Leadership news

10.10.14

No. 73

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

N200

NIGERIA'S FIRST FRIDAY NEWSPAPER

www.leadership.ng leadership Newspapers

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Us websITe remoVes JoNaThaN's Name from rIchesT afrIcaN presIdeNTs lIsT

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ebola scare

1,332 Nigerian Soldiers Quarantined In Liberia Us deploys marines, seeks urgent action Nigeria to produce vaccines

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Nigeria’s Top Advert Models

BY ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM, PAUL CHIAMA, Abuja

Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth)

Nigeria is a fast-growing market for all kinds of business and indeed investors, also from the international community are cashing in on the opportunities available. ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM and PAUL CHIAMA write on some of Nigeria’s celebrities raking in millions from the business of companies contracting them as their brand ambassadors.

Telecommunication giants like Globacom, Etisalat, Airtel and MTN are among big brand names that have taken to using Nigerian celebrities to promote their products. Celebrities like Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ali Nuhu and Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha have promoted other brands too, like Onga, Omo, Harpic, Pepsi and Amstel Malt.

Globacom, for example, owned by Chief Mike Adenuga, has signed up almost every personality of note at one

Funke Akindele

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2015 PRESIDENcY: NDA-ISAIAh DEclARES ocTobER 28 5

Chibok DAY Diary

Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha

Desmond Elliot

mAINSTREET bANk: SkYEbANk SIGNS ShARE PuRchASE 16 AGREEmENT

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Mike Ezuruonye

Ali Nuhu

hoPE RISES FoR SNAckS SEllER AFTER N550,000 DoNATIoN

chibok community Faults cDS over > Page 2 comment on chibok Girls

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1 DAY To Go...

FIRST GRADUATION CEREMONY OF 49 baZe UNIVersITY, abUJa

#BringBackOurGirls 179 day

Friday, October 10, 2014

Editor’s Note The long holiday, followed by a hectic three-day week of grueling work schedule is over. LEADERSHIP Friday is here to help you relax again. As usual we begin with the ‘hard’ news and end on a happy note.

What does the CAN President, Oritsejafor have to do with the billion naira stashed in a jet uncovered in South Africa? Find out from our cover kicker and the exclusive cover story of Advert Millionaire Endorsers and their fight to stay at-the-top. FridayExtra trolls the ravages ensuing from the eight months spell of rain, in Makurdi communities.

On a lighter mood, Essentials presents Nigerian, South-Africa based gospel artiste, Christine Osifuye. Osifuye dishes out on her venture into gospel music and its lifestyle. Back to back Features pages tell of ‘International Celebrities You Don’t Know Are Nigerians’ and the ‘Durbar Cultural Festival’ of Borno State. And Roots introduces the first MuslimAmerican Ancestor, Bilali Muhammad.

In this rain forecasted weekend, snuggle under the blankets with a copy of LEADERSHIP Friday and sure you’ll be glad it’s Friday, again, so thank God for that.

A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read – Mark Twain For Feedback: fridayleadership@leadership.ng

ChIbOk IN The Week SaTURday, OCTOBER 4, 2014 Oba FederickObateruakinruntan, the second richest monarch in africa, according to Forbes Magazine, has said northern traditional rulers should not be blamed for the insurgent crisis in the region.

Oba akinruntan claimed the root of the crises in the north were spillovers from neighbouring countries, as the northern rulers are aware of the unpredictable backlash of crises. The monarch recently conferred the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), by the presidency for his role in the resolution of conflicts between yoruba Obas, who claims that if yoruba politics is stabilized it will halt further crises in the country.

SUNday, OCTOBER 5, 2014 BringBackOurGirls group bemoaned the inhumane suffering the 218 abducted Chibok girls must endure since their abduction in april. The group urged Nigerians and the world to pray for the return of the girls, as the world celebrates Sallah holidays.

MONday, OCTOBER 6, 2014 Some members of the BBOG group maintained their daily sit-out at the Unity Fountain, abuja in spite of the Sallah festivities. The group said they chose to observe the sit-out in the knowledge that the abducted girls celebrated Sallah and Nigeria’s Independence day in captivity.

For them, “The people who are holding the girls claim they are Muslims, but they are not … I wonder what the girls are passing through, said Hosea-abana, Chairman of the Chibok Community in abuja.

TUESday, OCTOBER 7, 2014 The Chairman of the BBOG group, abuja, confirmed that he had no knowledge of claims of Susanna Ishaya, found abandoned in the forest, was not one of the abducted Chibok girls. Tsambido Hoseaabana, however expressed doubts over dr. Bitrus Pogu source to prove the claim, and further said his attempts to identify the girl was not supported by the government.

WEdNESday, OCTOBER 8, 2014 BBOG group will hold a mega protest to commemorate day 180 of the girls captivity. The protest will involve members of the CHibok community within and outside abuja.

The group’s Vice Chairman noted that the Chibok community since the insurgency uprising had been neglected by the government for years. thus, the community lacked good roads, social amenities and good schools. “ THURSday, OCTOBER 9, 2014 BBOG and National Emergency Management agency (NEMa) traded allegations on issues concerning the Chibok community. The group said the federal government and NEMa have abandoned the community ere the abduction of the schoolgirls.

The chairman of the group, Hoseaabana said NEMa sole attempt to aid the community failed to reach those truly affected by the crisis.

NEMa retorted via its spokesman Sannidattu who debunked the claim. He referred Nigerians to visit COMPILED BY UGOCHUKWU IROKA the organization’s website for proof of its contribution to the community. ...As compiled by CHIKELU CHINELO

L-R: President, Women Arise, Dr joe Okei -Odunmakin, Director, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi and child rights activist, Mrs Betty Abey, during a press conference on ‘This is Lagos: Our water, Our right, No to Privatisation,’ organised by ERA, in Lagos.

Chibok Community Faults CDS Over Chibok Girls' Comment

BY CHIKA MEFOR AND EjIKE EjIKE, Abuja

Chibok community has faulted the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh over comment that the alleged escaped Chibok girls interviewed by some media were not part of the abducted girls as they were speaking Hausa and not English even when they were writing SSCE, urging him to visit the community to see the level of neglect in the area.

The chief of defence staff had accused foreign media organisations including, the Cable News Network (CNN) and Al Jazeera, of fabricating stories on the abducted Chibok girls during their crews' visit to Nigeria in May. He was quoted as saying "We know Isha Sesay of CNN, (Nima) Elbagir of CNN and another one from Al Jazeera, interviewed the supposed Chibok girls that escaped; they were speaking Hausa and

these are girls that were going to write SSCE. Those ones cannot be those Chibok girls.”

Speaking during the #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group usual sit-out yesterday, one of the natives of Chibok, Dr Allen Manessah urged the CDS to visit the community to see the level of degradation the people are facing which affected the quality of education being received by the students.

He said, "I am disappointed in his statement. The level of degradation in Chibok is a direct indictment on the him and the government. If they can tell us that that is the school they can afford, then there is a major problem."

He also accused the government of dilly-dallying in the issue of the Chibok girls and noted that "two weeks after Sussana Ishaye was found, the military are yet to identify the identity of the girl and where she belongs."

NANS Galvanises Support Against Insurgency, Wants Schoolgirls Rescued

BY CHIKA MEFOR AND EjIKE EjIKE, Abuja

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on students across the country, especially at the Northern part of the country to shun any act of insurgency which has led to the abduction of more than 200 school girls in Chibok, Borno State and the killings and destruction of properties.

Speaking at the official presentation of Toyota Hiace bus and NImillion to NANS by Hon. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau in Abuja yesterday, NANS president, Tijani Usman said the association has been going round educating Nigerian students across the country on the need to shun any act of terrorism while also praying for the rescue of the Chibok

girls.

Comrade Usman also noted that the government should be supported in its fight against insurgency and the rescue of the Chibok girls and thanked the government for its support for education.

While thanking Hon. Shehu Gusau, who is also the chairman House Committee on Information and Communication Technology for the bus and fund donations, Usman noted that such gesture is highly needed for the progress of education in the country.

Also speaking, while handing over the keys of the bus to NANS president, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf, who represented Hon. Gusau stated that the donation of the bus was for the easy running of the activities of the association.

If you are a leader of peace, listen to the discourse of the petitioner. Be not abrupt with him; that would trouble him. ― Egyptian Proverbs

our stand

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October 10, 2014

Where Is The 2012 Flood Relief Fund?

O

n October 13 2014, the world will mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR). It is a day set aside to promote how people and communities reduce the risk of disasters and also for raising awareness about the importance of disaster reduction.

It is meant to encourage citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster-resilient communities and nations. The recent reports of floods in parts of Kwara and Benue states that rendered residents homeless and destroyed property are a reminder of the 2012 floods and how many of the victims are still languishing, despite the billions voted for them as a relief fund. The 2012 flood was the worst in the country’s recent history. It ravaged 13 states, affected seven million Nigerians, displaced at least 2.3 million people, killed about 363 people and destroyed property including 597,476 houses.

In response to the plight of the victims, the federal government set up a presidential committee that was to complete its assignment within a year. The committee, headed by businessman Aliko Dangote, mobilised N11billion to assist victims and after one year, it was able to raise the funds to

N18billion. This was apart from the initial N17.6billion intervention from the federal government, N13.3 billion of which was released to the affected states and N4.3billion to federal government ministries and agencies. It is however disturbing that two years after the incident and more than one year after the committee was expected to have completed its work, many of the victims are yet to receive any tangible assistance. Some have died, while some who lost their homes live in despondency in makeshift buildings. This is really sad.

The question we are asking is what happened to the money?

What did the states given the federal government funds do with their allocations when in almost

Ag. Editor Hassan Gimba Ahmed Deputy Editor Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

every state, victims say they either did not receive support or what they got was negligible. In some states, flood victims reportedly got as little as N200 and utilities such as mattresses and blankets.

States got between N250million and N500million, depending on the extent of damage suffered.

We hear that some of the private organisations and individuals who made pledges to the committee are yet to redeem them. This is not only irresponsible but also fraudulent.

A member of the committee reportedly said recently that part of the funds was used to settle victims of other disasters, including the ongoing insurgency. We find this appalling. Such was not within the purview of the committee.

The auditor general of the federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, recently said his office was planning an audit of the flood funds to enable government know how the money was used. This is a welcome development and a good job must be done, at the end of which anyone found to have misappropriated the funds should be prosecuted and made to refund it. The government can take it a step further by compelling organisations and individuals to redeem their pledges.

It is high time people learnt how not to make a fortune out of others’ misfortune.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Divisional Directors Abdulmumin Balogun Ademola Oladosu Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

Leadership

Holdings

Managing Director Abraham Nda-Isaiah Executive Director Nnamdi Samuel New York Office Mohammed Bello Shehu London Office Dr Bello Salihu Johannesburg Office Abiodun Oguntuase Business Manager Bilkisu Mohammed Rimi

Cover up the good you do — do like the Nile and conceal your sources.

— Egyptian Proverb

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

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October 10, 2014

LIVING TO BE 100

One health tip daily Limit Your Cell Phone Use Some 200 studies point to health hazards like brain tumors and infertility that may be due to longterm cell phone use, especially among children, An Italian court recently found a direct causal link between extensive cell phone use and brain tumors. Keep your cell phone an arm length’s away when not in use, says e1ectrosmog expert Guy Hudson, and text rather than talk whenever you can.

1,332 Nigerian Soldiers Quarantined In Liberia

By Winifred Ogbebo and Victor Okeke, Abuja; Abiodun Oluwarotimi, New York

The Nigerian Army has revealed that about 1332 of its peace keeping troops in Liberia have been placed under surveillance following their contact with a Sudanese who later died of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The director of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, MajorGeneral Obashina Ogunbiyi stated this in Abuja yesterday.

According to the Army medical officer, the incident followed the death of a Sudanese Muslim man who had come to the camp of the soldiers to lead them in prayer during the Eid-el Fitri celebration, but developed Ebola symptoms the following day and later died.

Ogunbuyi noted that the country remained at risk as any of the soldiers could choose to travel home anytime, saying “that is D’Banj why the military had to be totalmost celebrated Hausa actor in ly involved in the fight against northern Nigeria. He is one ac- the Ebola virus.” tor who is successfully holding his own in both Kannywood and Nol- Nigeria To Produce Vaccines lywood, starring in movies along- Within 1 Year side other prominent figures in the …Experts Brainstorm On industry. Today, Nuhu is one of the Treatment, Receive 32 Treat‘faces’ of Globacom. ment Claims Sani Danja: Sani Danja is anHealth minister Prof Onyebuother Kannywood celebrity who chi Chukwu has given the assurrepresents telecoms brand, Glo. He ance that the country will start is currently doing very well com- producing vaccines for Ebola bining music and acting and has within the next one year, addfeatured a number of notable ar- ing that any disease that has a tistes in his songs. vaccine is as good as eradicated.

Desmond Elliot: Desmond El“Vaccine is very important, liot, who could be said to be the it is better than any drug but it personification of success in the takes time in terms of research Nollywood industry, is also one of to produce. Right now, we have the big celebrity names taken on a number of candidate vaccines

by Glo as a brand ambassador. His and we are also going to be part ambition to vie for political office of the clinical testing of Ebola has not stopped him from working vaccines,” he said. hard and being a face of the brand.

The minister made these reveBasketmouth: Ace comedian lations yesterday at the opening Basketmouth is now the sole an- of a high level expert meeting on chor for Globacom events, tour- treatment and research for Eboing cities across the nation. He has la and other emerging infections helped to shape the image of the in Abuja. brand, even as the brand has helped Chukwu added that there is a to shape him! He once said that he current need to also focus on dican’t deny the amount he has made agnosis and the development of from working for Glo. affordable and reliable rapid diIni Edo: Pretty and talented ac- agnostic test kits to facilitate eartress Ini Edo has also obviously ly diagnosis of EVD and other inmade a fortune from being a Glo fectious diseases ambassador, as she can be seen Meanwhile, the Ebola Treatin their adverts, at their seminars ment and Research Group (TRG) and press conferences, and on their set up by the federal government tours. said it had received 32 treatment Monalisa Chinda: Like Ini, claims for Ebola.

Monalisa is also a regular feature The group stated that all of in Glo adverts and promos. them are being evaluated as the country remains determined to ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Nigeria’s Top Advert Models ➔ FROM COVER

time or the other as its brand ambassadors.

Here follows a list of the top ‘advert millionaires’.

Ali Nuhu: This top northern movie star and Glo brand ambassador also hit another deal as the sole Samsung Mobile Nigeria brand ambassador. He signed a one-year endorsement deal with the communication outfit.

The company is said to have signed out billions of naira in endorsement deals with other celebrities as well.

Hafiz Oyetoro: The famous actor, popularly known as Saka, has had Nigerians all over talking about him since he was contracted to lead a major advertising campaign to drive the network portability initiative of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). The deal is believed to be worth about N20million, enough to give the hardworking and self-effacing actor a really clean break.

P-Square: When news filtered out that P-Square had signed a multi-million naira deal with Globacom, people thought it was just a rumour. After months of speculation though, the talented duo was officially announced as Glo ambassador. During the ceremony, Peter and Paul Okoye (the P-Square twins) were presented their official Glo jerseys and introduced to the rest of the Glo family, which includes other Glo ambassadors who had their contracts to promote the brand renewed on the same day. The deal, it was gathered was worth N34million and the artistes have been working ever since with the company, promoting the brand through adverts and also concerts that feature other celebrities.

Ali Nuhu: Ali Nuhu is the

find a possible drug or vaccine for the virus.

The TRG, which was inaugurated on August 4, has the mandate to collate and analyse related research findings on Ebola, verify claims relating to the treatment of the virus and carry out research into its treatment.

The minister charged the research group to fashion out ways of protecting health workers beyond the current state of the art in cases of outbreaks like Ebola as they are the most vulnerable.

Chukwu said the stakeholders’ meeting was one in a series of efforts to ensure that suitable medicines for the treatment of EVD are evaluated and roadmap for achieving success adopted.

Earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, had said that the Senate had instituted a public health legislation which had taken control of borders in the country, even as the international health regulations have been incorporated into the Public Health Act. According to him, “This motion has passed through the first and second readings in the Senate and is currently at the House of Representatives, after which it will become law and repel the Quarantine Act of 1926 which is already obsolete.”

In his contribution, one of the resource persons and associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where the US Ebola patients were treated, Dr Igho Ofotokun, asserted that there are no proven therapeutics for the virus in humans as only fluids, electrolytes and the experimental drugs were what the hospitals used in treating patients.

He said only approved personnel were allowed in the isolation wards. Narrating how the hospital was able to manage the patients, he encouraged all hospitals in the country to create and maintain a special isolation unit and to invest heavily in infectious diseases training.

“We had problem with waste management, too. The central waste management authority did not allow us to dispose waste at the central area, so we had to decontaminate our own waste,” he explained.

Ebola: FAO Launches Initiative To Fight Food Insecurity In West Africa The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation yester-

A person with a wound on his head keeps touching it. ― Egyptian Proverb

Chukwu

day launched a programme that will assist 90,000 Ebola-vulnerable households in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The UN secretary-general, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, also announced the appointment of the respective UN crisis managers in the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, as part of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response.

In their respective roles, the crisis managers will work with their host governments along with other partners to ensure a rapid international response to the Ebola crisis.

Speaking during the launch, head of FAO’s Dakar-based Subregional Resilience Hub, the office coordinating the response for the countries whose food supply and livelihoods are threatened by the disruptive effect of the Ebola epidemic on rural economies, agricultural activities and markets, Mr Vincent Martin, said that the comprehensive response of the agency was part of overall United Nations’ efforts to save lives and protect livelihoods.

On his part, Bukar Tijani, assistant director-general at the Regional Office for Africa, noted that these actions could not wait, as the outbreak was already reducing purchasing power of vulnerable households, which means less food on their plates and increased nutritional risks for families already on subsistence diets.

He added that fear and stigmatisation also threatened to reduce agricultural activities, thereby placing food security at risk.

The FAO, in a statement after the launching, said: “Early results from rapid assessments point to a worrisome situation. In Sierra Leone, for example, 47 per cent of the respondents said Ebola was considerably disrupting their ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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October 10, 2014

2015 Presidency: Nda-Isaiah Declares October 28

By ChINelo ChIkelu, Abuja

A presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, will formally declare his intention to contest the party’s presidential ticket on Tuesday, October 28.

According to a statement by his campaign group, Sam4Nigeria, the declaration will take place at the Idris Legbo Kutigi Conference Centre, Minna, Niger State, at 11am.

The executive director, Public Af-

fairs of Sam4Nigeria, Ibrahim Tukur, said after over one year of consultations with family and friends, critical stakeholders, different groups, communities and leaders across the country, it was now time for Mr Nda-Isaiah to formally step out.

He said: “Our country has never been in greater need for change.

What came out loud and clear during our consultative tours were people telling us that they were tired of change as a slogan: they need change

as an action word, now.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, our great party, the APC, offers change as an action word, a real possibility. The overwhelming feedback is that we also have an aspirant, Sam, who embodies the hopes and aspirations of party and country.”

“Sam stands for big ideas about the country’s future. At a time when the country is deeply divided, he offers a strong unifying message and generational connectedness. He is

1,332 Nigerian Soldiers Quarantined In Liberia ➔ FROM PAGE 4

farming activities. In Lofa County, rural Liberia’s most affected area, the process of commodities, including food, increased from 30 to 75 per cent in August 2014.

“If not addressed now, the current impact of the outbreak on the livelihoods could lead to long-lasting impacts on farmers’ livelihoods and rural economies.”

US Deploys Troops To Fight Ebola Outbreak In Africa The United States government will be deploying 100 troops from a special Marine response force to West Africa to help fight the Ebola outbreak, and these personnel will arrive in Senegal and Liberia within the next 24 hours, Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said yesterday.

According to him, the 100 troops, mostly Marines, along with some Navy corpsmen, are part of a force of up to 3,600 U.S. troops that could deploy to West Africa to help efforts to stem the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

So far, about 350 troops are on the ground now, running laboratories, setting up treatment facilities, training healthcare workers and assisting with logistics.

He also said that the Marine unit would provide supply and transportation assistance for the anti-Ebola effort until Army units will arrive later this month to take over the possibly year-long mission.

Kirby further said that the

troops, who come from a special Marine air-ground task force responding to crises in Africa, would deploy with four MV-22 Osprey and two KC-130 Hercules tanker aircraft.

Obama Calls For Urgent Actions To Curb Outbreak After U.S. recorded its first Ebola death on Wednesday, President Barack Obama yesterday urged 1,500 state health leaders to do their best to prevent the spread of the virus.

Obama, who was reacting to the death of the country’s first Ebola patient, called on all of America’s health leaders to partner his administration in the fight against the deadly disease.

Speaking further, the president instructed local authorities to follow federal guidelines precisely to prepare for a potential rise in the cases of the deadly disease, stressing that it was crucial to respond with an appropriate sense of urgency.

Niger approves N173m, trains 1,400 in Ebola control, prevention Niger State government said it has trained 1,400 health workers on the prevention of Ebola virus disease in the state, just as the state government has approved the sum of N173 million for the prevention of the disease in the state.

The state Commissioner of Education, Abdulhammeed Danladi Umar, and a director in the State

Ministry of Health, Dr James Kolo, both disclosed this in a separate speech yesterday in Minna at a workshop organized by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Ebola.

Abdulhammeed told the teachers that the state governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, did not hesitate to approve N173 million for use to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken to prevent the spread of the disease to the state and raise awareness among the populace.

He said it was in that direction that some teachers, drawn from all the schools in the state, were trained on the Ebola virus disease to ensure preventive measures were put in place before the schools reopen next week.

“When we met with the minister of education, we thought the money for the control of the Ebola virus disease in schools will be extended to us, but I am surprised that we were not given any support; but it is our responsibility to protect life, that is why the governor approved N173 million.”

The commissioner noted that it was because of the absence of such support that delayed the resumption of schools.

Chairman of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Ibrahim Umar, said that in line with the directive of the national headquarters of the union, the members would not resume work until government provides safety gadgets against the spread of Ebola virus in the schools.

in touch.”

The statement said the public declaration would offer delegates, party members and the public in general the opportunity to deepen the conversation about the country’s future with the presidential aspirant and be a part of the train for change.

“It’s time for all those who are truly fed up with 15 wasted years of the ruling PDP to stand up with Sam and be counted,” Tukur said.

Sam is the founder of LEADERNda-Isaiah SHIP Group.

Richest Lifestyle Removes Jonathan’s Name As 6th Richest African President

By GeorGe AGBA, Abuja

Barely 24 hours after the presidency had threatened to institute legal action against it, A US-based website, Richest Lifestyle, yesterday removed President Goodluck Jonathan’s name from its list of Africa’s richest presidents, where it had ranked him as the sixth richest president in the continent and worth $100 million.

Where Jonathan’s name was in sixth place, the website quickly removed the president’s name and left the space blank, with and inscription: “This post has been deleted”.

The removal, LEADERSHIP Friday gathered, may not be unconnected to a statement issued by the presidency, asking for a retraction of the report and an unreserved apology from the website, including those who had reproduced it or else they would face legal action for libel.

Special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had in a statement he issued on Wednesday, condemned the publication, describing it as a baseless and libelous article fashioned to portray President Jonathan as a corrupt leader.

Abati had said: “The Presidency condemns the totally unwarranted inclusion of President Jonathan in the publication entitled ‘Africa’s Richest Presidents 2014 as another attempt to unjustifiably portray the President as a corrupt leader and incite public disaffection against him. We categorically assert that there is no factual basis for ranking President Jonathan as the sixth richest African head of state with a net worth of about $100 million.

“As is well known, President Jonathan has never been a businessman or entrepreneur, but a life-long public servant. The president has held public office since 1999 and has regularly declared his assets as required by Nigerian laws. He has had no personal income since 1999 other than his official remuneration as deputy governor, governor, vice president, acting president and president which are matters of public record.”

Threatening legal action against the website, the statement noted: “The clear and unacceptable imputation of the claim that President Jonathan is now worth about $100 million is that the President has corruptly enriched himself while in office which is certainly not the case.”

Nigeria’s Top Advert Models ➔ FROM PAGE 4

Funke Akindele: The funny, creative Nollywood and Yoruba movie genre actress adds colour and humour to Glo’s adverts, even as the brand also keeps her smiling...

To the bank!

Mohammed Yakubu: Mohammed is another northern star representing the Glo brand.

D’Banj (Kokomaster): Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo a.k.a D’Banj is a brand ambassador for Glo and also advertises for Chris Aire, world-renowned celebrity jeweller.

Original Stereoman (Ekwe): Ekwe made some cool cash from Glo as a brand ambassador, but his contract was not renewed due to certain circumstances. His alleged killing of his wife really dented his image and a comeback might, therefore, be difficult.

Mike Ezuruonye: When Mike was announced as the brand ambassador for Airtel, people thought he had betrayed Glo that he had made millions of naira from, not knowing that his contract with them was not renewed. Airtel snapped him up and so he continues to rake in the big bucks

from adverts and endorsements for the company.

He has told anyone who cares to listen that his favourite colour is no longer green but red.

Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha: This alluring, hardworking and articulate Nollywood actress from Oraifite in Anambra State is an award-winning personality with such prestigious awards as the 2007 Best Actress in a Leading Role (African Movie Academy Awards). She clinched a multimillion naira deal with Glo and since then has been one of the faces of the brand. Chi-

A small house can lodge a hundred friends. ― Egyptian Proverb

oma also represents brands like Omo and Harpic.

Flavour: Globacom has said that it is proud of urban highlife crooner Izuchukwu Chinedu Okolie, popularly known as Flavour, as its brand ambassador. The musician won the Best Live Act on Stage award at the 2014 edition of the MTV African Music Awards (MAMA), held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Jamila Nagudu: Jamila’s face can be seen on many billboards, especially across the northern part of the country, flying the flag for Glo and its products.

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October 10, 2014

Hope Rises For Snack-seller After N550,000 Donation

By Patience Ivie Ihejirika, Abuja

The snack-seller, Anna James, who was given the sum of N1m to start a better business by the management of the Nigerian Orientation Agency (NOA) early in the week, got more boost when the Market Women Association and others pledged to support her with the sum of N550, 000.

The president of the association, Felisa Sani, made the pledge yesterday in Abuja, when the association made a courtesy call on the director-general of the agency, Mike Omeri, at the agency’s headquarters.

Sani assured the minister that the association will be donating the sum of N200, 000 to James, while she will add the sum of N300, 000.

Sani told the minister that that she was moved to make the pledge, because James reminded her of herself as a young lady.

“I was in the position of that girl many years ago, when I had to take care of my parents and manage my father’s pension,” she said.

Omeri, in his response, also disclosed

that a retired NTA presenter, Moji Makanjuola, had donated the sum of N50,000 after the initial N1m was raised for the girl, making a total of N1.5m.

Luck had smiled on James after she had been invited to the agency’s orientation session tagged “Patriotism and Dignity in Labour”, as part of events to mark the conferment of the title of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) on Omeri by President Goodluck Jonathan last week Monday, in Abuja.

The snack-seller who came a confused woman who had no knowledge of what she had come to do, left the venue a millionaire, as Omeri and some dignitaries at the event gave her the sum of N1m.

Omeri revealed that he was moved after reading an article (‘Fighting for Survival against all odds: Anna’s Story’) about James’ stressful life in the LEADERSHIP Sunday, September 28, 2014 edition.

Omeri revealed that Anna will not be the only recipient, as the agency is working towards establishing a trust fund in collaboration with the Market Women Association “to support those who are doing the right thing”

Man Burnt To Death As Fire Guts Dass Emir’s Guest House

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

A 40-year-old man identified as Murtala Mohammed Othman, was burnt to death, when a mysterious fire gutted the guest house of the Emir of Dass in Bauchi State.

Othman, whose wife and children escaped with different degrees of burns, lived with his family at the guest house, could not survive the inferno which began at about 3am on, because he was determined to save his wife and children.

Though the operatives of the Bauchi State Fire service were quick to arrive at the scene, they had no chance to save the already burnt man from the fiery furnace.

Confirming the incident to LEADERSHIP FRIDAY, the Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Police Command,

Haruna Muhammed, said investigation was still as to the cause of the fire, adding that the family of the deceased were receiving treatment after they were rushed to the hospital.

“The fire started at about 0300 hours at the guest house of the Emir of Dass, GRA Bauchi, which engulfed the entire building. As a result, one Murtala Mohammed Othman (male, 40 years) was trapped and burnt to death while the wife Zuwaira and two children sustained various degrees of injuries.

“The Police patrol teams, led by DPO, GRA Division, visited the scene, while the state and Federal Polytechnic Fire Services were contacted to put out the fire, while the victims were rushed to the ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for medical attention.

L-R: First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan being presented with a plaque by the president, Ladies of Saint Mulumba Nigeria, Mrs Ngozi Nwachukwu, when the ladies paid a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. Photo by Nan

Asipa of Lisa, Chief Akeem Ogundipe; Akogun of Lisa, Chief Raufu Asunmo; Baale of Lisa; High Chief Najeemdeen Oladele Odugbemi and his wife, Oluwatoyin, during a reception for market women in Lisa to commemorate the Baale Day 2014, held at Lisa Palace in Ifo local government, Ogun State. PHOTO BY GBENGA OLAJOBI

L-R: National secretary, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Malam Liman Shuaibu; National president, NUJ, Comrade Mohammed Garba and theassociation’s senior assistant national secretary, Gbemiga Bamidele, at the world press conference of the union in Abuja, yesterday.

Unknown Assailant Stabs Man To Death

By Matthew Dike, Lagos

Residents of Ajegunle area of Lagos State woke up on Wednesday morning to see the corpse of a yet-to-be identified man lying in a pool of blood close to the Boundary-Tolu Bridge.

Passers-by were said to have gathered to catch a glimpse of the corpse to ascertain its identity, but all they could see were suspected stab-wounds which may have led to death.

A man who identified himself as

Chukwudi disclosed that when he walked past the bridge around 10pm on Tuesday he did not see the corpse.

A fruit-seller who set up shop at the top of the bridge said she left the place at about 10.30pm the night before, but saw nothing.

A police sergeant attached to the Tolu Police Station disclosed that the police are still investigating “to know the man who killed him. Anybody who kills somebody will not go scot-free, because God will expose him or her,” he said.

Parish Priest of St. Sylvester’s Catholic Church, New Nyanya, Rev. Father Laurence Anyembugu, inspecting the parish’s on-going church-building project recently.

It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir. — African Proverb

NEWS /7

October 10, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo

Military Has No Agenda To Gag Press– DHQ

By Chika Otuchikere and Bayo Oladeji, abuja

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, yesterday said that the military has no agenda to stifle the Nigerian media stressing that the days of press suppression is over.

Olukolade made the assertion yesterday, during the day-two of the workshop on media-security relationship in crisis management saying that the military cannot afford to treat the media with malice or disdain.

The Defence spokesman was reacting to allegation by one of the paper presenters and former editor-in-chief of the defunct Citizen Magazine, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, that the military attempted to gag the press on the pretext of searching for Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs. “That issue has nothing to do with the content of the newspaper. It will be very naïve on our part, at this age, to think that anybody has something to say against you and because you seize-

newspapers, it will protect you. That is absolutely naïve, we are not that foolish. If people have allegation against the military, they can ignore the newspaper, publish it in the internet. Are we going to visit every internet outlet?

“The issue has to do with intelligence, we stand by it till tomorrow. And our pledge to Nigerians in the course of this operation is that we will not ignore any information. We’ll not despise any information because we will end up taking responsibility. Should anything happen, they’ll say we were informed,” he said.

People Don’t Appreciate The Military - CDS Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh who chaired one of the sessions at the workshop has noted that although military is the strong arm of democracy all over the world, Nigerians do not appreciate this in their military.

Badeh made this observation while reacting to discussions on some papers delivered. He said Nigerians should

learn to appreciate their military because it is the only one they have.

“The military is the strong arm of democracy. You can’t do democracy if you don’t have military.

“Because if you have a strong democracy, we have a very big economy.

If you don’t have the military it is like you have gold in the room and you don’t have a door to the room. People don’t appreciate but God knows that the military is doing her best to contain the situation.”

Badeh also argued that in whatever any patriotic citizen is doing, the national interest should come first because we have no other country but Nigeria.

“National interest would have to take pre-eminence in every thing we are doing. I had arranged to see the entire editors in Lagos as the Chief of Air Staff when I was fired (removed from the office). Whatever political party you belong to, APC or PDP, APGA or Labour and no matter which part of the country you come from, we have only one country and it is this one”.

President Goodluck Jonathan being presented with Gold Plaque by Blessing Okagbare, Commonwealth Gold medalist on behalf of all the athletes.

With the president are minister of sports, Tamuno Danagogo (left) and director general, National Sport Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, during a dinner hosted for them by the president at State House Banquet Hall Abuja recently. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN.

2015: We Won’t Encourage Endorsement For PDP Governors, Aspirants – Akpabio Says court verdict has annulled arrangement for Ribadu, others

By George Agba, Abuja

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has ruled out endorsement for state governors under the party’s platform seeking a second term or governorship aspirants, saying that there is the need for a level playing ground for every contestants.

He , however, noted that the case of President Goodluck Jonathan who was

recently endorsed by the party as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election was different because the party was yet to see any credible aspirant that is capable of challenging Jonathan in terms of credibility and achievements.

Akpabio stated this yesterday while addressing journalists after meeting with Jonathan at the presidential villa in Abuja.

The governor was reacting to questions as to whether endorsement would still be used in his state after some people had last week accused him of confiscating the membership register of the PDP and alleging that he wanted to play up a favourite candidate for the gover-

norship elections.

The PDP Governors’ forum chairman also declared that with the court verdict that brought in James Ngilari as Adamawa State governor, the arrangement evolved among the governorship aspirants in the state who sacrificed their ambition, including former EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu stands annulled.

He said, “You know once the court’s pronounces, everybody has to obey. So whatever was arranged it means every arrangement has been annulled by the court’s decision, that is the implication.

All arrangements has been annulled by the court verdict.

Govs Orji, Okorocha Settle Political Differences At Wedding

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and his Abia State counterpart, Theodore Orji, mended fences yesterday as they wined and dined at the traditional marriage rite of Okorocha’s daughter to the secretary to the Imo State government, Anthony Anwuka.

It would be recalled the two governors of the neighbouring states have been at loggerheads over the controversial sacking of Imo indigenes in Abia civil service.

Although Orji, who is also the chairman of Southeast Governor’s Forum, immediately after his arrival went to his reserved seat close to Oyo State governor Abiola Ajimobi, political observers, were of the view that the visit has political significance, especially the plot by governors from the zone to prevail on Okorocha to drop his presidential ambition and endorse President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.

However, some other observers at the occasion dismissed any political undertone in Orji’s visit.

According to one of the observers who pleaded anonymity “Orji came in his capacity as the Chairman of the Southeast Governor’s Forum and it was not political. Abia and Imo are neigbouring states” Okorocha in his speech shortly before handing the bride over to the groom, said, “I am happy that my colleagues are here, those who are my friends and those that give me headache. I am happy that my daughter’s marriage has made those that give me headache to seat by my side”.

LP Crisis Deepens As Nwanyanwu, Labour Tussle For Party’s Control

By Michael Oche, Abuja The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) following the defection of the only governor on the platform of the party, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seemed to have degenerated as the struggle to take control of the party gets messier.

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday insisted that the Labour Party belongs to the unions and has the power to suspend the convention slated for Akure.

The leadership of the party headed by Chief Dan Nwanyanwu has insisted that the party’s convention is to hold October 11, 2014, but the organised labour yesterday urged members of the party to stay away from the convention.

Addressing a joint press conference yesterday in Abuja, NLC president, Abduwaheed Omar said the NLC will not allow the Labour Party to be an appendage of the ruling party, a reference to the allegation that Governor Mimiko is sponsoring the Akure convention.

Honorable is the person who is aware of his power, yet refrains from inflicting bad things onto others Egyptian Proverbs.

8/ NEWS

October 10, 2014

$9.3m Scandal: FG Must Come Clean On Identity Of Nigerians On Jet – APC

Kwankwaso Laments $15m Seizure As Fashola Warns Against Impunity

By George Okojie, Lagos

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Asari-Dokubo’s denial of his involvement in the $9.3million cash-forarms scandal carries no weight until the federal government comes clean on the identity of Nigerians aboard the plane carrying the dollars impounded by the South African government.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said its reaction followed a story published by www. africaneagle.com and www.nairaland.com, saying Asari-Dokubo was one of the Nigerians aboard the jet that carried the money to South Africa.

“To the best of our knowledge, that re-

port has not been denied over 24 hours later. We, therefore, contend that AsariDokubo’s denial of his involvement carries no weight until the government, which has claimed ownership of the funds, tells Nigerians who the two Nigerian citizens who were in the plane with an Israeli are.

“We have no business with Asari-Dokubo. He can blab all he likes. We have no reason to disbelieve a widely-circulated published report that named him as one of those on the plane. If he now says he was not on the plane, let the government come out and tell Nigerians who and who were on it”, it said.

APC wondered why the government has refused, for over three weeks now, to identify the Nigerians who flew on the plane that ferried the money to South Africa, es-

pecially after the Israeli who was also on the plane has been named.

