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ODD CULTURE

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I’m forced to share my husband with mum, says 20-yr-old wife

Saraki’s loyalists dare tinubu }6

SARAKI

TINUBU

AKUME

LAWAN

IJEOMA AGU }17

Why I can’t act nude roles

UNPAID WAGES }5

Buhari, governors to discuss proposed bailout on Tuesday

lReject Lawan, Akume, Sola Adeyeye, Abu Ibrahim as principal officers lAPC leadership’s decision must be respected, says pro-Tinubu group

VETERAN FOLK MUSICIAN, DAN MARAYA JOS, DIES AT 69

}6

OXFORD VARSITY }6

Soyinka fails to clinch Professor of Poetry job

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Contents | 21.06.15 BODY & SOUL

Adopted in Lagos Ogun State-born Speaker of Lagos State eight House of Assembly may not be known in his home town, but he makes a difference in Lagos State, his true home

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POLITICS

Cry for bailout Profligacy and white elephant projects are responsible for near collapse of states

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BUSINESS

Crisis looms Nigerian banks risk another round of crisis this year as nonperforming loans is set to rise above the five per cent industry threshold set by the Central Bank of Nigeria

}23

FAITH

RCCG N2bn road project Fresh crisis arises as Adeboye’s men mark church, schools for demolition

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SPORT

One death too many The death of Malaysia-based Nigerian soccer star, David Oniya, last weekend was one death too many for the country’s stars plying their trade overseas as the list keeps rising

LIFE

}59 Weird tradition I’m forced to share my husband with my mother, but that’s our tradition

}41

SUNDAY

Editorial

Imo: Beyond politics and tradition

A

nother round of crisis is imminent in Imo state following the face off between governor Rochas Okorocha and some of his traditional rulers, among them four first class Ezes.Coming at a period when the nation is concerned about the inability of states to meet their statutory financial obligations, it calls for concern.

Sixty four monarchs were suspended by the Okorcha administration for allegedly playing politics during the last Presidential election. Four of them, Eze Emmanuel Njemanze of Owerri Nchi Ise, Desmond Agugua of Umuore Obizi,Edmund Njoku of Umuenyi and Sunday Okoro are First class Chiefs, with enough experience in government. They were said to have attended a meeting called by former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The monarchs attended the meeting, having ignored advise to the contrary by the Chairman, Imo state Council of traditional rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri.Presently, they are in court in the bid to restrain the governor or any oh his agents from ‘inhibiting in any manner whatsoever their performance of their duties as traditional rulers in Imo state’.

There are implications, as bare as the floor of a tennis court. The traditional rulers based their attendance on law.

They were invited by the Chairman of the South - East Council of traditional rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya.

The twist in the whole affair is that Ilomuanya was the Chairman of the Imo state Council of traditional rulers until he was dethroned by governor Okorocha. That was how Eze Ohiri emerged.

Eze Ilomuanya went to court and got justice from the Supreme Court ,recognising his place as the authentic Chairman of both the Imo and South -East Council of traditional rulers.

The Imo state government has refused to obey the Supreme Court verdict, that is what, the monarchs who are in court are claiming.

The concern of every well meaning stakeholder should be the fate of the people who look up to the governor and the traditional rulers for efficiency in government. With the lean resources accruing to all states of the federation, Imo can hardly afford this crisis that will dwindle the allocation expected from the Federal govern-

ment. The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) cannot sustain the state.

Although governor Okorocha has distanced himself from the suspension, he has a huge role to play in the resolution of this crisis. We know it goes beyond the affairs of the Council of traditional rulers. It has to do with politics to a great degree. There are fears that it is a continuation of the battle of wits between the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor’s party and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While politicians have every right to protect their personal and group interest, the welfare of the people should take precedence over other permutations. It would do Imo state a world good to have Okorocha, Eze Njemanze and Ogugua working on the same page. While the governor belongs to the ruling party, the monarchs boast of experience in public service.

There is also the need to do away with politics of bitterness. Dr. Jonathan took a bold step when he congratulated President Muhammad Buhari. The peace the country enjoys today is as a result of Jonathan’s statesmanship. We expect leaders to respect and uphold that and also give peace a chance.

Eze Njemanze could beat his chest and say that his Owerre people were largely responsible for the emergence of Okorocha as governor in 2011. Having looked Governor Amadi Ikwechegh straight in the face in 1987, he is not one to run away from battle.

However, Imo does not need another round of conflict between government and monarchs.

Monarchs are closer to the people than a governor. Okorocha recognised that when he created a fourth tier of government, beyond local governments.The idea was to bring development to the grassroots. The much expected progress should not now be stalled in the name of politics.

Eze Ogugua is from Mbaise, same clan as the PDP flag bearer in the last governorship election, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha. Ilomuanya, like the governor hails from Orlu Senatorial zone. Imo needs development and those to move the state to greater heights cannot do it in court. Only peace will guarantee progress, that is what the people need.

DAILY TELEGRAPH PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief

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Editor, Saturday n Laurence Ani

Editor, Sunday n Emeka Madunagu

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Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

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SUNDAY 21 JUNE, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

News

Absence of ministers threatens fiscal policies Onwuka Nzeshi, Tunde Oyesina and Isa Abdulwahab

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resident Muhammadu Buhari’s apparent refusal to appoint key officials of his administration three weeks after he was sworn in has put the economy in danger, as key aspects of the nation’s fiscal policy are being delayed.

Specifically, the non-appointment of a minister of finance and Secretary to the Government of the Federation have halted the implementation of the preparation of the 2016/2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework. The MTEF is a critical responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Finance, which is a prelude to the budget and is expected to have been concluded for presentation to the Federal Executive Council before the end of June. But as at today, the process has not started and the implication is that a foundation has been laid for the late preparation of the 2016 federal budget with its attendant consequences.

The MTEF involves short and medium-term planning of government expenditure based on available resources within an existing year and the following year.

It consists of a top-down estimate of aggregate resources available for public expenditure consistent with macro-economic stability; bottom-up estimates of the cost of carrying out policies, both existing and new; and a framework that reconciles these costs with aggregate resources.

It is called ‘medium-term’ because it provides data on a prospective basis, for the budget year and for following years.

A cross-section of lawyers, academics and leaders of civil society organisations who spoke with Sunday Telegraph yesterday said it was an unhealthy development and not a good start for a government that rode to power on the strength of its promise to fast-track economic development in the country.

A political economist and management expert, Prof.

Pat Utomi, said the delay is breeding fear among investors who have been waiting to see the calibre of persons that would be in Buhari’s cabinet, as a way of reading the likely direction of the new regime.

Utomi, a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, was not certain about the reasons for the delay. He, however, said it might be a deliberate attempt by the new government to ensure that it makes the right choices.

“I don’t know those who

are making the decisions on what they are doing but maybe they are considering all kinds of things to make sure there is optimal choice,” he said.

Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyekpere, expressed disappointment at the pace of the Buhari administration in the last three weeks. Onyekpere argued that given the 12 years Buhari spent struggling to become the president of Nigeria, he ought to have been better prepared to face the task of governance and not keeping the citizens waiting for three weeks without a clear sense of direction.

“The trajectory of President Buhari’s path to the presidency indicates that he has been waiting to be president since 2003 and this makes it a 12-year wait.

Also, he had two months after the election in March 2015 to prepare to take over the presidency. This creates a presumption that he must have articulated his world view on what he wants to do with the presidency in the last 12 years and should have been ready to hit the ground running.

“The delay is therefore bad for our economy because there is a prevalence of policy uncertainty and this is leading to economic uncertainty. Investors cannot take decisions in a void; they would like to know the direction of government policy. In terms of the day to day administration, the country looks rudderless because the key personnel, being the ministers, are not in place. Permanent Secretaries and other Accounting Officers can only keep the ship of state afloat pending when the ministers will take over, initiate and drive government policy,” he said.

According to Onyekpere, critical responsibilities of government such as the processes leading to the preparation of the 2016/2018 MTEF and the 2016 budget would be delayed as a result of the delay in constituting the new administration.

“There are two ways to look at it. The first approach which is very charitable to the President is that he wants to take his time and be thorough so as not to make a mistake. But the second is to state that this is not the style of governance needed at this time of grave national crisis. Nigerians need a meticulous, fast thinking and active President to respond to the myriad of national challenges. Undue delays and delayed action is not in consonance with the resolution of our pressing challenges.

“At least, key officials like the SGF, Minister of Finance, etc should have been

appointed by now. It is imperative to recall that while some key personnel need legislative approval, others do not and even those positions that do not require legislative approval have not been filled. All these question the preparedness of the President for the huge task of governance,” Onyekpere said.

Similarly, the President of Public Interest Lawyers League, Abdul Mahmud, said the cost can be viewed from the prism of the coin that has two sides.

“While it is true that it adds less cost to governance by removing the perks, privileges and freebies ministers and their retinue of aides enjoy, thus reducing the overall cost to governance, the absence of ministerial and political heads of ministries sure have effects on policy execution, implementation.

“The uncertainties occasioned by the absence of ministers have a toll on government itself . Uncertainty isn’t the best friend of good governance. The absence of certainty creates non- belief in government and governmentality, and government

loses its goodwill in the process”, he stated.

Another Abuja based lawyer, Olusoji Toki said that President Buhari was more interested in power than in governance.

“It is three weeks since and almost three months since he was elected without postelection contest. To say the delay is not having a negative effect on the nation is a lie. Go to the ministries and parastatals, nothing is happening there. The country no doubt would have lost huge amounts of money. I think the President should sit ip and face the reality of governance,” Toki added.

But, another lawyer, Josiah Igienebor, said the non-appointment of ministers has not and cannot in anyway bring any adverse effect to governance.

He added that ministers are just decision makers while the permanent secretary is the engine of the work force.

“The ministries are not shut down, work is going on. The Permanent Secretaries are working and overseeing the affairs of their ministries. The President should

be left to take his time in choosing the best team that will work with him to make his dream come to reality,” Igienebor stated.

Meanwhile, owing to huge unpaid debts in excess of N90 billion, construction giant, Julius Berger Plc, has scaled down on the pace of work in some of its key projects across the country.

Among the key projects the construction firm has partially withdrawn its men and services from are the Abuja Centenary City and Lagos - Sagamu portion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway projects. Both the states and federal government are key clients to the firm.

Julius Berger’s Managing Director, Detlev Lubasch, told newsmen during its 45th Annual General Meeting in Abuja that Lagos - Sagamu portion had undergone changes both in contract and design based on understanding and agreement of all the parties involved. According to him, a new contracting firm - Motor way Access Limited, a Social Purpose Vehicle has been incorporated with a view to re-designing the

project.

“This is not the only reason while we reduce our presence; the other reason has to do with financing . We need to adjust our work based on financing level. The federal government is unable to fulfill its payment obligation,” he clarified.

Sunday Telegraph had exclusively reported a massive staff retrenchment across board of construction firms owing to huge unpaid projects debt both by states and the federal government. Julius Berger which hitherto had thousands of staff has drastically laid off in order to cut down on operational cost.

Notwithstanding the challenging operating environment, the construction firm paid its shareholders a modest dividend of N2.70 kobo for 2014 operation, same dividend paid out in 2013. Addressing shareholders, its board chairman AVM Mohammed Nurudeen Imam (redt), said the group’s turnover fell from N212.7 billion in 2013 to N196.8bn in 2014 while profit after tax stood at N8.2bn.

L-R: Senator Godswill Akpabio; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Rev. Sunday Mbang and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, during a courtesy visit to Obasanjo in Abeokuta...on Friday

Ganduje cuts political appointees’ pay Muhammed Kabir Kano

I

n view of the prevailing economic realities, Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has slashed the salaries and allowances of the new political appointees by 50 per cent.

Those affected are the governor himself, his deputy, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, all the 13 commissioners, special advisers and others.

Speaking while inaugurating 13 new commissioners, Ganduje lamented that the state and the nation are facing a cash crunch. He said that as such the need to slash the salaries of political appointees arose.

He said the action was part of the sacrifice he and others would pay for the survival of the government. The governor assured that when things get better government officials will be rewarded for their sacrifice.

The outgoing President of the Nigerian union of Journalists, Garba Muhammad, was appointed as Commissioner for Information.

Meanwhile, the NUJ national Secretariat has issued a statement commending the appointment of Muhammed into Ganduje’s cabinet. It saidhis ntellectualism and long standing knowledge of the world of journalism would help in his job.

In a statement issued

and signed by the NUJ National Scretary, Shuaibu Usman Liman, the union advised the new commissioner to live above board by exhibiting loyalty, honesty and the fear of Allah in the conduct of of his duties.

Liman noted that the national secretariat had started compiling a comprehensive handover notes of Muhammed’s six-year tenure ahead of the fifth Triennial Delegates Conference of the NUJ.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 21 JUNE, 2015

News

Amaechi sinned against Rivers people – Wike Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

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L-R: Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello; Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta and Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, at the NDIC Annual Sensitization seminar for Judges of the Federal High Court, in Abuja…on Friday.

PHOTO:

Luxury tax: Nigeria loses N10.56bn to jet owners, others Abdulwahab Isa

S Abuja

even months after its official proclamation by the federal government and six months into the 2015 fiscal year, the luxury tax is still in a limbo without any serious work done on it, Sunday Telegraph investigation has revealed.

Consequently, government stands the chance of losing about N10.56 billion of its estimated income captured in 2015 budget, essentially from the administration of the levies on consumption of luxury items.

As a way of mitigating the crash in crude oil prices which had taken huge toll on government’s obligations, the administration of President Good luck Jonathan last November announced an aggressive tax administration policy in which private jets, yachts, Champagne and a list of others were to be taxed.

The government had projected that it could raise additional revenue of about N480bn within the next three years from the implementation of the tax on luxury goods and other austerity measures.

Consumption items and services in the category of luxury goods that attract varied surcharge include private jets to attract 10% import surcharge and expected to yield about N3.7 billion in 2015; purchase of luxury yatch to attract 39% import surcharge and estimated to raise N1.6 billion in 2015; and purchase of luxury cars will be subject to a 5% import surcharge which is estimated to yield about N2.6 billion of additional revenue.

Other luxury items billed to attract percentage surcharge include Champagne, wines and spirits to attract 3% surcharge estimated to generate about N2.3 billion in 2015; 1% FCT Mansion Tax on residential properties with a

value of N300 million and above to yield additional N360 million and another surcharge on Business and First Class tickets on Airlines.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) were assigned to collect the luxury taxes on behalf of the government.

However, findings revealed that no progress has been recorded on luxury tax implementation beyond the policy pronouncement by government.

A top official of FIRS who spoke in respect of the new tax in confidence with our correspondent because he had no official permission to comment on it said: “We sent a circular immediately government came up with the new tax on the need to engage all the stakeholders to map out a strategy for its collection. But as I’m talking to you now that meeting did not take place before the last elections and subsequently the winding

up of that administration.

So it is a policy that has yet to get off the ground.”

He added that it is one area on which the new government is expected to make its stand known, adding that of the items to be taxed only surcharge on business and first class ticket by airlines falls within the jurisdiction of FIRS. He noted that the rest are taxes to be administered by the Customs.

The Nigeria Customs is expected to administer import surcharge on new private jets, luxury cars, Champagne, wines and yachts.

Efforts by our correspondent to get the views of the Customs were futile. Its spolesperson, Wale Adeniyi, sent an SMS to our correspondent after repeated calls that he was outside the country attending a conference. His assistant,, Joseph Attach, said he was in Kano on official assignment and promised to get back to our correspondent.

He never did.

ivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday said his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi committed many sins against the people.

Chief among the sins, according to Wike at an interactive session with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the biggest sin Amaechi committed against the people of the state was his use of ‘expensive consultants’ to execute projects that were later abandoned.

He said the former governor rushed into projects without thinking of their significance and how they would be completed, just as he said that Amaechi threw the state into debt, and refused to pay workers and pensioners.

Wike also said there was no time Amaechi left behind N7bn, pointing out that if indeed he had the money before he left, he would have paid workers and pensioners.

He also dismissed a report that the Jonathan administration paid him the sum of N108bn for federal projects that Amaechi executed, insisting that he met an empty treasury.

He wondered when the money was released to him, adding that such funds are not difficult to trace.

He said, “It is not possible that I received N108 billion. Did Jonathan (the immediate past president) pay the money into my account or give me the cash?

“Was I paid the money before or after I was sworn-in as governor?

Did Jonathan have the power to sign money after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in? Is it possible that nobody can trace the money (N108 bil-

lion) if it was given to me?

It is unfortunate. How people have trivialised governance. So such stories should be discountenanced.”

He said Rivers State students on government scholarship were suffering abroad because they were abandoned by the Amaechi administration, stressing that the programme was a scam. He accused the state government of using consultants when there was a scholarship board in the state.

He said: “If the fees being paid were N2 billion, consultants took N900 million. Why use consultants to do jobs when you have a scholarship board? Now our children (students) are in foreign lands suffering.

Their parents are crying.

Why send our children abroad when you can pay their fees We (government) must return things back to the way it use to be in order to achieve maximum benefit.”

On the N10bn loan approval recently granted him by the state house of assembly, Wike said he would use the cash to fund uncompleted projects in the state.

He added, “The state house of assembly and the judiciary were also shut because of the political crisis that bedeviled the previous administration.

We gave N300 million each to these two arms of government to carry out repairs, adding a number uncompleted roads and bridges would be completed.”

On the issues of unpaid salaries, he said his administration inherited the problem but that members of Dolphins, Sharks and Rivers Angels Football Clubs have been paid, saying others would follow.

Unpaid salaries: Buhari, governors meet Tuesday Emeka Madunagu

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari and governors of the 36 states are due to meet in Abuja on Tuesday, to discuss last week’s request by the state chief executives for a bailout.

The governors had appealed to Buhari to provide them with a bailout to enable them to clear a backlog of civil servants’ salaries.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesi-

na, confirmed the meeting to Sunday Telegraph on the telephone yesterday.

He said the meeting would discuss the governors’ request. He, however, said he had no details about what the President would do in respect of the request.

This was just as it emerged that the All Progressives Congress transition committee had asked Buhari to clear the backlog of workers’ salaries and subsidy payments and work out a “detailed and coordinated” plan to remove subsidy

on premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol. The advisory body, whose report is expected to influence the policy direction of the new government, also recommended that kerosene subsidy should be scrapped immediately, The Cable reported yesterday.

While kerosene is officially N50 per litre, the end users pay as much as N150 despite the existence of subsidy — a case of double jeopardy for the government and consumers but a

source of massive income for marketers and fuel import contractors. The committee also asked Buhari to privatise the nation’s four refineries by adopting the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas as a model. NLNG is jointly owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 49%, Shell Gas B.V. 25.6%, Total LNG Nigeria Ltd 15% and Eni International 10.4% — but it is not managed by the Nigerian government, unlike the nation’s refineries which are solely managed

by the NNPC. These recommendations, in a report seen

by TheCable, are intended to “eliminate waste and redirect resources to fuel development, growth and job creation”, according to the committee headed by Ahmed Joda, former super perm secretary. Fuel subsidy, which gulps billions of dollars every year, has been a very volatile issue in Nigeria’s political economy since the mid-1980s, leading to riots and demonstrations because of the resultant increase in pump

prices of petroleum products. But with dwindling oil revenue, ballooning subsidy claims and growing national debt, there is an emerging consensus that the expenditure can no longer be sustained. Attempts by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the subsidy in 2012 were greeted with nationwide protests amidst allegations of scam in payments to marketers running into trillions of naira. Jonathan eventually reversed the policy.

Sunday Telegraph, JUNE 21, 2015

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News

Pro–Saraki senators reject Lawan, Akume as Senate Leader, deputy Chukwu David

T Abuja

he current crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, deteriorated yesterday as senators loyal to Senate President, Bukola Saraki, vowed to resist alleged moves by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other party leaders to impose Senators Ahmad Lawan,and George Akume as the Senate Leader and deputy, respectively.

Senators Ahmed SaniYerima and Danjuma Goje, declared this position when they spoke with journalists in Abuja, warning that the plans by the leadership of the APC to fill the remaining four principal officers positions with ranking members of the Senate Unity Forum was totally unacceptable and would be vehemently resisted by the Like Minds Senators.

The SUF consists of loyalists of Lawan who lost the Senate Presidency bid to Saraki.

It will be recalled that the remaining leadership positions yet to be filled in the senate include, Sen-

ate Leader; Deputy Senate Leader; Senate Chief Whip; and Deputy Chief Whip.

Sunday Telegraph learnt that the APC leadership has been working out an arrangement which would see Lawan emerging as the Senate Leader and Senator George Akume as his deputy as a compensation for losing the Senate Presidency and the Deputy Senate Presidency.

The pro-Lawan group, which has the backing of Tinubu, was also said to have picked Professor Olusola Adeyeye (Osun) as the Senate Chief Whip, while Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State, would be his deputy.

But Senators Sani-Yerima, a former Governor of Zamfara State and Senate Deputy Minority Leader and in the Seventh Senate and Goje, a former Governor of Gombe State, insisted that the like minds senators would resist imposition of principal officers on the Chamber.

Sani Yerima insisted that the filling of the remaining four principal offices was the exclusive rights of the zonal caucuses in the

Senate, and therefore condemned the encroachment of external forces in the matter.

He unequivocally stated that the move by the APC leadership was illegal, stressing that, “there can never be imposition of candidates on the chamber by the party leadership” He said, “As far as I’m concerned, the party cannot impose leadership on us. It is unconstitutional and against the rules of the Senate. The Senate Majority Leader; Deputy Majority Leader; Senate Chief Whip; Deputy Chief Whip were elected by their zonal caucuses in the Seventh Senate and the case of the Eighth Senate cannot be different.

“He said, “We should follow due process. Allowing the party to impose leadership on the Senate President is to make him to fail because he cannot force him to work with his rivals.

We are committed to giving President Buhari protection in the Senate. What we are doing is definitely not against the President.”

On his part, Goje warned the party against imposition of candidates on the Upper

Chamber, pointing out that, such move would likely further polarise the party and erode its fortunes as the ruling party.

He said, “By trying to impose another set of leadership on the National Assembly is to cause further crisis in the party. It will complicate matters and generate further crisis in the National Assembly.

“Imposition of principal officers is against the tradition in the National Assembly. It is not the tradition.

The tradition is to try to reach consensus by making the zonal caucuses decide for themselves.

He advised the National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, to caution the proponents of the imposition in the interest of the party. “I want to strongly advise the National Chairman to go about it very softly. I am aware that majority of the members of the National Working Committee are not in support of this decision.

“The President of the country, who was elected on the platform of the APC, believes that leaders must emerge through a constitu-

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Metro Taxi, Mrs. Priscilla Ibe; Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Alero Ladipo and Chief Corporate Services Officer, Mr. Tobe Okigbo, at the formal launch of Free WiFi Internet Service in Lagos.

Soyinka fails to clinch Oxford Varsity job

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obel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has missed out on the second most prestigious poetry position in the United Kingdom after being beaten by English poet, playwright and novelist, Simon Armitage.

The Oxford professor of poetry role was won by Armitage, who was backed by 58 names.

Amongst Armitage’s supporters was writer Melvyn Bragg. Bragg had previously supported Soyinka, but later publicly switched his allegiance to Armitage, saying his concerns that the 80-year-old might not “bother to come to Oxford” if he were to win.

Soyinka hit back, and said, “How curious that anyone would even speculate that I

would allow busy and committed people – friends, colleagues and total strangers – to waste their time nominating and campaigning on my behalf for such a prestigious position if I were not serious about contesting.”

Soyinka initially led the way with the most nominations in the early stage of the election. Candidates need to be nominated by at

least 50 Oxford graduates and the Nigerian academic had more than 90 nods.

The 80-year-old was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 and was the first African to receive the honour. Armitage will be expected to deliver one public lecture per term, facilitating the “art of poetry in the university” with a salary of £12,000 a year.

tional process and the rule of law. Imposition and impunity was what drove us away from the PDP.” Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the pro-Lawan senators, Kabir Marafa, described the argument of the pro - Saraki senators as incorrect and argued that the choice of other principal officers who are not elected on the floor of the senate, remained the sole business of the party leadership.

He said, “It is not possible for the executive of

the party at the zonal levels to determine who will be made the Senate Leader, the Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, and the Deputy Chief Whip. It has never happened and it won’t happen this time around.

“The party executive must determine all the occupants of the four principal offices. The party would write the Senate President.

That is the tradition. It cannot be done at the zonal level. We must follow due process”

Dan Maraya Jos dies at 69 Musa Pam Jos

O

ne of Nigeria’s foremost Hausa musicians, poet, philosopher and philanthropist, Dr. Adamu Dan Maraya Jos has died at age 69. He was a recipient of two National Honours - Member of the Order of the Niger and Officer of the Order of the Niger; His death was confirmed to Sunday Telegraph in Jos by one of his adopted children Alhaji Yusufu Kujili, who stated that Dan Maraya died in Bukuru, near Jos in the early hours of yesterday and has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

Sunday Telegraph gathered that Dan Maraya, who had been sick, had no biological children, but had many adopted children and is survived by a wife, Hajiya Sabowa.

Dan Maraya Jos whose name means “The Little Orphan of Jos,” was born Adamu Wayya in 1946 in Buruku and began his musical career in 1960. He was best known for playing the Kontigi a local small musical instrument. When his father died shortly after his birth, he was raised initially by his mother, who died too while he was still an infant. Hence the name Dan Maraya Jos. His father was a court musician to the Emir of Bukur, who raised Dan Maraya after his parents’ death.

His son, Kujili said Dan Maraya showed an early interest in music and came under the influence of local professional musicians.

During a trip to Maiduguri while he was still a pre-teen, he was impressed by musicians there after which he made a kuntigi, with which became his trademark instrument until death.

The kuntigi is a small, sin-

gle-stringed lute. The body of the instrument is usually a large, oval-shaped like a sardine can and is covered with goatskin.

Dan Maraya and other kuntigi players are solo performers who accompany themselves with a rapid ostinato on the kuntigi.

Like most professional musicians, the mainstay of Dan Maraya’s repertoire is praise singing, but Dan Maraya singles out his personal heroes rather than the rich and famous. His first and perhaps still his most famous song is “Wak’ar Karen Mota” “Song of the Driver’s Mate” in praise of the young men who get passengers in and out of mini buses and do the dirty work of changing tires, pushing broken down vans, and the like. During the Nigerian Civil War, he composed numerous songs in praise of soldiers of the Nigerian Army and incorporated vivid accounts of scenes from the war in his songs.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs Turaki Hassan, Dogara said the north and indeed Nigeria has lost one of its most talented sons.

“Dan Maraya`s sudden death came to me as a shock and I want to use this medium to condole with the Danmaraya family, the government and people of Plateau State and all Nigerians over this irreparable loss”, the statement added.

“The late Dan Maraya has written his name in gold in the annals of Nigeria`s history as a talented musician, poet and a philosopher. “His music were full of wisdom which will not only outlive him but will continue to be reference point for generations to come. “ I pray God almighty to give his family the fortitude to bear the loss”

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, Sunday Telegraph

News

Kashamu questions fresh FG’s extradition appeal L

Ambode, Akiolu, Edeze make case for peace

Muritala Ayinla & Sola Adeyemo, Ibadan

S

Wale Elegbede

equel to Friday’s hearing of Federal Government appeal against the judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on May 27, restraining the government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency from taking further steps to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States, the senator has raised an alarm over the fresh appeal, stating that he has not been served with a notice.

In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos and signed

by Kashamu’s media aide, Austin Oniyokor, the em-

battled lawmaker alleged that the fresh move for appeal against the ruling of Justice Abang is being orchestrated by the Ogun East Senatorial District defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the March 28 National Assembly election, Mr. Dapo Abiodun.

When the appeal came up for hearing, Mr. Emeka Ngige (SAN), told the court that he had been briefed by the Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, to handle the matter.

Kashamu said: “Emeka Ngige claims that these rejected allegations are the basis of an appeal he has filed against orders and judgments of the Federal

High Court. “The mischief is clear because Notice of Appeal has not been served on any party, yet Ngige has released documents to the media which he claimed are Notices of Appeal. This is clearly wrong.

It is for this reason we question the authority of Emeka Ngige and Gboyega Oyewole to represent a nonexistent AGF.” The statement reads further: “Contrary to the lies being peddled in the media, information available to us revealed that the two lawyers were not briefed by the Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice – at least as at Friday when they appeared in court.

“If they say they were, we challenge them to produce the authorisation and evidence of payment made to that effect. We do know that they were hired by Abiodun, who is desperate to get through the back door a mandate he could not get in a free and fair election.

“It has also come to our knowledge that in the absence of an AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the said Abiodun has been mounting pressures on the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Abdullahi Yola, to give the brief to the APC lawyers. Abiodun offered to pick their bills.”

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I have called on Muslims in the state to adhere strictly to the lessons of Ramadan and move closer to Almighty Allah.

Speaking at a special prayer organised for Governor Ambode and his Deputy, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule by the Chief Imam of Lagos, Alhaji Akinola Garba, at the Lagos Central Mosque, Lagos Island, said that the holy month of Ramadan signifies a period for giving alms to the needy and abstinence from all evil deeds.

Ambode, who joined Muslim faithfuls at the special thanksgiving Jumat and Ramadan prayers, added that all Muslims should adhere to the dictates of Islam and embrace peaceful co-existence for a better society.

He implored Muslim clerics to continue to pray for his administration so as to achieve the set goals for the state. “It is only in a peaceful atmosphere that all plans and programmes of his administration can be actualised,” he said.

On his part, Oba Akiolu assured Governor Ambode

that all residents will support his administration and continue to pray for him to achieve all his developmental agenda for the state.

Oba Akiolu urged all residents to pay their taxes regularly to enable the present administration provide all the necessary infrastructural amenities for the citizenry, while suing for patience from residents for the Ambode administration.

In a related development, Chief Austin Edeze, the Chairman, Board of National Patrons, National Association of Catholic Corps Members yesterday predicted that the nation would be better if Nigerians could live harmoniously devoid of ethnic bias.

Edeze said this in Ibadan during the 80th meeting of NACC’s National Board of Patron held at the Pastoral Institute Hostel in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He urged Nigerians to embrace peaceful coexistence like it is being enjoyed by NACC family house, which had ensured unity among its members irrespective of their various ethnic groups.

Edeze, who said that NACC was established to cater for the unity of corps members, and improve their faith, urged the corps members to be wary of temptations.

Clerics stress the need to appreciate fathers Tai Anyanwu

A L-R: Daughter of the deceased, Aiyedun Adebanjo; her mother, Mrs. JoanahAdebanjo; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his Deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, at the funeral service of former Special Adviser to Second Republic President Shehu Shagari, Olu Adebanjo, at Idowa-Ijebu...on Friday.

Arisekola was humble, generous, say Ajimobi

O

yo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday, urged wealthy citizens of the state to emulate the humility and philanthropic qualities of the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, whom he described as an ‘epitome of godliness and humility.’

The governor gave the advice at the Ibadan residence of the late business mogul, who died last year aged 70.

Speaking on the virtues of the late Arisekola, Ajimobi said that,” Aare was not a king, but he ruled Yorubaland with his humility, his philanthropic gestures; rea-

son the Sultan of Sokoto described him as ‘an era.’ He said, “Aare Arisekola was an epitome of humility, when he was not rich. He was also an epitome of godliness and humility, when he was rich. I did not come here because of Aare Arisekola’s children but because of his legacy of humility. Let’s all emulate this quality in him. If you are rich, be good to the poor. If you are poor, be good to the rich and the powerful in the society.”

Ajimobi urged his kinsmen in Ibadan, whom he said were fond of being envious and malicious to stop, but embrace love like the late Aare and learn to exude love for one another.

Okada riders protest police extortion

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ommercial activities were temporarily brought to a halt yesterday as commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada numbering over 400, in Akure, the Ondo State capital took to the streets and major roads of the town, protesting extortion by men of the state police command.

The protest, which paralysed social and economic activities at Oke-Ijebu Plaza road, in Akure, lasted several hours before it could be brought under control by the police.

The protesters alleged that one of them was beaten mercilessly with

wounds all over his body because he refused to give the police the money demanded from him.

Speaking to reporters during the protest, the unit leader, Mr. Oluwaseun Adesina alleged that the policemen from ‘A’ and Ijapo Police divisions have been extorting money from the commercial motorcycle association.

He alleged that they pay not less than N150, 000 everyday.

His words “On daily basis, the police from ‘A’ and ‘Ijapo’ Police stations would seize our motorcycles and take them to the station for no reason.

s Nigerians join the rest of the world to celebrate Father’s Day today, pastors, including the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria Rev Dr. Musa Asake, has enjoined Nigerians to appreciation all men and fathers.

Father’s Day is universally observed on the third Sunday of June every year and was first celebrated on June 10, 1910 in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA, USA. The honour of institution of Father’s Day goes to Sonora Smart Dodd.

The CAN scribe, who spoke on the significance of fathers with our correspondent, explained that the celebration was indeed very important especially to appreciate the roles fathers play in society.

“Father’s Day is very significant role in the family, especially in the discharge of their moral, spiritual and financial duties. There is nobody here on earth without a father, and our fathers played a major role in whatever we became in life. So I join all the rest in appreciating father for what they

have done, bringing us up, and making us what we are with help of God,” he said.

Asake also noted some people may have had bad experiences with their fathers; but pointed out that it should not take away appreciation for the fathers.

“It is very important because the Bible says in 1Thesselonian 5:18: ‘in everything we give thanks.

We should all pause to give thanks to our fathers for what they have to us to make us what we are today.

I wish all the men, the fathers a happy father’s Day. It is very significant,” he said.

Asake stressed it was a very wrong attitude for some Nigerians to refer to a section of older generation of Nigerians as a wasted generation, because every generation had made impact in the succeeding one.

In his response, the minister in charge of Ebenezer Methodist Church of Nigeria, Akuowojo, Lagos, GodsWill Okafor, said that this year’s Father’s Day celebrations was another opportunity to remind all the fathers of their enormous role and responsibility to their wives, children and society in general.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

News

Buhari will offer 40 escape death as quality leadership building collapses in Lagos – APC chieftain

A

Muritala Ayinla

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Mr. Segun Osinkolu, on Saturday, urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari with prayers and good wishes. He said that the President would offer the country quality leadership.

Osinkolu, who spoke in his Ayede-Ekiti, Ekiti North Senatorial District country home to journalists, explained that the former army general sought the votes of the people and was elected President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces.

According to him, President Buhari, who has a record of “forthrightness, transparency and incorruptibility,” knows what it takes to lead Nigeria and has secured the opportunity to offer it.

The former Senatorial aspirant said that those he called “enemies of progress of Nigeria would always come with issues which had no relation with the needs of the common man to cause disaffection and divert attention.

Warning Nigerians not to allow such detractors to steal the latest opportunity from them, Osinkolu said, “an issue like Buhari being

a 72-year-old should ordinarily not attract any attention when we all know age has no link whatsoever with performance.”

His added, “While in the army during which he served at several times as military administrator of a state and Head of State and since his retirement from the army, Buhari has shown clear proofs of what a leader should be and such minimum, irreducible standards of conduct.

“Today, how many mansions does Buhari have?

How many companies, how many contracts has he won and executed as a one-time Head of State?

These questions and more should be of interest to us Nigerians.

“But the enemies of progress would not want us to reason clearly because of the objectives of retrogression and retardation they all nurse and around which they want to weave such puerile arguments like ‘too old to lead’, ‘too this’, ‘too that’.

“We all should see through them and their evil antics and rise in sturdy support of a man ready to sacrifice personal interests for the collective and corporate yearning of every Nigerian to see the country bloom into a true giant and leader on the African continent.”

ADI charges children on good morals, leadership

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frican Development Initiative, a non – governmental organisation based in Lagos, in collaboration with Viju Milk has offered a one-day leadership development training for pupils.

The programme, held under the auspices of African Values Education Children Club, was targeted at inculcating right values in children and modifying their behaviour as future leaders.

Director of ADI, Mr. ABC Obiukwu explained that the organisation was established to help transform and empower children and individuals, as well as promote socio-economic and human capacity development.

His said, “We are committed to young people’s education, transformation, training, development and empowerment for healthy and wealthy community.”

He also added that the organisation ‘conducts innovative research, doc-

umentation, advocacy, mentorship and training’ meant to provide solutions for African underdevelopment.

“And the initiative has begun to produce opportunities to access knowledge, skills and attitude needed to build strong value system, transform and empower lives and also provide business and leadership opportunity for self reliance among others.”

Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Ben Morah, described the organisation as a blueprint for rebuilding the foundation of the Nigerian society. He said: “Children are a great heritage and it is very important to inculcate moral values in them now that they are young.”

The event, which was attended by school children within Ikotun area of Lagos metropolis, also featured various types of entertainment to the delight of the children.

t least 40 persons yesterday escaped death when a 50 yearold building located on 14 Ijaiye Street, near Abiola Market, Agege, Lagos caved in during a downpour in Lagos.

Sunday Telegraph gathered that prompt intervention of emergency agencies, especially the National Emergency Management Agencies, the Lagos State Building and Control Agency and other residents saved lives of the occupants, many of whom were relaxing when the building caved.

It was learnt that the mud

building caved in around 12:30pm when it could no longer withstand the flood which had sacked the community during the downpour.

According to the NEMA South-West spokesperson, Ibrahim Farinloye, no life was lost in the incident due to prompt intervention of the agencies and residents around the building, who alerted the agencies.

Farinloye attributed the collapse of the building to old age, saying the flood penetrated the building which was built with mud about 50 years ago.

He said: “No one was hurt as emergency rescuers and neighbours responded quickly. Lagos Building

Control Agency has been called on to evacuate all occupants immediately. The rain, which started around 11:45 am led to the building collapse. The rainwater penetrated into the foundation of the mud house that has been built over 50 years ago.”

Also speaking on the incident, a resident, who simply identified himself as Kamal, said no fewer than 40 persons from eight families escaped death in the eightbedroom building.

Meanwhile, Sunday Telegraph gathered that the state government would embark on compulsory integrity test of some of the buildings that are structurally affected around the ar-

eas owing to the impact of the floods and downpour.

A source in the Lagos State Building Control Agency, who pleaded anonymity, said that the agency had marked about 30 houses on the street for integrity tests and advised owners to avert future occurrence.

But speaking with Sunday Telegraph, the General Manager of LASBCA, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun, said efforts were being made to evacuate the residents and ensure their safety.

She added that the state would take necessary steps to avert further collapse of the buildings in the area and other parts of the state.

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (left), receiving a copy of the Draft Legislative Agenda of the 8th Assembly from the Chairman 8th House of Representatives Legislative Agenda Drafting Committee, Mr. C. J. Osman, at the retreat at Protea Hotel, in Abuja. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Akpabio leads Udom to Obasanjo, says tribunal relocation immaterial Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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ormer governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has expressed optimism that his successor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, would triumph at the state Election Petitions Tribunal, notwithstanding the relocation of the panel from Uyo to Abuja.

He spoke shortly after holding a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the latter’s Presidential Hilltop Estate residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The meeting, which lasted two hours on Friday, also had Emmanuel and former Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Rev. Sunday Mbang, in attendance.

Akpabio, Emmanuel and

Mbang arrived at Obasanjo’s home at about 3:43pm, just few hours after Senate President Bukola Saraki and some senators held a secret meeting with the former president.

The governors of the 13 Peoples Democratic Partycontrolled states in the country had last Tuesday condemned the relocation of the governorship election tribunals of Rivers, Taraba and Akwa Ibom states to Abuja.

Authorities of the Court of Appeal had moved the tribunals from the three states to Abuja, citing security reasons. But Akpabio, who is a former chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and now the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, said he had no fear over the reloca-

tion.

The former governor stated that he still believes in the nation’s judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

“It is normal, since after election we are going to have winners and losers.

The judiciary is very much alive to its responsibility and still the hope of the common man. I strongly believe in God that justice will be done,” he added.

Akpabio maintained that the PDP remains a major factor in the state politics, saying, “if election was conducted five times in Akwa Ibom today, the PDP will still win. The party is like a religion in the state and nobody can take this away from us.”

He noted that Obasanjo was delighted to receive Emmanuel, whom he de-

scribed as “uncommon visitor.”

His said, “Yes, he (Obasanjo) did and gave him his blessing. He prayed for him that just like I succeeded that he even succeeds more than me and that is the prayer of every father; I will like to see him do better than me.

“And so, mine is to give him my support so that he can provide better services for our people. We did our best in the circumstances that we found ourselves and I believe strongly that since he is a child who believes in God, that God will lead him right because when God is with you, nobody can be against you.”

Also speaking, Emmanuel said he came to pay homage to Obasanjo, whom he described as “father of the nation.”

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

News

Ortom condemns attack on Suswam’s community

Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

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overnor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has condemned the attack on Tse-Ikpur community in Logo Local Government Area, home of his predecessor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam by suspected Fulani herdsmen which resulted in killings and destruction of property.

He described the attack which is the most recent in a series as savage and unacceptable.

Governor Ortom who directed security agencies to take urgent steps to stop further attacks on communities in the state said, his administration would not tolerate acts of violence against the people.

He said measures were being put in place to curb the activities of criminals be they among herdsmen or farmers and requested the police to tract and arrest those responsible for yesterday’s attack for prosecution.

According to him the security of lives and property

in the state, particularly the resolution of the incessant herders and farmers conflict, formed a major part of his discussion with President Muhammadu Buhari when they travelled to South Africa last weekend and that it remained a priority of his administration.

He noted that while ranches remained a permanent solution to the conflict, dialogue between the two concerned parties and legal means of addressing grievances must be encouraged rather than the current resort to self help. The gov-

ernor sympathised with families who lost loved ones and prayed for the repose of their souls.

