your child outside often Go for walks. Go to the park, the zoo, the baseball diamond, a parade, the fire station, the coffee shop. Walk, don’t take the car. If you live too far away, drive to town, but park in a parking lot away from your destination and walk around town. Bring a wagon or stroller if your child is younger. We need to be outside. Going out for a walk is a great way to stimulate the brain.

5

Listen to music Not just the radio. Leaving a radio on all the time does more harm than good. Children learn to ignore, or tune out, instead of learning how to listen.

Make music special. Play it at special times, then turn it off. Play a variety of music. Encourage your child to dance to music, to move, even to colour a picture of the way the music makes him feel.

Taking music lessons may also be a good idea, with the right teacher.

6

No colouring books Children need to express themselves through Art Give him large sheets of blank paper when he colours, not colouring books. Encourage him to make his own pictures.

Colouring in colouring books is a way of passing time, but not of creating art. Provide for a variety of art experiences. Maybe he

NAME: Olaniyi Oladunjoye

BORN TO: Mr. and Mrs Kehinde Oladunjoye AGE: 12 months BIRTH WEIGHT: 4.1 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com will colour on Mondays, paint on Tuesdays, sculpt with clay on Wednesdays, cut and paste collages on Thursdays, and choose his favorite on Fridays.

7

No battery-operated toys Provide open-ended toys; remove all battery or electric powered toys. Have your child play with blocks, not electric trains.

Have him play with puzzles, not video games. Let him build a fort out of your kitchen table, with some sheets and blankets and clothespins, instead of buying a fort from a box.

8

Teach him new vocabulary words As a toddler, he is learning new words all the time.

Help him to name everything he sees. Children with large vocabularies out-perform their peers on standardized tests.

Children with large vocabularies can express themselves more clearly. No, they are not feeling angry. They might be frustrated or overwhelmed or chagrined, but children with small vocabularies will still just be angry.

Culled from raisingcreativechildren.com

Pregnancy- related diabetes doubles risk of language delay in children - Study that could make some babies less vulnerable,” explains the lead researcher. “For the moment, we cannot isolate the two factors, but ongoing studies should allow us to answer that question,” she continued.

Between 2% and 14% of children are born to mothers who suffer from gestational diabetes.

Risk factors for this complication during pregnancy include the mother’s age and her body mass index. “As mothers are having their children at a later age and the incidence of obesity in the population is on the rise, the rate of gestational diabetes is clearly increasing,” she notes. “The risk to babies’ language development needs to be taken into account,” she concludes.

Culled from www.sciencedaily.com

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27

December 1, 2012

le StyGlam and

with Yemisi Adeniran

E

arrings make any woman look more charming and attractive but they can be a minus to your appearance if care is not taken. Consider what will enhance your good features. Take into consideration the cut and colour of your hair, your skin tone, your body size and clothes you’re wearing.

Round face shape If your face is round, you better choose lean, long and angular curved lines. It will elongate and add a little angle to your face. You can wear drop earrings in dangles, ovals and oblongs. Square and rectangular earrings are also good options, as are angular earrings. Avoid small studs and hoops and chunky large earrings as well.

Oval face shape This is a classic shape that will work with almost any style of earring. You can always do some experiment with different styles and decide what looks good on your face.

Heart-shaped face Look for earrings that are wider at the bottom – tear drops, chandeliers, triangle shapes that begin with a point. Steer clear of earrings that are heart

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shaped and very short earrings.

Square face shape As long as you avoid harsh angles and square shapes, you can wear just about anything in the earring category.

Long or thin face shape You are advised to wear simple studs and chandelier style earrings. To widen this face shape wear circular, triangular (with the point up) and square earrings.

However, remember to avoid flat or dangling earrings.

Diamond face shape Wear short and wide earrings. A straight line and curves combination will work well for you. Besides, try studs and small drop earrings. Be sure to avoid long and thin earring style.

Triangular face shape Large oval or small circular earrings will work well for you. Prefer earrings with curves at the bottom and avoid ones that come to a point.

Now you have some tips to help you. Go ahead and choose a nice pair!

28

STYLE & GLAM

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

YEMISI ADENIRAN

T

he first date is always important as it determines whether your relationship lasts long or not. Your appearance plays a great role but outfits are no less significant in creating the right impression. Here are some useful recommendations for you to use when choosing clothes for the first date.

Restrained sexuality The most essential rule you must follow when choosing clothes for the first date is – do not overdo! Men are always watchful at the first date and many things can puzzle them or even frighten off, though they can look as if nothing is wrong. Everyone knows that lots of men like miniskirts, deep décolleté and high heels. You should take this into consideration but still be more or less restrained. Avoid too mini a skirt, a lacy bustier and a short patent leather jacket. Too bright and catchy garments might create the impression that you are a narrow-minded dolly.

Little glamour Don’t try to impress the man with expensive garments, accessories, famous labels. He might think he doesn’t have enough finances to be with you. And stay away from simplicity and unpretentiousness. Steer clear of rough fabrics, baggy tailoring, mannish accessories like a tie and sporty watch. The best option will be a flowing clinging silhouette, light and soft fabrics, floral prints. Add rich colours, sparkle, lace, ruching and frills.

But again – don’t go too far!

No new clothes Avoid donning absolutely new clothes for the first date. You never know what they will really fit like. At a certain moment something can go wrong.

For example, uncomfortable shoes might chafe and spoil the pleasure of your first evening together.

Size is important Consider the size of your clothes. Too small garments will make you think you look fat and you will feel uncomfortable. Hide your imperfections; flatter your most beautiful areas by choosing the right tailoring, design and colour. And don’t forget to put on expensive and beautiful lingerie. You’ll feel more confident as good bra will create a perfect form of your breast while panties will make your trousers look good on you.

BEAUTY

Q&A

Your candid response to all fashion questions

Hairstyle DON’Ts and DOs Don’t go too dark. We usually love Cameron’s casual blonde bob, but her light skin and blue eyes look washed out with this too-harsh dark dye.

Find a darker hue that flatters. If you have lighter features and want to go darker, go for a medium or dark brown instead of black. To get this style, roughly dry hair on a medium heat without applying any product beforehand. After hair is dry, add a dry spray wax and work through hair until you get that perfect unwashed look, and add a teensy bit of shine just to your bangs.

Forget t Hilton’s C

Avoid o Find a d to go dark

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STYLE & GLAM

December 1, 2012

trying to pull off hair accessories the size of your head. Paris Christmas wreath is a big don’t, no matter what time of year

overdoing the volume. darker hue that flatters. If you have lighter features and want ker, go for a medium or dark brown instead of black. To get

Fashion Frenzy

29

Facelift Dealing with puffy eyes (2) For some people, puffy or baggy eyes are a hereditary trait, of which is one of life`s natures we cannot intervene with. Nevertheless we can however endorse and do things to help with the hand me down condition.

Reduce Puffy Eyes • Cool the swollen skin around your eyes to reduce puffiness at every possible convenience • Chill eye and face creams • Wrap an ice cube in cloth and gently dab the eyes • Cool two spoons and place over the eyes • Chilled strips of potato settled over the eyes is effective for soothing • Cold has great healing qualities in helping to reduce puffiness and irritation, and can be used as often as is comfortable to get rid of puffy eyes.

• Avoid hot water; this we use for getting rid of dirt and grime, and this is not the issue here.

Regardless of what body part - rubbing is not good for body skin full stop. Gentle patting or dabbing should be the motion used at all times. The skin around your eyes is extremely sensitive, and repeated touching of the skin enveloping the eyes can worsen allergies, making them more irritable, red and itchy thus leading to puffy eyes. If you wear contact lenses then remove them before going to bed to avoid irritation and eye dryness.

this style, roughly dry hair on a medium heat without applying any product beforehand. After hair is dry, add a dry spray wax and work through hair until you get that perfect unwashed look, and add a teensy bit of shine just to your bangs.

Forget trying to pull off hair accessories the size of your head. Paris Hilton’s Christmas wreath is a big don’t, no matter what time of year.

Prevent puffy eyes: • Sleep with the head raised.

• Don’t drink too much water/fluids before bed.

• Don`t use wrinkle remover cream near the eyes as it hydrates the skin and puffiness is the result.

• Avoid oil-based cosmetics. Oil can cause the skin below the eyes to swell and become inflamed. Water-based is more ideal.

• Remove makeup every night because it can fill the pores causing swelling.

If you are unlucky and suffer from puffy eyes a lot due to whatever reasons and looking for ways to lessen the look then you can try concealing your problem tired eyes with the help of cosmetics

30

December 1, 2012

Male Essentials L

exy Mojo-Eyes is a walking examp example While of what he preaches: fashion. Wh o dressing, a he is very simple in his dressing trouser he is shirt and tro rouser is mostly okay by him, h not simple wi with what he ith his hair style, which is wh uses to make hi his is fashion statement.

His hair style nowadays. e is the afro, a rarity nowad s. While some men take o on the afro hair style for certain certa occasions and activities, M basis.

Mojo-Eyes sports it on a daily b Mojo sis.

Considering the dist distinctiveness afro,, it is whatt istinctiveness of the af you first notice icon who h has successfully e about thiss fashion fa held the Niger Nigerian erian Fashion Sh Show for several years ars now. And d even though style to h the afro is not an easy e hair styl o keep, it ha has become second se nature to him.

Why don’t you too tr try y the afro?

10 secrets to the perfect shave (2) I

n order to shave with soap, you need to follow the basic rules. When you come to the mirror, your face has to be wet and your follicles have to be soaked. Your brush and razor, meanwhile, have been soaking for a few minutes in a sink full of hot water (I fill my sink before I get in the shower). From here, the directions are simple: 1. Wet the soap in the hot water and let it soften for a moment.

2. Rub the wet bar of soap into your beard against the grain so that your face accumulates a thin layer of soap.

3. Lather this layer of soap with your brush, dunking it frequently to make sure your face is as wet as possible. Immediately, you should notice that it is a warmer, wetter foam than you achieve from shaving cream and that it is not as easy to wipe away. This is precisely what makes

08036961187

with Oseyiza w y Oogbodo g kingseiza@yahoo.com g @y

Afro Lexy

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

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it effective: It stays on your skin, lubricating constantly.

4. Shave, enjoying the easy glide of your razor across your face.

The lather from a bar of soap is different than what you’ve experienced with shaving cream.

It’s no less fluffy or full, but it is heavier and will run down your neck and chest if you leave it too long. The reason for this is that it’s water-based, which also means it warms and softens your hair as it goes.

This is simple advice, but in the seven years since I received it, it has completely changed my shaving experience. Each time I try a new shaving cream (the last was a tube of European ointment I spent too much money on), I’m amazed that it can’t compete with the lather from a simple bar of soap. At this point, I’ve decided to give up sampling the competition. I’ve found the route to the best shave, and it’s also the simplest.

People

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December 1, 2012

31

Olugbenga Olagunju: Enjoying fruits of hard work K AYODE FAASU ASUA

I

n 1961 1961,, a year after Nigeria obtained independence, four-year-old Olugindepe end Olagunju lost his father. His benga Ol dad died a few months after the birth of younger brother. his younge er b cast an instant spanner That incident in ncid works, into the wor rks, for his family. Unable to fend Olagunju’s mother had for the two children, chil c from to relocate fr rom Ife in Osun State to the famcommunity ily’s commun nity of Okemesi in present-day Ekiti State, to eke e out a living among her folks. straight Looking strai ight ahead in deep contemplamisty Olagunji, now an advertion, and with mis sty gaze, g consultant says, “I want the youngtiser and media a con nsul my story: that hard work er generation to learn n from fr pays. No matterr what wh you are going through, so remains bent in diligent exlong as your back b ecution of your you briefs, you will emerge tops y and come e out triumphant.”

Thursday, Olagunju, who is the Last T Thu Officer of Endless Chief Executive Ex Possibilities Media Consulting SerPossi ibili vices, vice es, tturned 55. To those who love admire him, it was an occaand d ad sion sio on for f champagne -popping and back-slapping; but for a reticent back b Olagunju, it was a moment for Ol stock-taking in humble adulast tion for how God has seen him through the storms of life.

Reminiscing on how he survived the difficult times that characterised the early part of his life, Olagunju said at age eight, he was yet to enrol in school, as his mother was only struggling to take care of him and his younger brother, and fund-

ing their education was far-fetched.

“I didn’t know anything about school.

However, a family member, a junior person, took me to school in 1965, just for me to know that it exists. After two years, my uncle took me on. From Okemesi, I was taken to Irun-Akoko in today’s Ondo State where I had my primary education up to 1970.”

With a modern school-leaving certificate, Olagunju got employment as one of the pioneer civil servants of newly created Ondo State, in 1976. He started as a clerical assistant and rose through the rungs until he quit in 1981, to advance his education. He attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, from where he obtained an Ordinary National Diploma in Business Administration and afterwards went to the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State for his Higher National Diploma. In 2000, however, Olagunju obtained an MBA in Marketing Management from the Lagos State University (LASU) The advertising expert was also in TELL Communications, publishers of TELL Magazine for 12 years during which he occupied strategic positions both in the sales and circulation and advertisement departments.

While in TELL as a Senior Manager, Olagunju recalled the arduous scenarios of the testy period of General Sani Abacha’s military dictatorship.

“Then, it was a life in the jungle. Our editors were operating from their different hideouts and we were doing the production, circulation and selling of the magazine at underground locations. Within a week, you might not see your editor, yet you know where to pick his stories and where to get logistics, for fear of being arrested or killed by the Abacha men.”

Olagunju, father of six, is immensely

grateful to his wife of 22 years, Omotola, who stood by him through thick and thin.

“I give glory to God for the type of woman I got married to. My wife has been a stabilising factor at home. She is an effective manager of resources. She has been there for us. She has been supportive, especially during the rough period.”

Apart from his wife, Olagunju is also eternally grateful to personages with alluring influences on him, who include Chief D.O Ogunremi, Chief Femi Ogunyemi and Mr. Dare Babarinsa, his boss at TELL. As an advertising expert, Olagunju is swooned by the gale of sundry turbulence, shaking print media practice in Nigeria.

As one with knowledge of hindsight, he should know. ”Some of the challenges facing the print arm of the media industry include flat copy sale wrought by the poor economic situation, poor reading habit and the new media of the internet social network; and receding avert patronage occasioned mainly by the collapse of the manufacturing sector of the economy. “The greatest percentage of adverts normally come from manufacturing companies, and if these companies are dead, adverts should not be contemplated,” he appraised.

He, however, suggested ways out of these quagmires, as he urges newspapers and magazines to “soldier on”.

“Several media organisations have devised ways out which now include recourse to having ‘special projects’, award bestowal and event management. When supplements come it will also cushion the effects and the newspapers should partner with corporations in mutual benefits; and again, the papers should determine appropriate print-run to minimize losses from unsold copies,” he counselled.

Idiat Atolagbe: Drawing inspiration from kin OYINKAN SOMORIN

M

rs Idiat Atolagbe is a trader whose business is located in Ipaja /Ayobo Area of Lagos.

Though she used to be with the now distressed First Inland Bank, she is glad she took the advice of her family to step down before the calamity which befell the bank.

Born and bred in Edo State where she learnt almost everything she knows now in trading, Atolagbe wasn’t prepared for going into full time trading.

“I won’t say I was actually prepared to be what I am now because I was once a banker in First Inland Bank. But I saw it as a threat to my marriage. So I had to let go of it and become a full time trader. It’s not easy but what can I do? Anyway my

mother was also a trader and while growing up, I also did some selling back in secondary school but that was in the good old days not now.”

The trader who started her business last year said her major achievement in life is having the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

“I would say I have achieved so many things in life. First I would like to thank my parents who helped me with my education, now I am a married woman with children.

I have a business of my own, I am not under anybody to boss me around and I have a very loving husband. What else do I want in life? Being an African, I believe that is any woman’s achievement in life,” Asked if she had any regrets leaving her banking job, her reply: “Regrets? No! If what you are saying is leaving the bank

job I would say, yes and no because I love working with figures maybe that is why I decided to have my own business to deal with my own figures. But when I think of the late nights when I didn’t have time to be with my children and husband at the due time, then I think I don’t have much to regret. Thanks be to Allah” On how she got the inspiration, she replied: “My inspiration is my husband. He has always been beside me from time to time and anytime I feel discouraged, he is always there to carry me up and don’t forget I also told you that my mother was a trader. So I think that gives me more inspiration than anything that I would ever need. I remember when I was working in the bank, I was also doing a little trading of my own in the bank but the management did not know. I guess trading is in my blood.