“Identifying the Nigerians will help to unravel the circumstances surrounding the whole scandal. It will be interesting to know if the Nigerians are security officials, officials from the office of the NSA who issued the end-user certificate for the transaction or ordinary Nigerians.

“It will be interesting to know their relationship with the government that qualified them to fly such a huge amount of money to another country without declaring it. It will be interesting to know if they are arms contractors.

“We hope the Jonathan administration will end its deafening silence on the issue immediately and come clean on the whole scandal,’’ the party said.

L-R: Facilitatorin-chief of Made-in-Aba Fair, Sen Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Sen Basheer Mohammed during the 2nd edition of the fair in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI.

Gov Ngilari Sacks All Political Appointees

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

Governor of Adamawa State, Barrister Bala James Ngilari has sacked all political appointees in the state with immediate effect.

The position of the governor was contained in a press release issued and signed by the chief of staff to the governor, Alhaji Chubado Tijjani.

Tijjani asked all the sacked political appointees to hand over to the permanent secretaries of their respective ministries.

of Assembly to continue presiding over it, but that was not to be as he failed to show up at the plenary which was attended by 17 out of the 25 members of the assembly.

There are fears that the House may be thrown into leadership crisis following the pressure allegedly being mounted on the acting speaker not to allow Fintiri to stage a comeback as the speaker on the grounds that the governor of the state and the speaker cannot come from the same local government as is the case with Ngilari and Fintiri.

Fintiri Absent At Assembly Session The sacked acting governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri was absent at yesterday’s emergency plenary session convened by the acting speaker of the state House of Assembly, Barr. Kwamoti Laore.

Following the sacking of the acting governor, it was envisaged that he would immediately return to the House

Ngilari Begins Official Functions, Promises To Deliver Adamawa To Jonathan The newly sworn in governor of Adamawa State, Barrister Bala James Ngilari performed his first official function in his office at the Government House, Yola, yesterday, where he received members of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Integration Committee

led by former Senate president, Ken Nnamani, with a promise that he will deliver Adamawa State to President Goodluck Jonathan come 2015.

Ngilari who stormed the Government House around 9:30am, clad in complete white attire, went directly into his office where he met with the members of the committee.

Nyako Congratulates Governor James Ngilari On Court Verdict Former governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) has congratulated his erstwhile deputy, Bala James Ngilari on his victory at a Federal High Court, Abuja, which declared him as the substantive governor of the state.

He said in a press release signed by his director of press and publicity, Mallam Ahmad Sajo, that the position of the court has proved to all and sundry that due process was not followed during the impeachment saga.

Everything you can imagine is real.

Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and scuiptor

Kano State governor, Mallam Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has lamented the seizure of over $15 million allegedly meant for arms purchase by South African security forces from some Nigerians.

Also, his Lagos State counterpart, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who described the laws and constitutionality, as the bedrock of any nation, saying the application of the Cremation and Public Health Laws helped his state in overcoming the ebola Virus scourge.

Speaking yesterday in Ado-Ekiti after commissioning the Ire Burnt Brick factory revived by Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration, Kwankwaso, called on President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government to follow due process in the procurement of arms to check the recurrence of the ugly incident.

He was reacting to the seizure of 5.7 million and $9.3 million by south African Security agencies from some Nigerians, who claimed that the money were meant to purchase arms for the Nigeria Army to confront the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast of the country.

Kwankwaso, who also spoke on the recent court brouhaha in the state, condemned the incident and called on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise up to protect judiciary for the sustenance of the country’s fledgling democracy,

Etsu Nupe Advises Politicians Against ‘Do Or Die’ Politics

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

The Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar has called on politicians to play the game of politics by its rules even as Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state said that one of those eyeing the Governorship seat from his cabinet has been asked to step down.

Etsu Abubakar who is the Chairman of the Niger state council of Traditional Rulers gave the advice to Politician ahead of 2015 general election when he led other traditional rulers in the state to pay Sallah homage on the Governor yesterday at government house Minna.

The Royal Father said politics should not be a do or die affairs but service to the people to enhance peaceful coexistence and should be played without rancor and bitterness.

He however called one the electorate to ensure that they register and vote during elections for people of their choice while urging all to pray for peaceful elections in 2015.

Similarly he prayed for peace for any part of the country witnessing insurgence at present and also called on everyone to be security conscious.

Aliyu, while asking for forgiveness from those he might have offended during the course of governance, said to avoid rancour after his party’s primary, one of the governorship candidate in his cabinet eyeing the governorship has been asked to step down.

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October 10, 2014

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR pLATEAU STATE OF NIGERIA p. M. B. 2069, Ray-field, Jos, plateau State

Letter to My Fellow Plateau Citizen My Dear Fellow Citizen, on the 29th May, 2007, I appeared in your presence and in that of God to bind myself through an Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance to faithfully perform the duties allotted to me as the Governor of Plateau State. Under such an Oath, the foundations of order, peace, unity, good governance, accountability, protection of the interest, as well as the advancement of the welfare of our people was firmly established, based on a philosophy that was driven by the mission to serve.

Nothing can make us deviate from our mission of “a Plateau in the hands of God and a people working patiently towards responding to the development challenges of building a new era of progress”. Your abiding faith and confidence in me spurred me towards making a mark and leaving a legacy on the sands of time. This is a historic responsibility that I swore to discharge.

Our most cherished Plateau state is one that is blessed with unlimited possibilities that reflects its geo-strategic position and spectacular beauty , accentuated by diverse landscapes. The blueness of our skies, vast plains, as well as hundreds of mountains and hills that surround us transcend the wounds of our divided past, with a rare opportunity for us to build a future that is shared and secured.

We need to be reminded of the words of Frantz Fanon that ‘each generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it’. As a people, we have found inspiration in Fanon’s call to collective action to take ownership of shaping our destiny.

Through the Redemption philosophy, we have covered grounds from a heritage of hope to a hope that has been redeemed for the common good. The common good is premised on the logic of our willingness to co-initiate, co-inspire, co-drive, co-own and co-protect.

The overwhelming mandate given to me by the people of plateau in 2007 was anchored on the belief that we have tarried too long on the fringes of arrested growth and development. We sought to change that Story through a well thought out plan of action.

Regardless of where my successor will emerge from, our search for a leader in 2015 and beyond must be driven by key benchmarks-fear of God, wisdom, initiative, strong will/character, courage to defend the heritage, interest and future of Plateau State, credibility and integrity, as well as an abiding and unwavering commitment to consolidating on the gains made so far under Redemption I and II. Above all, avoiding the pitfalls we might have experienced is critical.

For me, leading you by virtue of the authority you entrusted on me is not the hardest thing going by my experience in statecraft, both in the military and in the current democratic dispensation, which I played a key role towards its enthronement. Leading without leaving something behind that is what is hardest. Under the abiding grace of God and the support of our people, we have something to show that can be felt, seen, touched and felt.

Let’s continue to hope and work for the best. Hope is the pillar of our heritage. Those without hope should understand that there is no future without hope. Our testament of Redemption from 2007 to date was meant to transform this hope into reality for our common good.

What we have done is to chart a roadmap that will fast track our growth and development, using infrastructure, human capital development and resource mobilisation.

The pursuit of these fundamental objectives has become the central pillars that drive our quest to not allow the air of despair settle in our society, which represents a bastion of stability in Nigeria.

We must collectively join hands to resist any attempt to factionalise or fractionalise our common heritage under the guise of politics that is defined in terms of struggle to gain access to the state and control of its resources and power at all costs. It is only through informed leadership that the institutions, structures, patterns and processes implanted by our founding fathers can continually be nurtured for the better. This is an ideal I have also struggled to sustain under the Redemption Philosophy.

My fellow citizens, this conversation is an expression of my gratitude to you for giving me the rare opportunity of being a democratic leader. In a sense too, I have tried within the limits of my human constraints to ensure that the right to govern Plateau State is balanced with the right of citizens to be governed competently. This is the only way we can avoid becoming victims of our own success.

I have the rare honour of being your fellow citizen.

10 NEWS NATIONAL ASCSN, Education Ministry Call For Release Of N1.7bn

By Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, Lagos

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Federal Ministry of Education have agreed that the tripartite Task Force should continue to work to ensure that the outstanding N1.7 billion (which covers all other arrears of promotion and other allowances) with the Budget Office is released.

The union has directed that the industrial action will continue until its demands particularly the payment of the promotion arrears are made to its teeming members in the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters, the Inspectorate Offices, and the 104 Federal Unity Colleges.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday and signed by its secretary-general, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, the union enjoined its teeming members at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspectorate Offices, and the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to remain firm and obey the strike order until directed otherwise by the union.

The ASCSN secretary-general stated that at a meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity last Wednesday, 8th October 2014, with the representatives of the union and the Federal Ministry of Education it was agreed that the tripartite Task Force should continue to work to ensure that the outstanding N1.7 billion (which covers all other arrears of promotion and other allowances) with the Budget Office is released.

Safe Motherhood Receives Boost In Jigawa

By Muh’d Zangina Kura, Dutse

As part of its effort to reduce maternal deaths, Jigawa State government through Ministry of Women Affairs yesterday distributed 27 cars to various communitybased groups in the state known as “Haihuwa Lafiya.”

Speaking at the presentation of the vehicles to the groups from across the 27 local government areas of the state the commissioner of women affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab said the total number of vehicles distributed from 2007 to date are 125.

She explained that under the safe motherhood programme they registered 413 hard to reach villages and mobilised volunteers training them on how to assist pregnant women by taking them to hospital or donate bloods in any case of emergency.

The commissioner added that the vehicles distributed are used in transporting pregnant women and other emergency cases from the designated villages to any health care centre.

“Under the Haihuwa Lafiya programme we are also working hand in hand with National Unoin of Road Transport Workers with view to ensure quick and timely transporting pregnant women to hospital to avoid any avoidable death.”

October 10, 2014

Stealing Of Public Funds Ongoing In NNPC – Amaechi

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has alleged that there is ongoing stealing of public funds from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This is as he declared that despite the decrease in funds allocated to states from the federation account, the Rivers State government is not broke and cannot go borrowing to pay salaries of civil servants in the state.

Amaechi, who spoke yesterday when he appeared on a live radio phone-in special

interview programme, monitored in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said the ongoing corruption in NNPC was undermining the revenue accruing to the state in the federation.

He said, “The fact that our oil wells have been given to Bayelsa, in Soku and Abia, in Etche, it will naturally bring down our revenue. But beyond that is the stealing going on in NNPC. The president is talking about oil theft; what quantity of oil can they steal that will bring down revenue from N25 billion to N12 billion? So, the stealing is more in NNPC. “This magazine, Forbes rated our President as the 6th richest president in Af-

rica and he is denying it. Forbes is not a gossip magazine, it is what they see that they present to the public. This is the first time someone is denying his ranking in the magazine. People are saying I am abusing the president, I have never abused him. The only thing is that I state the facts the way they are. Forbes published that our president is the 6th richest African President, it is not Amaechi.

“Oil theft is a different thing and the stealing going on in NNPC is a different thing. Corruption in NNPC is undermining the revenue the states are getting. Our corruption index has gone down by nine points.

L-R: New Adamawa State Governor James Ngilari and minister of Youth and Social Development Boni Haruna when the minister paid a courtesy visit to the governor shortly after his swearing-in at Government House, Yola.

PHOTO BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Noise Pollution Can Be Contained In Nigeria Like Ebola – Fashola

By George Okojie, Lagos

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday appealed to Lagosians to join hands with the state government in its bid to curtail noise pollution , saying it is possible to contain noise pollution the way the country contained the deadly ebola virus disease.

The governor who said this at the Drivers’ Appreciation Day , an event organised by the state Ministry of Transportation urged the residents to refrain from activities capable of generating needless noise

in the state.

Fashola said a noiseless society is possible, if only the residents could cooperate with government in reducing noise pollution as they did in the containment of ebola virus diseases.

According to him, if Lagos could contain ebola virus disease despite its fatality, noise pollution could also be contained.

The governor said, “The whole world feared that we would not be able to survive ebola but we stood up as a family from the primary health care workers, the religious leaders, the obas, the chiefs, the lo-

cal government, the civil societies. We all decided to confront a threat that has never happened in an urban centre before.

“Lagos is the first test case. I remember what they were telling me from the Centre for Diseases Control that there was no precedent for what was happening in Lagos because that was the first time in 40 years that ebola would be breaking out in an urban centre. Almost other experiences were in the rural areas. But again, we learn, we worked together and we overcame that. If we can do that, can we not then overcome noise pollution.

Cash For Arms: MURIC Warns FG Not To Sanction South Africa

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) yesterday warned the federal government not to sanction South Africa over the seized arms money.

MURIC’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola in a statement, advised government not to carry out its threat against South African businesses in the country because this was capable of backfiring.

It argued that thousands of Nigerians engage in legitimate works in South Africa, these innocent Nigerians would be exposed to both economic and physical threats if Nigeria hits South Africa’s business interests.

According to MURIC, unlike Nigerians who are unhappy with their government, South Africans would quickly align with their government and treat every Nigerian on the street like a thief and a rogue.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

The federal government had warned South Africa about its business investments in Nigeria like MTN and DSTV over the seizure.

It also reminded South Africa how it had hitherto provided a conducive business atmosphere for it to operate unhindered.

MURIC noted that the warning came as a fallout of the diplomatic row between the two countries.

October 10, 2014

11

12 NEWS NATIONAL

October 10, 2014

L-R: Kogi commissioner for women affairs and social development, Hajiya Berikisu Momoh, Kogi first lady, Hajiya Halima Wada, Senate president’s wife, Mrs Helen Mark and wife of Etsu Gboloko, Hajiya Aisha Abu Ali, during a condolence visit to the Government House on the death of Kogi governor’s father, Pa Wada Ejiga, in Lokoja, yesterday.

N6.5bn Wuse Market Suit: FCDA, Firm Begin Defence Monday

By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja

The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), All Purpose Shelters Limited (APSL) and Abuja Property Development Company (APDC), which are defendants in the case filed by some traders under the aegis of Wuye Ultra-modern Market Owners will on the Monday, October 13, 2014 open their defence before an Abuja High Court.

The traders had sued the defendants over alleged refusal APSL to allocate shops to them at the N6.5billion Wuye Ultra-modern Market in Abuja after they were given Provisional Of-

fer of Allocation.

The traders closed their case yesterday after their lawyer, Mr S. E. Peters called one of the traders, Mrs Mary John, to give evidence in the case.

The APSL, through its lawyer, Mr Rotimi Ojo, in its amended statement of defence, asked the court to order that full-scale business transaction be commenced to avoid dilapidation of the buildings at the newly built N6.5billion market.

The market which has 1,700 shops could not be used for business transactions after it was commissioned by President Goodluck Jona-

than due to an order of the court in February 2014, restraining the FCDA, APSL and APDC, who are defendants in the case, “from allocating any of the offices in the market pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The market was built on 7.3 hectares of land under the public private partnership (PPP) and Build,Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement.

The plaintiffs, numbering over 370 had filed the matter against the defendants, challenging the propriety of the allocation of the market.

Ekiti: Stop Assault On Judiciary, APC Tells Jonathan

By George Okojie, Lagos

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to stop his administration’s brazen assault on the judiciary by ordering the immediate withdrawal of the security agents deployed to block the resumption of the courts in Ekiti State, as ordered by the National Judicial Commission (NJC), chaired by the chief justice of Nigeria.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the act of deploying security agents to prevent the

courts from reopening as directed by the NJC amounts to undermining the judiciary and the Constitution.

“The chief justice of Nigeria, who is the head of the judiciary, ordered that courts in Ekiti must reopen and that security personnel should do their jobs by providing security.

“Instead, the security agents were wilfully deployed to prevent the courts from opening. This violation flies in the face of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This undemocratic encroachment and erosion portend great danger for our nation and constitute a threat to our de-

mocracy.

“The Presidency is not constitutionally in any role able to second-guess, override or reverse the judiciary. Our constitutional democracy recognises separation of powers, and the constitution clearly identifies the scope of each organ’s powers and the head of each branch.

“This administration’s conduct in frustrating an order of the chief justice of Nigeria and the NJC is a new low in lawlessness and illegality. The Presidency is implicitly conveying the message that it is unnecessary to obey the judiciary. The only result of such conduct is anarchy and chaos.

NNN Workers To NSGF: Sell Off Some Properties To Revive Company

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

The New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) Chapter of the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW) yesterday after an extra-ordinary congress called on the owners of the company, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), to sell off some of the company’s properties in order to pay workers’ entitlements and revive the company which has been closed down for over a year.

NNN workers embarked on a strike action since February 2013, as a result of alleged non-payment of 30 months salaries including

other entitlements such as salary differences, leaf grants, gratuities, retrenched workers’ entitlements among other reasons.

In a text jointly signed by Comrade Saidu Bello, chairman and Comrade Victor Dazang, secretary, delivered at a press conference in Kaduna, the NNN workers said they could no longer tolerate the dehumanising treatment meted out to them by the management and owners of the company which has led to the death of many of them.

They gave names of their dead colleagues to include Ibrahim Adamu, Gana Ibrahim, Istifanus Yanki, Wakili Maitunbi, Comfort Samuel, Iliya Yusuf, Mr Ezekiel, Nuhu Dauda, Samu-

el Ayeni, Mallam Zubairu and Jibrin Gulani.

They also alleged that many workers of the company have been evicted from their rented apartments for their inability to pay their rents, while the redundant management staff are enjoying the comfort of the company’s quarters, just as many workers of NNN can no longer afford the school fees of their children.

They said, “The deplorable state of the company is an aberration of the founding fathers’ legacy. The situation in the company is nowhere near their southern counterparts.

Therefore, the workers are calling on Northern governors to buckle up and reposition the company.”

Rather a piece of bread with a happy heart than wealth with grief.

Egyptian Proverbs

Senate Hasn’t Discussed Suspension Of New Polling Units – Saraki

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr Bukola Saraki has clarified that the Senate has at no time debated the suspension of the new polling units created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the country.

He said the statements credited to Senator Andy Uba on the issue “are at best the personal views of Senator Andy Uba”.

Saraki made the clarification in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen via electronic mail.

The statement partly reads: “Senator Saraki will like to state clearly that as legislators, the same way we clamoured for politicians not to interfere with the Nigeria Police Force as an independent body, we should not also interfere with INEC. “In the last few years, Nigeria’s electoral process has been witnessing salient changes; to a high level, candidates and the masses are certain that elections will be won based on votes cast and counted legally; this is a development that we must commend INEC for under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega.

“This development does not only give confidence to the electorate, it also compels political office holders to perform in order to avoid being voted out; these are good developments for our democracy as a nation”.

Drop Guber Ambition, FCT Indigenes Tell FCT Minister

By Catherine Agbo, Abuja

Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the auspices of Coalition of Indigenous Groups in FCT have urged the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed to drop his plans of contesting the Bauchi State gubernatorial election and concentrate on completing his projects in the territory.

This follows media reports that the minister is one of the cabinet members who would soon resign their appointments to pursue various political interests.

The Abuja indigenes who staged a peaceful protest from Garki village to the minister’s office in Area 11, yesterday, urged the minister to reconsider the decision, insisting that there were certain pixies initiated by the minister, which they feel he should be around to complete, as the initiator.

Coordinator of the group, Engr. Danjuma Bussa, who spoke on behalf of his members, said the protest was borne out of the desire of the indigenes to see the projects, such as the land swap project completed, a desire which the minister’s purported political move may affect, emphasising that integration of original inhabitants, a policy introduced by the incumbent minister, may stop once he leaves office.

“The integration of original inhabitants is a policy that never worked in the FCT before the coming of Senator Bala Mohammed. He has restored our hope with his assurance of a workable integration, resettlement and compensation plan to succeed for the first time since 1976,” Bussa said.

Speaking further, he said, “we call to reconsider and shelve his plan to join the governorship race so that he can continue with

October 10, 2014

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business

October 10, 2014

N13.582trn The market capitalisation closed lower at N13.582 trillion

Car Hire Operators Protest Over Ejection From Car Park At Lagos Airport

By NKEM OSUAGWU, Lagos

There was traffic gridlock at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos yesterday as members of the Airport Limousine Shuttle Service Association of Nigeria (ALSSAN) staged a protest over their relocation by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The protesters were seen carrying placards with several inscriptions, while some of them were chanting songs of grievances against FAAN for ejecting them

from the car park at the International wing of the airport.

They also barricaded the road thereby disturbing free flow of vehicular movement which led to a long queue of vehicles along the airport-Ikeja access road.

When contacted, some of the members of ALSSAN said they were disappointed by the action of FAAN stating that, they generate about N32million to the coffers of FAAN yearly yet, the management of the agency was not treating them properly.

Market Capitalisation Declines By N139bn On Profit-Taking

BY Olushola Bello, Lagos

Transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday closed on a downward note on profit taking as major stocks recorded huge losses.

The market capitalisation of the listed equities fell by N139 billion to close at N13.397 trillion, down from N13.536 trillion at the close of Wednesday. Also, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index declined by 422.77 basis points or 1.03 per cent from 40,995.02 basis points to close at 40,572.25 basis points.

Forte Oil lost N7.45 to lead the losers’ chart and closed its shares’ value at N217.55 per share. Dangote Cement’s stock depreciated by N4.65 to close at N215.15, while Total dipped by N4.50 to close at N175.50 per share.

Glaxosmithkline lost N1 to close at N61 and CCNN fell by 73 kobo to close at N15.02 per share.

L-R: Director-general, Budget Office, Dr Bright Okogu; coordinating minister of the economy and minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, president, World Bank, Mr Jim Yong Kim and Mr Godwin Emefiele; during the private meeting with other Nigerian delegates to the 2014 annual meetings of the Worldbank/IMF in Washington DC on Wednesday.

Mainstreet Bank: Skye Bank Signs Share Purchase Agreeement

BY Bukola Idowu, Lagos

Following the announcement of Skye Bank as preferred bidder for Mainstreet Bank by Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the bank has paid the initial 20 per cent and signed the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA).

The bank in a statement issued yesterday said its group managing director and chief executive , Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, had signed on behalf of the Bank, while AMCON was represented by its executive management.

According to the bank, the 20 per cent down payment, which was made well ahead of the deadline, confirmed its commitment and ability to consummate the transaction.

The bank also assured of its ability to meet the remaining financial commitment on the acquisition within the specified time frame.

AMCON had announced Skye Bank as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of all its interest in Mainstreet Bank, representing the entire capital of the bridge bank.

Skye Bank emerged the preferred bidder after a rigorous bidding exercise that spanned five months, with over 20 bidders contending.

The acquisition of Mainstreet Bank is part of Skye Bank’s strategic plan for growth.

It will be recalled that Skye Bank emerged from merger and integration of five banks in 2006, following the first phase of the banking industry consolidation.

The bank intends to leverage its

wealth of experience from the successful integration of five banks to drive efficiency, increase market share and ultimately ramp up stakeholder value from the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank.

The acquisition will avail the bank many benefits, including cost leadership, business optimisation, and greater ability to offer business convenience to its teeming retail and commercial customers, with a combined branch network of over 450, across all the states of the federation.

Skye Bank, a leading tier 2 bank in Nigeria, was among the 8 banks recently designated as ‘Systemically Important Banks’, which reflects its industry leadership, strong market share, diverse location spread, and strong brand equity.

BUSINESS QUOTE Never waste a good crisis. Lee Myung-Bak, South Korean president, quoted in the Economist, November 2009.

A depression is for capitalism like a good, cold douche.

Joseph

Court Fixes October 29 To Hear Contempt Proceedings Against CBN

By OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos will on October 29 hear a committal proceedings filed by some pensioners, against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for allegedly disobeying a judgment of the court.

The pensioners: James Jemilo, Thompson Edun, Jacob Amao, and Joachim Ajala, who are suing for themselves and on behalf of all CBN pensioners, want the court to compel the CBN to comply with the federal government’s directive on pension harmonisation.

Listed as contemnors in

the case are the CBN, deputy governor, corporate services, Alhaji Suleiman Barau; director, human resources, Ms Chizoba Mojekwu, and director of legal services, Simon Onekutu.

LEADERSHIP recalls that in a judgment delivered on May 22, 2000, Justice Wilson Egbo-Egbo,

(now retired), had directed CBN to pay the applicants all accrued pensions with effect from January 1 1997, on emoluments currently earned by their serving counterparts.

The judgement was also upheld by both the Court of Appeal, and later the Supreme Court, on

December 5, 2006, and May 21, 2010 respectively.

The plaintiffs averred that after the Supreme Court’s judgment, CBN slightly enhanced the pension arrears of about 1,604 pensioners who retired before June 1, 2000, out of 5,000 eligible pensioners.

Emefiele

BUSINESS NEWS /17

October 10, 2014

Petroluem Tanker Drivers Suspend Strike On SouthSouth, South-East Roads

By NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the NUPENG, yesterday, suspended the two-week strike action by their members in the south-south and south-east zones of the country.

National chairman of the union, Comrade Salimon Oladiti, who made this known in Abuja, said the strike was suspended following the intervention of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the permanent secretary federal ministry of petroleum, Chief Ifeanyi Uba, chief executive of Capital Oil, among other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,

calling for more time for the federal government to fix these roads.

The union had last month, issued a warning of the impending strike action of the south south and south east, and had specifically called for urgent repairs of Port-Harcourt-Eleme Junction Road, OkigweUmuahia and Jebba-Ilorin Road.

“Our members had, on expiration of the ultimatum, boycotted these roads and refused to lift products on those axis and for the second week running now, the situation is becoming unbearable. Moreover, we wanted to extend same action to other parts of the country.

IMF: World Economy Needs Smart Fiscal Policies

by ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, New York

As the World Bank began its annual Summit in Washington, DC, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday said that fiscal policies could help support job creation.

The IMF while stating this in its newly released Fiscal Monitor, added that designing the right policies would depend on conditions in individual

countries.

According to the report, job creation sits atop the policy agenda globally while high and persistent levels of unemployment call for a broad policy response, generally encompassing structural reform and other economic policies.

It pressed further that while fiscal policy cannot substitute for comprehensive reforms, it can support job creation in a number of ways. According

to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), global unemployment exceeds 200 million people, and an additional 13 million people are expected to be unemployed by 2018. In order to address the high and persistent levels of unemployment, the IMF is calling for a multipronged policy response, where fiscal policy works in tandem with broader structural reform efforts to support job creation.

High-level Delegations Expected In Marrakech For African Development Forum

BY WENESO OROGUN, Abuja

Marrakech, Morocco, will host a number of African leaders as part of the 9th African Development Forum, an event spearheaded by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

This year, the forum which takes place every two years, will focus on illicit financial flows, domestic resource mobilisation, new forms of partnerships and climate financing.

A press statement by the forum’s secretariat yesterday said this would be the first time the event was holding outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the ECA is headquartered.

The statement added that this year, the forum will discuss innovative ways to fund Africa’s transformation at the event billed for October 12-16, 2014.

“Since the late 1990s, many African economies have grown significantly, and a number of countries continue to benefit from accelerating growth rates.

Between 1995 and 2012, the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) doubled in real terms, from $656 billion to $1,369 billion, while the GDP per capita increased by 40 per cent, from $917 to $1,265.

Impressive as these figures

are, a number of challenges continue to impede Africa’s transformation, the key one being Africa is still dependent on overseas aid.

“According to reports and ECA findings, Africa requires approximately $200 billion annually to finance sustainable development, promote climate change adaptation and mitigation, and enhance economic resilience and competitiveness.

Africa’s infrastructure requirements alone are estimated at some $90 billion per year. The costs of safeguarding Africa’s natural resources, which continue to underpin most growth in the continent, are also increasing.”

Speaking about how African countries can raise funds, executive secretary of the ECA, Carlos Lopes, said, “For developing countries to access the funds they require, they must strive to mobilise additional financial resources, including by accessing financial markets, while developed countries must honour the financial commitments they have made in international forums.

The continent must embark on reforms to capture currently unexplored or poorly managed resources.

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/business

L-R: Director, Parastatals Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Mr Taiwo Ogundipe; directorgeneral, Mrs Nellie Mayshak and director, Pensioner Support Services, Mrs Roz Ben-Okagbue at a sensitisation workshop on pension management for the South-West in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN

N40bn Debt: Unity Bank Issues 2-week Ultimatum To Debtors

By NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

At the end of the two weeks deadline for its debtors to pay up, Unity Bank has threatened to submit the names of defaulting debtors to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to have them blacklisted by the apex bank.

The bank has also vowed to publish the names of such debtors and shame them thereby ensuring that they cannot access future loans from other banks in the country.

These disclosures were made by the managing director of Unity Bank, Mr Henry Semenitari, at the bank’s celebration of customer service week in Abuja.

Semenitari also noted that the bank has slowed down on its lending activities and was deriving its revenue more from the cost lines. According to him, “The good thing is lending has been reduced since it is really not our focus. So 80 per cent of our revenues are cash profits.”

Semenitari put the value of the debts owed the bank “in excess of N40 billion, about N40 billion to N50 billion, with the interests unserviced over the years.

“So what we have said is that, the official guideline is simple, nobody is saying…, some are willing to pay as well. You know how Nigerians relax until you put a threat then they will take it serious.

He said everything will be done within the law, but that “luckily, 90 per cent of our customers are Nigerians, they are here, they are in this country and we know them, we know where they are. While we were not going after then, everybody became complacent, I can tell you. But some are doing businesses in other banks. And the good news for the industry today is that the current management of CBN is very serious about addressing bad debtors.”

According to Semenitari, “If you forward names of debtors

Not every movement is progress; Some movements are just a way of burning fats!

― Israelmore Ayivor

to the CBN and they confirm the names, the customers will be blacklisted. So what we will do after two weeks beyond recovering our money, is to employ whatever legal means there is and they will also be blacklisted from banking transactions.”

Unity bank officials and staff involved in shady loan transactions he said, would also not be spared.

“Will do everything within the law and I think EFCC is an acceptable arm of the law to address our debt, so we will do that. But there will be negotiations, but whenever you negotiate loans, discounts come in, as long as you are not discounting against the expense of the bank.”

The issue of interest he said “is in the inability of the customer to pay, that’s why penalty rates come and penalty rates are legal.

If you don’t service your debts for x period of time, penalty rates come in.”

18 motoring

October 10, 2014

Auto Importers, SON At Loggerheads Over Vehicle Pre-shipment Inspection Stories By Samson Echenim, Lagos

Automobile importers and dealers have opposed the decision of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to subject imported vehicles to pre-shipment verification.

The SON recently appointed three inspection companies to verify Nigeria-bound vehicles before shipping into the country.

But the decision has drawn severe criticism from the importers who said the SON, by the said exercise, was attempting to take over the job of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), or at least, duplicate it, noting that the move was only a way of finding relevance in the country’s automobile import system.

Freight forwarders have earlier expressed their dissatisfaction with the SON’s engagement of the service providers, which are Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited, Quality Assurance Projects Limited and Medtech Scientific Limited.

The

currently idle destination inspection companies have also received their share of knocks from the vehicle importers who described their willingness to take the jobs ridiculous and a way of looking for food.

An automobile dealer at the Berger Auto Market, Mile 2, Lagos, Mr Collins Nwabueze, alleged that the SON was apparently looking for an avenue to find its way back to the ports, adding that payment of inspection levy on imported vehicles would add significantly to the importers’ costs.

“The pre-shipment verification of vehicles by the SON, beyond its role as the law establishing it stated, does not operate in the ports any longer or arrest consignments along the roads,” he said.

The federal government appears dogged in implementing a policy plan that discourages importation of vehicles as it pursues the manufacturing of cars and buses in Nigeria to develop the country’s automobile

manufacturing industry. It is not clear whether the SON’s new initiative was part of the federal government plan to further streamline vehicular importation.

An importer of used vehicles, Chief Nnamdi Onwuamaegbu, said the SON had gone wild in the last couple of months, arresting imported vehicles on the roads and has been “having issues with other sectors of the economy.”

He said that apart from arresting containers and consignments belonging to importers, the agency still usurp other governmental agencies functions which includes the recent face-off with cement manufacturers.

He recalled that government has withdrawn the services of the SON from port operations since 2012, yet the agency is trying to seek for relevance within the maritime sector.

The importer called for total collaboration between freight agents, importers and even the general public to kick against the SON’s actions.

Director-general, SON, Mr Joseph Odumodu

General Motors Recalls Cars, SUVs Globally

Chevrolet Spark

General Motors Company said it was recalling 524,384 cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) globally in two actions dealing with potential latch problems and loose parts and would stop sales of two new truck models with potential air bag defects.

According to a Reuters report, the latest recalls, which involved Cadillac and Saab SUVs and Chevrolet Spark small cars, bring the number by the United States’ (US’) first auto maker to 71 this year, affecting almost 30 million vehicles.

The highest profile is the recall of 2.6 million cars with defective ignition switches linked to at least 23 deaths.

GM also said it had told US dealers on Thursday to stop selling the newly introduced 2015 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-sized pickup trucks in advance of a recall to fix a potential air bag defect. The company said it was recalling 430,550 Cadillac SRX and

Saab 9-4X SUVs for possible loose joint and worn threads in the rear toe link assembly that could cause the vehicle to wander at highway speed and if it separates, increasing the risk of a crash. It said it was aware of three crashes and two injuries resulting from the problem.

Dealers will replace the SUVs’ rear toe link assembly as needed. The recall affects SRX SUVs from model years 2010 through 2015 and 9-4X SUVs from 2011 and 2012 model years.

The Detroit company also recalled 93,834 newer South Korea-built Chevrolet Spark cars because of a risk of the hood opening unexpectedly during driving, increasing the likelihood of a crash. The cars affected by the recall are from model years 2013 through 2015. Customers will be notified, and dealers will replace the cars’ hood strikers when parts are available, GM said.

Don’t take the straight path or the winding path. Take the path your ancestors have taken.”

Roger von Oech, American author, inventor and speaker

19

October 10, 2014

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

MISSING VEHICLE This is to notify the general public that a white-coloured Hyundai Sonata saloon car with registration number BWR 642 AH and chassis number KMHEB41BABA097759 belonging to LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd is missing. The vehicle was last seen with Hajiya Mariya Ibrahim Baba. Any person with useful information regarding the missing vehicle should please contact the nearest police station or LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd through this phone number: 07035782552 Signed: Management

20 / TOURISM

October 10, 2014

Power Privatisation Will Reduce Overhead For Tour Operators

L-R: France Cultural Attaché in Nigeria, Jacques Montourcy; minister of culture, tourism and national orientation, Edem Duke and director-general, National Gallery of Art, Abdullahi Muku during the Art of Friendship exhibition in Abuja, recently. PHOTO BY CHIKA OKEKE

Art Of Friendship: Strengthening Bond Between Nigeria, Other Countries Stories By Chika Okeke, Abuja

Works of art from Nigerian artists have continued to attract global patronage due to their aesthetics and quality.

This was reiterated at the second edition of the Art of Friendship exhibition in Abuja with the theme ‘Art of Friendship: Art from the East, West and Africa.’

Organised by the National Gallery of Art (NGA), in collaboration with the embassies of the Republic of Czech, France, Italy and Korea, the exhibition which started in 2012 was targeted at strengthening the relationship between Nigeria and other participating countries through the arts.

The event which attracted guests from Nigeria and the diplomatic communities showcased artworks from some Nigerian notable artists like Mufu Onifade, Veronica Otigba, Kolade Oshinowo as well as artworks from Boris Jirku, Pascale bigot, Isabella Catoni and kim Jin-gwang from Czech Republic, France, Italy and Korea respectively.

The exhibition is billed to run from October 6-12, 2014. Materials used for the artworks include oil on canvass, wood, enamel on canvass, acrylic on board, mixed media, metal, plastocast, water colour on plaster and charcoal.

It had titles such as Go slow, Rhytm of life, The future is now, African maiden, When they come, We stand together, Journey through Savannah, Jeshua, Le champs de lavandes, Pesce, Mamma

e Figlio, Interaction of sensitivity, among others.

In his address, the minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Edem Duke, regretted that Nigeria was yet to construct a befitting National Gallery for displaying art collections for tourists even as he appealed to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed, to fast-track the federal government’s approval of 10 hectares of land along the airport road for the construction of a befitting national gallery. He further sought the collaboration of the FCT minister and NGA in utilising the FCT exhibition pavillion beside the International Conference Centre, saying that such collaboration would provide the opportunity of showcasing Nigerian art, thereby using visual arts as a vehicle to boost tourism.

On his part, the director-general of the NGA, Abdullahi Muku, commended the participating countries for their efforts and was optimistic that the exhibition would not only improve the living standard of the artists but would also improve Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to him, “A five-fold chord is very strong and cannot be easily broken and that is why the chord that holds the Art of Friendship project has stood the test of time. So it is my hope that its breadth will continue to increase and accommodate more countries in 2015 like China, Egypt, South Africa and Spain who were involved in the early planning stages

but could not make it due to logistics.

Muku was optimistic that the cultural fiesta was another medium of preaching peace, especially during this period of insurgency, adding that the works of Nigerian artists were always greeted with enthusiasm during international and national exhibitions.