Meanwhile, the governor has assured that he would revive the moribund Taraku Mills, Otukpo Burnt Bricks industry and the Ikwue Wild Life Part saying he was determined to cast out the evil spell cast on the state.

Ortom spoke while inspecting facilities at the moribund companies, noting that the collapse of all industries in the state indicated that it was under

a spell to have allowed the high level of economic decay and rot of all her industries.

He reiterated his administration’s readiness to resuscitate such industries in the state in keeping with his administration’s policy of industrialisation to create job and wealth, and assured that the Taraku Mills factory will soon bounce back to life.

“The raw materials are here and when the factory starts working, farmers will smile. I will look outside the box to ensure that this is achieved. I want to pay tribute to late Governor Aper Aku who had the foresight to establish this factory, and I promise to build on his legacies. We will create the enabling environment to

ensure that our industries function again,” Ortom assured.

He cautioned indigenes of the areas against vandalisation of the industries’ machines, but urged them to safeguard them for the benefit of the upcoming generation.

Chief Executive Officer of Growrich Resort Limited, managers of the mill, Mr. Ernest Jor told the governor that the company is contending with the problem of water, and appealed to the governor to approve the construction of a dam to alleviate the water problem, stressing that a site for the dam has also been identified. He noted that the mill is capable of engaging over 600 persons.

Delta communities protest seven-year blackout, crazy bills Dominic Adewole ASABA

W L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Weco Systems International Limited, Mr. Nnamdi Onyebuchi; Human Resource Manager, Mrs. Evelyn Chukwudubem; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Obinna Ekwonwa and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Chinedu Anukwu, during the company’s Health Safety and Environment Sensitisation walk tagged: ‘Walk for Productivity’ to mark the company’s HSE compliance week, in Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Mimiko eminently equipped to lead Govs’ Forum - PDP Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

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he Peoples Democratic Party has described the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as a seasoned administrator and a highly organised person to lead PDP governors at this point in the party’s history.

Reacting to Mimiko’s election last week as Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, the party noted that the Ondo State governor is eminently equipped for his new role and commended the governors for smooth Edwin Usoboh

T

he award winning music talent discovery and grooming competition, MTN Project Fame West Africa is back for an eighth straight season. Looking for raw talents, the annual show commenced auditions yesterday, June 20 2015 in some West African major cities and rest the auditions in Lagos on July 3 and 4.

This year, thousands of young talents will fight to get into the presti-

transition of leadership.

PDP in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh said Mimiko’s election reflects the unity and sense of purpose within the party members, especially at this time of rebuilding the party.

It added that recent political events in the country have continued to vindicate the PDP as “the only true national platform committed to the national interest, where all citizens as equal partners are free to hold opinion and aspire to any position, no matter how high, without regard to

creed, class or ethnic considerations and in which no individual or group of individuals can claim ownership or attempt to appropriate control.”

The statement said that PDP as a party founded on the principles of freedom, equality, justice and national unity, its spirit “is still alive and stronger, now more than ever before, in the minds of most Nigerians and families in all the nooks and crannies of the country.”

It charged its members in all the wards, local government and states of the federation to close ranks, double

their efforts and continue to work with their leaders at all levels to ensure that the PDP comes out stronger to regain power at the center and in its traditional states come 2019.

The party commended the immediate past Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Godswill Akpabio and other past governors of the party for their stewardship, while urging the present governors to continue to work together and make PDP states models of development and good governance in the country.

orried by a sevenyear old blackout in his constituency, the Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government Area, Hon. Chuks Oseme yesterday challenged Benin Electricity Distribution Company to wake up to its responsibilities and desist from issue obnoxious bills.

The council chair, who vowed to offset the backlog of bills owned by the people of the council area if the company could restore electricity to the locality, decried the high bills being imposed on his people.

At an enlarged stakeholders meeting between the people of the area and BEDC officials yesterday in Issele-Uku, the headquarters of the council, Oseme wondered why the people of council should pay when they never enjoyed light for five minutes in the past seven years.

He said, “A child of seven years old in Aniocha North

Civil servant arrested for fraud

Project Fame West Africa auditions begin A

gious Project Fame Academy, where superstars are made, to be tutored by the best in the music and entertainment industry.

For this Season, a major innovation that encourages participation from the comfort of one’s home has been introduced.

According to Mr. Olumide Akinlabi, the spokesperson of Ultima Limited, the producer of the show, aspiring contestants can simply “dial 5900 from

their mobile phone (MTN line only) and follow the voice prompt to record their audio audition for 45 seconds.”

Akinlabi stated that after this, the applicant will receive a notification PIN number within 24 hours, which will be used to register online.

Superstars that have graduated from the ‘Fame Academy’ include Iyanya Mbuk, whose Kukere, with the famous Etighi dance

won the Best Pop Single on the 2012, Headies Award in Lagos; Mike Anyasodo, who by virtue of his Fine Fine Lady video won the 2010 Sound City’s Best R&B Video Award; Kesse Frimpong, who was voted the Ghanaian’s Best Male Vocalist of the year 2012 and of course the KEDIKE crooner, Chidinma Ekile who won the Best Female Act (West Africa) of the prestigious Kora Award in 2012.

may not be able to describe what electricity light looks like. This is not ideal and it is unacceptable especially in this 21 Century. Give the people light and take me as the only one customer you have in Aniocha North, I will pay the bills.

Oseme called on the traditional rulers, presidentsgeneral of different groups in the town to return to their respective villages and sensitise their people on the new development.

The chairman said the council had repaired the 33kv sub-station, which was feeding the three transformers in the council area and repaired the poles and fixed the cables that were earlier vandalised.

“This is part of my campaign promises to urbanise Aniocha North and you cannot urbanise a place without constant electricity.

BEDC officials, led by Mrs. Felicia Nemoha lauded the people-oriented effort of the council chairman, wishing him a fruitful administration.

n employee of the Bauchi State Ministry of Poverty Alleviation, Boyoma Yakubu, has been arrested by the Bauchi zonal office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for allegedly defrauding people in the guise of assisting them obtain loans.

Yakubu was arrested during a sting operation conducted by operatives of the commission in Bauchi.

A press statement signed

by Muhammad Baba Fika for the Commission of North-East Zonal Office

said Yakubu was apprehended when he was about to collect the last tranche of such money after a tip-off from one of the complainants.

“Prior to that the suspect has also defrauded many people in the guise of assisting them obtain loans and tricycles under the poverty alleviation scheme in Bauchi state”, the statement said.

Fika explained that sequel to his arrest, Yakubu has promised to assist three other persons to secure tricycles as well as obtain loans from the ministry.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

OPINION Waiting for ‘Maradona’ in Messi at the Copa!

TS on Sunday tunsul2@gmail.com 08050498544 (sms only)

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hey are, undoubtedly, the two most outstanding players of their generation - both stocky but one more than the other. Both exhibit phenomenal ability with their left feet and both wear the number 10 jersey which was made famous by a player (from another country), who dominated the scene earlier. And for good measure, both hail from the same country - Argentina.

Of course, most readers would have guessed, by now, that I am referring to Diego Armando Maradona and Lionel Messi!

But the similarities do not stop here. As usual with many footballers, both were raised from tough neighbourhoods and took to the field to escape the grinding poverty surrounding them.

Their amazing skills with a ball ‘stuck’ to their feet were noticed while they were still very young.

At eight, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighbourhood club, Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires’s Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the ritualistic half-time intermissions of firstdivision games.

For his part, at the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father, Jorge. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell’s Old Boys who were based in his home city, Rosario. He became part of a local youth team that lost only one match in the next four years and became lo-

cally known as ‘The Machine of ’87,’ their year of birth.

Of course, after dazzling their opponents and football fans alike in Argentina, it was only a matter of time for a move to the more lucrative leagues in Europe.

And naturally, since the aim of every young footballer is fame and fortune, leaving family and friends behind for the ‘unknown’ in Europe was too hard a pull to resist.

I’m sure, both players and their agents would have been confident their outstanding God-given talents would ensure that they made it big in Europe and not end up as just one of the thousands of other South American footballers, who despite their lofty dreams and bloated belief in their abilities, often fail to make it in the big grade.

While Maradona, slightly more matured at 22, went to Barcelona, an even younger, 13-year-old Messi joined the Barcelona academy where he was pumped with growth hormones to boost his height. Unfortunately, he suffered from growth hormone deficiency which stunted his growth.

However, the Barcelona youth team handlers realised that in spite of his breathtaking skills, Messi still needed to grow taller if he was to compete, successfully, with the taller and more physically-imposing players he was most likely to square against in Spain. That was why they took over his treatment costing $900 a month.

But despite the medical treatment, Messi still stands only 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, which, incidentally, is only two inches taller than Maradona. Diego is, however, more bulky.

While Maradona almost single-handedly turned Napoli into an Italian and European football power, we all know what Messi has been doing at Barcelona.

Lest I forget though, another similarity between the two is the fact that both have worn

the arm-band of La Albiceleste at both agegrade and senior national team levels.

And herein lies the crux of the matter: while both players were the stars of Argentina’s World Cup triumphs at U20 levels - Maradona at Japan ‘79 and Messi at Holland 2005 where Nigeria’s Flying Eagles were his victims in the final - at senior level, it has been an entirely different thing altogether.

In his first-ever World Cup appearance at Espana’82, the pressure of the occasion weighed too heavily on his shoulders and a 22-year-old Maradona left the tournament in disgrace after seeing ‘red’ in Argentina’s second-round exit against great South American rivals, Brazil, for a serious retaliatory foul against Joao Batista.

But he more than made amends in stunning fashion, four years later, when he made Mexico ‘86 his own by almost single-handedly leading Argentina to their second World Cup title.

Maradona was the dominant player at the competition and in the quarter-final against England, his legend was cemented with two contrasting goals. If the first was the controversial ‘Hand of God goal’; the second was voted the best-ever scored at that level of the game.

Though Maradona did not score in the final against West Germany, he had a hand in both goals with which Argentina triumphed.

Unfortunately, during Italia ‘90, a not-fullyfit Maradona was not to have the same impact as four years earlier; but he was still able to guide La Albiceleste to the final where they lost by a lone goal, through penalties, to Germany. He did, however, get some form of payback against rivals Brazil when, in perhaps his only flash of brilliance throughout the whole tournament, he rolled back the years to dribble a host of Brazilian defenders before setting up Claudio Caniggia for the only goal of the

game.

And this is where Messi is still lacking - his inability to translate his stunning domestic and European winning performances into the same for Argentina.

Some may argue that at Barcelona, Messi is surrounded by a galaxy of stars like Luis Suarez, Neymar and Iniesta; a fact which virtually ensures that domestic and European glory is guaranteed, which is not the same with Argentina.

However, this only goes on to highlight the phenomenal ability of Maradona, who despite not having the same calibre of players, was still able to guide Argentina to the pinnacle of world football.

Maradona’s support cast for Argentina’s 1986 World Cup win comprised mainly homebased players with a sprinkling of Europebased stars like Jorge Valdano (Real Madrid), Jorge Burruchaga (Nantes) and Marcelo Trobbiani (Eleche) and yet Diego was still able to deliver a world title.

The closest Messi has come to matching this was last year in Brazil where Argentina reached the final for the first time during his era, only to lose to Germany.

The ongoing Copa America has given the four-time World Footballer of the Year another opportunity to break his duck and finally achieve something with Argentina. Unfortunately, in the two games so far played, Messi hasn’t shown enough to indicate that this will be different or that Chile ‘15 will be ‘his’ tournament, just like Mexico ‘86 was Maradona’s.

However, with three potential games still to play, Messi can, like Maradona did 29 years ago in Mexico, still wake up and take the tournament by the scruff of its neck and make it his own!

But until that happens, one cannot really place Messi on the same pedestian as Maradona - at least at the national team level!

Emerging Buhari Doctrine Oluwafemi Akinfolarin

T

o summarise the Buhari doctrine. Be low key, speak only when necessary, act behind the scenes and face problems head on after carefully reaching a decision based on examining all available facts.

The past few weeks, post-May 29th, have been a whirlwind of activities in Nigeria.

A new government has taken over power and political operatives have been jostling and readjusting to the anticipated changes to the existing order by the government of Mr. Buhari. It has been a season of political intrigues with the rejuvenated PDP entering into an alliance with rump parts of the APC to seize the Senate and deputy Senate leadership positions. Through all these early shenanigans and other acts, a tentative picture of Buhari’s style of governance is slowly and steadily emerging – a style which though in its infancy promises to be a strong departure from that of the previous administration.

What is slowly forming is what I will term the Buhari Doctrine, a codification of beliefs or principals that will direct how the current administration governs.

The first aspect of the doctrine is simple.

Focus on and resolve one issue at a time. The president takes up a singular problem and forces into place the various factors that are needed to successfully resolve the particular issue. A case in point is the ongoing Boko Haram anti-terrorist campaign. Immediately upon coming into office, Mr. Buhari met with the National Security Adviser, followed with another meeting with the chiefs of the various arms of the military.

Having then gotten a picture of the situation, he moved the military command to Maiduguri, formed a cohesive coalition of willing states (who were merely grudgingly engaged under the past administration), released funds for operations in the three ravaged states and used the platform of the African Union (AU) to push a pan-African plan to defeat Boko Haram, whilst receiving financial support ($5m) from the U.S and promises of the supply of military equipment from the G7. The future of Boko Haram has never looked bleaker at any time in the last eight years than in the coming months.

A leg of the doctrine of Mr. Buhari is getting a full grasp of a situation before making a decision. He is careful and deliberate in decision making and not swayed by public opinion.

A clear example is the ongoing clamour for him to announce his list of ministers, which he has ignored in the past two weeks. The issue is straight forward. At the tail end of the Jonathan administration, a transition committee was formed. The committee was supposed to smoothen the handover between the outgoing and incoming administrations, and the fulcrum of this exercise was the handover notes from each ministry and the presidency. That wasn’t handed over by the Jonathan administration until May 28. Despite the pressing nature of things, Mr. Buhari gave his transition team a further two weeks to review the handover notes and make recommendations; at which point he would then decide what to do. The point is, when he is ready after his own due process, the ministerial list will be announced. Same with corruption, rather than arbitrarily arresting everyone and anyone, Mr. Buhari is slowly building a

case for his assault on corruption in Nigeria.

The president has asked for a meeting with the foremost authority in the Nigerian oil and gas space, the Oslo-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the head of whom was in Nigeria last week. The EITI has in the past stated that oil companies are owing the Federal Government about $7.5bn (N1.48 trillion) in unpaid royalties between 1999 and 2015. The body has also stated that out of the $1.85 billion value of eight oil blocks sold between 2010-2011, the Federal Government had only been paid $100m. Astronomical losses. Here again, we see the president slowly and deliberately building a case for the actions he will take in that sector. Once he has all the necessary information, the culprits will be slammed with the maximum punishments. No rush to wrong judgment here.

Another part of the doctrine of Mr. Buhari is the maintenance of a significantly low key presence, while reducing the cost of the presidential office. Since taking power in May, he has embarked on three foreign trips. On each trip he was accompanied by two governors, a personal confidant (Mr. Dambazzau) and a tiny retinue. Contrast this with the last administration whose trip to African neighbour, Kenya, practically shut down their airspace with the number of accompanying private jets. He has also on a number of occasions visited the national mosque without the normal fanfare. The message here is that the president is not more important than any other person and should not be disrupting the lives of fellow citizens whenever he ventures out of Aso Rock.

The final aspect of the doctrine is, stealthy work behind the scenes. Recently, the Rev-

enue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission started work on a review of the remuneration of members of the National Assembly and other political office-holders.

Would this sort of review ever happen without the tacit approval of the president, I doubt it. The public is suddenly inundated with precise data on how much National Assembly members earn and what makes up the cost; information that wasn’t available in the last dispensation. Another point is the rumour going round that the president is about to appoint Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali as the new boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The mere rumour of the appointment has already resulted in a number of people paying substantial funds back into government coffers in the past few days. A couple of days ago, the lucrative contracts awarded to the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the Niger Delta militants by the immediate past administration were cancelled. The military has been ordered to guard national pipelines.

No noise. Just quick decisive action.

To summarise the Buhari Doctrine. Be low key, speak only when necessary, act behind the scenes and face problems head on after carefully reaching a decision based on examining all available facts. Does that remind you of a certain other president of the only remaining global superpower?

Mr. Buhari will move at his own pace and ensure he makes the right decisions, then execute ruthlessly and without hesitation.

He will not be present on the screens of our televisions, hectoring us day in, day out but we will feel his presence as the fear of his silence quickly forces corrupt people to be less corrupt.

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Sunday Mail JUNE 21, 2015

You have a right to be heard! Send your letters and photographs to sundayletters@newtelegraphonline.com.

Letters should not be more than 150 words and must have the name and address of the sender.

PDP has a strong chance of political resurrection

Dear Editor, Did you notice that the events at the National Assembly have left the All Progressives Congress leaders speechless? They left the International Conference Centre in Abuja where they were supposed to have a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, disappointed. My question now is why should their meeting coincide with the inauguration?

Editor, the PDP not only robbed the APC of the top positions at the Senate but also the power of speech, given the fact that Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu have just managed to get the top positions at the Senate. Editor, the PDP has a strong chance for political resurrection as it is now. Besides that, Yakubu Dogara has also been chosen as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is a huge blow to the APC, but most especially to Bola Tinubu, who backed Femi Gbajabiamila for this post. They will all be disappointed as I can see PDP coming back to power.

Emeka Ekene Enugu

Overall interest of the common man

Dear Editor, President Buhari has said that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected. That statement still stands. What then is this report that he would have preferred that the process of electing the leaders was initiated and concluded by the All Progressives Congress (APC)? Editor, please remind him of his earlier statement of working with any leader that emerged since he had no interest in a particular candidate.

A constitutional process has somewhat occurred in the election of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. What is Buhari’s position now following his preference for new leaders emerging through the process established by the party (APC)?

I expect that the stability of our constitutional order and overall interest of the common man should be his uppermost priority. I urge all the elected representatives of the people to focus on the enormous task of bringing enduring positive change to the lives of Nigerians.

Danjuma Attah Kaduna

Non-participation of Osinbajo at different security meetings Dear Editor, Please recall that on Tuesday June 2, 2015, Buhari met with the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman O. Jibrin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu; Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.

Miffed by the development, a number of media houses reported that Osinbajo was ‘locked out’ of the meeting on the orders of the President.

The non-participation of Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo at different security meetings held by President Muhammadu Buhari since assumption of office and the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to comment on why Osinbajo didn’t attend the meeting.

Again, on Wednesday June 10, the President met behind closed doors with the NSA and some security chiefs ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Abuja and Osinbajo was nowhere around Defence House, venue of the meeting.

Could it be that the military hierarchy would not feel comfortable saying some things in his presence or they cannot trust him with information yet?

We must understand the fact that Osinbajo was a candidate promoted by Bola Tinubu, he was not handpicked by Buhari.

May be if the President had picked his vice, it is likely that such an individual may get the access Osinbajo isn’t getting now. If this is the reason then, Tinubu may have used his influence to put him in this position, but he must draw a line between blind loyalty and national duty. Party is bigger than an individual member but the nation is bigger than any party. Buhari, please continue the good work.

Ocheja Ali Abuja

‘Mass transit’ tipper on a Lagos road.

Potholes on Nigerian roads

Dear Editor, A pothole is a type of damage on the surface of the road, where a portion of the road pavement has cracked and broken away, leaving a hole. Pothole is another bad road condition that is caused first by fatigue of the road surface, poor drainage, or repeated overloading which leads to a precursor failure pattern known as ‘’Crocodile Cracking’’ that is, small breaking of the road surface.

Apart from the ugly appearance potholes give on major roads, they also disrupt the free flow of traffic. Potholes cause premature damage to vehicles. Steering components, tyres and rims can also be damaged by potholes. The life span of a vehicle can be cut short as a result of plying roads riddled with potholes.

Traffic that is too heavy for the pavement design can result in cracks. Large volumes of traffic or heavy trucks and buses using a street not designed for such workload can cause the pavement to crack and break apart.

In addition, running into potholes unknowingly by a motorist who is not conversant with a certain road could cost one his/her life especially when the person is driving at night at a high speed.

While the authorities are expected to come to the rescue of road users, who on regular basis journey through these roads that are seriously begging for rehabilitation, the masses should play their part by making good use of the roads.

Ononiwu Obianuju Francis, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo

PHOTO:GODWIN IREKHE

Towards eradicating road accidents in Nigeria Dear Editor The rate at which accidents happen in the country nowadays is alarming. On the pages of newspapers and broadcast media, you see and hear stories of fatal accidents.

It is very disheartening as this causes loss of lives.

Without doubt, most of these accidents are mostly caused by reckless and careless drivers as a result of overspeeding. Some drivers are very adamant to the extent of endangering the lives of their passengers.

Others are caused by faulty vehicles. It is high time solutions were proffered to this evil menance on our highways.

Drivers, on their part, should avoid smoking, drinking, over speeding and receiving calls while driving. They should ensure that faulty cars are not put on the road. For instance, when the brake pads are faulty, they should be repaired without delay.

Moreover, drivers should inculcate the habit of using the seat belts while driving as this can prevent fatalty on highways.

Governments at all levels also have a major role to play as they can organise training programmes for all drivers.

Through this, drivers will be able to learn most of the road signs and their uses, driving skills and how to caution themselves while driving.

However, punishment should be meted out to drivers who are found guilty of disobeying provisions of the Highway Code as this will serve as a deterence to other drivers.

Ogunde Elizabeth O. Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo

How will your ward fare? A letter to Nigerian parents Dear Editor, Let me add the benefit of my time as a student and then resident in the UK, now living in Abuja. The first thing that I discovered about UK-born, white, English undergraduates was that all of them did holiday or weekend jobs to support themselves including the children of millionaires amongst them. It is the norm over there, regardless of how wealthy their parents are.

And I soon discovered that virtually all other foreign students did the same except “status conscious Nigerians”.

Dear parents, if we want our children to bring about the desired change we have been praying for on behalf of our dear country, then please let’s begin now and teach them to work hard

so they can stand alone and most importantly be content and not having to “steal” which seems to be the norm these days.

Wake up mum and dad! This syndrome “my children will not suffer what I suffered” is destroying your tomorrow, you are practically loving your child to death.

Henry Ford said “hard work does not kill.” We are getting everything wrong in Nigeria now, including family setting. It is time to prepare your children for tomorrow, the way the world is going, only those that are rugged, hardworking and smart working that will survive. How will your ward fare?

Simon Makoji Lagos.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Moments

L-R: Consultant Haematologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Adewumi Adediran; National Director/CEO, Sickle Cell Foundation, Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete; Chairman Sickle Cell Foundation, Prof. Olu Akinyanju; Caverton Airline staff, Ms. Joy Okebalama; Director, Diseases Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Eniola Erinosho, at the commemoration of World Sickle Cell Day held in Lagos … on Friday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole; his wife, Lara and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Edo State, Bishop Peter Imasuen, at the Plenary session of the 17th Synod, Anglican Communion in Benin City, Edo State…yesterday

Pupils of Handmaids’ International Nursery School, during their Cultural Day celebration, in Abuja…on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa; former Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Muiz Banire; Chairman of the occasion, Biodun Shobanjo; Publisher, Yes! Magazine, Azuh Arinze and guest speaker, Lolu Akinwunmi, at the 4th anniversary of the magazine held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Victoria Island, Lagos...on Friday PHOTO: JULIET BUMAH

L-R: Bishop of Ifo Diocese (Anglican Communion), Rt. Revd. N.O. Ogundipe; Bishop of Awori, Diocese, Rt. Revd. Johnson Akin-Atere; his wife, Foluso, and Onilogbo of Ilogbo-Ota, Oba Samuel Ojugbele, during the second session of the 2nd synod of the Diocese of Awori, at The Cathedral Church of St. James, Ota, Ogun State... recently

L-R: Director, Economic Growth and Environment Office, USAID Nigeria, Mathew Burton; Councilor for Economic Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America, Alan Tousignan; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Project Manager, Energy and Climate Change, USAID Nigeria, Imeh Okon and Director of Business, Development Renewable Energy & Sustainable Development of Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Brian O’Hanion, during a courtesy visit to Osinbajo in Abuja…Thursday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

L-R: Secretary, League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), Mr. Ewos Iroro; Treasurer, Herieta Oke, Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu; Auditor, LAAC, Mrs. Nosa Aituamen; Chairman, Chukwueme Iwelunmo and Secretary, Mr. Suleiman Idris, during LAAC’s courtesy visit to the new Airport CP, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos…on Thursday.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE.

L-R: Pastor, Throne of Grace Sanctuary of God Church, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, Tomi Durojaiye; Senior Pastor, Victory Prayer Ministry, Hannah Ogunshe; General Overseer, Pastor Joshua J. Ogunshe; Elder Anthony Salami and his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Salami, at the 6th anniversary of Victory Prayer Ministry, Onibudo, Akute, Ogun State...on Sunday

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

Congratulations!

His Excellency, Ibrahim Geidam, Executive Governor, Yobe State

My family and I wish to congratulate Your Excellency Ibrahim Geidam on your election as the Executive Governor of Yobe State.

This is a true attestation of your ability by the people of Yobe State to take the state to the next level. We wish you a successful tenure in office.

Signed

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, MON Chairman,

Slok Shipping

14

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Interview

How our school overcame its challenges - Oni In an interview with SONY NEME, founder and director, Standard Bearers School, Mrs. Modupe Adeyinka Oni, speaks on the challenges and triumphs of the school How did it begin and where are you today?

We started at our very first site at Alagbon Close, Ikoyi in Lagos. I started with one child, my son, and today those in infant school and great school as we like to call them are just a little over 300 children. We were there for nine and half years. When things became unsettled due to the economy, and a lot of families had to move out of Ikoyi, our numbers dwindled and we had to move to Lekki about 10 years ago. And we began almost from the scratch, and to the glory of God we have made progress. So after many years of wandering, like children of Israel, we are about to enter into our property.

Growth did not come as we had sought for because we took off with the school as a family school. So, we guarded the growth of the school very jealously. And we have kept the class size very small; because it is through that we are able to impact on every child. As we go into the new premises there will be more numbers, but it will be very manageable because we plan to keep our values intact; especially our teacher-students ratio.

You have always wanted a family school.

Would you say that that has been achieved?

The vision of Standard Bearers School is that we want to be a family school, and we are glad that the vision has been maintained. Of course, naturally there has been some dilution in some areas, as parents in Ikoyi enjoyed wonderful parking space at the site where they were used to pick and drop off their kids and exchange pleasantries. At the site where we located to in Lekki, it was a bit of a challenge, but as we are moving into our property we would have that restored. It allows everybody to feel some sense of ownership, and feel that they belong to a part of the family. But notwithstanding, the love and the warmth that existed between the parents, staff, children and I as primary promoter have remained.

We are still very casual and warm; we still hug our children and still allow them to be themselves, develop self-expressions. We still have rules, but a little bit loose unlike other places, because we want the children to be themselves and comfortable. SBS is like a nurturing school; we understand that we are building lives, and you can’t build lives without allowing some self-expression and freedom. That is what obtains in SBS, and for that reason students are very confident and happy. But at the same time they are very courteous because when visitors come to the school, they always comment on how polite the children are. It is a culture we started with and we have maintained it that way.

You desired for a health check on your exstudents. How has that panned out?

That is true. Every child that comes to SBS is an individual that is recorgnised, and not

a statistic in our books. So from the outset, we intend to know our children. We know their strengths and weaknesses; and develop with them. We are 19 years old and in the set that graduated about 15 years ago, the first girl then, Amaka, is currently an employee of the school. My children come back to look for me and they want me to know where they are at all times. That bond is always there.

They keep the SBS flag flying. Our motto says, ‘Once an SBS is always an SBS.’ Wherever you live, be it for further studies or your parents relocate out of the country, you are always SBS. So they understand that.

What have been the challenges?

Oh! There have been challenges, especially when I had to relocate from Ikoyi. One would assume that every parent would make the transition with me. That didn’t work out.

Some were kind enough to come with us, but the distance was too much for them. God was faithful. The economy didn’t help matters.

While some left, others came. I had challenges with finding a niche in the education sector.

For every challenge we had, by the grace of God we brought it out and we were able to surmount it. My parents played a major role as I encouraged them to speak with me. It helped tremendously as SBS has become a better school. Because when parents speak with me or members of staff, we don’t ignore them, or respond immediately. Rather, we table it and discuss the merits. Another challenge was our site, as some parents would come, acknowledge our standard, but their concern was the size of our playground. Our new ground is our response to their need.

They want a bigger school and space. Now we have it.

What has been your passion?

Children. I love children from age two to 11.

I

It was not all about Mrs. Oni as we also spoke with a cross section of staff and students. For 11 year old student of Standard Bearers School, Okechukwu Ohakwe, “What makes my school special are staff, teachers and parents of the school. They are all caring and loving. The school offers a range of not only education of extracurricular activities. One out of 10 schools has sports facilities like we enjoy at Standard Bearers School.”

He proudly said, “I am also involved in drama. It is about a Benin Oba and the coming of the white man. I played the role of the warlord, Ologbosere, who married the oldest daughter of the Oba. The challenges in it are that, since I am the second main character, I have a lot of lines to memorise and also act out the lines. I think the challenge is to memorise and act out the lines. I want to enjoin children who are willing to join us that SBS is a loving, caring and disciplined school. And they should always pay attention to school activities, because here there is always time for work, and time for play. That has helped me to always read. My last grade is B plus.”

Though his hobbies are playing the keyboard and swimming, he plays volleyball, football, field hockey and soccer.

His words, “I love to play the game of chess also. On a scale of one to 10, I am at seven. It has helped my education. Chess is a mind game that helps improve your level of concentration and your ability to know how many moves a piece can go. I want to

Mrs. Adeyinka Oni

become an architect; so it helps a lot with my mathematics.”

He added: “My focus is on architectural models and designs. For example, if you use kids bricks to build a mansion, you could use that money to build a habitable house.”

Anthonia Omonzele, who has worked with SBS, for over 14 years, said it has been a great opportunity working there, even as a young teacher.

She said, “Since I came in here I have had all the support I need to actualise my passion for working with children. Ever since I have had no regrets, even as my first degree was not in education. I’ve never looked back. It has been wonderful being a family school that it is, and every child is given equal opportunity. No discrimination here. The school has gone through a lot of transformation, from files everywhere to digital. No more chalk as we have moved from analogue to digital.

Presently, we now have our property that we are working on to make it a 21st century school, large enough to accommodate a language laboratory, a science laboratory and everything that will make it international best practice, just like it is obtainable in developed countries. I am so happy to be part of this institution.

However, she said her challenge had been on the part of the parents. Her words: “May be in terms of curriculum, some will come to complain about a child that is having this challenge in a particular subject. When such happens, we take out the child and begin to work on the child as an individual. We don’t force a child into learning. We help the child to transit from what that child is to being whom he should be. At that point, the God given gift would be discovered. That is on the parents.

On our own, when 80 percent is doing well, our challenge will be on the remaining 20 per cent. That is where my worry comes in. If I am not doing well with those remaining 20 per cent, then I think as a teacher, I have failed.

That has kept me going, because if there is no challenge in your job, you won’t get the best from yourself, and you get bored.”

So what has been the motivation after 14 years on the job?

“I think love and understanding. That has been my core value that has really kept me on.

There is an understanding between home and school front. There is love, understanding and support from the home front, and of course at school. They are interwoven and it has kept me going. I had started off as a trainee teacher, after a year I became a class teacher for seven years as I moved from each class to the next with my set of children. And some form of support at the nursery, thereafter I was a curriculum coordinator for two years before I became an assistant head teacher for a year and half. Then I took up the role of head teacher (academics). That entails that everything that has to do with academics session is thorough and up to date; and everything that will make the child total is done. That is in respect to policies and everything that concerns that child; you make sure that it is up to date. That is the norm all over the world.

For Mrs. Osecusi Volodeoku, head of marketing and admission, “What my duty entails is that every parent that comes into the school, I get to meet with them, meet with the children before they are admitted. I got to take them through the process of coming in, admission process all the way through to their classrooms. It is not an easy job, but I am trained to do that. I spent five years in the banking industry before I started working in this school.”

What are the processes of your brief?

In SBS, just as much as our parents choose us, so we choose them. It is in my department that we get parents to come in, but getting the standard bearer’s parent to be part of us matters most to us. Because a typical Standard Bearer’s parent is one that gets involved in their child and interested; there is a lot about interest. I worked in the bank, and so I totally understand what it is to manage bank work and the home front. Now working here, I realise that, it is an eye opener how present-day parents don’t have time for their children. So we want parents to understand that even if there is no time you create time. For that thing you are interested in, you should create time, and they are your children.

SUNDAY

Fashion

Eclectic Ankara and denim styling 22&43

Bed, Work & Life

I’ll abort this baby!

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15

Body Soul SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

I’ll not lose my friends because I’m Speaker -Mudashiru Obasa

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

eart h y m m o fr Straight

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R) sh s, (IG le e ru nu generated reve ance, put up their private break the you fail.” inst even when governors, for ther for you! cial purpose? er m w m fe co Yeah, that’s a fa thers happy always! s. ), r fo LC (N jets s es gr on fa now and alway C r bour Let’s make ou wish you all God’s blessing The Nigerian La 23 out of the 36 states of e that Dear fathers, w ay beloved fathers! ries. days ago, said D g workers sala es s’ in er ow th e Juliet Fa ar n py tio ap at H the federa me of the st so le hi w at th A report said

I

Contents 21.06.2015 COVER Only few people would claim to be natives of Lagos more than I

} 18-19

FASHION For the lazy Friday look, the ankara and denim style is a winner

T h e Te a m Juliet Bumah (Editor) Wole Adepoju (Snr. Correspondent) Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent)

} 22&43

BEAUTY

Abiola Alaba Peters

MY PASSION

It is important to note that expensive mascaras are NOT necessarily better than cheaper ones

I went back on set two weeks after I put to.

The show must go on

GLAM DUDES

BED, WORK & LIFE

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Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics) Edwin Usoboh (Graphics) +234 (0) 811 675 9770, +234 (0) 701 110 1014 julietbumah@gmail.com chibumah@yahoo.com

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A Blue suit gives a man a heavy dose of dapper and deliciousness

} 44

Associates

“Now we know why Paul came back with you and no property after five years sojourn in Calabar,” Mama Ben said, throwing the women into another fit of laughter.

“Am I not enough property?”

Nse asked, reeling with laughter

} 20

Helen Paul

Eyitayo Aloh

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Body&Soul

My tummy, thighs are my assets -Ijeoma Agu

Nollywood actress, Ijeoma Grace Agu, made a name for herself when she started her one-woman-show. In it, she played eight different female characters and since then, she has featured in movies and TV soap operas that successfully launched her career in the make-believe world. In this interview with VANESSA OKWARA, she speaks about her career, growing up and marriage Tell us about your family, growing up and educational background.

I’m the eldest of five children. I grew up in Benin and Lagos. My family is quite fun.

Growing up was very memorable. My siblings and I would sing, dance and act. My parents also encouraged us to unleash our God-given talents.

I am a graduate of Biochemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

I am an alumnus of the prestigious Royal Arts Academy where I graduated summa cum laude, bagging a variety of awards as an honours student.

What motivated you to go into acting?

I have always loved the world of makebelieve. I loved watching movies while growing up, reading novels and generally getting lost in imaginary world.

When did your acting career start?

My acting career began in 2007 with a feature in Fidelis Duker’s soap, ‘Eldorado.’ Since then, I have featured in the Hollywood indie movie ‘The Choice of Aina’ by Maarore Pictures where I played an abused young woman in search of love. Others are ‘Finding Diamond Jo’ (a collaboration with Swedish filmmakers); ‘Hood Rush’ (a musical thriller currently in cinemas all over Nigeria); and ‘Flower Girl’ (also in cinemas) directed by AMAA winner, Michelle Bello.

You have earned some accolades in your acting career.

Can you tell us about them?

Well, they are quite a few nominations and awards. I was nominated in the ‘Best Rising Star’ category at the Nollywood Movies Award 2013. Other nominations are from City People and BON. The awards are just two: BON’s most promising star and the award grant from Theatre Royal Stratford East for a one - woman show I developed in 2012.

You were Nigeria Award recipient from the Theatre Royal Stratford East in the UK. How did it come about and what has it done for your career?

I heard about the submissions from Aunty Joke Silva and I put in for it. I was surprised when I got the call that I made it from Nigeria. The grant helped me stage the show in Nigeria. I have also performed the show in various parts of the country. I was able to successfully stage my own one-woman show titled, ‘A Chronicle of Heroines’ funded by the Bank of Industry where I play eight different female characters.

You also performed at the 2012 cultural Olympiad. Tell us about it.

Also, courtesy of Aunty Joke Silva. She watched a performance I did a while back and called me up to be part of the cast for the cultural Olympiad at the 2012 Olympics in London. It was a surreal and humbling experience for me.

I remain grateful to her for such an opportunity.

Can you tell us some of the movies you have featured in?

I have been in quite a number of interesting movies. They include: The choice of Aina, HoodRush, Misfit, Kpains, Flower girl, The Arrangement, From Within and currently filming Oko Ashewo. I have also has featured in TV soaps like ‘David’s fall’ and ‘About to Wed’. I have been in numerous stage productions of works by Wole Soyinka and other playwrights such as ‘The King Must Dance Naked’, ‘Death and The King’s Horseman’ and ‘The Jero Plays’ where I played Amope.

Which of them brought you to limelight?

I’d say HoodRush and Misfit in which I had a starring

role.

What are the challenges you encountered before breaking into the industry?

The challenges still remain till today. They are basically auditioning for roles and getting to work on projects that you actually like.

Mention of some the actors and actresses you admire in the industry.

I have such huge respects for Joke Silva, Genevieve Nnaji , Edith Jane Azu and Liz Benson-Ameye.

Would you act nude for a certain price?

I am not a porn artiste, please.

You got married about a year ago. What attracted you to your husband?

I got attracted to his honesty and openness. He is cute too. *wink* Have marriage and motherhood affected your acting career in anyway?

No, they haven’t affected my acting in any way. Fortunately for me, my husband is a filmmaker. I actually went back on set two weeks after I had a baby. The show must go on.

Does your husband influence your accepting roles in movies, like kissing?

No way. He doesn’t at all. He is also a professional in the same industry.

Describe your style.

My style is simple and classic pieces. But on the red carpet, it’s all about glamour and va va voom.

If you are going on a red carpet, how long will it take you to dress up?

It takes about two hours because I have a glam team that helps me with makeup.

What is your passion?

My passion is acting, simple!

If you were not into acting, what other profession would you have chosen?

It will be singing. I sing too.

What is your favourite fashion item and who are your favourite designers?

I really don’t have a favourite fashion item. And I don’t know much about designers. I just wear what fits.

If you are to flaunt any part of your body, what will it be?

I’d flaunt my tummy and thighs.

What is your beauty routine?

I really don’t have a beauty routine.

What is your favourite perfume?

I don’t have a favourite perfume.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I am a very adventurous but simple lady, who loves to act, sing and swim.

Describe Ijeoma in three words.

I like to say I’m quite simple, down to earth and as real as they come.

What is your philosophy?

My mantra remains that ‘A man’s talent makes a way for him.’

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

I’ll not lose my friends because The contest for the Speakership of the Eighth Lagos State House of Assembly may have come and gone, with the member representing Agege Constituency 1, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, emerging victorious from the fierce contest. However, he told a select group of journalists that the humiliation he suffered in the course of the contest can’t be forgotten in a jiffy.

WOLE ADEPOJU was there On the day of your inauguration, you called on those who contested against you for reconciliation. How has it been bringing the aggrieved lawmakers together? Who are your co-travellers?

We are all co-travellers - 40 of us - from now till 2019 and Insha Allah, we shall get there successfully. I don’t think there is anyone that is aggrieved among my colleagues in the House. Truly, some of us aspired to become the Speaker - about four or five of us - but we settled that immediately. We have all moved back to our normal lives. We have been relating as colleagues. Let me say that there was no division among us; it was just a process.

We have chosen consensus as a means of selecting the Speaker in this parliament since 2003. In 1999, when there was an election to choose the Speaker of the House, there was a sharp division because some people did not support the then Speaker, Hon. Olorunimbe Mamora.

In 2003, when Rt. (Hon.) Jokotola Pelumi came, we chose him by consensus.

When he was impeached, Hon. Babajide Omoworare, Hon. Oyewo and Rt. (Hon.) Adeyemi Ikuforiji showed interest and through consensus, we agreed on Ikuforiji. In 2007, the same thing happened and in 2011, the same thing was repeated.

I emerged in the same manner and process and I don’t think any of my colleagues is aggrieved. We have attended so many pro-

grammes immediately after the speakership issue. I was with some of them at the programmes.

How would you describe your emergence as the Speaker? Before the election, many people thought the former Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, would be the Speaker, but now you are here.

Naturally, as you rightly observed, we were all looking forward to having Hon. Kolawole Taiwo as the Speaker of the Assembly. I personally believe that we must respect ranking and those that have the cognate experience should be given a chance to operate. Parliament is not like other places where you appoint people based on certificate. It is an institution that believes in ranking. For me, I would have supported Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, but unfortunately he couldn’t make it and people were looking at who would become the Speaker. My own candidature was initiated by some of my constituents and colleagues. You will realise that during that time, a lot of our people were going to the press to seek support for the post. But personally, I didn’t do that because I believe that it is not public opinion that will choose the speaker for us. With due respect, I believe that it was not journalists that would choose the speaker for us. I believed that the party leaders and my colleagues in the House would decide the new speaker. We are all qualified for the position, I am not the only one that is qualified. But we had to leave the decision to our colleagues and party leaders. I cannot say this is the reason behind it, but I can say it was done through consensus.