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Dear Igho

December 1, 2012

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

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

My wife or mistress?

Dear Igho, I’m a 47-year-old man and I’ve been married since I was 19. I love my wife and I also love my two sons and would never do anything to hurt them. But I’ve, recently, done some things that could potentially hurt everybody including my mistress who I have been seeing for six months. I have realised that I’ve been missing out on life. She (mistress) is loving, cares a whole lot about me, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t tell her that I love her. She’s 22 years old and the most amazing woman I’ve ever been around. My wife knows nothing, but my mistress knows everything. I’m falling in love with my girlfriend, just as I did with my wife- the exact same feelings I had 20 years ago is now what I now have for this young lady. My question: what do I do?

Anonymous, Lekki Phase 2, Lagos

Dear Anonymous, Gulp! An affair can be a beautiful thing. This is when you see the best a person has to offer, and when you offer the best. No troubles, no issues to cloud the stolen, romantic moments . . . an escape from reality. But I have a feeling if you and your young mistress were together, full time, the fairy tale romance could sink like a stone. For one thing, the age difference can, and usually does affect the success of a long term relationship.

Also, once divorce proceedings begin, the injured party (your wife) might become vengeful, and the kids often take sides. And that is when (excuse this expression) the s**t can really hit the fan!

I’m not passing judgment on you. Marriages can go stale, and having an affair can make someone feel as if he or she

has been reborn. Suddenly, the weight comes off, the grooming improves, and it’s a flood of feelings you haven’t had in so long, it becomes a euphoric experience- like a drug. But you know all this, right?

Of course, you’re not some fool who lives in la la land, other than the one you are in during those stolen moments with this girl who is barely out of her teens.

There’s a good chance your wife will find out. I know you’re very careful now, but maybe she’s noticed the changes in you: the spring in your step, everything seems easier to you but she does not want to face it. And you never know what else can happen like deciding to end the affair because you can’t leave your wife when your girlfriend wants it, and she decides to let your wife in on what a cad you are.

I’m just trying to cover all bases!

What is he really up to?

Dear Igho, I recently started casually seeing a guy. I say casually because I am a full time student and work a full time job, so I don’t have time for a more serious commitment right now. I do like this guy and, yes, we are intimate, and he said he was ok with my mindset and time restraints. He keeps

asking/joking about my falling in love with him though, and he brings it up a lot. Is he “making sure”, or does he want more?

Lilian Henshaw, Cross River State.

Dear Lilian, It’s hard to know, for sure, but it seems he’s on some sort of “fishing expedition.”

When people joke in certain circumstances, it’s a desire to get the truth, or to make a point; although said in jest. However, saying it once should have sufficed, and your answer could have been, “Well, I’ll let you know if it happens” ha, ha, ha! Joking aside, I think the best road to take is to ask him if he’s serious and, if so, tell him how you honestly feel. I firmly believe that open-communication will get you more information than guessing. At least it’s worth a try.

I don’t trust her!

Dear Igho, I have been with my girlfriend for nearly three years. I’m 22 while she’s 21. We’ve had a few rough patches, as I’m sure everyone does, but she used to be so different to how she says she is now. It got off to a bad start, as she slept with someone else

the first night we were together, which I then found out months later.

There have been smaller issues with trust (checking email, facebook etc) but I’m not fussed about those. I recently found out more clearly what she used to be like and can’t even imagine it, not that

I want to. I just don’t feel like I can completely trust her and I don’t know what to do as it’s been so long.

Ejiofor, Independence layout, Enugu Dear Ejiofor, I think, as humans, we do things of which we are not

The problem is, you’re locked in now.

Trying to get you to stop seeing this woman would be a lesson in futility on my part. I fully understand the lure. But please be mindful of the repercussions.

You’ve built a close knit family with your wife and sons, and family gatherings could become awkward if it’s “Mom won’t come if ‘Jennifer’ is there.”

And trying to integrate this young woman into your sons’ lives - a woman who is probably younger than they are can be dicey. Friends you’ve developed over the years take sides, and your new friends would be the age of your kids. And that, alone, can be a big reality jolt. Have you read enough? It’s a choice, but I don’t need to tell you that. Please be willing to accept the consequences of that choice, and one that could adversely affect the people you love.

How do I manage these petty colleagues?

Dear Igho, I am a temp worker in an office and already the permanent workers are calling me unprofessional names behind my back. I need the money, but I’m tired of the disrespect . Should I confront the workers themselves or just leave the job?

Olawale K. Lagos.

Dear Olawale Talking to the group may put proud. If she’s been trustworthy in the three years you’ve been together- your email snooping and facebook have shown no suspicious activity; then it’s time to let this go. If you cannot, there’s no point in continuing the relationship. She shouldn’t have to endlessly prove she’s a loyal girlfriend, nor can she go back and change the past.

Neither one of you benefits by having a black cloud hang over your heads.

them on the defensive, and they could go out for blood. Keeping this job depends on how much you need the money, and if another assignment is available to you. If you must stay for a while, I find it’s wise to see if you can use the tactic of bringing them to your side by being friendly in order to disarm them. If that doesn’t work, maintain your dignity by being professional -- while developing a thick skin around these petty people. They seem to think they, as permanent employees, can run roughshod over the newbie to make him feel as if he’s not “included” in the group. It’s fairly typical of people who spend all day together to form “exclusive” alliances. Try to remember that these people are human, and what motivates them to behave the way they do often taps into a very base nature.

At times, we seem to behave like pact animals, and there’s a hierarchy.

You are at the bottom of the pact. If it persists, do see what else is available but, for now, it’s best to kill them with kindness -- without being phony, or simply ignore their behavior as being shallow, but common in the office setting. Being thrown in with a group of people you didn’t pick requires some diplomacy.

Living

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

December 1, 2012

33

‘You’re not negative until you’ve checked your status’ What came to your mind 15 years ago when you were first diagnosed with the HIV/AIDS virus?

It was like a death sentence. At that time, the news of being detected to be a carrier of the virus was nothing but a death sentence. It was shocking; I couldn’t believe my ears. How could I have contacted it? I never toyed with the thought for once and of course who would have? More painfully it came through a way that not many could have imagined. I had only gone to remove a bad tooth and I ended up with a deadly disease. It was bad but then, it was not the end of the road.

You were the first woman to publicly declare your HIV status. Where did you get the courage to do that?

I wouldn’t know but I guess it must have been born out of the need to let people know that the HIV/AIDS virus is not contacted only through sexual intercourse. I am sure this was the main reason. Many believe, some still do, that anyone living with the virus is promiscuous. But that is not true. My case really was an eye opener to many and it also gave many who were at that time living with the virus quietly the courage to come out.

Is there still stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS today?

Well, I would say there is an improvement. But I must say this set of people still suffer a lot of stigmatisation from people. Nigerians still look down on PLWHA which is not supposed to be.

They believe they are promiscuous, that they are going to die soon and they avoid them like a deadly plague. Stigmatisation on its own is more killing than the disease itself. There is no big deal about the virus if you are carrying it. You just need to take your anti-retroviral drugs, eat well and keep away from some other things that are dangerous to health generally. You must ensure to nurture your immunity and avoid things that can break you down because you are more

Yinka Jegede-Ekpe was 19 years old in 1997 when she contracted the HIV virus at a dental hospital. Married to Nsikak Ekpe, a naval officer who is also living with HIV/AIDS and blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby girl, Yinka has been able to prove wrong the notion that HIV-positive women cannot give birth to HIV-negative children. The Executive Director of the Nigerian Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS led YEMISI ADENIRAN into her journey so far.

Jegede-Ekpe

vulnerable with the virus. You can look well, beautiful and achieve all you plan to achieve even with the virus. All you need to do is to manage yourself well. A lot of people are beginning to accept persons living with HIV, but I must tell you

some still don’t. We have landlords who will never accept an HIV positive person to live in their houses. Most employers would not employ them and as soon as they discover you are a carrier, you will be sacked. Some parents even deny their

children because they test positive. So, a lot needs to be done in the area of stigmatisation. The fact that someone is positive does not mean he or she is worse off than the person who is not positive. And the fact that someone got it through sexual intercourse does not also mean he or she is a prostitute. Besides, no one should boast of a negative status until he or she has gone for a test.

How would you describe the arrival of your child?

It was like a dream come true. When I first tested positive, the last thing on my mind was the issue of marriage and children. But I thank God because I am today a mother of a healthy child. It is a great achievement.

What are the things a PLWHA needs to do to have an HIV-negative child?

Before conception, one needs to create an enabling environment. The person’s viral load has to be low and the CD4 count, which is a test used to measure the immunity, has to be very high for the mother to be healthy enough to carry the pregnancy through and for the baby to develop and be born healthy. She must be very close to her doctor and be free to carry them along with whatever she is passing through.

At a point, I needed to do a [drug] resistance test because it seemed that one of my anti-retroviral drugs was no longer effective. It was then they found out that I was resistant to all the drugs I’d been taking and that there was a need to change most of my treatment. They had to lower the viral load because it had started building. I took the treatment for one week then had surgery to have the baby delivered.

Although exclusive breast-feeding is usually recommended for HIV positive women who lack access to clean water, electricity or a reliable supply of formula milk, formula feeding was judged the safer option for me. So, it is important that you do not distance yourself from good medical attention.

‘My husband hid his status from me’ How old are you?

I am 41 years old.

What has your experience with NGOs been?

I don’t have anything to do with them.

I don’t need their assistance. With all modesty, I thank the Almighty God, I can take care of myself and two children.

How old are your children?

One is 18 while the other is 16.

When did you discover your status?

I discovered in 2006.

Abeke Ibidun owns and operates a restaurant in Lagos. She insists on not disclosing her identity or having her photograph taken. When Saturday Mirror approached her for a chat, she took the reporter away from her shop and out of ear-shot before she spoke. Excerpts: KAYODE FALADE Have you been taking your antiretroviral drugs?

Yes. I have been taking the drugs since I discovered my status.

What changes have you noticed?

A lot. Before I started I was very lean. Immediately, I started taking the drugs, I recovered from the cough that

was troubling. I don’t fall sick anyhow despite the stress and energy I put into my work as a canteen operator.

How did you discover your status?

I had cough and for more than a month despite taking drugs and even going to the hospital, it was persistent. Then someone advised me to go to a general hospital. That was where they directed to go and do HIV screening test. There CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

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LIVING

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I was sentenced to death 17 yrs ago – HIV-positive nurse

On Thursday September 27, 2012, Hon. Justice Y.O. Idowu, the judge at the Lagos State High Court, held that the termination of the employment of Mrs. Georgina Ahamefule, who tested positive to Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) while working as an auxiliary nurse at a certain medical centre in Lagos was illegal, unlawful and actuated by malice and extreme bad faith. So she gave an order for N5 million to be paid her for general damages for the wrongful termination of her employment and N2 million as compensation for unlawful conduct of HIV testing without her informed consent.

Ahamefule spoke about her ordeal and excitement of winning her case with YEMISI ADENIRAN. How did you discover your status?

It all started in 1995. I was pregnant and discovered that I had boils on my skin. I went to my employer for treatment. He carried out medical examinations and diagnostic tests without disclosing the nature and outcome of the tests to me. My employer later referred me for further tests at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital with a note in a sealed envelope.

The doctor at LUTH on his own part carried out various tests without also disclosing the nature of those tests to me. I was subsequently informed that I had tested positive to the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV). I was never provided any form of counselling before or after the tests were carried out as required by medical ethics and the law. In fact, I did not understand what was going on but I remember that I was pregnant at that time. The situation was made worse when my employer advised that I should prepare to die since I had not much time.

He also promptly terminated my employment as an auxiliary nurse at the hospital because of my HIV-status. In the termination letter dated October 23, 1995, he explained that the hospital’s management could not compromise the facility or its patients by exposing them to risks

of being infected with HIV. But surprisingly, he quickly gave me a letter recommending me for employment in other medical facilities.

How were you connected with SERAC? I believed what my employer said about my having little or no time to live and so in obedience, I relocated to my home town in Imo State, and there, I waited to die. But death never came.

While at the village, I ran into someone who asked me to go to LUTH so that I would receive help. I also obeyed.

It was while I visited LUTH that I met my god-mother, Mrs Onyewuenyi, who listened to my ordeal and referred me to SERAC. They tried to get my former employer into a form of settlement but he refused. That was why they resolved to go to court.

But you were once declared dead by your employer?

I was not at any time dead. It was just a gimmick of my employer to deceive the court and spoil my case. But Dr Morka knew this and asked me to fly into Lagos immediately. I did and appeared in court to the shock of my employer and his cohorts.

How does it feel to have won N7million?

It feels good. I feel well avenged. It was

Ahamefule

one case that seemed impossible and a mountain insurmountable by someone like me or any of my family members. It would have died a natural death because we would not have been able to provide any of the resources needed to tackle it.

But I thank God for raising a helper for me in the person of Dr Felix Morka and his workers. They did all these without collecting any money. It is only God that

‘My husband hid his status from me’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

and then I discovered that I was positive.

How did you take it?

I took it hard. I broke down. And for weeks I was crying day and night. But after a lot of counselling and consoling myself, I took it in my strides, began medication and returned to my work.

Ever since, I have not looked back.

Did you tell your husband?

Then my husband was already dead.

He had the virus but he hid it from me.

He was very ill before he died. But at his burial I heard his people talking in undertones in their language and looking at me somehow. He was from Kogi State.

Later some of them asked to go to the hospital and treat myself. But since I did not really know what they were talking about I just told them that I was alright.

But it was after his death that i fell ill.

MY HUSBAND HAD THE VIRUS BUT HE HID IT FROM ME. HE WAS VERY ILL BEFORE HE DIED. BUT AT HIS BURIAL I HEARD HIS PEOPLE TALKING IN

UNDERTONES IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND LOOKING AT ME SOMEHOW I first took it as normal illness but then the accompanying cough was too acute and long. That was what made me go to the hospital. It was during counselling that I now realised that he must have died of AIDS and that he hid it from me.

I felt very bad. But I have forgiven him and got over it.

How is your business?

We thank God. Are you the owner?

By the special grace of God, I am.

Do your customers know your status?

No. Why didn’t you tell them?

They will all run away. Most people still don’t understand that you just do not contact it by mere touch or body contact or even talking with you. No, i cant tell them.

Since you are still young and good looking, are you not planning to re-

will repay them How supportive were your family members at that time?

I must tell you that I am blessed with a wonderful husband and family members. They were and are very supportive.

But my neighbours, may be because of their ignorance, were very hostile to me.

I suffered a great deal of stigmatisation from them. marry?

No. I have had enough of marriage.

I just want to take care of my two kids.

Do you have a lover?

Yes, I do.

Is he HIV positive too?

I don’t know.

Is he aware of your status?

No Don’t you think he may contact it from you?

God forbid. I will never let that happen. I take good care of myself and I insist on his using a condom anytime we would have intercourse which is once in a blue moon.

What of if he refuses or the condom breaks during intercourse?

No, he can never refuse. And if he refuses to wear, that means there is no sex. And the condom can never break. I make sure he wears it correctly and he wears a good one too.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

December 1, 2012

35

‘I lost two jobs because of my status’ A person living with HIV, Monsurat Balogun, is not happy with the NGOs and HIV/ AIDS groups. She spoke with KAYODE FALADE. Excerpts:

What is your name?

My name is Monsurat Balogun When did you discover you are HIV positive?

Thirteen years ago.

What is your experience about NGOs? Truly the NGOs are trying to help us but some of them are not sincere. They will take us around and parade us to their donor organizations but at the end of the day when the aid comes, they only dole out pittance to us.

Like my own case now, despite the many years I have spent in the anti HIV/AIDS campaign by revealing my status and all, I still work in a place where I am given peanuts. The salary am paid is not enough to take care of my HIV status. Because of this anti-AIDS campaign, I have lost my job twice.

How did this happen?

This happened six years ago. Some group approached me based on the fact that that I have disclosed my status to come and help in the campaign. I agreed to have my picture taken because they said they were going to use it at a hospital to help mobilize others living with the virus. I agreed. And they gave me N5,000.

But after some time, people started telling me that they saw me on Orisun, a satellite television station. I felt betrayed but took it in my stride.