Responding, the Ambassador of Czech Republic to Nigeria, Pavel Mikes, said that despite the different cultural and traditional backgrounds, Africans, Asians, Europeans and Americans shared the same passion and compulsion of creativity. While describing art as a food for the soul, he said cuisine was an integral part of national identity and also an important artistic discipline. Also speaking, the French Envoy to Nigeria, Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, noted that the mysterious discovery of Nok statues and Benin bronzes were obvious proofs that Nigeria has antique tradition of arts.

In his speech, the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Fulvio Rustico, stressed that Italian participation in the exhibition was part of the cultural event organised to celebrate the ‘XIV week of Italian language in the World and the Semester of Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He noted that Italian Embassy and Nigeria were famous for the promotion of fine arts, noting that the expo was part of celebrating the excellent relations between Nigeria and Italy, likewise friendly countries like South Korea, France and Czech Republic.

The director-general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo, has revealed that the recent privatisation of the power sector by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration had led to enhanced power generation and supply, thereby reducing the overhead expenses for the hospitality sector.

Mbanefo, who stated this during the World Tourism Day (WTD) in Abuja, with the theme ‘Tourism and Community Development’ was optimistic that tourism would grow by encouraging local participation, saying that tourism would not develop if the socio-economic benefits generated by the tourism sector do not trickle down to the community level.

She added that the NTDC, under her administration, collaborated with the expatriates through the diplomatic communities to sell Nigeria’s tourism potential and woo foreign tourists to visit and appreciate the fascinating tourist destinations and crowd-pulling festivals in Nigeria.

While calling on the private sector and nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) to contribute towards the growth of the tourism industry, she noted that the NTDC was working tirelessly in promoting and developing tourism potentials in the country.

Delivering the message of the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Taleb Rifa, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Culture and National Orientation, Mrs Ejele, said this year’s WTD presented an opportunity to further advance tourism’s contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability.

2015: Starwood To Relocate Headquarters To India Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, owners of Sheraton Hotel, has revealed plans to relocate its global headquarters from the United States to India by March 2015.

A statement obtained by LEADERSHIP Friday in World Travel Awards website quoted the Starwood President, Frits van Paasschen, as saying that the company’s top executives would shuttle between Mumbai and Delhi in conducting day-to-day business with immense potential for outbound travel.

Following the company’s successful relocations to China in 2011 and Dubai in 2013, this third leadership move underscored Starwood’s unique approach to cultivating a global culture and fostering relationships in key growth markets.

Starwood’s legacy in India dates back to 1973 with the debut of its Sheraton brand in Mumbai. While describing India as a hotbed of technological innovation and global services, Paasschen added, “This is a particularly exciting time for us to relocate to India. Its renewed focus on travel infrastructure is much needed as travel demand is fuelled by economic growth and a population expected to overtake China by 2030.

He said due to the rise in entrepreneurship and investment that millions of new travellers were joining the middle class every year, promising to explore the opportunities for thousands of people that would enter the global workforce through Starwood.

The system will always be defended by those countless people who have enough intellect to defend but not quite enough to innovate.

Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, inventor and consultant.

Naerls forum

October 10, 2014

National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, ABU Zaria Contact: Dr M.K Othman - 08065571637. mkothman@gmail.com

30000

Rice (Milled) Giwa

25000

Rice (Milled) Bida

20000

Rice (Milled) Bodija

15000

Rice (Milled) Monday Market

10000

Rice (Milled) Elele

5000

Rice (Milled) Elele

18000 16000 14000 Axis Title

Axis Title

Trends Of Agricultural Commodities’ Prices In The First Six Months Of 2014 In Selected Nigerian Markets (3) 12000

Giwa

10000

Bida

8000

Bodija

6000

Monday Market

4000

Elele

2000 0

0 January February March

April

May

June

January February March

April

May

June

Figure 4: Average monthly prices of Rice (100 kg) in selected Nigerian markets of 2014

Figure 5: Average monthly prices of Soybean (100 kg) in selected Nigerian markets of 2014

Fig. 4 shows the prices of 100 kg bag of milled rice in the selected markets , the price at Giwa, Bida, Bodija and Monday markets was almost at the same range as per the chart shown above, within N14, 000.00 to N15, 000:00 respectively. At Elele market the price was N25, 000:00 although the price draft down to about N18, 500:00 within the last month of the second quarter.

Generally, the price of milled rice across the selected market in the country was sold not

out the period, the price was below N15, 000:00 at the beginning of the 1st quarter then rose a little above N15, 00:00 and later draw down to below N15, 000:00 within the 2nd quarter. Therefore, soybean price like any other commodity across the selected markets in the country the price was not stable; it changes within the reporting period across the selected markets.

In conclusion, the prices of the selected commodities varied for different markets

below N15, 000:00 .In addition the price of the commodity across the selected markets was not stable, its changes.

The price of soybean was from N7, 000:00 to N15, 000:00 across the selected markets.

The lowest price was realized at Giwa market followed by at Bida market. The price of the commodity at Bodija market was about N12, 500:00 later draw down to about N10, 500:00. The highest price of the commodity was obtained at Elele market through-

during the same period from January to June, 2014. Generally, the prices were low at the beginning of the year and then rose with the passage of the months during the period under review. Interested stakeholders can monitor the prices of these commodities and others through the weekly broadcasts by the selected radio stations as mentioned earlier.

CONCLUDED

ceo spot

Umar Munir Abubakar: Not Daunted By Challenges

BY PAUL CHIAMA, Abuja

The managing director/CEO of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr Umar Munir Abubakar, did not find it so rosy at the beginning as the NSITF boss. He had to grapple with a lot of challenges but rather than being discouraged, he stood with courage, applied administrative prowess and moved ahead.

Abubakar, who hails from Bauchi State, had his early and secondary education before going to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State. After his university education and the National Youth Service scheme, he took a teaching job before joining civil service as an administrative officer. He still had another taste of academic environment as he was drafted as one of the pioneer staff engaged at the opening of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi in 1980. There, he served as deputy registrar (administration).

He later came back to the civil service and rose to the rank of permanent secretary in Bauchi. He later joined the ministry of labour and served as the special assistant to the minister of labour. He served in the ministry till 1990 when he later left due to a cabinet reshuffle. It was after the reshuffle that Abubakar joined the National

Provident Fund (NPF) as a deputy director.

NPF however, later under-went a process of transformation which led to conversion of the fund to Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) which came as a social security scheme to salvage Nigerians.

The conversion of NPF to NSITF came with enormous challenges. Abubakar who later rose in ranks to the position of the MD/ CEO had to shoulder the challenges when he came to the position. The first challenge was lack of funds to run the affairs as required.

This brought about the idea of reducing the number of staff and offices. Getting more staff and acquiring new furniture were also problems in keeping the scheme functioning.

In the face of these, Abubakar was poised on making great impact and turning the NSITF around.

Also, there is the problem of general apathy especially on the side of employers.

Also, other stakeholders are not quite responsive. The MD laments over this but advises employers of labour to understand the benefits of the scheme and to subscribe to it. He stressed that the scheme is aimed at improving workers’ welfare.

Abubakar assures that in case of death of staff while serving an employer, the compensation is as high as 90 per cent of the deceased person’s monthly salary

which would be paid to the beneficiary or beneficiaries until they die or remarry.

What of their children? The same welfare package would be extended to the children of the deceased as the MD assures that the children would be taken care of until they reach a certain age in life to be able to cater for themselves or after they have graduated from the university.

For this lofty idea to constantly come to fruition, stakeholders’ contributions are needed but how can NSITF deliver the expected succour to people in question with the level of apathy being experienced from employers? Abubakar assures employers that a lot of stress would be taken off their shoulders by paying their contributions as the scheme would take over treatment of injured staff on behalf of the affected company or employer.

Skepticism stemming from the impression people got in the era of Workman Compensation Act which people were not satisfied with because they felt it could not adequately serve or address issues affecting them is another impediment . Abubakar, however, stresses that the defunct Workman Compensation Act was different from the current Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) which he said, is better and more inclusive than the former.

Abubakar

This scheme, he said, covers the public and private sectors in the federation while the former covered only the private sector. It therefore, covers staff in the federal, states and local governments across the federation as well as workers in the private sector.

As Nigerian workers are always exposed to industrial and professional risks, including in the hands of expatriate employers, the need for active performance of this scheme may not be negotiatiable. However, the greater task lying ahead is how to convince employers to be committed in paying their contributions. This is needed to sustain the tempo that has been established under Abubakar.

Run as hard as a wild beast if you will, but you won’t get any reward greater than that destined for you.— Chinese Proverb

22

October 10, 2014

c

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES LIMITED (A SUBSIDIARY OF LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPERS GROUP)

2014 ANNUAL

CONFERENCE & AWARDS CEREMONY Chairman MR. SAM AMUKA Publisher, Vanguard Media Limited Keynote Speaker MR. BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN Executive Governor, Lagos State STAR AWARDS 2013

LEADERSHIP PERSON OF THE YEAR General Yakubu Gowon GCFR LEADERSHIP GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan

LEADERSHIP POLITICIANS OF THE YEAR The G-7 Governors Dr. Babangida Aliyu (Niger) Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) Alh. Sule Lamido (Jigawa) Alh. Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) Alh. Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) LEADERSHIP BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR Mr. Olatunde Ayeni

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2013 LEADERSHIP CEO OF THE YEAR Simdul Shagaya CEO, Konga.com LEADERSHIP COMPANY OF THE YEAR Chi Limited LEADERSHIP BANK OF THE YEAR Diamond Bank LEADERSHIP ICT COMPANY OF THE YEAR Jumia LEADERSHIP BANKER OF THE YEAR Mr. Philips Oduoza GMD, UBA LEADERSHIP GOVERNMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) LEADERSHIP AUTHOR OF THE YEAR Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai

LEADERSHIP PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Nagari Farm Yoghurt LEADERSHIP MICROFINANCE BANK OF THE YEAR LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited LEADERSHIP TELECOM COMPANY OF THE YEAR Swift Networks Limited LEADERSHIP PUBLIC OFFICER OF THE YEAR Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development LEADERSHIP BRAND OF THE YEAR SAMSUNG LEADERSHIP ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Ice Prince LEADERSHIP YOUNG PERSONS OF THE YEAR The Golden Eaglets LEADERSHIP SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

Venue: ThisDay Dome, Abuja Time: 9:00am Date: October 14th, 2014

23

October 10, 2014

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES LIMITED (A SUBSIDIARY OF LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPERS GROUP)

2014

ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND AWARDS PROGRAMME

9:00am

Arrival

9:05am

National Anthem

9:10am

Opening Prayers

9:15am

Introduction of conference theme and dignitaries by conference comperes

9:25am

Welcome address by the Chairman, LEADERSHIP GROUP, Hajiya Ireti Kingibe

9:35am

Opening remarks by the Chairman, Mr. Sam Amuka, Chairman, Vanguard Newspaper

10:05am Lecture by the Executive Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN Title: “Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from other Lands” 12:25pm The Awards Ceremony 12:45pm Responses 1:15pm

Vote of Thanks

1:20pm

Closing Prayer

1:25pm

National Anthem

Date: Tuesday, October 14th, 2014

Venue: ThisDay Dome

Signed: ABDULMUMIN S. BALOGUN Director, Conference 0806 972 7798

24

October 10, 2014

Bernard Okhakume MC & A Weekly Digest market consumer advertising 08053040003

mcaandadigestweekly@gmail.com

This is the fundamental truth in the building of nations. Modern nations are run on these common elements.

Even today, many years after Fela’s teaching, we are still needing of a startpoint.

Our position at MC&A DIGEST is that a nation-state is a Brand. This is true in its entirety, whether as a political entity, a business unit or a member of the global community, a nation-state is one among all others with a distinctively unique personality, defined by her unique physical attributes, character traits, set-objectives, value essence and proposition, own equity, strategic focus and engagement and competitive advantages among competition. All of these properties come together to shape any given nation or country’s being, internal organisation and dealings and international relations at the global level.

Let us consider the imperatives for a

Brand Jonathan (1)

given nation, say Nigeria, for instance, applying all of those attendant characteristics by which we have classified them as a Brand, using EQUITY. The equity of any brand is the sum total of its value or part that makes up its whole. That means, a brand is only as good or bad/successful or otherwise, as the value of its equity.

Equity in this case, can be broken down into perception, value offer, value essence, awareness level, strategic engagements such as presence, target consumer engagement, support for competitive advantages, and presence for share-of-mind.

On the other hand, EQUITY in investment terms, will be a clear statement of ownership and ownership participation.

This aspect of EQUITY draws on the investors and their investments; such participatory concerns, and the anticipated return on their Investment (ROI). At the end, every investor has his/her equity of the summation of invested resources, for

Agbaji Chinedu business 1:0:1 Agrobusiness with Agbaji Chinedu 08035004617

The importance of animal protein to the survival and growth of human beings cannot be over emphasized. Animal protein is one of the most important food items in the world. Protein helps in body building and growth, in the reproductive systems and in prevention of diseases. Animal protein sources include fish, beef from cow, goat meat, pork from pigs and chickens from fowls. To get animal protein in commercial quantity, poultry broilers is one of the easiest sources.

Poultry broilers are special breeds of chickens, which are raised under intensive care for the sole purpose of being slaughtered within a period of eight weeks. Poultry broilers are rich in protein, highly palatable and very succulent. It is a good Agribusiness to venture into this season as Christmas and New Year celebration is on the way, even out of season it is still a lucrative business, but during festive time the demand is very high.

Justification of the Business Nigeria is about the largest market in the black world for food items. Market for broilers is also most automatic because less than 50 percent of food requirement in Nigeria is currently being met. To this end, whatever is produced will definitely get market, even at good price. The land requirement for broilers production is very minimal. 5,000-broiler farm will need about two plots of land for effective take off. Broiler production is highly profitable.

Return on investment is above 50 percent

Agbaji@yahoo.com

according to Mr Ezechinyere Ihediwa MD/ CEO of E-CEE GLOBAL Gombe Road Kaduna because the new breed of Giant broilers they sell now to customers which is imported from USA .The ban on importation of frozen chicken has made commercial broilers production lucrative as competition between imported and the locally produced has been removed.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION To establish a poultry broiler farm, a farm site that is accessible all year round is acquired. On acquisition, poultry house is constructed with a section as brooder house to nurse day old chicks for two weeks before being transferred to the broiler pen. Interested investors can be put through in areas of design, construction of poultry house and chicken breed and vaccination. On construction, wood shavings are needed on the floor of the houses before day old chicks are brought in. Day old chicks are procured from reputable hatcheries located all over the country or from distributors such as E-CEE GLOBAL for those in the North. On purchase of day old chicks they are brought to the brooder house already built. Broilers stay in the brooder house for two weeks before they are transferred to the broiler pens. Other routine works needed on daily basis are poultry drugs administration, feeding with well-formulated poultry ration such as Hybrid Feeds and Concentrates produced with state of art equipment in Kaduna, and provision of clean

which equitable returns are expected.

In Fela’s “Oro e’be ko sele” (and indeed in line with the theory of SOCIAL CONTRACT), Nigeria owes every of her citizens, a return to their collective investment into making her being. The SC theory posits that it is the collective resolve to avoid a state of anarchy (in the medieval times, as I see it now) that encouraged citizens to give up their rights for a collective administration by an iden-

tified leader or set of leaders, for the common safety and protection of all. Peaceful co-existence, therefore, was the anticipated return on their invested assets/resources. The investors made no room for failure of leadership.

In one of our articles on political leadership as brand management, we did say political leadership should be seen as a higher level of business management for profitability, and not opportunity for the elected to take rest and take loot. It is only in Africa the opposite still exists. That is why unprepared and unqualified characters take hold of leadership; they have no idea of the enormity of work political leadership come with. Failing in state leadership is worse than failing in corporate governance; the task of political leadership is way beyond the imagination for corporate leadership. ➔ CONCLUDED

Chicken (Broiler) Farming For Christmas And New Year Celeberation

water.

Within eight weeks of intensive feeding, the American giant broilers would have reached table size ready to be sold to interested consumers, hotels food canteens, catering houses, eateries and reputable markets. A large-scale broiler farmer may eventually go into the sale of frozen chickens.

PROFITABILITY On the establishment of the farm, 2000 broilers can be raised within eight weeks.

This can be repeated at least four times in a year. A clever investor will always raise his/her broilers to make sure that the maturity coincides with the festival periods

Stretch your legs as far as your quilt goes. — English proverb

such as Christmas, Salah, New Year celebrations, Ileya and Easter period when demand for chickens are very high.

To raise 2000 broilers, it will cost a maximum of N1, 500,000 to cover cost of day old chicks, feeding, drugs, labour and marketing costs. At an average price of N1, 500 per bird, turnover of N3, 000,000 is achievable. This leaves a margin of N1, 500,000.

This can be repeated four times in a year leaving a net income on N6 million. There are living examples of farms in Nigeria that have made fantastic income from broiler farming. Investors can be guided from inception to the actualization of this project using American Giant which is on sale now.

FRIDAY EXTRA October 10, 2014

By Solomon Ayado

W

INSIDE

ith the coming of the rains come the flood and when the flood comes, communities along water ways have to take cover, for the flood has neither friend nor foe.

The rains this year have been no different, as the floods have ravaged farmlands and houses and destroyed communities in Makurdi, Benue State. The most affected areas are Iniongun, Ijaha II and parts of Wadata. As a result of the flood, more than 110 people have been displaced from their communities, as the flood has taken over their homes and destroyed their belongings worth a fortune.

Following the increased rains in the past few days, residents of the areas affected have complained of a lack of tarred roads and drainage system in the communities as the factors responsible for the unfortunate situation being faced by the masses in the affected communities.

Last week Saturday, family members of the affected areas were seen with mattresses and bags perched precariously on their heads as they hurried out of their houses, so as to be out of harm’s way by the time the rapidly encroaching flood hit the area.

Many of them could be seen making frantic calls to friends and relatives, begging to take brief succour in their houses until the floods abated.

The flood has disconnected Iniongun from the neighbouring Ijaha, as people in the area can only navigate the area using canoes. This speaks volumes about the depth of the collected water in the area. Some of the affected residents who confessed that neither they nor their family members had nowhere to run to resorted to living on their canoes and, also using it as a means of navigation.

To make matters worse, the traditional leaders of the affected communities refused to say a word when LEADERSHIP FRIDAY visited the affected areas to assess the situation.

A senior government official who spoke on the ground of anonymity said many of the people suffered similar fate last year when water was released from Cameroun, where the river takes its source. He said though flooding around these parts has become a recurring incident, the state’s governments, even the current one overseen by Gabriel Suswam, have remained insensitive to the plight of the people.

According to some sources, those who were affected by the flood in 2012 and were promised succor and some relief materials by the state government are yet to receive any form of donation, monetary or otherwise.

“In 2012, it was announced that the federal government gave the state government N500m to take catre of displaced people in the state, but nothing has been heard of that donation and hos it was disbursed. This is different from other donations made by different bodies for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the individuals and families affected by the flood. But it is sad that these donations have been utilised by government officials for selfish gains,” said the source.

A resident of Iniongun pointed out that some houses were even destroyed in last

Compoounds over-ran by the flood

Day Flood Ravaged Makurdi Communities, Sent Over 100 Packing

Tricky: A resident finding his way through the flood

year’s but that the government was so wicked that it did not bother to even give a little of the money to such victims in spite of the huge amount given to assist the victims.

A retired civil servant, Joseph Adikwu, told journalists that he has evacuated his family members and was only staying at the house to safeguard the property that he could not move out at that moment. He complained bitterly about what he termed “the state’s government insensitivity”, stressing that the people have not seen anything tangible done with the money given to the government by President Good-

luck Jonathan for what they suffered as a result of the September 2012 flood disaster. “I know what I am saying, because back then my family and friends were also affected,” Adikwu revealed.

Adikwu, who was clearly disappointed with the government, said the Benue River needed dredging and that the activities of red brick makers along the river banks hugely contributed to the flooding of the communities.

Priest of the Catholic Quasi Parish at Iniongun, Fr. Boniface Achabo, told LEADERSHIP FRIDAY that the flood at Iniongun and

Ijaha communities has become a yearly affair, as the people have become bitter and used to getting no serious commitment from the government.

“It is clear to see that the government has no interest in tackling the things which make the people sad and helpless,” he said.

Achabo maintained that the people in the communities being ravaged by flood were suffering untold hardship, as many of them have no source of good income, save for the little they make from farming and fishing.

He appealed to the state government to come to the rescue of the people by constructing proper street pave-ways and culverts that can help channel the water to the right places and prevent flood.

He also called on the federal government to consider, as a matter of utter urgency, the dredging of the river, so as to enhance its capacity to contain the volume of water channeled into it during the rains. He, likewise, asked the government to relocate the people who live along water ways and compensate those who have been most affected by the flood.

“If this is done, the people of the area can now have water transport as an option, as they can now use ferries to connect to other communities and states that have water bodies. If the river is properly dredged, it can bring about a resurgence of commercial activities in the areas, especially by the water sides, where lots of trading and barter occur,” a community elder noted.

Best Places to GO FOR PHOTO Tours & LEARNING Big Questions & Answers nobel ultimate top list Why... answers to scientific questions

26/ CULTURE

October 10, 2014

By Kareem Haruna

I

n Northern Nigeria, when horses are not used for the traditional purpose of transportation but marched out in studs for the sake of fun and entertainment, that procession is called a durbar.

Though horses are customarily used for durbar, folks in other climes also use camels or llamas for similar entertainment.

The durbar is not a festival, as many people see it. Rather, it is a classical form of traditional entertainment, mostly carried out by kings’ horsemen to show off the eminence and grandeur of their monarch and kingdom.

In the past, in Northern Nigeria, when kings and emirs ruled with executive or full monarchical powers and responsibilities, a durbar of armed horsemen cladd in majestic regalia were usually put up as escorts or guards for their emir. They display their strength, horsemanship, loyalty and readiness to go to the war for their ruler.

Today, as the traditional monarchs no longer go to war for territorial conquests, the durbar has now become a form of entertainment by the same kings’ men. But these days, it is an avenue to display two things; horsemanship and loyalty to the rulers.

The ancient Kanem-Bornu Empire, which formed part of the present Northeastern states of Borno and Yobe, are known and respected for one unique tradition – horsemanship and prowess.

Great historians have related that the people of Kanem-Bornu Empire, right from the 9th Century, were not only great nomads, warlords and extraordinary business merchants; they were also the first of the Central Sudan people “to acquire and make use of iron technology and horses”.

Though the ancient kingdom has, over the centuries become dismembered and butchered by geographical border redefinitions, especially towards the end of the 19th Century, its rich and enviable tradition from its past is weaved into the present.

In 1963 when Nigeria attained the status of a ‘republic’, Borno’s durbar contingent, led by Shehu Garbai ibn Elkanemi, was declared the best at a procession held in Kaduna, the then defunct capital of the defunct Northern Region of Nigeria.

“There is no gain-saying that the Kanem Bornu Empire is the nucleus of durbar in northern Nigeria. Horsemanship and durbar are the core definitions of the grandeur of the Kanem Bornu and it was after the Durbar procession in 1963 that other parts of northern Nigeria like Kano and the rest began to pick interest in promoting their culture of horsemanship,” said seasoned journalist and historian of note, Malam Ibrahim Gwamna Msheliza.

Msheliza recalled that there were times in the past when the people from the

Due to its friendly topography, suitable for the breeding and managing of horses, Machina’s famous Gumsi forest was like a depot for all the war horses of Kanem-Bornu

Royal maids and men at a Durbar.

Durbar: Prestigious Heritage Of Ancient Kanem-Borno People North-west would visit Borno to learn the art of dressing and adorning of horses from the Borno royal horse handlers.

In the old Borno State, horsemen from Gaidam and Machina (in present-day Yobe State) were ranked the best amongst all.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY learnt that, even when Borno horsemen became regarded as the best in the region in the ‘60s, it was because their contingent was made thick by the Royal Horsemen from Gaidam and Machina, as well as Kaga and Magumeri (in present-day Borno State).

It was also learned that the fortune of the present Borno began to decline slightly in this respect after the creation of Yobe State in 1991.

After the creation of Yobe State, local government areas like Machina and Gaidam moved out of Borno. As such, the glory of the durbar shifted to the sister state, Yobe.

The then district head of Gaidam was Kaigama Zubairu (the title kaigama stands for ‘warlord who leads the royal troops’).

That, perhaps, was the reason behind the near-superlative horse-riding skill of the Gaidam and Machina people.

Machina local government area of Yobe State now ranks the best in Nigeria, in terms of horsemanship.

Machina was the durbar champion at the 2008 and 2009 editions of the annual Abuja Carnival.

History has revealed that Machina was once under Gaidam local government area before it became an autonomous local government in 1991.

Machina Did Not Attain Its Stallion Pride Out Of The Void In the pre-colonial days when the shehus were fully in charge of the adminis-

The Shehu of Borno on his horse at a Durbar

tration of their domains, Machina Town was like the defense headquarters of the Kanem-Bornu Empire. The kaigama, who is usually the district head of Gaidam, was equal to the minister of defence.

“Due to its friendly topography, suitable for the breeding and managing of horses, Machina’s famous Gumsi forest was like a depot for all the war horses of KanemBornu. Thousands of horses – both wartested and the ‘newly broken’ ones being trained in the art of warfare – were kept in the Gumsi Forest where there was enough water and feeds for them all season,” said

a member of the royal family in Borno, Malam Yerima Maina Modu.

In those days, if Kanem Bornu was to wage war against any of its many enemies or defend a certain part of its territory, the kaigama (minister of defence) would have to deploy thousands of horses for the troops all the way from the Gumsi Forest at the behest of the shehu.

Till this day, Gumsi forest remains the largest breeding ground of choice horses in the whole of Nigeria and, even up to sur➔ continued on the next page

If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will spare yourself one hundred days of tears.― Egyptian proverb

CULTURE 27

October 10, 2014

Durbar: Prestigious Heritage Of Ancient Kanem-Borno People ➔ from previous next page rounding countries like Chad and Niger.

“Horsemen from Machina will, forever, remain the best and Kanem-Bornu can never be second fiddle when it comes to the contest for supremacy in horsemanship or durbar,” opined horse enthusiast Alhaji Zanna Goni.

The Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Abubakar Garbai Al-amin Elkanemi, revealed during a news interview in 2009, shortly after his ascension to the exalted throne, that one of his foremost dreams was to reinvigorate the culture of the durbar, which is all about procession of horse-riding for the purpose of entertainment during Eid celebrations or in honour of positive developments or very important visitors to his kingdom.

“I love horses and it is my desire to acquire at least 100 of my own, because it is not only our tradition but our pride as a people,” he had said.

The foremost monarch of Borno said his desire was to, personally, own at least 100 horses in his royal stable, while he will encourage every district and village heads to possess, at least, 25 to 15 horses of their own, accordingly.

The Shehu recalled times in history when, as a boy, his father, then the Shehu of Borno, mounted him on one of the horses of the horse riders who was part of the procession to welcome the late Ethiopian ruler, Emperor Haile Selassie, in the year 1966.

“I rode on the horse during that event, because the horse riders from Borno state were invited to welcome the Emperor with a grand durbar, which he obviously cherished,” said El-Kanemi.

With horse-riders dressed in flambouyant, overflowing regalia and horses resplendent in embroidered seats and muzzles, the durbar procession is usually colourful.

During festivities like Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Kabir, Independence day celebrations or events like the coronation of a new emir, the swearing in of governors or during the visit of a president, durbar is usually a peculiar show to mark such occasions.

On occasions like the eid celebrations, durbar is usually the icing on the cake.

When the durbar is to hold, horses and men are deployed to file out in their thousands, to witness the pride of tradition.

The joy of the people reaches a crescendo when their monarch mounts his horse and leads the procession of elegantly dressed horses.

In Borno Emirate, for example, no eid celebration is worth remembering if the durbar celebration does not accompany it.

The memorable moment of every eid celebration is for the people to see their monarch mounted on his royal stallion, leading a galloping procession of his council chiefs and vicegerents, amid clouds of dusts and pounding hoofs.

Though the durbar has now become a symbolic show and occasional entertainment, its umbilical cord is still tethered to royalty.

No one convenes a durbar without the express consent of the shehu, emir or the district heads, as the case may be.

“Durbar still remains the prerogative of the royals, because it all began with them,” said a prince of the emirate, Abba Ali.

The Durbar arriving the palace

The ‘Wazirin Borno’ on his horse during the Durbar

The Shehu of Borno surrounded by admirers during procession

Shehu’s ‘royal horse’ being guarded by royal servants and maids

One of the Knights of Borno, Zanna Usman Chiroma

Stealing may bring profit, but hanging costs far more. ― Cambodian proverb

28

October 10, 2014

FRIDAY EXTRA 29

October 10, 2014

nobel

A Century Of Prize Winners

Menachem Begin & Anwar Sadat

For her actions favoring children and refugees.

Mother Teresa (1910-2007) Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu dedicated her life to the poor, a vocation she felt called to when just 12 years old. The daughter of an Albanian farmer who was murdered when she was seven, Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, today the capital of Macedonia, on August 26,1910. She abandoned her homeland at the ageof 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, a teaching order of nuns with missions across India. After some training in Dublin she left for Calcutta where, on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun and the name Sister Mary Teresa.

Between 1929 and 1948 she taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta and made her final profession of vows on May 24, 1937.

The poverty and suffering outside the convent walls left a great impression on her. After much introspection she asked her superiors if she could work with the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta; permission was granted two years later. The order of the Missionaries of Charity was established on October 7,1950. This Catholic order of nun’s main priority is to give aid, both physical and spiritual, to those whom nobody else is prepared to help.

In 1952 she opened the first “home for the dying” outside Calcutta, with land provided by the government. Over the coming years she would establish many more institutions to take care of the victims of leprosy and other

peace

diseases.

Mother Teresa started more than 50 projects in India, and the order’s work spread into others countries. She was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, which she accepted “for the glory of God and in the name of the poor,” but she refused the banquet and donated the prize money to charities in India.

Mother Teresa was also awarded the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Nehru Prize for supporting peace and international understanding in 1972 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States in 1985.

With her failing health, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was forced to reduce her workload in 1990, although she continued to travel. In March 1997 she blessed her newly elected successor, Nirmala Joshi, as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity. Shortly afterward she made her final visit to Pope John Paul 11. She then returned to Calcutta, where she spent her final weeks, and died on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. She was given a state funeral by the Indian government.

Much speculation has arisen over Mother Teresa’s longtime inner struggle with feelings of separation from God, which she termed “the darkness.” Despite these personal internal struggles, Mother Teresa remained faithful to her calling and to those whom no one else was prepared to help.

(1913-1992) (1918-1981) Menachem Begin and Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat were at Camp David, under the mediation of President Jimmy Carter, when they signed one of the zoth century’s most important peace treaties. The then prime minister of Israel and president of Egypt celebrated the first Israeli-Arab peace accord and earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 for their efforts.

I t should not be thought, however, that these two statesmen had a past dedicated to peace; quite the opposite is true. Both of them had a service record full of medals obtained in fighting their adversary.

Begin was born in Brest-Litovsk, now Brest in Belarus, on August 16, 1913; he was descended from a respected rabbinical family on his mother’s side and his father was a community leader and dedicated Zionist. He received his law degree in 1935 from the University of Warsaw in Poland, and while he never practiced law, he did become well versed in classical literature.

During this period he also became heavily involved in Zionist activities; he fled to eastern Poland with the outbreak of World War II but was captured by the Russians in 1940. He was sentenced to eight years in Soviet gulags but was released within a year under the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement. He then joined the Polish Army and was later sent to Palestine. Both of his parents perished during the Holocaust.

While in Palestine Begin joined the Irgun, an underground militant Zionist group, and criticized other Zionists for cooperating too closely with colonial British ideology. Between 1944 and 1948 he called for rebellion against the occupying British forces, and hundreds of attacks were launched; as a result, a [io.ooc: dead-or-alive bounty was placed on Begin.

With the end of the Israeli War of Independence and the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, Irgun was disbanded.

In the coming years Menachem Begin helped establish the right-wing Herut (Liberty) Party, and in 1967 he was made a

peace

minister without portfolio in the National Unity Government in the aftermath of the Six- Day War. Then, in 1973, he agreed to an alliance of opposition parties, known as Likud, devised by Ariel Sharon. In 1977 Likud dramatically won the national elections and Begin became Prime Minister of Israel.

Anwar al-Sadat had a comparable history.

He came from a poor family, was one of 13 children and was trained at the Royal Military Academy in Cairo, where he met Gamal Abdel N asser, with whom he conspired to overthrow the monarchy and rid his country of British influence in the Egyptian Revolution Of1952. When Nasser, then president, died suddenly in 1970, Sadat, who was serving as vice president, became his successor. Conflicts with Israel were commonplace during this period. In 1967 the Egyptian forces had been destroyed in the Six-Day War, but Sadat rebuilt the country’s military power and launched the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Even though the Israelis, who had been surprised during one of their most important religious festivals, managed to beat off the attack, Sadat recovered the Suez Canal area.

In 1977, however, Sadat accepted an invitation from Menachem Begin and visited Israel hoping to arrive at a permanent peace settlement. The next year they met once more, this time at Camp David, the country retreat of American presidents.

At the end of 13 days of negotiations, Sadat, Begin and Jimmy Carter announced the conclusion of two accords, one concerning peace in the Middle East and another assuring the basis of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

By taking such steps Sadat steered Egypt to a more strategic relationship with the United States and the international community, but he deeply angered fundamental Islamists who were set to eliminate Zionism and Israel. Egypt was expelled from the Arab League in 1979 and remained so for a decade. Sadat also came under corruption changes and many of his domestic policies were criticized.

For their contribution to the peace agreements between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Camp David, on the 17th of September, 1978.

Sweet and sour walk hand in hand.

— Dominican Proverb

Culled from the book ‘Nobel’

30 FRIDAY EXTRA/Best places to GO FOR...

October 10, 2014

Photo Tours/Learning To Take Photographs We now live in the digital world of automatic cameras with cutting-edge stabilising technology and the potential for instant gratification. But beyond just dumb luck, the real trick to great photography is in capturing - and sometimes waiting for that perfect subject in the perfect light at the perfect moment. Taking an organised photography tour with an expert leader can often turn luck into a skill (not to mention being lucky enough to visit some of the most interesting places in the world). Here are some of the best places to practice the art of capturing truly striking images.

I

India t would take years of constant travel to capture the colors and contrasts of India. Each region has its own culture, language, and scenic beauty-from the urban chaos of Mumbai to the alpine beauty of the Himalayas and the majestic Taj Mahal in Agra. But if you have to choose a particularly photo-friendly region, it’s the tropical wetlands of Kerala. In the capital city of Kochi (Cochin), you can photograph the cityscape with its heavy European influence and cultural performances like the ancient Kathakali dance. But the real photo ops are when you escape into the backwaters and sail along the network of canals, rivers, lakes, and lagoons to capture images of village life. The United Kingdom-based

Travelshooters offers several teo-weeklong Treasures of Kerala tours led by a professional travel photographer who lives in the region. You’ll get a chance to photograph the expected tourist spots, but your guide also actively seeks out special experiences that take you into the local culture. You might encounter the weavers of Balaramapuram or see students training in the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu.

Thailand The landscape and climate of Thailand are so diverse it’s like traveling to multiple destinations in one. In the north, Chiang Mai can be dry and cool in winter months, while in the south, the island of Phuket is tropical year-round. Although it’s definitely worth spending a couple

of days shooting the urban landscape of Bangkok, I’m always out of the city. New York-based Strabo Photo Tour Collection has a two-week trip to Thailand and Cambodia, where you get instruction from an expert on photographing moments in Bangkok’s marketplaces and the hill tribes of Chiang Mai. Outside the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, and away from the treasured temples, is the remote Koh Lanta Marine National Park, a less-populated archipelago of 15 protected isles about 45 miles from Krabi. Photograph the local fishermen in their traditional wooden boats capturing the catch of the day, or stroll through the gracious and well-kept wooden stilt houses and shop fronts in Ban Ko Lanta (Lanta Old Town), the island’s original port.

If A you are doing wrong, make sure camel you don’t gethis fathumps. from it. camel does not tease another about ——Cambodian Proverb Egyptian Proverbs

Don’t forget that there’s plenty of cool stuff to photograph underwater, too.

In Phuket, underwater photographer pro Adriano Trapani can teach you to effectively capture the beauty of the undersea world.

Basic two-day courses start with classroom instruction in topics such as composition rules, how to use a flash underwater and how to get the best wide-angle shots. Then you proceed to a pool, where you practice the fundamentals of buoyancy. On day 2, you go out on the water and explore a local diving destination with your camera.

Intermediate and advanced courses add computer editing skills, critique sessions, and instruction in advanced ➔ CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

... Photo Tours FRIDAY EXTRA 31

October 10, 2014

Photo Tours/Learning To Take Photographs camera functions, plus two or more days of diving. Prerequisites for all courses include PADI basic or advanced Open Water Diver certification, but if you don’t have it, you can take a combination diving/photo course.

Tanzania It’s practically a no-brainer that visiting Tanzania requires a good camera and a steady hand. But to really get the most of your experience, a photographyintensive tour is the way to go. We’re talking hands-on lessons to capture fastmoving images of wildlife migrations across the Serengeti, the grassy floodplains of Lake Manyara that boast incredible bird species, and the iconic Ngorongoro Crater and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Photographer, author and conservationist Boyd Norton leads his own photo safaris with Wilderness Photography where he has an intimate knowledge of the region and can explain how best to capture movement and light.