What new ideas would you come up with to move the House forward and what are the lapses of the past administration that you would want to correct?

I have not seen any shortcoming of the seventh Assembly because I was also part of them. I believe that you cannot do it all or alone. As I said, we have a tradition in the parliament.

So it is difficult to blame anybody except some things that are not adequate that you can make up. We will continue to follow our tradition; we will improve on what we met on ground like we have talked about time; that our sittings should start by 10 a.m, except if there is reason to adjust the time. We will reach out to our constituents. When we talk about our constituents, we think of the downtrodden. This time around, we want to reach out to everybody; to show them what we are doing and educate them on our activities. Even those who are educated have no knowledge of what the

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Body&Soul

I’m Speaker -Mudashiru Obasa parliament does. So, we want to engage them, talk to them and make them know that this is a parliament that attends to the needs of Lagosians. We have a lot to do and we hope we are able to achieve them.

You highlighted some points on your agenda during the inauguration of the Eighth Assembly. What will be your focus and areas of priority as the speaker beyond what your predecessor did?

It is all about the House. It is not an individual thing, and no man can take the glory. Whatever we might have achieved, we should agree that it was because there was agreement among all the members.

If some members say ‘yes’ and others say ‘no,’ it would not be possible. Whatever we have achieved together, whatever glory we have today was because we worked hand in glove, we worked as members of the House. Comparing me with the last Speaker might be wrong, as he served for 10 years. So talking about what somebody did for 10 years and what somebody that is just coming in is doing might be wrong. You would see that there is no basis for comparison.

Secondly, if you look at the circumstances in which we ended the last Assembly, the speaker was interested in the governorship race, so there would be a lot of class that he had to introduce and that is not happening now. Also, if I am going to say I want to become the governor, maybe I would naturalise to become a native of Lagos. So, these are the things you look at when comparing the former speaker and the present speaker. We believe that we will not disappoint anybody as long as we have the co-operation of the members, staffers and the press.

Also, we would like to engage the citizens through town hall meetings, may be quarterly. We will continue with trainings and involvement of the management of the assembly. They are my proposals that have yet to be adopted by the assembly; it is not just my own decision.

How do you feel about some issues that came up during the speakership race, especially those relating to your state of origin?

I wasn’t disturbed. Only few people would claim to be natives of Lagos more than me. I was born here, I grew up here and I went to school here. I am sure if I get to Ogun State now, hardly would they be able to recognise me. If I want to contest there, I am sure they might not allow me until I beg them and tell them about my family house. I was not disturbed about it, we laughed over it when I saw the newspaper that reported the issue during our induction programme at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Festac Town, Lagos. That was even the least of the attacks I received. I was seriously abused, I was violated; even my family members. I have heard that politics is dirty and murky, but it was at that point that I realised this. I thank Almighty Allah that it is not taking anything away from us.

One of the allegations against you was that you didn’t attend law school after your law degree programme in LASU. You would not expect me to say otherwise. I would naturally tell you I went to law school. The only way you can verify my claim is for you to carry out an independent investigation. It is just a terrible thing. I was in the United States when I received a phone call from the law school that a petition was written against me that I should not be allowed to graduate from the school due to certain reasons.

I told them I was not in town and that I

would see them when I come back. I went there and they showed me the petition, where they alleged that I was a thug, that I had been exploiting people and that I received bribe from local governments, and did this and that. I went there with all the necessary documents, but the petitioners did not show up. They said why should I go to the university, when I am supposed to be here representing my people? But, I wondered what the problem was. If you are a representative of the people, and in the process, you think there is a need to improve in quality and education, would that not tell on the people you are representing? A lot of us, past and current members, improved ourselves, while here. So, what is the problem? What is so special about Obasa? I was not disturbed until I showed interest in the position of the Speaker of the House. It is in the imagination of the people.

The seat you are occupying is very hot.

What are your survival strategies and are you saying that you have shock absorbers for the seat?

There is no spring on my leg, so there is no shock absorber. The only person I have is Almighty Allah because whatever

you have or you don’t have is through Him. So, as long as you believe that you are doing the right thing, you don’t need to bother yourself. I don’t need to fear that if they remove me, what would I do?

I don’t need to bother myself about that.

milayo Tejuosho and I. Oshinowo. Being the father of all, he was not interested in the position. So when people mentioned my name, would I say no? When people went to the press, they mentioned my name regularly.

You said that your constituents played a part in your becoming the Speaker of the House. What role did they play in this because when we called you about some posters in Agege on your speakership ambition last year, you said you didn’t know about it. How would you relate then and now?

I said then that I didn’t know anything about it that the speaker would not be chosen on the streets or in Agege, but that it was all about the leaders of the party and the members, but that it was not out of radar. Truly, I didn’t start it, somebody called my attention to the posters and I told those who were posting them to stop. That was even the preliminary, but when Hon. Kolawole Taiwo did not return, people were wondering who would become the Speaker. May be by virtue of my years in the Assembly, my name was mentioned. We are three in that category - Hon. Sikiru Oshinowo, Hon. Adefun-

The House of Assembly makes laws and the people embrace them, but the problem has been implementation. An example is the anti-smoking law that has yet to be enforced. What is your take on this?

The fact that you have some laws does not mean they would be effective now.

Some laws have a futuristic status. We have passed them but it will take time before they work. We say no smoking in public places, when they say don’t smoke here, they would provide an alternative. The laws are necessary, which is why we have passed them. When the time comes, we don’t have to rush to pass them again. They are in place, so it is just to ensure that we get to them gradually.

If you look at the Cremation Law, it is the same thing. The major challenge of our people is to embrace change.

The House has not really done well in two areas; one is the Impact Assessment of the laws you make on the people. Secondly, many people are not aware of these laws. What are you going to do on these?

We have a plan, and very soon, you would be seeing billboards all around Lagos. I said we need to engage the people, not just the downtrodden, but the elites and the educated ones. We will start telling them what we have done through the billboards about our laws and the purposes. Communication seems to be the problem and we need to reach out to the people. We discussed impact assessment in the last assembly, which is why we want to organise town hall meetings and through that, we will get the assessment of the laws.

We heard that you have not moved to your official quarters. Does it mean you hate the building?

Why would you hate a beautiful thing?

I am not in a hurry to move there, I can move in anytime and you have to give the person there time to move out. We will do that at the appropriate time.

The state governor pleaded with the House for its support during the inauguration of the eighth assembly. How do you hope to do this despite the independence of the House?

We are talking about mutual respect and inter-dependence. We will work hand in hand despite the principle of separation of powers. You must realise that we belong to the same party. We will execute the manifestoes of the party but we must also ensure that the interests of our people are well protected.

Many people see you as a socialite. Now that you are the Speaker of the House, how would you marry the two?

Who is in a public office that is not a socialite? Is former governor, Babatunde Fashola, not sociable? Did that disturb his performance? Is Rt. (Hon.) Adeyemi Ikuforiji not sociable? People have said a lot. I have heard a lot about that, but that will not change me. It is a habit I cultivated a long time ago. If you are getting married tomorrow, and you invite me, I will be there. After my swearing-in, a couple of friends orgainsed a dinner for me and I was there. I would not lose my friends all because I am now the Speaker of the House.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

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Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

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Mama, Kim is pregnant for me K im seethes with rage. Why does this woman hate her so much? Why? Is this what she’ll live with as Sam’s wife?

No! She decides she’s not going on with the marriage. To hell with Sam and his mother. She decides to do away with the pregnancy.

“I’m leaving this village first thing in the morning,” she tells herself. **** Mama’s eyes are misty. Her heart aches. She needs not confirm. The look on her son’s face says everything. She had prayed against this!

So, she is traveling this route on account of another son?

Her mind flies back some donkey years.

She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when one of her husband’s cousins rushed into their house. He wanted to see her husband urgently.

He looked like he had seen the devil. She left what she was doing and rushed in to get her husband.

Her husband and his cousin discussed briefly in low tones and rushed out. In the afternoon of that day, the story was out -the man’s pregnant wife had a life threatening miscarriage. Before the end of that day, the details were out. The man’s extra large pee caused it! An early morning safari with his ‘heavy’ wife resulted in premature rupturing of the membrane!

Mama, who was in her fifth year in marriage, was shocked beyond words. She left her mouth agape in wonderment for a very long time.

That incident opened a new topic for discussion among the married women in the family. Stealthily, they began to talk about hitherto ‘no go’ topics.

“Why would Papa Paul be doing it with force with his pregnant wife?”

Mary asked no one in particular.

“Men do not have control once they are in there and that thing no get conscience o,” Nse, the Calabar lady married to Sam’s uncle said and they all laughed.

The women were in the kitchen.

The men where relaxing after dinner in front of the compound.

Though the men were not within earshot, the women still spoke in whispers. Walls have ears, they say.

“But how can a pee burst the water? Is it a hammer? Nothing that one will not hear in this world o,” one of the women asked.

“Maybe Evelyn threw her legs apart like the antenna of a television,” Nse said and they all laughed again.

“Nse! Na the thing between man’s legs dey kill Calabar woman,” the oldest woman among them, Mama Ben, said.

“It can’t kill. Even the very big one no fit do anything. I go conquer am.

The small one is like an appetizer,” Nse said.

“Now we know why Paul came back with you and no property after five years sojourn in Calabar,” Mama Ben said, throwing the women into another fit of laughter.

“Am I not enough property?” Nse

asked, reeling with laughter.

The women gossiped about sizes of pee and what it could do.

Sam’s mum listened without saying a word. Obviously. She was a learner.

It was that day she realised that some women do enjoy the feel of the pee in their caves of wonder. She never did, she hardly felt anything.

To her, only men were programmed to enjoy sex.

She listened as they discussed sizes of pee. She realised that something was wrong with Sam’s dad. His pee was a wee longer and fatter than an adult’s thumb. Apart from the first few nights after they go married, there was no more excitement for her. It got worse after having her first child, she could sleep while he huffed and puffed on her. The good thing was that he usually covered her up very well after he was sated.

Why keep awake for nothing? She felt nothing; it was like using a spatula to turn a tea-filled mug.

Papa Sam never bothered. He was happy enjoying what he paid for anytime he wanted.

That conversation with her fellow women changed a lot of things for her.

The next time she had to deal with that issue again was about 15 years ago, long after her husband, Elijah, had died.

Her first born, Ojie, told her to get him a good girl for marriage. She was ecstatic. Very few young men would want their mothers to get a wife for them. Before then, she had been worried that his age mates were fathers many times over.

She got Ojie a well-behaved girl

from a good home. Less than a month later, the girl told her she was leaving. It was then she realised that Ojie inherited his father’s baby pee size!

Of course, Ojie’s wife didn’t leave.

She ensured that. She made her understand that size didn’t matter but the functionality. When she became pregnant two months later, she calmed down. They have six children now and she wants to believe they are happy. She thought Ojie’s would be the last of such cases in her family. Obviously, she would have to deal with a new one...Sam’s.

If she could sort out Ojie’s issue, she should be able to handle Sam’s own. She made Ojie’s wife dirigible. But that girl that Sam brought home is something else. She looks like trouble. *** Sam’s mother comes back to the present with a shake of her head.

Sam looks up. He’s been wondering what is going on in his mother’s head.

How could Kim spill his best kept secret...and to his mum! He had managed his secret very well. Although he had been assured that he could grow his ‘man’ with some prescription drugs, he had been scared there could be side effect.

While in the university, he had learnt from some savvy guys that a guy could get a woman into cloud nine with his finger and smooching before the show proper. He learnt the tricks and became so adept at it that the woman would be moaning so senselessly that she wouldn’t care whether it’s finger or pee that was turning her tipsy and making her shiver uncontrollably.

That was how he got Kim. He thought Kim never cared about size...until today.

“Samson,” his mother calls him.

“Mama,” he replies.

When his mother calls his name in full instead of the usual ‘Sammy’, he gets worried. It means he’s done something very bad.

As a little boy, a hot slap on the back would usually accompany it if he was lucky, and if not, he would get a thorough thrashing with a slim, supple cane got ten from the trees around the house.

Well, if mama is going to thrash him now, it’s better she knows the full story.

“Mama, I really do not know why you hate Kim so much. She’s a good girl. Really, er..but that is not the issue now. The fact is that she’s pregnant and we need to get married,” he spits the words so fast, as if they are hot.

Mama’s face is indescribable. She stares at her son, eyes unseeing as she mulls over the implication of what her son just said.

Pregnancy before marriage?

“Samson, what did you just say?

Don’t you know our culture and tradition? The shame...the shame,” she wails.

Then she turns to her son.

“Samson!”

“Mama,” Sam croaks and clears his throat. ********** Will Kim make good her vow and get rid of the pregnancy? How does Sam handle his mother?

Let’s meet here on Sunday.

•Send your observations to the email above.

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Body&Soul

Keep mascara smudge away!

L

Vanessa Okwara

ong eyelashes have been coveted by women around the world for ages. Aside from having an hourglass figure, long eyelashes remain a symbol of beauty and femininity.

There is a craze for long false lashes or using mascara to redefine and thicken natural lashes. Mascara can give your eyes definition and depth.

Finding the best mascara isn’t easy though. Some mascaras flake, smear, or do nothing for your lashes. And then there’s the skill you need to successfully apply mascara to make the most of what you already have.

Mascara smudge is a faux pas every woman will not want to be caught in. The ‘raccoon eyes’ it leaves in its wake is never a pretty sight. Mascara smudge happens when sweat/tears and the product mix, staining the eye area.

It’s the reason a lady should invest in good waterproof mascara especially in hot area where there’s a possibility of product heating up.

When buying your mascara, it is important to note that expensive mascaras are NOT necessarily better than cheaper once. Some makeup artists advocate the use of waterproof mascara which have their advantages but don’t use waterproof mascaras on a daily basis. Removing waterproof mascara requires a good deal of tugging and wiping around the eye area, and doing that day after day will cause the skin to sag and the lashes to fall out. Of course, there are occasions when waterproof mascara is called for (e.g., emotional events), but think twice about daily use.

For you to achieve a flawless makeup where mascara will not spill and smudge all your efforts, follow these steps when applying mascara: • Apply mascara after eye shadow and eyeliner: Trying to apply mascara before eyeliner or before eye shadow will lead to flaking and smearing. Putting mascara on after your other eye makeup helps you to not overdo the mascara to compensate for

the shape and effect the eyeliner and eye shadow provide.

• Using a lash card, thick business card, or ATM card while applying mascara to your lashes will prevent your mascara from smudging on your lid and skin.

• Apply mascara in layers. Start with two or three strokes on one eye and then go to the other and do the same, then go back to the other eye. Rotating like that a few times will help you build great lashes but be careful to not overdo it.

Applying too many coats not only look messy and overly thick, but also increases the likelihood of smearing. If your lashes look clumped or spikey, you’ve gone too far.

• After applying mascara, sweep fluffy brush with a little powder on it over your lashes and any skin your lashes come in contact with. It’s important to be very light handed with the powder; otherwise it’ll look like you have dusty eyelashes. Close your eyes and lightly mist your lashes with setting spray.

• Keep an old, clean mascara wand in your makeup bag.

This works wonders when you need to remove excess mascara or clumps or need to separate the lashes. Be sure to wash the brush after every few uses to remove built-up mascara.

Body&Soul

you can do no wrong.

This combo can make you look fabulous and smart all at once.

You can interchange the denim and Ankara.

Ankara top and denim pants/ skirt/shorts; chambray skirt with ankara at the bottom as skirt, shorts or pants. Some designers can make a patchwork ensemble

22, 43

ne of the most versatile fabrics in the history of fashion is denim. It is durable and fun to wear. It must help its profile that it is an absolute darling to style. Compliment this fabric with the high-raves international favourite, Ankara, and

O

Biwom Iklaki

of these two fabrics. You can also have it as an accessory with a ankara and denim bag, clutch or bangles.

This look can be dressed up or down (thats where the shorts come in of course, no shorts in corporate environments). However, for the lazy Friday look, the ankara and denim style is a winner.

Eclectic Ankara and denim styling

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

23

SundayBusiness SUNDAY

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

News

Nigerian firm acquires Mawal Group

p.24

Crisis looms over rising non-performing loans I

Paul Ogbuokiri

Brands

Actv battles for survival in pay tv market p.28

Interview

States shouldn’t delay workers’ salaries – NACCIMA DG p.25

Market&Mall

Lagos GSM Village pleads for pedestrian bridge p.30

Paul Ogbuokiri Head, Business paulogbuokiri@newtelegraph online.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

n an effort to forestall a fresh build-up of non-performing loans in the banking industry, the Central Bank of Nigeria and Deposit Money Banks in the country have affirmed that they will publish the names of bank debtors soon.

But some operators in the economy spoken to

by Sunday Telegraph say if the threat is carried out, it will hurt the economy as most of the said debtors have been caught in the quagmire of the current crisis the Nigerian economy is facing.

Some of the respondents, especially government contractors, said the loan they took from the banks were used to execute government projects even as they had not been paid.

According to Managing Partner of M.I.Okoro and Associates, Dr. Michael Okoro, some of the debtors are government contractors and people who took loans to invest in the economy but have been caught up in this current crisis.

“We need a stimulation of the economy so that people will start to spend money again and businesses will start to thrive. It was like nobody was prepared for where we are now and oil prices started to crash and the value of the naira headed south. What should be done is that the banks and their debtor should sit at a round table and find a solution,” he said.

But economist and financial expert, Godwin Owu, says the situation is even worse than what the apex bank is presenting, saying there is a looming crisis in the sector.

According to him, before the last elections, then Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, sensing danger in the spending style of some of the state governors, had warned lenders to desist from giving loans to the state governments. But some of the DMBs flouted the order and went behind to give loans to the state governors without the approval of the Debt Management Office.

He said at a workshop on the 2015 Budget on Wednesday that the lenders would have themselves to blame now that the governors no longer have the capacity to pay and the DMO cannot intervene on their behalf to ensure the debts are paid.

This is coming as the CBN reports that the total banking industry impaired loans or nonperforming loans (NPL) increased by 16.36 per cent to N400.57 billion in August 2014 from N344.26 billion in August 2013 of which 66.84 per cent or N267.74 billion in loan loss provisions had been made by banks in the country.

The central bank said it might be compelled to stop such loan defaulters from accessing foreign exchange through the interbank forex market.

The Director, Banking Supervision, CBN, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, who disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the 321st Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos, said the names of those she described as ‘chronic debtors’ would be published alongside the companies they represent, their directors, subsidiaries and other associates.

Martins said banks are currently compiling the names.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

She said the decision was aimed at preventing another banking crisis.

The central bank director explained: “The CBN has managed to keep the banking industry safe and sound in collaboration with all members of the Bankers’ Committee.

“But some data shows that it is increasingly becoming difficult for some debtors to pay up their loans. So it was decided that going forward, one thing that we may do is to stop them from getting access to foreign exchange.

“Another thing that we also considered going forward is to publish the names of the borrowers that refuse to pay up. This is to ensure the continuous safety and soundness of the banking industry.

“It is not all debtors, it is the bad and chronic debtors, those ones that have deliberately refused to pay, those are the ones we are talking about.”

Martins, who put the current banking industry’s NPLs at 3.3 per cent, maintained that the central bank wants to ensure that the figure does not exceed the five per cent limit.

“Total loans in the industry are in the region of N13 trillion. Right now, we have not reached the upper limit of five per cent on NPLs, but we don’t want to get there. That was why we decided that we need to come out with this measure.

“It is not only the names of the bad debtors, the directors, the subsidiaries and every member of the board that would have their names published,” she added.

Owu reiterated that the volume of non-performing loans in the Nigerian banking sector is set to rise further on the back of the devaluation

of the naira amid weak global crude oil prices and the huge defaults that is set to be witnessed from the states.

According to the Director-General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Cobham, the nation’s weak currency is taking a huge toll on companies involved in manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods, driving down their revenue and bottom line.

He said some of them may not be able to meet their loan obligations to banks as a result of the increase in the cost of inputs.

He added that low oil prices, which forced the CBN to technically devalue the naira again in February by closing its official foreign exchange window, constituted a major threat to oil companies’ ability to pay up loans.

The CBN had in November 25, 2014 devalued the naira by eight per cent as it pegged the currency at 160-176 to a dollar, triggered by the plunge in global oil prices. Following the closure of the Retail Dutch Auction System, the CBN re-priced the naira at 198 to a dollar.

Meanwhile, the central bank last week announced the closure of its foreign exchange (forex) windows- the Retail Dutch Auction (RDAS) and the Wholesale Dutch Auction Sale (WDAS), thereby shutting out over 200 Bureau de Change operators from forex auction trading. The development, Sunday Telegraph learnt, has caused the value of the naira to further depreciate at the parallel market from about 214/$ last week to about 217 on Friday.

A non-performing loan is either in default or close to being in default, according to an CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

24

Business/ News

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istory has beckoned on Nigeria’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) scene, as Nigeria’s Casers Group acquired Mawal Group, to form the first whollyowned media and marketing services network in West and Central Africa.

Mawal, is the leading marketing communications network in French West and Central Africa. The acquisition is a radical departure in the industry. What has obtained since many years is that a Nigerian agency will affiliate to a foreign agency.

On the development, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Casers Group, Enyi Odigbo, said: “The acquisition of Mawal demonstrates our commitment to prudently deploy resources that will deliver unassailable value to existing and prospective local and multinational clients. Casers Group is now an unmatched solution for any multinational brand looking for worldclass service delivery throughout West and Central Africa – to either launch or extend within the region. This strategic combination eliminates the need for businesses that require a regional marketing communications solution to seek partners on a country by country basis, which often results in disparate service levels, in terms of quality and resource deployment.”

Checks showed that the merger was

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Nigerian firm acquires Mawal Group consummated out of the successful DDB led partnership of Casers Group, Mawal Group and Innova DDB, in partnering MTN, the largest mobile telecoms operator in the Middle East and Africa.

Further checks revealed that, with the acquisition completed and integration process well underway, the Founder and Executive Chairperson, Mawal Group, Mrs. Mareme Malong, will retire but will continue to serve as adviser to the board.

DDB currently manages MTN in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Benin, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Congo Brazzaville.

On his part, Managing Director, INNOVA DDB and President of the Advertising Association of Ghana, Joel Nettey, said: “The opportunity to partner on MTN for the past four years throughout the region provided

the learning curve needed to drastically reduce the teething problems associated with deals of this nature.” Also reacting to this development, Bayo Adekanbi, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria said: “This is a commendable feat in Casers’ quest to deliver solutions to the increasing market opportunities in West and Central Africa.

Casers’ experience with MTN will be an added advantage and significant leverage in leap-frogging the challenges of the region, with speed, precision and effectiveness.”

Meanwhile, the Mawal Group chairperson, has said she and her team members “are excited at this development because it is the coming together of like-minded Africans to form a more formidable entity that will outperform our individual operations.

I cannot wish for a better retirement confident that I have left Mawal in the hands of

partners I have come to trust.”

The Nigeria originated-Casers Group, through this acquisition now offers services in advertising via DDB and BBDO; Media via Capital Media, NEXUS and Space: digital communications via Mobius; Production via WOW; Experiential Marketing via ACTIV8 and Design and Brand Consultancy via Magenta.

“All these competencies will be available in every country in which the group operates, thereby ensuring better synergies between markets for clients like MTN,” Odigbo said.

On his part, President DDB, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Mr. Patrick Ehringer, said: “With this unprecedented investment in West and Central Africa, DDB is now uniquely positioned to develop its footprint across the African continent.

GSK growth potential positive -RenCap Chijioke Iremeka

P

harmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is positive on the growth potential in the pharma space in Nigeria, driven by growth in the number of insured lives, which is budding strongly off a low base.

Renaissance Capital in a recent report says the reduction in counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Nigeria, especially of Panadol, which is the most faked drug in the country, is a substantial opportunity for the company.

“The company is currently in the process of redesigning its route-to-market.

It currently reaches 40,000 outlets vs Nestlé’s reach of 500,000 outlets. Its target is to reach 150,000 outlets over the next three years. GSK had the most upbeat meeting of the consumer companies.

“With the sale of Lucozade and GSK to Suntory largely in the base, the company is guiding for strong medium-term revenue growth. A one-for-four share bonus issue has resulted in a restatement of the share price, and a reduction in our HEPS forecasts and TP, though our underlying numbers have not changed,” said Renaissance Capital.

According to its management, GSK has seen some improvement in trading conditions post-election and is guiding for mid-single-digit revenue growth in FY15, following the 4.5 per cent revenue decline in the first three months of 2015, this implies 8 per cent growth for the remainder of the year.

The company targets 25 per cent revenue CAGR in its own brands over the next four-to-five years and a 10 to15 per cent CAGR in the Suntory brands. GSK plans to focus its investments in marketing and infrastructure around its own brands.

Maintaining its one-year forward P/E of 25.8x and two-year forward of 19.4x, GSK is the cheapest of the Nigerian consumer companies under coverage, according to Renaissance Capital.

“We believe GSK has the most pricing power in its categories and we have the highest HEPS growth forecasts from FY15 for GSK. Our TP moves to NGN52.80 (from NGN66), solely due to the one-for-four bonus issue. We maintain our buy rating on the stock,” it said.

General Manager, After Sales, Boulos Enterprises, Mr. Charles Kyte, explaining to journalists the functions of new outboard in engin in Lagos...recently

Crisis looms over rising non-performing loans CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 2 3

online finance journal, Investopedia. Once a loan is adjudged non-performing, the odds that it will be repaid in full are considered to be substantially lower.

The Head, Investment Research, Afrinvest West Africa Limited, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, said spending in the oil and gas sector could push up non-performing loans due to the significant decline in oil prices.

“Some of the expected cash flows from oil firms may have been challenged as a result of the significant decline in oil prices.

However, some of the loans may have to be restructured by increasing the duration and decreasing the monthly payments to ensure the loans perform,” he said.

Ebo said several banks had increased their lending to Small and Medium Enterprises as a result of the spread (eight per cent) between the prime lending rate and the maximum lending rate.

He said in order to cover up for some of the CBN policies that had contracted banks’ earnings, the banks needed to lend more to the SMEs at a higher rate than to the corporates, sayibg this might also result in higher default rate.

A fixed income and currency analyst at Ecobank, Mr. Olukunle Ezun said companies who borrowed money in dollar and got their inflows in naira would require more naira to service their dollar-denom-

inated loans.

The Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, warns that the recent benchmark interest rate hike by the CBN, to 13 per cent and the devaluation of the naira, down by nearly 30 per cent in just three months to $1:N198, are likely to affect debt servicing on loans denominated in foreign currency.

In its new report, OBG also insisted that the challenging times are not over just yet for Nigeria’s banks, saying the sector is facing structural changes that affect its traditional profitability drivers.

Also, Analysts at Vetiva Capital Management Limited, said the banking sector, while attractive with low valuations, would have to navigate a difficult operating environment in 2015, as regulatory actions amid economic challenges cap loan growth.

“With the continuous decline in global oil prices, banks’ exposure to the oil and gas sector has come under the spotlight with fears of possible loan default even as the oil and gas value chain account for the biggest share (an average 25 per cent) of banks loan portfolios; we forecast aggregate industry non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 4.6 per cent for 2015,” Vetiva analysts said.

This position was corroborated by Fitch

Ratings in its latest report, where it stated that “banks are now seeing some asset quality deterioration with rising absolute non-performing loans, reflecting fast loan growth since 2011.

It added, “Most banks’ NPL ratios remain below the five per cent prescribed by the CBN but Fitch views this as unsustainable in the long-run. Very high loan concentrations by borrower and sector expose banks, particularly the smaller banks, to significant event risk.

“Banks are also seeing moderate liquidity pressure with rising loans/deposit ratios. In response, the banks’ large customer deposit bases are continuing to expand on strong GDP growth and increasing banking penetration,” it said.

The Director, European Middle East and Africa Financial Institutions’ team, Fitch, Mr. Mahin Dissanayake, said, “This is mostly supported by continuing robust economic growth. Nevertheless, we expect bank performance and growth to moderate over the next 18 months due to the central bank of Nigeria’s actions aimed at protecting the economy and the banking system.

Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings has warned that actions aimed at protecting the economy and the banking system by CBN will make the profits of DMBs in the country for next year to drop.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Business/ Interview

States shouldn’t delay workers’ salaries – NACCIMA DG The Organised Private Sector seems to have started to find its voice on national economic issues. What step will you take next?

There have been a lot of interventions since I came on board. So the first thing I did when I was elected was to meet with members of the organised private sector.

We need to look internally to be able to strengthen areas where there were little differences and discordant voices. Now we will drive the process very well. Nigerians can expect a lot from us as OPS in the country.

Are members of NACCIMA benefitting from the government’s policies in agriculture?

Government’s policies remain policies until they are drawn down. Like the intervention fund policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. For instance, the N200 billion intervention fund made available by the Central Bank’s fund for Small and Medium Enterprises. SME is a generic term because agriculture is part of the SME and other related areas and all you need to do is to make sure that your business plan is related to the area of the intervention fund a stakeholder is interested in. Our chamber is trying to position itself in a place they will be able to understand all these things that have to do with SME and redirect them properly.

Also, we want to be the voice of the business class in this country. For you to be the voice of business you have to be at the point where you are visible and where they cannot ignore you as the voice of business in Nigeria. And those are the things we want to do as a group. If before now, the right things were not being done, now things will be different. We are going to intervene by meeting the agencies of government and assuring them that this is the right place they should go. People who are not supposed to benefit from the intervention fund use their connections in government circles to hijack these funds, denying those who should get the fund. I don’t get it. The end result is that the farmers that are supposed to get the agriculture intervention funds to grow their produce do not get it. If they don’t get the fund, the whole of their harvest could be wasted.

Don’t forget that we are in an economy where preservation is a very big challenge for agricultural produce.

Director-General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Cobham, in this interview with PAUL OGBUOKIRI and STANLEY IHEDIGBO, speaks on the Bank of Agriculture’s financing of agribusiness and other intervention funds in the sector are made to continue. Nigerians should give the new government time. If I ask people how the slow pace of the new government activities is affecting individuals in the country, they may not give specific answers. It is very important to know because we cannot rush the president or the governors to do what they are not ready to do for the development of the country.

If the president or governors make a mistake in their appointments, it is the same people who will complain. If they don’t put the right person in a proper position, the system will not work and the expectations of Nigerians will not be met. I appeal for time for them. Let them take their time. Nigerians should not push them to rush into appointing people who will not key into their vision, because political campaigning is totally different from real governance. Now that they are in office, they will face real challenges and the true situation on ground that they never anticipated. That is how governance is.

During the presidential campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari took some eminent Nigerians to his farm. What do you see in such a move looking at his campaign mantra that agriculture and solid minerals will play a prominent role in the new Nigerian economy he is envisaging?

It means several things put together. It means come and see how a private individual is doing a thing, and then let’s replicate this at the national level. Diversifying our economy from oil is very important in this country. During our Annual General Meeting, agricultural development was the point was the main topic of discussion.

Some of your members are complaining that the intervention by the Federal Government in the sector is not enough.

How do you react to that?

Intervention funds are not limited to government only; there are so many agencies that provide intervention funds for the real sector in the country. All we need to do it to attract other agencies that can intervene in other sectors of the economy.

Government can never do enough and you can never be satisfied because two persons can say different things at the same time. They will look at it from different positions, how it affects their group members, and how it affects their friends.

Also, how it affects their family members, may be those who went for it didn’t get it. The aggregate that comes up will start talking against the development and say that there is no satisfaction there. So there will always be complaints; maybe people saying that the way they are handling the things is not good. Sometimes, there is a need for redirection and a new attitude from the stakeholders on the intervention funds.

Is it true that government owes the farmer input suppliers? Do you think that the debt could affect farmer input this year?

Yes. Suppliers have been owed for agriculture input supplied since last year to the Federal Government. And the situation is attributable to non-performance by the agency or body responsible for the payment of the private companies supplying the agriculture input. All we can do is to appeal to the agencies to pay the companies because we don’t know the true reason for the non-payment of the suppliers.

We are appealing that those people should be paid because it will affect progress in the agriculture sector. And as the organised private sector, if we have details of the How do you see the Bank of Agriculture, transaction, we will look into it and write looking at what the Bank of Industry is doing for the real sector through financto the appropriate authority for action. ing stakeholders while the agricultural sector has a challenge of poor funding?

What is your take on criticisms by some The Bank of Agriculture is effective like Nigerians over the slow pace of activities the Bank of Industry in the area of agriby the new administration of President culture. Critical stakeholders are benefitMuhammadu Buhari?

Nigerians are too much in a hurry. Gov- ing from their loans. Other people should ernment is a progressive thing and policies approach the banks close to them and find

out first what is involved.

What is your advice to the new government in the area of agricultural development in the country?

Government intervention in agriculture is to ensure that the people don’t go hungry and that there is abundance of food in the country. If the people are happy today, they will not disturb government.

But let me advise that as government is trying to intervene, some people should not hijack any good agricultural development policy of the government. We have noticed that often, some people hijack good programmes of government meant for the promotion and growth of the sector. You can see that now we are no longer talking of fertilisers. The last government was able to check the abuse in the issue of fertilisers, which was a known fact that people do hijack fertilisers and don’t care the harm they are causing the sector.

Some people would store the fertilisers in their warehouses and this is very important input in agriculture.

They will go beyond the expiry date and those who really need those things will not be able to access them. My

Cobham

advice is that let things flow so that things will be easy for every level of stakeholders in the sector. Our situation in this country is that sometimes, we blame government when it is actually the people’s fault. Even down the value chain, there are persons who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Most state governments failed to partner the private sector to develop their states.

Now, most of them owe their workers arrears of salaries. What is your reaction to this?

Investment depends on your background and the various state governors know why they don’t want to partner the private sector in developing their states.

On owing salaries, it is not a good development because if you look at the state of the economy, even with the ones being paid salaries, it is not even enough for them. Most times before the end of the month they go aborrowing. I am appealing to various state governments to look at the plight of their workers and try and see how they can meet this obligation. Also, they should do everything possible and legally to satisfy the workforce so that the other arm like the labour union comes up. Any time there is a state of distraction, it affects everybody. It also affects the economy, which is not good. When you leave this country to another country the first thing they ask you outside there is how strong your economy is.

26

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Naira gains 71bps

T

he bears dominated in four of five trading days, resulting in a 1.08% decline in the NSEASI. This bearish mood was also confirmed by the market breadth, which pegged at 0.61x, as 28 stocks appreciated while 46 declined in value. Activity during the week was comparatively lower, as volume traded declined by 18.46% relative to the previous week. Value of transactions, however, increased by 103.51%, indicating that a significant portion of trades were on large-cap stocks.

Top gainers during the week were CCNN, RTBRISCOE, CHAMPION, NEIMETH and NASCON, with respective gains of 10.71%, 10.53%, 9.03%, 7.56% and 6.38%. Top losers, on the flip side, were CILEASING, MAYBAKER, UNHOMES, OKOMUOIL and PZ, with respective losses of 15.15%, 14.29%, 9.69%, 9.60% and 9.23%.

During the week, treasury bills and bonds worth NGN223.86bn were issued, while treasury bills worth NGN170.18bn matured. The CBN also conducted Open Market Operations in the week, which resulted in lower liquidity in the system. Consequently, we saw rises in money market rates, especially the NIBOR CALL rate and the OBB and OVN rates. The Naira held steady against the dollar during the week, appreciating by 0.71%.

As we move towards the end of H1:2015, we believe that expectations from Q2:2015 corporate performances will determine market direction.

Whilst these results are expected to be affected by the overall drag in economic activities during the period, we opine that earnings releases would be mixed.

In this report, we review events in the economy, laying emphasis on performance of different segments of the financial market, while presenting our expectations for the week ahead.

Economic Round up: Foreign Reserves Drop to $29.004b Tension continues to mount in the Greek economy, as the country has less than two weeks to strike a deal with its creditors or default on the EUR1.6bn loan repayment due to IMF by 30th of June 2015. Although Greece has already rolled in a part payment of EUR300mn, it risks having to leave the Eurozone and possibly the European Union (EU), if the obligation is not met. Alternatively, the IMF and ECB board have offered to grant Greece bailout funds of EUR7.2bn, if it agrees to their proposed reforms concerning pensions, VAT and budget surplus.

Few weeks after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the absence of positive news inflows or clear policy direction in the face of pressured monetary and fiscal systems, remain major causes for anxiety in the polity. The most recent data available on Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) website, showed that the FX reserves settled at USD29.00bn, which represents a 2.00% decline Month to Date (MtD), from USD29.59bn as at the end of May, 2015.

In the face of dire financial crisis affecting most states of the country, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has challenged the federal government to reimburse them for executed federal government projects in their respective states, rather than move for bailout from the federal government.

We opine that the inability of about 18 state governments to pay accrued salaries coupled with the existing economic challenges faced by the country continues to cast aspersion on the credit worthiness of Nigeria, and will affect investors’ sentiments.

Fixed Income Brief: Naira appreciates 71bps WoW Sales at the Primary Market Auctions in the week to the tune of NGN223.86bn resulted in an upward trend of money market rates for the week, despite a net CRR credit of about NGN27.7bn, and net Treasury Bills maturities of NGN26.54bn hitting the system. Open Market Operation (OMO) auction worth NGN79.71bn was conducted on Monday, while banks also funded NNPC debits in the week. Consequently, average change on OBB and OVN rates was +5.27% WtD, as they settled at 14.83% and 15.13% in that order. Average NIBOR pegged at 21.19% (+6.27% WtD).

Average yield on Treasury Bills instruments closed higher in the week (+0.60%) to stay at 13.23%, as respective yields on the instruments

…as losses in equities market persist

settled at 12.06% (1M), 12.75% (2M), 12.81% (3M), 13.57% (6M), 13.89% (9M), and 14.31% (12M).

Sentiments continue to trail the pronouncement of JP Morgan’s ejection of Nigeria’s bond from its Government Bond Index by December 2015 if the government does not restore liquidity to its currency market, amongst other requirements. This, they noted, will allow foreign investors tracking the index to have seamless transactions. Should this crystalize, it will trigger significant outflow of funds from the country and as such, pressure the nation’s bond and currency markets. Our Meri-Bond index level pegged at 787.57, representing a WtD change of +0.45%.

The Naira had an impressive run against the dollar in the week, appreciating by 71bps WoW to peg mid-price at NGN197.37/USD. YtD depreciation stands at -6.50%.

Agric Sector: Sector records loss after a 4-week bullish run The equities market lackluster performance was also seen in the agric sector as the MERIAGR index witnessed a WtD decline of –8.37% to trim YtD to 27.42%. No stock appreciated during the week, three stocks declined while the other two stocks traded flat.

Following a sterling performance last week, OKOMUOIL recorded the highest decline in the sector, to peg its market price at NGN31.55.

PRESCO also pared by 7.25% to drag its share price to NGN32.00 just as LIVESTOCK trimmed by 5.83%. ELLAHLAKES and FTNCOCOA both traded flat.

The agric sector, until lately, stayed resilient despite the poor performance of the equities market. We envisage a continuance of the recent negative sentiment as investors take profit in coming weeks.

Banking Sector: Sector breadth at 1.60x despite WoW loss The banking sector ended on a negative note, with the MERI-BANK Index closing with a WtD loss of 1.01%. However, a sector breadth of 1.60x showed a positive mood, as eight stocks appreciated in the week, while five stocks declined in value. This can be attributed to the large market capitalization of stocks which recorded the

losses, as well as the size of the losses.

Leading the gainers for the week were STANBIC, FIDELITYBK, GUARANTY, UNITYBNK and ACCESS, with respective gains of 2.22%, 1.70%, 0.41%, 0.40%, and 0.33%; while the losers were WEMABANK, FBNH, UBN, ZENITHBANK, and UBA, with losses of 7.69%, 6.03%, 3.50%, 2.55%, and 0.19% in that order.

Heading towards the end of the second quarter, we expect investors to trade in line with their Q2:2015 performance expectations, as well as ahead of possible interim dividend payments.

However, given that Q2:2015 results are expected to be negatively affected by reasons such as; the limit on growth in non-interest income, harmonized CRR and its effect on banks with high exposure to private sector funds, further pressures on interest expenses as a result of rising cost of funds, and loan impairment charges which have been affected by the challenging operating environment and non-performing loans, amongst others, we do not anticipate significant buy pressures on the sector stocks for the week.

We opine that long-term investors may take advantage of cheaply priced stocks, which might result in positive returns for the week.

Consumer Goods: UNILEVER extends tender offer to June 25th.

In line with market performance, some counters retained their market price, while there were pockets of gains and losses in the week. The Conglomerates and Consumer goods sector recorded WtD returns of -1.33% and 0.99% respectively, as measured by our sector indices.

CHAMPION led the gainers’ chart with a 9.03% WoW gain. Also on the chart were NASCON, DANGSUGAR and UACN with WoW respective gains of 6.38%, 4.66% and 1.20%. On the flip side was PZ with the highest WoW drop of 9.23%. The counter was trailed by DANGFLOUR, INTBREW, CADBURY, HONYFLOUR, GUINNESS, NB, FLOURMILL, VITAFOAM, and NESTLE with respective declines of 7.86%, 7.45%, 5.84%, 4.52%, 1.79%, 1.48%, 0.69%, 0.37%, and 0.01%.