However about two years ago my em-

ployers asked whether or not it was me they saw on the television screen I denied.

After some time they brought up the issue again. I denied again. But they asked how there could be such great resemblance and a coincidence in our names. I was bearing another name then because I had not remarried. Eventually, I owned up. At the end of the day I was sacked. That was how I lost my job as a caterer. I was sacked this early this year. But they have been watching me on Orisun the satellite television for about three.

Are you re-married?

Yes. My new husband is Balogun.

Is the break-up of your marriage connected with your HIV status?

Not really. I decided to move out of that marriage because my former husband was maltreating me and the children.

Is it because of your status?

No. we are both HIV positive. But he was not fair to me. He was not taking care of the children I have for him. And it was always one problem or another.

He is positive, yet he would not protect himself nor take his drugs. He smokes and also does Indian hemp. The worst part of it was that he was trying to sleep with my first daughter who was 15 years old then.

I had the girl for my first husband. When the problem was getting too much, it was an NGO called Jackie that came to my aid.

They rented an apartment for me and all that.

But the assistance they could render was limited. I have to fend for myself too.

The accommodation they got for me is in Epe. That is too far. I live in Lagos. So I could not spend much time there. I had to relocate to Lagos again.

Balogun

How did you meet him?

We met at a support group. That was where we became friendly and later got married since we are both positive. We have two children together.

Are they positive?

No, they are not HIV positive. I have four children. None of them is HIV positive.

What about your new husband?

He is an elderly man. He only wants me to be preparing his food, clean the house and all that. He does not even ask for sex.

Is he aware of your status?

No, he is not.

Why didn’t you tell him?

I cannot tell him. He is an illiterate; he will not understand that having the virus does not mean death. Telling him will destabilise a lot of things.

What about your first husband?

He is dead.

Was it as a result of the virus?

Hmmm, I think so. He was always getting sick. And he died.

Was it then that you became aware of your status?

I was aware of my status before his death. I got to know when I was carrying

the pregnancy of our first child. Interestingly, the child does not have the virus.

Is it after his death that you now had your other issues?

Yes. What will you want the government to do for you?

I will want them to help people living with HIV generally. Some of us because of our status have lost their jobs. They are now vagabonds. They are really suffering. Even in my own poor state, when i see them, I still thank God. For instance, one of us now sleeps on the open field of Prayer City at Redemption Camp. She is now dried up and getting sick every time. If the government could help rehabilitate them, it would be fine.

And on my part, I will like to be computer literate and operate a computer centre. If I could be helped to do this, i would be very glad. It will make me to be independent and take care of my four kids. Right now, the last two are not going to school. I don’t have the wherewithal to send them to school. And i don’t want them to attend public school.

‘There is a lull in anti HIV/AIDS campaign’ Fredrick Adegboye has been living with HIV since 2003.

He speaks with OSEYIZA OOGBODO on HIV/AIDS issues.

How would you say your HIV status has affected you?

Having done everything to me, one thing that my HIV positive status failed to do is stop me from being human. It has failed to kill that human faculty that seeks love and which loves.

Why did you disclose your status?

An openly positive person is an asset rather than a danger to public health. After all, the real danger lies in the hordes of people who, unaware of their HIV status, engage in unprotected sexual relationships.

Is having HIV the end of life?

No! Being HIV positive isn’t and cannot be the end of life. There are far worse medical conditions than being HIV positive, yet people live and are living with those conditions!

How can a PLWHA survive against stigma and any other problems he will encounter?

A PLWHA needs to be sincere with his or herself by accepting their newfound status. Thereafter, they must choose to move on with their life positively and constructively. There’s no limit to what a person can achieve, even in the face of whatever odds, if he or she psychologically prepares to conquer stigma and other HIV-associated challenges.

How easy is it for PLWHAs to access antiretroviral medication?

Although I occasionally hear of how

difficult it is for some HIV-positive persons to have access to antiretroviral, where I access mine (University College Hospital, Ibadan), it is relatively easy to get on the treatment.

What is HIV’s current situation in the country?

There is deathly silence on HIV and AIDS in the country currently, perhaps because most donor agencies are withdrawing their support, and the Nigerian governments, local, state and federal, are not showing financial commitment. They don’t put money where their mouths are. We don’t have correct data on HIV and AIDS related issues in this country. So, is government really committed to stopping the spread of the pandemic? The best persons to provide answer to this question may be economical with the truth if you ask them.

36

LIVING

December 1, 2012

Why me?

SEGUN ADIO

B

arely two months after a threeman gang of street urchins forcefully had canal knowledge of her, Grace Effiong (not real names) has been raped by another group of people.

Sixteen years old Effiong, is currently seeking admission into the University of Lagos to study Accountancy. But now, her dreams seem to be in tatters as she battles a physiological trauma over her latest experience in the hands of miscreants.

On Sunday, 11 November, 2012, Effiong was reportedly returning from her aunt’s place where she had gone to spend the weekend. The time was around 8:45pm. She reportedly alighted from a commercial bus and made a bid to take the rest of the journey home on foot. While walking along the Abiodun Street, Shomolu down to her house, her mobile telephone rang and she immediately answered the call while she walked along.

While answering to the call, four young men reportedly appeared in front of her and walking towards her direction. The four boys, Effiong told Saturday Mirror, were well known to her. She identified them as Ogunowo, Jimoh, Lukmon and Amechi alias Gaba. She claimed that two of the four young men, were friends of Alabi, otherwise called Para, who raped her last September.

Because she knew the four, she never had a second thought as to what might happen to her. How wrong she was!

Just as the four young men reached where she stood receiving her calls, one of them allegedly slapped her across the face sending her reeling and the phone crashing on the road. While trying to get over the shock of the slap and retrieving her phone from the ground, one of the men reportedly shoved her aside and snatched the phone from her.

Immediately this happened the men reportedly scrammed.

She reportedly gave the four men a hot chase, yelling at the top of her voice as she ran after them down the near-deserted street. But while she was doing this, the four men allegedly jumped on two parked motorcycles close by.

But when her yells were said to begin to attract the attention of the people on the street, one of the hoodlums on the back of one of the motorcycles reportedly grabbed her clothes, dragged her onto the motorcycle and sped off. And off, the two motorbikes sped to an unknown destination. They had the hapless Effiong with them.

The girl told Saturday Mirror on telephone that though it was dark when the incident happened, she was able to identify the place she was raped. According to her, the building, which was an uncompleted one, was beside a mosque. However, part of it was being occupied by some people.

She claimed that she was repeatedly calling for help while those men were trying to force themselves on her. But despite her screams, nobody came to her rescue. Even those residing in the

—16-yr-old girl raped twice in 2 months Rape, to many, is a trauma of a lifetime. But 16-year-old Grace Effiong (not real names) has been brutally raped twice in two months. Yet there has been no justice. Her alleged rapists still walk the streets freely while the hapless girl cringes at their sight.

Grace

house where the act was being committed did not come to her aid, she alleged.

She said that she was given the beating of her life and eventually, the four men reportedly had their turn with her.

Narrating her ordeal to Saturday Mirror on phone, Effiong claimed the residents of the area were scared of the rapists and could not come to her rescue.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I WAS STILL CRYING WHEN WE CAME DOWN FROM THE

OKADA AND

THEY CARRIED ME

INSIDE THE HOUSE.

THAT WAS WHEN THEY BEAT ME

THOROUGHLY AGAIN AND LATER RAPED ME “I do not know what I have done to these people. On the fateful day, I was returning from my aunt’s place and when I alighted from the bus, I got a call. I answered the call. I was on it when I saw four men coming towards me. When they got to where I was, they asked me to bring my phone. When I refused to give them, one of them slapped me heavily and my phone fell on the road. While I tried to pick it, another one quickly picked it and they took to their heels.

“But I ran after them. Eventually they got to where two motorcycles were parked and climbed on them. They also dragged me on one of them and they sped off,” she recounted.

When asked why people did not prevent them from taking her away, Effiong continued, “I cried at the top of my voice but people knew who the boys were. They are cult members and hoodlums with dangerous weapons on them. Maybe no one would dare confront them. The same thing happened when they took me to where they raped me; no one could come to my rescue apparently because they knew the type of people they are. I was still crying when we came down from the Okadas and they carried me inside the house. That was when they beat me thoroughly again and later raped me.”

She claimed that after they were done with her, the men returned her phone to her and pushed her out of the house.

Effiong claimed she walked home half naked that day.

Saturday Mirror asked what the police did to apprehend the alleged rapists, but Effiong claimed that just like the first case, her mother, a teacher, refused all entreaties to report the matter to law enforcement agents.

“My mother was scared of the boys’ reprisal if they are eventually reported to the police. Since my father is not there for us to do anything, my mother said she left everything in the hands of God,” she said adding that she would not mind relocating from the area.

Effiong’s mother declined to speak with journalists on the matter but a male neighbour did.

The man, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday Mirror that that was the second time the girl would be sexually assaulted in two months.

“I don’t know what they have against the girl. This is the second time she would be raped in two months. She is too young for all these.”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

December 1, 2012

Iyanda on duty

Trailed by fate: Ex-oil firm manager falls on hard times Life is hard for Nathaniel Iyanda. He struggles now so hard just to make ends meet.

Life, however, has not always been this difficult. What went wrong for the retired Texaco manager?

OSEYZA OOGBODO

F

allen on hard times is the story of many an individual, one of which is Nathaniel Iyanda. An Ibadan, Oyo State indigene, Iyanda’s fall from grace is the sort that should have broken his spirit and led to his death. By his own admission, “Many of those that were retrenched at the same time with me from Texaco Nigeria PLC are dead now.”

But Iyanda is not dead, though his fall began with his unplanned-for exit from Texaco which is now MRS. Now that he is still trying to pick the pieces of his life, he looks back reflectively and again admits that, “I made a mistake by not seeking another employment after Texaco. But I was so bitter that I swore I would never work for anyone again because I was hard working and yet I was retrenched and I decided that if I could work as hard for myself as I did for Texaco, I would surely remain successful.”

So, in 1997, after being in Texaco since January 15, 1974, he took the singular

decision that probably had the most influence on his life. He struck out on his own as a public relations consultant and reality soon dawned on him.

“I left Texaco as their Public Relations and Advertising Manager. I therefore set up a public relations consultancy service to continue in the line I was adept at. But when I began approaching corporate bodies for accounts, I realised that they didn’t really understand what the concept of PR is all about. They preferred advertising and this affected my business adversely.”

But he should have had an idea of which way the wind was blowing. “Even at Texaco, we had the same problem at a point in time. They would choose people in the PR department for protocol duties like meeting people at the airport, etc.

But when I became the PR/AM, I kicked against it, saying that wasn’t what PR was about.”

Liberating the PR department from inappropriate and mundane tasks wasn’t his only success at Texaco. In addition to rising through the ranks to become a manager, he successfully sold the image of Texaco to the country, receiving acclaims from the American headquarters in the process and also spearheaded the successful introduction of a Texaco lubricant, Havolin Super, into the Nigerian market.

“Havolin Super sold so well that we were soon out of stock. As the stock was running low, we were warned that we were also running out of additives needed for its manufacture. The additives could only be imported. The additives would take a longer time to come in

by sea which was the cheaper means of bringing it in so I argued that we should airlift it to keep the momentum of Havolin in the market.

“But some superiors insisted it should come in by sea and by the time it arrived, Havolin wasn’t available anymore and we lost the engine oil market back to our rival, AP. I put in so much into Havolin’s marketing, travelling all over the country at the expense of my family, so I was so frustrated that I thought of quitting.”

But he didn’t and he regrets that decision also now. “If I had quit by myself, my life would have been better off as it is always better to leave an employment yourself than to be suddenly eased out which always has a negative psychological effect. So thinking that I could have quit myself and that I was very hardworking and yet I was eased out made me very bitter.”

Gradually, life took a downward turn for him. “I went into commodities: maize and sesame seed. I also became a kaolin dealer but I wasn’t successful in them.

Even my stock market trading folded up due to the stock exchange’s crash about four years ago.”

Why was he retrenched? Why wasn’t he successful in business? Why didn’t he have any offspring as well for the first 27 years of his marriage?

“I believe all my predicaments are due to ill luck. I lost my Texaco job because they were targeting some other people in the system and the only way they could get at them was to say those who had been there for a certain number of years had to leave. I fell into that bracket

37

so I had to go. My failure in business too was also due to ill luck.”

When his wife became pregnant, he belied his luck was about to change. “I was virtually penniless when the child came so I sold my Festac duplex and built a house at Ibafo where I stay now.

When I was buoyant, I didn’t have a child, so it was just ironic to me that the child came when I was no longer buoyant. And I believe that it’s because of my boy, Joseph, that I’m still alive today. Because of him, I have the zeal to keep living in order to take care of him as best as I can.”

So when every other business venture failed, he resorted to supplying liquor to bars and restaurants in Ibafo (Ogun State) and environs in order to take care of his wife and son. Considering his high society status before (he was an Ikoyi Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club and Health Club, Festac member), it would seem that he is operating in Ibafo to hide away from his former colleagues and high society friends in Lagos.

Denying the notion, he said, “Ibafo was the only area that my financial condition could afford at that point in time.

Not that I’m trying to hide, after all I’m not stealing and I’m living within the law. And since this is the job I do now, I’ve survived by adapting to its intricacies. I get insulted and slighted a lot but I just humble myself and do my job.”

Ill luck seems to be after Iyanda however as the job which has been providing for his family for seven years now is also in danger of going under. The bus he uses is now worn out due to the bad nature of the roads he plies and he is dearly in need of another bus.

But doesn’t he make profit from his liquor supplying?

“What I make is just enough for feeding and basic necessities. The bus has even lasted this long because of my proper maintenance of it. But it will no longer be usable in two months time and I need another one.”

38

TOURISM

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jhalobia: Reviving values of the past

Various attempts have been made to revive the nation’s glorious past of lush gardens and parks. Jhalobia recreation park is one of such reports.

OSEYIZA OOGBODO

J

halobia Recreation Park is truly a beauty to behold. Located on Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road in Lagos, the garden is spread over three acres and made up of lawns, shade trees, palms, topiary forms, water fountain, sculpture, pathways, rare plant species and ornamental plants such as araucaria and cycads.

The garden was created “as a place that would revive the lost values and virtues of the 50s, 60s and early 70s,” said its founder, Veronica Abebi Adepoju, who retired after 35 years as a teacher.

While the park is like every other park that caters to tourists, picnickers, it is also an event venue. Says Adepoju, “The park was not built for events, but it is seen by party lovers as a place to celebrate weddings, birthdays, etc.

That has been an unexpected source of income from the park’s creation. And one could be tempted to feel that the park’s use for events is threatening to hijack its original purpose. However, the number of churches that come to the park to execute the actual blue-

print of the park and the few activities and interactions of the park with the public regarding its actual purpose is encouraging.”

And what is the actual purpose of the park? Adepoju says the principle of the park is “Return to your Roots, the Garden of Eden. Effect corrections of the social trend of moral decadence.

The home is the root of moral wellbeing. Its abuses should be stopped. Let us give the foundation of hope for a better tomorrow to the present and future generations.” But for those who may think she is blaspheming, she quickly corrects the impression thus: “Return to the Garden of Eden in this reference does not mean that Jhalobia is the Garden of Eden.

It only means that we should return to God’s originality.

“The park is a unique design of landscape which many come here to copy,” Adepoju continues with modest pride.

“We use sophisticated garden tools and equipments to maintain the lawns, trees and hedges.”

Jhalobia Gardens is also a paradise for bird lovers. “We do not rear birds or go out of our way to invite them here.

They come here on their own and we arepleased to have the white egrets because they are a beautiful sight to behold. They and other beautiful birds come to peck on the grass and pollinate the flowers.

But we don’t like the black crows that come.

The crow is a scavenger and it is always attracted by the edible leftovers when an event is held here. So we quickly clean up after events to discourage the crows,” Adepoju says.

Though the park is serene, well laidout and comparable to other tourist attractions in its category, it is yet to become a must-visit for tourists. “Our location on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road hasn’t helped us in terms of tourism,” Adepoju admits. “We are on the Mainland, so cars just zoom past. All the same, we have had our fair share of tourists.

They come here with their families and friends and do not regret doing so.”

As orderly, serene and peaceful as Jhalobia is, Adepoju says the challenges of running the park are numerous.