Nothing is guaranteed, but you’ll likely be able to drive right into the middle of a massive herd of migrating wildebeests for a full 360-degree view. In fact, sometimes lions and cheetahs will lie down in the shade of the safari vehicle just don’t get outl!.

Alaska Dazzling glaciers and icebergs, sparkling waterways and majestic whales are the iconic images of Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Insider Tip

In fact, it’s practically impossible to take a bad photo here. But on a photography trip, you can learn how best to capture images of bald eagles soaring about, mountain goats scrambling on the cliffs, sea lions sprawled out on rock outcrops, or brown bears meandering along the shorelines feeding on salmon.

You can’t lose on a National Geographic Expeditions photography trip, led by professionals who show you how to approach a scene as if it were a National Geographic assignment. The Inside Passage trip is led by one of the world’s leading whale photographers who also happens to be a biologist. Don’t worry about being intimidated. These expeditions are geared toward amateurs, and leaders break down the process-from choosing your subject and framing the image to capturing the best light.

Galapagos Expedition and wildlife photography require special techniques and the Galapagos is the ideal place to hone those skills. This region is teeming with wildlife creatures that are ready for their close-up, from tortoises to iguanas to the famous booby birds.

Bhutan It may not be on your bucket list, but it should be. The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small, landlocked country bordered by the eastern Himalayas, Tibet, and several Indian states. From architecturally

impressive dzongs (fortresses) to colourful religious festivals and astonishingly beautiful hakhangs (temples), backed by the mighty Himalayan peaks, the country is rife with photo-worthy scenery. While a tourist might see Taksang Gompa (Tiger’s Nest) in the cooler morning hours, your group would most likely be there in the afternoon when the light is more dramatic.

Canada Canada’s Aurum Lodge is an ecoresort that overlooks Lake Abraham and is surrounded by forests and mountain peaks. It’s adjacent to the stunning Banff National Park.

England In the scenic Cotswolds in England, try

the beginner digital photography course at the Mayfield House Hotel in Wiltshire.

These three-day courses only require a point-and-shoot camera (though you’re welcome to bring a digital SLR if you want). Professional photographer Terry Hewlett will walk you through the basic operation of your camera and help you explore all its capabilities, then take you to the Cotswolds countryside to capture some of the scenery. He’ll give you tips on composition and lighting as you tour the Westonbirt National Arboretum, the Cotswold Water Park, the Bibury Saxon Church and many quiet little towns and villages. At the end, you’ll have a critique session where you’ll get feed-back on areas of improvement. One single price covers accommodation, most meals and tuition.

Insider Tip

National Geographic Expeditions also holds workshops for those with more photography experience in cities like New Orleans and Barcelona. These are more intensive trips, with daily photo assignments, critique sessions, and lessons in photo editing.

When booking a photography safari, make sure there are no more than four people in your vehicle for maximum viewing. Try to camp on-site in a park, which makes it easier to get spectacular sunrise photos. Use a telephoto lens of at least 300 millimeters, and instead of bringing a tripod, ask the camp or lodge to give you a bag of beans or rice to support the camera, as it’s likely to be propped on uneven objects such as the car or on a rock.

Don’t Absence take the is the straight enemy path of love; or theaswinding the distance path. is Take from the the path eyes, your so ancestors it is from have the heart. taken.”

— Dominican CambodianProverbs Proverb

32 friday EXTRA

October 10, 2014

why?

... answers to everyday scientific questions

dream?

Nobody really knows why we dream; it may be a way to rehearse dealing with difficult problems or it may be linked to learning.

Dreams are among the great mysteries of the human condition, alongside consciousness and the meaning of life. They can be bizarre and boring or inconsequential and full of meaning.

In ancient times, dreams were believed to be messages from the gods or the voyaging of the spirit to other worlds.

Only recently have sleep scientists learned enough about dreaming to speculate about whether it has any function and what that function might be.

So what do we know about dreams?

Children under the age of ten don’t dream that much, but over the age of ten you can expect to have at least four dreams a night, varying in length from five to 34 minutes, although the vast majority of our dreams are not remembered. Dreams mostly happen during a phase of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which your brain and body are aroused almost as if you are awake. Although you can also dream in other stages of sleep, REM dreams tend to be the most vivid and memorable.

We also know that although dreams

can be about anything, there are some common features that pop up a lot. One of the most common dreams is being chased or followed. Dreams usually feature the dreamer as him or herself, and most of the other people in the dream will be familiar in one way or another. Dreams often have bizarre content, in terms of people behaving oddly or things changing their nature.

Dreams tend to be very emotional and mostly feature bad emotions, such as fear, anxiety and anger.

Sleep experts have a number of theories to explain why we dream and why dreaming evolved in the first instance. The psychoanalytic theory says that dreams help us to deal with emotional and psychological problems, but if this were true wouldn’t it help to remember our dreams?

Random activation theory says that dreams have no meaning or purpose, and are just the by-product of what happens to the brain when it goes to sleep. But if this is true, why have we evolved to have REM sleep, which uses up a lot of energy - almost as much as being awake? By itself, this suggests that there must be a very good reason why we dream.

There is some evidence for this third theory: people who learn new things

Idle time A third theory, or collection of theories, is that dreaming is a bit like what a computer does when you are not using it. If a computer sits idle for long enough it switches into a kind of house-keeping mode, where it cleans its memory, updates programmes and does other ‘off-line processing’. According to this school of thought, dreams help your mind to ‘clean up’ difficult emotions and thoughts, providing psychological healing and help you with learning by filing away new memories and knowledge in the right place.

during the day are likely to have more and longer periods of REM sleep in the night. But there isn’t really any evidence that dreams are particularly helpful, or that people improve after dreaming.

Another set of theories says that dreams evolved because they helped early humans to perform better during the day, perhaps by letting people rehearse situations and how they

Do not speak of a rhinoceros if there is no tree nearby.

— Cambodian Proverb

would deal with them in a kind of virtual reality simulator. In particular there is a theory called the ‘threat simulation theory’, which says that dreams are a safe way to practise how to deal with threatening situations. This would explain why negative emotions are such a common feature of dreams, and why so many dreams are about being chased or being in danger.

Culled from Why?: Answers to everyday scientific questions

October 10, 2014

Your Entertainment and Lifestyle Guide

Christine Osifuye

With Love From South Africa Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion. ― Egyptian Proverb

ESSENTIALS PLAYLIST

razak’s diary Tattles

34

STARTERS

October 10, 2014

before you READ It’s another Friday, another rest-day, another time to throw back and relax. For those who enjoyed the somewhat long break, I do envy you. The Essentials team didn’t get any; we were busy working on bringing you a fresh, exciting and entertaining edition of your favourite fashion and lifestyle pull-out.

Our subject this week is South Africa-based gospel singer Christine Osifuye. She was

in the country for a concert to launch her sophomore album, Graced and…voila, we had her.

She shares her experiences, expectations, opinion, impressions and a lot more about South African music, lifestyle, music industry, even food!

I think what MTVBase had in mind was just to rejoice with Nigeria and Nigerians on the

country’s 54th Independence anniversary, by listing the country’s ‘Top 20 songs of all time’.

How they got their fingers burnt! I bet never reckoned we take such things seriously over here.

Fuming Nigerians have reacted to that ‘insulting goof’ and…you can bet how Nigerians react to what they deem an embarrassment. Many were perplexed; others

were plain annoyed while a number of others could not vent their fury enough.

In a few words, enjoy another edition of Essentials.

Have you prayed for the Chibok Girls today? fridayleadership@leadership.ng follow us on Twitter @essentialsng

one TO WATCH

Essentials Playlist

Latest Nigerian Songs 1. 2Face & Wizkid – Dance Go The most anticipated track of the year is finally here! Nigeria’s favourite artistes; the legendary 2Face Idibia and the CEO of StarBoy Music, Wizkid, have released Dance Go(Eau de Vie), their first-ever collaboration which also doubles as the official Hennessy Artistry 2014 theme song.

The song has an impressive house-beat that will get you off your feet, dancing and singing along. Dance Go was produced Sarz, while the track is executively produced by Hennessy.

2. Phyno – Yayo The last we heard from the Alobam crooner since the realease of his No Guts No Glory album was the unexpected studio leak for Oringo. In a more calculated attempt, he premieres Yayo, another one of his many indigenous offerings.

3. 2Face – Vote Not Fight Reminiscent of his 2007 single which he released prior to the general elections – E be like say (ft. Soul E) – 2Face has released another prelude to the 2015 elections, Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War. The singer has taken his campaign to shun violence during the elections is targeting young people who, incidentally, constitutes, by far, the largest voting population in the country and also the main culprits in election violence. The song is the theme song for the Million Voices for Peace (MVP) project which is championed by the singer.

4. Tiwa Savage – Colours of Love Here’s a new single from Mavin Records’ first lady, Tiwa Savage. This one is titled Colours of Love and it is a slow-tempo song which you’ll want to play over and over again.

5. Yung6ix ft. DJ Neptune – Doinz Talented rapper Yung6ix drops his new official single Doinz which features one of Africa’s best disc jockeys, DJ Neptune. The song was produced by Ghanaian producer Ill Keyz. Yung6ix currently sits on over 10 nominations, including Lyricist on the Roll, for the forthcoming Hip Hop World Awards.

6. 2Kay ft. Patoranking – Bad Girl Special Mr 2Kay teams up with upcoming singing sensation Patoranking to deliver a special song for ‘bad girls’, Bad Girl Special #BGS. The song is a melodious track that is a combination of Afro-sounds, Pop and Dancehall.

With melodious chords, heavy kicks and diffuclt-to-miss bass-line, you will find yourself dancing Ayzed’s newest production.

Downton Abbey

7. DJ Zeez ft. Olamide – Atewo DJ Zeez officially released his new single titled Atewo featuring YBNL’s Olamide.

The groovy, highly infectious tune is set straight for the clubs, parties and could get you nodding your head in agreement and tapping your feet in sync. Want to dance? Listen to Atewo.

8. Naeto C ft. Phyno and Jay Sleek – China Naeto C returns to the music scene, after a little break, to drop China, featuring Phyno. They are united in the beat by producer Jay Sleek.

9. DJ Humility ft. Timaya – Conga The Dancehall King Timaya hops on this single with DJ Humility titled Conga.

This sounds like another club-banger.

Whatever you think, this song is going to end up on your play-list. This danceable single is the handiwork of Papii J. 10. Sossick – Carry Water Having cheated death a few months ago, Sossick returns to prove he has still got game with the single Carry Water. Carry Water has some really inspiring and lifeaffirming lyrics.

Courtesy tooxclusive.com

A British period drama television series created by Julian Fellowes, it is set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey and depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era— with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy. Such events depicted throughout the series include news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the first series; the outbreak of the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic and the Marconi scandal in the second series; the inter-war period and the formation of the Irish Free State in the third series; the Teapot Dome scandal

in the fourth series and the United Kingdom general election of 1923 in the fifth series. Currently in its fifth season, the show has received critical acclaim from television critics and won numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. It was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the most “critically acclaimed English-language television series of 2011”. It earned the most nominations of any international television series in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, with 27 in total (after two series).

movie review Vengeance is Mine Genre Short Film Director Esosa Edosomwan Year 2013 Vengeance is Mine is a story of how a young woman gets even with a musician who raped her eight years ago. The short film raises questions on how victims truly react to rape.

Aside from the actors’ cranky performance, the short film appears slightly unreal. Understandably, this

short film doesn’t subscribe to the siddon look school of thought while societal ills abound, but it wrongly portrays its victim as a fragile person (a depiction that is betrayed by her final actions). But then, desperation has no limits. Notwithstanding, the message is undeniably strong. Stand against rape, take action.

— Reviewed by Innocent Ekejiuba of nollysilverscreen.com

group REPORTERS Abisola Alawode DESIGN & LAYOUT Chukwudi J. Nwabueze, Iniobong Ekong

ACTING EDITOR Hassan Gimba Ahmed

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GRP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GRP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr. Kazeem Durodoye

Your weekly ESSENTIALS is filled with exclusive interviews, amazing articles from guest columnists and contributors.

35

October 10, 2014

EssEntials Taste

Making Beans Porridge Beans porridge is a simple, one-pot meal enjoyed by most people.

To make it a balanced, tasty meal, fried or boiled plantain, yam, corn or sweet potato is often added. Beans is one of the best sources of protein.

It is also rich in fibre, high-quality carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

These heart-healthy nutrients gotten from beans help lower cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. They can also reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, osteoporosis and diabetes. Beans porridge could be served with bread, fried/boiled yam or plantain, pap, custard, or soaked garri.

keep the water on the same level as the beans while cooking till it gets soft.

Ingredients • 300g brown/white beans • 1 medium-sized onion • 2 red scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo) • 1 seasoning cube • 2 cooking spoon palm oil • 2 table spoon crayfish (optional) • Salt to taste • Yam / plantain /sweet potato /corn (optional) Directions Step 1. Separate the beans from the chaff, rinse and place in a pot. Add enough to cover the beans in the pot and add the chopped onion and pepper.

Do not add salt at this stage. This is because salt tends to harden the beans even more.

Step 2.

Cook on medium heat till tender while adding water once in a while when you notice it drying up. It's always best to

Step 3. Once the beans is soft, add the palm oil, seasoning cube, salt, crayfish. At this point, you can add your cut yam/ plantain or sweet potato (if you enjoy it better mixed with the beans. Otherwise, you can simply fry it separately and set aside). Don't stir. Cover and let it cook for about 15 more minutes, until the beans turns soupy, as in the picture below and the added yam/ plantain or sweet potato is properly ‘done’.

Step 4. At this point, stir with a wooden spoon and add the corn.

Leave to simmer on low heat for five more minutes.

Serve with fried yam, fried plantain or fried sweet potato, if you didn't add any while cooking. Even if you did, you could also serve beans porridge with bread, pap (akamu/ogi), custard or soaked garri. Enjoy!!!

P.S: Beans is associated with flatulence, indigestion and bloating in some people, with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). So, if you've got IBS you might want to limit beans in your diet.

Ewa Agoyin The preparation of ewa agoyin was one I had to learn unwillingly, because back then, whenever we committed a ‘crime’, we were usually sent to the kitchen as a form of punishment to cook with the Egun women who were the school’s chefs (most of them were from neighbouring countries but had blended into the Nigerian system so well, you could hardly tell).

Ewa means ‘beans’ in the Yoruba language while agoyin is a term used to describe people from neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic and Togo, who came into Nigeria to settle as far back as in the ‘60s, hence the name ewa agoyin which simply means "beans of the agoyin people". It's not uncommon to find Agoyin women carrying their iron pots on their heads hawking ewa agoyin on the streets of Lagos where they are mostly found.

Ewa agoyin is simply mashed beans with palm oil-based pepper sauce.

The sauce (which is the main part of the dish) is basically prepared with blended dry pepper, onion and palm oil. The combination of these three results in a tasty sauce with a spicy, earthy taste.

• Onion

Recently, when I ventured out on my normal ‘foodie waka’, I came across an ewa agoyin hawker, Silifat. I requested for the recipe, which she gave me after some persuasion.

Ingredients • Black-eyed beans • Small, dry chilli pepper (ose nkiri) • Palmoil • Ginger (just a little)

A woman will be twice bound when her chains feel comfortable. ― Egyptian Africa

Directions Step 1. To prepare the beans, wash and cook the beans with a little salt till it gets very soft. Mash it up in a pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 2. Soak the dry pepper for few hours, or overnight, till it regains moisture. Blend with a little ginger.

Step 3. Slice the onion (you can also blend the onion with the pepper and ginger if you don't like seeing chunks of it in your food) and set aside.

Step 4. Heat up the palm oil, until it loosens up a little and gets very hot (do not bleach).

Step 5. Gently add the onions, stir and leave to fry for some time till it burns a little and gets dark.

Step 6. Pour your pepper blend into the hot oil, add salt and leave to fry for a while till the oil separates from the ground pepper and it has a grainy-like feel.

Dish out the beans and pour the sauce over the top. Serve with boiled yam, fried plantain, garri or, better still, Agege Bread.

— Courtesy Dobbysignature.com

36 TATTLES John Travolta Doesn’t Believe In ‘Blunt’ Truth In a recent interview, the Pulp Fiction actor John Travolta discussed his career and how being in the film industry means you have to learn to become another person.

“As an actor, you’re pretending you’re other people. You’re actually hired to do it and how well you do it is how well you research the characters.

There, it’s important. ”In your own life, I think you have to be very truthful to yourself, for sure. Then I think you have to estimate how truthful you can be to others. I’m not a person who believes in the blunt truth. I think it’s bulls**t.”

He insisted that there is a different degree of truth, depending on who you are talking to, with certain things kept secret from children.

Nicki Minaj ‘Too Busy’ To Start Having Children Popular American musician Nicki Minaj will like to start a family at some point but admits she’s “too busy” at the moment.

The 31-year old Anaconda hit-maker doesn’t feel ready to start a family at the moment with her boyfriend, Safaree Samuels, because it’ll mean she’ll have to take a break from her career to focus all of her attention on her children. Speaking with L’Uomo Vogue magazine, she said: “I don’t want to work my whole life without ever experiencing the joys of a family. The time is not yet ripe, but when I decide to get married and become a mother, I will like to take a hiatus and dedicate myself completely to my child. Family has always been very important to me, and that is why I want to wait until the right moment before starting my own. Right now I am too busy, but at a certain point the situation will change,” she said.

I’ve Found Peace – 9ice

Indigenous musician-cum-politician 9ice, who recently welcomed his fourth child with a different lady named ‘Sunkanmi Ajala, spoke about his new family with City People.

“It is true that I have a child. It is true that I am with someone named Olasunkanmi Ajala and she is the mother of the child. If you check my Instagram page, you will see my daughter Michelle there. Her name is Michelle Abolanle Akande and she is there. So, it is not something you can hide for long. How can you hide a good news like having a child? It is one information you can never hide. It is a joyful thing.

“I have my peace of mind. If I drink garri now, I am at peace with myself and the garri will make me look healthy. If I don’t tell that I drank garri, you wouldn’t know vomit. “ Congratulations, Adigun!

Clarion Chukwura Slams Awards Organisers Veteran Nollywood actress Clarion Chukwura called on regulatory bodies to check the proliferation of award events and certify their authenticity.

“The time has come for the professional guilds of Nollywood to take a unified and decisive action to stop the proliferation of award events that exploit the industry and do not add value to the practitioner/recipient. From Nigeria to the United Kingdom, to the United States of America, Nollywood wannabes and smart business men have jumped on the band-wagon to exploit the inaction of the guilds and the ignorant crave for publicity of practitioners to exploit Nollywood for the quick buck, forming a different cabal of piracy. With Nollywood, the award organisers walk away with the money while the nominees and awardees return home with worthless plaques.”

I’m No Mermaid – Tope Alabi Popular gospel musician Tope Alabi has debunked rumours making the rounds that she confessed to being a mermaid recently.

“I was on a foreign musical tour when someone called and said I had released a new audio, where I confessed to being a mermaid.

I didn’t believe it. It was when I got home and another pastor called me and said he just got the tape, that I was the one. I was dumb-founded. So, I begged him to play it for me. To my greatest surprise, I actually listened to it over the phone and I just sat there. The voice was exactly my voice, but I just can’t explain how the person did it. The only confession I have ever made and will continue to make is the gospel of Christ,” she said.

October 10, 2014

Mariah Carey took a subtle dig at her ex-husband, Nick Cannon, during a show in Tokyo recently. Performing Billie Holiday’s classic Don’t Explain, Carey changed the lyrics of the song to the “I know you cheated, mother f****r”.

Former England soccer star, David Beckham, recently launched his own brand of whiskey called, the Haig Club. He teamed up with his business partner, Simon Fuller and alcoholic beverage-making company, Diageo, to create the singlegrain scotch.

TiSPY

Which musician claims to be a fashion icon?

I Am A Fashion Icon – KCee Self-acclaimed fashion guru and musician, KCee, in a recent interview with a national daily, explained why he referred to himself as a “fashion icon” and why he also flaunts his wealth on social media.

“I made people talk about my fashion sense; I started it. The truth is that, in this industry, when you are quiet and you want people to talk about you, one can do anything. I started talking about my fashion sense on Instagram and for those that know me and follow me; they’ll confirm that I am a fashion icon.

“Nigerians feel that when you call yourself a fashion icon, you are being proud and that is why they criticise my style. Each time I create such controversy, I gain about 2000 new followers; so I keep doing it,” he revealed.

The singer also has a reason for flaunting his wealth at every opportunity.

“I just like to express myself and that is why I flaunt what I have on social media. Even American celebrities do the same. If they buy new things or are going anywhere, they put it on the social media. It is just a way of keeping the diehard fans abreast of what we are doing.

It is neither a problem nor an issue. But for those criticising, I feel it is normal. No matter who you are on earth, even if you are a pastor, people will criticise you. Even Christ was criticised, so who am I?” He asked.

The Things

They Said “I do not ‘attack’ personalities” –Film critic Charles Novia

“Tiwa is a cheerful giver”

– Tiwa Savage’s husband Tee Billz

FLiRT “I don’t have a girlfriend” ALERT –Rapper Falz

GOT A CELEB GIST? GET IN TOUCH!

TATTLES 37

October 10, 2014

TATTLES with Abisola Alawode

OUR EAR-ON-GROUND

The Controversial List 1. 2Face – African Queen 2. 9ice – Gongo Aso 3. D’banj – Oliver Twist 4. P-Square ft. Waje – Do Me 5. WizKid – Holla at your Boy 6. Davido – Dami Duro 7. Ice Prince – Oleku 8. D’banj –Why Me 9. M.I – Safe 10. Olu Maintain – Yahooze 11. Naeto C – Kini Big Deal?

12. Davido – Skelewu 13. Banky W – Lagos Party 14. WizKid – Pakurumo 15. Asa – Jailer 16. P-Square – Chop My Money 17. Wande Coal – Bumper to Bumper 18. Dr SID - Surulere 19. Flavour – Nwa Baby (Remix) 20. Kcee – Limpopo

About That ‘Controversial’ MTV Base List

MTV Base recently released a list of ‘Naija’s Best Songs of all Time’. To say the list has brewed up a storm is an understatement. The list was put together in commemoration of Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary.

You must wondering what all the noise over the list is about, yes? For such a list which claims to compile our best songs in our 54-year (official) history, TATTLES believes that a popular, respected ‘authority’ like MTVBase should have contracted people who know the Nigerian music industry through and through to do the job. I mean, how can you compile the best Nigerian songs and the music of the likes of Sunny Okosuns, Onyeka Onwenu and, probably, the most recognised Nigerian musician ever, Fela, be missing? It beats us. Prominent entertainment personalities have made their opinions known about the matter and none of them comes close to an accolade for MTVBase.

Iyanya was first to respond. His opinion: his song Kukere did not make the cut. Yes, he posted that on his Instagram account. “So Kukere is not amongst the 20 top Nigerian songs of all time? LOL!!!! Wonders shall never

end. Ahead! Ahead!”

Eedris Abdulkareem also came out to play. “I will like to say that, from the director of research MTV Nigeria, and all that made the selection of the ‘evergreen’ songs, may GOD punish you.

Where are the Fela classic ever-green songs? Where is Jagajaga? Where is Mr Lecturer? Where is African China’s song? MTV is a fraud,” he posted on his wall, as well.

Actor and TV host Chidi Mokeme weighed in on the argument.

“I know some songs have earned their place on the list (African Queen, Oliver Twist) but if we’re talking all time, please…’Top 20 greatest Naija Songs of all time’? And FELA name no dey dia? Abeg, park well-well. Abeg, make una help me suggest some greatest songs of all time for them,” he wrote.

Film critic Charles Novia also shared his opinion on the matter: “I agree with Chidi Mokeme on his points about the contentious MTV Base list of so-called 20 Naija songs of all time. It’s scandalous. Whoever compiled that list must be a teenager or someone frozen in time. But that’s what we get when history is off our curriculum.

An imperialist media organ finally exposes its hidden agenda; brain-

PUBLiC “Married life is beautiful and exciting” DiSPLAY –Dr Sid

wash the youths into thinking they have no past. [Are they saying] ‘Naija music’ is new? Even Iyanya has a point.

Three years after its release Kukere still get dance floors hot. An African classic, even in years two come. Even if MTV Base has it’s templates for judging such, it smacks of arrogant disrespect for the progenitors of present-day Naija music. Without the likes of Remedies, Ruff Rugged n’ Raw, Paul Play, OJB etc, the new Naija music would have been still-born and amorphous. No one should argue that ‘Naija’ is a new coinage for Nigeria. It’s been in use since the mid-‘80s. No one at MTV researched jack. I know they might argue that it’s based on videos they have in stock. So, if that is the case, use a different tag; not ‘all time’.

Now, this would have been ignored by many if it wasn’t seen as an attempt to re-write a glorious musical past many know and love.” Trust Novia to always inculcate every angle.

Their anger is justified. MTV Base should have just called the list ‘Naija’s Best Songs of Recent Times’. This would have quelled the flames and tempered many a tongue. But since they have apologised, TATTTLES thinks they should be forgiven.

If recent reports are anything to go by, popular couple Jide and Henrietta Kosoko have started living apart. The couple, who have been married for a number of years, recently started living separately when Mrs Kosoko moved out of their Abule Egba matrimonial home.

Rising pop star, Yemi Alade is set to release her debut album. The soon-tobe-released album, King of Queens, is a 17-track body of work which also has three bonus tracks.

The album features collaborations with Bovi, Selebobo, Chidinma, Phyno, R2bees, amongst others.

Star actress Genevieve Nnaji recently relaunched her clothing line, St Genevieve, in collaboration with online retailer, Jumia.

Congrats to her.

Who could have guessed that femcee Eva Alordiah has a crush on indigenous rapper Reminisce? The Get High rapper revealed this recently, via a Twitter post.

TiP FOR “Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being” THE TOP –Kevin Kruse

Call Bisola on 08126995258 Or e-mail at friday@leadership.ng

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FEATURE

October 10, 2014

With Love From South Africa

1

Can you put South African gospel music and the Nigerian variety side-by-side?

That is a little tricky, because there is a standard market for the South African gospel music. There is a market for the gospel music and another for the circular music. We don’t have that here in Nigeria. Here, everyone hustles to get it out there – that’s not to say you don’t hustle over there, as well, but at a point, the burden of selling yourself is taken off you.

Over there, there are studios where you can’t record circular music, just the gospel genre. You have marketers, promoters and others who just specialise and focus on gospel music. They don’t criss-cross. It helps the market to stabilise and gives it an identity.

Christine Osifuye is a Nigerian gospel artiste based in South Africa. She was recently in Nigeria for a concert when ESSENTIALS caught up with her. Here, she chronicles her journey into and through the world of singing, how it has changed her life in the ‘Rainbow Country’ and the need for Nigerian singers to more intelligent. By Onukogu Kanayo Jubal

2

Before the release of your albums, didn’t you release any singles?

I really do not release single before the album. Prior to the first album, I did some collaborations with some artistes, but those works did not feature on the album.

There is this Nigeria Gospel singer who is really making waves in South Africa – Uche, Yes, that’s his name. True, it may not have been easy for him, but he and many other must have broken some boundaries to go that far. Why do you think foreigners don’t easily break into our own music market?

Actually, as much as I’ll love to, I have never met Uche. Then, as easy as it seems, I do not think that the South African gospel music market is an all-comers affair. Why it may seem that way to us on this side may be because they have a lot of media houses which make it easy for one to be out there, whether you are a foreigner or not. I think that’s a plus.

Uche collaborated with the choir he was with at that time and that is one of South Africa’s biggest choirs. The exposure did him a lot of good. For other foreigners who are trying to break in, it has not been easy, because it is kind of closed; though they are open to people.

I think it is more difficult over here, because though the Nigerian market is more receptive, you may not understand the language in which they may sing. Nigeria is truly diverse – you have to travel a lot to understand how disverse Nigeria is – and though you may not understand all the languages, you have to learn a lot of songs in these languages to reach the people. So, the workload that comes with pleasing the various Nigerian languages might just be a put-off for most foreign artistes in Nigeria.

3

When you watch One Gospel, most of the songs are South African; the videos are crisp and recorded during concerts. How do you feel, as a Nigerian? Do you think it’s the packaging or the cost of production that is the limitation in the Nigerian sense?

Doing music is easy for me. I don’t consider it to be a job. Let me say… it’s like taking a stroll in the park

That is part of the structuring. A haphazard, all-comers market cannot do that for you. Also, the government makes periodic investments in the industry to support the artistes and the people understand the role the genre plays in their lives and their spiritual being.

If, however, you have to do that yourself; provide your lighting, the stage, the sound system and everything that comes with it, you may be staring bankruptcy in the face and that can be frustrating for anyone, not just a singer.

Also, over there, they do not believe that gospel music concerts should not be paid for, because it is gospel. No. If it is worth the while, then it is worth paying for. They don’t have to know you; all you have to do is to be good and know your stuff as it relates to the environment over there. In stark contrast, over here, when people hear that it is gospel, they say ‘ahn, ahn, it’s supposed to be free na’. Most times, the church that invited the artiste is the only one paying; the audience does not.

Then, there is the issue of sponsoring. Both private individuals, churches and the government throw in some amount of money to ensure that growth is recorded and the gospel artistes are encouraged. Our understanding over here is different. The bottom line why the investment in gospel music is poor here is because it is deemed ‘unprofitable’.

A goose’s child is a swimmer. ― Chinese proverb

Oshifuye

4

Why do you think most artistes fail?

I’ll speak as a gospel artiste. In a place like this, why most gospel artistes fail is because they expect too much from their pastors, congregation, mentors and their environment. Also, they are unsure of their identity. This identity issue has caused many to remain on the border of both genres while most veer off into commercial music because they discover that gospel music is a call; not an all-comers affair.

Most times when I begin to expect too much, I caution myself by saying ‘I am not on this platform because of a pastor. I am doing for God and myself. When you work with that understanding, you don’t expect the millions to start falling your way. You only consider it a blessing when it comes. But wise ministers consider the gospel artiste as the John the Baptist of every programme, that is why they cannot do without them in their programmes.They know that some good, directional music can make a huge difference before the actual word comes. In the end, one’s story cannot be told without the other. If a preacher understands that ‘in building others, I build myself’, then he will have no fear of the gospel artiste.

For the singer, being a gospel artiste is not a one-off thing; you need to be intelligent and think of how to push yourself to get what you want. You song-writing and message carriage should be approached intelligently .

5 6 7

Where did you study engineering?

I did my first degree at the Federal University of Technology Minna and my second degree at a federal university of technology in Pretoria.

What else do you do, besides singing?

I also act in movies and soaps. At some time, I was even a presenter. In a nutshell, I think I am just drawn to the entertainment world like a moth to fire.

When did you begin to think about singing?

When I discovered that I had a lot of passion for it and that goes way, way back. I’m stuck to it and I will do for as long as I live.

I started out singing in the church choir as a toddler, then I progressed to doing choreography nationally (still in church).

When I was an undergraduate in FUT Minna, I was the leader of a 300-man mass choir. After then, I knew the die was cast. Look at me now.

FEATURE

October 10, 2014

39

With Love From South Africa Trivia

Oshifuye has just released her second album titled Graced. It was released on August 23,2014, in Pretoria, South Africa.

Do you miss spinsterhood?

I’m married with two kids…I don’t; not wholeheartedly.

What did you find so fulfilling about music which your course of study did not give you?

I’m an chemical engineer. Music is my passion and it is the most ready form of expression. It is a pure form of art which no one teaches you about. Engineering, on the other hand, is a learned thing which has got its own perks as well.

What is the title of your first album?

Face to Face and it has five songs.

Abuja Pretoria; which do you prefer?

I’ll pick Pretoria because that is where my family and I call home for now and where my husband and children are is home. Johannesburg is always compared to Lagos while Pretoria is always compared to Abuja, but as sleepy as people think Abuja is, Pretoria is more laid-back, despite the crimerate. The presence of every form of infrastructure also makes a huge difference.

What do you miss most about home?

Food. Nigerian food. All of them.Yes, we have got a rich culture and this gives us lots of options food-wise and these are the things I miss. I could go to a place and desire to eat this and be at some other place tomorrow and decide to have something else. That is great, but you never know it until you go far from home. I’ve been in South Africa for four years and that choice does not exist.

You are saying you have not had time to fully acculturate?

No, it’s not even about that. You can’t make choices because there are no varieties; and you know variety is the spice of life. Over there, the meals revolve around chips, rice and pap (not the pap we know here) – that’s just about it.

So, will you go for ‘semo’ with a soup of your choice or the pap?

‘Semo’ and any of ogbono, vegetable or fish soup will do. But I love ogbono soup to a fault. Then, I love pounded yam and banga soup. That is blissful and correct. See the goodness of having variety now?

What’s your priority; passion, respect, work, God or family?

God, family, respect, passion and work, all in that order.

Fred Hammond, Curt Carr, Don Moen or Cece Winans?

Fred Hammond and Curt Carr, any day. Though I love all four of them, these two are so vast that anyone who listens to their albums comes away with something. They are also wonderful, sensible song writers.

Music is my way of reaching people I do not know. It is my way of uplifting people and getting them to that place where mere words cannot take their spirit. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been called to do this and it makes a lot of sense to me.

My childhood and up-bringing as a pastor’s child affected my singing quite positively. If my parents had been different, I probably will be singing but not with the same degree of satisfaction and, maybe, not gospel music.

8

Now that you’ve become an entertainer, when do you hope to return to engineering?

Though music is my first love, I have not abandoned engineering altogether. I just finished my master’s degree programme. It felt good going back to engineering, because engineering is fun.

Tell us about Graced.

Graced is, actually, a 12-track album with a bonus track (the 13th one). Graced is a fun album, an upgrade on what I did previously. There are a couple of collaborative efforts in it with some Nigerian artistes based in South Africa.

Oshifuye

Grace is a dynamic work which does not just imbue a particular style. It is made up of a number of components; Chado, R& B, Jazz, Negro Spiritual, Raggae and a number of other styles therein. Whatever your music preference, there is something for you in Graced.

The idea behind it is to tell people that, as much as they may not believe it, they have been graced with grace for all situations and for all things.

9 10 11 12

Does this translate to the fact that you don’t have a particular genre?

Perfect. That is it. I always want to do something for everyone. No preference.

Which gospel singers will you love to work with, home and abroad?

Home…that’s difficult, but I can take Lara George and Kore; they are talented, intelligent singers. I love our music and all that, but I think some people need to be more intelligent. Abroad, Yolanda Adams is good for me. It’s not as if there’s someone I want to pattern my style after. No.

As a Nigerian singer in South Africa, how has the reception been?

It has been great. Sometimes, I feel that they are even more receptive than Nigerians. People have been supportive; buying the album, granting interviews and all that. We want people to buy the album first before pushing it onto the Internet.

But pirates rule supreme everywhere…

Over there, people hide to do stuff like that, unlike here where it is brazen and open.

A man with two ears can be supported by two words.

― Egyptian proverb

COLUMNS

40

Diary

Razak’s

co s y raz z y @ ya h o o. co m

I’m an impulsive guy with an insatiable thirst for adventure. This is all about my dalliances & escapades.

Clueless It’s been close to two years since I started keeping a diary, but, all of a sudden, I can’t seem to get my mind on what to enter today. Once it was fun, but this week, I have come under the hammering blues – please, I am not talking about Chelsea – that which affects writers.

True, no matter what you think of me, I love to think of myself as one.

Back to the point: I am clueless. Completely clueless and respite-less. Should I ditch my diary? I plan to sell the right s to shoot it as a low-budget movie to my friend who owns TripleEye Images. I just hope he can find some use for it and pay me handsomely.

It’s been almost two weeks since my soaraway experience with the Bauchi ‘kobnomi’ crew. Two weeks since my deliverance from that funny place by Etim. Two weeks since I did that little ‘prat,prat,prat’ when I thought I was going to ease myself. Two weeks since I returned and found a Bhaira-less flat. Two weeks of loneliness.

But could Etim have been ribbing me when he said “Idiot; you are pining away because Bhaira is not here. The week she informs you that she will be returning, you just get yourself into another romantic entanglement. Ol’ boy, you are a problem-child o”?

It’s been one week since my elder sister’s son (that should be my nephew) left my house. He is 18 and I have only set my eyes on him twice.

When he was two and when he turned 10. I guess I’ll see him again when he turns 26. Sebi, it’s now an eight-year thing na?

Rum, rum,rum…

I looked at my phone and cringed. It was a WhatsApp message, but I didn’t want it to be from the office. I was still recuperating (from the ‘kobnomi-cal’ experience). When I decided to check, it was Bedlam (sorry, diary, I didn’t tell you the pet-name we coined for my nephew.

Yes, the one who just left my house last week).