Unilever Overseas Holdings B.V (“Unilever Overseas”), the parent company of Unilever Nigeria Plc (“UNILEVER”) extended the tender

offer to acquire additional 942,215,930 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at NGN45.50 per share which was supposed to close on 15th June, 2015 to 25th June, 2015. The company stated that the extension was to ensure full participation of shareholders, following the disruption of postal and transportation services during the period of fuel scarcity.

We expect the dampened mood to persist in the coming week. However, we imagine discerning investors to take position in stocks trading below their fundamentally justified prices.

Healthcare Sector: Counters maintain oscillating trend The sector towed the direction of the market as the MERI-HLTH index pared by 0.60% Week to Date to settle the Year to Date return at 9.67%.

Sector breadth pegged at 0.67x, as two stocks advanced, against three stocks that shed points while other counters traded flat.

MAYBAKER emerged as the top slacker for the week, as the counter continued in its oscillating trend in the week. The stock reversed the previous week’s gain to decline by 14.29%, thereby pegging its share price at NGN 1.50. The stock was trailed by EVANSMED which depreciated by 9.14% to settle at NGN1.59. GLAXOSMITH, with a loss of 0.59%, also featured on this chart.

NEIMETH and FIDSON however, reversed their previous week’s lacklustre performance, appreciating in price by 7.56% and 1.49% to close at NGN1.28 and NGN3.40 respectively.

The performance in the sector has been largely dominated by activities of speculators who take position on stocks trading below their fundamental prices and take profit when they have accumulated some gains. We expect this current trend to persist in the coming week. However, we advise investors to trade cautiously.

Insurance Sector: Losses halt, Sector gains 0.77% WoW In spite of profit-taking activities on insurance stocks during the week, the sector was able to halt the negative run suffered in the last two weeks. As measured by the NSEINS10 index, the sector recorded a 0.77% gain WoW to trim the year to date return to -2.47%. Market breadth (0.25x) skewed in favour of decliners, as only one stock advanced against 4 decliners.

NEM logged the highest loss during the week, having shed 7.32% to close at NGN0.76 (vs.

NGN0.82 in previous week). Joining the counter on the losers’ chart were CONTINSURE, AIICO and WAPIC with respective losses of 2.91%, 2.13% and 1.96%. Conversely, MANSARD emerged the lone gainer, as the counter appreciated by 5.65% to close at NGN2.99 (vs.

NGN2.83 in the previous week).

STACO Insurance Plc. released both 2014FY and Q1:2015 financial results during the week.

Gross Premium Written (GWP) in both periods respectively grew by 5.82% and 10.08%. However, Earnings after Tax in 2014FY declined by 60.19% to NGN185mn (vs. NGN464mn in 2013FY), and a significant YoY gain of 75.55% was recorded in Q1:2015.

Similarly, Regency Alliance Insurance Plc. released both 2014FY and Q1:2015 financial scorecards. The 2014 YoY Gross Premium Earned (GPE) grew by 17.02%, but declined by 23.12% in the Q1:2015 YoY. Earnings after Tax however pared in both periods by 7.23% and 42.21% respectively.

Industrial goods: More stocks close negative The industrial goods sector reversed the marginal gains from the previous week, as the Meri- Industrial index closed the week 0.96% lower, dragging YtD return to -9.77%. Only two stocks recorded WoW gains while 5 stocks declined in value.

CCNN topped the gainers’ chart with a 10.71% growth in share value during the week.

PORTPAINT trailed, gaining 1.67% WoW. After over 2 months of trading flat at NGN0.83, DNMEYER emerged as the largest sector loser, shedding 8.43% WoW. CUTIX, DANGCEM, BERGER and WAPCO also declined by 1.14%, 1.12%, 1.06% and 0.10% accordingly.

Although the market continues to bleed due to uncertainties in the nation’s economic and political space, we urge stakeholders with long investment horizons to continue to hold and take positions in fundamentally justified and attractively priced stocks.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Ten points to greatness (9) Success Nuggets

and GIVING is LIVING. Those are the people whose memories still LIVE even after they GIVE their very lives.

There were two men who were Presidents of their respective countries at some point in their lives.

Victor Okwudiri One was Nelson Mandela of South 08037674300 (SMS only) Africa. The other was Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga So far we have considered the fol- (Mobutu Sese Seko for short) of DR Congo. Mobutu Sese Seko stole his lowing eight points to greatness: • You are not too small to make an country’s wealth to the point that the soil of his nativity forbade his corpse impact; - he died in exile. Nelson Mandela, • You are not too old to make an on the other hand, gave 27 years of impact; his life (in prison) for the freedom • The future is now; of his country men, and willingly • Stardom does not make stars; relinquished power as President, after STARS make it to STARDOM; a single term in office. He was never • Great things often start small; seen as a rich man in terms of money.

• Your self-worth is more imporIn fact, he led a modest life. tant than your net worth; Now, let’s do the analysis. Mobutu • Your background is no excuse Sese Seko had a lot of money (stolen for your BACK to be on the money that he couldn’t even use), yet GROUND; • It is better to prepare for an op- I am not even sure everyone reading this knows his name. Why? There is portunity you will never have than to have one you were never nothing to celebrate in corruption.

However, in the case of Mandela, prepared for. though he was not regarded as ‘rich’ Now, the ninth point. in the context of money, if his name • Make your life count for huis mentioned amongst even nursery manity.

Of the billions of people living on school children, the likelihood is earth per time, only a small percent- that he is known by some of them.

When this same ‘poor’ Mandela died, age leave a mark and are rememleaders of nations around the world bered long after they are gone, and gathered to celebrate him. What those are the few who practice this amazed me more was that even the ninth principle - making their lives game of football, which has nothing count for humanity. to do with government, celebrated There are those who get all they him at death. I remember watching, CAN, CAN all they get, sit on the at the time of global mourning for CAN and watch over the CAN. him, a big banner displayed on the Well, the memory of such people pitch proir to a globally televised will be disposed of like a CAN football match. The banner boldly when they die. read “madiba, we will never forGET.” There are, however, those who With that, I concluded that, apart understand that Living is givING,

from Jesus Christ, Mandela was the greatest man who lived. He was so great that tourism is made of his legacies. Why was he so great, even in death? It’s simply because he made his life count for humanity.

It was the same Mandela who said that the greatest thing about life is not the fact that we lived, but the fact that we made our lives count for others.

Another comparative analysis.

Remember I told you that Nelson Mandela willingly relinquished power, after a single term in office (as President of the Republic of South Africa). However, we had Muammar Gaddafi in Lybia, who held unto power, even at the expense of his very life. What a shame! While Gaddafi, who clung to power for about 42 years, died a shameful death and lost the power, Nelson Mandela, who relinquished power voluntarily, was still powerful at the global scene until his death, and lives on gloriously in our hearts. What was the difference between both men? SELF! Yes, self!

One was SELFISH (Gaddafi), the other was SELFLESS (Mandela).

Space will not permit me to talk of the likes of Mother Theresa, who gave her life for the poor. Of course, worthy of mention are inventors like Albert Einstein, Professor Langley, the Wright Brothers, and many others, whose inventions have made life easier for us. It behooves us who are alive and remain to make life easier for generations to come. We must rise to that challenge, if our time here must count.

Friend, life is not about collection, but about donation. Life is not about acquisition, but about contribution.

So, I ask you, what contribution are you making to the lives of others?

The true rules of power The Big Picture Julian Atufunwa 08032810713 (SMS only)

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arlier in this column when we discussed leadership, we touched a little on the law of power. This law is not just meant for those in positions of authority but for everyone to leverage on. I would like to take a broader view on this law because I feel it will be helpful and will also serve as a manual or tool for daily living.

LAWS OF POWER 1. Never put too much trust in friends - It has always been said: “You have more to fear from friends than your enemies.” This law stresses the need to hire an enemy over a friend sometimes. This is because an enemy may be shocked that you hired him and therefore will work very hard to prove himself whilst hiring a friend may just be a liability.

Your friend may become complacent, expecting more preferential treatment than is necessary. Your friend may end up oppressing or overthrowing you.

There is also the tendency to be disappointed, betrayed and envied when the going gets rosy for you. So, to build power, make no permanent enemy. Do not put too much trust in friends. If you ask me I will say, put no trust in man.

2. Hide your intentions—Someone

said: “Win the victory before you declare the war.” There is no need showing all your strategies. It is wise to conceal your purpose and progress until you are done. Let everyone see what you are up to when it is impossible to hide your success anymore.

People tend to fear and respect people they cannot predict. Never reveal the purpose behind your actions and you will build power for yourself. This law stresses the need to shift peoples’ attention from your real goals to some minor goals, while you work underground on your main goals.

3. Do not outshine your master—We discussed this in the leadership series.

This laws says you should Never let your superiors feel insecure being above you. You may be more talented or skilled, but then, make them feel comfortably your superior or you may never attain power. Sincerely build your superiors’ reputation. Complement and flatter them. Do not appear too wise before your master. Know your limit, do all you can not to cross the line. If your master already respects you, stay humble and never take him/ her for granted. Just allow the natural process of succeeding him or her. Never want to do it yourself. Let your master be the centre of attention and attraction.

Lower your charisma; suppress your intelligence discreetly and deliberately let your master have the upper hand.

4. Always say less — Most times , when we try to impress people or win an argument by smooth speech, we unknowingly relinquish power and appear very foolish. When you know you

have exhausted your points, back off.

The more you speak, the more common you will appear. To build power the law says spare your words and release wisdom while speaking. Let people leave you pondering again and again on what you said. Choose your words intelligently. “It is said that even a foolish person is considered wise when he is quiet.” However, there are times when keeping quiet will not be appropriate. An example is when someone is accused of stealing. Keeping quiet may mean you admit guilt. Wisdom is profitable to direct.

5. Get others to work for you – The greatest asset any powerful man or woman can have is people –To build power you must surround yourself with people. Employ them to help you achieve success more quickly. The influence of a person grows when he has people working for him. It is vital to train people because i. It will increase your success level just as we said earlier; ii. It will increase growth and potential; iii. It will increase your influence beyond now and obvious borders. The number of people you impact will make a lasting impression; iv.

It will provide successors.; v. Help you concentrate on key areas. It will save you time and energy. At the end of the day, you take credit for the work others did. You must understand that there are skills you do not possess. Therefore, there is need for delegation. Recruiting people to do your work will make you gain massive wealth as great wealth commands power.

SundayBusiness

Glo Adhan to assist Muslims in prayers Stories by Edwin Usoboh

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new product from Nigeria’s total information and communications technology solutions provider, Globacom, will assist Muslims in their prayers especially during this month of Ramadan.

Called Glo Adhan, the new offer is a specially designed Caller Ring Back Tune which alerts Muslims about prayers times and is meant to enable the Muslim faithful to get maximum spiritual value from the holy month.

In a statement released in Lagos on Friday, Globacom explained that Glo Adhan alerts anybody who calls the telephone number of a subscriber ten minutes before and ten minutes after the five mandatory prayer times in a day.

The company believes that the alert service will be very helpful reminding Muslims of the praying time, considering that many of them who are engaged in very busy schedules may not easily remember when it is time to for their prayers.

“It is compulsory for muslims to pray at 5.00a.m, 2.00p.m, 4.00p.m, 7.00p.m and 8.00pm every day in line with the Five Pillars of Islam.

Fasting and regular prayers would increase the grace of Allah upon the faithful,” Globacom observed in a statement.

Glo urged subscribers who are interested in the product to send ‘AZN’ to 7728 or dial *7728*243# to subscribe at the one-off rate of N50 for Adhan service and the standard N100 caller tune monthly subscription charge. It added that the package would automatically change the ring back tune to call to prayer otherwise called “adhan” at the appropriate time.

The company also reminded subscribers of the on-going 200% promo which gives three times value on recharges of N200 and above and data plans of N2,000 and above to enable them stay in touch with family, friends and business associates.

It had in a goodwill message to Muslims in Nigeria to mark the beginning of the Ramadan month, urged the Muslim ummah to uphold the Ramadan virtues of chastity, temperance, moral rectitude and holiness as enshrined in the Quranduring and after the period of the fast.

Natures Gentle Touch Hair to empower youths

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n line with its promise to empower individuals through beauty and style knowledge, Natures Gentle Touch Hair Institute has restated its commitment to provide Nigerian youths with the skills needed to establish a career in the beauty industry.

Speaking on the development, Mrs. Toyin Adepegba, Public Relations Manager, Recare Limited, manufacturers of Natures Gentle Touch range of hair care products, said the company’s decision was informed by the shortage of professional hair stylists in the country.

She explained that the Natures Gentle Touch Hair Institute was established to bridge the gap in hair care services in the country by empowering young people with the knowledge and skills required to practise professional hair care services.

“Our students are taken through an eightmonth intensive training in cosmetology and trichology before practising. They are also exposed to modern styling equipment and experts, who take them through theoretical and practical classes,” she said.

Established in 2006, the Natures Gentle Touch Hair Institute has trained several professional hair stylists, who have gone ahead to begin lucrative careers in the beauty industry.

Students graduating from the institute also have huge potential to make an impact in various other fields beyond the salon. They are employable in the media industry as beauty care experts or product development executives in cosmetic companies.

SUNDAY

28

BRANDS SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

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DELE ALAO his may certainly not be the best of time for the latest entrant into the Nigeria’s pay tv market, Actv.

The pay tv platform is now struggling for a market share of the low-end market, where both GOTV and StarTimes are already established players.

The pay tv dais, which has Godfrey Orkeh, as the managing director and chief executive officer, appears to have made a debut into the market at the wrong time.

It was launched last year when the effect of the fall in the global oil prices was biting harder –making acquiring a new pay tv platform by many people the least on their menu list.

The company said it is concerned about what it considered the high fee charge rate in the industry and is already offering Nigerians some contents in low prices compared with other competitors.

According to the company, the ACTV6000 HD decoder is undoubtedly a customer’s delight with its exceptional video clarity, enhanced sound quality, TV programme guide, recording, picture browsing and pause-TV features.

“The advanced HD decoder that easily fits into one’s pocket and is highly portable is one of the decoder features many customers have been going out for,” the company said.

“The company is also blazing a trail as the first truly Nigerian cable television service provider offering unique indigenous content. It delivers OJI, the first ever Igbo channel, ‘AREA!’ the first-ever Pidgin English Channel and ‘GATTV’ the first-ever Nigerian gospel music programme. It also offers ‘IBILE’ the Yoruba movie and entertainment channel, ‘RANA’ the Hausa channel showcasing the best of kannywood and ‘e nolly’ representing Nollywood movies, series and entertainment with lots of Nigerian content already being produced

Actv battles for survival in pay tv market for the delight of its customers.”

Findings show that to woo the low-end market, the pay tv platform, offers four bouquets with over 56 local and international channels for N1, 999 subscription fee.

The company is now running a promo that gives customers free subscription for three months when they buy its decoder and dish for N10, 000.

However, analysts are of the view that the handlers of the brand must work harder to ensure the survival of the brand in the highly competitive and volatile pay tv market.

According to them, the handlers will have to work on the image or perception of the brand. Most subscribers still do not see the brand as a mass-market brand.

“The choice of the logo and the colour of the brand looks elitist. This is what an average low-end customer has in mind.

And because of this, he or she will not even make a trial purchase of the pay tv,” an expert who craved for anonymity said.

Furthermore, many industry watchers believe that the company needs financial stamina to survive the onslaught especially from GOTV and StarTimes, which appear to enjoy much financial backing from their promoters.

Also, some industry observers noted that the exit of Akpo Daniyan, a highly placed official of the company at inception, should be a source of concern that all might not be well after all for the company.

Daniyan, a highly respected creative guru and brand management expert, supervised the official berth of the pay tv platform. To the surprise of many in the industry, she left the company “quietly” barely three months after operation.

When contacted then on her sudden exit, Daniyan, who has plied her trades at SO & U Saatchi & Saatchi, GLO and Etisalat, did not give any reason for her exit. But her departure might not be unconnected with the policy direction of the company, which may not be in tandem with her vision.

As competition in the pay tv market continues to heightens, the next few months will determine the survival or otherwise of this pay tv brand.

Big & Bold Comms makes a debut B

ig & Bold Communication has made a grand entry into the country’s advertising space.

The company was recently unveiled in Lagos at a mini-launch event witnessed by industry big wigs of the media, clients and prospective clients alike.

Speaking on the vision of the company, the Chief Strategist, Mr. Jide Adeyemi, explained that the company was set up as a strategy agency that would help brands develop winning strategy to add niche value to brands of their client’s business through a multi-discipline and integrated approach.

He added that the company was harmed with young, creative and non-conformist team with a passion in building brands that resonate with the consumers and community.

He noted that the company would help its clients develop interesting grand story that would create an emotional bond between brand and target consumers.

Explaining the rationale behind the choice of name and logo for the company, Adeyemi sighted the analogy of the elephant and the mouse, the elephant offers strength from its size - the fact that it is big while the mouse brings boldness to the table.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, the Managing Director, Prima Garment Africa, commended the promoter of the business for the new prospective and innovative communication ideas they promised to bring into the market.

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Capital Media, Tony Udenze; Executive Chairperson, Marwal Group, Mareme Halong; Chairman, Casers Group, Enyi Odigbo and Chief Executive Officer, Innova DDB Ghana, Joel Nettey, at a press conference to announce the acquisition of Marwal Group West Africa and Innova DDB Group by Casers Group in Lagos…on Tuesday

Agenda for communication mgt under Buhari Chido Nwakanma

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ne of the most significant happenings in Nigeria during the recent 2015 general elections was the admission by former President Goodluck Jonathan of the failure of his communications team and the damage the lacuna did to his administration. GEJ got a bad rap even in areas where he had done significant work because of this failing.

The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has taken off borne on the wings of effective communication during the elections. To succeed, it must continually manage communication scientifically and in line with best practices.

The Ministry of Information is the officially designated organ for organising and handling communication about Nigeria. Unfortunately, it still operates in the “information” arena rather than in the sophisticated world of “communication”. While one deals with

the one-way dissemination or just speaking, the latter deals with listening as well as talking. Whoever heads that ministry in this dispensation must first embark on a change of orientation, if not a change of nomenclature.

As democracy deepens in Nigeria, communication managers must get granular and scientific. The presence of many channels and platforms has empowered citizens, and there is a growing number of advocacy groups as well. It is good for the country but calls for a different form of communication architecture and orientation.

Modern communication management requires more listening than speaking. This concept finds support in the public relations planning model that positions research and action before communication and evaluation. At Federal and State levels, the remit of officers charged with communication management must go beyond press agency.

Much more is required now.

Stakeholder perception audits must be integral to what the Ministry does for the

Government. It should serve in the best traditions as a sensor, gathering intelligence that would inform the plans and activities of the Presidency as well as other ministries.

It would handle reputation management, branding, perception audits and citizen mobilisation.

Let us attempt to set an agenda for the incoming Minister of Information.

1.Make the ministry a Central Office of Communication responsible for all government communication. Currently, every ministry does its own thing.

2.Insight and analytics should be embedded and be the bedrock for all plans and programmes. We call it pre-testing. It is akin to the environmental impact assessments that project managers carry out. Research.

Develop. Pre-test. Deploy. It is important that this task be farmed out to professionals in public relations as well as insights. In the CO NTINUED O N PAGE 29

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

SundayBusiness/Brands

Payporte introduces new payment system

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nline retail shopping brand, PayPorte, has launched its own Internet Payment Gateway with the United Bank for Africa Plc. The payment system according to a statement, will provide ease of transaction for customers and ensure easy and enjoyable shopping experience on the PayPorte platform.

On the innovation, the Managing Director, PayPorte Global Systems Limited, Eyo Bassey, said: “PayPorte as a brand is constantly seeking new ways in ensuring that shoppers experience on our website is delightful and stress-free, but more importantly, business partnerships and opportunities such as this helps the transactional process-

es between customers and suppliers easier and less cumbersome, so we are excited as this is new on our platform. With some of the risks involved in doing online business or ecommerce transactions in Africa and Nigeria, risks such as identity fraud, online scams that affects both buyer and supplier, Ucollect is a solution, which allows suppliers to accept card payments from customers who desire to do online purchases using their various cards. It is a gateway that connects merchants, cardholders, and financial institutions, offering the assurance of secure transactions and timely payments.”

On his part, highlighting some of the benefits of the payment system, the UBA e-Collections Product

Mantrac restates commitment to customer satisfaction

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n its continuous drive to offer value that will enhance business development and growth, the authorised Caterpillar dealer in Nigeria, Mantrac Nigeria, has restated its commitment to satisfy and support customers and business partners across Nigeria.

The company made this known by offering customers the opportunity to purchase and rent a wide-range of high quality used Caterpillar certified equipment at very affordable prices with special discounts. The equipment comes with a six-month warranty.

In a statement issued by the company, Used and Rental Equipment Sales Manager, Greg Obioha, said that the campaign was aimed at interacting and fostering a stronger relationship with customers as well as giving customers the opportunity to see the quality of machines available.

“As a market leader in the industry, we offer unique opportunity to our customer and potential customer through cutting-edge offerings.

For this campaign, we are offering up to 30 percent discount for a limited period and while stock last,” he added.

Commenting on the quality of the used equipment on sale, Obioha said that the fact that the used machines are coming with a six months warranty “shows that we are very confident of

the standard and quality of the machines we are selling. When it comes to reliability, Caterpillar machines are top-class performers.”

He said that one of the aims of displaying the equipment was to educate Nigerians on the rudiments and choices that are available in the used equipment market, pointing out that when buying used equipment, there are certain indices that need to be put into consideration to determine that the buyer is not taking so much risk.

“Mantrac Nigeria has taken responsibility as a Caterpillar certified dealer, to help the customer make the right choices. As a market leader in this category, Mantrac Nigeria, imports the machines and do all the necessary checks according to Caterpillar standards to determine the status of the machine,” Obioha said.

Since machines are prone to wear and tear, Obioha added: “If there are issues or repairs that need to be carried out, we follow Caterpillar strict standards in our workshop where our worldclass trained engineers resolve these issues adequately. We also go further to give a Caterpillar certified warranty on all used equipment for up to six months. This goes on to show you the level of assurance the customer will get from the used machine.”

Manager, Mr. Kene Akpunonu said: “The U-Collect is a simplified integration process, which supports multiple currency transactions in dollar, pounds, naira and euro, it is also

real-time comprehensive, searchable and downloadable reports that can be accessed by authorised personnel as specified by corporate.

“It also has a 24/7 sup-

port system through a customer care interaction centers and allows globally accepted means of payment amongst several other benefits. U-collect is a consolidated Internet

Payment Gateway Solution, which integrates multiple payment solutions and is available in Nigeria on VISA, Verve, MasterCard and e-Tranzact,” he added.

L-R: President, RegionAfrica Robert Bosch, Dr Markus Thill; member of the Board of Management, Robert Bosch GmbH, Uwe Raschke and General Manager, Robert Bosch Nigeria, Ghislain Noumbessy, at the opening ceremony of Bosch Nigeria office in Lagos

Consumers laud Legend’s campaign Deborah Olayode

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n a rare display of brand loyalty and patronage, winners of the ongoing Legend extra stout Taste and Tell campaignin Onitsha, Anambra State, have showered encomiums on Nigerian Breweries for rewarding them. The Taste and Tell campaign, which began in March 2015, according to a statement, has “so far touched 19 different cities across Nigeria as winners continue to smile home with generators, refrigerators, an LED television sets and other consolation prizes.”

The event, which held at Sonia Resorts, witnessed a large turn-out of beer enthusiasts who expressed appreciation to Nigerian Breweries Plc., brewers of Legend Extra Stout for bringing the unique consumer reward

scheme to their doorstep.

Some consumers who could not mask their excitement towards the consumer engagement fest summed up their emotional response at the Legend Taste and Tell campaign in Onitsha.

Alfred Ubani, a dealer in household electronic equipment was full of praise for Nigeria Breweries for the initiative, the statement said.

He was quoted as saying: “I have tasted and experienced other stout brands; but Legend Extra Stout is the best. During my hang out time with friends, I ensure that they were served with a bottle of my favorite brand: Legend extra stout.

Very soon Nigerian Breweries will make me a brand ambassador because of my infectious patronage of Legend. I am so in love with Legend extra stout because

it gives me the energy to achieve my natural desires.

Legend has been my brand in the last four years and I would say it is of the highest quality standard.”

Similarly, Ugochukwu Sebastian, who noted that he has always patronised Legend Extra Stout, said: ‘‘I am here to appreciate the stout brand because it is less filling, no hangover effect and headaches.” Sebastian a 35 year-old civil servant “commended Legend for reaching out and rewarding its consumers no matter where they are, or insignificant their numbers may seem.”

Senior Brand Manager, Stout and Life beer, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Funso Ayeni, pledged that the brand would continue to support and reward its loyal consumers nationwide.

“We have always been

part of them. We will continue to be part of them and we are doing this to reward their loyalty”, he said.

At the end of the Taste and Tell game, three winners emerged. Prince Mbaegbu, Ugadu Fidelis and Ndeche Fabian smiled home with a generator, a refrigerator and an LED television set respectively after correctly identifying Legend Extra stout from three unmarked glasses containing different stout drinks.

He added: “Apart from creating exciting and fulfilled brand experience, the Legend Taste and Tell campaign gave consumers ample opportunity to connect with the brand. Hence, consumers of the brand within the Onitsha axis, the commercial hub of South East Nigeria, were thrilled and enjoyed great music and comedy skits.”

Agenda for communication mgt under Buhari CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 2 8

past, those who have deigned to do it carry out the function in-house. It is setting examinations and awarding marks to yourself. It lacks the objectivity of a third party.

3. Ensure coherent internal communication in Government.

Work with the Office of Secretary of Government/Head of Civil Service as well as the Presidency. Lack of coherence is one of the fundamental failings of government information manage-

ment.

4. Stop fire-brigade and reactive communication.

5. Ensure integrated campaigns that use all the specialties, from advertising through public relations, events management, research, and marketing.

6. Deploy creativity in government communication.

7. Segment audiences effectively. Time to draw up a Nigerian communication demographic map.

8. Deploy digital. A significant portion of youths is now to be found only in that space.

9. Emphasise professional development for the communications team in the Ministry and across ministries.

10. Constant evaluation essential to feed into the insight and analytics loop and serve as an efficient sensor.

Communication will go a long way in making or marring Governments at not only the Federal level but also in the States.

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Markets&Mall SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Boulos Enterprises unveils 4-stroke outboard engine Tai Anyanwu

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oulos Enterprises Limited has unveiled its fourstroke outboard engine into the Nigerian market while marking the 50th anniversary of Suzuki Motor Company, its major international business partner.

Speaking recently in Lagos, Boulos General Manager (GM), Julian Hardy, said the fourstroke engine was in compliance with government’s policy on environmental pollution which necessitated the call to get rid of the two-stroke engine. He said the four-stroke engine is more efficient, durable, environment friendly and consumes less fuel.

“Boulos/Suzuki is the only company in Nigeria distributing 4-stroke engines and sooner or later, the company will start manufacturing automobiles in Nigeria,” he said.

Hardy assured dealers and customers of the company of a robust business relationship.

According to the GM, the event which was graced by dignitaries and dealers from the ministries of fisheries and water transportation from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Lagos, Ondo and Rivers states as well as Cameroon, was aimed at sensitising the dealers on the 4-stroke engine.

“The company is offering the public high quality outboard motors, carefully made to suit the Nigerian waters. What distinguishes Suzuki OBM from other competitors are her exceptional models of outboard motors designed to meet the demand of the market in terms of customer satisfaction.

“The company has a vision of manufacturing products like motorcycles and tricycles among others locally. We have concluded an arrangement to make windscreens in Nigeria,” he added.

Responding, a dealer of Suzuki Outboard Motors from Port Harcourt, Bayo Adedayo, remarked that it wasgood for the company and its dealers across the federation to come together.

“With this sensitisation, Nigeria will be able to know the dangers in using the 2-stroke engine and the environmental hazard involved. Nigerians are used to the 2-stroke engine and it is important that the company educates the supplier on why the people must comply with government’s policy,” he said.

Also commenting, a representative of Ondo State Department of Fishery Services, Rotimi Ibrahim, said: “I took over the affairs of Ondo State Fisheries Department in 1989; and I can say Suzuki products stand out among others.

Lagos GSM Village pleads for pedestrian bridge

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Stanley Ihedigbo he Task Force Chairman of the GSM Village Market Association, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Nnamdi Eleligbo, has appealed to the state government to come to their aid by building a pedestrian bridge across Agege Motor Road for the sake of traders and their patrons.

He said the absence of a pedestrian bridge across the highway had caused the untimely deaths

of customers and traders alike.

He said the leadership of the market association had paid visits to the state government to plead for the construction of the bridge before now but nothing happened.

He regretted that there is no sign that government is considering their request.

Eleligbo said every sector in the economy needs government’s intervention, adding also that government should create an enabling environment for business to thrive

for the growth of the economy.

He said the market opened in 2004 because of the frustration the traders were suffering at computer village in Ikeja.

He said most of the founding members of the market came from the computer village market because of the intimidation and harassment they faced daily from touts and council officials.

Meanwhile, a patron, Alhaji Abdulrasaki, told Sunday Telegraph that he was at the GSM Village to

L-R: Hayat Kimya Nigeria Sales Director, Bilal Yılmaz, and Iyaloja General of Lagos State, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, at the Hayat Kimya unveiling of the Molfix brand at the Intercontinental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos ,recently

SLOT plans new outlets, adopts phone insurance M anaging Director and Chief Executive Officer of Slot Systems Limited, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, has said his company plans to open outlets in many markets nationwide.

Speaking with Sunday Telegraph in his office in Lagos, Ezeigbo said that as the leading phone dealer in the country, Slot was on the lookout for outlets across the country.

He said its Ikotun and Ojudu Berger outlets would be opened in few days’ time. He said the move to open one of their big shops in Ikotun and Ojodu Berger was in line with the spreading out campaign the firm embarked upon to reach its customers nationwide.

Slot’s Human Resource Manager, Mr. Akomolafe Gabriel, who spoke on behalf of the managing director, said the company had introduced a phone screen insurance policy.

He said the screen insurance was a kind of innovation to serve the customers better because a lot of

‘Trade in’ is for a customer who buys a phone and after using it for a long time, decides to get a new one

people come to its outlets with phone screen problems.

“When a customer buys a phone worth N100, 000 and within a month the customer comes back to complain about the phone screen, it is not right for the phone repairers to advise him to buy a phone screen worth over N40, 000,” he said.

He added that what the company actually does is to take up insurance to mitigate the effect of risk or damage to phone screens.

He said the company came up with the idea that if a customer

buys a phone, five per cent of the cost should go to insuring the phone screen.

“If your screen gets broken, instead of the customer to pay say N40, 000 to change it, he or she would inform Slot and we would communicate with our insurance company, IGI, to replace it.

“So, there is no need for any customer to discard his or her phone. As I speak to you, a lot of customers have welcomed the development and bought into the scheme,” he said.

He further said that another product called ‘Trade in’ is for a customer who buys a phone and after using it for a long time, decides to get a new one.

“We have a partner company which is working with us as a phone dealer. They will take over the old phone and the customer will add a little amount of money to get a new phone from our company,” he said.

buy a phone battery, because he could not get the original version anywhere.

He regretted however that he spent over one hour trying to cross the busy expressway on his way to the village. According to him, that spot is one important place where government needs to construct a pedestrian bridge, especially for the vulnerable ones in the society (women, children, the aged and the physically challenged).

Abdulrasaki was not alone, as another customer, Mr. Kenneth Elemaru, said his determination to get the original version of a cell phone took him to the computer village.

“Crossing the road is risky. It is not worth it. I would rather buy a fake version anywhere than allow myself to be knocked down by a hit-and-run driver because I want a good phone,” he said.

When asked if he had not been buying from other markets, Elemaru said he had been to the GSM village to buy phones because they are cheaper in the market.

He added that at the GSM market, one can be sure of buying original phones unlike in other places where you are not sure of what you are buying. But in the event of the customer discovering that the phone he bought from the market is faulty, the market has a general policy of ensuring that it is resolved amicably.

Gatan Kowa traders demand amenities Amaka Nzerem

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raders in the popular Gatan Kowa second-hand clothes market in Abule Egba, Lagos have called on the state government to provide the market with basic amenties, including good roads.

They said for several years, the market has suffered neglect from government in the area of good roads and other social amenities that ought to enhance their business.

Secretary of the Super Cloth Line Business Association, Mr. Toxen Akin, told Sunday Telegraph that traders in the market pay their taxes as and when due and deserve similar support given to other markets in the state.

He added that they need government support in the market as the place has created job opportunities for unemployed youths in the state.

He lamented that the naira’s exchange rate was one of the challenges affecting traders who import their wares.

SUNDAY

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Politics SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

The Sunday Interview

Jonathan’s aide to Buhari: Don’t joke with S’East, S’South p.32, 33

Interview

My deal with Oshiomhole, Anenih - Osunbor p.34 Why Okowa revisited Delta employment scam -Vosa Okotie p.35

Aregbesola

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Biyi Adegoroye Assistant Editor biyi.fire@yahoo.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Lalong

Insolvent states and cry for bailout

he was roundly vilified last November when she urged Nigerians to brace for tougher economic times. Then as the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinator of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, predicated her warning on dwindling crude oil prices which had slipped from $75.20 per barrel down to $74.96 - the lowest level since 2010.

Though the country’s External Reserves rose from $36.6billion at the end of June to $39.48billion by October 16, 2014 and the balance in the Sovereign Wealth Fund at $1.55billion, OkonjoIweala had warned: “The country must brace up for tougher times ahead. We need to review our expenditures and build economic buffers through budgets that would be based on modest oil prices.”

Today, six months later, federal and state governments are in near insolvency. Many of them who ignored the warning and embarked on a spending spree for the elections are not only heavily indebted to various contractors; they are also incapable of paying workers’ salaries, even as executing capital projects has become nonexistent. A number of construction companies are sacking staff due to low government patronage.

Some of the governors in particular have embarked on white elephant, procuring private aircraft, constructing airports and taking loans and bonds to finance various projects which have no direct impact on people’s lives.

With the current level of insolvency in various states in the country, SOLA ADEYEMO, ADESINA WAHAB, ADEOLU ADEYEMO, STEVE UZOECHI, CEPHAS IORHEMEN, MUSA PAM, DOMINIC ADEWOLE, CHIJIOKE IREMEKA and Yekeen Nurudeen investigate how states owe salary arrears and juxtapose it with the cry for bailout In the past few months, the level of bankruptcy has reached a disturbing level where government workers and pensioners found it almost impossible to sustain their families. Activities in many states have come to a halt and only last week the governors, under the aegis of Nigerian Governors Forum proposed a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari for a bailout.

Before exploring the desirability or otherwise of the cry for bailout, a look at the situation in the states which have crippled activities might provide insight into the level of insolvency.

Oyo’s 30, 000 civil servants Though a bit of reprieve is being experienced recently by workers in Oyo State in view of harsher experiences in some other states of the federation, it had been harrowing times for them since the beginning of this year.

Until two weeks ago, over 20,000 of the 30,000

workers of the state were still being owed salaries running into four months. The January and February salaries were later paid, thereby making the workers to heave a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration still owes them three months salaries: March, April and May. When their patience got exhausted in May before the January salary payment, they embarked on strike for nine days, and afterwards suspended it in response to a Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State chapter directive. Upon series of meetings with the government, the recently- elected NLC Chairman, Mr. Waheed Olojede, signed a Memorandum of Understanding stating how the backlog of salary arrears should be paid.

While the government was unable to pay as and when due, the Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade raised a defence that the monthly allocaCONTINUED ON PAGE 38

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SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 S

The Sunday

Jonathan’s aide to B Don’t joke with Sou Senator Ben Ndi Obi is a former Special Adviser to erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter Party Matters and currently the chairman, Peoples Democratic Party Elders Caucus in Anambra State. In this interview with PAMELA EBOH, he speaks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the recent drama at the National Assembly, culminating in the emergence of a leadership which does not enjoy the party’s support

Obi

You served as a Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on inter-party matters. What was it like working with him?

Well, I think President Jonathan did his very best. Serving under him and working with him was a delight and also an experience because he was, throughout his tenure as a President, a perfect gentleman who was more interested in seeing things done properly and wanting lieutenants to come up with ideas on how to make the Nigerian society a better place. If you came up with some suggestions or proposals, he would study them and if they were agreeable to him, he would approve of them.

When I came on board, I was more interested in promoting what in fact is the legacy which he left behind - the legacy of sanitising the entire electoral system, the legacy of one man, one

vote, one youth, one vote. When he made that ground and who may likely come out victoristatement, “Let no one rig election for me, no ous. That helped to shape many things for him Nigerian blood is worth my ambition,’ I said so, you can see that all the states where we did to myself, having been a victim of electoral ma- the workshop was PDP state except for Ekiti nipulation, I should be side by side with Mr. State, the others went to the opposition party.

President in sanitising the process. So, when So, based on my guidance from the workshops, he appointed me, the first thing that crossed he would, having been announced victorious my mind was how to sanitise the process in the by INEC, go ahead to congratulate the winner. country. So, I did a memo to him demanding That was what he did all through. On June 12, that we do workshops on that in all the states 2014, my office in collaboration with the office that elections would hold. Of course we had of the National Security Adviser also hosted a Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. I got his national workshop on how to monitor and cenapproval to do the workshops starting with sor utterances by political leaders particularly Edo State, at the end of every workshop, all with regard to Boko Haram that was a threat the candidates would come out and sign the to the Nigerian nation rather than a political communiqué that was made public. He found issue. That in itself was a very big summit, that of Edo quite interesting because I always outing with all the parties involved. That was sent the summary of the workshops to him and Ikedifethe first public outing of the All Progressives probably ended up telling him what I saw on Congress because they, as a party, endorsed

the workshop and passed it at their National Executive Council meeting and participated.

General Muhammadu Buhari was there, which was a good thing, and we looked at ourselves eyeball to eyeball and said look, ‘we must work together for the interest of Nigeria to work to stop the Boko Haram insurgence. Then on January 14, my office organised another workshop which is now known as the Abuja Peace Accord where I brought in former SecretaryGeneral of United Nations, Kofi Anan, as the Special Guest of Honour and Chief Emeka Anyaoku as Chairman and all the Presidential candidates including Jonathan and President Buhari. There, they hugged themselves and signed my communiqué, that ultimately gave birth to the Abdulsalami Abubakar National Peace Accord of which Bishop Hassan Kuka and my humble self were coordinators. These

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Interview

Buhari: uth-East workshops I normally would brief the then President on the scope. If he was not a man of peace, he wouldn’t have been in support of a transparent free and fair election or approved of all those workshops but at the end of the day, he became the victim of the sanitisation process and he yielded to the wishes of the Nigerian people. So, by and large, Jonathan, to me, remains a great President and a man of peace who did quite a lot and I am sure at the appropriate time, history would place him where he rightly belongs. When you are defeated in an election, a lot of things are said about you. They may not be favorable but after some time, your true assessment would come out and place you where you rightly belong.

Jonathan was perceived in many quarters as a weak President. Having worked with him, would you say he is weak?

That he is humble does not mean that he is weak and that his style of governance was about consulting widely does not make him a weak person. We used to have former President Olusegun Obasanjo who never consulted with anybody and did things the way he liked, people were screaming but every man has his own style of leadership and being a humble person does not make him a weak person.

What in your calculation was the best advice you gave him?

Well, my advice centered on my schedule which was inter party and that is why you see we had good relationship with the opposition party because he needed to be having dialogue with them again and again as time would permit and allow them vent their views.

That was why people were free and most times you would agree with me that no president has been so abused on the pages of newspapers like Jonathan but he never hurt a fly. He allowed them to say what they felt and lived with it. I always told him, ‘just be focused’. The business of the opposition is to distract your attention and make you do the wrong things. That is why they are opposition, so they can come and take power from you but when you understand that, then that wouldn’t bother you. To a larger extent, he understood that and allowed them to do what they wanted to do.

It’s been more than two weeks since the inauguration but the country appears to be in auto pilot with appointments yet to be made. What do you think is happening?

Well I guess he must be waiting for the Ahmed Joda report which has just been submitted. Like you know, Ahmed Joda is one of the most thorough-bred public servant of our time, very well grounded administrator, and so, I think he must have been waiting to receive that report which am sure will include things that should be done immediately and also things that will be the guide to help ameliorate the sufferings of Nigeria. Now, he has submitted the report, let’s see what happens.

What is your view on the emergence of former Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki as the Senate President for the Eighth Assembly and Ahmed Dogara for the Green Chambers, respectively, despite their not being the first choice candidates for the ruling party, APC?

Well, I am sure the Senate President I know very well and I can claim I was one of those who brought him up politically. I was at one time, precisely 1991/1992, heading his father’s presidential campaign, so, I have a very, very close relationship with the Saraki dynasty. So, I know Bukola Saraki extremely well and I know that he is grounded, competent and quite prepared for the job. I have been very instrumental to his political outings. I recall when Obasanjo appointed him a Special Adviser, he was reluctant because for him, he didn’t understand why he should leave his job as an executive chairman of the bank that was doing well and come and be SA to the President. For months, he didn’t accept the job until I spoke with the father on the need for him to accept the job especially for the man Obasanjo and he came on board. Again, when he said he had put in a lot of people as governors of Kwara State and this time he wanted to put his son, the young man Bukola again refused and the father called on me and said, listen; “You know this young man listens to you a lot, I am tired of spending my time, money, goodwill, resources and everything to install people as governor and all I get was abuses and insults. Now, let my man go. I have spoken to him and he is not willing to go; can you go again and speak to him?’ I agreed and sent for him, when he came, I said to him, ‘Look…young man, you have to go and do this job’ and then I came to understand his worry and why he wasn’t too keen. He was like, ‘Why would I leave Lagos and go to Ilorin and stay there’? I then said to him, ‘No, go and turn Ilorin around, make Kwara State the best state. If Lagos is so important that you want to stay there, you can always be there after work on Friday, come back on Monday and continue with your work.’ He finally agreed and accepted to serve. That was how he went and became governor of Kwara State for eight years. Yes, he did quite a lot in Kwara State and he was the Chairman of Governor’s Forum, he turned the forum around and he built a credible image, effectiveness. So, I know that between him and Hon Dogara, the National Assembly would be a place to watch and I believe strongly that he would also create an atmosphere that would be convivial for a good working relationship between the National Assembly and the executive.