“Our major challenge is that of professional gardeners. There aren’t any professional gardeners around that we can employ, so I and my daughters, Ifuemi and Ameto, have to maintain its standard by ourselves with the assistance

of garden hands that drift away now and then no matter how much salary you pay them.”

Surprisingly, neither Adepoju nor her daughters had any professional gardening training. “We read about it in books and perfected it.”

Mother and daughters are now so perfect in their gardening that many who visit the park salute their efforts.

Some even change personal decisions after visiting the park. Adepoju attests that, “Dr Fajemisi, a medical doctor and retired army officer, on seeing Jhalobia Gardens, abandoned his project of setting up a hospital in Abuja in favour of building a gigantic park with modern amenities at Ilesha.

“On my own part, the satisfaction I get from looking at the park makes me forget all my worries and what I do not have. And in particular, when I see people enjoying it, I feel like a little child who has been given ice cream,” Adepoju says, with a smile of satisfaction playing around her lips.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

39

December 1, 2012

Why can it be difficult to diagnose appendicitis?

Appendicitis (II) As appendiceal inflammation increases, it extends through the appendix to its outer covering and then to the lining of the abdomen, a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Once the peritoneum becomes inflamed, the pain changes and then can be localized clearly to one small area. Generally, this area is between the front of the right hip bone and the belly button. If the appendix ruptures and infection spreads throughout the abdomen, the pain becomes diffuse again as the entire lining of the abdomen becomes inflamed.

How is appendicitis diagnosed?

The diagnosis of appendicitis begins with a thorough history and physical examination. Patients often have an elevated temperature, and there usually will be moderate to severe tenderness in the right lower abdomen when the doctor pushes there. If inflammation has spread to the peritoneum, there is frequently rebound tenderness. Rebound tenderness is pain that is worse when the doctor quickly releases his or her hand after gently pressing on the abdomen over the area of tenderness.

It can be difficult to diagnose appendicitis. The position of the appendix in the abdomen may vary. Most of the time the appendix is in the right lower abdomen, but the appendix, like other parts of the intestine, has a mesentery.

This mesentery is a sheet-like membrane that attaches the appendix to other structures within the abdomen. If the mesentery is large, it allows the appendix to move around. In addition, the appendix may be longer than normal.

The combination of a large mesentery and a long appendix allows the appendix to dip down into the pelvis. It also may allow the appendix to move behind the colon.

The diagnosis of appendicitis also can be difficult because other inflammatory problems may mimic appendicitis. Therefore, it is common to observe patients with suspected appendicitis for a period of time to see if the problem will resolve on its own or develop characteristics that more strongly suggest appendicitis or, perhaps, another condition.

How is appendicitis treated?

Once a diagnosis of appendicitis is made, an appendectomy usually is performed. Antibiotics almost always are begun prior to surgery and as soon as appendicitis is suspected.

There is a small group of patients in whom the inflammation and infection of appendicitis remain mild and localised to a small area. The body is able not only to contain the inflammation and infection but to resolve it as well. These patients usually are not very ill and improve during several days of observation. The appendix may or may not be removed at a later time.

On occasion, a person may not see their doctor until appendicitis with rupture has been present for many days or even weeks. In this situation, an abscess usually has formed, and the appendiceal perforation may have closed over. If the abscess is small, it initially can be treated with antibiotics; however, the abscess usually requires drainage. A drain (a small plastic or rubber tube) usually is inserted through the skin and into the abscess. The drain allows pus to flow from the abscess out of the body. The appendix may be removed several weeks or months after the abscess has resolved.

Appendicitis facts The appendix is a small, wormlike appendage attached to the colon.

Appendicitis occurs when bacteria invade and infect the wall of the appendix.

The most common complications of appendicitis are abscess and peritonitis.

The most common symptoms of appendicitis are abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fever, and abdominal tenderness.

Due to the varying size and location of the appendix and the proximity of other organs to the appendix, it may be difficult to differentiate appendicitis from other abdominal and pelvic diseases.

The treatment for appendicitis usually is antibiotics and appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix).

Other conditions that can mimic appendicitis include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), inflammatory diseases of the right upper abdomen (gallbladder disease, liver disease, or perforated duodenal ulcer), and kidney diseases.

CONCLUDED

LETTER

Dear doctor, I am allergic to dust. I have been sneezing and having catarrah for some years now. I have taken all kinds of drugs but all to no avail. I am tired of it all.

What is the cause and what is the way out. Please I need your reply soonest. +234818----------16 Mirror doctor replies You have an allergy when your body overreacts to things that don’t cause problems for most people.

These things are called allergens.

Your body’s overreaction to the allergens is what causes symptoms.

Symptoms vary depending on the severity of your allergies. These include, Sneezing, Coughing, Itching (mostly eyes, nose, mouth, throat

I am allergic to dust and skin), Runny nose, Stuffy nose, Headache, Pressure in the nose and cheeks, Ear fullness and popping, Sore throat, Watery, red or swollen eyes, Dark circles under your eyes, Trouble smelling, Hives.

Good to know you have identified dust as the allergen that causes your symptoms. Many allergens, including dust mites, are in dust. Dust mites are tiny living creatures found in bedding, mattresses, carpeting and upholstered furniture. They live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust. Several medicines can be used to treat allergies.

The best medicine for you depends on your symptoms, age and overall

health. These medicines are more useful if you use them before you’re exposed to allergens.

Antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose and itchiness of allergies. They’re more useful if you use them before you’re exposed to allergens.

Decongestants, help temporarily relieve the stuffy nose of allergies.

Decongestants are found in many medicines and come as pills, nose sprays and nose drops. They are best used only for a short time.

Nasal steroid sprays reduce the reaction of the nasal tissues to inhaled allergens. This helps relieve the swelling in your nose so that you feel

less stopped-up. They are the most effective at treating patients who have chronic symptoms.

Dust and dust mites. To reduce dust mites in your home, remove drapes, feather pillows, upholstered furniture, non-washable comforters and soft toys. Replace carpets with linoleum or wood. Polished floors are best. Mop the floor often with a damp mop and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth. Wash carpets and upholstery with special cleaners, such as benzyl benzoate or tannic acid spray. Wash all bedding in hot water every 7 to 10 days. Don’t use mattress pads. Cover mattress and pillows with plastic covers.

40

LEISURE

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

December 1, 2012

41

SAYO OGUNDEJI

N

igeria’s national U-17 team, otherwise known as Golden Eaglets will tomorrow, in far away Bamako, take on the Junior Eagles of Mali in the second leg of the 2013 African U-17 final round qualifier with assistant coach and goalkeeper trainer, Emeka Amadi confident of the team’s chances of picking the ticket for the tournament.

The Eaglets defeated their hosts 2-0 at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar a fortnight ago and a goalless draw will be enough to qualify them for the bi-annual competition.

The Nigeria team got the opener in the 26th minute, through Wilfred Nididi, while Alhassan Ibrahim put the game beyond the visitors after scoring in the 88th minute to give the country a 2-0 win ahead of tomorrow’s battle.

The Coach Garba Manu- led team has won all their five previous matches, scoring 19 goals, while conceding just one.

The goalkeeper trainer, Amadi, who spoke with Saturday Mirror shortly before the team’s departure for Bamako, assured that his side would do their best to increase the tally.

The team rounded off its training programmes at the synthetic pitch of the NFF/FIFA Goal Project site at the Abuja National Stadium before departing for Bamako.

And despite holding an advantage owing to the first leg victory, Amadi stressed that the team would approach the game with all seriousness, adding that his side would settle for nothing but victory.

“We have been playing good football since the qualifier started and we hope to continue in that same fashion, believing that our style of play will always fetch us victory against Mali in this last hurdle.

“Scoring two goals against them in Nigeria has given us the advantage going into the second leg, but we are not taking anything for granted as Mali will have the home support on their side.

“It has been long we won the competition last, but the present crop of players have the potentials, not only to qualify, but to win the tournament slated for Morocco next year,” Amadi enthused.

Despite the enthusiasm shared by Amadi, a former junior international, Jide Oguntuase, has predicted a tough encounter for the Nigerians, calling on the team to maintain its discipline which has seen them progress to the present stage.

According to Oguntuase, the game is yet to be decided, stressing that the Malians still has a lot to play for and believes this can change with an early goal if the Eaglets fail to raise their game.

Tango! Action recorded a fortnight ago when the Golden Eaglets defeated Junior Eagles of Mali 2-0 at the U.J Esuene Stadium Calabar in their first leg tie.

INSET: COACH MANU GARBA.

Morocco 2013: Golden Eaglets battle Junior Eagles for ticket He added that the coaches have done a good job in discovering the talented players and charged them not to rely on their past achievements, but to make sure they finish the qualifier on a good note.

“The Golden Eaglets must not be carried away because of the two goals advantage as football can be very funny at times. I foresee the Malians throwing everything at Nigeria in order to frus-

Rivers roast Ibom Queens in Cup tie P. 42

trate them. But the Eaglets have experienced coaches who have also played the game to the highest level and victory is certain as long as they maintain their discipline and composure.

“Personally, I’m impressed with the composition and style of play of the team and I believe we have a bright future, only if the football administrators can keep and nurture these talented

Nasarawa denies short-changing P. 43 athletes

players in the Eaglets,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold the final draws for the 2013 CAF U-17 African Championship on December 9, at the CAF headquarters in Cairo.

The tournament would feature eight teams, with the top four teams qualifying to represent Africa at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE.

Monaco confirm Becks interest P. 45

42

SPORT

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Eko 2012: Celebration of sports excellence and glamour HARD TACKLE

T

he 18th edition of the National Sports Festival, tagged ‘Eko 2012’ which commenced in Lagos on November 27 has been described by many sports enthusiasts and pundits as a celebration of excellence in sports and glamour.

The event began with a glamorous opening ceremony which had the Vice President Namadi Sambo, some state governors, sports commissioners and many other stakeholders of Nigerian sports in attendance.

Aside the aforementioned, it was a reunion of some sort as many sports veterans in the country and those in the Diaspora used the opportunity to reunite in the spirit of the event which has been termed as Nigeria’s version of the Olympics.

When HT contacted the secretary general of the Main Organising Committee, Abba Yola, yesterday, he confirmed that a total of 11,549 participants and 350 journalists had received accreditation so far for the sporting event. And according to him, the participants are made up of athletes, officials and delegates of the competing athletes from the various states of the federation.

Yola affirmed that with over 350 journalists so far accredited by the MOC, the number has gone into the record books as the largest in the history of the sports festival which began in 1973 in Lagos. No wonder expectations were high from sports fans in the country on a state that prides itself as the ‘Centre

of Excellence’.

The opening ceremony alone was fantastic as sports fans used the opportunity to savour the rich history, cultural heritage and aquatic splendor of the host state.

What’s more, the event was beamed live to the entire sporting world, thanks to pay-satellite television station, Supersport.

According to the United Kingdom-based Artistic Director in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies of ‘Eko 2012’, Peter Badejo, he said the opening ceremony was far different from the previous editions of the festival, as the ceremony truly explained the rich culture of Lagos State and HT alludes to this fact.

The fireworks, Eyo masquerades, contemporary dancers, royal dancers and the calisthenics were key highlights of the opening ceremony which became a teaser to what sports fans should expect at the closing ceremony on December 9.

Using the words of the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Alhaji Sani Ndanusa, shortly after the opening ceremony, “the local content of the cultural displays at the Eko 2012 opening ceremony was the best since the history of the games and the memories will remain evergreen in the minds of sports fans across the world”.

With over 4,000 cast, the glamorous event featured many ball jugglers who performed to the delight of the fans who thronged the Teslim Balogun Stadium,

with

Andrew Ekejiuba anelsports@yahoo.com

Lagos State Comissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Hon. Wahed Enitan-Oshodi

venue of the ceremony. Also, a cyclist from Osun State showed his cycling skills with his displays, which earned the organisers of ‘Eko 2012’ accolades from many parts of the world.

Expectedly, the event has been devoid of any major casualty since hostilities commenced at the festival as the win-at-allcost syndrome was put to rest when Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola made it clear in his ad-

08023103605

dress at the opening ceremony that the state is out to host a transparent sporting event that will stand out as a benchmark for future hosts to emulate.

He said Lagos State was not desperate to win-at-all-cost, because this may not be to the interest of sports development or sports excellence in the country.

It was based on Fashola’s assurance to allow transparency and good officiating to reign supreme at the Games that HT wants to commend the Lagos State government and the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Hon. Waheed Enitan-Oshodi, for this great initiative which is in line with the aspirations of the founding fathers of the National Sports Festival (NSF).

And to add to the seriousness of the LOC to host a successful and transparent event, their axe fell on Oyo State athlete Kehinde Oladele on Thursday, as the athlete was disqualified from participating in the table tennis on account of alleged double registration.

HT gathered that he registered for two states namely, Oyo

and Rivers for the Games which negates the spirit of the Games.

A check on the shameless athlete’s record revealed that he won gold and bronze medals at the last edition of the festival, in Port Harcourt, but was not lucky this time as his antics met a great brick wall at ‘Eko 2012’.

Also, in a bid to promote sports excellence and to check cheating during the festival, the MOC told HT that independent observers and collators not known to the federations and secretaries, as well as the technical committee have been appointed to confirm every result after it would have been certified by the technical committee. All these are aimed at giving credence to any result that is finally displayed on the medals table, unlike in previous editions where all sorts of pranks and dirty tactics were employed by host states to armtwist their visitors in a bid to win-at-all-cost.

With the journey so far, ‘Eko 2012’ will surely go down in history as the best organized sports fiesta where transparency and fair play reigned supreme. For a state to come up with such good organisation and sporting facilities within a year it was given the hosting right speaks volumes of Lagos State government’s resolve to take sports to the next level in the country.

It is expected that the momentum of checking the activities of cheats in ‘Eko 2012’ should be maintained so that organizers of the next edition of the competition in Cross River State would have to work assiduously to surpass the enviable record set here.

SPORT NEWS

Paiko cautions Tornadoes Rivers roast Ibom Queens in Cup tie players over strike C ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he Chairman of Niger Tornadoes Football Club of Minna, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdul Paiko says the club would not tolerate any act of indiscipline from all the newly recruited players for the club who are to feature in the 2012/2013 National League season as they would be shown the way out if they embark on any strike action.

He revealed that this has become paramount because of the nature of indiscipline it inherited from the last management where players would hold the club to ran-

som due to some flimsy excuses that are not associated with the rules of football.

“We are going to give all the players an opportunity to prove themselves in the field of play and we would also ensure that all their entitlements are not delayed so that they can put in their best, but anyone who instigates other players would not be allowed to stay in our camp for another 48 hours.

“We have confidence in the technical adviser, Chief Godwin Uwua, and he has been doing a good job to make sure that the players remain as one and we are giving him all the necessary support to build a team for the future of

football in Nigeria.

“Most of our players are young boys who are eager to prove themselves when the league commences and we are very sure that they will do everything possible to ensure that the club retains its enviable name,” Paiko said.

He further revealed that before the beginning of the league season, there is going to be a special workshop for all the executive members of Niger Tornadoes Supporters Club which will cut across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state in a bid to ensuring that they are abreast with the best practices of how to support a football clubside.

up holders, Rivers Angels on Thursday pummelled challengers, Ibom Queens 4-0 in the semifinals of the 2012 Women’s Challenge Cup at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

The massacre of Ibom Queens came barely 72 hours after the Garden City side lost 0-3 to bitter foes, Delta Queens in the Super Six final in Abuja.

Mercy Amanze opened the goal feast while veteran attacking midfielder, Stella Mbachu made it two and Elizabeth Addo increased the tally to three. Onyinyechi Ohadugha rounded off the routing of the Akwa Ibom state flag bearers.

Rivers Angels will now square up in the final

Francisca Ordega of Rivers Angels.

against Inneh Queens today at the Fifa Goal Project turf in Abuja. Inneh outscored Sunshine Queens 2-1 in the other semifinals.

Forward Francisca Ordega said her side went all out to vent the anger of the Super Six loss to Delta Queens on Ibom Queens.

“We’re still bitter over the loss of the Super Six title to Delta Queens and

we had to go all out to get even against Ibom Queens.

I’m happy we achieved our target in a big way and once again stand on strong footing to retain the title we won last year,” said the Falconets goalpoacher.