You see, his name is Danlami. Nobody wanted to call him Dan, because he would be mistaken for a Christian. No one wanted to call him ‘Lami, because it sounded feminine. His mother settled for ‘D’lam’. As funny as it sounded, it stuck! But I rechristened him Bedlam while he was creeping. Fellow was a tornado on his then yet-to-be-formed knees. He crept into the house while you were in the bathroom and got your boxers around his tiny head. He poured your warm cup of coffee over his head and bawled for a few seconds, only to start smacking his lips when he discovered that the hot liquid was sweet, as well. He could hold onto your ears or the family jewels if it would give some balance to prevent him from falling flat on his tiny backside. He could creep until he was directly above the television and then try to dislodge it from its place. He observed his siesta under tables

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and chewed the head off all his toys. He chewed buttons and sucked on his toe. He was bedlam.

His wailing sent everyone reaching for cover.

It was that shrill. Sorry, he wasn’t my sister’s son, exactly. He was her son, exactly, but she was her secondary school-graduating gift to the house. While everyone was rejoicing that she had hit it big with four As and 4 Bs, she hid the big result under her pinafore; a two-month-old pregnancy. After that public-but-not-so-public announcement, there was bedlam in the house for one book. Baba threatened to kill anything which moved or distracted him from his deep thoughts. Thoughts which caused his brows to furrow so deep, very much like ridges on a hill-side farm. Zarah, my sister, had delivered Bedlam seven months later and Baba. By this time, all the tension had subsided and parents tried to outdo his mother in their bid to show him love. She was married now, but Bedlam did not find favour with her husband, so he lived with one of our uncle; some stingy fellow who worked with Shell. All the stingy guys came from Mam na’s side.

Bedlam, it was, who sent me a WhatsApp message.

“Uncle, I feel lonely in Uncle’s house. I miss your place,” he wrote.

“No, you missed the hugs of all the girls in that evening class you normally attend,” I replied.

“I’m not kidding. You are warm compared to the rest of them.”

“Kai, don’t talk sentimental crap, you sound like a homosexual,” I warned.

“No, I’m an honest person and it spills over,” he wrote.

“Every place has its own palava, you know?

Just a little more time and you’ll experience the freedom which comes with adulthood and its huge consequences,” I wrote.

“It’s not about freedom; nobody will ever understand,” he wrote. The bedlam sounded really down.

“You must understand that no one will really understand you. That’s why you are who you are. When people say ‘I understand,’ you should run away. That’s the biggest indicator that they don’t.”

“Also, when people talk about themselves, you think you understand. You don’t, but you can’t tell them that…”

“I always feel alone,” he wrote back, getting to the point.

“You are the only one who knows that. Others want you to be okay, to be normal and act it. We go through life pretending to understand one another; we don’t. It’s all pretence.”

“You should write a book oh, you are getting too philosophical.” He was brightening up.

“I am even surprised at myself,” I confessed.

Write to us! Share your favourite recipes, TV shows, movies, and of course write to Matilda, Mimi and Rasaq. Send us your comments and suggestions on our features.

We want lots of feedback from you! fridayleadership@leadership.ng

October 10, 2014

guest column

This Thing Called ‘Romance’

I love love. I really do and I have no qualms expressing it. What I seem to have a problem with is the word ‘romance’ and all its idealised connotations. My girlfriends have tried, forever, to defend romance. They have all failed. Simply put, I am a lover and not a romantic. I simply don’t believe in the word.

It just seems like something we use to emotionally blackmail our partners. I want you to do this and that [and if] you don’t feel like it, I wail that you are not romantic and so you quickly go and buy me flowers. Works like magic for most people. Not me.

My thinking is that there is a certain level of thoughtfulness, affection and sweetness that should be expressed between lovers.

That is fine and it is as it should be. My confusion is when someone actually does these things (as they should) and the partner is so flabbergasted by these actions that he/she has no choice but to ‘oohhh’ and ‘ahhhhh’ and coo about it and call it ‘romantic’. No, sweetie, that’s not being romantic. That is what lovers do. Is your relationship so starved of sweetness that you have to elevate an expression of love to ‘romance’ status?

This does not mean [that] I don’t believe in showing affection.

I will do anything nice for my man. I am all for giving massages, cuddling on the couch (that’s fine), spooning (just for a while, biko.

First, I can only fall asleep when I lay on my belly and, secondly, there is nothing romantic about sleeping on a strong hairy chest and waking up with neck cramps, true to God!) I love PDAs (as long as you don’t use it as an excuse to use your tongue to pierce my mouth every time you see a hot dude passing by). I love holding hands, laughing in public, giving and receiving massages and all, but, again, please don’t call it ‘romance’. It’s called being thoughtfully affectionate.

Romance seems to represent an extravagant, unrealistic and highly idealistic declaration of love. I remember one experience back in the university, when I went to see the dean. If you went to a Nigerian university like UniLag, you know how those secretaries get when you have to see their oga. They can be so rude, dismissive and make you comeback 20 times before they attend to you.

When I returned for the 21st time, I was nervous but relieved that I was finally going to see the dean. I had taken an elective in that department, but my results weren’t published. Naturally, I was worried. Suddnely, my phone rang. It was ‘le boo’. If you saw the evil, irritated eyes the secretary used to look at me ehn… odiegwu. Still, I picked it up. He wanted to know how I was doing.

I told him I was well but couldn’t talk much and prmosed to call him after my meeting with the dean. He said “I love you”, I said, “Okay, cool… me too. Will call you back.” He said, “Say it out loud!”

I said, “What? Dude, I am not about to have a carry-over for your sake!”

Later that night we got into a big argument. He sulked and whined for hours. Apparently, I was not romantic. How he bemoaned his fate. Finally, exasperated, I had to scream.

“Oga biko-biko don’t come and kill me here. I told you I loved you yesterday, this morning and many times before that. Did you offend me between then and now? No. How many times do I have to tell you I love you in 24 hours? As an Urhobo girl, hence-forth, one ‘I love you’ is valid for 30 days before it expires! Shuo! I don beg you so tay my mouth wan bend.”

He stared at me in shock! Then we started laughing. Later, cuddled on the couch, he told me it was the only time he had been able to rattle my cage. So, yes,I can be very loving. But not romantic.

Flowers are nice but I never seem to know what to do with them at the moment I receive them, especially if the guy is still standing there eagerly waiting my reaction. In my mind, I’m wondering ‘oga, this flower no get scent o. How much is this thing sef? Choi, choi, choi, but with this price na wa o. Perfume for make sense sha. Anyway, make I no mess up…’

So, I do what oyinbo girls do in the movies… I take a deep whiff, look at him from beneath my lashes and beam like an angel.

Thoughtful or romantic? Perhaps it’s just semantics. But if I were to recall the three most romantic, thoughtful and memorable experiences, they would be these: having three birthday parties thrown in my name with him singing to me in front of dozens of our friends, the moment he gave me an Argentine mare and introduced me to her and, third, being taken out to sea to swim near some caves in the Mediterranean.

Ah, romance!

— This post was written by Isio Wanogho

He whose house is made out of glass, shouldn’t throw stones at people. — Egyptian proverb

FRIDAY EXTRA 41

October 10, 2014

big

questIons & AnsweRs

How can people predict weather?

CROSSWORDS PUZZLE

Meteorologists, are like detectives studying earth’s atmosphere for clues about the weather conditions. they gather evidence, including temperature, wind speed and direction, time of year and humidity. this evidence (and helps from computers and mathematical models) helps predict weather that is on the way.

Why do hurricanes form?

Warm ocean water heats the air above it. The warm air rises, and cooler air rushes beneath to replace it. Some storms remain small, but others gather warm ocean moisture and the rushing wind moves faster and faster. Winds spin around the “eye” at the storm’s centre creating either tropical storm or a hurricane, depending on the winds’ speed wind speed of more than 74 mph (119), are classified as hurricanes.

Why can sea mammals drink seawater? some marine mammals like whales and seals can drink seawater and survive. their extra-efficient kidneys help them remove excess salt through their urine but the fact that they can drink salt water doesn’t mean they do. Most marine mammals likely don’t drink much seawater at all. some sea animals get all the water they need from eating fish, while seals sometimes eat snow to get water.

You don’t have to cut a tree down to get at the fruit. ― Cambodian Proverb

DOWN 1 Gardening tools (5) 2 _ Lisa, famous painting (4) 3 extremely off-putting (9) 4 set apart, seclude (9) 5 Criss-cross of lines (4) 6 Large skate-like fish (3) 9 Childish word for ‘stomach’ (5) 10 _ Purves, radio presenter and novelist (5) 14 Common cinema name (5) 15 wild drunken party (4) 17 Polluted mist (4) 18 Married woman’s title (3) ACROSS 1 Child’s playsuit (6) 4 sewing machine manufacturer (6) 7 Flock member (3) 8 County considered the garden of england (4) 10 Flower associated with purity (4) 11 Grand theft _, computer game (4) 12 Brand-name fly spray (4) 13 tommy _ Jones, Men in Black star (3) 15 exclude, leave out (4) 16 Chatters, gossips (4) 18 _ Poppins, Julie Andrews film (4) 19 welfare group formed in 1844 (in its) (4) 20 Almond or pecan, eg (3) 21 expressing in words (6) 22 Cipher machine famously used by the Germans in wwII (6)

42 FRIDAY EXTRA

October 10, 2014

titans Caligula’s order when any of his victims was being executed, according to Suetonius Caligula ascended the imperial throne as the young darling of the Romans - and ended his four-year reign with a reputation as an insanely cruel tyrant. Capricious, politically inept and militarily incompetent, sexually ambiguous and perversely incestuous, he went from beloved prince to butchered psychopath in a reign that quickly slid into humiliation, murder and madness.

Caligula - properly Gaius Caesar - was the great -grandson of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. His nickname Caligula - meaning ‘little boots’ - derives from the miniature army sandals he was dressed in as a boy when he accompanied his father Germanicus on campaign. This made Caligula the favourite mascot of the army. Germanicus died suddenly in AD 19, followed by Caligula’s two elder brothers and his mother Agrippina.

Many suspected that Caligula’s greatuncle the emperor Tiberius had poisoned the much-loved Germanicus as a threat to his throne. In AD 31 Caligula went to live with Tiberius at his villa on the island of Capri. It was during this time that the dark side of Caligula’s character began to emerge. As the Roman historian Suetonius (albeit not an objective source) later reported, ‘He could not control his natural cruelty and viciousness, but he was a most eager witness of the tortures and executions of those who suffered punishment, revelling at night in gluttony and adultery, disguised in a wig and a long robe.’

Rumours also began to circulate that Caligula was conducting an incestuous relationship with his sister Drusilla.

When Tiberius died in March AD 37 some said that Caligula had smothered the old man with a pillow. Tiberius had willed that after his death Caligula and his cousin Tiberius Gemellus should rule jointly, but within months of his accession, Caligula had Gemellus murdered. Caligula’s lack of political experience, combined with his spoilt arrogance and lust for absolute power, would prove disastrous.

There are many examples of Caligula’s megalomania. To repudiate a prophecy that he had as much chance of becoming emperor as he did of riding a horse across the Gulf of Naples, he had a bridge of ships built across the water, over which he rode in triumph, wearing the breastplate of Alexander the Great. It was also said that he elevated his favourite horse, Incitatus, to the consulship. On another occasion, while in Gaul, he ordered his troops to defeat Neptune by gathering seashells from the shore, as ‘spoils of the sea’.

Caligula became deeply paranoid, and made it an offence for anyone to even look at him, so sensitive was he about his

of history

CALIGULA AD 12-41 Make him feel that he is dying.

increasing baldness and luxuriant body hair. Those suspected of disloyalty often on the flimsiest of pretexts - were, prior to their execution, subjected to a variety of ingenious torments devised by the emperor, such as being covered in honey and then exposed to a swarm of angry bees.

Anyone was a potential victim. As Suetonius records, ‘Many men of honourable rank were first disfigured with the marks of branding irons and then condemned to the mines, to work at building roads, or to be thrown to the wild beasts; or else he shut them up in cages on all fours, like animals, or had them sawn asunder. Not all these punishments were for serious offences, but merely for criticizing one of his shows, or for never having sworn by his Genius.’

Caligula began to believe himself to be divine. He had the heads of statues of the Olympian gods replaced with likenesses of himself, and almost provoked a Jewish revolt by ordering his godhead to be worshipped in

the Temple in Jerusalem. Suetonius reports that he regularly talked to the other deities as if they stood beside him.

On one occasion he asked an actor who was greater, himself or Jupiter.

When the man failed to respond with sufficient alacrity, the emperor had him mercilessly flogged. His cries, Caligula claimed, were music to his ears. On another occasion, when dining with the two consuls, he started laughing manically. When asked why, he retorted, ‘What do you expect, when with a single nod of my head both of you could have your throats cut on the spot?’ Similarly, he used to kiss his wife’s neck whilst whispering, ‘Off comes this beautiful head whenever I give the word. If only Rome had one neck.’ The most repugnant story of the emperor’s depravity tells how, after he had made his sister Drusilla pregnant, he was so impatient to see his child that he ripped it from her womb.

Whether this story is true or not, Drusilla is known to have died in AD

38, probably of a fever, whereupon Caligula declared her to be a goddess.

Caligula’s unbridled narcissism and ever greater appetite for brutality alienated every section of society. The Praetorian Guard resolved that his rule must be brought to an end, and in January AD 41 two of its number killed the emperor by ambushing him as he left the stadium in Rome.

They went on to kill his wife and baby daughter, smashing the latter’s head against a wall.

The life of Caligula demonstrated how much the imperial system created by Augustus, whilst preserving the trappings of the republic, had actually concentrated absolute power in the hands of one man. Caligula stripped away the veneer of constitutional restraint and flaunted his total authority over his subjects in the most capriciously horrific manner. Caligula personifies the immorality, bloodlust and insanity of absolute power.

Culled from the book ‘Titans of History’

You can’t claim heaven as your own if you are just going to sit under it. ― Cambodian Proverb

FRIDAY EXTRA 43

October 10, 2014

ultimate top list MYTHS ABOUT THE VIKINGS

1

HELMET STYLE Misconception: The Vikings wore helmets with horns.

This must be the biggest misconception about Vikings, but the fact remains, there are no records of such helmets having ever existed. All depictions of Viking helmets, dating to the Viking Age, show them with no horns and the only authentic Viking helmet that has ever been found does not have them either.

An explanation for the helmet with horns myth is that Christians in contemporary Europe added the detail to make the Vikings look even more barbarian and pagan, with horns like Satan’s on their heads. It should be noted that the Norse god Thor wore a helmet with wings on it, which do look somewhat similar to horns.

RAPE AND PILLAGE Misconception: The Vikings pillaged as their only way of living.

It was actually only a very small percentage of the Vikings that were warriors; the majority were farmers, craftsmen, and traders. For the Vikings who took to the sea, pillaging was one among many other goals of their expeditions. The Vikings settled peacefully in many places such as Iceland and Greenland, and were international merchants of their time; they peacefully traded with almost every country of the then-known world.

2

3

BLOODTHIRSTY Misconception: The Vikings were unusually bloodthirsty and barbarian.

The Viking raids were indeed very violent, but it was a violent age, and the question is whether nonViking armies were any less bloodthirsty and barbarian; for instance, Charlemagne, who was the Vikings’ contemporary, virtually exterminated the whole people of Avars. At Verden, he ordered the beheading of forty-five hundred Saxons. What really made the Vikings different was the fact that they seemed to take special care to destroy items of religious value (Christian monasteries and holy sites) and kill churchmen, which earned them quite a bit of hatred in a highly religious time. The Vikings probably enjoyed the reputation they had; people were so scared of them that they often fled from their cities instead of defending them when they saw a Viking ship coming near .

4

HATED BY THEIR PEERS Misconception: The Vikings were hated everywhere.

One could imagine that the Vikings were hated everywhere because of their raids, but it seems that they were also respected by some. The French King Charles the Ill, known as Charles the Simple, gave the Vikings the land they had already settled on in France (Normandy), and he even gave his daughter to the Viking chief Rollo. In return, the Vikings protected France against wilder Vikings.

Also in Constantinople, the Vikings were cknowledged for their strength, so much so that the Varangian guard of the Byzantine emperors in the eleventh century was made up entirely of Swedish Vikings.

5

HOMETOWN Misconception: The Vikings lived only in Scandinavia.

The Vikings did originate from the Scandinavian countries, but over time they started settlements in many places, reaching as far as North Africa, Russia, Constantinople, and even North America. There are different theories about the motives driving the Viking expansion, the most common of which is that the Scandinavian population had outgrown the agricultural potential of their homeland. Another theory is that the old trade routes of Western Europe and Eurasia experienced a decline in profitability when the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century, forcing the Vikings to open new trading routes in order to profit from international trade.

6

CRUDE WEAPONS Misconception: The Vikings used crude, unsophisticated weapons.

Vikings are often shown with crude, unsophisticated weapons such as clubs and crude axes, but the Vikings were actually skilled weapon smiths. Using a method called pattern welding, the Vikings could make swords that were both extremely sharp and flexible. According to Viking Sagas, one method of testing these weapons was to place the sword hilt first in a cold stream, and float a hair down to it. If it cut the hair, it was considered a good sword.

7

BIG AND BLOND Misconception: The Vikings were all big and blond.

The Vikings are often shown as big, bulging guys with long blond hair, but historical records show that the average Viking man was about five-feet seveninches tall, which was not especially tall for the time.

Blond hair was seen as ideal in the Viking culture, and many Nordic men bleached their hair with a special soap. But the Vikings were great at absorbing people, and many people who had been kidnapped as slaves, became part of the Viking population in time.

So, in Viking groups, you would probably find Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, and Russians-a very diverse group built around a core of Vikings from a particular region, say, southern Denmark or an Oslo fjord.

With water make rivers, with rice make armies.

HELMET STYLE

8

SKULL CUPS Misconception: The Vikings drank from skull cups.

The origin of this legend is Ole Worm’s “Reuner seu Danica literatura antiquissima” from 1636 in which he writes that Danish warriors drank from the “curved branches of skulls,” i.e. horns, which was probably mistranslated in Latin to mean human “skulls.” The fact is, however, no skull cups have ever been found in excavations from the Viking Age. WILD, DIRTY PEOPLE Misconception: The Vikings were all dirty, wild-looking people.

In many movies and cartoons, the Vikings are shown as dirty, wild-looking, savage men and women, but in reality, the Vikings were quite vain about their appearance. In fact, combs, tweezers, razors, and “ear spoons” are among some of the most frequent artifacts from Viking Age excavations. These same excavations have also shown that the Vikings made soap.

In England, the Vikings living there even had a reputation for excessive cleanliness because of their custom of bathing once a week (on Saturday). To this day, Saturday is referred to as /augardagur / / aurdag / /0rdag / /ordag, or “washing day,” in the Scandinavian languages, though the original meaning is lost in modern speech in most cases. However, /aug does still mean “bath” or “pool” in Icelandic.

9

ONE NATION Misconception: The Vikings were a nation.

The Vikings were not one nation but different groups of warriors, explorers, and merchants led by a chieftain. During the Viking Age, Scandinavia was not separated into Denmark, Norway, and Sweden as it is today; instead, each chieftain ruled over a small area. The word “viking” does not refer to any location, but is the Old Norse word for a person participating in an expedition to sea.

10

— Chinese Proverb

Culled from the book ‘Ultimate top 10 list’

44 ROOTS

October 10, 2014

By Kanayo Jubal

word and managed the plantation while his owner was gone and turned it back over to Spalding after the war. The fact that a slave owner trusted his slaves so much as to give them control of the plantation along with weapons speaks volumes about the character and trustworthiness of Bilali Muhammad.

Muhammad

The First MuslimAmerican Scholar: Bilali Muhammad An unfortunate misconception among today’s American Muslim community is that Islam has only been present in America for less than 100 years. Many American Muslims are children of immigrants who came to the United States from the Middle East and South Asia in the mid-nineteenth century, and thus wrongly assume that the first Muslims in America were those immigrants. The reality, however, is that Islam has been in America for far longer than that.

Besides possible pre-Colombian Muslim explorers from al-Andalus and West Africa, Islam arrived on America’s shores in waves through the Atlantic slave trade from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries.

While hundreds of thousands of slaves arrived in America during this time, the stories of only a few have been preserved and are known today. One of the most enduring and unique is that of Bilali Muhammad.

As European nations began to colonize the New World in the 1500s, a demand for cheap labour arose. Plantations, mines, and farms needed workers throughout North and South America, and the native population of the New World proved unsuitable due to their lack of immunity to European diseases. As a result, European powers such as Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain looked south, towards Africa, for a source of slave labor they could exploit.

Thus, European slave traders began arriving at ports in Africa, looking to buy slaves.

Generally, Europeans did not go and capture slaves themselves. Instead, they would commonly pay local rulers to go to war with other African states, capture warriors, and sell them to be taken to America. The African rulers would be paid commonly in weapons, which would further perpetuate the cycle of violence and enslavement. The entire system worked to handicap Africa’s social, political, and economic development, and the results of this genocide are still felt in Africa today.

Estimates vary, but over 12 million Africans were probably forcibly taken from their homelands to serve as slaves in America, with as many as 20% of them dying on the trans-Atlantic journey known as the Middle Passage. Since much of the slave trade was focused on West Africa, a large number of those slaves were undoubtedly Muslim. The savanna kingdoms of Mali and Songhai had long been centers of Islamic civilization in West Africa and a huge Muslim population existed in the region.

Bilali Muhammad One of the many Muslim slaves taken to America was Bilali Muhammad. He was from the Fulbe tribe and was born around 1770 in the city of Timbo, in what is now Guinea. He came from a well-educated fam-

ily, and received a high level of education himself in Africa before being captured as a slave sometime in the late 1700s. He was fluent in the Fula language along with Arabic, and had knowledge of high level Islamic studies, including Hadith, Shari’ah, and Tafsir. How he was captured is unknown, but he was originally taken to an island plantation in the Caribbean, and by 1802, he arrived at Sapelo Island, off the coast of Georgia in the southern United States.

At Sapelo Island, Bilali was fortunate enough to have Thomas Spalding as a slave owner. While conditions across the South were horrendous for slaves, who were forced to work throughout the day and were commonly denied such basic necessities as clothes and stable shelter, Spalding gave certain freedoms to his slaves that were absent elsewhere. He did not push the slaves to work more than six hours per day, had no white slave drivers, and even allowed his Muslim slaves to practice their religion openly, a rare freedom in the deeply Christian South. Bilali was even allowed to construct a small mosque on the plantation, which very well may have been the first mosque in North America.

Because of Bilali’s relatively high level of education, he rose to the top of the slave community, and was relied upon by his owner to take care of much of the administration of the plantation and its few hundred slaves.

Perhaps the most remarkable account of Bilali Muhammad’s leadership and trustworthiness occurred during the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. Spalding reportedly left the plantation with his family, fearing a British attack, and put Bilali in charge of the plantation’s defence. He even gave Bilali 80 muskets to defend the island with, which were distributed among the plantation’s Muslim population. Bilali kept true to his

Do not speak of a rhinoceros if there is no tree nearby. — Dominican proverb

The Bilali Document As a well-educated Muslim from West Africa, Bilali no doubt brought his Islamic education with him to America. This is evidenced by a thirteen-page manuscript he wrote and gifted to a southern writer, Francis Robert Goulding, before he died in 1857. The manuscript was written in Arabic, and was thus unreadable for most Americans for decades. It made its way eventually to the Georgia State Library by 1931, who attempted to decipher the manuscript, which was popularly believed to have been Bilali’s diary.

After years of effort that involved numerous scholars as far away as al-Azhar University in Egypt, scholars finally managed to decipher the manuscript. It turned out that it wasn’t a diary at all, but was actually a copy of passages from a treatise on Islamic law in the Maliki madhab written by a Muslim scholar of fiqh, Ibn Abu Zayd alQairawani in Tunisia in the 900s. The Risala of Ibn Abu Zayd was a part of the West African law curriculum prevalent in Bilali’s homeland in the 1700s when he was a student. When he came to America as a slave, he was of course unable to bring any personal belongings with him, and thus his copy of the Risala was written entirely from memory decades after he learned it in West Africa. This exemplifies the level of knowledge present in West Africa, even as it was ravaged by the Atlantic slave trade.

The Bilali Document is thus probably the first book of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) ever written in the United States. And while Islam slowly died out among the African American community in the United States in the nineteenth century, it is important to recognize and appreciate the stories of the first American Muslims. They were not a small, inconsequential group. They numbered hundreds of thousands and despite almost insurmountable difficulties, they struggled to preserve their Islamic heritage under the oppression of slavery. The story of Bilali Muhammad is a perfect example of the efforts of this early American Muslim community, one that could inspire American Muslims of the present, whether they be of African descent or not.

He was fluent in the Fula language along with Arabic, and had knowledge of high level Islamic studies, including Hadith, Shari’ah, and Tafsir. How he was captured is unknown, but he was originally taken to an island plantation in the Caribbean, and by 1802, he arrived at Sapelo Island, off the coast of Georgia in the southern United States

45

October 10, 2014

Funeral Arrangements

VINCENT OYO (HUSBAND)

46 my town

October 10, 2014

By Stanley Uzoaru

Imo Community Ruled By A Muslim Monarch

I

gbo tribe , no doubt are predominately christians by religion and they chose their leaders as well mostly from the christian faith.

But their exist a community in Igbo land were the traditional ruler is a devoted muslim. That community is the ancient Umuofor kingdom in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo state.

His Royal Highness, Abdul Fatai Chima Emetumah Duru the 3rd and Ofor the 9th of Umuofor autonomous community is the royal father chosen by his community to be their custodian of culture and tradition.

Umuofor is a big community blessed with good people that believe in oneness, agriculture is the main occupation of the people which they often export some of their farm produce to other parts of the state and beyond.

Cassava and palm oil are the main export materials.

How Umuofor embraced Islam In 1970, when Eze Abdul Gafar Ihunanze Duru Emetumah, 2nd, father of the incumbent traditional ruler of Umuofor was converted to Islam, his people who believed in his kindness and generosity followed him. Although he was yet to preside over Umuofor as their king, but in 1977 he eventually became their ruler then under Awa autonomous community comprising of Akabo, Awa and Ejemekwuru.

By the time Eze Abdul Gafar was converted to Islam, his son, the incumbent monarch was just eleven years of age and automatically joined his father with the religion.

Umuofor under the reign of Eze Abdul fatai Chima Emetumah After inheriting his father’s stool after his death, he continued with the religion as he grew from faith to faith and eventually turban by the late Emir of Kano, Adobayero in November, 1992.

Islam according to the royal father goes beyond the religion of the northerners in the country, he described Islam as a universal religion, personal to the believer which preaches peace and oneness to all.

Umuofor join the world in celebrating Edil Kabir The celebration of this years’ Edil Kabir was unique in Umuofor kingdom as all the muslim faithful prayed with their royal father at the mosque in the community and subsequently in a procession to the palace of Emetumah the 3rd.

The royal father who also doubled as the chief Imam preached love and unity to his people who gathered at his palace . After listening to their king, they wine and dine with him and left with a gift each by the monarch.

Relationship between christian and Islam worshipers in Umuofor In spite of the traditional ruler being a muslim, their exists a cordial rela-

Eze Abdul Fatai Chima Emetumah, traditonal ruler of Umuofor kingdom

Umuofor worshipers praying during the Sallah

tionship between christians and muslims in the community . They both derives joy in participating in the festivals of their religions. As a matter of fact the king leads by example as he attend ceremonies he is invited by the three main churches in the community, even sometimes he finds time to worship with the church just opposite his palace. Oguta, the local government area of Umuofor have three central mosque.

What residents say about Islam in the community An indigene of the community, Abdul Wahab Nwabuihe who said he joined Islam in 1971 and have trained all his ten children including his 13 grand children in the doctrine said they have no qualms with christians in the community. According to him they don’t believe in division as they inter marry and coexists as one.

Another son of the soil, Obed Orumezie who is a christian corroborated the remarks of his muslim broth-

Eze Emetumah in procession with his people during the Edil Kabir celebration

ers and sisters. To him, he does not see anything strange in cooperating with the muslims in the country.

Eze Emetumah’s take on insurgency in the nation He believes those hiding under the cloak of Islam to perpetrate evil in the country are not of Islam. The Insurgency , he believes is the handiwork of some selfish politicians in the country, he advised politicians to see politics as a sport were a looser embraces the victor.

Challenges in Umuofor One of the major challenges of the community according to the royal father is the absence of a health centre.

The only functioning health centre in the community is the one he donated his building for the care of those who need the services. He appealed to the state government to assist them in building a befitting health centre in the community.

A child’s service is little, yet he is no little fool that despises it.

― African Proverb

Eze Emetumah praying during the Sallah

sign post of Eze Emetumah at the palace

FEATURE 47

October 10, 2014

5 Muslim Inventions That Changed The World Coffee About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines. And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiquitous drink.

According to the historical record, in the 1400s coffee became a very popular drink among Muslims in Yemen, in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Legend goes that a shepherd (some say in Yemen, some say in Ethiopia) noticed that his goats became very energetic and jumpy when they ate beans from a particular tree. He had the courage to try them himself, noticing they gave him an energy boost. Over time, the tradition of roasting the beans and immersing them in water to create a sour yet powerful drink developed, and thus, coffee was born.

Regardless of whether or not the story of the shepherd ever really happened, coffee found its way from the highlands of Yemen to the rest of the Ottoman Empire, the premier Muslim empire of the 15th century. Coffeehouses specializing in the new drink began to spring up in all the major cities of the Muslim world: Cairo, Istanbul, Damascus, Baghdad. From the Muslim world, the drink found its way into Europe through the great merchant city of Venice. Although it was at first denounced as the “Muslim drink” by Catholic authorities, coffee became a part of European culture. The coffeehouses of the 1600s was where philosophers met and discussed issues such as the rights of man, the role of government, and democracy. These discussions over coffee spawned what became the Enlightenment, one of the most powerful intellectual movements of the modern world.

From a Yemeni/Ethiopian shepherd to shaping European political thought to over 1 billion cups per day, this Muslim innovation is one of the most important inventions of human history.

Algebra While many secondary school students struggling through math classes may not particularly appreciate the importance of algebra, it is one of the most important contributions of the Muslim Golden Age to the modern world. It was developed by the great scientist and mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi, who lived from 780 to 850 in Persia and Iraq.

In his monumental book, Al-Kitāb almukhtaar fī isāb al-jabr wa-l-muqābala (English: The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), he set forth the basic principles of alge-

Regardless of whether or not the story of the shepherd ever really happened, coffee found its way from the highlands of Yemen to the rest of the Ottoman Empire

An Ottoman mehter band

braic equations. The name of the book itself contains the word “al-jabr”, meaning “completion”, from which the Latin word algebra is derived. In the book, al-Khawarizmi explains how to use algebraic equations with unknown variables to solve real-world problems such as zakat calculation and inheritance division. A unique aspect of his reasoning for developing algebra is the desire to make calculations mandated by Islamic law easier to complete in a world without calculators and computers.

Al-Khawarizimi’s books were translated into Latin in Europe in the 1000s and 1100s, where he was known as Algoritmi (the word algorithm is based on his name and his mathematical works). Without his work in developing algebra, modern practical applications of math, such as engineering, would not be possible. His works were used as math textbooks in European universities for hundreds of years after his death.

Degree-Granting Universities Speaking of universities, that is also an invention made possible by the Muslim world. Early on in Islamic history, mosques doubled as schools. The same people who led prayers would teach groups of students about Islamic sciences such as Quran, fiqh (jurisprudence), and hadith. As the Muslim world grew however, there needed to be formal institutions, known as madrasas, dedicated to the education of students.

The first formal madrasa was alKaraouine, founded in 859 by Fatima alFihri in Fes, Morocco. Her school attracted some of the leading scholars of North Africa, as well as the land’s brightest students. At al-Karaouine, students were taught by teachers for a number of years in a variety of subjects ranging from secular to religious sciences. At the end of the program, if the teachers deemed their stu-

Roasted coffee beans

dents qualified, they would grant them a certificate known as an ijaza, which recognizes that the student understood the material and is now qualified to teach it.

These first degree-granting educational institutes quickly spread throughout the Muslim world. Al-Azhar University was founded in Cairo in 970, and in the 1000s, the Seljuks established dozens of madrasas throughout the Middle East. The concept of institutes that grant certificates of completion (degrees) spread into Europe through Muslim Spain, where European students would travel to study. The Universities of Bologna in Italy and Oxford in England were founded in the 11th and 12th centuries and continued the Muslim tradition of granting degrees to students who deserved them, and using it as a judge of a person’s qualifications in a particular subject.

Military Marching Bands Many students who attended high schools and universities in the Western

A razor may be sharper than an ax, but it cannot cut wood. ― Cambodian proverb

world are familiar with the marching band. Made up of a group of a few hundred musicians, a band marches onto a field during a sporting event to entertain the audience and cheer on the players.

These school marching bands developed from the use of marching military bands during the Gunpowder Age in Europe that were designed to encourage soldiers during battle. This tradition has its origins in the Ottoman mehter bands of the 1300s that helped make the Ottoman army one of the most powerful in the world.

As part of the elite Janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire, the mehter band’s purpose was to play loud music that would frighten enemies and encourage allies. Using enormous drums and clashing cymbals, the sounds created by a mehter band could stretch for miles. During the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans throughout the 14th -16th centuries, mehter bands accompanied the fearsome Ottoman ar➔ continued on the next page

48 / FEATURE

October 10, 2014

5 Muslim Inventions That Changed The World

The University of Karaouine in Fes

The University of Karaouine in Fes

The basic principle of a pinhole camera

mies, who seemed almost invincible even in the face of huge European alliances.

Eventually, Christian Europe also caught on to the use of military bands to frighten enemies. Legend has it that after the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683, the retreating Ottoman army left behind dozens of musical instruments, which the Austrians collected, studied, and put to their own use. Armies all over Europe soon began implementing marching military bands, revolutionizing the way war was fought in Europe for centuries.

Cameras It’s hard to imagine a world without photography. Billion dollar companies like Instagram and Canon are based on the idea of capturing light from a scene, creating an image from it, and reproducing that image. But doing so is impossible without the trailblazing work of the 11th century Muslim scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, who developed the field of optics and described how the first cameras work.

Working in the imperial city of Cairo in the early 1000s, Ibn al-Haytham was one

of the greatest scientists of all time. To regulate scientific advancements, he developed the scientific method, the basic process by which all scientific research is conducted. When he was put under house arrest by the Fatimid ruler al-Hakim, he had the time and ability to study how light works. His research partially focused on how the pinhole camera worked. Ibn alHaytham was the first scientist to realize that when a tiny hole is put onto the side of a lightproof box, rays of light from the outside are projected through that pinhole into the box and onto the back wall of it.

He realized that the smaller the pinhole (aperture), the sharper the image quality, giving him the ability to build cameras that were incredibly accurate and sharp when capturing an image.

Ibn al-Haytham’s discoveries regarding cameras and how to project and capture images led to the modern development of cameras around the same concepts.

Without his research into how light travels through apertures and is projected by them, the modern mechanisms inside everyone’s cameras would not exist

The title page of al-Khawarizmi’s book

Don’t let women who attract attention walk behind you. ― Cambodian proverb

49

October 10, 2014

CELEBRATING BAZE UNIVERSITY’S Baze University, a world class private university in Abuja holds its first graduation ceremony on Saturday October 11, 2014.

FIRST GRADUATION CEREMONY

The visioner and Pro-chancellor, Senator Baba Datti Ahmed Phd, invites friends and well-wishers to witness the making of history.

LEADERSHIP, the official newspaper of the university, will publish a special pull-out on the landmark achievements and defining impact of the school.

It’s an inevitable platform for your adverts and congratulatory messages!

www.bazeuniversity.edu.ng

Please contact the following numbers for adverts placement:

HENRY on 08068640944 e-mail: henro101@yahoo.com MR. IBE REGINALD on 08037880164 e-mail: ibereginald@yahoo.com

YOU CAN’T BEAT THIS!

50 FEATURE

October 10, 2014

Meet International Celebrities You Did Not Know Are Nigerians receiving the BAFA male acting trophy.

Ositadimma Umenyiora (Nfl Player) Osi is a British- American football player born on November 16, 1981 to Nigerian parents.

The award winning football player he is one of three British-born players to have won a Super Bowl ring. Osi is an outside linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

In July 2014,Osi Umenyiora got married to Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes .

Lemar Obika Description: English R&B singer and song-writer, Lemar Obika, born 4 April 1978 to Nigerian parents of Enugu State.

The award winning Lemar, although much hasn’t been heard of him of recent released hit songs like Time to Grow, If There’s Any Justice”. He rose to fame following his position in the third place on the first series of British talent show Fame Academy.

Uzo Aduba Hollywood actress, Uzo Aduba is born to a Nigerian parents. She is popular for her role in the hit series ‘Orange Is The New Black’. Recently, in August 2014, Uzo Aduba won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in Los Angeles.

Chiwetel Ejiofor Chiwetel Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977 to Nigerian father, Arinze and mother, Obiajulu.