Saraki used to be a strong member of the PDP. Do you think PDP used him to pull another stroke?

Well, I think it was a master stroke. It’s a bit of his political dexterity that came to play there; being able to see the lapses in the APC decision and swinging back to his relationship as a former PDP member and to be able to make the PDP understand that they can also play a role in this present dispensation by supporting him for the Senate President and a deal was struck and the deal now yielded PDP as holding the Deputy Senate President, not just any Senator for that matter. Senator Ike Ekweremadu who has been Deputy Senate President for two terms. So, you have also a bundle of experience working hand in gloves with a competent Senate President who is focused and quite a visionary leader, political leader. I can say that about Bukola Saraki without any fear or contradiction. So, like we say in Igbo

land, the left hand washes the right hand and the right hand washes the left hand, that’s it.

When I heard APC took decision that they have decided on the candidates for the Senate and House of Representative, that was quite laughable because in the Green and Red chambers, once you get in there, the Nigerian interest takes precedence, that’s it. In 2011, the APC supported Tambuwal and Ihedioha against the wishes of the PDP, now in 2015, PDP paid them back in their own coin so, it’s like that… when you point one finger at someone, the other four fingers point at you. The scores have been settled now. The best we can say is be happy with that. Wisdom has prevailed on the APC and they have allowed the sleeping dog lie in order to move the country forward; it’s a matter of change. The only way you can get change is by having a peaceful atmosphere.

You can’t achieve change in a volatile setting; we need peace so that the President can hit the ground running.

What are the possible benefits derivable by the South-East from the emergence of Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President in the current dispensation?

He has a wealth of experience, having occupied that position for eight years. His emergence via an alliance between some APC senators and their PDP counterparts can bring some economic and political benefits to the region.

Do you think a South-East person would be appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federations?

My answer is simple. That is an APC affair.

They definitely have to accommodate the South-East. It is in their interest to woo the South-East.

There is this fear that Buhari might not be able to take charge?

It’s not going to be easy to manipulate a man like General Buhari…not at all. Age wise, experience wise, he is thorough and this is somebody who has made several attempts to be President again and again, I think he knows how anxious Nigerians are and he knows he has to do certain things.

How do you feel about his not being at home with international issues? For instance, during his trip to the G7 meeting in Germany, he referred to the German Chancellor as the President of West Germany more than 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall?

Such mistakes can be made. Mistakes of the head are pardonable than mistakes of the heart. What we want is to get Nigeria off the ground and get going. I am sure that must have been a mistake of the head. It was the German leader who invited him in the first place, her name and her designation was in the letter. So it’s not a thing one can say was a mistake of the heart. Everybody makes mistakes, even American President, so, there is no big deal on that. That’s not an issue as far as I am concerned.

How do you see President Buhari’s approach to the fight against Boko Haram?

Oh well, he started on the right footing. Nigerians will give him a lot of support. We don’t want Boko Haram in our country and it’s not about partisan politics, it’s the interest of Nigerians now. He is coming with a lot of experience in that region. I mean he has been in that region as the General Officer Commanding.

He has fought battles before, a retired Army General, former Military Head of State. He has experience to guide him on how to go about it and he has the support of the neighbouring countries which is equally important in this struggle and battle. So, he has everything going for him, the international community is also showing great support to assist him overcome this monstrous body called Boko Haram… ultimately, he will get things done.

Why do you think your principal, former President Jonathan, was unable to win a

second term in office?

There were a lot of party intrigues; the party leadership didn’t conduct themselves well in terms of being honest with the purpose of that election. Quite a lot of things went wrong within the party hierarchy, and then you notice how people were jumping from the party to another party in an election year, that will tell you that all is not well. All of that was responsible for the result we got, shooting ourselves in the foot by indiscipline, impunity and recklessness of the party leadership. We have to pay the price and we have now paid the price but I imagine the party will spring back to reckoning sooner rather than later.

The plan to probe Jonathan’s administration, do you think it will ever be fair or selective?

Well, I have not heard Buhari himself say he wants to probe anybody and until that is done and the way he goes about it, I don’t want to say or pre-empt anything. If he wants to probe, we shall see how he will do that and who and who he intends to probe.

How do you think the tribunal can help in consolidating the gains of democracy in the current handling of election disputes?

I don’t know. If you have a case, the tribunals are there for cases. I went to the tribunal during the struggle to reclaim my stolen mandate. I fought the establishment to a standstill, went through all the gamut of court cases, to courts that had jurisdiction over my case and those that didn’t, it took me round and about the whole judiciary just to wear me down. Those who have good cases, why not, let them go and try. Justice delayed is never justice denied. If you ultimately get justice, so be it.

How do you see the new flock of legislators representing Anambra State especially in the Senate?

Yea, Stella Odua and Uche Ekwunife, they are very sound individuals. They have been success stories in their individual outings.

Uche Ekwunife has excelled as a legislator. she did very well in the House of Representative, stood for the people and represented them well and she has worked very hard. Her campaign was so real on the ground, hard fighting. She fought like a man not even like a woman; her following is massive, ditto for Stella. As soon as she declared her interest to run for the Senate, she relocated to her village in Akiri and she remained there, day in, day out campaigning vigorously. It was clear that she was coasting to victory. Then you look at her record as Aviation Minister, excellent.

Her record is one of the real success stories of the Jonathan administration. Am quite proud of the three of them there and the members going to the Federal House, I know quite a good number of them and I believe they will definitely give a good account of themselves for the state.

With the dwindling oil prices, where do you see Nigeria economy in the next five years?

Well, oil, oil and oil…Oil wasn’t what gave us the strength of our nation, it was agriculture.

But, that’s what our economy heavily depends on.

Yes, but you could see how Jonathan made a success of agriculture. The agriculture policy of former President Jonathan was again one of the most successful policies of his government.

It got endorsement from United Nations, Commonwealth. I don’t believe we should rest our economy on the monolithic economy of oil. It was with agriculture that we did all that we did in the First Republic and even before the first republic, you know, the groundnut pyramid, the cocoa in the West, the palm kernel in the East was the magic of Chief Michael Okpara. The palm kernel was sent to Malaysia, they are now the biggest exporter of palm oil in the world and they are making a lot of money out of it. So, quite honestly, I think the earlier we get back to the ground, the better for Nigeria.

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Politics

My deal with Oshiomhole, Anenih - Osunbor Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, an accomplished academic who was elected into the Senate in 1999 and remained there until 2007 when he became governor of Edo State, in this interview, tells ONWUKA NZESHI about his travails in the Peoples Democratic Party, his defection to APC and why Nigerians ought to be patient with the Muhammadu Bubari administration

What are your impressions of the last general elections that saw your party, APC beating the PDP? I think Nigerian politics has reached an unprecedented stage where an opposition party had to displace a party that had ruled the country for 16 consecutive years. It is a new development and we do hope that it is something that could happen again in the future. I think that it is good for our democracy that we could have such a peaceful transition from, not just one administration but one political party in charge of government to another party. It is an indication that gradually, our democracy is coming of age.

What do you think was responsible for the failure of PDP in the last election? Was it that Jonathan’s administration failed to meet the peoples’ expectations or was it sabotage from within?

Let me say that I have been very reluctant in judging former President Jonathan.

I wouldn’t want to judge him or any other man for that matter. I leave posterity to judge him. But essentially, he allowed some elements to build a fence around him and fence off a lot of people from reaching him. This is a complaint

that I’ve heard from different people across the length and breadth of Nigeria. People who did a lot to help him win the 2011 election and yet were unable to reach him one-on-one after the elections are too numerous to count. I’ve heard of people who held him hostage - people who were not necessarily political assets to him; people who were more of political liability to him than assets. But as to why he allowed himself to be in that position is what I wouldn’t know. I think that’s as much that I want to say about Jonathan.

I believe that he did his best under the circumstances for five years; but his best was not good enough; there is really nothing that anybody can do about it now. He is a lucky man. From not even having any political ambition, he became a deputy governor, governor, Vice President, then acting President and finally President of a country like Nigeria for a period of five years. I think it is an achievement that anybody should be contented with for the rest of his life.

Listening to former President Jonathan at his thanksgiving, I do hope that he feels contented and grateful for having the opportunity to lead a country like Nigeria even though, he has his faults. No man is perfect.

I also have my own faults. He has served his term and I wish him happy retirement.

What’s more important now is the present.

We now have a President, Vice President who can be trusted to do a good job, though they have a government which is facing lots of challenges. We do hope that they will be able to meet the very high expectations of Nigerians.

The Buhari administration is three weeks old and not much seems to be happening. Key appointments that would signal the commencement of governance is still absent and Nigerians are getting worried that they may have been deceived by the change mantra. What are your thoughts on these issues?

Well, Nigerians should learn how to be a bit patient. There is so much impatience on the part of Nigerians which is why traffic congestion, gridlocks and jams have become recurring decimals on our roads.

Most of the crashes you see on the roads are not necessarily because of the bad roads but due to the impatience of Nigerians. There are so many things wrong with Nigeria today due to impatience. The government has being in place for just a few weeks and already people are being impatient wanting to see magic happen. At least, let them give the government a period of grace to settle down. The fact that these appointments have not being announced yet doesn’t mean that things are not being done.

Osunbor

The past administration was criticised for its poor handling of the Boko Haram insurgency and general insecurity in the country. Since the new government came into being, so you think we have made progress?

In the areas of security, I think we need to approach it cautiously. The terrorists always like to capture the headlines and they want to prey on the psychology, emotion and the fear of the people. So Boko Haram has decided to unleash as much terror as it can muster during this time so that

people can start saying that, the change of government is not even making any difference. But we must not play into their hands by jumping too quickly into that conclusion.

From what I know, the President has been devoting a lot of time and attention to this issue of Boko Haram. Even in his inaugural speech, the issue of Boko Haram took more time than any other policy statement he made, which means he recognised that security is paramount on the agenda of the new government to tackle, because without providing security, they can’t really record any serious achievement. As we speak, he has been to neighbouring countries to confer with their leaders on how to deal with the problem.

This man was one of the best generals of his time. He had, as a former general confronted a lot of religious fanaticism in the North. He had dealt with foreign incursion into Nigerian territory under President Shehu Shagari in the past. He knows very well what the terrain is like because he is from that region of the country which is more affected by terrorism. Daura, his home town is just next door to Niger Republic where Boko Haram also wrecks havocs and finds safe haven. He is rather more familiar with the terrain. President Buhari is a war-time Presidential material who knows what strategies to adopt and get the job done.

So when he made the pronouncement of moving the military central command to the North-East, I wasn’t surprised. He has set out to do things differently having realised that directing the pace and mode of operations from Abuja has not really worked. He understands the problem much more than any of us. So let us give him the benefit of patience and time. Let’s allow the government to settle down.

You were once a member of the PDP and later you defected to the APC. What exactly made you to leave the then ruling party?

Well, I think that I have addressed this issue in my previous encounter with your colleagues in the media but the questions keep coming every time. Yes, I was a member of the PDP and I cannot deny the fact that it was the party that gave me the platform to go to the Senate where I served for two terms. This was a political party that gave e the platform to run for the office of governor in 2007. I was the Governor of Edo State for 17 and half months. This was the political party under whose Presidency I was appointed a member and subsequently, the Chairman of the Nigeria Law Reform Commission.

So while all these happened, I thought I owed the party a lot of loyalty. However, there were also quite a lot things which were wrong with the PDP which you know led to the exit of not just me but several other members of the party. As at the time I was left, the party had lost some of the essential ingredients that made it attracted the massive support it had across Nigeria. The party had grown so large that it didn’t give a damn about the feelings of some of its members. The party leaders felt they could do away with anyone and still remain strong and dominant in the polity.

In my own case, the PDP show that it needed people like me whether at the state or at the national level. The PDP never accorded me the respect that I deserved or that many people felt I deserved. On the contrary, the opposition in my state, whether it was the ACN or the APC showed me respect and CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

Politics

Why Okowa revisited Delta employment scam -Vosa Okotie Frontline female politician, Hon. Vosa Okotie, was a staunch member of Chief James Ibori’s political dynasty and sister to former presidential candidate, Rev. Chris Okotie. She served as Special Assistant on Women Empowerment and contested for the state house of assembly and House of Representatives. She speaks with SONY NEME on her life, politics and other issues Could you let us into your background, what led you into politics and your experience so far?

I am a politician. I live in Delta State most of the time and as a politician have been doing my politics here in the past 13 years. Every time we do our birthdays, we are happy because we know that the blessings of God are flowing over our lives. That is necessary, because some people do one birthday, and before the next one they are called home. But it has pleased the Lord to keep us alive. So I am very grateful to Almighty God. Actually, I would say it was by mistake.

I had been out of the country. When my younger sister and I came into Delta State in 2002, it was Senator Ighoyota Amori, a wonderful man, who introduced us into politics.

But it was the then Governor James Ibori that brought us into the mainstream. That is how it works here in Nigeria. In civilised countries, everybody is given equal opportunity, it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or not. It is a level playing field, so long you know what you want to achieve for your people.

Unfortunately, when we got here we discovered that women are not given the same opportunity as men in politics! Here, women have to struggle a lot harder. If there are 20 positions, women will be left with just three.

I think women have made their mark really, and I believe that if given the same opportunity, women will prove themselves more as they have always done in all fields

Okotie

of human endeavour.

Have you run for any office? Are you willing to run again?

Yes I have run for office, but it ended at the primary level in 2007 when I contested for a seat in the house of assembly. That was when Ibori was about leaving office. I asked him if I should contest, and he gave me his word. A lot of things came into play as he later asked me to step down. He said Dr. Emmanuel Udughan would facilitate it for me, when he eventually came into power (as governor).

We were working to bring Uduaghan in as governor. He said so because he knew we had spent so much money. Unfortunately when Uduaghan came in, even when we had worked for him through Ibori, he didn’t do anything for us. That is despite all the money we spent and efforts we put in, including taking all my delegates to Ogwashi Uku where we ensured he was voted in.

Again, I contested for the House of Representative in 2011 as it was zoned to my Abraka people. Initially, Uduaghan had said we should all go to the field a n d l e t the best candidate emerge. So we all came

out, and after spending huge sums of money, we are talking about a federal constituency with all the delegates involved during the primaries, again Uduaghan asked us to step down. Yet, nothing was done to compensate us. At least, I can speak for myself. I have been in politics now for 13 years and except for self-effort, I have not benefited from it, except when Ibori initially made me a Special Assistant on Women Empowerment. Little patronage because of goodwill as everybody knows that you have worked.

Politics I must tell you is very interesting, because apart from elections, women make things colourful. I will be contesting again, because I have learnt a lot from the two times I ran. I know basically that with God on our side, especially now that we have a good man of God as our governor, things will work out well. He is a believer. I thank God because I have known him since 2002. We all worked together in Ibori’s government. We call it ‘system people.’ I believe that if you go to him and inform him of your intentions to run, he will be forthright with you to go and try or not.

He is a straightforward person.

I am the happiest person for Okowa’s government. People could not believe my joy when Okowa won. This was because I remembered that time when there were all the maneuverings in Ogwashi Uku before the emergence of Uduaghan, and the promises that Ibori made to him. I thank the Almighty because I know that he is going to turn the state around for the good of all Deltans. Delta is a blessed state that will now take its proper position as a high ranking state in Nigeria.

It is not a very big state and we have huge allocations that have not been properly managed. I think that with a good governor who has the fear of God at heart, I think that Delta State will be great under his administration.

Are you in any way endorsing Okowa’s reversal of recent civil service employments?

I think that things should be properly done.

As it is today, civil servants are not getting paid and someone is bringing so many more people. Where will they get the money to pay them? Besides, why didn’t the outgoing governor employ them all these years?

Why is he transferring the burden to the incoming administration when he knows that the state is running at zero level as we speak? Aside from that, the process was highly flawed as people from Onitsha and other towns in neighbouring states paid a lot of money to buy off the slots. Some paid as much as N1 million! And you don’t expect the governor to stand

for a thing like that when so many unemployed graduates are roaming the streets; yet the available offers are sold to non-Deltans.

It is unbelievable. I think they have set up a committee, and at the end of the day we will be able to know exactly what happened.

What is your assessment of Okowa?

The life of Governor Okowa has been and will remain a big source of inspiration to a lot of us who are politicians. It just goes to show that anything you are doing in this world, just look up to God because He has the final say.

It is really not of him that wills or him that runneth, it is of God that showeth mercy. Man can plan, man can do all manners of things, but God alone has the final say. When I look at Okowa’s life, I am so inspired. It shows that it is not over for most of us. We have also suffered a lot of the misfortune that Okowa suffered in his political career. It just goes to show that God looks at the heart.

So much for politics. How was it like growing up?

Growing up was really interesting, because my father worked in the prisons officer cadre.

So they used to move him from place to place.

So you were a ‘prisoner’?

Noooo! We were not prisoners, but I benefited a lot from the prisoners. When I was growing up I did not know how to do anything because as prisons officer, prisoners were assigned to the house on daily basis, and they would cook, wash and clean. In fact, they would keep the whole environment tidy. So up until I went to secondary school as a boarding student, I did not know how to wash. Even my school mother then, when she gave me clothes to wash, I would be crying. She eventually taught me how to wash.

Childhood was very interesting.

Did Pastor Chris show any sign of becoming a musician and pastor? Was he rascally?

Oh, yes. He was in showbiz. He had always been a show person from the word go. Nobody thought he was going to end up becoming a pastor, because we were born Catholics.

He was a mass servant. We were in all kinds of groups such as Legion of Mary and all that.

We were living at Ikoyi in Lagos, then European Quarters, and NTA was not far from us. When they were showing children programmes, before you know it as you tune into the station, we would see him there doing JB (James Brown). My parents did not really like it, because they thought it was not what serious children should do then. And my parents tried but he could not just let go.

How would you describe your family?

My family was very closely knit. Up till now we are still very closely knit. We are a very strong family; we have each other’s back. And I tell you, since these past eight years that I have been in Delta State that I C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 9

My father always wanted me to become a newscaster. He felt I have the voice and a good face, but I was not really crazy about that. Just go and sit down and be reading news. So I thought film production was more challenging and went for it

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SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

Kaase’s melodrama, records and lessons Alhaji Abdulmumuni Aliyu

W

hen the media came awash with the explanation by Chief Mike Okiro over an alleged N275million scam in the Police Service Commission, I was thrown aback, shocked and could not come to terms with what could have pushed his traducer Aaron Kaase to such level of self-destruction.

My mind just refused to accept that it is possible for someone who has served for over 12 years as public servant and risen to the enviable position of a Principal Administrative Officer to just undo himself so needlessly without a rethink. It just didn’t add up.

I refused to be persuaded that the pressure he was in at the time could drive him to such extent of mindlessness and ubiquitous malady. When my curiousity got

Obaze

the better of me, I searched for a plausible and cogent reason that could have been behind his action and after painstaking soul searching, investigations and pondering on end, I came to the stark discovery that indeed a deeper horrid force in the life of the young man. Otherwise, how can a man who had a stint in a reputable national daily, armed himself with a Masters degree before joining the Police Service Commission so brazenly scuttle what is evidently a promising and rewarding career?

Though, the mistake often timely made by many is to equate the public service with life elsewhere; Kaase courted trouble from two fronts and that led to is being allegedly cursed. I gathered that for no justifiable reason sent his wife, Marvis with whom he had three children packing. The woman felt betrayed and rained curses on him before leaving. Added to this was the

one allegedly laid on him by Okiro’s predecessor, Parry Osayande for an undisclosed reason; which took the intercession from his colleagues for Osayande to reverse the curse but even at that, an aggrieved Osayande assured that as God lives, the man would face the consequences in the PSC. So when these unfathomed happenstances begin to unfold, it will take a discerning mind no time to fix the jigsaw puzzles together. It is clear that the potency of those curses both from his wife and his former boss has come to bear. One needs to cast one’s mind to the Holy Books to understand the potency involved once the person so cursed is culpable and found wanting…

Even our past renowned thinkers have aptly demonstrated how shallow minded it is for one to show much propensity to seeking the vanities of this world. The American-born English writer, Henry

James quipped; “Money is a horrid thing to follow but a charming thing to meet.”

However, the 26th President of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt captured the more issue money vividly when he said, “Probably, the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm when we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our natures. Quite alarming are the words of Emanuel Levinas, the Lithuanian born French philosopher, when he opined that, ‘Evil is not mystical principal that can be effaced by ritual, it is offense perpetrated on man by man. No one not even god can substitute himself for the victim.”

So too are that of the Irish Journalist and Essayist, Robert Lynd who hit the nail on the head admonishing that, “Never speak when you are angry.

If you do, you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”

To sum up this wisdom bit segment, should also be the admonition from the English preacher, John Wesley who says, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the means you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can and as long as ever you can.”

With this, I find it expedient to offer some few words of advice to Chief Mike Okiro that he should at this point, heed the advice of Sir Winston Churchill, the British Statesman that, “Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.”

How I wish Kaase would imbibe the immutable words of the Swedish former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammers Kjold which says, “Never success hide its emptiness from you, achievement its nothingness, toil its desolation. And so…keep alive the incentive to push on further, that pain in soul which drives us beyond ourselves….Do not look back and do not dream about the further either. It will neither give you back the past nor satisfy your daydreams.”

Prior to that crowded press conference of June 8, 2015, the media had given the impression that he was a whistle blower but revelations of that day proved otherwise.

The chicken was denuded and the stark reality of how inordinate ambition and monumental avarice pushed him to hatch macabre plan to extort money in a bid to finance a ‘befitting traditional marriage’ got skewed was laid bare. Aaron should know better.

It is unthinkable that someone in his right senses would attempt to blackmail an ex-cop, talk less of a highly reputable super cop in the mold of Sir Mike Okiro.

Sure enough, Okiro called their bluff and without prejudice to the investigations of ICPC, the so called anti-corruption crusader and his cohorts have a serious mess to clear. Who says there is no potency in curses?

The hard lesson derivable from the melodrama in the PSC is to pursue virtuous goals always. The process of nation building is one that requires the contributions of all of us. We should endeavour to do what is just, equitable and in the best public interest at all times.

You never can tell, one seeming insignificant malfeasance could boomerang and soil a labour and toil of years past and dash a very promising and rewarding career.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

Politics

‘My secret deal with Oshiomhole, Anenih’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 4

bution did he receive from the PDP national headquarters? The State House also sent money to states for governorship elections.

How much was sent? I don’t know because the money was not sent to me. How much did he get from other individuals and corporate bodies who were contributing money for the election in the state? I don’t know how much he was given, and if he borrowed N200 million for my election after all the contributions, I never saw any N200 million.

But in the interest of peace, I ensured that the one I knew he contributed was paid back to him. So what offence did I really commit against Chief Anenih that he doesn’t want to forgive? Of course it doesn’t surprise me because he had told me before when the relationship was rosy that he doesn’t forgive people. So if I have offended him in one way or another, I know he would not forgive because he told me he never forgives people.

Although, he is not my God and he cannot influence my destiny or whatever God wants me to become in life, if I’m begging him, it does not mean he can make me anything, or can prevent anything that God wants me to achieve. I only asked for forgiveness in the interest of peace and the development of our people.

love and felt that I can contribute to the development of the party and the state.

So while I was showing respect and loyalty to the PDP for having provided me the platform upon which I pursued my political career, the opposition was showing me lots of recognition to the extent that many of my political leaders in Edo State began to wonder what I was still doing in the PDP. They knew the party had sidelined me and there was a clear determination by the one who claims to be the god and owner of PDP in Edo not wanting to see me. He threatened the PDP people never to visit my place to seek my support in any way. So, after considering all these factors and listening to the advice of well meaning political leaders in my senatorial district, I had no option but to bow to the wishes of my people.

I began to reciprocate the gesture of the APC by supporting candidates of the party privately and more so because they were the only ones who came to seek my support.

However, a time came when I felt it was proper to openly throw my support behind the APC and that was before the elections.

You referred to a particular party chieftain whom you said operates like a lord over the PDP in Edo State and one would easily presume you were referring to Chief Tony Anenih, the godfather of politics in that state. Why did you and Anenih find it difficult reconciling your differences even after the party compensated you with an appointment after you lost the governorship seat?

I must thank you very much for that important question. The truth is that the appointment you talked about was not a party- influenced appointment. I got it due to my personal relationship with former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan because the same man who claims to be god didn’t even want Jonathan to give me that appointment.

I’m sure you know that the PDP traded off my position as governor of Edo State. I will be surprised if you as journalists do not know that now. A number of PDP governors were targeted and traded off for the opposition in order for the party to have its way in some other places. If there is a Nigerian who doesn’t know that, then I will be surprised.

So first of all, PDP traded off my position as governor of Edo State.

So if PDP government later gave me an appointment as the chairman of Nigerian Law Reform Commission, was that really a fair compensation for removing me? I remember at that time, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, the National Chairman then, boasted to me that the PDP had 28 states and that the PDP was not bound to win everything. He told me that the PDP was ready to concede some states to the opposition. He also told me that if I didn’t succumb to Chief Tony Anenih I ran the risk of losing my seat. After I was removed, he told me; “You see what I was telling you? Did you see what has happened?” in other words, he was saying that if I had listened to him, I wouldn’t have been removed as governor of Edo State.

Are you saying that it was Anenih and other PDP chieftains that traded off your position as governor and installed Adams Oshiomhole?

What other proof do you want me to give you? When Adams Oshiomhole came in, he gave three commissionership slots to Chief Anenih in appreciation for the help he gave him to become governor. So when people try to insinuate that I became a supporter of Adams Oshiomhole even though he was the one who sent me packing from office, I ask them: Who gave Adams Ashiomhole more support; the PDP leadership or myself?

Of course, I supported Adams Oshiomhole in 2012 when it dawned on me that

Osunbor

The cancer or the desease that killed the PDP in Edo State was allowed to spread to the PDP at the national level.

Somebody destroyed the party at the state, and then you now placed the party at the national level on his laps the DPD leadership was not ready to win the election. I knew that all the leadership wanted was to trade with PDP in that election and amass billions for themselves. I was not prepared to be led by people who were out to use the party to enrich themselves.

Then, I said to myself that if we have all decided to make things very easy for Oshiomhole, why should I withhold my support for him? After all, he has done more work in four years than the PDP could have ever marched in all its years as a ruling party in Edo state.

Mind you, Comrade Oshiomhole has also said publicly that he received a lot of encouragement from some important people in PDP during the 2007 governorship election. When he lost the election, it was PDP people that advised him to go to court. I also know that there were highly placed PDP people who bragged that they removed me from office as governor of Edo State. PDP has done a lot of injustice to me despite all the contributions I made towards the party as a senator and as a governor.

Why did you find it difficult to reconcile with Chief Anenih, when you were told that being at loggerheads with him was going to cost you the governorship seat you had won?

Personally, I don’t know what I did to him, other than that he said, he borrowed N200 million to finance my election. I didn’t see any N200 million that Chief Anenih contributed to finance my election. But I’m aware that he contributed N100 million to the PDP in Edo State and as governor, I ensured that that money was paid back to him. But later, he said that we never paid him any money.

I do know that it was against the Electoral Act for any individual to spend that kind of money in support of a governorship candidate. So is he saying that he violated the Electoral Act and used N 200 million to install me as a governor?

Now, if he spent N200 million of his money to install me as governor, how much contri-

There are speculations that your defection to the APC was strategically done because you still want to contest the governorship of Edo State at the expiration of the tenure of Adams Oshiomhole. How true is this?

Well, I thought that I had stated clearly the reasons why I join the APC. Why I left the PDP is no longer a rumour. Like I said before, the PDP in Edo State is like a personal property of one man. If that one man who is the owner of PDP says he doesn’t like you and you have committed an offence that he will never forgive, would you still remain in that party if you were in my shoes? Many people in Edo State left the PDP over the years on account of this one person. If you have watched the television when people were decamping, they were saying that they were leaving PDP because they were tired of the dictatorship of that one man. And the whole of Nigeria now knows who that one man is. So it is not a secret or rumour that I left the PDP because the conditions in that party were no longer acceptable.

I can say that the cancer or the desease that killed the PDP in Edo State was allowed to spread to the PDP at the national level. Somebody destroyed the party at the state, and then you now placed the party at the national level on his laps, what did you expect? So people also left the PDP across Nigeria on the account of this same man.

Now, the other issue as to my governorship ambition, should also not be a rumour.

In October last year, some youth groups visited my country home in Iruekpen, Edo Etate and made a passionate appeal for me to come into the race. They said, come back and complete the work that you’ve started but did not complete.

In my response, I assured them that I would go into consultation with leaders of thought within my party, the APC and so many other people who have also made the same appeal for me to come back with the same vigour, determination with which I govern the state before. I also told them that I’m now ready and available to come back and serve the people of Edo State once more. So if your people show you so much respect and honour and they are calling on you to come back and govern them, I don’t think it is proper to say no to them. There is no greater feeling than for your people to come and say please, come and provide leadership for us. That is one of the reasons that made me to answer the clarion call by joining the APC. Of course I can only aspire on the platform of my political party which is the APC.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

Insolvent states: Profligacy

Ortom C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

tion of N5.2billion from the Federal Government had dropped to N2.6billion. Aware of the predicament of the state government, Olojede said the union decided to employ diplomacy in resolving the issue with the governmen, he said: “As at the time we met with the government, about 20,000 workers in the state were yet to be paid their salaries and when we came in, the government agreed to pay January salaries.

Later, we made him pay February. What is remaining now are cooperative deductions for the month of February and the government will pay that any moment from now,” he said.

The government claims it pays about N4 billion on salaries of workers per month. Till date, about N12 billion would be needed to offset the backlog of salary arrears of the workers. All efforts made to get the accurate debt profile of the government, however, proved futile as the government officials who have been dropped and yet to be re- engaged, kept sealed lips.

The paucity of funds in the government coffers has rendered some projects abandoned or uncompleted. Example is the multi-billion naira five-star hotel inaugurated about three years ago, located close to the famous Premier Hotel at Mokola Hill area of Ibadan. Aside the fencing of the expanse land, the contractor’s work had since stopped. Work on some major dualised roads under construction across the geo-political zones of the state had also been stopped before the electioneering campaigns started late last year. With the re-election of Ajimobi, it is however hoped they would be completed soon.

Ekiti’s two months pay Ekiti State Government is owing its workers two months’ salaries - September 2014 and May 2015. The first being the pay Ayo Fayose administration inherited from the Kayode Fayemi government last September. Fayemi owed August and September 2014 salaries by the time he handed over to Fayose, but the current administration has only paid that of August.

However, due to the sharp reduction in statutory allocations, Fayose had to merge two months’ allocations to be able to pay April 2015 salary. Commenting on the development, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Sam Akosile, said the situation is still within tolerable level.

Akosile, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, added that union leaders were in the know of the financial situation of the state, as they were informed by the government.

The state’s debt profile is said to be on the high side as Fayose said he inherited financial obligations amounting to N69 billion, while Fayemi put the debt profile at N34 billion.

Okorocha

Also, the manner the N25 billion bond Fayemi sourced from the capital market was expended on projects such as State Pavilion, New Government House, Civic Centre and New Governor’s Office, has generated controversy between the two sides. To Fayose, such projects were white elephant projects which are outside the core needs of the people.

Imo burdened by debt, unpaid salaries In the light of the current cash crunch across the federation, it could be rightly said that Imo, like several other states, is struggling to stay afloat. Federal allocation to Imo State which had been averaging N4.7 billion monthly, came to N4.25billion in September 2014 but recent comments by the governor indicate that the state allocation may have dropped to as low as N1.9billion. The state wage bill which had been around N1.9billion monthly as at 2011 has presently climbed within the range of N2.3billion to N2.5billion monthly.

Efforts to get the exact debt profile of the state were unproductive as the immediate past Commissioner for Finance; Mr. Iyke Njoku declined to respond to the requests of our correspondent.

He demanded a letter of application. Presently, there is no Commissioner of Finance to offer an official figure.

However, materials from the Debt Management Office indicate that Imo has an approximate local debt load of N12.6 billion as at the end of 2013 which is estimated to have climbed to about N34.6 billion presently. The local debt is further burdened with a multilateral external debt stock of about $52.950 million.

This may, however, not give an exact picture of the debt profile of the state as this area of the state’s finances is largely shrouded in secrecy.

Not too long ago, a group of contractors accused the governor of owing them over N10 billion being unpaid obligations for contract works executed for the state during the governor’s first tenure.

Presently, civil servants are owed two to three months arrears of salary. Though the government in a statement signed by Sam Onwueme-

We have not seen a single state where the entitlements of the political class including the governors are in arrears...they mismanaged this process and should be responsible for repayment

Ajimobi

odo, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, insisted that workers are being owed only one month salary, it is apparent that there has been some kind of staggered payment with some ministries and parastatals receiving salaries for the month of April while others received nothing. Consequently, there are some who are owed for one month, some for two months and others, mostly parastatals beyond four months.

Our correspondent gathered that while Ministry of Information and Ministry of Agriculture are owed two months’ salary, Ministry of Finance and the Government House staff are owed only one month. While workers of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation are owed two months arrears, their counterparts in the Imo Transport Corporation are still being owed salaries for upwards of seven months, employees of the Imo State Hospital Management Board, a parastatal of government are also three months adrift in unpaid salaries while employees of the Specialist Hospital (formerly General Hospital) Umuguma have gone five months without salaries.

In the Imo State House of Assembly that just rounded off last week, House members and staff members of the Assembly did not receive their salaries for the last three months of their tenure. Some of the legislatures could not hide their anger and disappointment with the state government during their valedictory session.

Amosun and appointees salaries The issue of unpaid salaries has become a subject of controversy in many states but in Ogun State, the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun has always strived to ensure prompt payment for its workers. The May salaries of civil servants from Grade Level 1 - 12 were paid last week by the state government while those on Grade 14 and above were paid this week.

On the issue of debt profile, the state government has often claimed a relatively low figure but political opponents argued that the financial exposure of the state is much more than the figures from official quarters.

According to some opposition chieftains, the government has not revealed the state’s actual indebtedness in terms of contingent liabilities, which include arrears in workers entitlements, pension arrears, unpaid subvention to tertiary institutions, cooperative deductions, debt owed project contractors and other government suppliers.

Immediate past Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun had dismissed the several huge figures bandied by opposition chieftains.

She had stated that the state owed N35.6billion as at December 2013 but some stakeholders kicked against it.

Benue’s legendary overhang Benue State’s debt profile stands at N90 billion, while workers are owed five months salaries and pensioners are agonising over eight months of pensions. The state chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Mr. Joseph Ikyume said it has been a harrowing time for the pensioners to meet their daily obligations.

A breakdown of the debt profile of the state as disclosed by Governor Sam Ortom shows that N50 billion is for ongoing projects, N18 billion for certified ones, N12 billion for salary arrears, while bonds and bank loans gulped N10 billion.

This debt overhand has almost crippled activities in the state. Speaking to Sunday Telegraph on arrears of salaries owed workers, the state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Godwin Anya said, already the congress has commenced dialogue with the state government on how to tackle the problem to alleviate the hardship being faced by workers.

Comrade Anya condemned the appointments made by the former governor at the twilight of his administration describing it as ill-fated and evil. “If you are unable to pay the old workers that are there and you are bringing new ones, then it means bringing them at a point of handing over to the new administration, some of us don’t see that as being fair at all. We felt that those last-minute appointments were ill-advised and that is why we cannot defend such employments. It is evil, let me put it like that.”

Osun’s elephantine projects One of the major culprits is Osun State which is yet to offset salary arrears of its workers in the past seven months. Already, it is causing a lot of havoc in the state as the development has torn many homes apart. The current economic status of the state has been blamed on its profligacy with its on-going airport project and procurement of a helicopter by the state governor.

The development has turned many civil servants in the state to beggars for food, money and other items to keep soul and body together. Already, churches like Living Faith Church (a.k.a) Winners Chapel), Redeemed Christian Church of God and Muslim organisations are now distributing food and money to the unpaid workers in their different churches and mosques in the state.

Solutions, however, seems to be far off as the governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola recently said that he is still looking for ways to pay the workers. Also, the debt profile of the state as put by the former chairman of Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore under the present administration was N480 billion.

Omisore claimed that the monies were loans taken from the federal government, banks and

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and cry for bailout

Okowa

other financial institutions but Aregbesola in his prompt reaction retorted that Omisore fabricated the figure of N480billion to discredit his administration.

Though, the state government which truly claimed that, it took a N14.4billion Sukuk bond in two tranches and approached the capital market for a N30 billion loan, also listed some of its on-going road projects as the Gbongan-Akoda Road; Osogbo-Ila-Odo-Kwara Boundary Road which it said all together cost over N60billion.

It said also that while the Gbongan-AkodaOsogbo Road costs N29.2 billion, the OsogboIlaodo-Kwara Boundary is to gulp N17.8billion while the Oba Adesoji Aderemi Second Bypass Road will cost N14.5 billion.

After unsuccessful pled with the state government, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, had two months ago declared indefinite strike to claim workers outstanding arrears. He said that “there is no going back on the decision until their demands are met.”

Plateau’s N104 billion debt and N11billion salary arrears Civil Servants in Plateau State are being owed over 11billion by the state government in salary arrears for the past seven months. Investigation revealed that the civil servants monthly wage bill is N1.7 billion.

Chairman Nigerian Labour Congress in the state Comrade Jibrin Banchir who disclose this to Sunday Telegraph in Jos said the past administration of Senator Jonah David Jang was insensitive to the plight of the Civil Servants in the state.

Few days after taking over the mantle of leadership in the state, Governor Simon Bako Lalong disclosed that Jang left N104 billion debt in his handover note to him.

Salaries, arrears, owned in Delta In Delta State, issue of salary arrears only affects local governments. Hence, the Association of Registered Political Parties has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the alleged pilfering of funds meant for the 25 Local Government Areas in the state.

No fewer than 21 council areas are being owned billions of naira since last year in the state. They include, Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Patani, Isoko South, Isoko North, Udu, Ika South, Ika North-East, Oshimili South and Ndokwa West. Others are, Ndokwa East, Ukwuani, Ughelli South, Ughelli North, Okpe, Sapele, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Uvwie, Oshimili North and Warri South.

For this reason, the state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees had been on strike over their unpaid salaries

and allowances. While ARPP petition, dated May 25, 2015, co-signed by its chairman, Hon. Moses Abeh and his Secretary, Chief Victor Egwuenu, called on EFCC to swing into action and accused the outgone administration of diversion of council funds since November 2014 and appropriated same for the 2015 general election in favour of Peoples Democratic Party, and personal interest and purposes, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria in the state, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, said the burden of paying primary school teachers has crippled the running of the councils.

But ARPP disagreed with the ALGON chairman, querying the whereabouts of the N50 billion Governor Uduaghan borrowed from the stock market, the N20 billion the former Acting governor of the state, Prince Sam Obi, swiftly accessed when the Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo state on November 9, 2010, in an election petition filed by Chief Great Ogboru of the defunct Democratic Peoples Party, sacked Governor Uduaghan for 90 days and a rerun election ordered, the N25 billion the governor accessed again when he was sworn in after the 2011 general elections and the N40 billion he borrowed two months to May 29 to complete uncompleted projects scattered across the state, which allegedly skyrocketed the debts profile of the state to over N300 billion.

Although Uduaghan expended part of the money on building mega schools and renovating others, it was obvious that capital projects like the N49 billion Delta Leisure Parks, the budding Asaba International Stadium, AsabaUghelli-Warri road dualization, Asaba International Airport, among others, were left in the doldrums.

Ikpokpo exonerated Uduaghan from the alleged fraud, even as the state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade David Ofoeyeno said “the state government has been augmenting council allocations with over N600 million monthly.”

The ALGON boss explained that some Local Governments spend more than what was allocated to them since October 26 last year when they were sworn in, hence they have been paying half salaries to their workers.

Bailout dangerous Looking at the move to request for bailout, an associate Professor at Redeemer’s University and a security expert Femi Adegbulu said it is a mere palliative in the sense that when government does what is normal, such like embracing true federalism to end the situation whereby state governors rush to Abuja to collect allocation at the end of the month, such request will not come.

He noted that true federalism is needed as the federal government in which the governors are demanding bailout from, is also indebted, saying it’s an abnormal situation for the state government to go to the centre and be asking for bailout when there are a lot of mineral resources in the state that they tap.

Speaking on how the state got to this position, he said, “Some years ago, state governments planned their budgets on the oil money. Now that oil price has fallen and federal and foreign reserve depleted, they have not changed their budgets, rather they still maintain the old budget Also, a professor of Political Economy and Economics, at the Lagos State University, Omotoso Adewale, said there has not been any concerted effort towards bringing state government to accountability, stating that it’s a corruption galore for the federal to state and to local governments.

“They are all the same. They do what they like with the state money. Now, that a new regime has come with anti corruption crusade, every public official will give serious account of his stewardship. Though not all of the state are owe its staff, those frugal states are not, but the truth remains that some states have no single money to do what they want to do.