Ordega said her side will not underrate their Cup final foes, Inneh Queens as they are determined to lift the trophy again.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

National Sports Festival Eko 2012 ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he Anambra State contingents to the 18th National Sports Festival is hopeful of surpassing their previous feat in the games as the festival gathers momentum.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr. Edozie Aroh, told Saturday Mirror at the University of Lagos Sports Center yesterday that the height reached in the past festivals by the state will be a child’s play compared to what they are going to achieve at the end of ‘Eko 2012’.

“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi and the state as a whole has charged me to go and win medals, likewise I have charged the athletes to go all out and make the state

SPORT

December 1, 2012

Aroh hopeful on medals haul for Team Anambra proud by going for medals haul.

“We are taking good care of them financially, materially and morally, so hopefully I am not expecting anything less than 25 gold medals,” he affirmed.

Speaking on the organisation of the games, Aroh said: “So far so good, what we’ve seen is not too bad, though there are few lapses which one should expect especially in terms of facilities, organization and the rest”.

When asked about the readiness of his team to win medals and the motivation so far, Aroh said Team Anambra is in Lagos for serious business of winning medals.

“We are doing well. We lost in cricket by 2 points to Team Lagos on a practicing pitch which our team was not used to, but that is not an excuse for losing to them.

“We also lost in female volleyball

Aroh

to Team Imo, but in table tennis we won our three games which I was impressed with the way our athletes played. We also won some games in judo and I foresee that as the games progresses, we are going to start raking in the medals,” he said.

Edo wins judo gold IFEANYI EDUZOR

N

dubuisi Onyebuchi brought succor into the camp of Team Edo when he won the first gold for his state at the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos.

He achieved the feat by defeating David Joseph of Oyo State in the +100kg of the judo event held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the University of Lagos.

Speaking to our correspondent shortly after the fight, the former wrestling champion noted that he had to concentrate more on judo because of his love for the game and expressed gratitude to God that he

Plateau delighted with first medal —Director

M

r Bitrus Gwom, Deputy Director of Sports, (Technical), Plateau, says Team Plateau is delighted at the first medal it won in the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF).

Plateau won a bronze medal in female cycling team event.

Plateau had finished 12th in the 17th edition of the games held in Port Harcourt last year, with 10 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze medals.

Gwom said on Thursday that the team was surprised at the medal because the cycling

coach did not initially plan to take part in the team event.

“We have just won one in cycling, women, bronze medal in the women’s team event.

“And, I am highly delighted with that because we really did not train for that event but the coach just felt he should feature the athletes because he wanted to tune them up for their main events that we are here for,” he said.

Gwom urged members of Team Plateau to be focused and win more medals for the state.

made the state proud through the sport.

“I am very happy to write the name of Edo State in gold especially considering that I switched from wrestling to judo.

“Prior to this festival, I made a promise to my coaches that I will win gold and I am overwhelmed with my achievement which is an indication of better days ahead” he said.

Meanwhile, Edo state’s medals hopeful in the 73kg category , Henry Evans failed to continue in the event courtesy of a dislocated shoulder that forced him to succumb to Isah Adamu from Bauchi State in the semi-final encounter who eventually won the gold medal in the event.

…As Judokas urge sponsors to help develop sport

S

Team Rivers (in white) and Team Kaduna (in green) slogging it out in the male hockey game at the 18th National Sports Festival in PHOTO: NAN Lagos, yesterday.

43

ome athletes featuring in the Judo event of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Lagos on Friday urged corporate organisations to partner with the federation, to popularise the sport.

The judokas made this plea in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The athletes believed that such a move would help the sport grow appreciably in the areas of championships and the harnessing of budding grassroots talents.

Tunde William. a male judoka who won a gold medal in the 66kg category, said that organising championships on a regular basis would help players identify their areas of strength and weakness and how to keep improving themselves.

“Judo is a sport that needs regular championships through which judokas could express themselves and be able to assess

their performance.

“One needs a lot of championships because without competitions, we become restless and lose shape.

“With more competitions, we can be able to assess ourselves,” he said.

Catherine John, a female Judoka from Nasarawa State, who won the bronze medal in the 48kg category, said that the Judo Federation should be proactive, in order to be able to attract sponsors.

Haruna Abdul, a male Judoka from Kano State, who came third in the +100kg category, said more competitions should be organised to further develop players and coaches.

“I am appealing to corporate bodies to come to the aid of Judo because we need more competitions to help make us stronger and better.

Without sponsors, JFN will have limits to championships that will be organised,” he said.

Lagos continues boxing dominance

IFEANYI EDUZOR

L

agos state continued its impressive performance in the boxing event of the on-going National Sports Festival when Owoiya Ibrahim fighting in the 75kg defeated his Niger State counterpart Quadiri Ibrahim in a one-sided bout to complete its dominance of the preliminary stage of the event on Friday.

In the other fights in the 75kg class, Masebinu Adewale of Ekiti

State defeated Bikoga Dafe of Delta State, while Iyase Peter of Edo state had an easy win over Olowookere Akin of Gombe State.

Also Iliya Sati representing Plateau State had no difficulties in beating Patrick Samuel of Abia Sate just as Apampa Muri of Borno State defeated Asogbon Oluwasegun of Bauchi to complete the fights in the weight category.

In the 69kg, Ayodeji Olugbebi combined experience and doggedness to win his fight with

Donald Ezewudo of Anambra State while Oyeleye Olufemi representing Borno State had an easy one against Olopade Kamir of Gombe State.

Ojo Sunday of Ondo State won his fight against Linus Collins of Edo State in a one-sided encounter while Abia State’s Nwachukwu Nnnabugwu defeated Haruna Ali of Plateau State. Also Alanu Oladiran of Bayelsa won his fight against Wever Godwin representing Kogi State.

44

SPORT

National Sports Festival Eko 2012

Team Rivers leads table with 13 medals

T

he medals table of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) is currently being led by Team Rivers; defending champions of the festival, with 13 medals, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

According to the latest release from Games Services on Friday at noon, which was signed by Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Okaro (rtd.), Team Rivers currently has seven gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

NAN reports that Team Rivers is closely followed Team Delta with four gold, two silver, and six bronze medals.

It will be recalled that Team Delta came second in the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Port Harcourt in 2011, behind Team Rivers.

The host of the 18th NSF, Team Lagos, is currently in the third position with four gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

Team Oyo now has two gold and four silver medals, while Team Edo has two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Oyo and Edo states are both ranked in the fourth and fifth positions with two gold, four silver and two gold, one silver and two bronze medals, respectively.

Team Rivers emerged as winners of the 17th NSF in Port Harcourt, with a medal haul of 135 gold, 79 silver and 85 bronze medals.

Kaduna female football team defeats Imo 1-0

T

eam Kaduna’s female football team on Friday edged out their Team Imo counterparts 1-0 in the Group A preliminaries of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.

The only goal of the keenlycontested encounter was scored in the 25th minute of the first half by Afodia John.

Reacting to the victory, Khalila Ismaila, coach of Team Kaduna, told NAN that he was happy with his team’s victory, saying that it was well deserved.

“I am so excited that we won

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nasarawa denies short-changing athletes IFEANYI EDUZOR

T

he Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, Nasarawa State, Randolf Para has denied allegation in some sections of the media that the state’s contingent to the on-going National Sports Festival tagged “Eko 2012” has been short changed by officials of the state government even as he noted that the team is in top spirit to put up a good performance at the festival.

He told our correspondent that the officials has made all the necessary provisions for the team since its arrival some days ago and all the athletes are happy representing the state at the Nigerian version of the Olympics.

“We are surprised at the

negative report concerning our state and I want to make it clear that no official diverted money meant for the athletes. Athletes were also not short changed in the payment of their allowances and as I am talking to you now, everybody in our camp is happy.

“As the leader of delegation, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that the welfare of the athletes are given top priority and I appeal to the peace-loving people of Nasarawa State to disregard that statement because it was done out of the writer’s imagination,” Para said.

Speaking with our correspondent In a telephone interview, the Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development, Nasarawa State, Daniel Ogah Ogazi, noted that it was unfortunate that the writer who is also from the state wrote such a damaging report to

LAWMA sweepers urge spectators to adopt hygienic practices

S

weepers of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) have appealed to participants and spectators to adopt best hygienic practices at the various venues of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival.

The sweepers who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday complained about the indiscriminate dumping and littering of refuse by participants and spectators at the various venues of the 14-day fiesta.

They said that their workload had doubled since the commencement of the festival on Nov. 27 and appealed for appropriate disposal of refuse in the refuse bins provided by LAWMA at various venues, to reduce their workload.

Folasade Ogundipe, one of the sweepers who volunteered an interview with NAN said that each venue was provided with refuse bins located at appreciable distances from each other.

Ogun badminton coach vows to surpass former record gun State coach to the ongoing National Sports Festival, tagged ‘Eko 2012’, Adegbite Oludayo, has declared his team’s ambition of surpassing their outing at the last edition of the games in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as the event got underway on Thursday at Rowe Park Yaba.

Team Ogun won one gold, one silver and one bronze at the last edition and the coach added that his side’s ambition is not only to surpass that outing but to try and set new records.

According to Oludayo who spoke to Saturday Mirror at the training ground on Wednesday, the state government has motivated the athletes to deliver the medals and would do their best to make the state proud.

“Our performance in the last edition was not spectacular which was why we have decided to go a step further by stepping up our preparation in order to win more medals.

“We have gotten many young talented players who have been training for weeks and the possibility of winning more golds in badminton is high if we play to our full potential,” he said.

this match, after losing woefully to Team Lagos in our previous match, “he said.

Team Imo had previously lost to Team Lagos 3-0 in their opening match and will play their last match against Team Ogun on Dec. 2.

With this development, Team

Imo is already out of the football competition of the 18th NSF, even if it is able to defeat Team Ogun by a wide goal margin.

Meanwhile, in an earlier scheduled Group A match, Team Edo walked over Team Adamawa, after the Adamawa side failed to turn up for the match.

SAYO OGUNDEJI

O

Team Abuja (Green) battles Team Taraba (white) in the female basketball Group A PHOTO: NAN match played at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos, yesterday.

tarnish the good image of Nasarawa State just as he blamed

opposition politicians in the state for being behind the report.

Mba wins silver for Team Anambra in judo ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

eam Anambra has joined the medals table of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival with a silver medal won in the judo event by Chinwe Mba. Mba who fought in the +75kg category, knocked out her counterpart from Delta after dismissing other judokas from Taraba, Ogun and Ondo in the preliminaries.

Reacting to the feat, the

Anambra State Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Edozie Aroh, said he was delighted with the achievement of Mba and added that since Team Anambra is now on the medals table, nothing will stop the state athletes from raking in more medals.

Mba, who rued the loss of the gold medal to Lagos, said she was glad to be the first member of Team Anambra to win a laurel at the festival and dedicated the medal to the government and people of Anambra State.

Aliyu Yusuf of Abuja (Red) and Abdullai Ibrahim of Adamawa slogging it out in TaePHOTO: NAN kwondo during the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos, yesterday.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Barry backs resurgent Balotelli

L

M

anchester City midfielder Gareth Barry says Mario Balotelli’s goal on Wednesday will kickstart his season. The Italian striker made his first start in six matches at Wigan and looked off the pace for most of the night but hit back to score the opener with 20 minutes left, setting up the 2-0 win.

L

iverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says his side must do more to support captain Steven Gerrard. The 32-yearold has scored just once in 13 Premier League appearances so far this term and has struggled for consistency.

Campbell eager to help Torres

O

lympic gold medallist Darren Campbell believes he can solve struggling Chelsea striker Fernando Torres’ pace problems.

Campbell has pinpointed a lack of explosiveness in the 28-yearold, which could be the missing piece of the jigsaw within his game after Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez talked about Torres and how he has become much slower since moving from Liverpool two years ago.

Torres

Vidic set for comeback

M

anchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could make a surprise comeback in Wednesday’s Champions League game against Cluj. Vidic has been out of action since September after undergoing knee surgery but is back in full training.

Beckham

Monaco confirm Becks interest

M

onaco chief executive Tor-Kristian Karlsen has confirmed the club is keen to sign David Beckham.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star’s five-year stay with the Major League Soccer outfit comes to an end at the weekend sparking speculation about the 37-year-old’s future.

Monaco are in the second tier of French football but have big ambitions following a takeover by Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev and the location could be attractive to Beckham.

“We are happy with our current squad but if there’s a chance to get a player of Beckham’s stature, we’d be foolish not to explore it,” Karlsen said.

“Right now we’re trying to learn if Beckham’s future ambitions are in sync with ours.

“I understand he’s high in demand but it’s natural for a player with his experience and quality. Let’s see what the next few weeks bring.

“It’s a privilege to be linked with world-renowned players like Beckham.”

Beckham has since played down the reports of a move to the principality but stopped short of ruling out a deal.

AVB warns Modric over Bale Vidic

Mancini plans Ivory Coast plea

M

anchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hoping to persuade Ivory Coast not to select their three City players for the Africa Cup of Nations. Yaya and Kolo Toure and Abdul Razak are all likely to feature in the Ivory Coast squad for the tournament in South Africa from 19th January to 10th February.

45

Rodgers raps stalling Sterling

EURO BRIEFS

Rodgers urges team-mates to support Gerrard

SPORT

December 1, 2012

A

ndre Villas-Boas has told Luka Modric to concentrate on his own affairs and stop commentating on Tottenham winger Gareth Bale.

Modric left Spurs for Real Madrid in a £33m deal in the summer and told The Sun on Friday that he thinks Bale should follow him to the Bernabeu.

The Croatian said: “I know Gareth has a big dream of winning the Champions League and Madrid would be a great club for

iverpool boss Brendan Rodgers claims Raheem Sterling would be “foolish” not to sign a new contract with the club.

The 17-year-old winger has made a big impact at Anfield this season and negotiations are continuing over the England international’s first professional contract.

Rodgers has indicated that Sterling should appreciate that Liverpool is the best place for him to develop and he should not jeopardise that with his demands.

“He has played more games than he could have dreamed of this season, both in the Premier League and the Europa League.

“So I would think, if I am Raheem Sterling and his agents, I

would look to tie it up very quickly.

“This contract won’t be the biggest contract of his life. It is when he actually achieves something.

“If you are 17 and are playing regularly, you would be very foolish not to commit yourself very

Stalling

Kaka staying put, says agent

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eal Madrid’s Kaka will not be making a January transfer out of Europe, according to his agent and father.

The Brazilian continues to be on the outer at Santiago Bernabeu, and in the past week, Madrid are keen to offload him in order to free up money needed to fund a contractual renewal for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kaka was rumoured with a return to AC Milan in the recent off-season, however, it is Brazilian side Corinthians that are said to be interested in his services along with MLS outfit New

York Red Bulls.

However, Kaka’s agent and father Bosco Leite said there are no negotiations under way and that his son’s preference is to continue playing in Europe.

“For now, as it stands now, he wants to stay in Europe. That might change but today, I don’t know. Corinthians were never mentioned. And Corinthians themselves never said anything either,” Leite said.

Kaka has made just five appearances for Real Madrid in the Primera Division so far this season and has started only one match.

Arsenal keen on Champions League clause rsenal will encourage new signings to agree a contract clause which allows for their pay to be reduced should the club fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger has overseen an impressive 16 consecutive qualifications during his time as Arsenal boss, but with fierce competition in the Premier League their place at Europe’s top table is no longer assured.

An Arsenal spokesman played down the impact of a clause and claimed it was “normal practice” for players to have performance related clauses

both domestically and in Europe.

“Each player has an individual contract that contains elements of performance-related payments, which are linked to a player’s individual contribution and also to the club’s progress in both domestic and European competitions,” he said.

Young stars Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson are among the first players to be affected with long-term contract talks already in place or beginning soon. Bacary Sagna and Theo Walcott also have contract negotiations ongoing.

The move will be unpopular

him to achieve it.”

Bale has said in the past that he would like to play abroad at some stage of his career but Villas-Boas has no intention of selling the Wales international, 23, who has been in blistering form this season.

And he took the opportunity to get in a dig about Real Madrid’s current poor form, saying Modric should be more concerned about his own team than affairs at White Hart Lane.

“I think he should focus more

on his club than ours.

“His team finished second (in the group stages) and Modric now has to worry about getting into the quarter finals of the Champions League when the draw comes out.

“Obviously Modric is aware of Gareth’s performances because of his love for Tottenham and the fact that he is very connected with him and this football club, but it’s completely impossible (for Bale to leave),” Villas-Boas said.