His father was a doctor and mother, a pharmacist while his younger sister is CNN correspondent Zain Asher. Chiwetel who has starred in top movies the likes of ’12 Years A Slave’, Half of a Yellow sun’ amongst others was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honors List for his services to drama. He became more popular for his role as a slave in the movie “12 Years A Slave”,

Akinnuoye-Agbaje Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London. His parents are Nigerian, of Yoruba origin. He has a law degree from King’s College London and a Masters in Law from the University of London. His best known acting roles have been as the imposing convict Simon Adebisi in the 1990s HBO prison series Oz, and as Mr. Eko on ABC’s survivor drama Lost. He was also in an episode of New York Undercover. He has numerous film credits since he began acting in 1994 and has appeared in many top films, including The Bourne Identity, in which he played a deposed African dictator, Hitu the police officer in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, and Heavy Duty in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Adewale is also a fashion model, writer, director, producer

Ashley Madekwe (English actress) She is an English actress born to a Nigerian father and English mother. Ashley is popularly known for her role in the

He who understands music understands the cosmos.― Egyptian proverb

ABC drama series ‘Revenge’.

She is married to English actor, Iddo Goldberg

Henry Olusegun Olumide Adelo Samuel Seal real names Henry Olusegun Olumide Adelo Samuel is a British singer and songwriter.

Born on February 19, 1963 to Nigerian father, Francis Samuel and mother, Adebisi Ogundeji. He was married to model/TV personality, Heidi Klum for seven years with three kids together before they got separated in 2012. The award winning R n B singer has won four Grammy Awards and an MTV Video Music Award amongst others. Seal has several hit songs which include ‘Kiss from the rose’, ‘Crazy, ‘Killer’, “Lips Like Sugar”.

Shirley Bassey (Welsh singer) ➔ continued on the next page

FEATURE 51

October 10, 2014

Meet International Celebrities You Did Not Know Are Nigerians ➔ from previous page She is a Welsh singer born to Nigerian father, Henry Bassey and English mother, Eliza Jane Start. Born on January 8, 1937. Shirley Bassey is well known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever.

One of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during her time, she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1999

by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to entertainment.

NNAMDI ASOMUGHA: Is a former American football cornerback; born on July 6, 1981 to Nigerian parents from the south-east. The football star, Asomugha is married to top American actress, Kerry Washington. They welcomed their daughter in April 2014.

For many years he was frequently mentioned as one of the best shutdown corners in the National Football League.

Meanwhile aside being a football player, Nnamdi is also an actor.

Sophie Okonedo (British actress) Sophie is a British actress born to Nigerian father, Henry Okonedo and a Jewish mother, Joan nee Allman. Popularly known for her role in top movies such as After Earth, Hotel Rwanda. She also acted in the TV series ‘Doctor Who’.

In 1991, she made her acting debut in the British drama, Young Soul Rebels.

The Award winning actress, Sophie soaring high in her career was nominated for an Oscar. In 2010, she was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.

Sophie, a graduate of Cambridge University is single mother of one.

Tinie Tempah Tinie Tempah real names Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu is one of the top UK rappers.

Born on November 7, 1988 to Nigerian parents from Ibusa, Delta state.Tinie Tempah began his music career in 2005 and he has since carved a niche for himself with several awards to his names.

From Brit Award, Nigeria Entertainment Awards to MOBO Awards. In 2014, he won the BET Awards for the Best International Act. In 2013, Tinie Tempah travelled to his homeland, Nigeria, to play his first ever show in Lagos to thousands of fans. Apparently, Tinnie Tempah has got a thing of fashion, as he is reportedly one of the most stylish men in the music industry.

Nnamdi Asomugha

Hugo Weaving ( Australian-British actor) Australian-British actor, Hugo Weaving was born on April 4, 1960 in Nigeria.

Although not to Nigerian parents but he was actually given birth to in Nigeria, which makes him a Nigerian by birth.

The 54-year-old old Hugo Weaving was born at the University College Hospital in Ibadan.

The award winning actor has acted in several blockbusters movies the likes of, The Matrix Trilogy and Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Transformers Trilogy, The Hobbit Trilogy and Captain America.

— CULLED FROM naijapals.com Stealing may bring profit, but hanging costs far more. ― Cambodian proverb

52 FRIDAY SPECIAL/BOOKS & ARTS

October 10, 2014

With Chikelu Chinelo & Onukogu Kanayo Jubal

Reliving An Evening Of Jazz Music With Ricketts

Portrait of Nigerian-Polish Pop Singer, Ify Ude

German-Polish Relations: Allies, Forgiven But Not Forgotten “We are allies; we forgive, but we do not forget,” said Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Przemyslaw Niesiolowski.

True, Germany and Poland share a horrific history, no thanks to the Second World War. However, when both countries sought to celebrate their Rapportshmure (strong partnership), they incoporated Nigerians into the process, presenting the world a fresh perspective of their tortured history.

To avoid just “a transfer of European arts from Europe to Nigeria”, German Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Zenner, explained that the embassies “made it a little bit different by involving two Nigerian photographers and a blogger. They see Warsaw and Berlin with different eyes and, thus, projected their different perceptions”.

The two photographers and blogger infused advantageous colours as opposed to the initial grey associated with relations by both countries.

“There are more people in Berlin than there are in Poland,” said popular wedding and documentary photographer, Jide Odukoya.

“We heard tales of German guys’ preference of Polish girls. And Poles see German guys as “the fast guys”,” Odukoya adds.

Olayinka Sangotoye captures the budding bi-racial minorities in Poland with his conceptualised portrait of popular

Polish-Nigerians, singer Ify Ude and John Abraham Godson.

The singer’s portrait, shot at a cosmopolitan café in Warsaw, allowed the artist to play with lights and contained space. The contrasting strength of red against black gives a surreal and foreign emotion to his subjects.

Both embassies hope that, Nigeria, with its many ethnic groups, will take a cue from both countries on how to manage conflicts. Niesiolowski affirmed that issues of the past must not be forgotten.

They should, rather, be viewed as a roadmap to a common future.

Odukoya has been re-inspired to resurrect abandoned projects through documentary photography. Odukoya collects shots of street arts, texts, posters, and wall graffiti to tell a story. The project will be published in a book form next year.

Olayinka’s approach is more like an outside-the-box thing. He has heralded conceptual photography as the next level of photography in Nigeria. A graduate of Industrial Design, it is not so difficult to see what fascinates him in the field.

“It isn’t out of the world for a Nigerian to make it into a foreign parliament. The ‘Rapportshmure’ between both countries show that, if given room, no matter past occurrences, love will win,” Olayinka said. Or profit at the most.

Odukoya’s Photograph of The Pra-

ga District, a formerly run-down, postindustrial town in Warsaw, revived in recent times, better projects the ideal place to start. The photo shows clothes on a clothesline. Also, the artist (a Polish-Ghanaian)’s use of light to illuminate the clothes and, in essence, the space drew a lot of attention. It’s open to subjective deductions but, chiefly, it illuminates the bridged gap between people. Since both rich and poor dry clothes via sunlight, it is a common ground of sorts. The exhibit’s location implies much. Unlike in Nigeria, where there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor and the intentional segregation of housing estates from the slums. It is not so, more so in Warsaw.

“East Berlin, and Poland, which were both under soviet control at a point, had a lot of mass housing projects which reflected communist ideologies, such as huge grey buildings with workers’ motifs. Over the last 20 years, a lot of that has changed, following the collapse of communism.

One thing’s for sure, though. “They don’t waste land as we do here in Abuja.

Instead of housing estates, huge apartments with lots of flats are set-up as a home for working class people, sometimes, in the centre of town. Also, there are lots of parks where people can go relax”, said blogger and journalist, Abubakar Ibrahim.

BOOKs fROM BACK thEn

No Longer At Ease by Chinua Achebe (1960) This very realistic work is the story of a young Igbo man educated on scholarship in England.

Twenty-six-year-old Obi Okonkwo, returns to the country upon graduation and bags a fine civil service job with perks and a beautiful fiancé, but, somehow,

he gets caught up in a system he loathes and swiftly loses all.

Okonkwo is convicted of accepting bribes as a civil servant.

His boss, who testifies against him, and another British colonial official wonder what it is in the African make-up that causes

such aberrations, while Obi’s people in the Umuofia Progressive Union (UPU) merely see it as a case of an inexperienced young person not going about his business in an established manner.

How Obi comes to this end is examined.

Recently, Book & Arts had the privilege to listen to a live Jazz performance by veteran saxophonist and music director, Bobby Ricketts, during his big night in Abuja, Nigeria.

In what could be termed a most relaxing and intimate atmosphere, the saxophonist, in collaboration with Shola Emmanuel’s Rhythm and Sax band, served up an evening of Jazz melodies. Just as the singer had earlier promised, that “Jazz is like fruits, we’ll keep playing until we get to the fruit of your choice,” he and the finely assembled band fed the audience’s preferences as he meandered and improvised from the ‘unknown’, the familiar’ to the known.

It was not difficult to decipher Miles Davis’ So What? And Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Lady.

The band had the audience hopping in their push-chairs while others loosened their firm grip on their walking sticks to resounding applause.

There, the secret to Jazz unwound itself: You may not know the artist, but at some point, you realize that you’ve heard that number as some movie intro, a theme song or sound-track for your favourite film, advert or your television show.

Bobby led the introduction with Miles Davis’ So What? The background music allowed the audience to discuss about the familiarity of the pieces, without really interrupting. Ricketts’ fade-out solo was great.

Forget about rhythmic motives in Herbie Hancock’s, Maiden Voyage, its intro is reminiscent of that Theme From Shaft. That’s where it ends, though. The trumpets started out a tad higher than the saxophones, eventually evened out with Ricketts’ saxophone. Rather than fade into the background like many Jazz numbers, it was an abrupt, right-in-your-face, commanding performance.

Taking up the energetic rush of the moment, the band’s rendition of McCoy Tyner’s, Passion Dance was passionate and hot-tempered, as the notes hot-footed off the stage.

To usher in an interval was the band’s version of Duke Ellington’s In A Sentimental Mood.

Finally, the band got to something many in the audience could relate with; Fela’s Lady. Where Fela’s rendition bore the mark of originality and body-shaking rhythm which comes with many of his songs, Ricketts’ was a core Jazz rendition. The band did much with the Snare drums and cymbal. Shola would have been better off playing, instead of singing. His singing, however, was a bonus which attracted some enthusiastic reaction from the audience.

The ‘time-out’ was rounded off by the rendition of the prayer-like Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, popularised by the Jazz band Canonball Adderly. Its mellow, melodic approach did a lot for the senses. Ricketts’ solo performance was a difficult-to-forget number, thanks to its vibrating low notes.

In all, the performance is down to Ricketts’ four-decade sojourn in the music industry. “That’s the great thing about Jazz.

It allows room for improvisation which other music field like Classic Music, do not,” he pointed out.

October 10, 2014

53

54

October 10, 2014

Stanley Nkwocha

Is South Africa This Big In Arms ?

Our Eye On Power And Politics

08038011382 (text only)

Time Controversial Mbu Gets Sacked !

Two transactions of $9.3m and $5.7m in arms deal respectively, have become subject of controversy in Nigeria following their blockage ( or is it seizure?) by the South African authorities.

I do not wish to go into the legality or otherwise of the arms deal between Nigeria and South Africa. I am only bothered that South Africa which we helped to liberate from the shackles of apartheid has so emancipated itself that Nigeria, the giant of Africa has to now purchase arms from her. It is even more embarrassing that ‘little South Africa’ is now withholding presumably legal cash conveyed for business.

And the indices are there to explain why this is so. While corruption in the business circles has made arms importation more lucrative than manufacturing, dysfunctional defence companies like DICON which got into arms manufacturing at a point but have gone comatose explain why South Africa has become the rallying point for investors across the world, as well as the strong hegemony it has become in its region while Nigeria is on the decline. As same South Africa has plunged into the business of nuclear energy and power production, we are looking the other way as if no message is being conveyed.

If countries we helped liberate from such years of political and economic hostage are now the ones we run to, to solve our arms problems and not even the ‘heavier countries’ of Russia, Germany, Israel, United States etc what it means is that we have not set our defence priorities right over the years.

At the risk of becoming Ukraine in the hands of Russia, it is rife we reset our defence profile as a nation.

It is unfortunate that while on daily basis, men of the Nigerian Army, SSS, Airforce and even civilian JTF put their lives on the line in the war against terrorists in the troubled states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, newly promoted and I repeat controversial AIG in charge of Zone 7, Joseph Mbu, for lack of job to do has his legs crossed in his air-conditioned office and looking for journalists to prosecute - especially those who call him ‘controversial’.

Which Nigerian will not call

Mbu controversial after going through his antecedent in Rivers State as well as in the FCT. Time has come for IGP Mohammed Abba to either draft this ‘lion taming cop’ to Borno to tame the Boko Haram insurgents ravaging the North East or for the Police Service Commission to ease him off the force as he is bad example for its rank and file.

And lest he forgets, I used the word ‘controversial’ on him several times and so looking forward to being his guest. Talk about an idle cop!

Feedback: hotstan10@yahoo.com Stan’s Memo

No great man lives in vain for the history of the world is all about the history of great men - Carlye Thomas

Too Much Drama Ahead 2015

The stakes are getting higher by the day. It is obvious that some sort of movie is being unleashed on the polity in parts ahead 2015. And all the actors, regardless of the roles they are playing are ensuring that their movie is rattling the Box Office.

While in Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose has not known peace since winning the elections as he had continued the second phase of the battle - fighting hard to keep his mandate and get sworn in, a certain Young Democratic Party (YDP) has lit a smoke on the roofs of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as the Osun and Ekiti states governors-elect,

asking the courts to quash their elections over the alleged omission of their party from both elections.

The folks in Taraba led by their acting governor has declared Danbaba Suntai missing, just as the duo of Chiefs Dairus and Kente, both Taraba South chieftains of the PDP have their knives out. Whoever wins this preliminary battle will proceed to square up against the bigger monster Acting Governor Garba Umar.

And just when Umaru Fintiri was settling into life at the Government House, Yola and gradually looking forward to becoming his own man as a substantive governor even if for three months, the political gods had other ideas as they have sent Fintiri packing.

In Far away Ogun State, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is feeling like the hottest bride in town ahead 2015 as the bigwigs of both the PDP and the APC are chasing Baba’s endorsement and support.

Meanwhile, the PDP has collapsed Governor Mimiko and the Labour Party in Ondo, collapsed former Governor Peter Obi of APGA into its fold, and looking still for more folks to further collapse into its nest.

And this is not all as I hear more thunder bolts will be unleashed on the polity. I am sure the polity will go haywire as soon as President Jonathan declares. Excitement and entertaining sure captures the polity’s feeling at the moment.

i

Musings

In the Western media few weeks ago, all stories on the Ebola Virus Disease centred on its rampage in West Africa until some Americans contracted the disease and got flown home. As at today, from Norway to France, Spain to Saudi Arabia, Britain to Australia, it’s all about Ebola and its scourge. It only teaches me one thing : An injury to one is an injury to all, more so that indeed the world has become more than a global village in my opinion.

Ngilari: Did Anyone See It Coming ?

Governor Bala Ngilari of Adamawa State must sure be a lucky man. His story of being made a governor is one that will be so interesting to read if he decides to drop his memoirs after office.

This is so as stories with regards to his enthronement seems to be the hottest thing in town with politicians, political parties, civil servants, traders, students and even the lowly on the streets all having their versions of what transpired.

The PDP for instance has accepted the verdict and swooped round the governor almost immediately. For the APC , the PDP only found a way of avoiding an eminent defeat at the polls just as others say some folks chickened out and avoided what was a looming embarrassment. While some have praised the judiciary for the ruling, others opined that it was a ‘ heavy judgment’ .

I am confused but know for sure that some day only Ngilari and a few others will tell us the real story. At best for now, we can only guess and speculate if Ngilari was ‘the selected, anointed, preferred, adopted, favoured or the one who came to equity with clean hands?’ Whichever one, welcome aboard Governor Bala Ngilari.

Power Play: Atiku Vs Buhari The APC presidential primary is not here yet, but already for the Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari camps, it is fight to finish as if they alone would determine who flew the

flag.

In my opinion, Gen Buhari is deposed to the consensus option as enshrined in Article 20 of the APC Constitution and Section 87 (6) of the Electoral Act,

so as to avoid the expensive and usually highest -bidder -carries-the-day open primaries where delegates’ wish reign supreme.

The APC has helped the PDP to play its politics by

getting more interested in the PDP than even some party stalwarts. Something tells me that if not amicably handled, this power flex by these two giants will see APC tossed up in 2015.

You lament not the dead, but lament the trouble of making a grave; the way of the ghost is longer than the grave.

politics

October 10, 2014

2015: Can APC Withstand PDP, LP, APGA Alliance?

MBACHU GODWIN NNANNA reports that the alliance between the PDP, LP and APGA and the wave of defections of prominent members of the two parties to the PDP a few months to the 2015 election is putting more tasks ahead of the APC.

Gale Of Defections The recent grand defection of the strong man and leader of Labour Party (LP) in the South West and governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, alongside two other former governors; Chief Peter Obi of Anambra State and Otunba Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, back to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2015 general election is one move that has rippled the political atmosphere and dominated political discussion among Nigerians.

The movement of Mimiko and Daniel to their former party, the PDP , political analysts say, is a subtle move by the Peoples Democratic Party to whittle down the grip of the All Progressives Congress in the South West region which is perceived to be the stronghold of the main opposition to the ruling party.

In the bid to secure the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general election, PDP leadership under Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu had kicked off a series of moves that would ensure victory for the party in the South West and South East. The PDP hierarchy set up a powerful lobbying think tank headed by Senator David Mark to bring back former governors who strayed away, while poaching politicians from other parties that are friendly with the party. LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that the president is said to have commenced consultation with leaders of Labour Party in the South West, especially candidates of the party at the just concluded Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele and Fatai Akinbade respectively, with the view of getting them to declare for the PDP. This accounts for why former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel who left the PDP at the eve of 2011 election after a series of disagreement between him and former president and chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, (BOT) Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, rejoined the plank of the PDP. Obasanjo As The Master Planner There have also been frantic efforts to win back the heart of Chief Obasanjo, who is acclaimed for his ability to strategise for winning, to the PDP. The public apology by the national chairman of PDP, Mu’azu, Senate president, David Mark and former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, at the headquarters of the party in Abuja on Wednesday to the former president for all sins committed against him is part of them.

Obasanjo had in the heat of his face off with President Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, resigned from active participation in the party’s activities.

Daniel, who led other members of Labour Party back to PDP, started the apology session as he begged for Obasanjo’s forgiveness for any wrong done to him by the party.

Mu’azu then joined, saying, “I want to join OGD,

Mimiko

Daniel

I want to join my dear senior brother and indeed all the teeming members here to very sincerely apologise to our leader, to our Baba, my Baba, General, President Olusegun Obasanjo to forgive us.

“We cannot continue. I know he has been very prayerful. In the Villa, I know he used to pray every morning. Very early, 5:30 to 6am, he is praying.

Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden. ~ Akan proverb

➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 56

56 FRIDAY POLITICS

October 10, 2014

2015: Can APC Withstand PDP, LP, APGA Alliance? ➔ FROM PAGE 55

“And I know he keeps on praying all the time. As we say in our Lord’s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us’.

“Baba, you have to forgive us. I beg you in the name of the almighty God, so that you too are forgiven. We are your children. We are making mistakes, we have made mistakes, we have apologised, we will not agree even if you want to throw the baby with the bath water, the baby will not go with you. So, please Baba, we apologise.

“Come and lead us. Even the president is waiting for you. Come and lead us. You are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for your leadership.

We thank you for your courage. And we assure you that by the grace of God, we are all good boys and girls.”

Daniel, on his part said, “Let me seize this opportunity to publicly apologise to the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. Whenever there is a quarrel between a son and a father, the son can never be right even if it is a battle of principle.

“We therefore plead that President Obasanjo should be called upon that he cannot abandon his house. All we the children are standing by to apologise and apologise and apologise again,” he said, adding, “we have learnt our lesson.”

Senator David Mark said on his part that, “if Baba is annoyed, we offer our apology. This is in line with the Yoruba tradition because it is proper for the young ones to offer apologies to the elderly.”

He added “Ogun State gave us a former president and therefore, there should not be any reason why the whole of Ogun State should not be entirely PDP.” Obasanjo is said to have been contacted by the presidency to return to PDP in order to participate fully in the PDP forthcoming congress slated to hold in December and to help build a formidable structure. Mimiko, as the only PDP governor in the South West at the moment, is in charge of putting the party back on track. The party had suffered dwindling fortune, after it lost the entire zone to the hurricane Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) then.

The PDP leadership and the presidency had moved swiftly to woo non PDP governors who are sympathetic to the re-election bid of President Jonathan in 2015 to its camp.

Why Mimiko Defected Governor Mimiko, a strong supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration even while in Labour Party, retraced his steps to the PDP having been put under pressure by his political associates and top PDP leaders to re-integrate fully into the Jonathan re-election bid. Those who are close to the governor say that Mimiko’s disposition to work with the PDP was to reciprocate the party’s gesture towards his reelection in 2013. His decision to dump the Labour Party, a platform which he used to vie for the governorship of the state, appears to have upset the APC in the state as his defection, no doubt, will alter the political calculation in his home state and the south west.

Mimiko had last week, while announcing his defection back to the PDP at a colourful gathering attended by PDP chieftains at the Presidential Villa, stated that his defection will benefit the state in the transformation agenda of the federal government. The governor noted that he will work hard for the success of the party in the South West at next year’s general election. He said that his state, Ondo, will be served better under a PDP

presidency, hence his rejoining the party to be reintegrated into national politics.

Mimiko, a former secretary of government and former minister of Housing and Urban Development had dumped the PDP in the wake of the 2007 general election to pursue his gubernatorial ambition under the platform of the Labour Party, citing marginalisation by the PDP leadership then as reason for his action .

Mu’azu

Oyegun

How It Affects APC Mimiko and Daniel’s open declaration for the PDP barely four months to the election, political pundits had opined, will boost the chances of the PDP in the state and beyond as the governor is now being positioned to break the ranks of the opposition. Mimiko, our correspondent reliably learnt, has been mandated by PDP leadership to use his machinery and incumbency power to deliver the state to PDP and also work closely with Ayo Fayose, the Ekiti State governor-elect, to see to the defection of Labour Party chieftains in the zone to PDP and to give APC a run for their money.

APC, which lost Ekiti State to the PDP last June in a keenly contested gubernatorial election, is yet to absorb the shock of losing one of its strongholds. However, it is not unmindful of the antics of the PDP in their quest to regain the zone which was controlled by them since 2003 and that they are not leaving anything to chance.

APC’s national leadership has mapped out strategies to curtail the intrigues of the PDP in their attempt to weaken the strong base of the opposition in the South West.

The party has continued to mount pressure on former president Olusegun Obasanjo to dump the PDP as most of his loyalists in the region have embraced the APC. Quest For South East In the South East, the defection of Peter Obi and Chief Martins Agbaso, former leaders of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), to the PDP is perceived in many quarters as a clever move to shore up the chances of the PDP in the zone. The movement of Agbaso is a political calculation to checkmate the perceived growing popularity and overbearing influence of the Rochas Okorochaled APC government in Imo State. Agbaso, the facilitator of APGA in the state is the elder brother to the ousted deputy governor, Jude Agbaso, who had fallen out with Governor Rochas over an allegation of inflating contract sum against his brother, which led to his impeachment.

Reacting to the recent defection of Mimiko and Gbenga Daniel and its impact on the chances of APC in Ondo , Ogun and South West in 2015 general election , Osita Okechukwu, a chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC), said “Olusegun Mimiko’s defection to the PDP should not come to anybody as a surprise, he has always been a member of the PDP and Labour Party is an appendage of PDP. In 2011 presidential election, Labour Party did not field any candidate but supported the PDP candidate, so his coming home back to where he belong has not changed anything. What the APC as a party is after is the general electorate who will decide the chances of any party and I think that twenty Mimikos in PDP will not rattle APC in the South West because the party has delivered the dividend of democracy in the region and other states where it controls and has nothing to fear.”

Pride and dignity would belong to women if only men would leave them alone.

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October 10, 2014

Hauwa Booth WOMAN ON THE LOOSE

Ff:@ofastupidwoman: Read @ www.diaryofastupidwoman.com

Tit-bits

The ‘Blogging’ Of Linda Ikeji She shot to fame when she was acquired and uploaded a footage of an unidentified female being raped by some male students of the Abia State University about two years ago. From there she rapidly rose to being No 1.

She became the first to get the gossip, dirt and salacious stories. In a short while, it was christened ‘blogging’.

With people’s hunger for this type of ‘blogging’, her bank balance rose. She also shared with anyone who cared to read and see, the trappings of wealth she could now afford. I guess this stemmed from being a former model, being in the limelight.

A few weeks ago, she did the unforgivable. She took to her media space and announced to the world that she had bought for herself a “N24m Range Rover”. People were not happy at all and they let her know! Apparently, her father had advised against the purchase (would the response to the show-off and purchase been different if she was

BiTES 2015 WEEKEND

male? Well.....). Anyways, her troubles began then.

A certain reader brought to her attention that she had stolen his tweets and made them hers and since she did not acknowledge him as the author, he cried “plagiarism”.

He tried to call her attention to the unsavoury act. All he wanted was an acknowledgement, an apology and an answer to his call! He got none.

Lessons learnt. Frankly, no one cares about your success and you will be targeted. Do not make it easier.

He reported to Google and Google didn’t want to hear ‘story’. Result: her blog was immediately shot down!

Now accusations of jealousy, cybersquatting, malice and wickedness in high places are being thrown around as the real cause of Ikeji’s problems.

Good thing is that it is not the number of times we fall but the number of times we rise and triumph over our mistakes, failures and, most especially for us here, our enemies!

FEEDBACK: LET’S HEAR FROM YOU

Welcome back from the long eid break. Hope you all had a blast and rested. You’ll need it; things are about to get hectic!

Straight to business, then. Nigerians, how does it feel to be the centre of attention for something positive, especially an important global issue like Ebola? I mean, we have the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) coming to Nigeria to find out how we contained the virus! We have, actually, been commended for stemming the tide of Ebola in our country. Even another case of ‘waka alone $5.4m’ didn’t diminish this long-needed shine. That’s how it should be. We should assume our position as BigBrotherAfrica (pun intended).

In other news, how does a whole governor go ‘missing’? Any ideas?

What has suddenly happened? Ok, what has further happened to the electricity supply? It has been horrendous. What’s new, right? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Take-over Of Michika, Madagali Once again, we are told that Boko Haram strongholds have been recaptured by the Nigerian Army. Following hotly on the heels of such news will be a number of brutal killings and destruction in the same area! It is so, so disheartening, as the joy is short-lived. Might I suggest that, perhaps, we wait to hear the report instead from the people living with the horror, just so that we don’t get our hopes up too high? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ That Masterstroke By Ngalari Once in a while you get to truly enjoy watching a political chess match. Well, Adamawa State has provided that excitement! Playing docile, naive and amicable surely has its rewards. So, when Aunty Rumour went round saying that, come rain or shine, the Nyako-Ngilari ticket was going to be disgraced out of office, the deputy governor – instead of becoming dramatic – resigned. His boss decided to fight to the end. That was before the landmark judgement yesterday. Ngilari, being a lawyer, apparently, knew what he was doing when he was hounded out of office! I actually feel sorry for the acting governor who will go down in history as a Speaker who masqueraded as a governor! Can you imagine the shock that he will not get the ‘goose that lays the golden eggs’? Will he be welcomed with open hands back as Speaker or will his deputy contest his return? Hmmmm, the House of Assembly has to contend with a governor they drove out. Power is temporary and transient; life is unpredictable. I am proud of the Executive and Legislative arms of government in this case. They served justice – hot.

Lesson.

This is the reason why it is important to be informed and widely read. Not everything must be fought and won by violence and tantrum-throwing!

Wait. What happens to all the deals that were struck with a certain someone for the future? Did I mention that I am a Barrister, too? *wide grin*

Hello Readers, thank you for reading and spreading the word about this page. We are now ready for your feedback. Let’s hear your take. Constructive criticism and contributions will be published. Send thoughts to diaryofastupidwoman@gmail.com OR 08055241197 via TEXT ONLY. Don’t forget to include your name and location. Please bear with us if yours doesn’t make it onto the page.

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October 10, 2014

An

Honour

Well DeSerVeD True leaders are easily distinguished by their commitment to selfless service; a quality, you exude in all spheres of life.

As you take command as an officer of the order of the Federal republic, (oFr), we are convinced that your commitment to national growth will remain unparalleled.

ALHAMDULILLAH.

His Excellency,

Dr. AbDullAhi umAr GAnDuje OFr

Deputy Governor of Kano State

Signed: Your Children 1.

2.

3.

4.

ABDUL AZIZ HANADI AMINA INUWA

5.

6.

7.

8.

ASIYA UMAR AISHA ZAINAB

9. MUHAMMAD GONI 10. FATIMA 11. MUHAMMAD AL-AMIN

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE / 59

October 10, 2014

Ustaz Abubakr Siddeeq Muhammad Focus On Faith 08076760011 (sms only) www.abubakrsiddeeq.com, email: deedat@gmail.com

I

n Makkah you have to start with the field office where your passports will be kept until your departure date.

You will be quite unlucky if by the time you bus reaches the field office your hajj operator is not there or at least his representative, to lead the pilgrims to their place of stay in Makkah.

The field office, guided by the information provided by your tour company, will take you to the place of accommodation contained in the contract signed by your tour operator.

Do not panic in case you find yourself in a dishevelled pilgrim apartment on the way to Jeddah or the outskirts of Aziziyyah, rather than the hotel stated on your package. Your hajj operator was constrained to present a pilgrim apartment to the Hajj Ministry for your Makkan accommodation because this is faster and more acceptable to the Mu’assasah (Establishment of African Pilgrims under the Hajj Ministry) in processing the pilgrims’ contract for hajjis coming from African non-Arab countries.

In fact, companies from this region are not allowed to keep their pilgrims in hotels (it’s like the restriction is lightened this year).

Every hajj organizer, with the exception of this writer, has to sign an undertaking not to put pilgrims in hotels. With this edict, I have always resisted compliance. Thus, if a hajj operator desires to use hotel in accommodating his pilgrims he has to pay for cheap apartment which he will not use (operational loss) but only for the purposes of obtaining the necessary documents to process visas for his hajjis, and also pay for the hotel where the pilgrims will stay for certain.

Now, this above arrangement which the hajj operator was forced to enter, in spite of the attendant loss, is against the law stipulated by the Saudi Hajj Ministry in accommodating pilgrims. The Hajj Inspection Team must see evidence of your pilgrims staying in the place stated in your contract documents. Any deviation from the ratified accommodation contract puts your company at risk of being blacklisted for violating hajj regulations.

The point I’m trying to make is to assuage your fear (you, the pilgrim) in situations where you see the bus heading to a settlement very far away from where you were told your accommodation will be. What is important here is constant communication with your hajj operator in case his representative is not with you at the time. Every hajj operator worth his name must be present at the field office where he knows that his group is likely to face this kind of confusion.

Why on earth will pilgrims from America, Europe and even Egypt be allowed to stay in hotels of their choice while those of black Africa are consigned to pilgrim houses far removed from the Haram? They said in times gone by our hajj operators

Ka’bah and the new Mataaf

Hajj Is No Picnic (3) used to sign contracts with hotel, obtain visas only to cancel the reservation later, collect their money and leave the hajjis stranded during the period of hajj without accommodation. The private hajj operation industry, despite the effort of the current leadership of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to sanitize it, is not altogether weedless, but at the same time we must concede that the 21st century hajj organizer operates in a competitive climate, vying with his colleagues in offering better services to the hajjis, and of course, he is more sophisticated than his predecessors whose hajj operations did not enjoy the technological advantages of today’s world.

Thus, it is not fitting to deny our pilgrims the use of hotels due to what private hajj operators did in a distant past.

Every year when confronted with the issue of the ban on keeping pilgrims in hotels, I would complain to the Chairman of the Mu’assasah, Sheikh Abdul Wahid Saifuddeen Abu Ahmad who listens and directs head of the accommodation section, Dr Adnan, to grant exception for my group to stay in hotels of my choice.

This concession, I feel, should be extended to my colleagues in the industry. NAHCON has directed all hajj operators to standardise their services to a level above what obtains at state pilgrim boards. But this directive places more emphasis on upgrading services at tents in Minaa and Arafaat, hence the instruction to register pilgrims with the Additional Service Department of the

Every hajj operator worth his name must be present at the field office where he knows that his group is likely to face this kind of confusion

It is better in times of need to have a friend rather than money. ― Greek proverb

Mu’assasah. NAHCON will do better by ensuring that all companies are allowed to sign accommodation contracts with hotels according to their packages without hindrance. It will be indeed meaningless to have a VIP arrangement for pilgrims in Minaa and Arafaat only to keep it them in no-star apartments far away from Haram.

There are 3 grades (A, B and C) of Additional Services in Minaa and Arafaat provided by the Service Plus Committee of the Mu’assasah. What you should know here is that your hajj operator is not the service provider; things are not under his control. Be ready to be inconvenienced by a number of things that may go wrong; hardly will your hajj operator be of any meaningful succour. Oftentimes food is not sufficient not because it is in short supply but because the gates to the tents are so porous that people from outside come as visitors to dignitaries (and politicians) and deplete what is served and many legitimate hajjis go without food. How can somebody who is on hajj and in ihram eat what is not lawful to him; going around the Haram with stomach filled with Haraam!

60 ISLAM

October 10, 2014

Discourse with Sheikh Muhammad Mahmud Turi turimuhd@yahoo.com 07038199475 (text only)

The Middle - East Crisis: Why The Iranian Position Is The Best Alternative

In the name of Allah who states “Is He then who guideth to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge?

Q10:35 Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble servant, our master Muhammad and his purified progeny.

We still have a number of significant historic events commemorated in this sacred month of Zilhajja added to those we could not write on due to nature of prevailing circumstances. And looking at the significance of the forth - coming events, I decided to put few words while giving preference to the topic above.

BIRTH OF PROPHET ISAH (PEACE BE UPON HIM): The Qur’an states “When Allah says; O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember my favor to you and your mother, how I strengthened you with the holy spirit so that you speak to mankind while you were in cradle as in maturity, and how you shaped of clay the likeness of a bird by my permission and blew upon it and it was a bird by my permission and you healed him who was born blind and the leper by my permission” Q5:110 According to our authentic narration, prophet Isa peace be upon him was born on the 26th Zilqaadah, the eleventh month of Islamic calendar. Celebrating his birthday and extolling lessons there from is part of significant programmes observed by many Shi’ah schools and communities especially in Lebanon and Iran.

“And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: O children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the law (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad” Q61:6 Imam Khomeini (may Allah have mercy on him) would always send his goodwill message to the Christians during such important events: For example, in his 1978 message to the Christian world and Iran in particular, the Imam said “Salutations and peace of Allah be upon Jesus the son of Mary, the spirit of Allah and His great prophet who used to raise the dead and waken the sleeping ones.

Salutations of the exalted Lord and his mercy be upon his great mother, the virgin Mary, the pure and truthful lady, who presented, through divine blowing, this type of child for those who burn in love of divine mercy. Greetings to the clergymen and monks who forsake the sinful self in favor of contentment with the teachings of the Messiah and to the independent Christian community who get inspiration from the heavenly teachings of the Messiah. I call upon you Christians in the name of the oppressed nation of Iran, to pray in your blessed

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran

days for our nation that has been in calamities under an oppressive ruler, and pray unto Allah to bless it with a relief.

It is very imperative here to emphasize the need for closer understanding and goodwill between Muslims and Christians as Allah said “strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and pagans: and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou Find those who say, we are Christians because amongst them these are men devoted to learning. And men who have renounced The world, and they are not arrogant” Q5:82 In a prominent hadeeth, the Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his pure progeny has said “among my progeny is Mahdi. When he emerges, Jesus the son of Mary will descend to help him, send him ahead and pray behind him” In line with this, we must commend the widely recognized efforts of sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), leader of the Islamic movement in which strongly enhance ethno - religious understanding and tolerance in the society. No doubt, the stand of the sheikh is worthy of emulation by the two sides for peaceful coexistence to reign in the country.

So the youth forum of this movement traditionally observes the event at the time where Christian scholars are invited to deliver talks along with our scholars for better understanding and closer ties.

THE EPISODE OF GHADEER Another important event that occurred on Thursday, the 18th of this month, ten years after the farewell pilgrimage, seventy days to the demise of the noble messenger was that of Ghadeer. As the prophet was at Juhfa, the crossroads to Egypt and Iraq, returning from Mecca nine days after

stand at Arafat where he delivered his sermon, angel Jibreel descended with verse: “O apostle! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people” Q5:67 The prophet immediately ordered the halt of all pilgrims for an inevitable message at the place. On consensus no fewer than seventy thousand pilgrims had gathered from different places.

“Do you witness that I have a prior right to and superior authority over all the faithful? They replied yes o messenger of Allah. There upon he said” Ali is the master of all those of whom I am master. O Allah! Love him who loves him and hate him who hates him, help him who hates him, help him who helps him, forsake him who forsakes him, and turn justice with him wherever he turns.

People generally understood the event that Ali would succeed, and all people congratulated him including Abu Bakr and Umar who were among the first category of well - wishers, quoted as saying to Imam, well done, Ibn Abi Talib, over night you have became a master of all believers” Allah states “and your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases, to choose is not theirs” Q28:68 The hadeeth was authentic and reported by many companions such as Zaid ibn Arqam, Jabir bn Abdullah, Ali bn Abi Talib, and Abu Hurairah among others. No doubt, succeeding the noble messengers for human guidance is an inevitable issue whose significance cannot be overemphasized. Bukhari and Muslim among others narrated as authenticated by Albaani, the last prophet has repeatedly emphasized that successors after him were twelve and all from Quraish. Based on this these

I believe what you say, I’m only surprised at what you do.