“Except for the prodigality of other governors for not using the money for what it’s meant for, some are not rich. There is no need for bailout because the country is broke. If federal government bails them out, what happens to the federal government’s capital projects? Will that mean that FG will sell bonds to bailout the states? It’s a crazy idea. The state should make themselves viable through taxes and other means to create revenue for the running of the states,” he said.

Adegbulu says the solution to the problem is to allow the states some degree of autonomy to be able to rule themselves and tap the resources within their territories. “It’s only then that less pressure will be put on the FG. Anything they are doing now is nothing, because the FG owes due to the fact that the national purse is depleted.

“In a state like Ondo, bitumen oozes out on its own without anybody to tap it. And it’s an essential ingredient you need to tar roads. Our roads are bad yet we have basic raw material but can’t use it because the state are not enabled to tap this due to of one nonsense federal structure or whatever you will call it.

“There is not state of federation that does not have quantum of resources to tap to pay her staff salary but the kind of constitution we operate does not allow them to do that. Except we go back to post independence era when each state was given power to develop its region and pay some percentage to the Federal Government. If we had this, we can’t get into this trouble and some of the states have forgotten that they have something to tap.”

Bailout unacceptable - NLC The Nigerian Labour Congress, for its part, has described the request to the federal government by state governments owning workers salaries to grant them bail out as a bad precedent by the affected state governments.

The labour body said such request was an indictment on the managerial capabilities of the state governors that are owing workers’ salaries.

NLC General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson told Sunday Telegraph in Abuja that such bail out if must be given must be clearly worked out and must not be a dash from the federal government to the state governments.

His words: “We take the position that is states that are owing arrears of salary and even pension over this long period of time in itself is an indictment on the management capabilities of those states.

“Whereas we know that there have been some fiscal crisis elicited as a result of the situation in the international oil market and the price collapsed. That has translated to lower of shares to states from the federation account. That we know but the question is salary of workers and entitlement of retirees, why should they be the one to suffer?

“We have not seen a single state where the entitlements of the political class including the governors are in arrears. To begin with, they have mismanaged this process and they are responsible for redeeming by paying back what they are owing.

“If in a particular case of some states they are now unable particularly where you have new governors and they therefore making proposal to the federal to bail them out to be able to tidy up this process. We think that such bail out must be clearly worked out such that the repayment terms would be clearly known. Because it cannot be a dash from the federal government to them. The federal government is also affected by the fiscal crisis.

Ozo-Eson said this will be like giving free gift to compensate to those who have been frivolous in the management of their public fund.

Politics

Why I’m not in my brother’s party -Vosa Okotie C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

was not given anything by the Uduaghan government, even though I worked for him, I say it all the time and I stand to be challenged, it was my brother, Pastor Chris Okotie, that kept me going. He made sure that I lacked nothing. He has always been there for all of us. I just thank God for taking him to a greater height. And today he is a very influential person in the society. And in terms of wealth, God has really blessed him.

Even when nothing was done for me here, I didn’t even realise it because I still live my life the way I have always known it. In all my life, I have never lacked. I don’t know what it means to lack.

Why are you in the Peoples Democratic Party and not in your brother’s Fresh Democratic Party?

The truth of the matter is that I have been in PDP before pastor now decided that he was starting Fresh Democratic Party. It was a new party, we had a discussion and he gave me his blessings, because I had been building my career already in PDP. If you were not in politics, what would have been doing?

I would have been in the media, because my first degree was in Mass Communications at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I specialised in film production. I can produce films, and I intend to do that. I have written some scripts which I am working on. When I get a sponsor, I will hit location. My father had always wanted me to become a newscaster.

He felt I had the voice and a good face, but I was not really crazy about that. Just go and sit down and be reading news. So I thought production was more challenging and went for it. So if I was not in politics I would be a producer. I will still be a producer because I know that I can manage both of them together.

People see politicians as rogues and people without conscience. How do you view such insinuation?

Well, I think it is because of the way things are going in the country. Politics has become a do or die thing, because people believe that once you get in there, you have unlimited access to wealth, influence and all of that. In a way it is true, because the amount of money I hear they get at the National Assembly from the grapevine, I don’t know how far it is true.

With senators receiving N40 million quarterly, and House of Reps members pocketing N28 million, people will kill to get such money.

All you do is to just sit down and after three months, you get that kind of money? A lot of time they travel and they don’t attend plenary!

You see it is not just about serving the people, but what you can get. That is why when they go out of office, in no time their lifestyle changes. It becomes difficult for them to take care of themselves. That is why I am really proud of myself. For eight years I had nothing, yet I look better than when I was in government. I’m somebody who can’t really sit in one place as I keep myself busy. I think politicians should imbibe that culture to stop depending so much on government.

The first thing they should think of is how to work for the people. Not having people running around them and all you do is give out handouts.

That is not good enough. If you are in a position, use it for the benefit of your people.

Either you give out scholarships or something that your people will benefit from. Look at what transpired at the centre, you had people embezzling pension funds and nobody was doing anything about it. That is why people have that perception that corruption has become synonymous with politics.

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Politics

Aisha Buhari and her first Aso Rock dinner Villa Notes emmyanule@yahoo.com

Anule Emmanuel

W

ife of the President, Mrs. Muhammadu Buhari penultimate Saturday hosted All Progressives Congress women and youths to what was described as an appreciation dinner at the Aso Rock conference center in the presidential villa.

The elaborate reception was put together to thank APC stakeholders for tirelessly working to ensure her husband’s victory in the March 28 presidential election. As expected, the large hall inside the conference center which was tastefully decorated with the white and blue colors of the APC was filled beyond capacity.

The women were flamboyantly-dressed, so gorgeous to attract anyone’s attention.

Interestingly too, they did not disappoint any one at the event in seizing the unique opportunity to flaunt their wealth in attires. It was appearance in the definitive. They were invited from across the 36 states of the Federation.

As early as 7:30 pm, the guests had started trooping into the venue waiting for the chief host, wife of the President. Most of the women particularly those outside of Abuja were conveyed to the venue in the large capacity buses popularly called ‘El-Rufai buses’ owned by the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company, an agency under the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

The organisers took time to arrange the tables in the hall with each one labeled against

delegates from each state. Although, attendance at the event was strictly by invitation, as early as 8:00pm, every seat was occupied leaving several people with the option to stand or pair with those who could accommodate them.

No one wanted to be left out of the hall. For most of them, that was a rare opportunity in the last five years to enter the villa and to have a meal at the presidential villa. Some conversed in low tones saying, “At least, let me also eat this villa food. It’s been long that I last came to the presidential villa.”

Since it was an appreciation dinner, the visitors were also expecting to receive gift items.

Fortunately, they were not disappointed.

While the dinner was being served, the ushers had already started distributing the gifts raped in APC’s corporate paper bags ranging from clothes and kitchen utensils. The excitement on the faces of the women as they collected the items was not hidden. As if to say, ‘we will vote for your husband again’.

One discussion which dominated amongst the guests was why Aisha decided to be addressed simply as ‘Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari wife of the President’ instead of First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Her predecessor and other wives of Nigerian leaders were so regarded in addition to being referred to as mothers of the nation.

Maybe, it is because the President had promised that there would be no such office as that of the First Lady during his campaigns, they also wondered. Although, President Buhari had made the declaration during his campaigns, he rescinded at some point in order not to lose the several votes of women across the country.

Among notable guests at the dinner were the APC National Women Leader, Hajia Ramatu Tijani, former governor of Rivers State Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi who also served as chairman.

Others are wife of the Imo State governor Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, Wife of the APC national chairman, Victoria John Odigie-Oyegun, wife of Speaker of the House of Representatives Gimbia Dogara and wife of the Senate President Toyin Saraki.

Everyone including Ameachi who spoke at the event, extolled the virtues of APC women and their resilience in the last elections, particularly those at the grassroots. What was certain in the goodwill messages that poured in, was the fact that President Buhari will also need to push further the policy on affirmative action, giving women more opportunities in governance and in the political space. ...And that her bombshell When it was her turn to speak, Mrs. Buhari bared her mind on what she expects from her husband’s well wishers, friends, associates and party stalwarts. The President’s wife understands her husband so well and of course, more than every Nigerian. She knows too that he is in for a serious business having prepared for the plum job for several years.

President Buhari indeed, must have been nursing the dream to rule Nigeria since 1999 as a civilian president. He made the first attempt in 2003, the second attempt in 2007, the third attempt in 2011 and hit the ground again in 2015 to clinch the most exalted office in the land.

Armed with the task ahead and the unshaken principles of her husband, as he leads the

country for trhe next four years, Mrs. Buhari also understands that bad influence could derail one’s focus and even that of a leader.

After pouring praises on the APC women for standing strongly beside her husband in ensuring his victory and that of the party in the last election, she warned those hovering around President Buhari with clandestine and parochial interests to know that the game has changed, it is not business as usual. Her revelation that in the past, some aides allegedly received bribes of $50,000 from each visitor who wanted to see the president or the First Lady proves the point that integrity would be the watchword of this government particularly in the presidency.

Hear her out; “We are praying and hoping that people around him should know that it took him 12 years to get to that position and they must know that they are coming to serve the masses, not General Buhari in person. It is the people that are around him that will determine the political health of our state.”

This statement did not come without a loud ovation from the guests at the well attended dinner. Considering her remarks, it becomes clearer on why the Duara-born General is taking his time to make key appointments.

In shopping for his cabinet members, the President has insisted that only persons with impeccable character would be given the opportunity.

If this is achieved, Nigerians will watch closely how effective the President will be able to execute his promised war against corruption as well as tackle other numerous economic and security challenges facing the country.

Bayelsa 2016: Between dark horse and Dickson Iyobosa Jackson

I

t is often said that even two weeks is a long time in politics. In Bayelsa State, prevailing indications are that between now and next year when a governorship election will take place in Bayelsa, much is bound to happen. Expectedly, the Peoples Democratic Party’s loss at the last elections and festering interpersonal frictions with key personalities in Bayelsa may have truncated Governor Seriake Henry Dickson’s lone-star run. What remains to be known now is the likely dark horse that will be the beneficiary of what many critics perceive as the governor’s excesses.

Although Governor Dickson may not have made good an expected 2014 bid to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, not a few of his party members swear that his chances of getting the nod to fly PDP’s flag for the gubernatorial poll, scheduled for the end of the year, are getting dimmer by the minute. And this is no thanks to what has been dubbed his many ‘sins’ in the past three years.

“He has sinned against our party, our state and Nigeria. Even the democracy that we cherish so much, Governor Dickson has sinned against it,” Priye Lawrence, a Yenagoa resident says.

According to available information, the embattled governor who was thrown up for the office courtesy of the benevolence of the immediate past first family of the country, has over the years jettisoned the very ideals that stood him out for the job. For a man who rode on the heels of the strong support of the former first family, it is quite instructive that he could have frittered away such goodwill within three years. He has been accused of various sins against his state, the people and his party. His band of supporters is waning by the day and it is yet to be seen if there is any redemptive opportunity for him as the date for the primaries draws close.

Question is: What exactly is Dickson being accused of? To start with, the governor

appears to have stepped on so many toes.

First was a fight against the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and her godson, Waripomowei Dudufa, who was a presidential aide under Jonathan’s administration. For some inexplicable reasons, Dickson’s loyalists trumped up allegations against the former president’s wife, accusing her of planning to destabilise the peace and the prevailing stable political atmosphere existing in Bayelsa State at that time. She was also alleged to be using about 1,000 political thugs.

When that allegation could not be substantiated, the governor and his cohorts dropped it and opted for fence-mending with the former First Lady’s family. Some would say it was a mere face-saving ploy as there was no indication of remorse.

In a related development, the Bayelsa State chapter of PDP, apparently prompted by the governor, expelled nine of its members from the party over alleged anti-party activities in the last elections. The development which was conveyed to members via a press statement claims that the decision for the expulsion followed a unanimous voice vote by members of the state executive committee, after deliberations on a report submitted by the chairman of the PDP Disciplinary Committee.

The decision for the expulsion was contained in a statement presented to journalists by the state acting chairman of the party, Chief Serena Dokubo Spiff, at its secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The affected members are Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, Mr. Nestor Binabo, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa and Mr. Chamberlain Kren Ikidi.

Others are Mr. Osomkime Blankson, Mr. Emmanuel Okponipre, Mr. Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei. Others were Col. Sam Inokoba (retd.) and Senator Emmanuel Paulker, while Fiebai Gbeinbo was suspended for three months. The statement added that the following members; Mr. Leghemo Kaiser and Mr. Denyabofa Dimaro were to

render an apology to the leadership of the PDP, while Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede and Mr. Dan Omubo-Dede were reprimanded.

The development was largely seen by most PDP members as an affront to immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, as most of the affected party members were identifiable associates, friends and very close allies of the former president.

The governor too has made enemies across the Niger Delta in the last several months.

Till date, questions are still being asked as to the reasonableness in Dickson constituting a committee to review projects being executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission in the state. Though he attempted to assuage the resultant bad blood generated by his action, many stakeholders in the NDDC across the region still see the governor’s action as designed to persecute targeted persons; and not as he argued, to ascertain if the state is getting its fair share of the intervention fund. His statement on this note betrayed him. Hear Dickson: “As I said, while inaugurating this committee, this state must be in a position to determine whether we are getting our fair share of the NDDC intervention funds. Secondly, we are also interested in seeing to it that, those who are selected by the NDDC as contractors to execute intervention jobs in Bayelsa actually do so. That is why this committee was put together.”

Other reasons abound why elders and stakeholders in the politics of the state now hold that Dickson’s time is up. “He must not think of a second term. He knows himself that nobody wants him back in office apart from his cohorts who desperately seek the collapse of our Bayelsa,” retorted Preye Johnson, a Yenagoa-based architect.

In politics, both real and unreal accusations sometimes drive a formidable wedge between a candidate and the constituents he seeks to represent. According to several Bayelsans, Dickson’s many ‘sins’ include covert moves against President Jonathan’s

re-election by reaching out to the APC and ex-Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi on all issues regarding the last elections.

According to an online media report which ought to be taken cautiously, in awareness of the odds against his second term ticket if Jonathan had won the March 28 presidential election, the governor wanted Jonathan to lose so that he can win. “Dickson made ‘secret’ moves for the president to be defeated while still making the right noises in the public in order to counter Dame Jonathan’s metaphorical shovel to bury him politically,” the report alleged.

What prevails now may seriously hurt Governor Dickson with the growing perception of being one man that must not be allowed to run things in the state if he seeks a second term ticket.

This was demonstrated last February 5, when Dickson was humiliated at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, venue of the PDP presidential campaign rally. After the frenzied crowd had enthusiastically received Jonathan, the atmosphere was fouled when the president tried to urge them to cooperate with Dickson Instructively, as Jonathan made the call for Dickson’s support, the crowd responded with loud shouts of “No! No! No!” Stakeholders in Bayelsa PDP and others actively involved in the affairs of the state argue that a major upset awaits Dickson in the countdown to the governorship polls in the state. The reasons are not far-fetched. The state PDP might not be interested in fielding him. The governor is also a hard sell if the opposition party in Bayelsa adopts him as their flag bearer for the election. With the way things are playing out, it is quite possible that a dark horse might as well knick the governorship ticket of Bayelsa State. If that happens, it should not surprise the incumbent who also got into office as a dark horse favoured by the former President Jonathan and his wife. History may as well repeat itself.

•Jackson contributes this piece from Abuja

Life SUNDAY

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Freed Ondo regent laments: My captors put me through hell Babatope Okeowo

T Akure

he Regent of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon, returned to her palace after 14 days in captivity. BABATOPE OKEOWO brings excerpts from her meeting with her subjects after her release.

Sixteen days after her abduction and 24 hours after she was rescued by security agents, the Regent of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon, has returned to her town where a new set of rites were performed on her as the traditional ruler of the town.

The new traditional rites, according to chiefs in the town, were to cleanse her of any defilement that she must have gone through during her stay in the kidnappers’ den for 14 days. The two sets of rites were to fortify her against any future attack and to reinstall her as the monarch of the town, having stayed away for days more than necessary.

The regent was on her way to Akure, the state capital, where she wanted to attend the 69th inaugural lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

The lecture was delivered by the ViceChancellor of Adekunle-Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, when she was kidnapped barely 10 kilometres to her home town. She was abducted with her driver and two others. She was in the custody of her kidnappers until she was rescued by security operatives on Tuesday.

The elated but psychologically disturbed monarch told the chiefs and residents of the town who came to welcome her that her experience in the hands of her captors was similar to that of Biblical ‘Daniel in Lion’s den’ as she never thought she would be freed alive. Although she said she was fasting and praying for her release, she doubted if she would make it alive because of the demands of her abductors and the issue raised by the kidnappers over the dispute in respect of the installation of a new monarch for the town.

Omosowon is the third regent of the town since the demise of Oba Adekanye Omosowon in 2004. Efforts to install a new monarch have also been frustrated by different suits instituted by the contestants to the stool. She said she was afraid that she could be killed to allow for the installation of a new monarch. One of the kidnappers told her that her life had been paid for and she would be killed whether or not any ransom was paid.

According to her, the kidnappers demanded for a ransom of N200 million, an amount she was not sure could be raised either by her community, the local government or the state government considering the present economic realities in the country. Also, she said the reference to the obaship tussle in the town made her fret as the kidnappers accused her of preventing the installation of a new monarch for the town.

She thanked Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, for the role he played in ensuring her release and for deploying the state’s resources in making sure she did not die in captivity. She also thanked the

Other victims released with the regent

immediate House of Assembly member in the town, Hon Abiodun Ogunbi, and the security agencies in the state.

The monarch, who spoke in Yoruba, waxed Biblical. She said when she was being led away by her captors through a route unknown to her, she had in mind that she would not die any death but live to tell of the glory of God. Her words: “They took us into the bush and we had to trek for hours before they took us to another location along Akure/ Owo Road in the middle of the night. They hit my head with an object and blood started gushing out. They ordered us to lie on the floor.

“We were taken to another location and from there to another forest where they released my secretary and one security official.

The kidnappers instructed them to go home and inform people about my abduction.

They then brought another car which took us away from the place. We were tortured and had to walk into a swampy place and through a river before getting to where we were kept and they demanded for N200m as ransom.

“They told me that I had been delaying the process of selecting another king for the town and I should contact Mimiko to pay the ransom. We were subjected to torture.

Many other victims were brought into the forest while some were either released or taken away to another place. I fasted for days, praying to God to touch their hearts.

Thank God, the security operatives rescued us before they could carry out their threats.”

She appealed to the security agents to provide security for traditional rulers so that such an incident would not occur again. She also appealed to youths to engage in useful ventures instead of engaging in kidnapping or other heinous crimes. She, however, added that she would still be given some days off in order to attend to her health as she sustained degree of injuries when she was being abducted.

Omosowon was on the early hours of Tuesday released by a combined team of the military and the Department of the State Security Service (DSS) who killed a notorious kidnapper popularly known as ‘Federal’ in an effort

Regent of Akungba Akoko, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon adderessing the elated crowd at the palace.

to rescue the regent Two of his accomplices, David Ikpen and Lucky Smart, were also arrested during a shootout between the suspected kidnappers and security operatives.

The regent was rescued alongside with four others, including a youth corps member, Azuibike Ijeoma; an Indian, Alex T.J; a police officer, Obafe Sunday; and Aliu Abdujeli, at Igbonla village at Owo Local Government Area of state.

The corps member, who also narrated her ordeal, said she boarded the vehicle from Abuja, to Lagos after leaving the orientation camp, not knowing that it was a kidnappers’ vehicle. She said that after some kilometres, the vehicle diverted into the bush.

“Initially, they asked me the jobs of my parents and I told them that they were not doing anything serious. Later they called my mum and demanded for N10 million or they would not see me anymore,” she recalled.

The graduate of Economics from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State said:

“They kidnapped me on a Sunday and seized Kabiyesi the following Tuesday. They also kidnapped a foreigner and a pregnant woman.”

The pregnant woman was released because they could not take care of her as a result of the injury she sustained during her abduction. The husband of the woman, she added, was shot during the abduction.

Giving details on how the victims were rescued, the Director of Directorate of State Security, Mr. Christian Ojobor, said they were rescued from the kidnappers’ den around 5a.m by DSS agents and soldiers.

Ojobor explained that the notorious gang had members all over the country with a strong network, adding that the victims were kidnapped at different states such as Ondo, Rivers and Abuja and kept in Ondo State.

His words: “When I heard about the various incidents of kidnapping in Ondo State, I had to talk to my DG; that we have a very big challenge here, that we need some more officers because this is a special trend. And my DG immediately obliged me. Then, we have teams in Rivers, Delta and Edo. Eventually we realised that the same gang was operating in most of these areas but many of the victims were kept in Ondo here. That was how the work started between 4am and 5am and here we are today.”

While receiving the victims at the Government House, the governor expressed delight at the successful operation and said stiffer penalties await anybody caught in the act of kidnapping and other related offences.

Mimiko said there was already an existing law against kidnapping in the state and promised that any amendment needed to make it harsher would be done.

The governor, who congratulated the people of Akungba-Akoko for maintaining peace during their trying period, promised that the suspects would be prosecuted.

But one of the suspects, Ikpen David, said he was not one of the kidnappers but a driver to the head of the group, popularly known as Federal. Ikpen said he was the one that dropped Federal at the point that they were arrested. He said it was Federal that

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Sunday Telegraph,, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Odd World

‘I’m Forced To Share My Husband With My Mother’ But that’s just our tradition here

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rom piercing your body parts like in the Hindu Thaipusam Festival in India to dancing with the dead in Madagascar, humans follow some of the weirdest traditions.

But it cannot get any weirder than what you are about to read. A tribe in Bangladesh called the Mandi tribe has a custom in which the daughters share their husbands with their mothers. Can’t believe it? Here is a first person account of a 30-year-old Bangladeshi woman who had to share her husband with her mother: As a child in rural Bangladesh, Orola Dalbot, 30, liked growing up around her mother’s second husband, Noten.

Her father had died when she was very young, and her mother had remarried.

Noten was handsome, with a broad smile. “I thought my mother was lucky,” Orola says. “I hoped I’d find a husband like him.” When she hit puberty, however, Orola learned the truth she least expected: She was already Noten’s wife.

Her wedding had occurred when she was three years old, in a joint ceremony with her mother. Following tradition in the matrilineal Mandi tribe, the mother and daughter had married the same man.

“I wanted to run away when I found out,” says Orola, sitting in the sunbaked courtyard of her family home in north-central Bangladesh. “I was shaking with disbelief.” Orola’s mother, Mittamoni, now 51, told her that she must accept it. Among the Mandi, a remote hill tribe in Bangladesh and India, widows who wish to remarry must choose a man from the same clan as their dead husband. The only single males, however, are often much younger.

So the custom evolved that a widow would offer one of her daughters as a second bride to take over her duties - including sex - when the daughter came of age.

“My mother was only 25 when my father died. She wasn’t ready to be single,” says Orola, swathed in a vibrant blue pashmina. The tribe offered Noten, then 17, as Mittamoni’s new husband, on the condition that he marry Orola, too. “I was too small to remember the wedding—I had no idea it had taken place,” Orola says. Devastated to discover that she was expected to share her own mother’s husband, she says: “My mother already had two children with him. I wanted a husband of my own.”

In recent years, many observers assumed the mother-daughter marriage

L-R: Mittamom; Noten and Orola

L-R: Noten and Orola sharing a meal

custom had died out. Catholic missionaries have converted 90 percent of the tribe’s 25,000 Bangladeshi members, and many old Mandi practices are now taboo. Yet, while there are no official figures, one local leader claims there are “numerous” families who still follow the mother-daughter custom but people stay quiet about it.

Today, Orola Dalbot is the mother of three children with Noten: a 14-yearold boy, a 7-year-old girl, and an 19-month-old girl. (Orola’s mother has a son and daughter with Noten.) The family lives in a cluster of mud houses in a village with no running water. The nearest town consists of a single row of ramshackle stalls selling cooking oil and candles. Orola and Mittamoni jointly own a few acres of land, from which they make a modest living cultivating pineapples and bananas.

The three-way marital arrangement grew tense when Noten began sleeping with Orola when she was 15.

“My mother knew it was inevitable that we’d have sex. But he quickly began to prefer me over her, and she

My mother was only 25 when my father died.

She wasn’t ready to be single,” says Orola, swathed in a vibrant blue pashmina. The tribe offered Noten, then 17, as Mittamoni’s new husband, on the condition that he marry Orola, too.

“My mother already had two children with him. I wanted a husband of my own

hated it,” Orola says. She even mentioned how her mother once slipped some wild herbs into her food to make her vomit. “While I was ill, she seized the chance to spend the night with Noten. She really loved him.”

The rivalry ruined their motherdaughter bond. “She stopped being my mother. I couldn’t turn to her for advice anymore. I felt betrayed and abandoned,” Orola says.

But the point of co-marriage is not simply to satisfy the husband’s sexual needs. The point of daughters marrying the same man as their mothers is to help guarantee two things: first, that the family has a fertile young woman to produce children to add to its wealth, and second, that the wife’s clan holds onto its power, as her daughter protects her property when she dies.

This story was originally published

by Abigail Haworth in Marie Claire.

Pictures by Eric Rechsteiner.

Source: http://www.scoopwhoop. com/inothernews/weird-traditionsworld/

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Dapper in

blue Vanessa Okwara

H

a v e y o u n o ticed that blue, not black, is now the choice colour for men’s wedding suit? Blue has suddenly become the new black for fashionable men. It’s also a favourite colour for groomsmen. Aside weddings, Blue suits are also suitable for any special event. Blue suit helps to give a man a heavy dose of dapper and deliciousness.

Knowing what to wear with

a blue suit can be a difficult and sometimes boring task.

When going for the blue suit, there are a couple of things to bear in mind.

Shade of blue Once you’ve mastered your suit style, it’s important to understand the shade of blue that suits you. Yes, different shades look good on some and not on others. Just try on a few blue to get the shade that suits you best.

Tie or Bowtie?

Whether you opt for a tie or bow tie, make sure you coordinate your wedding colours smartly. You can keep it classic in a bow tie if going for a special event. Also add a nice touch by going for deep colour contrasting ties. A solid blue, red or gray tie will never steer you wrong. Your tie is your statement piece, so don’t be afraid to get a little crazy with it.

Shirts and tie contrast

Something as simple as a blue suit and a white Oxford shirt can set you apart from the crowd. Epic white shirt just enhances the blue within you. Stick with a crisp white shirt, or a lighter shade of pink or blue. These colours create a little contrast, allowing your blue suit to pop.

Shoes We’ve noticed a popular choice is brown instead of the usual black. To break out of the mold a little, choose a pair of dark brown suede double monks. Black and brown shoes are both acceptable. Lace-ups or loafers are fine.

Accessories Going for a bright colour and/or a bright pattern socks is so contemporary and fun. They peek out when you’re dancing. You can add a beige pocket square for a perfect finish.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Body&Soul

Ronaldo techniques of cheating husbands O ften ranked as the best football player in the world and rated by some as the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo is an amazing player to watch during any football game. He is also very cute and female fans practically swoon at his feet. A prolific goal scorer, Ronaldo has an incredible ability to score from a distant with an accurate and powerful shot that most times you wouldn’t even see coming. His technical skill -dribbling, crossing and free kick ability, as well as his flair in beating players during one on one situation mesmerizes anyone watching his games.

It’s my guess that Maje Ayida, Toke Makinwa’s hubby must have some of Ronaldo’s skills ingrained in him. His dribbling skills with the ladies are just out of this world! He dated Toke Makinwa for 12 years before getting married to her a year ago. At the same time, it was allegedly reported that he also dated another lady, Anita Solomon, for eight years out of those 12 years he was dating Toke. When he finally decided it was time to get married, he chose Toke and barely months into the marriage, jumped right back into Anita’s arms while still married to Toke, Haba! Allegedly, Anita is now pregnant with his child in the UK. This guy is definitely a sharp shooter like Ronaldo wouldn’t you say?

It’s even ironic that Toke, who has a Vlog that talks about being the ultimate woman for your man and making sure your relationship is cheat-proof among other things, has been caught in this despicable baby mama triangle. That only tells you that even the smartest woman can be caught unaware by a man who uses Ronaldo techniques in their rela-

CONNECT NG vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

tionship.

Discovering that a spouse has cheated, or even entertaining suspicions that a partner might be cheating, can be an earth shattering experience. A spouse’s infidelity often brings feelings of rejection, betrayal, anger, sadness and doubt.

The worst case scenario is when a baby is conceived in the act. Such devastating news can send a woman into shock, bouts of depression and even heart attack.

So Toke deserves our sympathy rather than the tongue lashing she has received

There are reasons galore why men pull wool over their wives’ eyes. Most of the time, it sprouts out of spite and neglect or for the thrill of stealing cookies out of the cookie jar. In their quirky and cocky attitude, they always feel they will never be caught

from fans and foes alike. A lot of people on social media have accused her of making parties her priority rather than her marriage; but is it her fault she married a man with roving eyes? She married a Ronaldo who couldn’t be satisfied with just playing home base matches; he just had to dribble and score in ‘away matches’ as well.

That brings us to the age old question: why do men cheat in marriage and relationships?

There are reasons why men pull wool over their wives’ eyes. Most of the time, it sprouts out of spite and neglect or for the thrill of stealing cookies out of the cookie jar. In their quirky and cocky attitude, they always feel they will never be caught. Also, most men are like kids in a candy store. There are so many favourite candies to choose from that the greedy one feels he’s got to have a taste of every flavour on the shelf. What happens then? He wields his Ronaldo skills to see if he could score goals in every friendly girls’ skirt he could find.

Another reason men cheat is that women often turn from a loving girlfriend into a nagging wife and men are not attracted to that. Dole out compliments and surprise him with sex and don’t just

yell at him all the time about the mess he makes of your bedroom or some innocuous thing and you will see him coming back for more.

Equally, when there are regular fights at home with his wife, which are left unresolved, a pattern sets in where he continues to be unhappy and ‘disturbed’.

He either stays with you to continue the fight or he flees; but most men choose the latter. This is the perfect scenario for that sleek, sexy girl to walk into his life and make him feel loved and wanted again. When he looks for an affair, he is looking to flee from dealing with the issues in the marriage and find comfort in the arms of the ‘other woman’ Also, some men may find the routine of a married life to be tedious and dull.

The extra-marital relationship provides them with a ready-made thrill and fresh experience; which is appealing enough to take the risk.

But let get this straight: if your husband is unfaithful, it’s not your fault, no matter what people say. When a man cheats, he’s making a conscious choice to do it. The idea of being pushed into the arms of another woman is only an expression, not a reality. He knows exactly what he is doing and also the consequences that may arise from it.

The ‘fault’ in the whole equation is that the signs of disconnection have been ignored by both parties for a pretty long time and until those gaps in communication between couples are breached, we’ll continue to see men, who although have become old, still think they can play international matches just like Cristiano Rolando.

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A toast to a mentor and friend, Nduka Otiono ‘Ubuntu’ in Zulu means ‘I am because we are’ and it is becoming a universal philosophy of human kindness. I reflected on my journey through life and realised that indeed, there have been people who have inspired me in many ways and still continue to shine as models for me. I am an aggregation of the people around me for even the ones with negative qualities helped me see the path of humanity to avoid. However, when it comes to my professional development, I have to be honest and say there are individuals I owe, those who saw the rough in me and took the pain to polish it out. Still, one individual stands out; a man whose passion for literature and journalism I tapped into and whose mentorship of me as a starry eyed over-enthusiastic cub-reporter cleaned my rough edges and made me a better journalist than when we met. Today, I celebrate the man I, and the other guys on the Arts desk of Post Express and New Age Newspaper, affectionately call ‘Bros’, Nduka Otiono.

Readers of this piece will realise that his name has popped up on this page on a number of occasions whenever I draw from the past to validate a point or refer to the time spent in his library in Ottawa to finish a research project. Nduka Otiono has been a pillar of support and not just to me but to other young arts professionals and entrepreneurs. They will have to tell their story as today, I only want to tell mine.

Now, if you are wondering why I started with ‘Ubuntu’, the reason is simple.

Otiono is one of the positive examples of what dedication to duty can do and he has been rewarded for this. However, it

seems he is also one who does not forget his roots and wants to give back because his latest award is one that he is sharing with his ‘home’ university’. I received a mail few weeks ago announcing the award of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship to Otiono. This is an award to an African scholar to develop scholarship and higher education in a university of his/her choice in Africa. I know for a fact that Otiono could have chosen a Southern African university and enjoy a somewhat paid holiday but he has chosen instead to work with Delta State University and Prof. G.G. Darah of the Nigerian Oral Literature Association.

Yes, he remembers that he is because of what his people are and has decided to give back or as he puts it, ‘turn the African brain drain to brain gain.’

Before coming to work with Otiono, I had met him at the Lagos State branch of the Association of Nigerian Authors.

There, he autographed a copy of ‘WeMen’, an anthology of short stories he co-edited and contributed to. From a distance, I watch him argue without offending as that meeting turned explosive with his exchange with female writer Promise Okekwe. But, I also

learnt that disagreement is part of agreeing as they both laughed heartily at the end of the meeting as if nothing happened. A few days later, he met me at the Secretariat of ANA and invited me to an exclusive poetry reading at the home of a South African diplomat at Ikoyi. I thought nothing of this invitation until we arrived at the event and I realised it was not an open event. He went further by letting me recite my poem at the event. For some reason, I felt a connection then and wondered if my getting the job at Post Express was a careful plot. Still, the point is, he is al-

There may be all the negative stories about Nigeria in the media, mostly unsubstantiated, but here is one individual that represents his fatherland with pride

ways ready to share and give of himself to build young artists.

I have not yet told my story of Otiono, I have just given an outline here, prompted by the Carnegie Fellowship.

However, one thing is clear, Nduka Otiono is one individual worthy of praise. We have had our differences, as all mentors and mentees will have, but he has proven time and again that for him, issues are what need to be addressed and not the individuals. There may be all the negative stories about Nigeria in the media, mostly unsubstantiated, but here is one individual that represents his fatherland with pride.

Congratulations Bros.

… and Funke Egbemode too

One of those who made my early days at Post Express Newspaper stimulating was my Sunday Editor, Funke Egbemode. I did not work directly with her, but writing for the Literary Supplement, edited by Otiono and published on Sundays puts us on her watch. However, she gave us independence and hardly interfered with our production. Still, her oversight of the editorial meeting is out of this world. She takes the term ‘bouncing off ideas’ to a new level and points in directions people hardly think of. I remember her push for ‘the human angle’ after the January 2002 bomb blast in Lagos and that remains one of our best production at Post Express on Sunday. Today, I join the world in saying congratulations on your appointment as Managing Director of New Telegraph. Honoured to be working with you again.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul with

Wole Adepoju 07037763410

woleadepoju@yahoo.com

Orelope looks up to Aregbesola

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t the moment, politicians and many others are positioning for political appointments. Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, is believed to be a factor in Lagos politics and has a great influence on a former governor of the state and All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Therefore, he has become a rallying point for politicians who are looking for one thing or the other either in Lagos State or at the national level.

One of those alleged to be looking up to Aregbesola is the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire, because of her moves in recent times. Rauf, it was learnt, was a godfather to Orelope before she became the deputy governor.

Orelope, who is believed to be enjoying the slot of her late father before she was made the Commissioner for Women Affairs years back, related with Aregbesola who was also a commissioner at the time as her leader but, changed as soon as she was made a commissioner. It, however, dawned on her that such an attitude made her redundant after her reign as a commissioner. All efforts to appease Aregbesola proved abortive. According to a source, she had to move her old father, who was a leader of the party in the constituency, to Osun State to plead with Aregbesola on her behalf. Aregbesola, on sighting the old man, was said to have scolded Orelope for making the old man go through the stress of travelling to Osun State.

However, the hitherto strained relationship between both parties was brought under control right there at Zenabab Hotel, Ilesha and it was at the hotel that he pronounced her as the deputy governor and it was ratified by the powers-that-be in Lagos State. Orelope had shown interest in replacing Senator Ganiyu Solomon as the lawmaker representing the largest senatorial district in Lagos, Lagos West, before the party took a stand against her and handed the ticket to Adeola Olalekan in the 2015 elections.

Olisa Agbakoba’s secret pain

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ising

t h ro u g h the ladder, Igbo-born l e g a l practit i o n e r, O l i s a Agbakoba Agbakoba (SAN), is successfully placed among the foremost and front row players in the legal system in the country. The light skinned dude SAN did not become a celebrated lawyer overnight.

It was based on his positive contribution to the society which endeared him to the populace and his selfless leadership which has placed him as a role model among legal practitioners who are his peers and those coming behind.

These attributes could be said to be the reason he was able to lead the Nigerian Bar Association successfully. It could also be the reason he is being speculated as a possible successor to the outgoing chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Meanwhile, if information reaching Celeb Lounge from dependable sources is anything to go by, Agbakoba may have been nursing a secret pain he has chosen not to make a public issue. He was said to have not long ago lost a huge sum of money while in the United States on a private visit. While there, he sent over N30 million to his accountant back in Nigeria to handle a certain urgent trans-

action on his behalf. Unfortunately, his chamber’s account officer allegedly made away with the money. It was further gathered that all efforts to track down the fraudster, who was identified as Lucky, have proved abortive.

Lady D serenades Area Fada @ 64

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or so many years, their marriage has been rock solid. They have weathered many storms and stood together as one indivisible couple. Let’s introduce Charles Oputa aka Area Fada and his better half, Diane Oputa aka Lady Di. The couple of many parts have never shied away from controversy, but have always remained an enigma to people who tried to understand some of their interesting actions.

On Friday June 19, 2015, the Area Fada marked his 64th birthday and his beautiful queen took to Facebook to sing a sweet lullaby for the love of her life. Her sweet serenade ran thus: To my Pillar, my Rock, my Best Friend. You are so many things to me. What are the odds that our paths would cross? A fortune tale told of our union joined together, neither one of us took seriously what was destined to be. As I look back at the 36 years that we’ve been together; the good, the bad and the ugly, I can honestly say I would not change a thing. I can only pray our daughters find a partner who will honor and cherish them, as you do their mother.

My Love, may the Almighty God grant you many more healthy and happy years…… LADY D

husband of Tundun Abiola, and they eventually got married.

While the daughter of late MKO Abiola, Tundun, had moved on with her life as a single mother, it appeared it was time for Washima to taste the bitter side of her Benue-born husband, with whom she’s said to be having a strained relationship. The political science graduate of University of Abuja and MBA holder from Essex, England had barely developed the ability to cope with the situation when Jonathan failed to win a second term. Information at the disposal of Celeb Lounge, however, has it that the beautiful lady may have moved on from her sad episode to strengthen her career. She’s said to be seriously engaged in public speaking and paper presentation.

Josephine Washima moves on

Mukhtar Shagari in the news

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uilding a career for herself as a business reform expert was Josephine Wa s h i ma’s target. It was time for her breakWashima through and elevation when she was made the Se- nior Special Assistant on Job Creation to President Goodluck Jonathan in July 2012. She lived up to the billing while she enjoyed her private life. Josephine became known in her own way when her path crossed with that of Atama Attah, the separated

I

mmediate past Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mukhtar Shagari, has a reason to be in the news. According to information at our disposal, he may have been considering what his political future will look, to avoid being redundant after he lost out in the scheme of things. The former Minister of Water Resources, it will be recalled, displayed his loyalty to former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and the party, PDP, when he declined to go with Shagari his boss, Aliyu

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Body&Soul

Thinking

Wammako, who defected to the APC. With the defection of former governor of the state, Bafarawa back to PDP, Shagari’s calculation to get PDP’s governorship ticket became impossible and he was said to have subsequently been promised juicy contract by the powers that be so peace could reign and so that their chances at the polls were not jeopardized. Muktar eventually lost out in its entirety as he neither got the ticket nor got contracts since their overall principal had been defeated at the polls. It could not be confirmed what the former minister is up to, but sources in the know revealed his moves in recent times is about his political future.

Terry Waya on the rebound

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iving life to the fullest as one of the biggest boy around town back then with so much m o n e y to throw around and affluence to back it, Terry Terry Waya Waya had remained relatively unknown to the outside word until he staged a mother of all bash in faraway United Kingdom to celebrate his 40th birthday back then with over 10 Nigerian governors in attendance. The birthday gig the man about town, Terry, staged for so long remained a point of reference to other high octane parties held around town.

His fortune began to dwindle as he went out of circulation as soon as some governors ran into troubled waters.

The once ever bubbly Terry went under cover and opted for a low profile life. All that may have become a thing of the past as he appeared to have bounced back in England where he resides. He’s started making moves to regain his groove on Nigeria social scene as he now appears at social events but still on a very low key.

Ajibola Ajimobi not stranded afterall

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jibola is one of the three daughters Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s family is blessed with and she is making the family proud. Ajibola, who graduated from the university over a year ago, was recently in the news when the young man she was engaged to, Alaba Shonibare, later walked down the aisle with another woman. They had separated from each other before now.

Many had actually felt for Ajibola, thinking she was stranded. Recent events have made it clear that the young lady is having a great time.

Ajibola and her entire household have been over the moon as she got engaged to her lover boy, Ayo, at a private event Ajimobi while the wed-

Aloud

paulhelenproductions@yahoo.com

ding is being planned for the love birds.

Ajibola’s ex, Alaba, recently got married to the daughter of Ibadan-based billionaire, Chief Bode Akindele, Moji.

Lizzy Anjorin creates buzz

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adagryborn Lizzy Anjorin presently rates among the most visible actresses around, although not without some controversies Anjorin trailing her.

Light-skinned and slim built mother of one is not enjoying visibility on account of being very regular in movies, but because of her financial ability and multimillion naira she expends on her production as well as her irregular deeds. It was the most talked about thing when she converted from Christianity to Islam.