A

quickly. I am confident it will be sorted out soon,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers has been keen to keep the talented youngster’s feet on the ground for some time, saying in September: “I want to manage the expectations of the kid.”

PREMIERSHIP TABLE TEAM 1. Man Utd

P 14

GD

PTS

15

33

2 .Man City

14

17

32

3. Chelsea

14

11

26

4. West Brom

14

6

26

5. Tottenham

14

2

23

6. Everton

14

6

22

7. Arsenal

14

10

21

8. Swansea

14

4

20

9. Stoke

14

1

19

10. West Ham

14

0

19

11. Fulham

14

2

17

12. Liverpool

14

0

16

13. Norwich

14

-9

16

14. Newcastle

14

-7

14

15. Wigan

14

-10

14

16. Sunderland

13

-4

13

17. Aston Villa

14

-11

13

18. Southampton

14

-10

12

19. Reading

13

-7

9

20. QPR

14

-16

5

Wenger

by many of the club’s supporters who are already planning a protest march before today’s home game with Swansea about the way the club is being run.

Villas-Boas

46

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ice block making: Lucrative but seasonal –Oyebanji

FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON

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he year is gradually moving towards the dry season when the ice block business will be booming.

Take the low and epileptic supply of electricity, the hot weather which is gradually coming up coupled with the need for cold drinks and beverages: the ground has been prepared for an alternative way of getting cold and cool things. The answer is ice block, hence those who are in the ice block making business have entered their season.

Just as sand is used to mould blocks for construction, so also is water used to mould blocks for cooling of the high temperature; ice block makers are indeed in for big business “Inadequate power supply has indeed turned ice block making into a lucrative venture,” stated Samson Oyebanji who has been in the business for over six years.

“Many had thought that it is only with imported refrigerators that one could get ice block. That era is gone.

Many Nigerians now locally fabricate cooling machines that are as good as the imported refrigerators.

Those in the business of cold drinks sale are major buyers of these locally made products.”

While speaking with Saturday Mirror, Oyebanji enumerated the necessary tools needed in starting off the business.

“Before venturing into the busi-

ness, one has to ensure that there is power supply; that is getting a good location where power supply is constant or in alternatively, one must have a generator or a solar panel. The solar panel is effective but quite expensive so it depends on how much capital you have.”

“After you have sorted out the problem of power you will then talk of the ice block making machine. With N120, 000, one can purchase a block making machine that can produce 40 to 50 bags of ice blocks,” Oyebanji added.

He further noted that the source of water is also important. According to him, he sources water from a well while others have sunk bore holes and some only buy water from water vendors or tankers. Polythene bags are equally needed to make ice blocks. He also explained that there are different machines.

“There are ones that make blocks within six hours, 24 hours and three days.”

The business is a seasonal business Oyebanji stressed noting that the demand is usually high during the hot weather as against the rainy period.

“During the hot weather like we are already moving into, demand for ice blocks is very high and so is the cost.

The demand is particularly high in the northern states of the federation where temperature soars up to 35-40 degrees Celsius.”

For instance, he added, a bag of ice block that goes for about N60 during the rains would sell for between N120 and N150 because of the hot weather.

Oyebanji further remarked that the increase in the cost of ice blocks is as a result of hike in prices of polythene bags,

AFTER YOU HAVE SORTED OUT THE

PROBLEM OF POWER, THEN COMES THE ICE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE.

WITH

N120, 000, ONE CAN PURCHASE A BLOCK MAKING MACHINE THAT CAN PRODUCE

40 TO 50 BAGS OF ICE BLOCKS AT ONCE water supply and diesel/petrol used to power the generator. The ice block maker said at the peak of the season, he records high sales volume.

“At present, I sell between 200 to 300 bags on a daily basis because the heat is already coming but it is usually higher at the peak of the heat as against the rainy season where I may not sell up to 150 bags daily.” he stressed.

No doubt, Ice block making can earn one much profit. Oyebanji said daily, one can earn N3,000 profit from the sale of blocks but the more the machines, the more the blocks which means more profit.

“During the peak period, I generate a lot of profit because production is high and so is the profit. This depends on the number of machines one has, one can

Oyebanji

generate as much as N70, 000 or N80, 000 revenue within this period,” said Oyebanji.

On what to do to ensure success in the business Oyebanji simply stated that determination is very important.

Recalling his experience on the business on a daily basis he said; “I wake up by 5:30 am daily to supply ice blocks to numerous customers especially those that sell to workers and those who sell in traffic.”

He also noted that the only major challenge of the business is power.

“Once you can overcome the challenge of power in this business, you are just good to go any day because the business depends solely on constant power supply. Once you have been able to sort that out, you will even be the one to dictate the price because when the weather is really hot, ice block is just an essential factor in cooling down the heat and for those who sell drinks and water. Ice block is inevitable. Again once a lot of people know that you are consistent, they would always patronise you because they know that you will not disappoint them.

“In a way one could say the business is quite capital intensive because of the power generation and the cooling machines one needs to buy to start off,” explained Oyebanji.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

47

December 1, 2012

Soap producing plant: Sure money spinner T

he list of import prohibited items in Nigeria released by Federal Government still includes toilet and laundry soap. This is a very good decision.

Apart from protecting local industries, the policy will also create opportunities for new investors in the country.

This in turn will lead to generation of employment, reduction of pressure in demand for foreign exchange. This also will lead to enhancement of value of Naira and at the same time these products can as well be exported for foreign exchange for the nation.

From studies carry out Nigeria has the potential to produce high quality toilet soaps more than Malaysia, Singapore, and other Asian companies. Nigeria as a country can easily produce (using local raw materials and technology) quality toilet soaps that can gain International acceptance. This is what this country deserves at this point in time.

With this policy in place and sincerity of purpose, the local industries will come up and more employment opportunities will be created, increase in the nation’s GDP, exportation to other African nations to earn foreign exchange and self sufficiency in food production.

It should be noted that the unemployment situation in the country, foreign debts, unfavourable Balance of Payments and other related economic problems will not be solved unless Nigeria looks inwards to establish more industries and develop technologically and also protect the existing local industries from the effect of imported products

from abroad. It is very painful when one has a cursory look into the toilet soaps and creams in the market today, many brands of the toilet soaps in the market are still imported from Malaysia and Indonesia and some parts of Europe and America.

From research carried out, Nigeria can conveniently produce any type of toilet and laundry soaps required by her populace. The raw materials and technology are readily available and experienced manpower too.

Soap production is one of the manufacturing industries that can be established on a cottage, small, medium or large scale, depending on the investors’ funds.

The technology and art of making soap have been with us for a very long time. It is only the technology that has improved globally, which Nigerian investors can as well imbibe.

Soap production, either laundry or toilet of any type, can be carried out in any part of the country. One can conveniently set up a virile and dependable plant using locally manufactured machinery and equipment. The raw materials are locally abundant in the country. Prospective investors will be advised on the best-recommended producers of these machines within the country.

Alternatively, some foreign manufacturers of complete sets of the toilet and laundry soap making machines would be recommended to prospective investors.

Soap has a wide range of uses. There is hardly any home or industry where

soap is not used on daily basis. Also glycerine, a by – product recovered during soap production, commands very high commercial value as it is very useful in cosmetics and pharmaceutical formulations and in laboratories as re-agents.

The market for soap is wide. Its consumption for personal hygiene and general cleanliness per household is rising and need not be over emphasised.

The Nigerian market is a very large one considering the population that grows everyday. As at today, the population of Nigeria is estimated at over 160 million.

With the increase in population, there is a widening demand-supply gap.

As a result there comes the need to establish more soap production plants in both rural and urban areas at the various levels of production to cater for the cleansing needs of various classes of consumers.

Apart from the big Nigerian market one can cash in on, the high demand from the neighbouring countries (whose indigenes travel several kilometres to Nigeria to purchase their daily essentials) to embark on export, once the quality is good and price competitive.

With the type of local raw materials available, the country can provide high quality products that can even be exported to developed parts of the world.

The machines required to set up this plant are oil storage tanks and vessels, steam generators, filter press, soap reactors, recovery vessels, drying machines, cooling frames, plodder, cutting tables, stamper, wrapper etc.

Plants of various sizes exist to produce 1500, 1600, 2200 metric tonnes of soap per annum. The capacity of production will depend wholly on availability of funds and plant capacity chosen.

The essential raw materials for soap production are animal fats or vegetable oil, chemicals including fragrances, wrapping materials and cartons.

These raw materials are 100 per cent locally available. The local availability of raw materials, among other things, will ensure continuous production and profitability.

Modern soap production technology involves pre-treatment, saponification, graining and drying. Details of the modern production processes would be discussed in detail in the feasibility studies.

The minimum number of workers required to carry out the above production depends wholly on the capacity chosen and on whether the proposed investor is interested in producing bar or toilet soap or both.

For attractive products, the most important thing is the packaging system adopted. The packaging must be carefully done, make sure that it is equal to or more attractive than the imported products.

From preliminary investment analysis conducted, the cost of setting the project will depend on the scale and type of machines to be used (whether imported or locally made machines).

In average, using locally made machines the minimum cost of establishing a small scale plant is estimated at N8.5million as shown below. However it is advisable for a professional consultant to carry out a comprehensive feasibility study for better decision on the proposed project.

The return on investment is very encouraging. The payback period is also very short depending on the production and marketing strategies adopted which will be treated in the feasibility studies.

The projected revenue, gross profit and cash flows are all encouraging too.

Details will be shown on the report.

The good thing about this project is that it is one of the listed projects that the Bank of Industries is interested in funding.

Other financial institutions are also interested in funding this project, because it is one of the consumer goods that are very marketable and lucrative.

For details on comprehensive and bankable feasibility studies, procurement and installations of strong and durable machines, packaging methods, export markets and funding arrangements, please contact the writer

Courtesy: Uba Godwin, ubagodwin@yahoo.com

48

December 1, 2012

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Crime Watch Crime Watch

P. 51

BRIEFS

Fake army officer docked in Lagos

A

Man, 30, jailed 6 months for cheating

A

Wuse Zone Six Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, yesterday sentenced Paul John, 30, of Mararaba, Abuja, to six months imprisonment for cheating one Albert Moses of N120,000.

The Magistrate, Mr Aminu Eri, however, gave him an option of N20, 000 fine and asked him to pay N120, 000 as compensation to Moses.

The convict was charged with cheating contrary to Section 322 of the Penal Code.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Simon Ibrahim, had told the court that the convict collected N120,000 from Moses in September and promised to get him an Iranian Visa which he never did.

Ibrahim said Moses, a resident of Kubwa in the FCT, reported the matter to the Utako Police Station on October 3.

The prosecutor added that the convict avoided Moses and stopped picking his calls until he was arrested at Area 1, Abuja, on October 28.

The convict pleaded guilty to the offence.

December 1, 2012

49

Why we raided Doctor’s house – Burglars

I snatched the Okada, using my former ID –Ex-cop

n unemployed man, Stephen Francis, 19, was on Friday arraigned before a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly impersonating a military personnel.

Francis was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful possession of military camouflage trouser and impersonation of army personnel.

Prosecutor Jamiu Rahmon told the court that the impostor on Nov. 24 paraded himself as an army officer to one Nkechi Igbo, at No. 30 Animashaun Street, Aguda, Surulere in Lagos.

Rahmon said that the accused used the military camouflage to intimidate the complainant and threatened to arrest her.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 328 (d) and 378 (1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.

Francis, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Also arraigned was Sabi Omogui, 22, who was charged with attempting to dispossess one Iheanocho Ukaegbu, of his valuables, including a handset and wallet, with a broken bottle.

The prosecutor said that Omogui committed the offence on Nov. 22 at Enitan Street, Aguda, Surulere.

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The burglars

Dr. Fadahunsi Sunmonu is known among other things as an individual who does not miss a church service. The underworld too knows this too and cashed in on it. How? SEGUN ADIO

D

r. Fadahunsi Sunmonu loves two things most in life: his family and worshipping God. No one that works closely with him could toy with any of these parts of his life.

He resides at Saraki close in Adigbe area of Abeokuta, Ogun State. On Friday, 9 November, 2012, Sunmonu was away at the church as usual. It was around 1:30pm.

While he was in the church, suspected burglars stormed his house and forcefully gained entry into his apartment. During the operation, his entire apartment was ransacked and several valuables including two laptops were carted away.

Upon his return from church, he was startled to see his house upside-down.

He promptly reported the matter at the Adigbe Police Station in the state capital.

A few days after the search for the burglars commenced, three persons were arrested. The three suspects: Taofeek Shittu, 18, Thomas Rashidi, 20 and Adewale Odeniyi, 20. They were immediately taken into custody while further investigations into the crime continued.

Further investigations later revealed that the stolen laptops had been given to one Michael Korede, 27, for onward sale

at highly reduced rates to unsuspecting members of the public.

Korede was also located and immediately arrested. They were later moved to the state police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

In his confessional statement before law enforcement agents, Shittu, the alleged ring-leader of the gang, claimed that they were lured into the crime by poverty. Shittu, a student, claimed that he was not a habitual thief but was pushed into the crime by sheer hunger.

“I have to confess that we carried out the raid on the compound but we did it because we did not have money to carry on with life. As a person, I am into this mess because I have been abandoned by my parents and family and there was no one I could run to for help,” he said.

Shittu later explained how the items they stole at their various operations found their way into the market. He claimed that some of the stolen items were offered for sale at highly reduced rates. On his part, Odeniyi, a student too, claimed that he was at the verge of losing his educational career because of lack of fund adding that that was what made him go into crime.

According to Odeniyi, “I was forced into stealing. My parents never allowed me to lack anything, but somewhere

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along the line, things went awry and I had to begin to fend for myself. My school mates also had an impact in what is happening to me today because I moved with some bad boys in school,” lamented Odeniyi.

Korede is believed to be the sales agent of the gang who disposes stolen items to willing buyers at reduced rate. In the words of Korede, “I do not belong to their gang, but sometimes they will give me something to sell for them. They always claimed that their family overseas sent those things to them. I never knew they stole those items,” he said. His claim was however countered by the other three suspects.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, while parading the suspects recently claimed the ‘total crackdown’ on criminals he introduced is fast yielding result with the arrest of the suspects.

Okoye used the occasion to assure residents of the state of a crime-free Yuletide season.

“I have said it and will repeat it here that criminals have no hiding place in this great state. The latest arrests of criminals in the state are just the beginning. It is in the best interest of these criminals to find abode elsewhere and not Ogun State. I assure residents of Ogun State that this festive period will be one of the most peaceful ever as we are ready to weed crimes out of here,” Okoye said.

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CRIME WATCH

Edward Egigi decided to turn a new leaf and change from his old ways. It was this decision that nearly cost him his life.

December 1, 2012

Cultists beat ex-member to pulp

SEGUN ADIO

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wenty one years old Edward Egigi is now lying critically ill at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos with doctors hovering around him battling to save his life. He was allegedly battered by suspected cult members.

Egigi narrowly escaped death in the hands of his former colleagues in the cult last Saturday.

He reportedly used to move with some of his peers that were later found to be notorious elements in the society. He was reported to have once been an acolyte of one Ibrahim Balogun a known notorious gang leader in the state. Egigi was, however, said to have left the gang.

It was after that that the when the Benue State-born Egigi learnt barbing hoping to make a living out of it. Upon the completion of his apprenticeship, Egigi got a shop close to a known den of criminals in the area.

From there, some of the bad boys became his customers and his shop was reportedly a meeting point for the hoodlums. When it became increasingly likely that he would be lured back into the gang because of their patronage of his shop, Egigi reportedly relocated to Palm Grove area of the metropolis.

On the day Egigi was beaten to pulp, a detachment of policemen from the state police command had apprehended the said Balogun on charges of being the mastermind of many criminal activi-

Egigi

ties in the area.

With Balogun’s arrest, many of his followers had reportedly trooped to AbuleOja and Abule-Ijesha axis seeking to avenge the arrest of their leader on any known enemy. The protesting hoodlums were reported to be armed with various

weapons including machetes, guns and charms.

By the time Balogun’s cohorts were protesting his arrest, Egigi was leaving his shop to buy petrol for the generating set he uses in his barbing salon. That was how Egigi ran into the angry hood-

Police arraign man, 27, for alleged abduction T he police yesterday arraigned a man, Monday Apokwo, 27, before an Upper Area Court in Karu, Abuja, for allegedly abducting a woman.