― Egyptian Proverb

successors must be twelve and invariably from his clan Quraish as Allah wished! “..no reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin..” Shuura; 23. The near of kin has been interpreted by Suyuty in Durrul Manthur and Ihya’ul mayyit as Imam Ali, Sayyidah Fatima, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (as). “The messenger of my Allah is about to come to me and I shall answer. I am leaving with you the two weighty things: the first is the book of Allah, in which you find guidance and enlightenment, and the people of my household. I remind you by Allah, of the people of my household, I remind you by Allah, of the people of my household” -narrated by Muslim, Tirmizi, Musnad Ahmad and Mustadrak “O people, I leave amongst you two things which if you follow you will never go astray. They are the book of Allah and my Ahlul bait –family” -Musnad Ahmad. Imam Ali (as) was honored with “whoever wishes to live and die like me, and to abide in the Garden of Eden after death should acknowledge Ali as his patron and follow Ahlul-bait after me, for they are my Ahlul bait and they have been created out of the same knowledge and understanding as myself. Woe unto those followers of mine who will deny the Ahlul-bait their distinctions and disregard their relationship and affinity with me” Beside his continued mentions, the prophet had at his last minutes wished to put down his will but was not allowed.

The question here is why was the he not allowed? And what would the prophet write if he were allowed? Could we relate the oft – related sayings of the prophet on his pure progeny as would be the will?

It is not scientific to believe that the prophet never pronounced a will while leaving this mortal world. No doubt, he wished to write but was refused.

NIGERIA’S PREDICAMENT AT 54: What do I have to write about Nigeria at 54? Is this about insecurity, poverty or unemployment? We are all aware of the unfortunate situation of the country. Unlike last year, when I was able to write extensively on the Nigeri’a misfortunes, I will only advice the people in the country to think well and move for a change as the problems in the country are artificially created and may not go in the way they are moving if it were not in Nigeria.

Allah states in the noble Qur’an “whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many of them He grants forgiveness” If we want change however, it is we that will change the status quo, not angel from the heaven! “… verily, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves with their own souls …” Q13: 11. ➔ to be continued next week

NEWS NATIONAL /61

October 10, 2014

Rivers Thugs Besiege PDP Presidential Campaign Office Beat Up Aspirants, Party Stalwarts, Journalists

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

All hell broke loose yesterday at the presidential campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja as political thugs unleashed terror at the premises, robbing and beating up aspirants from Rivers State.

The political thugs, allegedly loyal to minister of state for education, Nyesom Wike, also descended on the cameramen of Channels and SilverBird televisions who were on

the spot to cover the event, just as security operatives at the premises looked on helplessly.

It took a lot of diplomacy from other journalists before the digital camera and audio tape recorders earlier confiscated from some of the reporters were released.

The presidential campaign office of PDP in Abuja serves as venue for the party’s SouthSouth integration committee sitting.

The 15-member committee, which has a mandate to address petitions of party members as well as reconcile estranged members of the party, on Wednesday, attended to members from Akwa Ibom State.

However an indication of a showdown emerged when thugs practically “locked out” members of the party from meeting the committee.

The thugs padlocked the burglary proof against petitioners in the waiting room on the ground floor of the building.

Efforts to make their predicaments known proved futile as the thugs who had taken over security from the police, made it impossible for them to get to the committee.

However the situation degenerated when a group named Network for Defence of Democracy and Good Governance (NDDG) from Rivers State.

L-R: Osun State Gov. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs Titi LaoyeTomori and Kano State Attorney General/and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Malik Umar, during the Osun State Polytechnic’s 1st Education summit at the school premises, Igbajo, Osun State yesterday.

PHOTO BY OVERNMENT HOUSE OSUN

Saudi Arabia Appoints Wamakko Into World’s Highest Islamic Body

BY ANKELI EMMANUEL,

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has appointed Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko into the world’s highest league of Islamic faithful.

The appointment which admits the governor into the 60-member council of Muslim World League was contained in a Royal Decree of the Saudi Arabian Authority.

According to a statement signed by Gov-

ernor Wamakko’s senior special assistant on media, Mallam Sani Umar and made available to LEADERSHIP Friday the appointment letter was dated 17th January, 2014.

While stressing that the appointment was in recognition of Wamakko’s commitment to the cause of Islam, the statement further divulged that the League was founded in 1962 in the Holy City of Makkah and it is one of the largest and foremost Islamic Organisations in the world, with 36 sat-

ellite offices in five continents.

The statement reads in part, “Its primary functions are missionary activities towards the propagation of Islamic religion and facilitation of interfaith harmony. The league has an observer status in the United Nations.

“Governor Wamakko’s appointment was contained in a letter No. GEN./7/2/2012 delivered by the Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Mr Foud Abdul-Aziz.”

Imo Guber: Iheanacho Emerges APGA’s Consensus

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) has endorsed the former minister of interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.

This is contained in a communique signed by members of the state working committee, zonal executive members, local government chairmen of the party as well as members of Imo State House of Assembly.

According to the communique, the party maintained that Iheanacho was unanimous-

ly endorsed following the outcome of a painstaking assessment and evaluation undertaken by the APGA leadership in the state.

Part of the assessment they noted is through the ratings by the electorate of Imo State from the wards to local government and the state levels.

Also, the party took consideration of the views, observations and commentaries which emanated from the recently concluded Imo APGA sensitisation mega rally in the state.

The communique reads in part, “We, the Imo State Apex Leadership Caucus of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) have carefully assessed the progress and challeng-

es facing our great party, APGA over the past several years, with particular emphasis on the challenges existing in respect of our quest to win back the executive governorship of Imo State come February 2015.

“In our desire to ensure the realisation of our collective desire for good governance in Imo State in 2015, and beyond, we went to extra mile to feel the pulse of our Imo political stakeholders including our party leaders, rank and file party faithful within and outside Imo State and most importantly the Imo electorate on the chances of our great party winning the governorship election in 2015.

Put a rope around your neck and many will be happy to drag you along Egyptian Proverbs

Apa LG Chair: AYF Mobilises Support For Ogor

By PAUL CHIAMA, Abuja

Youths of Apa local government area of Benue State under the aegis of Apa Youth Forum (AYF) have called on every Apa indigene to mobilise support for the emergence of Alhaji Ali Ogor (alias Emir) as chairman of the local government.

Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Musa Obeje and its secretary, Mr. Francis Enokela in a joint statement issued after the inaugural meeting of the forum in Makurdi said Apa was lacking behind in terms of development and that there was the need to bring into power a progressive that would ameliorate the situation in Apa communities.

According to the statement, Alhaji Ogor is a well known youth mobiliser and activist who has for long been advocating for justice and social order in various communities of the state. The statement added that Ogor has boosted education especially in Ikobi-Ochekwu his immediate community through various kinds of assistance rendered to students from the area not to mention other developments he had championed.

The statement explained that members of the group after due deliberations and consultations are calling on Ogor to come out for the forthcoming local government election in the state.

2015: Ex-Militants Endorse Odogwu For Delta Assembly

By Ebriku John Friday, Abuja

Ex-militants under the aegis of Third Phase, Delta State Ex-militants, have endorsed Comrade Tam Odogwu, for Burutu South constituency II seat at the Delta State House of Assembly.

Chairman, Third Phase, Delta ex-militants, Comrade Agas Kingsley, who led his colleagues to support Odogwu said they have made their assessment of all aspirants and saw Odogwu as the most viable and vibrant candidate for the position, because he would bridge the development gap in the constituency when elected to represent the people of the area.

Kingsley said, “We in Third Phase, Delta State ex-militants, are concerned Deltans who are passionate about the development of human and material resources, and that we stand for and support government to deliver appropriate people oriented developmental programmes and projects.

“We have agreed to support political aspirants in the forthcoming 2015 general elections in Delta State. And from our critical assessment about candidates vying to represent the good people of Burutu South constituency II, we have decided to endorse Comrade Tam God’spower Odogwu. Odogwu is humble and encapsulated with a sense of service, sacrifice, modesty and self-esteem, and whose pragmatic ideas will transform the grassroots.

“Without bias or sentiments, we have seen Tam as a selfless, transparent and tested young leader. With his pedigree and track record, the people will not regret it when he is elected massively to represent them.

62/ interview Sir, It has not been easy tracking you down for interview so as to review the progress so far in your area of coverage which is Works and Infrastructure. How has it been, are you under server pressure to get things done?

I can say that the desire to get things done as fast as possible given the time left for this administration and not compromising quality, will naturally put one under pressure. But I regard it as positive pressure. I am also happy to say that the reality on ground is that all our on-going projects have reached advanced level. In this case, I am trying to make sure that all our contractors do not relent so that the desire of His Excellency Bar. Sullivan Chime to see through all the projects he initiated is fulfilled. As soon as the rains are over, work will start in earnest especially the roads, to make sure that they are delivered before the end of our tenure. Indeed, most of them are done with and already in use while many more will be handed over early next year. This is basically why I am not always in office because I am the person who briefs the governor regularly on progress or work. With the rains, we are concentrating on buildings and most of them will soon be completed.

Can you give a breakdown on the level of completion on some of the projects so that the people of the state can have a clear picture of what you are saying?

Ok, let us start with roads where we have achieved much. As you can see, most of the roads in Enugu city both major and street roads have been fixed with asphalt lay. The major roads which carry heavy traffic like Agbani road, Zik Avenue (with long bridge), Ogui road, Abakaliki road, Okpara Avenue, Presidential road, New Haven, Akwaata etc have been made a dual-carriage way with street lights powered by generators all nights. Many urban roads have also been done at Nsukka some of them dualised to the delight of our people. On rural roads, much has been done as all the 17 Local Government Areas, have been linked with asphalt roads.

This has enhanced the economic level of the rural people as their farm produce can now be moved to the urban centres

October 10, 2014

We Can’t Slow Down Now So As To Complete All On-Going Projects – Enugu Works Commissioner

where good price can be obtained. It has also boosted the economy of the state and everybody is happy. To be specific, let us look at some of them and their level of completion. Ugwogo-Nike Opi-Nsukka road is 95 percent done. Motorists who are coming from Northern states or Nsukka who would not like to pass 9th mile can divert to this road and it cuts the journey short by about 25 minutes to reach Enugu from Opi junction. The 9th mile Udi-OjiUgwuoba- Anambra border is 100 percent completed. Motorists going to Onitsha from Enugu or other connections to 9th mile prefer this road than the EnuguOnitsha express down to Anambra border. The 9th mile-Iwolo-Umulokpa road is 95 percent ready and already in use. Akpasa-Ozalla-Agbogwugwu-Awgu old road which connects to Portharcourt express at Lokpanta is 75 percent done, Aji-Ette road

PDP Issues Final Warning Over Endorsement Of Candidates By State Chapters National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday issued a final warning to its elected party officials in state to desist from endorsing aspirants before party primaries.

The national working committee of the party, rising from its meeting in Abuja, stressed that it will not hesitate to sanction just as they aim to protect members from being shortchanged, cheated or victimized by such endorsements.

A statement signed by the national secretary of the party, Prof. Olawale Oladipo, read in part “the National Working Committee (NWC) at its meeting today, Thursday, October 9, 2014 noted that some elected officers of our great Party at the state level have continued to engage in processes aimed at endors-

Madueke

The Enugu State Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure Engr. Goddy Madueke In this recent interview with Paul Chiama in Abuja, explains why it is always difficult to track him in the office. According to him he is always moving around project sites to make sure that work is going on well and fast. Excerpts

News

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

cent done, the one-stop Diagnostic Centre complex is 60 percent done. Heliport built for the Nigeria Police at Emene Enugu to train Helicopter pilots has been commissioned. We also built 2 blocks of building for the Nigeria Airforce at Emene which has been handed over to them. We are also building 2 blocks at the NYSC Orientation camp at Awgu to help ease accommodation problems in addition to rehabilitation of old structures. We also built some blocks at the FRSC Training School at Udi to help for accommodation issues. Those are federal Institutions which we have assisted. These are just a few of the on-going or completed projects and I can assure you that those not yet done with, will be completed before we leave.

ing candidates for the 2015 general elections despite warnings from the national leadership that they, as unbiased umpires should not involved in such.

“The NWC strongly frowns at this development and issues this as a final warning to all elected party officials and chapters at all levels, and shall not hesitate to sanction such erring officers or chapters.

“The sanctity of our nomination processes must be protected at all times. We therefore wish to assure all party members that there shall be a level playing ground for all aspirants intending to participate in the nomination processes.

“Consequently, the NWC will not hesitate to protect any of our members who in any way stands to be shortchanged, cheated or victimized by such endorsements.

in Nsukka area is 95 percent done, Amechi-Amodu-Umueze road that links to Agbani-Ozalla dual-carriage is 100 percent done, Amaetiti-Achi-Inyi-Awlu road is 55 percent done. This road was terminated and re-awarded recently. Other roads are recently awarded Ikedimkpa-AmaoffiaOghe road, 30 percent done, AmokweUmabi, Amokwe-Umuaga roads 30 percent done, Agbani-Mbogodo-Ihuokpara road is 20 percent done. New market-Miliki Hill-Ngwo road is 20 percent done.

New market-Aguabo-inter-change is 60 percent done. Abakaliki road that connects Emene Airport-Naira Triangle-New Haven-Porthacourt-Express junction is 85 percent completed. On buildings, New State Secretarait complex, 13 structures, is 70 percent completed, the new Government House “Lion Building” is 65 percent done, Governors Lodge in Abuja is 95 per-

Did you borrow some money in other to carry out all those projects?

His Excellency, Bar. Sullivan Chime is a governor that knows how to manage men and resources to achieve maximum result. All the funds are from the little allocation we are getting from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue. It requires prudent management to achieve all that have been achieved so far.

Government is about completing a big Diagnostic Centre at the former Trade Fair ground, why is such project very necessary?

When the Governor came into office, he listed 4-point agenda and health care is one of his priorities. He believes that a comprehensive health care is a necessity for the people of the state. He also believes that you can’t talk of good health care without talking of a good diagnosis which is the starting point. So, he set out to build a one-stop Diagnostic Centre which is going to be the best in Nigeria if not beyond both in terms of structure and equipment. Personnel to manage the sophisticated equipment to be imported will also be properly trained. At the end, Nigerians many not need to go abroad to seek proper diagnosis for any kind of ailment unless those who so wish, not that the facility is not here. This will help those managing health care system of our people to achieve good result.

Minister Backs N2bn Hitachi Partnership In Technology Based Education GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

Minister of Science and Technolgy Dr. Abdu Bulama yesterday said the Federal Government is in full support of the partnership between Hitachi Solution Group and the nation’s education sector.

Bulama who spoke at the Hitachi Regional Partnership Roundtable on Education organised by Green Cycle Network Africa held at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel said he understood that the initiative is geared towards raising a new generation of skilled teachers that would integrate global best practice in teaching and learning.

He said, “ I have been further informed that Hitachi Solution Group in conjunction with Cambridge University of UK is to establish six Virtual Teaching and Learning Centres in Nigeria by investing about N2 billion in this initiative.

“I am very pleased with this development and partnership with Nigeria to advance education using Science and Innovation (STI) as an e- learning platform.

“One of the most amazing aspects of elearning in today’s world is that it is constantly evolving.”

Bulama added that STI plays critical role in improving the livelihood of people and the modernization of the society.

The minister added that, “it is important to recognise that the imperative of achieving our nation’s development agenda through STI - driven efforts demands an effective policy instrument to generate the desired momentum for development.”

“The present administration has made colossal investment in education at all levels. This has been further buttressed by the special focus in the revised STI on deployment of technology in Edication.”

interview / 63

October 10, 2014

Insensitivity Fuelling Terrorism In Nigeria – Abayomi Mumuni Businessman, entrepreneur and astute politician, Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, has just finished work on his new book ‘Global Terrorism and Its Effects on Humanity’ and rolled out 300 copies of the book for free in the United States of America to commensurate the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He speaks to SAMUEL ABULUDE on the book and proffers solutions to Nigeria’s myriad problems.

What inspired you to write the book?

The writing of this book is motivated by my interest, training and research on this subject matter, translating invariably into an attempt at the unveiling and understanding of the concept of global terrorism in all its ramifications. This is partly for the purpose of bringing the ordinary man, within whose reach this book is hereby placed, to the consciousness of the presence of terrorism everywhere man lives.

By creating awareness about the dangers and reaches of terrorism, what do you hope to accomplish?

Creating awareness about the dangers and reaches of terrorism is what I hope to accomplish. In other words, this question is self-answered. Until quite recently, many in the African region did not know what terrorism was until occurrences in Europe and America started bringing it home. In fact, until 9/11, many people in Africa did not know anything about terrorism. Ignorance is a disease; it is not an excuse in law. Terrorism will not stay away from this part of the world simply because the possible/prospective victims do not know about it. The fact remains that terrorism is a global issue. It is not more native to one region than the other. In addition, it is as old as the human race. So, I thought I should write [the book] ‘Global Terrorism and its Effects on Humanity’ to draw people’s attention to its variation in their midst and the extent of its existence everywhere.

What are the dangers of one group trying to do away with the other?

Indeed, some nations lack a true understanding of what terrorism is and, as a result, fail to recognise it until it is full blown. Many authorities take religious crises for granted, failing (or

Mumuni

waiting for too long) to take action when one religious sect rises up to attack another. This failure gives room to impunity and encourages more killings in the name of religion. This is exactly the case in Africa, where religion holds sway as a factor in politics. Hence, religious crises are easily politicised.

Many countries also fail to recognise religious riots as budding religious terrorism. Another thing that some countries do not understand is that terrorism spreads like an airborne disease.

So, when terrorism is taking root in a neighbouring state, they look away or pretend not to know about it. By the time the terrorists cross the border to establish a training camp, it will be too late to stop their operation. Unlike nations that have it fully or partly under control (because they have been coping with it for years), these other ignorant and inexperienced governments do not have any intelligent-gathering apparatus on ground.

Beyond religion, what other types of terrorists are lurking?

As you mention, there are a number of motives driving the terrorists, including religion. Every human being with a spirit wants to lean on one form of religion or the other. Religion, therefore, is a primary factor in what determines a man or woman’s actions. Apart from religion, other convictions that motivate the terrorist include social and political factors. No one is free from all of these. These convictions determine a man’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction

with his society. When there is dissatisfaction, various innovations spring up for change. Unfortunately, some people have seen terrorism as one of such innovations.

You grew up in Nigeria with a Christian mother and a Muslim father. How did you overcome prejudice or mistreatment as a result of your complex background?

My own sense of family, where I come from and what I made for myself is an important part of my life. However, sometimes you have to accept what life offers you and drink from every cup, because love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. I grew up with this ideology.

In your book, you support government negotiating with the terrorists. Why?

This question is being addressed further in my up-coming book, Demand

by Terror. It is becoming obvious that without negotiation, not much can be achieved by authorities in their fight against terrorism. So far, the only option I have identified as alternative to negotiation is military strike – the only snag is that the authorities end up being accused of one crime or the other. Take Nigeria government’s efforts to destroy the Boko Haram as an instance. Out of eagerness to strike the terrorist group, collateral damages affected many civilians to the extent that civil rights organisations accused the Nigerian government of a massacre in Bama Village. Violence begets vio-

You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. ― African proverb

lence. In the new up-coming book, Demand by Terror, I am coming out with the conclusion that any response to a terrorist’s demands should not ignore negotiation. Negotiation has achieved more than military strikes, especially in situations where there are hostages involved.

Do you think the war on terror will be won by the US and its allies?

The US and its allies will win the war only if they fight it in the right way – with the same sort of patience, strength, and resolve that helped win the Cold War and with policies designed to provide alternative hopes and dreams to potential enemies. The war on terror will end with the collapse of the violent ideology that caused it – when Bin Laden’s cause comes to be seen by its potential adherents as a failure, when they turn against it and adopt other goals and other means.”

What is your plan to promote the book in Nigeria?

I had a 31-state radio live interview in America and some are still coming up, scheduled from September 10 to late October, 2014. When I am done with the US, I will be in Nigeria to promote it fully.

Before then, both e-Books and hardcopies can be purchased online (via amazon.com), Barnes & Noble (bn. com) and kendal.com. Bookshops can also communicate with Atlas Books or WSGF PTY for distribution.

64/ Opinion

October 10, 2014

The Last Sermon (Khutbah) of Prophet Muhammad (Farewell Sermon)

By Ahmed Gimba Ahmed

We are in the Islamic month of Dhul (Zul) Hijja and this is apt as a reminder. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) delivered his last sermon (Khutbah) on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah (12th and last month of the Islamic year), 10 years after Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Madinah) in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat. His words were quite clear and concise and were directed to the entire humanity.

After praising, and thanking Allah he said: “O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.

Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your

LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.

Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttallib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not

make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a nonArab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over

white except by piety (taqwa) and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR

APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you.

I leave behind me two things, the QUR’AN and my example, the SUNNAH, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people”.

(Reference: See Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Sahih of Imam Muslim also refers to this sermon in Hadith number 98. Imam al-Tirmidhi has mentioned this sermon in Hadith nos. 1628, 2046, 2085.

Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal has given us the longest and perhaps the most complete version of this sermon in his Masnud, Hadith no. 19774.)

–Ahmed wrote in from Potiskum ➔ TO BE CONTINUED

IPCR-PIS: Strategic Partners For Peace And Conflict Resolution In Nigeria

By Abu I. Michael

The assignment before the Director General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Professor Oshita O. Oshita is enormous. It is patriotic and an act of social responsibility that practitioners of the Public Information System (PIS) lend a hand to the IPCR for attainment of its objectives. The object of the IPCR includes coordinated activities which aimed at spurring the capacity of the Nigerian Government to maintain the promotion of peace, prevention of conflict, and reliable ways to tackle, manage conflict and resolving inimical disagreement.

Every society craves for peace but abhors conflict which may lead to violence.

Peace embellishes a society while conflict makes it repulsive; that is why it is common to see people relinquishing their homes for a new place with relative peace. By some inexplicable reasons, conflict in human society is inevitable - nevertheless, peace could be much promoted, disagreement with vi-

olence undertone could be prevented, and certainly conflict of whatever nature can be managed and resolved through generally acceptable instruments of engagement and other state apparatuses. It is the duty of every citizen to ensure the promotion of peace and we all need to lend a hand to the IPCR; we all are stakeholders.

Many countries of the world are wholly or partially embroiled in conflict of one form or the order. Countries especially in Africa are battling with ethno-religious and political crises while terrorism has become the major headache of every country of the world. The USA, UK, China, Russia, Japan, and several France states are not free either from the act of terrorism. Countries are seeking joint actions on terrorism, a hellish act that is responsible for huge loss of lives and property across the globe. It was in the light of this that President Goodluck Jonathan recently at the US-African leaders’ summit in Washington DC called for a more effective global action and implementation of existing protocols against terrorism and violent extremism. He’d also ob-

served that some of the security problems facing African countries were transnational in scope and cannot be resolved by one country alone, he was right! Also in his address for the Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary, the president vehemently condemned those who have made violence their ideology and bent to destroying our country. To underscore the importance of peace I commend President Jonathan for his pledge for dialogue even as our gallant military and other security operatives have continue to wage war against enemies of the country. In his words, “To those who have genuine grievances, I affirm that Nigeria will listen to you, if you bring your grievances to the table of dialogue. To the good people of Nigeria, let me restate that our task of building a better and greater country must not waver.”

I am happy that the IPCR is partnering with some other countries, international organizations and actors to improving capacities for peace and conflict resolution in Nigeria. The IPCR-UNDP interfaith dialogue for peace and security, encourage-

Believe the liar up to the door of his house and no further than that.

ment of Muslim-Christian joint project, sensitization for tolerance among other activities in the country is commendable efforts for building a peaceful, one indivisible Nigeria.

In their reportage of ethno-religious and socio-political events, the media as a matter of social responsibility should evoke the spirit of peace journalism, adequately report activities of the IPCR as well as project values and reactions of the Nigerian people that would augment war against activities that threaten our peace and togetherness.

In appreciation of the media’s vital role, the IPCR should through his Corporate Affairs Department/ Information Unit maintain regular contact with journalists, and possibly trained journalists on how best to report issues of peace and conflict. It is on good note that Professor Oshita has started at least with his recent visit to the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and some media outfits. IPCR needs every Nigerian to succeed.

–Michael wrote in from, Lafia.

October 10, 2014

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66 / OPINION

October 10, 2014

Enugu Guber And Emergence Of Ugwuanyi As Consensus Candidate

BY FRANCIS EDE

Rarely has an individual’s ambition to serve his people in any capacity elicited so much enthusiasm, staunch support, excitement, euphoria and general acceptance as has been evidenced in the adoption of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the consensus governorship candidate of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone to whom the people of Enugu State have zoned the office of governor, preparatory to the 2015 general elections in the country.

Such popular acclaim is considered as ample demonstration and, indeed, conspectus of the inherent good things in the selection process initiated by Governor Sullivan Chime and adopted by the party and all the governorship aspirants themselves. This aligned with the confidence, which members of PDP in Enugu State and the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone have reposed on Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and which has also saved the zone the rancour and division that could have arisen among them if this well thought out path was not unanimously followed.

As has been noted by Dr. Okwy Nwodo,

former governor of Enugu State and former national chairman of PDP, ‘‘the emergence of Ugwuanyi is a political masterstroke

by Enugu North leaders, who have successfully warded off political invaders keen on taking away the position zoned to us by the state PDP.’’ Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters and former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information, described the exercise as ‘very pragmatic.’ Instructive in this is that the governor showed a good reading of social and political matrix of the state and flowed with the tide of people’s opinion. He went further to say: ‘‘Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a bridge that provides the platform for reconciliation and unity among the diverse interest in the state.’’

For Dr. Mishark Nnabuchi, Associate Professor of Physics at Ebonyi State University, Abakiliki, and a member of Enugu State Unity Forum, which has also endorsed the candidature of Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ‘‘his choice will serve as lesson and inspiration to emerging politicians in the state that loyalty and obedience pays.’’ He also called for dialogue and understanding among all the other aspirants while urging them to eschew selfish-

ness and rally round the people’s choice. The Enugu Unity Forum is chaired by Barrister Ben Ezugwu and has other notable leaders like Barrister Mike Ajaogu, SAN, Barrister Ofordile SAN, and Prof. Augustine Nweze.

To Uche Ezechukwu, international journalist and renowned newspaper columnist, ‘‘Hon. Ugwuanyi, with his experience and kind disposition, has the capacity to expand the frontiers of peace and development in Enugu State, as started by Governor Sullivan Chime.’’

Let me now recur to the story of how Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the man many like to call Gburugburu, was chosen from among the plethora of aspirants, numbering over 13 from the zone, jostling for the candidature of the party in the coming elections and his interesting adoption as the consensus candidate by the same aspirants. What are the compelling qualities that made Hon. Ugwuanyi the man of the people? Why is everybody, both young and old, gravitating towards him?

The people of the state were literally in a state of frenzy, as it was still said the final outcome of this wonderful endorsement cannot be known until the late night of that day when the governor, the aspirants and the

leaders of the zone would meet to finalise on this tantalising story.

Many people kept vigil till the early hours of the next day, even as phones buzzed or rang consistently. And the joyful news followed that at the venue of the meeting, Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, an aspirant, moved a motion for the adoption of Hon. Ugwuanyi, as a consensus candidate and his motion was quickly supported by Chief Okechukwu Itanyi, a former deputy governor of the state and the executive commissioner at Nigerian Communications Commission, who was also an aspirant. And the rest of the aspirants now voted in favour of this adoption.

Hon. Ugwuanyi is the member, representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on Maritime.

Also, he’s the Chairman, South East Caucus of the same House. He is acknowledged to be one of the strategic thinkers of the House of Representatives, a silent operator whose committee has collaborated well with all the head of the agencies in the maritime sector to engineer the revolution, going on in that facet of our national economy.

Ede, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Abuja

Understanding And Celebrating Ghadeer (1)

By WAZIRI ISA GWANTU

“We must free our minds and see beyond the ordinary if we really wish to be liberated. We must question everything that we have ever been told or taught and subject those things to deep analysis and rational reasoning” - Femi Fani Kayode Leadership Newspaper (Aug. 17, 2014) The tenth year after Hijrah was full of important events. Two of these events were outstanding and pointed to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) belief in the nearness of his death and that he was about to be summoned by God that he would respond.

The first major event was the farewell pilgrimage, which took place on the 9th of Dhul-Hajj of 10 AH. The Prophet (SAW), on this day gave a historic speech, which came to be known by almost every Muslim as the Prophet’s farewell speech. This speech, delivered in the plain of Arafat, summed up the main points of his teachings.

A key aspect of the speech worthy of note is...”The members of my family are like the pole-star. They will lead to salvation all those who will obey and follow them. I leave among you a composite heritage- The Book of Allah (Qur’an) and the members of my family. Both of them are complementary to each other and are inseparable from each other. If you defer to both of them, you will never go astray” (see Sahih Muslim and AlTirmidhi in his Sahih, part 5, P. 328).

The second event was the official and public coronation of his successor which came barely a week after the completion of the farewell pilgrimage (18th of Dhul-Hajj 10

AH) and when the pilgrims had started heading towards their homes and towns.

At a short distance in the north of Mecca, there is a plain called Khumm, and in Khumm there was a well or pool of water (Ghadeer). Khumm is at the junction of many roads. When the Prophet (SAW) arrived in the vicinity of Ghadeer, he received a new-the following revelation.

O Apostle! Proclaim the Message which hath been Sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, Thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His Mission. And Allah will defend thee from Men (who ‘mean mischief) for Allah guideth not Those who reject truth.

(Chapter 5; verse 70) Contributing on this all -important subject, sayed A.A. Razwy, in his book, ‘A restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims’ writes thus: The command of Heaven was seldom, if ever, so peremptory, as in this verse, and related, obviously, to some vitally important matter to which the Apostle had to address himself- there and then. He, therefore, ordered his own caravan to halt, and he recalled all those caravans which had either gone ahead or had gone in other directions. He himself waited until the last caravan that left Makkah, also arrived near the well in Khumm.

The pilgrims were going to break up at Khumm into their separate caravans and were going to disperse, each bound for its own destination. The Apostle had a most important announcement to make

before the dispersal of the pilgrims, and he was most anxious that the maximum number of Muslims should hear it from him.

A “pulpit was improvised with the howdahs of the camels, and the Prophet took his position on it so that everyone in the vast multitude could see him with his own eyes. His cousin, Ali, was standing near him.

Muhammad Mustapha, the Messenger of God, was now ready to make the historic announcement in compliance with the divine mandate quoted above. He thanked God for the great Blessing of Islam, and for His Grace and His Mercy, and then he posed the following question to the Muslims: “Do I have or I do not have a greater right on your souls than you yourselves have on them?”

The Muslims answered with one voice: “The Apostle of God has a greater right on our souls than we ourselves have on them.”

“If that is so,” he said, “then I have a very important message to deliver to you,” and he put across the message as follows: “O Muslims! I am a mortal like any of you, and I may soon be summoned into the presence of my Lord. My most precious legacy to you is the Book of Allah and the members of my family, as I have told you before.

Now listen to this with attention that I am the Master of all of you - of all Believers.

All those men and women who acknowledge me as their Master, I want them to acknowledge (at this point he held Ali’s hand and lifted it high over his head) Ali also as their Master. Ali is the Master of all those men and women whose Master I am.”

Having delivered this message, Muhammad Mustafa lifted his hands toward the sky, and said: “O Allah Be Thou a Friend of him who is a friend of Ali, and be Thou an Enemy of him who is his enemy. Help him whoever helps Ali, and forsake him whoever forsakes him (Ali).”

Foregoing is a summary of what Muhammad, the Messenger of God, said in Khumm. The full text and context of his speech is preserved in the famous book Taudih-ed-Dala’el by the great Sunni doctor, Allama Shahab-ud-Deen Ahmed.

Following is a condensation of the speech as recorded in Taudih-ed-Dala’el: “I offer praise and thanks to Allah for all His bounties. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and He is One, the Almighty, the Perfect. We all depend upon Him. He has no consort, no son, no partner(s) & co.

I am one of His slaves but He chose me as His Messenger for the guidance of all mankind. 0 people! Fear Him at all times and never disobey Him. Do not fight but for Islam, and remember that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything”.

O Muslims! Beware that when I am gone, there will arise men who will attribute false statements to me and there will be other men who would believe in them. But I seek Allah’s protection that I should ever say anything but the Truth and invite you toward anything but what He has revealed to me.

Those who transgress in this matter, will pay the penalty.

Honorable is the person who is aware of his power, yet refrains from inflicting bad things onto others.

➔ TO BE CONTINUED

67

October 10, 2014

SCHOOLS, EDUCATION, & FAITH PLATFORM

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

SPECIALISED CLASSIFIEDS PAGES GOLDEN CAPITAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

WINNING GENERATION FOUNDATION

CHREMI CHRIsTIAN OUTREACH

This is to inform the General Public that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, 1 of 1990.

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990

This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, 1 of 1990.

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Edimeh Daniel Idachaba - Chairman 2. Sadiq Fatai - Secretary 3. Musa Sunday 4. Miss Victoria Edime 5. Barrister Elela Stephen

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Kasmire Okwudili Obi 2. Ethel Abatam Nyelum Obi 3. Hendrik Michael Meyers

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Ude Patrick Okechukwu - Chairman 2. Ekpete Chidi 3. Eneh Peter 4. Anyah Stanley 5. Ibe Camilus 6. Apeh Mathew 7. Onoja Ejike AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To foster friendship and welfare amongst the membership.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from this publication.

Signed: B. O. ALEKE EsQ 08037514546

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To proffer assistance/help to the less privilege.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR. ELELA sTEPHEN

ADVANCEMENT FOR RURAL WOMEN & CITIZENs TRANsFORMATION INITIATIVE

KUBGARU TRADERs’ AssOCIATION NAsARAWA sTATE

The general public is hereby notified that the above INITIATIVE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

The general public is hereby notified that the above ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Donald Oserei Osifoh 2. Vivian Chukwuonyelu Osifoh

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Mr. Nduka Ezeh - Chairman 2. Mallam Zakari Salihu Ibrahim 3. Hon. Sule Umaru Mama Rtd. 4. Kenneth Eze 5. Pastor Ayuba Wassah - Secretary

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To advocate on issued concerning women into national development.

2. Mobilization and sensitization of women for effective political participation and national development.

3. To empower the youth, women, vulnerable children and widows financially by educating them on the usefulness of acquiring self skills.

4. To assist women and children in the acquisition of basic amenities and healthcare within the limit of its capacities and develop the educational skills of young people.

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To act as a controlling body of member traders in Kugbaru, Nasarawa State.

2. To encourage a healthy relationship amongst members.

3. To cater for the general welfare of the members and the society.

4. To promote peace, justice and equity.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: BARR. CHIMAOBI EZE 07034607847

Signed: BARR. NAOMI O. ALAsA 08064449518

EKITI HIGHLANDERs CLUB

GOO-JON sPORTs FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

The general public is hereby notified that the above FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Mr. Adeosun Olakunle 2. Mr. Famoroti Jonathan Olusegun 3. Mr. Fatunase Ayodele Olawale 4. Mr. Fagbuyiro Michael Toba 5. Mr. Famoyegun Sunday Gabriel 6. Mr. Gegeoju James Adetayo 7. Dr. Faseluka Peter Olugbenga

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Olubunmi Florence Oloyede (Miss) 2. Barrister Abiodun Efuntoye 3. Dr. Gabriel Akindele Akilo

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: sECRETARY

Signed: sECRETARY

DAYsTAR COVENANT CENTRE THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANISATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION IN THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Badmus Ibrahim Olalekan 2. Badmus Adebola Olufunsho 3. Olabayoolasesan 4. Olusoji Odunuga

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To maintain and support a valuable future for all its members.

2. To mold its members behaviour and maintain good name and reputation of the club.

3. To foster unity, love and peace among members.

4. To bring to the called youth the illness facing youth in Nigeria

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from this publication.

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To build capacity of stakeholders and children themselves towards a child friendly society.

2. To disseminate information and conduct advocacy on the rights of children.

3. To protect children’s rights rehabilitation victims of abuses.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. To teach the Christian faith.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR – GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION SIGNED: TOsIN ADEOLU FOR: CALP sOLICITORs LAGOs, ABUJA.

MBANO LAND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE NIGERIA The general public is hereby notified that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Mr. Kenneth Ebirim 2. Anthonia Ogochukwu Ebirim 3. Chief Eze Okoro THE AIM AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To empower the youth through education and skills acquisition.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Signed: sECRETARY

SIGNED: UCHE NWAGU; 08037193888

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

ONYE AGHANA NWANNEYA TRADER’s AssOCIATION

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUsTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUsTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication. sCHEDULE

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication. sCHEDULE

The general public is hereby notified that the above BODY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

DECEAsED NAME AND ADDREss

DECEAsED NAME AND ADDREss

APPLICANTs FOR GRANT

Ekeh Killian Nwokocha University of Abuja

Ekeh Nnaemeka God’s Will and Ngozi Chiaka Ekeh guardian to Prisca Sunday Jemima Thomas

WHO DIED ON THE 3rd March 2014.