The high flying mother of one, days ago, created a buzz when her supposed wedding pictures went viral claiming she had just been engaged in secret wedding with younger person, a rapper, Jhybo.

Reactions had begun to trail her staged wedding because she had categorically stated to close pals that she was married for real just as she took to her social media to announce it before it was eventually discovered it was a buzz deliberately created. It was discovered the pictures were meant to grace the jacket of the single she is about to drop in which she featured the rapper, Jhybo. Liz Anjorin is the latest of actresses who have taken to music.

Between Basket Mouth and AY

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fore mentioned dudes have a number of things in comm o n .

T h e y hail from the same s t a t e , Delta; they Basket Mouth are in the same trade, comedy, and the two of them are doing well in their career. One tale that has been making the rounds in some quarters is that Basket Mouth and Ayo Makun have for so long been in cold wars. Recently, a tip of it hit the public when the former was sighted at the venue where the latter was having a show but did not go into the hall before leaving.

Basket mouth has since put up a defense that he could not have gone in since he was neither invited nor billed to perform. Information from reliable source revealed that wave making comedian, Bovi was the reason they have not been on the same page. The crisis started when Bovi, who is considered an asset, dumped AY for Basket Mouth some years back and they are said to have been managing their relationship since then.

) 0807 270 9777

with Helen Paul

When ‘bushmeat’ catches hunter (Part 1)

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know that a lot of people would they really need you. You may be wondering after reading the have the entire world at your feet, title of my column this week. but you might be the only world Yes, I’m not talking about the tra- to them. A moment of negligence ditional hunter and wildlife. But might break the very heart which the ‘bushmeat’ here are victims of loved you against all odds. circumstances, while the hunters Before you say something, just referred to are those who desire remember that it takes a moment pleasure in taking advantage of to break but an entire lifetime to their fellow humans’ predicament build. Did you ever stop for a while to achieve some useless selfish in- and ask yourself what is going to terests. happen to you in the first night in This is quite a wide topic, but I your grave? Think about the day will try to make it as compact as people will be carrying you to the possible. Virtually everyone is grave and your families will be guilty of this in one way or the crying. other – the only difference is the Think about the moment you are severity. From individuals to gov- put in the grave. Imagine yourself ernment officials, we are all guilty. in your grave down there in that I will treat plenty of this next dark hole alone. It’s too dark. You week, but we need will cry for help to be our brother ’s but there will be Did you ever stop keeper, not to take no answer. Noadvantage of them body can help for a while and when they are in you. It’s too narone problem or the row. asked yourself other. It reminds You will regret me of the tale of a all the bad things what is going to man who was renyou did during ovating his house. your life. You will happen to you the While tearing regret your disrefirst night in your down the wall, he spectful manners found that there everygrave? Think about towards was a lizard stuck one, especially there because a your parents. You the day people will nail from outside will face your hammered into punishment for be carrying you to one of its feet. every little bad He sees this, feels deed of yours and the grave and your pity, and at the reward for every families will be same time curilittle good deed. ous, as when he You are alone in crying checked the nail, your grave with it was nailed three only your deeds. years ago when No money, no the house was first built. jewelleries, no connections, no What happened? The lizard has nothing, only your deeds and survived in such position for three when your grave is shut you feel years! In a dark wall partition for like screaming and telling everythree years without moving, it is one not to go, to stay beside your impossible and mindboggling. grave.

Then he wondered how this lizard But you can’t be heard; they will survived for three years without leave you and go. You will even moving a single step – since its foot hear their footsteps and hear them was nailed. crying as they walk away.

So he stopped his work and obWhile in this world, you thought served the lizard, what it has been you will last forever. You thought doing, and what and how it has you will stay with your friends been eating. Later, not knowing and families forever. You thought from where it came from, appears you will have fun forever. You are another lizard, with food in its wrong! mouth. Ah! He was stunned and So just spend few minute and touched deeply. think about or look through your For the lizard that was stuck by future and remember your final a nail, another lizard has been destination (grave). feeding it for the past three years.

So spend the whole of your life Imagine? It has been doing that un- preparing for it because it must tiring for three long years, with- surely come and no one will be out giving up hope on its partner. spared. DEATH is the destroyer Imagine what a small creature can of all pleasures. Be wise and be do that a creature blessed with a warned. brilliant mind like us cannot do?

But we shall not die but live. My Please, never abandon your loved regards to all our Muslim friends in ones. Never Say you’re busy when this holy month. Ramadan Kareem.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Wine & Dine

Make a trendy switch Ibukunoluwa Kayode

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any talented entrepreneurs in wine business seek to elevate the drinking experience. From granting wine-lovers access to rare bottles, to creating new closures and vessels for drinking wine, there’s a lot of innovations in the business.

However, the ridiculous of these items need to be ditched for the trendy, safe ones.

Here are the most ridiculous items Finger food plate ring Imagine you’re at a party, sipping some bubbly and chatting with a friend when a server presents you with a bite-size canapé. Where else will you put the tasty morsel aside from your mouth? The finger food plate ring is a no item as it poses a canapé fall off. Instead, class up your next affair with classic slate cheese boards that’s more attractive.

Power drill Corkscrew Let’s ignore, for now, the ridiculous safety hazard this ‘tool’ poses -a wine drinker that still don’t know how to use a corkscrew? In case you’re looking for an electrical corkscrew option, opt for useful cool and sexy dual wine opener preserver with form and functionality that opens, aerates, serves and preserves all in counter spaces in place of a power drill.

Wine bottle clothing Absolutely, no need to dress your wine bottles, much less in coveralls. If you’re mulling over your wine’s outfit, just remember, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Drinkers are fascinated by what they can see in the bottle and not interested in the cover cloth wraps. Instead protect your wine (not dress it) with this bottle guard protector.

Abacha and ugba snacking Biwom Iklaki

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hoosing snacks can be tricky especially now when people are so absorbed with counting calories and or sugars. In Nigeria, it is even trickier because most of our staple foods are largely starchy. We consume so much carbohydrates that we often leave out desserts totally, except for those die-hards. This week, we can try abacha and ugba (an indigenous Igbo salad), as a dessert. It is packed with nutrients, fibre and essential vitamins.

Ingredients Abacha (dried shredded cassava) 100g sliced ugba (rinse in warm water, drain and set aside) 1 ½ cups palm oil 4 garden eggs (optional) 1 cup thinly sliced utazi leaves ¾ cups ground crayfish Ponmo (wash, season and cook until tender) 1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional) 1 tsp ground iru /ogiri (gives flavour more depth, but optional) 1 level tsp potash/akaun (dissolve in 2tbs water, sieve and save liquid) 2 stock cubes 2 large onions (slice 1 in rings and dice other) Red bonnet pepper to taste Salt to taste Preparation Soak abacha in a bowl for about 5 minutes, drain and soak in hot water for 1 minute, stirring. Sieve and set aside to drain. Pour the palm oil into a clean dry pot, add the potash liquid and mix until the colour begins to turn yellow and the mixture turns to a thick paste. Add the crayfish, pepper, diced onions, ground ehuru/nutmeg, ogiri and stock cubes, mix thoroughly. Add the ugba, chopped garden eggs, and the ponmo. Mix well until all the ingredients are well blended.

At this point, add the drained abacha and salt to taste. Place on low heat, until warm. Add the sliced utazi leaves, stir and serve appealingly.

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RazzleDazzle

Body&Soul Abiola Alaba Peters

with

About Maje’s old flame

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Stories by: Abiola Alaba Peters

Ibinabo to Asuzu: Go take care of yourself

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ce Nollywood actor, Ernest Asuzu, who has been battling with ill-health for a very long time was seen begging for money at a mall in Lagos last month.

While some said the controversial Nollywood actor is suffering from mental illness, others concluded it is spiritual. However, Ernest has blamed AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima, for neglecting a pioneering member of her guild.

Ernest said he’s just recovering from stroke. Pained Ibinabo, while reacting to Ernest’s claim in a recent interview, advised him to take care of himself if he’s sick.

The AGN president said, “I have kept quiet for too long and this doesn’t mean I am a fool. I don’t go about abusing people on the pages of newspapers. If he is sick, he should take care of himself and stop begging on the streets. He should tell people what exactly is wrong with him. I am Ibinabo and AGN is a body. He should stop rubbishing my name on the pages of newspapers.”

Entertainment’s top 10 most eligible bachelors (2)

EDWIN USOBOH brings you the concluding part of our top 10 most eligible bachelors in the entertainment industry

Yaw Coming all the way from a very humble background to becoming one of the biggest On-Air Personalities (OAP) in Nigeria today, broadcaster, Steve Onu, popularly known as Yaw, has worked very hard to achieve mainstream popularity. Yet, he is single and

Edwin Usoboh 08028101185

I love marathon sex, says Tamilore Ojo-Martins

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oke Makinwa, her hubby, Maje Ayida, and his alleged baby-mamato-be, Anita Solomon, were definitely the top three trending names on social media these past three weeks.

Not much is known about the mystery woman, Anita Solomon. Razzle Dazzle’s findings reveals that the Calabar-based lawyer had her secondary education at Federal Government Girls College, Calabar. She also studied at Igbinedion University. Nicknamed Pinky, she is also a blogger and dated Maje Ayida for eight years.

On her blog in 2010, she described herself as ‘A simple Person’ and went on to say, ‘I’m in a relationship with a wonderful guy and soon there will be wedding bells.” In 2007, Maje wrote on her Facebook wall, “I have taken your virginity. You’re mine forever.” It was the first post ever on her page, so we’ll pretended he was referring to her ‘wall.’

Toke Makinwa and her estranged husband dated for over 10 years and got married years back in a private wedding in Lagos. Till date, their union is without a child.

MI Abaga This rap genius makes up for what he lacks in height in verbal dexterity. Listen to an MI track and you’re bound to be smitten by his poetic ability. With countless accolades locally and internationally on his sleeves, the aptly named Mr. Incredible is a force to reckon with in the rap game in Nigeria. He once wrote an open letter to former Miss World, Agbani Darego, to be his Val. Popularly referred to as ‘Chairman’, he, last week, raised the alarm that his life was no longer safe, following a death threat from a ‘jealous lover’.

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very much sought after.

The Wazobia FM OAP is handsome, talented, witty, funny, rich and has maintained his status as a bachelor for many years.

Yaw, who is in his 40s, has for some time now, managed to avoid that trip down the altar.

IK Ogbonna Nollywood’s newest Bad Boy, IK Ogbonna, is the toast of ladies. One would wonder why he isn’t married or in a serious relationship. The model cum actor is handsome, sexy, lightskinned and every bit a dandy.

In the few years he has spent in the industry, he has been tagged a gigolo, gay, arrogant and proud because of his bad boy personality - all of which he denied. The suave model seems to be an unrepentant bachelor. Though he has a beautiful two year old daughter, he has not been linked with any lady.

Jim Iyke James Ikechukwu Asogwa, who is known as Jim Iyke, has been in the market for over a decade. This 40-year old actor is handsome, rich and also a smooth superstar with a good dress sense.

The controversial actor has been linked

to beautiful actress, Rita Dominic. He also dated Steph Nora. He was said to have proposed to his Ghanaian actress girlfriend, Nadia Buari, sometime ago with a diamond ring.

Though there are speculations that the marriage proposal was staged as an episode on his reality show, but Nadia has since moved on and recently gave birth to a pair of twins. We hope Jim Iyke walks down the aisle with a wife soon.

Ebuka Uchendu Coming under mainstream recognition in 2006 during his participation in the Big Brother Nigeria reality show, Ebuka has since become a ladies man. This is owing to his charming disposition and darling eloquence.

Socially active, Ebuka’s charismatic styling can be caught on Twitter, his columns on blogs and print publications as well on red carpets and TV gigs. No doubt he is a ladies man anytime.

ctress, Tamilore Martins-Ojo, better known as Tammy who is from Igbajo, Osun State, is one of the hottest budding stars in the Yoruba movie industry.

The beautiful, curvy and pretty role-interpreter came from a highly disciplined and a respected home. Acting for her, runs in the family.

Tammy was born by an actress mother, Mrs Christianah Martins–Ojo, who acted with late Duro Ladipo Theatre Group, and her dad was a musician in the Nigerian Army Band before he retired some years ago.

The actress recently revealed the other side of her that people don’t know especially her love life.

When asked her about her view on sex in a recent interview, Tammy said: “Sex is a normal thing between adults, and it’s Biblical that we should be having it with our loved ones before we have reproduction. To me, it is a thing I do with someone I love and not whom I like. It’s something I love doing because I know I’m very good at it. Yes, I can say I’m perfect in love making. But don’t forget I said I love doing it with someone I love. I do have it as long as my partner wants it. I won’t hesitate if he demands for marathon sex daily. On how I feel if I don’t have it in a week, I will implore you to get me right please. I’m not an addict. Sometimes I don’t have sex for months, but when I want to have it, I make sure I do it wholeheartedly. I love it because it makes me feel cool and relaxed. I could as well relax without having sex, but sex relaxes the mind.”

I’m a threat to Davido, Wizkid, says Que Peller

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bisoye Abiola Peller, better known by his stage name, Que Peller, says he’s not afraid of any of his successful colleagues. Rather, they are to be afraid of him, he boasted.

When asked, in an exclusive chat with Razzle Dazzle, if he regards Davido, Wizkid, Skales and the rest of them as threats to his career, he said, “No, not at all. We are all unique and different in our careers.

I can never see any of them as a threat to my career. I do magic, none of them can do magic; so I am totally different from them.

In fact, they should be scared of me because they can’t do magic and I have got good music. So you see, I am a real threat to them, although I see them as people I could still learn a couple of things from.”

The son of the legendary magician, late Prof. Peller, is a recording artiste, songwriter and performer. He started his music career in 2009, recorded his first official track in late 2010 titled, Paparazzi, and released his banging single hit track ‘Juru’. In 2014, he signed a record deal with Aquila Records, a subsidiary of Aquila Group of Companies -a diversified conglomerate owned by his elder brother, Shina Abiola Peller.

The graduate of Mass Communication and Media Technology from Lead City University, Ibadan is grateful to his record label for giving him the opportunity to prove his worth.

“My voice is another thing that stands me out from the crowd. That is what I am ready to showcase through Aquila Records. I am really grateful to Aquila Records for giving me the platform to prove my worth for the world to see,” he told Razzle Dazzle.

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Body&Soul

Prince Luram and the Vegetable Kingdom

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obody wanted to be King of the Vegetable kingdom as it was such a difficult responsibility. The kingdom was full of all kinds of colours, green spinach, orange, carrots, red tomatoes, white onions, yellow peppers, and florets of cauliflower and broccoli everywhere. It was an amazing place full of health and strength. Messages were sent out around the kingdom for them to choose a King. But nobody wanted to assume the charge. They all preferred other kingdoms like the Kingdom of Sweets, The Crab Kingdom, or even the Cold Meat Kingdom, but nobody wanted the Vegetable Kingdom.

Then one day, a little man called Luram became sick. He

was really weak and lost a lot of weight. He became very skinny and could not grow any taller. He had no energy, and only wanted to stay in bed. One day, a fairy called Lily visited him, and invited him to drink a tonic, she was sure that it would be good for him. It was made from the vegetables, pomegranate, blueberries and elderberry.

When Luram drank the tonic that Lily the fairy had prepared for him, he started to feel better, he was full of energy, wanted to play, run, and jump again. Fairy Lily visited him again, to check how he was feeling and gave him another tonic. He said it was great and so, Lily told Luram: “Now you are healthy and strong thanks to the vegetables that you used to reject, accompa-

Cross word puzzle

nied by a few dried berries and fruit. So, it´s time to be thankful to the kingdom of vegetables by giving back the good it has done for you.

Luram started thinking about what might be the best way to do something good for this kingdom.

He first visited all those who were sick, invited them to improve their eating habits; showed them the importance of eating vegetables and fruits every day.

Luram invited them to drink a bit of the delicious tonic the fairy had given him. It was so delicious that, when they found out what it was made of, they realized that they could drink it every day, or simply just eat the vegetables and berries it was made from.

The inhabitants of the kingdom immediately realised that little Luram was doing good and that he could be their king. Little Luram answered humbly: “I´m not ready to reign yet because I haven´t improved my own eating habits completely, and there are still people here that are not eating like they should. I still have to make everybody understand that not eating vegetables or fruits or berries can make them fat, nevertheless, I will continue working and will only accept the title of: Prince Luram of the Ve g e t a b l e Kingdom Moral: Do not reject anything before getting to know it.

•Carolina Mora Arévalo

Celebrations!!!

Celebrating Francis Ayade Jr. @ 11

He is fun with strong opinions. Loves colour blue and wrestling, but hates cartoons. His family wishes him a fabulous birthday!

Gags

What never asks questions but receives a lot of answers?

Ans: The telephone

What did the blanket say to the bed?

Ans: Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

How do you make an Octopus laugh?

Ans: With ten-tickles

Why should you take a pencil to bed?

Ans: To draw the curtains!

Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long?

Ans: Because then it would be a foot!

How many books can you put in an empty backpack?

Ans: One! After that it’s not empty!

What has four wheels and flies?

Ans: A garbage truck!

Did you hear they’re changing the flooring in daycare centres?

Ans: They’re calling it infant-tile!

MOYIN & FRIENDS

LITTLE LINDER

By Ayo Oyerinde

08034407393

By eei

SUNDAY

Faith 51

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Sermon Unlocking the supernatural through favour!p.56

Interveiw Nigeria doesn’t have enough churches – Prophet Anyalewechi p.53

News Why I deprived my husband sex —Pastor’s Wife p.54

Tai Anyanwu Head, religous Desk titus.anyanwu@newtelegraph online.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

N2bn road project: Anger as RCCG marks church, schools for demolition F

Tai Anyanwu resh crisis has arisen over the ongoing construction of the multi-billion naira auditorium of the Redeemed Christian Church at Mowe area of Ogun State, as the church’s move to construct a 10-kilometre road from Aseese town to the new facility is being resisted by two communities.

The grading of the access road estimated at N2 billion from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the auditorium through Aseese and Maba is expected to include the demolition of fences, shops and gates of about 60 buildings by agents of the church without any plan to compensate the victims.

While the fresh construction work is passing though virgin acres of land at the Maba portion, it will lead to the expansion of the existing Maba Road, located on Aseese soil, to two lanes with gutters and setbacks. The demolition will consume a large portion of the Gospel Faith Mission, TKS Filling Station owned by Brig-Gen. Femi Odusanya (retd) and the gates of a number of schools.

Hence, the Baale in Council-in-Aseese and the Ilupeju Community Development Association have petitioned the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to stop agents of RCCG from carrying out the proposed demolition of marked houses and fences in their communities.

The protest was contained in a letter dated June 15 and signed by the chairman of the Ilupeju CDA. It was addressed to Adeboye with copies sent to the Legal Department of RCCG at its mega office in Mowe.

Titled ‘Protest Over Proposed demolition of Fences on Aseese-Maba Road,’ the letter reads: “Friday, June 12, 2015, some individuals who are strongly believed to be agents of your church, Redeemed Christian Church of God, stormed our community, on Aseese- Maba Road, Aseese in Ogun State.

Accompanied by armed soldiers and policemen, they marked over 60 houses and fences for demolition. Upon enquiry, the community found out that the men, who were led by a lady, proposed the demolition of the buildings and fences to give way for an access road from Aseese Bus stop to RCCG’s ongoing multi-million capacity auditorium behind Maba.

“We find it very preposterous, disturbing and an insult for a church or its agent(s) to mark buildings and fences which have either been issued with or are in the process of being issued with Certificates of Occupancy by the governor of Ogun State, without any prior consultations and discussions.

“Interestingly, grading works have commenced at the Maba end of the road, whereas the houses so marked are within Ilupeju Community Development Association located on Aseese land of the Maba Road, within the jurisdiction of the Baale of Aseese, Chief (Architect) Jamiu Sonola.

“Consequently, we peacefully call for an immediate stoppage of the road expansion to give room for a meeting with the above-named association and the Baale of Aseese to know the scope, duration and compensation plans for affected property owners,” the community CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 5 4

Adeboye

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Faith

Should couples pray before having sex?

•Ade Olorunishola et me say yes; but not everybody will accept this. First, we need to know that sex is for matured and married people -Gen 3v24. Now to the question, the newly wedded couples should pray before having sex because their foundation starts from there. Many people fail to realise that sex is a spiritual thing; so many lives have been destroyed through sex. I and my wife did this when we got married some years back. So it is good for newly wedded people to pray before having sex.

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•CHRITOPHER EGBAGO raying before having sex is not a sin. As long it is ordained by God, it is not something that one should be ashamed of. Having sex before or after sex is a good thing for couples if they decide to pray.

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• Abimbola Akosile ho do you mean? Are you referring to couples? I think both prayer and sex are spontaneous actions, but they usually don’t mix. Love-making or sex as you call it can occur anywhere and anytime and it is a fun and enjoyable process. But prayer requires a more sober and focused atmosphere. So, if a couple can still pray after a good dose of love-making before drifting off into sleep that would be the icing on the cake. Prayers may or may not come after sex, but it’s hardly ideal before sex. Thank you

•Zainab Emate rayers for married couples before sex are not bad at all. Also, praying for sexual improvement as a married person is very important because God Himself permitted it. There is nowhere in the Bible where prayer before or after sex is indicated. Please, people that are commenting on this topic should think very carefully before doing so because it is a very important topic Asking the Holy Spirit to help you is very vital. l have been doing it since after marriage till now. Almost six years after, it has been like magic. I ask Him to teach me on how to do it, what to do now ask Him to help me climax, be the best my husband can ever have and to make him also enjoy! There is nothing wrong if a person prays before or after sex. It only depends on what you are asking for concerning the sex factor. Also, there is not wrong with praying for some action improvement. And yes; sex is an unplanned thing that can happen to humans at anytime.

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•EDDY Osazes he question should be: Should couples pray before sex? My answer is a big NO.

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• Kelvin Dion rayer doesn’t have a particular time. If you are aroused after prayer, sex can come on. After all, the Bible says marriage is honourable and bed undefiled. Except it is illegal sex, prayer before or after is null and void. For married couples, sex is spontaneous and not planned, hence it can’t be determined if you should pray before or after sex.

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•Adetutu Agbabiaka ahahahaha! Fine, you can pray but should it be before sex? It is a prayer you say on your own not while you are set for action. It is not all sex you plan for. It can come anyhow, anytime that you won’t even have time to pray. Sex is not a SIN so why pray before sex?

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•SHARON JESSICAL

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believe it is not a necessary thing for couples to pray before having sex. Looking at it in this aspect, a couple can be in the bedroom, playing with each other and along the line the sex drive or a strong emotion for sex will just develop. In the process, it will lead to sex. I believe it is not something you eat as food. It is called sex. Those that pray before sex have a reason for such; it could be because they need God to bless them with children. But I do know that sex can be done at anytime depending on the way your emotion moves you. It has been instituted by God.

•FELIX IKEOMUMU o me I don’t believe I can meet my wife at any time. I don’t criticise those who pray before sex I see it as something they believe could work for them. Also, there are some that have already got used to the fact that they don’t do things without praying to God. To them, they pray before having sex.

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•VICTOR CHRIST o me, praying before having sex is good most especially when one is looking for a child. It is something that has to do with ones belief not necessary that one must pray before having sex.

T •Chinyere Eneremadu ts when you are praying to concieve that you pray before sex. If for just fun then you dont need prayers because God cannot do for man what man can do for himself

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•VICTOR NKALU

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raying before having sex all depends on individuals and what invokes it. It also depends on if one wants to have it for pleasure. In the process of having sex one can as well still call on God. So, I believe prayer still goes on.

•MARYANE UGHANZE don’t have a problem with the issue of praying before having sex. It all depends on if one can have it without prayer because it is something that comes with a strong emotion which one can easily be carried away with. It cannot be resisted and one can pray before having it. I believe the reason why they pray could be to seek for a child or most especially a male child, which I believe is not a crime before God.

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Compiled by Josephine Damisa and Nzerem Amaka

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

Faith

Nigeria doesn’t have enough churches – Prophet Anyalewechi Prophet Wilson C. Anyalewechi is the General Overseer of the Resurrection Power Revival Ministries. He speaks on his ministry in this interview with FLORA ONWUDIWE Tell us about yourself?

I am Apostle (Dr.) Wilson C. Anyalewechi from Abia North Local Government Area in Abia State. I’m the General Overseer of the Resurrection Power Revival Ministries and the Lagos State coordinator of the Citizen Character Reform Initiative (CCRI), an international Non-Governmental Organisation.

I’m the publisher of the Kingdom People Magazine , an international Christian magazine and I oversee a young counselling club.

How has it been as a minister of God? It has been great, very interesting. Everything about God is great. That is the best place to be. It is where God wants me to be. My calling has given me honour that is not common. It has made me to meet and dine with people I would not have met, if not for the calling, the grace and anointing.

It has given me connections that the family background cannot give me.

How do want to be addressed - Prophet , Pastor or Apostle?

I am a prophet of God as well as an apostle.

The work of a prophet is a gift from God while the apostleship is qualification. Prophecy is by grace, teaching is by grace and if you are a prophet, that means your divine full ministry is complete in you.

Aside being a minister of God, what else would you have loved to become in life?

If I had not been a minister of God, I would have been an engineer or a sailor.

Some ministers of God usually have mysteries around their calling. Can we share your own experience? At what age did it start to manifest in you?

I grew up in a mission house.

My parents are ministers and they are both prophets.

I grew up seeing myself attached to doing the things of God. I enquired from my parents and they told me that when I was in my mother’s womb, it was prophesied that my mother would give birth to a prophet that would carry the mantle of the ministry. I grew up doing the things of God. My father took me to churches where they offered prayers, they took me to the wilderness and camping

Anyalewechi

at a very tender age.

At what age, I would not really say. Even while I was in school, I was leading in the Scripture Union. But the call became manifest when I was a sailor. Anywhere I went to for prayer, they would tell me to pray for them. I could not understand. I stopped attending any church where they prophesy or see visions because I never wanted to be a priest.

Why? Due to my experience with my parents, they put so much into humanity through the ministry without any material things to show for it. The material things of life would have robbed me the opportunity in achieving being a minister of God. But thank God for the grace for He captured Jonah on his way to Nineveh. He also captured me when I left my sailing job, left my family. I don’t know how it happened. I lost my accommodation, material things, lost my money in the bank; even the documents that would have enabled me to retrieve my money that I kept in the church. It was stolen, even my Seaman discharge certificate and my Seaman international passport all are gone till today; everything that would have made me to go back to material things. I lost the taste for material things. I went back to the church and the man of God, Primate Ebunoluwa Akinboyo, welcomed me. It now dawned on me that I had been vomited into a place that I

He was not happy that I was leaving the ministry. I reminded him of what he said. He had no choice than to release me would have never wanted to be in – the vineyard of God. As a former sailor in a shipping company, could you tell us what your experience was like?

The sea job gives you the opportunity to explore some nations of the world - culture, living with the crew members of the ship for one or three months, depending on the commission. It gave me navigational experience.

Could you tell us what led to your founding of the Resurrection Power Revival Ministries?

After I was discharged from my master peacefully, I attended bible college just for the pastoral ethics. I believe that God calls a man and not the bible college you attend.

And that is why we are having problems in the ministry today. When some have had an opportunity to go to bible school for two or three months for a crash programme, they will declare themselves as pastors, gather people and establish a church. At the end of the day, they crash out, because they were not called to lead a congregation. After my Bible school programme, I started my pastoral assignment as an assistant pastor. I was a branch pastor until my then General Overseer, Prophet Edwin Nweze, told me that the time had come for the cock to crow. What is holding the cock from crowing has been removed tonight. I became convinced that God had spoken to me.

I was led by the Lord to hold a programme.

I never knew that the Lord wanted to disengage me from my former ministry to start a new work. The Lord spoke to me to bless the church. I prayed for all my members and leaders.

I told about

seven ministers from different churches that God would be with them until we meet again. After the service, I went to meet the General Overseer at the headquarters. He was not happy that I was leaving the ministry. I reminded him of what he said. He had no choice than to release me. I left to where I never knew where I was going to but I knew that God was with me until I got to where we are now. It was a dump site. I started a 21-day prayer and fasting programme, without food and water . I did not bathe, I did not change my clothes, but I was armed with my bell and Bible. Some children saw me and mistook me for a mad man. They were hurling stones at me. Today, some of them are members of the church with their parents.

How do we know a true prophet of God? In this ministry, my works speak for me.

The dead have come back alive. People have been healed by God. Some received miracles and open doors. We are proud to say that people got their visas to America and other parts of the world without the required documents and God granted them grace.

God answers me whenever I pray. I have not said a prayer that God did not answer.

Why does it appear that prophets give contradictory prophecies and all claim to hear from the same God? Even in the Bible we have fake prophets.

In fact any man of God that prophesies what God has not told him, the Bible says woe unto him. So, I don’t want to be associated with other people’s way of life. As far as I am concerned, God cannot speak and lie.

Why is there a proliferation of churches?

The churches are not even enough. Go along the streets and count how many restaurants, hotels and salons. Then, count how many churches and you will find that Nigeria needs more churches that worship Him in truth and in spirit.

How did you meet your wife? Were you led by the Holy Spirit?

I was not led by the Holy Spirit. She was a very active member in the church where I worshipped and she is very passionate about the things of God. She is a prayer warrior and a counsellor. We’ve been married for over a decade now and it has been a wonderful marriage blessed with children. She is also an apostle of Christ.

ON PAG E 5 6

Sunday Telegraph,, SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015

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Faith

C&S Chapel of Divine Blessing celebrates Finecoat at 20 Kayode Olanrewaju

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t was praises galore at the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Ayo Ni O), Chapel of Divine Blessing, Victory District, AIT Road, Alagbado, Lagos, as members of staff of Chemstar Paints Industry Nigeria Limited, makers of Finecoat and Shield Paints, gathered last week at the church auditorium to worship and praise God for His divine grace and benevolence on the industry.

The event, which was celebrated amid praises and worship, was the 20th anniversary thanksgiving service, which climaxed the various activities, which began since January. The activities were meant to commemorate the 20 years of Finecoat and production of quality paints for the country.

Top management officers of the company at the service were the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the com-

pany, Special Apostle Emmanuel Awode; his deputy, Pastor Adedayo Paseda; AGM Strategy & Business Development, Dr. Tunde Olaniya; AGM Operations, Mr. Cyprian Ukpai; AGM C-PIN, Mr. Jaiprakash Singh; GM Sales & Marketing, Mr. Fola Laguda; GM Human Resource, Mrs. Toyin Robert; and Head of Accounts, Mr. Tiwalade Adegbuyi, among other members of C&S church from far and near.

The only Bible lesson for the anniversary, which was taken from the Book of Psalm 136, was read by Mrs. Robert.

With the theme of the sermon, ‘Celebration of God’s Faithfulness,’ Special Apostle Emmanuel Oladeinde, described the anniversary as a “day of joy and thanksgiving.” He said the church and Chemstar workers are happy for what God is doing in the company.

Tracing the journey of the company to 1995, when it started operations in a single room,

he said the founder (Awode) and the company never knew where the Lord was taking them to.

“But, I want to tell you that the company has been ordained by God and that it will be what we are all witnessing today,” Oladeinde said, adding: “We are all gathered here today to celebrate Finecoat and thank God, for He is good and His mercy endureth forever.”

While stressing that God has been merciful and faithful to Awode and his family, the company and the workers, the cleric advised the management and staff of the company to be faithful to God. Despite the challenges

the company has faced in the past 20 years, he exalted God that the company has continued to wax stronger.

Oladeinde, who quoted from Psalm 1 verse 3 and Jeremiah 17: 7-8, said: “Many companies that started like Chemstar have closed down.

But Chemstar has continued to weather the storm, and grow in leaps and bounds by the grace of God, who is the foundation and builder of the company.”

During the family thanksgiving, the Chairman/General Leader of C&S Victory District, Ikorodu, Lagos, Special Apostle Dickson Awode, said the Lord has not only been faithful to the

family and his son (Emmanuel) and the company, but He has also continued to watch over them.

While offering prayers for the sustenance and progress of the company and welfare of the workers, the Deputy Leader, Special Apostle John Idowu, called upon God to continue to shower His blessings on the company.

Also, the Leader-InCharge, Special Apostle John Oyeku JP, praised God for watching over the company since its inception in 1995.

The GMD, who was full of praises to the Lord, noted: “The faithfulness of God Almighty to me, my family and the company

is beyond my understanding.”

Recalling that he was born into C&S family, he thanked his parents and other siblings; his wife (Oluwatosin) and children; as well as the church for their support and prayer at all times.

He described the workers as his colleagues and friends, who have continued to stand by him and ensured that the company reached its zenith in quality production.

“I am proud of them (workers) because they have stood and worked collectively with me as members of the same family in all the years for the goodness and progress of our dear company,” Awode said.

Why I deprived my husband sex —Pastor’s Wife R-L: Laguda, Olaniya, Paseda, Singh, Awode and Ukpai during the thanks-giving service.

Tai Anyanwu

A

A 45 year-old Pastor’s wife, Mrs, Oluwatoyin Olafare, has told a Customary Court in Orile-Agege, Lagos why she had resorted to denying her husband of 18 years sex.

The mother of four, who is seeking divorce from Michael Olfare, a clergyman said: “I decided to punish my husband with no sex-weapon, because he was no longer caring for me.”

“He gives me blow whenever I ask for the children’s school fees and feeding allowance,’’ she added.

Oluwatyin also told the court that Olafare has failed as a husband and a father saying “he abuses my family whenever we have disagreements.

“He also demands for sex when he does not care if I have eaten or not.

So, I do not allow him to touch me anymore” She also accused her husband of abandoning her and their four chil-

dren whose range from 8-18 years, at 56, Surulere Street, residence to live /162 Ijegun Road, Alimosho, a suburb of Lagos.

Responding to his wife’s accusation, Olafare stated that he did not oppose the application for dissolution of their 18-year old marriage.

He however denied the allegations of beating her and lack of care.

“I don’t beat her, but she nags a lot and causes trouble all around the neighbourhood.

“Oluwatoyin is known as a street fighter and because of her attitude, we were sent out of the house.

“She does not respect anybody including me; when I was transferred to the missionary quarters, she refused to follow me and so I left,” he said.

The Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, before adjourning judgment till July 2, admonished the couple to maintain the peace.

Anger as RCCG marks church, schools for demolition CO N T I N U E D F R PAG E 5 1

demanded.

Sonola had in a letter addressed to RCCG warned the church not to carry out any construction within his domain without approval from him. The letter sent to the church reads: “Sequel to the information gathered from a reliable source concerning the construction of Aseese/Maba Village Road proposed by RCCG. The Baale and entire Aseese Town humbly wish to summon your consent to the fact that the longest part of the said Aseese/ Maba Village Road from Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is owned by Aseese Town, on which a reasonable proof can be given.”

The traditional ruler stated that Aseese town has never sold a foot of land to RCCG,” thus, you are warned not to scrape a foot print of Aseese’s land

without the legal approval of the Baale.”

When the Special Assistant to Pastor Adeboye, Pastor Ayo Odesola, was contacted for the church’s side of the story, he said that he was not aware that any buildings or fences had been marked for demolition.

“I am not aware of any building or fence marked for demolition but we have a property and we need to create an access to the property,” he said.

The traditional leader (Baale) of Maba, another community within the locality, Chief Jimoh Salisu, told SundayTelegraph on the telephone that RCCG has not marked any property for demolition.

He added: “I don’t know why some people are saying that the church has marked their buildings for demolition or had destroyed their properties.

The traditional ruler stated that Aseese town has never sold a foot of land to RCCG,” thus, you are warned not to scrape a foot of Aseese’s land without the legal approval of the Baale

RCCG is bringing development to our area. Look at how many roads that government has not bothered to construct in our communities and here a church has undertaken to do so without charging us for the development and some people are misinterpreting the gesture.”

He said RCCG had also commenced talks with residents of Ilupeju community to explore grounds for agreement.

Sunday Telegraph further learnt that already, about five villages have been demolished and some landlords compensated.

The people of Maba have been allegedly compensated with 300 acres of land for the parts of their land which were bulldozed.

But there seems to be no plans to take care of the landlords’ demands.

Though the planned demolition is generating much concern in the area because the contractors are working on the road to make it ready for use at the church’s Holy Ghost Congress in August, the community has vowed to resist the plans if adequate compensation is not paid.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, Sunday Telegraph,

Faith

Our harvest of ‘thanks taking’ Firm Faith:

Right Reason Most Rev.

Emmanuel A. Badejo fradebadejo@yahoo.

0803 949 4219 (SMS only)

Thou who hast given us so much, mercifully grant us one more thing - a truly grateful heart. - George Herbert Another fellowship in heaven As the customary harvest period approaches in most Christian Churches, sharing a reflection on the practice as a spiritual engagement cannot be out of place. Like a few other aspects of Christian expression, harvest celebrations have metamorphosed into a skill-based enterprise. To have a successful harvest these days expert guest-preachers, event managers, comedians, Masters of Ceremonies, corporate fundraisers, internal decorators, motivational speakers and concert singers now play a very important role. The overwhelming aim of securing the services of these experts is to raise as much money as possible for the work of God. Given the importance of funds for spreading the good news the legitimacy of this good intention can hardly be contested. But with the high professional content in harvest celebrations these days however, the methods deployed to achieve the end can often from the point of view of authentic Christianity, become banal, if not exploitative. A correct understand-

ing of the word of God however should demonstrate that the ultimate objective of all church harvest is to raise the spirituality of the faithful so that they can participate in the final heavenly harvest (Matt.22:1-14).

Tampering with the harvest of thanksgiving In fact the New Testament concept of the harvest from the words of Jesus Christ himself had very little to do with money. When in the gospels Jesus looked at the people who were with him harassed and helpless, he said: “The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest” Lk. 10:2, Matt 9:37-38). The text shows that the harvest in Jesus’ mind was actually the flock that he came to shepherd. Most New Testament references on the harvest likewise address spiritual things. St Paul however emphasized cheerful, abundant giving for building up the Church and helping the needy (2Cor. 8-9). His central reason however was very precise: “... give abundantly. What you give will become, through us, a thanksgiving to God (2Cor 9:12). But today’s harvest, juxtaposed with these, seems to derive from another fellowship indeed. To drive home the message of generous giving in reluctant worshipers, preachers and speakers emphasize rather frightening parts of the Bible to get better results, like the admonitions of Malachi and the parable of the rich fool (Mal. 1:1-14, Lk. 12:13ff). All these function as catalysts to soften the heart of the recalcitrant faithful who does not realize the goodness of the Lord in him or her enough to open up

the storehouses.

Harvest of thanks-getting As additional incentive also many churches today try to lure believers to do harvest with promises of more blessings, a kind of spiritual bribe or barter. Notice the turn-around in harvest notifications and advertisements from “harvest of thanksgiving” to all sorts of “harvests of expectation” depicted in harvest brochures and banners : “Harvest of Divine Promotion”, Harvest of Supernatural Elevation”, Harvest of Professional Accumulation”, “Harvest of Unprecedented Increase”, “Harvest of Miraculous Healing”, and so on. In other words, the harvest of thanksgiving has now practically become a “harvest of thanks-taking” or “thanks-getting”, so to speak, to receive something from God. It demonstrates indeed a diminished sense of appreciation to God when the very occasion meant to thank him for what he has already done is exploited to demand for more.

The DNA of many modern believers simply does not seem to agree with the Biblical injunction that “Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35). Most people today simply want more, more and more from God with a diminished sense of gratitude. Does it not show as well in our relationship among ourselves whereby those who are able to, simply seek to grab more and more and yet give less and less? There is some sense in the little tale about two angels at heaven’s gate holding two baskets, one full and the other nearly empty. The full basket is tagged “requests:” while the empty one was tagged “thanksgiving”. The dearth of genuine thanksgiving

today ought to bother true believers for only the genuinely thankful enjoy true peace and contentment.

Harvest of thanks-grumbling Yes, yet in a different class are those who care nothing about the admonition of Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). They celebrate what I call the harvest of “thanks-grumbling” and are perennially dissatisfied with their life situation, complaining and grumbling to God: “If only you did that for me I could have done this for you”, “If I could have been like that other person, I could have done that for your Church”. They surely do not belong among true believers. I recall a joke which I read about such grumblers, that if they had been invited to the Last Supper they would have complained about the menu and missed out on the opportunity to be genuinely grateful for having been invited at all. True believers do not, through their demands and requests hijack God’s right to pure praise and thanks. They simply trust God enough to believe that he knows what to do for them at each harvest. He requires no dictation or advice to know what the thanks-giver needs. Divine promotion, victory, increase or healing are all well within his powers and he gives them appropriately and freely. St. Paul endorsed this fact: “And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything at all times and may give abundantly for any good work” (2Cor. 9:8). Such are those who believe the words of the psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his love endures forever (Ps 118:1).

Saying ‘no’ Insight Rev.

Femi Akinola

www.thehebrewsng.com

01-790 3163; 0808 584 5864

Jeremiah 35:1-10) “But they said, we will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us saying, ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever” Jer 35:6 From the very beginning, man has always been faced with the issue of making choices in life. This, hitherto, has either ended him in a state of honour and celebration or that of regret and doom. Joshua in his departing speech to the Israelites stressed on the consequences that would trail their choices in their quest to possess the Promised Land (Jos 24:15).

Sadly, some could not say no to the abomination in the land and which stopped them from getting there.