Prosecutor Silas Nanpam told the court that the complainant, Akpan Udoh, of Aso Gbagalape Village, Nyanya, Abuja, reported the case at the Nyanya Police Station on July 30.

Nanpam said that the accused took the complainant’s daughter, Grace Akpan, 23, to his house without the consent of the father.

He said the accused also impregnated Grace and the pregnancy is currently three months old, noting the offence contravened Section 272 of the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Udo, in his testimony, told the court that the accused started a love relationship with his daughter through frequent visits to the area where he lives with his family.

He said that the accused had a friend he usually visits in the area, adding: ``I

warned Apokwo to leave my daughter several times. I told him to leave her alone as she is only a student but he refused. ``When I noticed my daughter’s disappearance from home and found out she was with him, I reported to the police,’’ he testified.

Udoh added that when the accused was questioned by the police, he said he would marry the girl.

Grace told the court that she stays at the accused’s house because her father drove her away when he noticed she was pregnant.

She said that her father told her never to come back home until she was delivered of the baby and had given the baby to the accused.

The accused then told the court that he loved the girl and that he had gone to pay her dowry twice but the father refused to accept it.

Udoh, on the other hand, vowed never to accept the Akokwo’s proposal to marry his daughter, saying: ``Apokwo is

IG Abubakar

rude, irresponsible and disrespectful’’.

The judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, advised Apokwo to leave the girl alone since the father disapproves of it.

Kagarko also advised Udoh to forgive his daughter as the damage had already been done and her actions were based on ignorance.

He adjourned the case to December 20, 2012, for cross examination.

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lums. Knowing him as an ex-member, one of the protesting hoodlums reportedly pointed at Egigi as being the one that gave police the information leading to the arrest of their leader.

Without wasting time, the entire group allegedly swooped on Egigi and gave him the beating of his life. They reportedly accused him of being the mole that gave away their leader. When they were done with beating him, the hoodlums reportedly called in the police from Sabo Police Station and handed him over to them, claiming he is an armed robber.

Speaking to Saturday Mirror from his hospital bed, Egigi said he never believed he would be alive today.

“I never knew I could survive the beating. I really give thanks to God because they did not mean well for me. It was Yesiru (one of the hoodlums) who first hit me with the cutlass while Melon and others held me down and were beating me. But for the help of a woman that witnessed the whole scene that told the police the truth, they would have roped me in as a robber.

“When we were friends, things were going on well, but when I refused to do some of their biddings, I was sent packing from the fold. They also hated me because I refused to join the Eiye Confraternity that they belong to. They then accused me of stealing and labelled me a rogue. Since then, they had been looking for ways to get at me. It was because of their problems that I relocated from Abule-Ijesha,” he said.

Egigi had since reported the attack on him at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.

Efforts to speak with the Divisional Police Officer, Sabo Police Division, were futile as his calls were diverted.

But a police source at the station confirmed Egigi’s situation, saying that the matter received a prompt attention from the DPO who immediately set up a team to investigate the assault.

Court remands couple in prison for assault

L

agos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umaru Manko, has said that a Lagos-based businessman, Olatunji Adeyemi, who misrepresented his case with a mechanic, Adebanjo Oladele, has been charged to court for providing wrong information to the police.

Adeyemi, who sold a Mazda bus 2000 on hire purchase for N1.8 million to Adebanjo, had reported at the Oworo Police Station, alleging that Oladele stole the vehicle from him, before the case was transferred to the state Anti-Robbery Squad.

Adebanjo reportedly spent seven days in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Ikeja, over allegations that he stole the commercial bus, whereas he took it on hired purchase in August 2011, at N1.8 million to be paid at the rate of N30,000 monthly by installments.

But Adeyemi had petitioned the police alleging a case of theft, leading to his re-arrest by one ASP Taofeek Olokede of SARS, who allegedly gave him a slap, stripped his pants, and tying his hands and hanging him to a metal pipe fitted to a wall.

Crime Extra

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December 1, 2012

51

I snatched the Okada with my old ID –Ex-cop A leopard can’t change its spots is one adage that applies to Raphael Sanni a former policeman. He would, however, not change from the ways that sent him away from the police force. Now, he is being interrogated by his former colleagues.

SEGUN ADIO

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aphael Sanni was once a police officer attached to the Iyaganku headquarters of the Oyo State Command. He was shown the way out of the force in April 2011 when he was caught engaging in illegal activities far outside his base.

Then, Sanni, who was scheduled to be at the office, reportedly left his post and went to Ile-Ife, Osun State in company with some of his partners-in-crime, for what police authorities termed ‘illegal duty.’

Sadly, while leaving the police force, Sanni still held on to some official insignia especially his service identity card. On many occasions, he had been accused of conducting illegal raids on motorists and traders claiming to be a policeman. That act had once landed him in court but he was later freed.

Upon his release from detention, Sanni, who immediately moved back to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital could only go back to his criminal acts. But this time, he had graduated from obtaining money forcefully from motorists to snatching commercial motorcycles (Okada) from their owners.

It was reported that Sanni and his partners-in-crime, after snatching the okada, would re-sell them to some people in the metropolis, albeit at a very low rate.

Sanni met his waterloo recently when he planned to make away with an Okada he had already snatched from its owner.

On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, Sanni, together with a partner of his, now at large, allegedly snatched the motorbike belonging to one Jelilu Mumuni.

Police source claimed that on that fateful day, Sanni and his partner flagged down Mumuni to take them to Agodi-Gate area of Ibadan. But Mumuni plies the Sango-Bodija route in the state capital. So he reportedly told the two men that he could not take them to their destination. While trying to turn to go his way, Sanni reportedly retrieved his police identity card claiming that he is a policeman and was going to report for work.

Seeing a police identity car, Mumuni agreed to take Sanni and his ‘friend’

to their destination. It was reported that Sanni sat at the back of the bike while his partner sat in the middle.

Just as they crossed the railway crossing at Bodija, Sanni, from where he sat, stealthily stretched his hand to remove the Okada rider’s cap from his head.

Mumuni perhaps had thought that the cold breeze removed his cap from his head.

The man pulled to a halt and wanted to make a U-turn to go pick his fallen cap. But he was advised not to waste his fuel, but go to pick it while they (Sanni and his partner) would hold the Okada for him. Mumuni saw this as wise counsel.

Without putting off the ignition of his Okada, he ran back to where the cap was. But just as he bent to take his cap from the road, Sanni’s partner, sitting

in the middle brought the Okada alive again and the two men made away with the motorcycle.

But Mumuni would not let go of his Okada like that: he gave a hot chase to the fleeing thieves while shouting at the top of his voice. Before long, Mumuni saw an Okada rider colleague of his, who he hurriedly waved down to join him in the chase for the thieves.

The Okada rider obliged and the two of them ran after the fleeing thieves, but could not keep track of them.

About two hours later, Mumuni and his colleague chose to return home when it became clear they could not trace the Okada and the thieves again.

On their way home, his friend, apparently, wanting to enliven his friend, urged him that they relax over a bottle of beer at a bar. He reluctantly agreed

and they settled for an open bar along the major road.

Mumuni and his friend must have been completely stunned to see Sanni and his partner in crime right in front of them drinking. Same moment, Mumuni dashed towards Sanni hoping to get hold of his cloth, but the ex-cop was too smart for him. Sanni reportedly jumped out of his chair and his partnerin-crime followed him.

The thieves climbed Mumuni’s Okada parked about 20 yards away and again sped off. Like it happened earlier, Mumuni and his friend also climbed their own motorcycle and raced towards the direction the thieves went, also shouting at the top of their voices.

Mother luck however, smiled on Mumuni when the fleeing thieves rode to Sabo area where some Hausa men living there all trooped out to catch a glimpse of fleeing thieves. The Hausa men soon joined in the chase of the thieves and in no time, Sanni was arrested with the Okada, while his partner managed to escape. Sanni was taken to Mokola Police Station from where he was transferred to the state SARS. Speaking on his experience, Mumuni said: “The drama started when the man (Sanni) flagged me down and showed me a police identity card and made me take them to where I did not want to go. The manner they ensured I got off the bike was even stunning. The mistake I made was that I did not turn off the engine of the Okada before they rode it off.”

In his confessional statement, Sanni, who agreed to the accusation against him said: “I truly stopped the Okada man. I told him to take me to Mokola. He refused, but I begged him that I would give him money. But when we were going, his cap fell off and as he went to take it, I ran away with the bike,” he said.

On why he was sacked from the police, the Kogi State-born Sanni confessed that he was involved in illegal duties while in service.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Oyo State, Clement Adoda, who paraded the Sanni claimed that he would be arraigned upon completion of investigation. Adoda also assured residents of the state to expect a hitch-free Yuletide as the command is poised to battle criminals to a standstill.

Woman, 18, arraigned for alleged breach of trust

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he police yesterday arraigned a woman, Josephine Michael, of Ajegunle, Mpape Village, Abuja, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for alleged breach of trust.

The prosecutor, Emmanuel Adikwu, told the court that the case was reported to the Maitama Police station on Nov. 26 by one Josephine Musa of SETRACO New Layout, Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Adikwu said that the accused, a sales girl at Musa’s shop, located at Banex Plaza,

Abuja, failed in her duties of selling the items and taking care of the shop. ``The accused was instructed to oversee the property in the shop and also sell the items in it but she violated the instruction,’’ Adikwu said.

The prosecutor said that the accused stole six bundles of female wrappers, seven pieces of designer wrist watches and five men’s belt.

He said the accused also stole one men’s suit, three pieces of Swiss laces, perfumes

and six pieces of men’s shirts and slippers. ``She also took away four female slippers, shoes and jean trousers, female under wears, some wallets and some pairs of children’s sneakers,’’ the prosecutor said.

Adikwu said that the total value of the items amounted to N780,000.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 314 of the Penal Code.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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December 1, 2012

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REGIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

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NORTH

Adamawa LG polls crisis: Nyako refuses to shift ground OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

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damawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, yesterday insisted that the Saturday, November 24, 2012 Local Government polls in the state stands. Nyako said this before the National Working Committee (NWC) of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while he was grilled on the council polls.

Nyako had been invited by the PDP NWC to exoplain why disciplinary action should not be

taken against him for allegedly subverting the party’s directive by going ahead to conduct the council polls.

Speaking the before the committee, Nyako says, “Of course the election stands. The result of the election is not determined by the party. It is determined by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).”

Fielding questions from journalists on the harmonized list that is generating some controversy between the governor and the party, the gov-

ernor said, “Whatever we had to do was done in the best interest of the party.

I can assure you that it will not become problem

when we want to do it, because whatever we had to do have to be in the best interest of the party and our state.”

Asked why he was at the party national secretariat, the governor questioned, “Is it any thing wrong in attend-

ing a family meeting.

The big family of PDP will like to put their heads together.”

Nasarawa massacre: Group heads to World Court IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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group, Migili Youth Association (MYA), has resolved to go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Netherlands, to seek redress if the Nasarawa State government failed to intervene in the communal crises rocking the state.

The group is calling on the United Nations and Human Rights Group to come to Agyaragu and other affected villages to see for themselves the rate

of destruction and havoc caused by the ‘Ombatse militia’.

The group’s resolved was disclosed in Lafia yesterday to journalists by its president Agidi Victor, at a press conference.

In the words of Agidi, “We have resolved to go to The Hague and seek redress from the International Court of Justice if the state government failed to intervene on the matter. Government should put in place machinery to re-engage the displaced persons back to their community.”

Agidi said that the Migili youths have lost confidence on the Nasarawa

L-R: Head, Bauchi State Malaria Control Booster Project, Alhaji Hassan Kobi; District Head of Bauchi, Alhaji Nuru Jumba and Chairman, Bauchi Agency for Control of HIV and AIDS, Tuberclosis, Leprosy and Malaria, Dr. Mohammed Liman, at the inauguration of Community Campaign on Environmental Management Control of Mosquito Breeding Sites in Bauchi State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

state government over its inability to provide security to protect lives and properties of the weak, especially the Migili people.

The president wants the state government to set up a high powered commission of inquiry to investigate the activities of the Ombatse militia group particularly in relation to the Agyaragu massacre as well as machinery to disarm civil-

ians in possession of sophisticated weapons in the state.

He continued, “Therefore, as an immediate measure, we demand the deployment of armed security outfit to the trouble spots of Asakio, Gidan Rai, Ankoma, Doka, Agyaragu and Gwadenye, and similarly embark on a proper delineation and adjustment of Agyaragu town,” Agidi demanded.

Kano announces sweeping reform programmes AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

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he Kano State government has authorised the purchase of 1000 brand new luxury taxis for the metropolis at the cost of N1.106 billion.

The government says the move is aimed at consolidating its rejuvenation of the transport sector as well as to create more jobs for youths of the state.

The cars are to be tagged “Amana Luxury Taxis”.

The state’s Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Maliki Kuliya Umar, announced a series of developmental projects to be completed by the state government as agreed to

during the 75th weekly executive council meeting presided over by Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso at the Government House, Kano.

Barrister Kuliya said that the state executive council approved N169.9 million for the supply and installation of ICT components in the e-library and supply and installation of desktop computers and accessories for the non-academic staff offices of the newly established Northwest University, Kano.

He added that the state government is to pay N140 million for towards the 2013 NECO, WAEC, TAHFEEZ and TAJWEED examinations, while

N40.3 million has been set aside for the renovation of eight Women Centers and two area offices of the state Agency for Mass Education.

Barrister Kuliya also said that the state government is poised to improve four zonal medical stores in the state at the cost of N44.88 million, while N16.87 million was approved for a medical mission in collaboration with Sustainable International Medical Mission of USA and N18.8 million for the procurement of delivery trucks for the state Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency.

He announced that the government also agreed

to release about N20.7 million for the renovation of social welfare offices at different locations in the state, while N4.88 million was approved for the establishment of a monitoring unit at the state Ministry of Women Affairs.

Other projects approved by the council according to the Commissioner include renovation and construction of guest chalets at the state House of Assembly Guest House at the cost of about N82.8 million as well as the construction of road, drainage and other civil works at the ceremonial area of the Government House at the cost of N77.99 million.

Borno partners CBN on agriculture INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

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he Borno State government is partnering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on agriculture to ensure food security in the state.

The state’s commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources Alhaji Usman Zannah, disclosed this yesterday atan inter ministerial press briefing held at the conference Hall of the ministry, at the Musa Usman Secretariat, in Maiduguri.

Alhaji Zannah said last week the officials of CBN had an interactive session with the state government and others stakeholders where they identified three key areas of livestock, rice and Sorghum to work upon in the Federal government transformation agenda.

Similarly, the commissioner said that the state government has also spent over N50 million in assisting the Chad Basin Develop-

ment Authority (CBDA) in basting irrigation in the South Chad Irrigation Scheme, where over 5, 000 hectors of land were cultivated.

He also said that over 50 tractors were also given to the CBDA, a truck of fertilizer and others farm implements to boast wheat, rice and vegetable irrigation in Marte, Ngala and Gajibo irrigations.

According to him, the state government has also trained over 100 youths in Benin , Togo Egypt and Thailand in various field of agriculture in its efforts to provide security and jobs creation among the youths.

The commissioner said the government has also procure assorted improved seeds for multiplication by farmers across the state, saying that over 6000 kg of Faro 44 rice, maize both open pollinated and hybrid varieties millet, sorghum, gradnut, sesame and Cashew nuts were also distributed free of charge to famers across the state.

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REGIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

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NORTH

Army demolishes terrorist camp in Zaria, arrests one A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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he army authorities yesterday said it has demolished fresh terrorists bomb factory in Zaria, Kaduna State, with a suspected terrorist, sixty year old suspect, Umaru Mohammed, arrested.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, Assistant Director Army Public Relations 1 Division Nigerian Army ,Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said both the suspect and items recovered are under their custody.

Col. Kukasheka appealed to the public for informations that would assist nail more terrorists saying the army would treat it confidential.

In his words, “We invited you to inform you that following a tip off from well meaning

citizens of this country, a combined team of troops of the Nigerian Army, elements of the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Security carried out a cordon and search operation at “Kwanar Shahada” Jushin Ciki,Zaria city, Kaduna State yesterday, Thursday 29 November 2012 from

0130-0800hrs (1.30-8.00am) local time” The army spokesman said apart from bomb factory recovered during the raid other explosive materials were also discovered. He continued, “During the operation, a two bedroom bungalow of bomb making factory was discovered in which

Improvised Explosive Devices(IED) in stage one state of readiness and several IED making components were recovered as follows; 17 Sensor Mechanical Timers, Remote control, 11 Primed suicide bombers vests, 36 primed IEDS in Bobo cans” The army said others items were “One military

People queuing to consult doctors at the ongoing free medical treatment being offered by the Mark Anumah Medical Mission in Okene, Kogi, recently.