Dabi Kwali Area Council Abuja The son and widow of the said deceased.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 9th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2014

> HENRY UBIMAGO 08068640944

Nigeria, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 14th July 2014.

APPLICANTs FOR GRANT

Eidah Munirat Anthonia and Eidah Victor Unbi House No. 149 Apo Zone C Apo Resetlement Abuja The daughter and son of the said deceased.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 5th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2014

SIGNED BARR. HAFsAT sADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

For booking or inquiry call

EIDAH ITODO MOHAMMED Standard Organisation of

SIGNED BARR. HAFsAT sADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

> AUGUstINE 08032325988

> GLORIA OKwUM 08038722368

> ABIGAIL sAMBO 08064382438

THE TRUsTEEs ARE: 1. Onwukaeme Austin Kanayo 2. Eze Ezekiel 3. Uchenna Okebugwu 4. Duru Sunday 5. Egbuna Leonard Ezeh

- Chairman - Secretary

AIMs AND OBJECTIVEs: 1. To seek for the welfare of Igbo traders and the members in case of eventualities.

2. To protect interest of members.

3. To help the less privileged.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: BARR. NICK OMEYE; 08035731908

> GLORIA RAPHAEL 08061356519

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68

October 10, 2014

EAGLES FAMILY INT’L ASSEMBLY

OBOSI RECREATION CLUB OBOSI

THE PERCULIAR FOUNDATION CLUB

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Assembly has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

The general public is hereby notified that the above CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

The Trustees are: 1) DR ADETOLA IWABI - President 2) PRINCE MIKE NWAKOBI - Secretary 3) STEPHEN JIDEOFOR CHUKWURA 4) CHIEF DICK MADUBUOKO 5) CHIEF EMMA ENWEANI 6) IKECHUKWU OBIONWU

The Trustees are: 1. NNENNA NDUKWE OHAJI 2. LILIAM CHINENYE OGBONNA 3. NENE AKPULONU 4. ADA ANN ICHIE 5. JOY OZUMBA

The Trustees Are: 1. Blessing Maxwell 2. Elechi Fortune 3. Christopher Unwumanumu 4. Collins Wisdom The Aim and Objectives 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Aims and Objectives: 1. To protect the interest of members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED: Secretary

Signed: Barr nnaemeka

‘NEW JERUSALEM HOLY GHOST MINISTRY’

This general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY with its headquarters at Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria have applied for Registration under part C of the Companies And Allied Matters Decree N0. 1, 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - General Secretary - Treasurer - Member

Aims And Objectives Are: 1. To promote religious and charitable activities.

2. For the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 3. To provide a centre for worship to all heavenly minded believers in Christ Jesus.

Any objection to the Registration of the Church should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission P.M.B 198 Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: D.O Oguowere Esq. 7 Igboukwu Street, D/Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

TRUSTEE: 1. MR ALOJI PIUS ANOKWU 2. MR GABRIEL ADAIDU 3. MR LIVINUS CHUKWU 4. MRS ANNA ADEJO 5. MR DANLADI UMORU

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: BAR. UCHE NNAJA OTAH

WONDERS OF I AM INT’L MINISTRY

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor David Miracle Okoro 2. Prophetess Winner Faghaibe David 3. Pastor Agbagbue Ricky Sunny 4. Pastor Waribo Ibinabo Gloria 5. Bishop Dr. Uzosike C. Victor

Aims and Objectives: 1. To foster unity among members.

-CHAIRMAN - VICE CHAIRMAN - SECRETARY - MEMBER - MEMBER

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED; CHANCERY CHAMBERS’ 08035920449

IHEEMEREMMA SOCIAL CLUB The general public is hereby notified that the above CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990 TRUSTEES; 1. NWAFOR CLETUS EBERE-PRESIDENT 2. ABRA OKECHUKWU ISAAC 3. ELOM FRIDAY AIMS: COMING TOGE THER IS BEGINNING, KEEPING TOGE THER IS PROGRESS,WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED; NWAFOR CLETUS EBERE PRESIDENT

GIFT OF GOD PROPHETIC FIRE MINISTRY

CASIENA CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNUCATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY with its headquarters at Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria have applied for Registration under part C of the Companies And Allied Matters Decree N0. 1, 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CENTER with its headquarters at Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria have applied for Registration under part C of the Companies And Allied Matters Decree N0. 1, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor Godgift Richard - General Overseer 2. Mrs. Richard, Chinwndu. Easter - Assistant General Overseer 3. Mrs. Happiness Asatubo - Secretary 4. Mr. Kingsley Donatus - Member 5. Mr. Nweke Godwin - Member

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs Nonye Muoneke - Chairman /Executive Director 2. Mr. Edward Igbokwe -Secretary 3. Mr. Chukwudum Muoneke 4. Mr Kelechi Okoro

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To foster Peace and Unity among members.

Aims And Objectives Are : 1. To promote Religious and charitable activities.

2. To deliver mankind from satanic bondage and prepare believers for rapture.

Any objection to the Registration of the above named Association should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to the Registration of the Church should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission P.M.B 198 Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Aims And Objectives Are : (1)To Strategically use the media, Development Communication and Empowerment instruments to advance socioeconomic development of African Nations.

(2)To effectively use health communication as a tool for promoting all aspects of public health, disease prevention and control.

Signed: HRH, Eze, Sir, Dr, Ajumuokechukwu Gorden Ajie (JP AP) Eze Imeagi of Ekpeye/Ogbaland Chairman Board of Trustee

Signed: D.O Oguowere Esq. 7 Igboukwu Street, D/Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

ASSOCIATION OF IMEAGI TRADITIONAL RULERS & CHIEFS WELFARE RIVERS STATE This is to inform the general public that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act N0. 1 of 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. High Chief Eric Onyekaozuru Ishikaku, Eze Ugo 1 of Imeagi - National Chairman.

2. Chief Sampson Ifeanyichukwu Victor - National Sec/Secretary Board of Trustees.

3. Elder Henry Chukwu Aliezi - Member Board of Trustee.

4. HRH, Eze, Sir, Dr, Ajumuokechukwu Gorden Ajie (JP AP) Eze Imeagi of Ekpeye/Ogbaland - Chairman Board of Trustees.

AL HUDAH ISLAMIYYAH & MOSQUE FOUNDATION

LEGAL NOTICE

This is to inform the general public that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act N0. 1 of 2004.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Abbas Garba Idriss 2. Dr Isa Ali Pantami 3. Dr Mansur Liman 4. MalHassanUsman 5. Ustaz Muhammad Inuwa 6. Sallau Hamman Pindiga Aims and Objectives 1. To propergate islam and give scholarship.

2. To build islamic institutions.

Any objection to the Registration of the above named Association should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: A. R. Gidado esq 08038498744

LOSSOF loss of OFDOCUMENTS document DOCUMENT LOSS

This is to inform the general public of the Loss of Original Offer Letter with plot No. 97, flat 2 Malenje Street Zone 4 Wuse and file No. 5x00129 belonging to Danjuma Valentine Okpanachi allocated

by Federal Capital Territory Administration, dated June 12, 2006. All efforts made to trace the said documents proved abortive. If found kindly return to the nearest police station. General public should please take note.

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS MUSA MOHAMMED ARGUNGU

National Identity Management Commission

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT BELLO DAN’ATE ABDULLAHI AND SULE DAN’ATE Ministryof Works Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State The brothers of the said deceased.

WHO DIED ON THE 27th October, 2006.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 9th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

LOSSOF loss OF ofDOCUMENTS DOCUMENT document LOSS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RECIEPT IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO. 2-5-C AND OLD FILE NO. MISC 12581 AND NEW FILE NO. MISC 56071, DATED 11/07/05. BELONGING TO ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK EDUCATION TRUST. ALL EFFORT TO TRACE THE MISSING DOCUMEMT PROVED ABORTIVE. IF FOUND, KINDLY RETURN TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION OR AGIS.

Any objection to the Registration of the Church should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission P.M.B 198 Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

STELLA

I FORMERLY MISS STELLA ENYE ODEH, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS STELLA ENYE KINGSLEY, ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID,ACCESS BANK PLC AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

IYIOLA

I formerly known as MISS IYIOLA ROSELINE AINA now wish to be known as MRS IYIOLA ROSELINE ADEWALE AJAYI. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

DEBORAH

I formerly known as DEBORAH AVO OBADAN now wish to be known as MRS DEBORAH AVO JERRY-BENNETH. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

Oluwaloju

I,Formerly known as Miss Bakare Funmibi Ifeoluwa wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oluwaloju Funmibi Ifeoluwa. All former documents remain valid and the general public to please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS ADA AUDRIS ADIEKWUE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS ADA AUDRIS UDOJI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

kpotun

I formerly known as kpotun solomon tsado now wish to be known as KPOTUN SULEIMAN TSADO. All former documents remain valid. Niger State Government and the general public to please take note.

LOSSOF loss of OFDOCUMENTS DOCUMENT document LOSS

This to notify the general public that, Aminu Sani Babura of the Ministry of Land and regional planing has lost the certificate of occupancy for a plot of land sited in Dutse capital with registration NO:JGLN/DU/ REJ/95/960, PLOT NO:283 LAYOUT NO:LRP/DU/95 All effort to trace the said document prove abortive, please if found should be taken to above address or any nearest police station.

69

October 10, 2014

BELOVED SOCIAL FRIENDS FORUM The general public is hereby notified that the above FORUM has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990 The Trustees are: 1. Mr. Enemuo Anthony Chidi 2. Mr. Tobias Okafor 3. Mr. Tochukwu Okonkwo Celestine 4. Mr. Bonaventure Duru 5. Mr. Peter Ifanyi Nkems Aims and Objectives: 1. To promote the welfare of members.

2. To encourage and help members to work to any code of practice which is approved and adopted by the forum.

3. To establish and maintain forum for the benefit and enrichment of members as well as to protect a common interest.

4. To co-operate with similar associations in other areas or co-operations in furtherance of charitable institution as the forum shall deem fit.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: PAULL C. ANENE; 08033171136

DOMINION GOSPEL EMBASSY WORLDWIDE

HENRY OJOGU EMPOWERED AND CARE FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1 OF 1990.

The Trustees are: 1. George Ekuri Eju Ndifon 2. Mrs. Blessing Ekuri Eju Ndifon 3. Engr. William Asim-Ita Aims and Objectives: 1. To preach the word of God. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. HENRY OBEN OJOGU - CHAIRMAN 2. THERESA ATAKPA-OBEN OJOGU - SECRETARY 3. MARGARET ADA OJOGU - MEMBER 4. FRED OBEN OJOGU - MEMBER 5. ENDURANCE EKAM-OBEN OJOGU - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO CREATE ACCESS IN GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG AND GROWING PEOPLE. 2.TO INCREASE PRACTICAL HUMAN CAPACITY REALIZATION IN YOUTH. 3.TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE AND RELEVANT TO COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL NEEDS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, GARKI, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: HENRY OBEN OJOGU

HOLY LAND OF GOSHEN OUTREACH MINISTRY

LEGAL NOTICE

PAUL NJOKU FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

The general public is hereby notified that the above MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. of 1990

The Trustees are: 1. Mrs. Obadeyila Docas Ajoke - General Overseer 2. Mrs. Mibiola Caroline Toyin - Secretary 3. Mr. Mibiola Akinola - Member 4. Olajumoke Olalekan Temitope - Member 5. Mrs. Akintola Modupe Oladapo - Member Aim and Objectives 1. To liberate men from satanic bondages through the preaching of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ and to prepare the church for coming of our lord Jesus Christ.

2. Counseling, Liberating the oppressed, equipping disciples for service, sustaining souls for the kingdom of God through discipleship and Healing the broken hearted by strengthen their fellowship with Christ and one another.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT Ajegena Abraham Wayas Dennis Wayas and Victoria Wayas

Behind GSS Aso Maraba Nasarawa State National Judicial Council WHO DIED ON THE 30th March 2012.

The sons and Daughter of the said deceased.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 9th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

SIGNED: Mrs. Obadeyila Docas Ajoke

The Trustees are: 1. Paul Njoku 2. James Njoku Aims and Objectives: 1. To provide charitable services to the less privileged Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja Within 28 days of this Publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

MOUNTAIN OF MERCY DELIVERANCE AND FAITHFUL MINISTRY

OGUNPA-OYO ITESIWAJU YOUTH TRADERS ASSOCIATION

THE NOBLE ASSOCIATION OF HOUSE PROMOTERS

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

This is to inform the general public that the above named organisation has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990

The general public is hereby informed that the above named Association has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

The Trustees are: 1. Adegboyega John Adesola 2. Akinmoladun Ayokunle Felix 3. Babatolu Joseph Sunday 4. Mrs. Olamide Adejoke Eunice 5. Mrs. Oloke Adeola Taiwo

The trustees are: 1. FOLORUNSO ISAAC ABIODUN 2. AGUNBIADE BENJAMIN TAIWO 3. FASASI ADEBISI 4. OLAJIDE OLAJUMOKE 5. AMUDALAT SERIKI

Aim and Objectives 1. To liberate men from satanic bondages through the preaching of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ and to prepare the church for coming of our lord Jesus Christ.

2. Counseling, Liberating the oppressed, equipping disciples for service, sustaining souls for the kingdom of God through discipleship and Healing the broken hearted by strengthen their fellowship with Christ and one another.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.To protect the interest of members.

2.To promote best trading practices.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 MR. PETER OLADIMEJI OLATUNJI 2. ALHAJI OTUN SEIDU ADEBANWA 3. MR. FEYISETAN OLUWAFEMI 4. MR. ODELEYE AKINYELE EZEKIEL 5. MR. OGUNSOTE ADEWALE ADEGBOYEGA 6. MR. JOODAH ISAAC ADEGOKE 7. MR. OGUNSE EMMANUEL OLABAMIJI

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: OLUSEUN FADELE FADELE & FADELE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND NOTARY PUBLIC 1ST FLOOR AL BARKA PLAZA, INBETWEEN GT BANK AND UBA BANK, AWOLOWO

SIGNED: Adegboyega John Adesola

IJO OLORISA ATI ASA ILE ADULAWO ORGANIZATION This is to notify the general public that the above named Organization has appliedto the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part ‘C’ of theCompanies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Oba Asiwaju Jamiu Adewale Eletu 2. Oba Abejide Olorunfemi Barry Oshadahun 3. Chief Sikiru Adeneye 4. Orisa Damilare Ologundudu 5. Orisa Wemimo Morifat Shangosoya

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within thirty days of this publication.

SIGNED ADEGOKE ADEWALE-SHITTU; SOLICITOR

OMALE

AYIBI

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AYIBI ENENCHE, henceforth wish to be known and addressed as MRS AYIBI OCHENJELE. All former documents remain valid. The general public, please take note.

MOHAMMED

CHINASA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHINASA EZEKWEM now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CHINASA OKECHUKWU ANAEBELI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

INTERNATIONAL AGRIPRENEUR YOUTHS ORGANIZATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990

The Aims And Objectives 1. To cater for the emotional/social needs of girls who are pregnant or have committed abortion and deal with postrecovery Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

OKOYE

I formerly known as MISS CHUKWUCHEBE CHINENYE now wish to be known as MRS OKOYE CHINENYE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

ISAH

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OSINOWO TOLULOPE OMOWUNMI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ISAH TOLULOPE OMOWUNMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

TRUSTEES: 1. DR. NTERANYA SANGINGA -DIRECTOR GENERAL 2. DR. GBASSEY TARAWALI -MANAGER, CEDP 3. DR. KRISTINA ROING DE NOWINA -PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR 4. MS SYLVIA OYINLOLA -REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR 5. MR. BANKOLE AKINYELE -AGRIPRENEUR 6. MS. EVELYN OHANWUSI -AGRIPRENEUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO REORIENT RURAL YOUTHS TOWARD MORE PRODUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: Rhoda Gyang

I formerly known as MUHAMMED YAMMANI IBRAHIM now wish to be known as MOHAMMED IJEYANMEN. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To foster unity and love among members 2. To guide and protect the image of the association and the members as well 3. To foster mutual understanding among members

ABANDONED CHILDREN, WOMEN AND ORPHANS HOME

The Trustees Are: 1. Rhoda Nguhemen Orseer Gyang 2. Ngohide Ruby-Ann Gyang-Gyang 3. Barrister Simnon Garba

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES a. To promote traditional religion b. To promote Yoruba tradition, culture and beliefs.

I formerly known as MISS ABOH FRANCISCA ONYANTA now wish to be known as MRS OMALE JOHN FRANCISCA ONYANTA. All former documents remain valid. University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the general public to please take note.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

MAGDALINE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MUSA MAGDALINE DAPAR, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS MAGDALINE MATHIAS IBRAHIM DAMAK. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

OMOREGBEE

I, formerly known and addressed as IMASUEN EDOGHOGHO FAUSTINA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OMOREGBEE EDOGHOGHO FAUSTINA. All former documents remain valid. Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the general public take note.

ANIEFIOK

I, formerly known and addressed as MAGAJI ROSEMARY CHRIS, now wish to be known and addressed as ANIEFIOK ROSEMARY CHRIS EDET. All former documents remain valid. FRSC, and the general public take note.

okoli

I, formerly known and addressed as miss obioha barbara chikaodi, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS okoli barbara chikaodi.

All former documents remain valid.

NSCDC, GTB and the general public take note.

owoechukwu

I, formerly known and addressed as miss ogbodo henrietta chinasa, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS owoechukwu henrietta chinasa. All former documents remain valid. FRSC, and the general public take note.

nkechi

I, formerly known and addressed as miss nkechi doris u., now wish to be known and addressed as MRS nkechi doris u. anyamkpa. All former documents remain valid. NSCDC, and the general public take note.

70 / Letter to the editor

October 10, 2014

Guber Politics In Rivers

by Messiah Ndubuisi

Rivers state will definitely be one of the lookout states as far as the 2015 general elections is concerned. This is hinged on the place the state holds in the contemporary Nigerian politics. Sources from the Federal Ministry of Finance places the state as one of the richest in the aspects of revenue allocation, derivation and internal generated revenue.

This is a major reason why the governors who have governed the state have become very powerful players in the politics of the country. The charismatic and flamboyant Peter Odili who played a key role in ensuring the influence which other governors like the short lived Omehia administration and the present Governor Amaechi attained leading to the election of Amaechi as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum before the crisis that engulfed the body.

It will be preposterous for me to say that despite the aura that has enveloped the head of the Rivers executive, the state has been stagnant. It definitely has not been stagnant. There has been some level of development in the state. Nobody can take away the fact that Peter Odili’s administration made it possible for the Kalabaries to move through land to their ancestral home lands. It was this same Odili administration that built roads and created ease of transport when he was governor. Omehia as short-lived as his administration was definitely will not be left out. I remember him signing the contract for the Mile One Market as well as other projects like the El-

eme Bridge, Agip Bridge and others most of which was completed by the Amaechi administration which I candidly believe performed very well in his first term as a PDP governor. Since his voyage into the strange All Progressive Congress APC, Rivers people have been at a loss as to where he is heading.

Be that as it may, Rivers state which as I earlier posited, is one of the first three richest states in the country, has never had the opportunity to be governed by a man with the ideas to harness the economic potentials of the state. I won’t blame the former governors who were not vast in the corporate world (at least they laid the foundation) but I do believe this is the time people from the other endeavours can make their input and bring sustainable development to the state for the sake of today’s living and our future generation.

In this light, after considering the various contenders for the race to Rivers Government House, I must stress that one candidate that strikes most of the people in the state as the best is Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs. This is one man from a noble background that has appeal amongst the youths in the state.

As a state with oil as its major source of revenue, Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs considering his vast knowledge in the sector is well positioned especially with first hand information to deal efficiently in that regard while also bringing various investors to the state with his contacts.

—Ndubuisi contributed this piece from Port Harcourt

loss LOSS of OF document DOCUMENT PUBLIC NOTICE

AUCTION!

AUCTION!!

AUCTION!!!

This is to inform the general public that there will be an auction sales of some unserviceable vehicles and generating sets belonging to Nigerian Export promotion Council (NEPC).

Venue: NEPC Headequarters Maitama, Abuja Date: 13th October, 2014 Time: 11a.m For enquiries please contact Auctioneer Emmanuel De Great on 08037706707, 08094463477

OGHENEJODE

I formerly known as EZA ULE FAITH,now wish to be known and addressed as OGHENEJODE ULE FAITH. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Emmanuel

I, Formerly known and called Mr. Isah Mohammed Monday henceforth wish to be known and called Mr. Emmanuel Wealth.

All documents remain valid. National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration(NIEPA) take note and the general public.

ROSE

I formerly known as ROSE INIKPI JAMES now wish to be known as MRS ROSE INIKPI BIYI ANJORIN. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

A Letter To The PDP

JULIET

I formerly known as MISS AGBILI NKEIRUKA JULIET,now wish to be known and addressed as MRS JULIET NKEIRUKA EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

Florence

I formerly known as Florence John Vodas, now wish to be addressed as Florence John Robinson. All former documents remain valid. The general public to please note.

ADAKU

By Baba Gana Alinma

Contrary to what most Nigerians may think, I don’t believe all leadership is from God. Just as bad things are attributed to Satan, so is bad leadership selection process. Former president Obasanjo single-handedly imposed Yar Adua and Jonathan on Nigeria.

God’s process of leadership selection must be transparent, honest, competitive and, more importantly, godly. I didn’t see the hand of God in anything going on in at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

The leadership selection process of the PDP has betrayed all expectations of nationbuilding. Nigeria got extremely rich without corresponding human and infrastructural development. China and Brazil, combined, have lifted out over 120 million of their citizens from poverty. Our democracy is a burden to the people and has fractured the nation. With insurgency, ‘gunmen’, industrial level corruption, mass poverty and a failing state, what we have as leadership is consciously undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

The author of this letter belongs to no political party, has never voted in any election and can’t see look forward to doing so, until I expire. I am from Borno State and deeply troubled by the impunity with which the so-called leadership of the PDP (board of trustees, NEC and the governors) endorsed President Jonathan as the sole candidate for 2015. I am worried, because President Jonathan will win 2015 selection using incum-

LOSSOF loss OFDOCUMENTS of DOCUMENT document LOSS

This is to inform the general public of the Loss of Original Allocation Document and other land documents bearing Joshua Munmbo in respect of plot 722 of about 1700 square meters in Giri layout belonging to Kingsley N. Munmbo.

All efforts made to trace the said documents proved abortive. If found kindly return to the nearest police station. General public should please take note.

Rukayat

I formally known and addressed as Miss Rukayat Olanikenow wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rukayat Olanike Kareem.All documents remain valid and the general public to please take note.

AMINA

I formerly known as AMINA SULE now wish to be known as AMINA MUSA ATODO. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

Bashir

I formally known and called Bashir Yahaya Aminu know wish to be known and called Bashir Yahaya A. All former documents remain valid, all the authority concern and general public to take note.

MARY

I formerly known as MISS MARY ADEMIDUN OWOMOYELA now wish to be known as MRS MARY ADEMIDUN OLAYANJU. All former documents remain valid.

OAuGF, ANAN and the general public to please take note.

bency, INEC and security agencies.

The insurgency which has ravaged Borno State since 2009 has brought it down to its knees. Borno is experiencing its worse times since the days of Kanem-Borno. Borno, probably the fourth largest economy in the North, is in ruins. The capital/human flight is alarming. Borno has been reduced to a one-city state – Maiduguri – as communities flee in search of sanctuary from the violent incursions of the Boko Haram.

Thousands of Borno people are internally displaced or have become refugees in Cameroon, Niger and Chad, completely forgotten by the nation’s government.

The war with Boko Haram would have ended since 2011, but the ineptitude and corruption of the PDP government wouldn’t let it do the right thing. Senator David Mark has already flown the kite, since revealing that there are reports which have revealed that the Boko Haram is open to any party wishing to hire their services, but action is deliberately procrastinated. With an enabling environment our security agencies will definitely defeat BH, as they have run out of sympathisers. All they now do is conscript young men or employ mercenaries.

That explains why Gwoza and Bama are under seige. Surprising. The military watched as the sect sacked one town/village after the other. For better part of the war the military has been on siddon- look mode, except the remarkable success in Konduga.

—Alinma Department of Political Science University of Maiduguri

AISHA

HANNAH

I formerly known as MISS AISHA ISYAKU BUKAR now wish to be known as MRS AISHA ISYAKU BUKAR. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public to please take note.

I formerly known as HANNAH SE’EMBER ABAYA now wish to be known as HANNAH SE’EMBER ALUGA. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

FLORENCE

STATUTORY DECLARATION OF AGE

I formerly known as MISS FLORENCE JOHN VODAS now wish to be known as MRS FLORENCE JOHN ROBINSON. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and the general public to please take note.

UGORJI

I formally known and called MRS OBAH CHINONYE EMELDA know wish to be known and called MRS UGORJI CHINONYE EMELDA. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OMININI

I formerly known as OMININI LAWSON now wish to be known as OMININI COLE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

I, Onoyima Emmanuel Chinedu wish to state that I was born on 5/12/1992 and not 5/12/1990 as was mistaken by WAEC in my result. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BLESSING

I formerly known as MISS BLESSING IMOISEMEN ADEOYE now wish to be known as MRS BLESSING IMOISEMEN ADEBISI. All former documents remain valid.

Unibuja, OAuGF and the general public to please take note.

I formerly known as ADAKU OGBENYEALU UKELONU now wish to be known as ADAKU OGBENYEALU OKPOZU. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

3X2 SPACE FOR SALE 2X2 SPACE FOR SALE

Oseremen

I formally known and addressed as Mrs Akere Millicent Oseremen. now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oseremen Millicent. All documents remain valid and the general public to please take note.

3X2 SPACE FOR SALE

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY

sports PREVIEWS AND NIGERIANS ABROAD October 10, 2014

Beat Sudan, Restore Our Pride, Mark Charges Eagles

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah,Abuja

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has charged the Super Eagles of Nigeria to restore the country’s integrity as the reigning champions of Africa by beating their Sudanese counterparts in the qualifier match.

Senator Mark in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Paul Mumeh said the Super Eagles needs to step up their game and restore the confidence of Nigerians in their bid to remain African champions.

Receiving the Pinnick Amaju led Executive Board of the Nigeria

Football Federation (NFF) and the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Gbenga Elegbeleye yesterday; he insisted that only an emphatic win over Sudan would assuage the feelings of Nigerians after the Super Eagles’ woeful outing against Congo.

Senator Mark tasked the new NFF to rise up to the challenge of improving football administration in Nigeria saying “your predecessors did their best but you just have to improve on their records and bring our footfall to an enviable position in the world.”

To achieve this, the Senate President urged the new NFF

to develop a system of early preparation for competitions as well as a process of grooming young players to maturity.

According to Mark, “We have all the potentials and talents. We need to tap and harness them.”

Bemoaning the incessant rancour amongst sports administrators he advised the new NFF board to work as a team and carry all stakeholders along in a manner that would give all a sense of belonging.

He harped on the need for transparency and accountability in the administration of football stressing that the rule of law must be sacrosanct.

Super Eagles

Bankers Games: Diamond, Zenith Returns As Heritage Debuts

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

In a season that promises more excitement and tougher competition, three banks, two returnees and a debutant are the highlight of Match Day 3 and 4 of the 2014 Nigeria Bankers Games (NBG).

Zenith Bank and Diamond Bank are returning to the tournament after some season’s absence and they go straight into the fray with fixtures against Ecobank and Fidelity Bank while the new guys are the Heritage Bank team that will be testing action in the tournament for the very first time since they began full licensed operations.

Ecobank goes into the first fixture of the day on Saturday with bragging rights as one of last year’s quarter finalists and would seek to intimidate returnee Zenith Bank to annex all three points. The West African sub-regional countries bank were edged out last season

by First Bank at the quarter finals stage thanks to a Dimeji Bankole lone strike that decided the affair.

Ecobank will be looking to get their first points against the relatively unknown Zenith Bank team. But Zenith Bank would play blind to records and take on all comers as though they were all starters.

In the second match of the day, the other returnee, Diamond Bank is up against 2013 quarter finalists

and 2011 finalist, Fidelity Bank. At this stage last season, Fidelity Bank was the bank to beat as they racked up a run of wins before capitulating to Standard Chartered Bank in the last eight. Fidelity Bank on the opening day of this season also took off to a good start with a 1 - 0 win over Standard Chartered Bank and would seek to avoid any blemish in their group stage stats.

Yet another quarter finalists, Sterling Bank are paired with new guys, Heritage Bank in the last fixture of Saturday, October 11.

Having lost their opening game, Sterling Bank will hope to give their campaign a boost against a Heritage Bank team that will be looking to spring a few surprises.

must watch

AFCON: Statistics Stacked Against Senegal

Senegal Team

Despite Senegal topping Group G of their Afcon qualifying group, odds are stacked against them when they face Tunisia.

Tonight in Dakar, at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, is set to be an interesting clash as Group G leaders, Senegal host Tunisia in an African Cup of Nations qualifying match. Senegal top the group with two wins out of two from their opening Group G matches after beating both Egypt 2-0 at home on September 5 and Botswana 2-0 away from home on September 10.

Goals from Mame Diouf and Sadio Mane handed them their win over Egypt while strikes from Mane (again) and Dame N’Doye saw them down Botswana.

Tunisia, however, have also been in fine form with two wins of their own in their two opening

matches.

Goals from Wahbi Khazri and Chikhaoui saw Tunisia beat Botswana 2-1 at home on September 6, while a goal from Fakhreddine Ben Youssef handed them a 1-0 victory over Egypt away from home on September 10.

Looking at the impending match between Senegal and Tunisia, if statistics are anything to go by then the visitors will have the upper hand.

Since their first meeting in 1963 which ended in a 1-1 draw the two countries have met a total of 17 times with Tunisia running out victorious on eight occasions and have scored 21 goals in the process.

PGA, BMF Tee-off New Partnership A new partnership between the PGA of South Africa and the Black Management Forum (BMF) hopes to spark greater growth in the game among middle class South Africans.

Golf faces a global challenge when it comes to participation, and overcoming the barriers to participation. According to Ivano Ficalbi, the chief executive of the PGA of South Africa (PGA of SA), the PGA drives the growth of the game through their PGA Members who are active in all facets of the game. The game of golf needs to introduce more golfers and retain current golfers in the local game.

“The PGA World Alliance (the collective association for all the major PGAs of the

Borrowing is bad, and paying back is always a loss.

— Egyptian Proverbs

world) initiative is for the PGAs to be active within the middle class who have access to the game,” says Ficalbi.

“The BMF membership structure fits this profile and this is why the PGA took the step to work in conjunction with the BMF to grow the game through their membership.”

The BMF is focused on the development and empowerment of managerial leadership primarily among black people. Through this partnership, BMF members can attend PGA of SA Learn the Game clinics at a golf club/ golf facility under the coaching of PGA professionals, and PGA of SA members can attend various BMF functions.

AMUSEMENT PARK

an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last

— Winston Churchill

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY c

www.leadership.ng

NIGERIA'S FIRST FRIDAY NEWSPAPER

No. 73

N200

10.10.14 Readers Have Their Say

azu@leadership.ng Twitter: @azuishiekwene

Text only: 08052100356

This week, I’m turning the platform over to readers. Enjoy!

Who Will Save The Class Of 2014? — Aug 15, 2014 Last August when the head of the national office for WAEC in Nigeria, Charles Eguridu, was asked, he blamed the Ministry of Education and parents.

“We’re not the Ministry of Education,” he said. “We don’t run schools. The level of supervision has dropped. In those days, we had the Open Day, where parents came around and examined the books of their children to know whether they were falling in line or not. But parents today are so busy looking for money. The blame is, on the one hand, with the parents, and on the other with the society, and, of course, the schools.”

Feedback Excellent, even though disturbing.

Nigerian education, well beyond the blame game, has truly become Nigerian. From the executive level, planning and implementation, to the classroom and examination centres, our education is riddled with the Nigeria factor - corruption - no less, no more.

Pupils’ admission is by a ritual prescribed by the LEAs with the nod from ‘above’. After all the rigours of training, the teacher has no more guarantee of his salary than the pensioner, and he has no one to run to, not even the NUT as it were. The JAMB-organised exams are just there to reduce the final number of students that are eligible for admission. Even the presidency has now come up with their own no-federal-character- admissions? policy to justify any skewed award of scholarships for further studies. With that and the so-called Tsangaya system for no one in particular, Nigeria may stand as the highest expenditure nation with no objective in mind as to what education we want for the Nigerian child.

With this, it is no surprise that our education is, at best, hapless and hopeless, thanks to factor political or otherwise. It is constant, anyway, that we remain all movement but no motion.

— Maigari

There is a feeding frenzy at the Aso Rock ball tagged bringbackjonathanin2015#

Unless the students stop facebook-ing, whatsApp-ing, twittering, etc, they might continue F9-ing.

— Shade Ogbonna Gwoza Wives Fighting With Bare Hands — Aug 22, 2014 Feedback Several questions arise: Is this government willing to fight BH? If the insurgents are in Niger Delta or are killing Niger Deltans, is it the same approach the government will adopt?

How much is the government spending to prosecute this war? Aside from propaganda (which is so annoying), what are the real achievements of this government? What is the cost of governance? These are rhetorical questions meant only to tickle the readers’ brain, but I am gradually losing hope in this country and in our leaders. They say God does not give a man everything he desires. Is it the reason He gave us abundant natural resources, but did not give us good leaders (or wisdom to choose good ones) to lead us to the Promised Land? Well, no one dares question the supremacy of our dear God. — Barr Emmanuel Yavala We Got It Right On This One — Aug 29, 2014 The prompt response of the Lagos State government to First Consultants’ red flag also shows that governance can make a difference. In the midst of the panic and confusion about what to do and how to care for

the infected, a number of whom were already taking refuge in churches or fleeing to their villages, Governor Babatunde Fashola showed remarkable leadership. I have joked with a few friends that if Ebola had come in through some other border in the country, we might have been in far more serious trouble.

Feedback Nice one. I was pleasantly surprised myself at the limited damage caused

by Ebola. I think the media, too, should share in the praise, as well as our shared heritage of being a fearful people! Had Nigerians not seen the spread of Ebola as an automatic death sentence, its impact would have been far more devastating. And, I’d like to ‘tactically manoeuvre’ my way around hand sanitisers. Soap and water does it for me.

— Adebiyi Kayode Isaac How Did We Lose Our Mojo?

— Sep 12, 2014 In 2003, the president of Sao Tome and Principe, Fradique de Menezes, was visiting Obasanjo in Abuja when soldiers in that country seized power. Obasanjo gave them an ultimatum to leave, failing which he threatened to send in troops. He didn’t have to; the mutineers packed their bags and left. Twelve days after they struck, Obasanjo personally escorted de Menezes back to Sao Tome and extracted amnesty for the rebellious soldiers.

Feedback

Sad! Sad! Sad! The last time Nigeria was respected by her neighbours was during Obasanjo. Germany going to Greece to discuss bailout; Obama to Mexico to discuss illegal migration, that’s how it sounds.

— Adebiyi Kayode Isaac Sadly nobody who should listen will.

There is a feeding frenzy at the Aso Rock ball tagged bringbackjonathanin2015# too far gone. This message is not for them; it is for those who have enough character still left in them to resist joining the obscene feast and think of what interventions might be necessary to save the nation.

—Fula Why TB Joshua Is A Sacred Cow — Sep 26, 2014 Politics spoils everything. As election draws near, religious leaders have become major recruiters for politicians. The church and mosque have become campaign grounds.

Whatever may be the outcome of the Lagos probe, Governor Babatunde Fashola, a Muslim, would be in no less a quandary repossessing the church site, for example, than would President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian who is harvesting his Christian base for his reelection in 2015.

Feedback Even Nigerians don’t want to comment. This is unusual for the Nigerian online community. Well thought-out and well written article.

Sentiment everywhere.

— Oziegbe Akhuetie In this report NIB (though I know them as NIOB) lied. How can 50% of building collapse in Nigeria be as a result of design? At first, is there any design?

— Mustapha Ibrahim

The Words They Couldn’t Put In Jonathan’s Mouth — Oct 3, 2014 On Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary, could the president tell the nation how much longer the country will have to wait to have the girls safely back? The “missing” $20billion came up as well. Finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala promised forensic audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

How long will it take for the audit to be completed and for the public to know what happened to the money?

Feedback “The Words They Couldn’t Put In Jonathan’s Mouth” really or is it more probably that it is the president who doesn’t want to hear the words? Our president is a P.hd and has been in power from 1999, so he is fully aware of the terrain. Our democratically elected leader has asserted that there is no corruption, how then could he mention that fat and dirty word again in any address? The $20bn and $9.3m and all that are a mere theft - if proved anyway- and that does not amount to any corruption. Afterall, how many nations award oil blocks to purely private individual concerns? See the logic?

— Maigari Conversation with Azu will be back in two weeks.

GHANA MUST GO Jonathan angry to be ranked 6th richest African president

— News

Is he angry he didn’t make the first position?

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