PHOTO: NAN

Kaduna NYSC denies shoddy treatment of corps members A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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oordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Kaduna State, Mrs Victoria Ango, has debunked alleged shoddy treatment of corps members of the Batch ‘C’ while at the orientation camp. She described the report as ‘false and malicious.’ Mrs Ango made the clarification while speaking with journalists in Kaduna yesterday.

It would be recalled that one Mallam Abuba-

kar Idris Usman, a corps member had reported told a national daily (not Saturday Mirror) that Corps members at the Kaduna orientation camp were sleeping in the toilets.

Ango explained that at no time did the Kaduna NYSC camp hosted a larger number of corps members than its capacity of 3,000, adding that in the 2012 Batch A and B, 700 and 2,507 corps members were hosted which was far farer than the 3,000 capacity.

In the words of Mrs Ango, “ Given the current

population, an entire block of hostel with the capacity to accommodate 300 corps members is completely unoccupied and there is another female hostel block not fully inhabited due to insufficient corps participants . How then could accommodation be denied any corps members, let alone allocated to toilet?” she queried.Mrs Ango noted that NYSC had a policy not to isolate corps members in camp, so as not to give room for any hidden activity that may conflict with moral standard in society “Food, medicine and water (which are the only basic daily supplies directly handled by the NYSC) at the camp are enough at the

Kaduna camp and corps members receive them at no cost. Intake of food is however a matter of individual choice” she added.

However, the corps member, Mallam Usman had tendered an apology to the State Coordinator, the management and fellow corps members whose photograph was used in the media report.

In his apology letter dated, 23rd November, 2012, Usman said he was deeply sad over his misguided act, promising that he would, as a matter of urgency, write another article refuting what he had earlier written and get it published before 15th of next month.

Northern govs condole Buhari over daughter’s death PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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he Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has joined millions of Nigerians to condole with former Head of State and leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari, saying he should be consoled by the fact that it is only God that gives life and

kitbag with support items like saw, hammer,cello tapes and gums,Two gallons of paint containing prepared IEDS,two gallons of turkey oil brand with prepared IEDS,seven rolls of wires of various lengths,one bag containing several sensors,twenty five 9 volt batteries.A sixty year old

takes when He pleases.

The former head of state lost his daughter Zulaihat, yesterday at the hospital.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu stated this in a press statement signed by his chief press secretary, Danladi Indayebo to condole with Gen. Buhari.

The forum enjoined the former military leader

and members of his family to be encouraged by the fact that although his late daughter died at a relatively young age, she lived an inspiring and a fulfilled life.

According to the statement, “life is not about how long people lived, but how people impact positively on the environment around them. Though Zulaihat lived a short life, she brought change to

her immediate family, her community, and all those she met, especially women and children.”

The forum urged Buhari to take solace in the fact that no living soul shall escape the ravages of death, describing death as a necessary end that would come when it would.

It then prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

man,Umaru Mohammed was arrested within the premises and in line with our resolve to deter terrorists,the building housing the factory was demolished” Col. Kukasheka also said, “Both the suspect and the items recovered are under custody Headquarters 1 Division Nigerian Army would like to use this opportunity to commend the efforts of the well meaning citizens that reported the matter and also reiterate our resolve to fight terrorism in this country.

We also wish to appeal to the general public to report any suspicious movement, establishment or persons in their environment.We wish to assure you that any information provided would be treated with absolute confidentiality,” he said.

Plateau NLC gives govt 10 day ultimatum to resolve strike JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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he rift between Plateau State government and striking local government workers yesterday took a new dimension with the workers issuing a ten-day ultimatum to the stte government within which to resolve the six month old strike or face the wrath of the workers .

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Comrade Jibrin Bancir, who disclosed this to journalists in Jos yesterday, said the decision to serve government with fresh ultimatum was taken during the Central Working Committee meeting of the national leadership of both the labour union and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) held last Tuesday.

According to Bancir, all the affiliate unions to NLC and TUC across the country have been mobilized to relocate

their national headquaters to Jos if their demand is not met at the end of the ultimatum .

His words, “We are giving government a ten day ultimatum to end the strike. If by 12 midnight of 9th December, 2012, the impasse is not resolved, all workers in the state including private organisations will embark on total withdrawal of services and general protests in the state.

Because of this strike, a lot of citizens have died. Children have lost two consecutive terms in primary schools.No body graduated and entered JSI in Plateau public schools and there is general economic down turn and poverty in the state.

Therefore the organised labour is calling on the government to have a sober reflection on the injury and death the strike has already inflicted on the citizens and find a lasting solution to the impasse,” he said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

December 1, 2012

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Strauss-Kahn, hotel maid settle assault case for ‘$6 million’

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ormer International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has reportedly settled out of court with the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a luxury New York City hotel last

May. French media reported on Friday that the two would settle for $6 million (4.6 million euros), an agreement that would end the 18-month-long saga that brought down one of France’s most prominent

political figures.

Strauss-Kahn was tipped to win this year’s French presidential election before being handcuffed by New York City police in May 2011. He reached the deal with Nafissitou Diallo, a former

Sofitel hotel maid, within recent days, the New York Times and NBC television first revealed on Thursday.

The Associated Press said that a court date between the two parties had been set for sometime

next week. All of the news outlets that reported the settlement quoted unidentified sources.

Lawyers for StraussKahn and Diallo have refused to comment publicly on the alleged agreement between their clients since the media reported it, and there has been no confirmation from authorities.

After Strauss-Kahn’s 2011 arrest, the Manhattan district attorney’s office decided to prosecute the disgraced IMF chief on sexual assault charges, but within six weeks dropped the case, saying Diallo lied about parts of the incident and suggesting that her testimony would not stand up before a jury.

Diallo then sued Strauss-Kahn in New York

civil court. He called the lawsuit defamatory and countersued her for $1 million ( 770,000).

The prominent Frenchman also faced a string of separate sexrelated investigations upon his return home.

On Wednesday, a French court said it would rule December 19 on whether to proceed with a probe into Strauss-Kahn’s involvement in a prostitution ring.

Strauss-Kahn`s lawyers have repeatedly said they would not settle out of court with Diallo, branding her an opportunist. Diallo’s lawyers have also insisted several times that her client is only interested in facing her attacker in court.

Egyptian draft constitution restricts presidential terms

Euphoric Palestinians erupt in cheers after the United Nations endorsed an independent state of Palestine.

Palestinians in wild jubilation over UN recognition

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uphoric Palestinians erupted in cheers; honked car horns and chanted “God is great” after the United Nations endorsed an independent state of Palestine, giving sweeping international backing to their demands for sovereignty over lands Israel occupied in 1967.

The historic General Assembly decision late Thursday to accept “Palestine” as a non-member observer state won’t actually grant independence to the 4.3 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Israel remains an occupying force in the first two territories and continues to severely restrict access to Gaza, ruled by

the Hamas militant group.

Nor does the vote plaster over the rift in the Palestinian leadership that has led to the emergence of duelling governments in the West Bank and Gaza.

But by gaining approval at a world forum overwhelmingly sympathetic to their quest, Palestinians hope to make it harder for Israel to resist global pressure to negotiate the borders of a future Palestine based on lines Israel held before capturing the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in 1967.

The massive international recognition of the Palestinians’ right to a state - only nine of 193 General Assembly members voted against it - gave them hope that the tide had turned in their favour.

“It’s a great feeling to have a state, even if in name only,” said civil servant Mohammed Srour, 28, standing in a flag-waving a crowd of more than 2,000 packed into a square in the West Bank city of Ramallah late Thursday. “The most beautiful dream of any man is to have an independent state, particularly for us Palestinians who have lived under occupation for a long time.”

Though the resolution did not immediately change their lives, Palestinians say the recognition isn’t just symbolic, they believe it will strengthen their hand in any future talks with Israel, which has attacked the Palestinian move as an attempt to bypass such negotiations.

The international community’s warm embrace

was meant, in part, to shore up the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, whose domestic standing had been hurt by his failure to deliver a state through negotiations during his eight years at the helm. European powers that Israel had hoped would oppose the statehood bid either supported it or abstained.

Hamas, once shunned internationally for its campaign of violence against Israel, has seen its isolation ease in recent months, as Islamists gain power across the region.

An outpouring of support from the Arab world during an Israeli offensive against targets linked to militants earlier this month in Gaza gave them another bump.

Britain halts £21million aid to Rwanda z Fears it is bankrolling Congo rebels

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ritain is to halt aid to Rwanda worth £21million amid fears the country is helping rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening will not hand the money over next month as planned amid mounting concern about President Paul Kagame’s regime.

It is an embarrassing uturn for David Cameron, who only last month defended ‘investing’ in Rwanda as ‘something we are right to do’.

In July the government suspended paying out £16million after an interim UN report revealed Rwanda’s role in supporting insurgents in the neighbouring DRC.

Ms Greening’s predecessor Andrew Mitchell controversially reinstated the aid in his last day in the job, knowing he was being moved to become Chief Whip in September’s reshuffle.

But pressure intensified on Greening to block the next round of aid after UN experts revealed more proof of Rwanda’s involve-

ment in fuelling the conflict.

Violence in DRC has been spiralling, with reports of summary executions by the rebel M23 group and growing numbers of refugees.

Yesterday Greening said: “The government has already set out its concerns over credible and compelling reports of Rwandan involvement with M23 in DRC.

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he panel drafting Egypt’s new constitution limited presidential incumbency to two four-year terms in a final vote on yesterday.

The constitutional draft now goes to the president for ratification before being put to a public referendum.

The assembly drafting Egypt’s new constitution agreed to limit the president’s incumbency to two four-year terms in a final vote on Friday, ending the system of unlimited tenure under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for 30 years.

“The president of the republic shall be elected for four years, which begin on the day following the end of the term of his predecessor. He may be re-elected only once,” the article read.

The constitutional draft now goes to the President for ratification before being put to a public referendum within 15 days of the president’s approval.

The Islamist-dominated panel began a fast-track vote on its final draft Thursday, pushing through the document despite a boycott by liberals in a move likely to stoke a deepening political crisis between the Islamist President and the opposition.

The assembly overwhelmingly made up of allies of President Mohammed Morsi, abruptly moved up the vote - which hadn’t been expected to take place for another two months - in order to pass the draft before Egypt’s Supreme Constitution Court rules on Sunday on whether to dissolve the panel.

US Senate okays new sanctions on Iran

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he US Senate unanimously approved new economic sanctions Friday aimed at further crippling Iran’s energy, shipping and port sectors, a year after Congress passed tough restrictions against Tehran.

According to AFP, the US Senate unanimously approved new economic sanctions yesterday aimed at further crippling Iran’s energy, shipping and port sectors, a year after Congress passed tough restric-

tions against Tehran.

The amendment, tacked on to a sweeping defence spending bill being debated by the chamber, passed 940, and should sail through the House of Representatives.

It was introduced by Senator Robert Menendez out of concern that Iran was pressing ahead with its nuclear weapons drive despite earlier sanctions that had been hailed as the toughest-ever against the Islamic republic.

Quote

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It is the respect for the senior advocate, Layonu, that made the commission to release him (Babalakin) with the understanding that he would come for his arraignment today. Now, although I will not oppose the application for a short adjournment of the matter, I will state that the commission is dismayed, we never expected this kind of treatment.”

EFCC Lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on the absence of Babalakin in court for money laundering trial

Saturday, December 1, 2012. www.nationalmirroronline.net

Issues and solutions for the Bottom Billion (II) I n managing the excess liquidity and funds in the commercial banks of the West, loans were indiscriminately given to most countries in Africa which were poorly utilized, corruptly embezzled by the givers and the receivers. With another jolt, the loans became unpayable.

Then SAP or Structural Adjustment Programme was designed and introduced. One of its main objectives was to ensure that developing nations will have or save enough to reduce the debts they owed many institutions of the West. That also failed because in reality there was no structure to be adjusted and rather those countries became impoverished.

With the constant failures of different ideas and strategies for development, the bulk of the challenges had to be passed to the government of the recipient country, who more often than not, were highly inefficient, corrupt and incapable, hanging on to power rather than rendering service and giving good governance. Conflicts and instabilities ensued.

What was also clear was that most of the essential ingredients needed for those governments to perform were not there in the first instance and many were struggling with 1.

Conflict resolution and conflict management to ensure peace and secu-

tion significantly and this made everybody, both donor and recipient to be wiser.

with President Olusegun Obasanjo hexcellency2011@yahoo.com rity as basis for governance 2.

Serious lack of human and physical capacity 3.

Lack of sustenance of focus on Agriculture, not only for food and nutrition security but as a basis for industrialization and revenue for government particularly foreign exchange earning 4.

Poor accessibility to favorable market through tariff and non–tariff barriers to trade By the time these things were realized, the train had left the station, particularly for Africa South of the Sahara and this is why the decades of 80s and 90s were regarded as lost decades for Africa. In the

process, the donor communities most of whom have not reached the generally agreed minimum level of 0.7 percent of their GDP for ODA claimed to be fatigued, in addition to the fact that most of the aid was consumed in the donor countries by hiring experts and consultants and buying all goods (necessary and unnecessary) from home for the aidrecipient countries out of the aid funds.

To this must also be added element of corruption in aid receiving countries, making aid not reaching the billion bottom poor.

Even when focus on governments as direct recipient to aid was shifted to civil societies, it did not improved the situa-

SPORT EXTRA

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they ask for documents and you submit such, you will find out later that they will request for more. And you just have to keep meeting such demands till the player gets cleared.

“From our own end we will collate all necessary documents to speed up the process.

But remember that he (Sam) played for the German youth team so they (the German FA) will have to write (Fifa) saying Sidney has agreed to play for Nigeria. It was the same tough routine we had for Shola (Ameobi) and Victor (Moses) but let’s concentrate on the present.

“So there’s no way the NFF

is stalling on speeding up the process of allowing any player switch their international allegiance in the shortest possible time,” said the NFF Assistant Director, Media, Ademola Olajire.

Earlier in November, Sam was quoted in the media as saying, he had a “very harmonious, good and convincing talk” with Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.

Sam also underlined why he has opted to play for his father’s country despite being born in Kiel, Germany.

“There were intense discussions and I am keen to play for Nigeria.

“The country (Nigeria) has

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES

Eagles set to grab ‘Super Sam’

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has started the process of securing Sidney Sam to play for the Super Eagles, Saturday Mirror gathered.

But the process to win Sam’s international switch is expected to take full swing after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, as NFF’s move is still at the primary stage of collating vital documents to kick-start the switch of the Bayer Leverkusen winger.

“On our path we have started the process of the switch.

But it is not cast in stone because the whole process is always cumbersome. When

What are the lessons learned?

One, aid in terms of resources transfer must be massive, concentrated, sustained, pointed and targeted like the Marshall Plan and West Germany to East Germany after the Berlin Wall to make desired impact in the short to medium run. There must also be fertile ground to receive aid.

Two, for all round development in developing countries emphasis and greater focus must be placed on trade rather than aid. This must be strengthened with domestic and foreign investments. It was the experience in Asia and Latin America. And it will not be different in Africa.

Three, aid will still be needed to serve as catalyst and lifeline in emergency relief to muster and enhance resources for the least developed countries LDCs and to fulfill moral and social responsibility entailed in the Universal Human Rights and the international Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Four, it is in our collective self-interest for growth and common security to remove extreme poverty, inequity and inequality that can be harmful to all.

Today’s Matches West Ham v Chelsea 12:45 Arsenal v Swansea 15:00 Fulham v Tottenham 15:00 Liverpool v Southampton 15:00 Manchester City v Everton 15:00 QPR v Aston Villa 15:00 West Brom v Stoke 5:00 Sidney Sam

a great football tradition, the team is full of good players,” Sam enthused.

Sam’s adviser, Dirk Hebel, is expected to play a key part in helping the winger switch his international career to Nigeria.

Reading v Man United 17:30

Sunday, December 2, 2012 Norwich v Sunderland 16:00

Monday, December 3, 2012 Newcastle United v Wigan 20:00

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