In the scripture above, we see the determination to hold on to what they believed in. The Rechabites, in exercising their power of will, stood firm and resolute in saying no to what they considered an abridgement of covenant steps and violation of their ancestral belief despite Prophet Jeremiah’s intervention and at the instance of God’s instruction.

Do we still have people like the Rechabites in the land today? People have developed criminal habits and weaknesses that have moulded a future of woes and misfortune for

them and their unborn generations.

Your inability to say no to the things that God detests and considers absurd is probably the cause of your present predicament.

One distinguishing quality among man, angels and animal is the Power of Choice. Unlike angels, man is a product of choice, not command.

Hence, extreme caution is required when making choices or taking decisions. Many have failed to stand firmly to take certain decisions in the past and which has come to stare them in the face today. You could not say no to little lies, immorality, drunkenness, covetousness, hatred, (mention it) and today, these have become the root cause of your situation. You cannot go far in destiny if you cannot say no to those ideas, choices, alliances and even ventures that are destiny impediments and which are capable of sabotaging your destiny pursuit.

If you want to be the peoples’ man, then know it that you can neither walk with God nor stand for Him because His ways are in sharp contrast to that of the world. Exercising your will power to say no to sin in whatever dimension is a determinant of your pace and impact in destiny assignment.

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay in wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause… We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil… My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path” Pro 1:10-15 “He that hath no rule over his own

spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Prov 25:28 Whenever you are at the brink of making a choice, there would always be seeming benefits which would look tempting and mouthwatering, characterised by selfish undertones; saying, ‘we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil.’ But the Bible cautions solemnly, ‘my son walk not thou in the way with them.’

Know that anytime you decide to say ‘no’ to a wrong decision, you must be ready to stand alone. The fear of not wanting to be alone is the major undoing of many.

John the Baptist knew the danger associated with misrepresenting his personality when the Levites sought to know his true identity (Jn 1:1923). Can you stand boldly to say ‘no’ irrespective of the consequences? If you are the type who keeps many friends, you can never say no to sin.

If God must use you and manifest His greatness in you and through you, then you must learn to say no by standing for and with the truth.

Benefits of exercising your willpower to say ‘no’ • It preserves the anointing: Samson failed to say ‘no’ to immorality, hence, lost his anointing and ministry. He lost his place in destiny and wasted heavenly resources invested in him. When you say no to that lust and filthiness of the flesh, you’re redeeming your destiny from the grip of hell and also preserving God’s anointing upon your life.

• It saves you from destruction: Moses could not say no in the face

of anger and this truncated his sojourn with God. He did not get to the Promised Land. Can you say no to that habit or untailored style of living that is about to license your destiny for destruction?

• It upholds your integrity (Matt 5:37): Saying no to sin keeps and preserves your moral standard.

Infidelity in marriage and other celebrated social ills are on the increase because men and women of integrity are becoming scarce. Beloved, your integrity is precious and valuable than you can ever imagine.

•It brings glory to God: When you exercise your power of saying ‘no’, you are taking after your heavenly Father. The Bible says that His eye cannot behold iniquity. The Church of Christ is now besieged with sinful acts commonly seen in the world, thereby despising the name of the Lord. Can you be like the Rechabites who stood their ground to uphold their family name? Can God count on you like the Rechabites?

Now is the time to stand and say to the world and sinful ways therein.

PRAYER POINTS • Every seed of wrong habit capable of wasting my life, catch fire now!

• My Father, strengthen my areas of weakness!

• Holy Spirit, divorce me from every wrong association and alliance!

• My destiny, refuse to be a disgrace to God and the anointing!

• I receive power to defeat sin and live righteously! …in Jesus name.

CO NTINUED O

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Faith

Compromise standards, die shamefully Taming your Emotions Bishop

Lawrence Osagie 0806 325 0667 www.powerlineministriesinc.org mail:powerlineministries@mail.com

C

an you imagine how far the enemy can go. The Philistine lords came to Delilah, the love of Samson, and were willing to pay 11,000 pieces of silver each just to track Samson down. You do not know your worth and that is why you joke with your life and destiny. If you know what glory is awaiting your future you won’t be sleeping with every one you catch on the streets in the name of love affairs.

Delilah accepted the offers and went on to entice Samson. She was categorical in her question - tell me wherein your great strength lies and wherewith you might be bound and defeated.

Why would a woman want to discover the secret of your success overnight?

Delilah was desperate but Samson was careless. So, Samson traded his grace for five minutes of interaction with a woman. He died in deep agony with his eyes plucked off. That was the end of Samson.

How many of us are wasting grace today? If the fall of Samson was over inordinate sexual libido and you feel excused because you think you are not

given to women? What about Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the great man of God with the double portion of Elijah’s anointing?

If Gehazi was living according to the examples of Elisha, his master, it is auspicious that he would perhaps have inherited the double portion of Elisha’s anointing and prophetic exploits.

You know what the double portion of Elisha’s anointing means? It is four portions of Elijah’s anointing. But Gehazi compromised standards for material gain. He was the type that traded principles for profit. The offering his master rejected out of deep spiritual insight, he went behind to collect. Imagine how men would reverence him when he begins to show the enormous wealth from his loot! He erred and earned a generational leprosy for himself and his family. He was another waster of grace.

Look at Judas Iscariot; who had the honour to be one of the disciples that worked with Jesus. He served the Master alongside Peter and Co. He held the money bag of Jesus earthly ministry; he was the financial controller. Any one that is in charge of money is in charge of every one. Anyone holding the treasury is holding a place of trust. Judas lscariot had that honourable office in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was not enough, he wanted his Master sold for 30 pieces of silver. He was the chief of those in blackmail business. But how did he end? He wasted the grace bestowed upon him. The same grace that made others become great apostles that went on to do exactly what Jesus did such as raising the dead and heal-

Never stay in the dark; never allow the devil blind you.

Make sure you see where you are heading to. If anyone is trying to introduce anything contrary to your spiritual life, ask them why

ing the sick was never mentioned about Judas Iscariot. In the end, he committed suicide and died a miserable death.

Now, Paul told us in 1Corinthians 10 that “moreover, l don’t want you to be ignorant.” Never stay in the dark; never allow the devil blind you. Make sure you see where you are heading to. If anyone is trying to introduce anything contrary to your spiritual life, ask them why. Don’t wallow in ignorance and allow people sell you cheap. The reason why you are not on fire today is simply because of the influence of another backsliding Christian. That is why they cannot trust you to do anything and if you are not serving God, you are not a useful vessel. Why should you be rewarded? What are you going to be rewarded for? Where is the plus that you are adding to the work of God? Don’t be ignorant, look at your fathers. They saw the pillar of fire at night, they saw the pillar of cloud in the

day. They all walked through the Red Sea, they were baptised with Moses. In other words, they had an experiential knowledge of the grace and power of God, even in the manifestation of the grace of God, but they ended up in shame when they took up murmuring and rebellion.

We all come to church just to shout Halleluiah 20 times, give our offering and everybody goes to his house. If l want to be like other Pastors l won’t bother. I won’t warn you so long it will not offend you to withhold your tithe and offering. But the bottom line is that l must tell you the truth. I will not let you compromise the standard and live in shame and reproach. How can you stay in a place where you are fed with the same spiritual food and yours is not doing well, yet others are manifesting the grace and the glory of God? What happened? For 40 years, you have been running around in a circle of defeat because of what? A journey of 40 days!

It simply suggests that there is something you are doing that is making your one-day journey to turn to one year. If l were you, I would check myself and stop it.

If l am contributing to what is delaying my destiny and manifestation, I will do something about it. I will not be looking for whom to blame.

If this message has blessed you, you can get more at the Powerline Bible Church. We invite you to worship with us Powerline Bible Church Glass House, Odolowu Bus Stop, Ijeshatedo, along Mile 2- Oshodi Expressway, Lagos.

Unlocking the supernatural through favour!

The Voice of Dominion by

Bishop David Oyedepo

7747546-8 (SMS only)

W

e are in the latter days- the era of supernatural favour in the body of Christ. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory (Psalms 102:13-15). As a result, there shall be an unusual release of supernatural favour in the church of Christ before Jesus returns.

Also, the church will begin to possess the land and wherever the soles of our feet shall tread upon shall be given to us. As it is written: We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them (Psalms 44:1-3; see also Haggai 2:3-9).

What entitles us to favour?

• Redemption: Redemption is a product of favour. It is written: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and

that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Grace, which also means favour, is the heritage of the redeemed and everyone that is born again is listed among God’s beloved. As it is written: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6; see also 2 Corinthians 5:21).

‘Beloved’ here means to be favoured or a favourite. That means every child of God is God’s favourite on the earth.

As a result, everything about our lives attracts favour (Psalms 5:12).

• The ‘church in the wilderness’ was cladded with favour: The ‘Church in the wilderness’ (the Israelites) was a highly favoured and struggle-free church. The Bible records: This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us (Acts 7:38).

During the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years, they experienced the tangibility of favour.

They enjoyed manna twice daily and the Bible says that: Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years (Deuteronomy 8:4). There is nothing in the Old Testament that can compare to what is available to us in the New Testament.

If the church in the wilderness was that favoured, how much more shall the church of the Living God bought by the Blood of Jesus be favoured. Furthermore, concerning the Israelites, God said: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty (Exodus 3:21; see also Exodus 12:36). God is committed

Favour terminates tears: Favour turns our tears into testimonies.

It is favour in a man’s life that defines the quality of his life (Psalms 30:5-7) to giving His people favour and we are privileged to be His people by redemption. Hence, we are entitled to divine favour.

• The church in the upper room enjoyed favour: As it is written: Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47). Favour was the identity of the first church. That means the church of Christ is ordained to swim in favour.

Furthermore, Jesus Christ, the Head of the church was robed with favour.

The Bible says: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). Jesus said: As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world (John 17:18). We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. That means whatever pertains to Christ pertains to us.

Thus, we are highly favoured individuals (Romans 8:17).

What is in Favour?

• Favour terminates tears: Favour turns our tears into testimonies. It is favour in a man’s life that defines the quality of his life (Psalms 30:5-7).

• Prosperity: And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master

the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand (Genesis 39:2-4). It is impossible to secure favour with God and not have favour with man.

However, as stated earlier, favour is the heritage of the redeemed child of God. Until you become born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, you cannot experience God’s kind of favour. If you want to be born again, please say this prayer and you shall be born again: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

For further reading, please get my books: Walking In The Miraculous, Operation In The Supernatural, Releasing The Supernatural, Commanding The Supernatural and All You Need To Have All Your Needs Met. I will continue this teaching next week.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 77475468; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

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Faith

Obedience: The evidence of faith Mystery ofAnxiety Bishop

John Ogbansiegbe

0803 341 6327

M

any people have not seen the need of taking the word of God seriously, let alone hanging their destinies on it. This, most probably, is so because they are ignorant of its source.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew that Jesus was God incarnate and obeying His word and directives was the root of every miracle, so she told the servants while referring to Jesus, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it” - John 2:5.

In this series, we shall open your eyes to see that obedience is the evidence of your faith and the human action line that crystallises miracles.

Obedience, simply defined as the act of doing what one is told, is actually one of the fundamental conditions for the manifestation of many miracles. It has vintage fruits which can only be

harnessed when you have perfectly done what God wants you to do. It must be perfectly done, because by God’s standard of obedience, partial obedience is equal to no obedience at all.

The word of God declared in lsaiah 1:19: “lf ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land.” God always wants to ascertain your willingness and the heart with which you seek Him for your miracle. He is looking for that faith shrouded and wrapped in obedience. This is why He always asked beneficiaries of His miracles: “Do you believe you can do this?” Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all these things are possible to him that believeth,” Mark 9:23.

There is a human side to every miracle.

The human side precedes the divine.

This human side involves obedience to God’s command, direction or interaction. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus commanded them, “Take ye away the state,” - John 11:39. Our Lord Jesus had the power to blow off the stone with His breath or talk to the stone to roll away; and it would obey. But He wanted all those who desired the resurrection of Lazarus, to express their faith tangible to obedience to the instruction.

This message is coming at this time to prepare you to have the right spiritual

And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which l commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; is sorrow shalt thou eat of it, all the days of thy life

attitude, approach or reaction which shall be the catalyst to the manifestation of your long awaited miracle. The knowledge will help you to do what God wants. Go ahead, read and digest it. I want to believe that the miracle for which you have prayed, waited and fasted shall locate you sooner than you can imagine, in Jesus name.

Literally speaking, obedience is the act of doing what one was asked to do. It is the willingness to carry out order or instruction. Spiritually speaking, it means to hear God’s word and act accordingly.

The word ‘obey’ in the Old Testament means to hear, and it is often so translat-

ed in the New Testament. Several words describe obedience; one means to hear or listen or to listen in a state of submission. Another word often translated obey as to trust.

Many people find it difficult to obey instructions Many are lawless and directionless. Every act of disobedience has consequential punishment. J B Mile once said: “lt is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibility of not doing it.”

It was the disobedience of Adam and Eve to God’s instruction, regarding the knowledge and evil, that led to their fall; and opened multiple doors of untold hardship, pain, calamities, sickness and death into the world till today.

“And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which l commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; is sorrow shalt thou eat of it, all the days of thy life.

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herbs of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return” - Genesis 3:17-19.

Tithing, giving and receiving (1) the of

Oracles God

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com

0703 362 1866

M

any Christians struggle with the subject of tithing. In some churches giving is over-emphasised. At the same time, many Christians refuse to submit to the Biblical exhortations on tithing and offerings to the Lord. Tithing/giving is intended to be a joy and a blessing but that is sometimes not the case in the church today.

Tithing is an act of giving and giving is a channel of receiving in abundance.

Giving is like a seed faith sown in someone’s life or in the Kingdom of God. Naturally, it germinates and a harvest of return is reaped in due course. Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. As an example, the widow woman of Zarephath sustained Prophet Elijah, herself and her only child by a divine multiplication of her last meal because she willingly gave out first to a hungry and needy heart. That was sacrificial. Because she met the divine requirement, God blessed her. That is the underlying principle of giving as the scripture above stipulates.

In this regard, I have experienced how the ever-faithful God takes care of His church and His work through His own.

Giving and sowing in the lives of others has resulted to multiple effect of God’s blessings. God has given in excess of our prayers and beyond our understanding.

NATURE AS A GIVER The Lord once remarked to Nicode-

mus in their conversation (John 3:12), “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” Nature is a profound giver and it never lacks.

Consider as an example the sun in the solar system; it is designed to give out light, heat and energy to both plants and animals, humanity inclusive. Since inception, on daily basis the sun has never run short of the supply of light. In giving, the source of supply continues to flow like a flowing tap unabated. But when giving is withheld then supply ceases. A man who does not open up his treasury to give will soon run out of supply and eventually lose all that he has. Even though too, the moon has no light of it own, she has positioned herself to reflect light from the sun at night. It’s been a tremendous giving (blessing). This teaches that because you do not have, it is not an excuse not to give. As we learn from the moon, she has no light of her own, but she still strives to ensure she is a channel of blessing by harnessing light from the sun to reflect to the earth. Every Christian believer is a type of the moon. John was not the light, but he was the light bearer (John 1:8). Jesus is the light of the world, the sun of righteousness. Again, the supply of natural air (oxygen) that we inhale is a blessing doled out by nature which

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Isreal liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word has never run in short supply. This is in spite of all living things inhaling without restraint. Air remains in abundance. The same goes for the supply and outpouring of rain in it’s due season by the heavens.

The heaven has not lacked or failed to water the earth except when interrupted

by God for reason of judgment. (I King 17:1) “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Isreal liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

Vegetation has continued to supply herbs, fruits and seed unabated in spite of the high consumption rate of the living. Following the principle of giving, it shall be given back to you more abundantly. Nature is a natural unselfish giver. That is the purpose of God in

all His creation. Man is not an exception. Whoever does not give is working against the purpose of God and of course he pays the price of lack and diminishing return. Selfishness is not a gift, it is a product of the fallen nature of man.

When you reverse the trend of nature and turn from being a giver to a receiver, then you place limitations to the flow of blessings due to you.

A professional beggar, who has no intention of investing in others as a giver, defies nature’s law of increase and returns. He perpetually remains in poverty and lack. While givers never lack, receivers never get enough. A giving attitude and practice first and foremost generates an air of sound abundant prosperity.

Output is the reason for input. The farmer who gives out his seed abundantly to mother earth in the sowing season is positioned to reap abundantly at harvest.

Give first then receive. The husband who fails to give the seed of life to the wife who is a type of the earth into which seeds are sown should not expect to receive any born child. To receive is only legally appropriate when you give love, kindness, encouragement, strength, time, prayers, tithe, offering and generally an investment of oneself by laying down your life for your friend (John 15:13 )

Planet is at breaking point, says Pope Francis

P

ope Francis has said that the earth, created to support life, is “reaching a breaking

point.”

He spoke in his encyclical on the environment, Catholic Herald reported.

He said: “Hope would have us recognise that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems.

“Still, we can see signs that things are now reaching a breaking point, due to the rapid pace of change and degradation; these are evident in large-scale natural disasters as well as social and even financial crises, for the world’s problems cannot be analysed or explained in isolation.

“There are regions now at high risk and, aside from all doomsday predictions; the present world system is cer-

tainly unsustainable from a number of points of view, for we have stopped thinking about the goals of human activity.”

The Earth, which was created to support life and give praise to God, is crying out with pain because human activity is destroying it, Pope Francis said.

On climate change specifically, the Pope said “a very solid scientific consensus indicates

that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system” that was either “produced or aggravated” by human activity.

He said that all who believe in God and all people of good will have an obligation to take steps to mitigate climate change, clean the land and the seas, and start treating all of creation — including poor people — with respect and concern.

xxxxx 58

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Faith

Why I groan in my prayers Word of Life

Bishop

Moses Kattey

moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

0808 770 7486

W

hen I groan, I believe that the Holy Spirit interprets it and presents the matter in the most acceptable way. When you have a need, and you kneel down and groan, you present your case in such a way that surpasses word presentation. You say it in a way that there is no human word to explain it, and

in the best way according to the will of God. 2. If the Pharisee of Luke 18:11 and 12 had groaned, his case could have been presented according to the will of God. If the condemned thief had just groaned in prayer rather than seeking to present his case in his own words, the Holy Spirit could have presented it better to God for him to be saved.

The addressee of James Chapter 4 could have prayed rightly if he had just gone ahead to groan, and allowed the Holy Spirit to interpret his desire and present to God. LORD JESUS GROANED Lazarus, the Lord’s friend died. Many, Lazarus’ sister and other sympathisers,

were crying. The Lord Jesus offered a prayer that could not be uttered in words as “He groaned in the Spirit.”. It was so loud that all noticed the groaning.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the Spirit and was troubled (John 11:33).

It was a prayer greater than binding. It was a prayer the Holy Spirit interpreted and presented properly according to the will of God. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as He pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will (Romans 8:27 Living Bible).

That groaning was different from

weeping of John 11:35 “Jesus wept”. That groaning was prayer. As the Lord Jesus wept and people saw how well He loved Lazarus, He prayed again by groaning.

Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the grave. It was a care, and a stone lay upon it (John 11:38).

GROANING IS WISDOM PRAYER There are situations in which you lack wisdom to operate. If you bind and loose, you will be accused of offering dangerous prayers, and indeed, that might not be what was needed at the time. If you say a word, that might not be what God’s will requires at the time. Do you tell God what achievement you have made so far like Hezekiah? You might end like the Pharisee of Luke 18:11, 12.

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2. Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 3. I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and walk a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.

And Hezekiah wept sore (2 Kings 20:1-3).

The Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer but refused the Pharisee’s prayer. Why? I cannot tell, and that is one reason I groan in prayer and let the Holy Spirit become my intercessor and present my case well for God’s acceptance.

When a woman groans in the Spirit, the husband will not accuse her of praying against him ot reporting him to God. 3. THE ISRAELITES WERE WISE The people of Israel were serving their Egyptian masters. The Egyptians did not know they were praying but only heard them groan and groan and groan. The children of Israel were known for their groaning. Praying in words could have aggreviated their sufferings and afflictions under their task masters.

They were only groaning like women in labour.

Egyptians were like saying: “You always groan, are you an Israelite?” The Lord heard the groaning, interpreted it and something happened.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His Covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respect unto them (Exodus 2:24, 25).

Tell them that God looked down from His temple in heaven, and heard the groans of His people in slavery – they were children of death – and released them (Psalm 102:19, 20 L.B).

SUNDAY

Sport 59

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

Eagles

NFF’s hammer may fall on Enyeama p.62

Arsenal

Dangote: I’ve been a Gunner for 30 years p.62

Football

Tesho Akindele: Tied to Canada at Eagles’ expense p.60

Canada 2015

Top gay, bisexual stars at 2015 Women’s World Cup p.61

David Oniya:

One death too many T

he first soccer player to die on the field of play in the history of organised football in the world was Englishman William Cropper, this happened on January 13, 1889. He was aged 26.

Over the years soccer players give up the ghost while on active duty for both clubs and national teams. The most shocking sudden death on the pitch so far in the history of organised football in Nigeria was that of Sam Okwaraji. Who collapsed and died playing for the Super Eagles against Angola in a World Cup qualifiers match on August 12, 1989. An autopsy showed that the 24 years old late soccer star had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure the ailments which were never diagnosed before Okwaraji’s death.

Last weekend Nigerians woke up to the news that another Nigerian soccer star had collapsed and died barely three minutes into a game in Malaysia. The 30-year-old who played for Malaysian Premier League side TTeam Football Club, according to the club management should not have died if not for the negligence of the stadium medics who were busy watching the game instead of being on standby.

Oniya’s death to sports stakeholders was one death too many for the country’s stars plying their trade overseas. While some of the country’s stars died playing in Nigeria the likes of Sam

Okwaraji, Amir Angwe of Julius Berger (1995), Orobosa Adun of Warri Wolves (2009), Emmanuel Ogoli of Ocean Boys FC (2010) and Tunde Charity (former Flying Eagles), there is another long list of Nigerian soccer stars who died playing for their overseas’ clubs. The growing number is becoming worrisome by the day.

Oniya is not the first Nigerian and from all indications won’t be the last to die while playing for clubs overseas. Far back in 2000, former Golden Eaglets star, John Ikoroma, who also played for Enugu Rangers before departing for the foreign league in the middle east, at aged 17 years collapsed on the pitch and later died in hospital.

Soon after that, his teammate at Enugu Rangers, Sam Okoye, a former Flying Eagles goalkeeper collapsed and died while playing for his club in Iran. This was followed by Charles Nduka’s death who was also brought into the country as a cargo from South Africa where he had died playing a match. He was a former Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt player.

In March 2010, Endurance Idahor died in similar circumstances during a Sudanese Premier League match-up between his club El-Merriekh and Al-Amal.

He collided with an opponent and never stood up again. Idahor joined El-Merreikh from Nigerian club Dolphin FC in 2006.

He scored over 67 goals.

On August 18, 2010 Victor Omogbehin, a 22 year-old player

of Ilford FC of England collapsed during a league match. He played in the Isthmian Football League.

On November 13, 2011 another talented Nigerian star, 30 years old Bobsam Elejiko, joined the ugly list of stars who died playing for their foreign clubs. Elejiko in the colours of K. Merksem S.C of Belgium collapsed and died while playing a 5th tier match against F.C. Exc. Kaart.

In August 2012, a 21-year-old Nigerian football player, Henry Chinonso Ihelewere, died during a football match in Romania he collapsed in a friendly game against FC Balotesti in the 86th minute, after having been brought on for 10 minutes only.

In October, 2012, 24 years old Nigerian player, Joshua Pepple, died on the pitch while playing for his Polish club side, Pomorza-

nin Nowogard FC. Later in 2012, Austin Ndife, who was just 21 years old, died of cardiac arrest in Nepal while playing soccer.

He was said to be in Nepal on trials and was yet to sign for any club. He died at the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Bansbari.

After the demise of Ndife, Pepple and Ihelewere, deaths of Nigerian players in foreign clubs did not occur until after three years. On May 31, 2015, Shetemi Ayetigbo, a 16 year-old Nigerian midfielder who plays for Belvedere Football Club in Dublin, Ireland, died. He suddenly slumped and died 25 minutes into a league match at the St Kevin’s Boys Football grounds.

The sad thing about all the deaths is that they were attributed to heart failures.

Bobsam Elejiko

Chinonso Ihelwere

Victor Omogbehin

Joshua Pepple

Dapo Sotuminu

David Oniya

Deputy Sports Editor Dapo Sotuminu daposotu@yahoo.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

60

SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Sport

Tesho Akindele Full name: Tesho Akindele Date of birth: March 31, 1992 (age 23) Place of birth: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Playing position: Forward Current team: FC Dallas Number: 13 Youth career: 2010–2013 Colorado Mines Orediggers Senior career: 2013 Real Colorado Foxes 2014: FC Dallas National team: 2009 Canada U-17 2015: Canada senior team.

Tesho Akindele:

Tied to Canada at Eagles’ expense

T

Dapo Sotuminu

he date June 12 meant a lot to Nigeria’s progressives as the day when the presidential mandate of late politician and former Pillar of Sports in Africa, Chief MKO Abiola, was stolen by the military junta in Nigeria. The date also meant a great deal to a Nigerianborn soccer star, Tesho Akindele, who lost his right to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria as he was capped and tied forever to Canada which featured him in the 2-0 Concacaf qualifiers game for the 2018 World Cup against the Dominica Republic.

The FC Dallas striker is now cap-tied to Canada and can no longer represent the national team of Nigeria at any level after he was named on June 2, 2015 as one of the of 23 players to the Canadian National Team for the June 12 World Cup qualifying game against Dominica.

The Calgary-born player was in action for Canada Men’s National Team in their 2 - 0 win over Dominica in a 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - Round 2.

Tesho Akindele, who slotted in at the left wing, played for 73 minutes before making way for Montreal Impact FC midfielder Maxim Tissot.

Earlier in the week, the Canadian-Nigerian was named to Canada’s provisional roster for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 2014 MLS Rookie of the Year was also eligible to don the colours of the United States before his official debut for Canada on June 12.

The first thing you notice when you see Akindele in person is his physical presence-his height and his strength.

He’s also very humble and seems genuinely keen to play for Canada and I thought he played very well in earning his first cap in Dominica, a 1-0 win. He’s got an instinc-

tive nose for the net which is something Canada can benefit greatly from and his 10 goals already in the MLS after a rookie of the year campaign last year hopefully foreshadows more of the same for Canada.

He’s comfortable playing in both a centre forward position or linking up from a wider attacking position and that flexibility gives manager Benito Floro options in an attack that is looking to get offensive output from all over the field.

Tesho Akindele was born in Canada on March 31, 1992 to a Nigerian father and a Canadian mother and moved with his family to the U.S. at the age of eight. He grew up in Thornton, Colorado and was a standout for Northglenn High School, turning down an offer to join the Colorado Rapids academy at the age of 17 in order to focus on academics.

Akindele played four years of college soccer at the Colorado School of Mines, where he became the school’s alltime goals leader with 76 goals scored, and was a four-time All-American.

He attended a youth training camp of the Canadian youth national team in 2009 and played for Canada’s U-17 national team in a friendly against Costa Rica on April 2, 2009.

On November 5, 2014 it was reported that Akindele had turned down a call-up from Canada with a view to represent the United States instead, and on January 9, 2015 he was called up to the US Senior team camp ahead of friendly matches versus Chile and Panama. He did not play in either friendly due to not having an American passport at the time of the friendlies.

However, on April 14, 2015, Canada coach Benito Floro told media that Akindele was “99.9 percent” going to represent Canada instead of the United States, and on June 2 he accepted a call up to the Canadian national team for two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Dominica.

61

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2015

Sport

Top gay, bisexual stars at 2015 Women’s World Cup

USA women’s soccer idol, Abby Wambach, whose lone goal sent the Super Falcons of Nigeria out of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup is one of the prominent 14 top gay stars playing in the competition. She has an ally in team mate Megan Rapinoe who combined effectively with her to nail the Edwin Okon-tutored team. The world of sport may still be a hostile place for many gay and bisexual athletes. With its long history of homophobia, there are precious few openly gay men in the entire football industry. But this year, there are at least 14 openly gay or bisexual women playing in the Canada World Cup - that’s exactly 14 more than the men’s World Cup last year.

Abby Wambach (USA): Abby Wambach is an American player, coach and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

She currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for her national team, which she has regularly played in since 2003. Not only was she named the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to gain the accolade in 10 years, but she was included in Time Magazine’s May 2015 list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. In 2013 she married her longtime partner, Sarah Huffman, and said the marriage did not represent a coming out: ‘I can’t speak for other people, but for me, I feel like gone are the days that you need to come out of a closet. I never felt like I was in a closet.

I never did. I always felt comfortable with who I am.’

Megan Rapinoe (USA): Born in California, Megan is a Seattle midfielder and Olympic gold medalist best known for making history at the London 2012 games. When she scored an ultra-rare ‘Goal Olimpico’ by scoring directly from a corner, she became the first woman or man ever to do so at the Olympics. Megan came out as a lesbian in 2012, saying: ‘I just felt like I was leaving something out and omitting something and not being 100 percent truthful. Even though I never lied about anything.

‘The world is sort of presumably straight, so I think I wasn’t wanting to be assumed [to be straight] or have people believe that.

I’m obviously very proud of who I am. I couldn’t be happier with who I am.’ Since then, she has been an advocate for a number of LGBTI organizations that support young people and aim to end homophobia in sport.

Nadine Angerer (Germany): Nadine Angerer is a 36-year-old German player and captain of Germany’s national team. In January 2014 she won FIFA’s World Player of the Year award – making her the first goalkeeper, male or female, to do so. In 2010, she came out as bisexual. ‘I am very open about this, because I am of the opinion there are nice guys and nice women,’ she said. ‘Besides, I find it totally silly to have a general definition. I see no problem for me to come out of the closet. This is nothing new for me, so I can deal with the issue in a totally relaxed manner.’

Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden): Since making her debut with her national team in 2008, Swedish player Lisa Dahlkvist has accrued more than 80 caps. But she’s been surrounded by football all her life, as the daughter of accomplished professional footballer Sven Dhalkvist. The 28-year-old midfielder is an out lesbian, having come out publicly back in 2008.

Katie Duncan (New Zealand): This New Zealand player recently moved to Switzerland to be closer to her wife, former Football Ferns player Priscilla Duncan.

Her third FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, she is taking the Football Ferns to Canada as vice-captain.

Nilla Fischer (Sweden): Nilla Fischer is a Swedish player known for her strong competitive spirit. She has a passionate commitment to gender equality and gay rights, saying: ‘As an athlete, I wish to prevent all forms of discrimination within sport, such as sexism, homophobia and racism. But above all, I wholeheartedly support everyone’s right to practice sports. For me it’s a human right!’ The 30-year-old married her girlfriend Maria Micheala in 2013, and was named ‘LGBTQ Person of the Year’ in 2014 in Sweden.

Isabell Herlovsen (Norway): Isabell is a 26-year-old Norweigan player, the daughter of famous international footballer Kai Erik Herlovsen. She came out as a lesbian publicly in July 2011, but was out to friends and family in her teens, saying it felt natural to her and she wanted to be true to herself. She thinks it’s important to be open publicly. At the age of 16 years and 348 days she became the youngest player at a UEFA European Women’s Championship in 2005, and became the youngest scorer only three days later.

Michelle Heyman (Australia): 26-year-old Michelle Heyman is a striker in the Australian W-League. She was the winner of the Golden Boot award for most goals, and winner of Player of the Year in the W-League 2009. Out and proud, she has said there was no big revelation of her sexuality – she has never been in the closet.

Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden): Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl plays for Chelsea and was named Swedish women’s goalkeeper of the year in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2014. With over 100 caps for the national team, her career shows no signs of slowing down. She married wife Sabine Willms in 2011, and the two have a son who was born in 2014.

Erin McLeod (Canada): 32-year-old Erin McLeod is a Canadian national player and Olympic bronze medalist. The goalkeeper’s relationship with girlfriend Ella Masar was openly announced on social media, and since then she had used the platform to spread a positive LGBTI message. She writes on her blog: ‘As I get older I realize how important it is to be true to exactly who you are - and to have the courage to be just that - so that all young people can grow up in a world that is ac-

cepting of all people - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or heterosexual.’

ding for two females.’

Trine Rønning (Norway): This 32-year-old Norwegian player has won over 150 caps since making her debut for Norway’s women’s team in 1999. This year, she is leading the team out as captain for the first time, saying it is ‘an indescribable feeling’ for her childhood dream of being captain of her country to come true.

She married fellow footballer Kristin Blystad Bjerke in 2009, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in Norway.

Caroline Seger (Sweden): Swedish midfielder, Caroline Serger, has won over a century of caps since making her debut for the Swedish national women’s team in 2005. Her career has taken her from Swedish captain to Philadelphia to Western New York Flash and then Paris SaintGermain. An out lesbian, she has said she used to conceal her sexuality but decided to speak out to help other gay and lesbian young people who might be struggling with their identity.

Lianne Sanderson (England): Born in Watford, Lianne joined Arsenal in 1997 as part of their youth program, and has since played for everyone from Espanyol to the Boston Breakers. There, she and fiancée Joanna Lohman became the first openly gay engaged couple competing on the same professional team. The relationship sparked huge publicity, as well as a great deal of public support. ‘At autograph alley at Harvard Stadium, the kids come up to me and say “congratulations on yours and Joanna’s engagement,”’ Lianne has said. ‘They bring pictures of us from People Magazine and they want us to sign it. You would never have gotten this 10 years ago.

Never would you have gotten people coming to the games saying “Congratulations on your engagement” when it’s the wed-

Casey Stoney (England): English player Casey Stoney has been capped for England over 100 times since making her debut in 2000. A defender for Arsenal Ladies, she also captained the Team GB squad at the 2012 London Olympics. She came out publicly in February 2014, and announced five months later that her partner, Megan Harris, was pregnant with twins.

Megan gave birth to their twins, Teddy and Tilly, in November 2014. ‘I have struggled to accept myself for many years,’ she has said.

‘I have had no reason to feel that way but there is still a stigma, you still hear certain abuse thrown at other people and think, “We are still living in the dark ages sometimes”. But actually what coming out has shown me is that society is changing for the better. I feel lucky to live in this country.’

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Sport / News

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

NFF’s hammer may fall on Enyeama

NFF to investigate Keshi’s Ivory Coast link •Slams $5,000 fine on Onazi he Nigeria football ruling

T

body, the NFF, has declared it readiness to investigate reports that Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi, applied for the job of the Ivory Coast national team handler.

On Friday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced it had received 59 applications in the race to succeed Herve Renard. The FIF initially published the name of every man to declare interest in the job, including Stephen Keshi.

He is still employed by Nigeria having signed a new deal in April.

The page on FIF website listing Keshi and 58 other applicants for the Elephants job has been taken down but the NFF insists that will not prevent ‘a full investigation.’

NFF Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, said yesterday in Abuja that the football federation would open a full investigation to determine whether Stephen Keshi actually applied for the vacant Ivory Coast job.

He said the NFF would rush into anything as a full report will be obtained from the Ivory Coast football federation before making an official statement.

Keshi returned as Nigeria coach for the third time in April by signing a two-year contract with the NFF. In his first spell he won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations but the deal was not renewed after the 2014 World Cup. The Eagles coach while on the payroll of the NFF in the last 18 months had so far applied for six jobs which include that of five national teams and one club side.

The national teams include; Togo, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon and now Ivory Coast.

Keshi has declined to comment on his decision to apply to manage the African champions.

A

frica’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has insisted his interest in buying Arsenal is not ‘overnight stuff’ and revealed he has been a fan of the club for more than 30 years thanks to former vice-chairman David Dein.

Dangote, who is the 67th wealthiest person in the world with a fortune of £12billion, has explained his interest in The Gunners by explaining he was first taken to the club’s former Highbury ground by Dein, a close friend and associate.

Dein, a former sugar trader, helped Dangote start his business in 1980. Dangote Sugar Refinery

I

f the body language in the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, is anything to go by, there are rife indications that Super Eagles captain and Lille OSC of France goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, may be punished following his refusal to answer a query given to him on statement made ahead of the Nations Cup qualifiers against Chad.

The Disciplinary Committee of Nigeria Football Federation has summoned the Eagles’ keeper to appear before it on Tuesday to explain his unguarded statement against the NFF’s choice of Kaduna for Nigeria’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Chad on Saturday, 13thJune.

The committee, headed by Barrister Chris Green, wrote: “You will recall that you were queried by the Nigeria Football Federation for your uncomplimentary remarks with regards to safety and security in Kaduna State, host of the Nations Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Chad Republic.

“You received the query letter

on June 13, 2015 and refused to reply to the query up till now, which is well over the 48 hours deadline given to you to reply to the query. Consequently, the NFF has referred the matter to the Disciplinary Committee for adjudication.

“You are by this, invited to

appear before the Disciplinary Committee of Nigeria Football Federation sitting on Tuesday, 23rd June, 2015 at the Federation’s Secretariat in Abuja. The committee sitting will commence at 11am prompt.”

In a related development, Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi, who earned a straight red card for an act of retaliation during

the same match, has been issued a letter of reprimand, ordered to produce a written apology and fined the sum of $5,000.

In a letter signed by Tunde Aderibigbe on behalf of the General Secretary and dated 19th June, the NFF said: “It is hoped that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others in our future engagements.”

L-R: Adidas Golden Ball winner Adama Traore (Mali), adidas Silver Ball winner Danilo (Brazil) and Bronze Ball winner Sergej Milinkovic

U-20 W/Cup: Serbia makes history Distributors delighted with S Heineken UCL experience erbia, playing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time as an independent nation lifted the most coveted trophy in youth football into the night skies above Auckland after sealing a thrilling extra-time victory over Brazil at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015.

Mali had earlier secured third place thanks in large part to the attacking prowess of Adama Traore, who won the adi-

Dangote: I’ve been a Gunner for 30 years Plc now accounts for 90 per cent of the product sold in Nigeria.

“I have been a supporter of the teams since the Eighties,” confirmed Dangote after publicly declaring his wish to be the club’s next owner.

‘My love for Arsenal dates back

das Golden Ball for his efforts.

Meanwhile Ukraine’s Viktor Kovalenko was awarded the Golden Boot and Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic received the Golden Glove.

Traore of Mali has been a joy to watch in New Zealand. There is no doubt that Mali’s technically outstanding, highly intelligent midfielder has shaped his team’s play, distributing balls, setting the tempo and providing structure to the African side’s

build-up play.

Although Traore generally moved through the centre of the pitch, he also mixed things up by making the occasional run down the wing. The 19-year-old Lille player’s four goals and three assists played a major part in making Mali the surprise package and crowd favourites of these finals and earned him the well-deserved accolade of player of the tournament.

to when I went to watch them play with the-then largest shareholder David Dein. I developed a likeness for the team and I have been a supporter of the team since then. So it is not overnight stuff.’

Dangote believes his background won’t be an obstacle to buying Arsenal.

‘What I always say is that money doesn’t have colour. It doesn’t matter whether you are from Africa or anywhere in the world.

The colour of money is the same.

Once I put money on the table, they will not think if I am an African. It might be a policy that they don’t want an African to own it, that is another matter altogether, which I don’t really believe.’

Dangote caused international headlines last week when he said in an interview that he would be in a position to buy Arsenal because of revenues from a private oil refinery he was building in Nigeria.

Brazil to appeal Neymar’s Copa America suspension B

Five options for Chelsea to replace Mikel

J

ose Mourinho has admitted that he is looking to recruit another central midfielder at Chelsea this summer to replace Super Eagles of Nigeria star, Mikel Obi. While the Portuguese coach has indicated that he is looking to introduce more competition into

his squad, the new arrival may well be a direct replacement for the Nigerian superstar.

The Nigeria international has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge with Al Ain and Fenerbahce both linked with a move for the Super Eagle.

razil will appeal Neymar’s four-game suspension that rules him out of the rest of the Copa America.

Brazil coach Dunga said on Saturday that his confederation’s “legal department will file a counterpoint to Neymar’s sanction.”

Dunga said in a news conference in Santiago that Neymar had a huge importance in football, and therefore the sanctions against him were also huge.

Dunga said Brazil was seeking only “what’s fair.”

A CONMEBOL disciplinary panel on Friday also fined Neymar $100,000 for being sent off after the final whistle of Brazil’s 1-0 loss to Colombia on Wednesday. He was redcarded for kicking the ball at an opponent, appeared to headbutt another player, and confronted the referee.

T

he UEFA Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona at the Olympiastadion Stadium, Berlin, Germany, may have come and gone, but for the distributors of the premium beer, Heineken, the memory of their Berlin experience would linger for as long as they live.

Heineken, the major sponsor of the world’s biggest club competition in its characteristics sponsored some lucky Nigerians to watch the finals of the UEFA Champions League and all of them had exciting time at the German capital.

For the past eight years, Heineken have been rewarding five of its lucky consumers with an all-expenses paid trip to watch the final match of the most prestigious club competition, and same this year Nigerian Breweries Plc gave some of its distributors an unforgettable experience with the Berlin spectacle.

Aside the Berlin experience, Heineken also made 20 ‘lucky’ Nigerians much further away from home, to be part of an allexpense paid VIP experience on the exotic Island of Ibiza, off the coast of Spain.

For most of the Nigerians that traveled to Berlin, it was a dream come true when they received the call from Heineken officials that they have won paid trips to Berlin, “It was like a dream when the call came through that I have won,” Benin based Christiana Odiaka said.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015

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SPORT David Oniya: One death too many

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Era of decampments (6) oday, we continue with politricians’ decampment and their many reasons for doing so.

Happy reading.

CHIEF AUDU OGBEH

Chief Audu Ogbeh is the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Due to differences with the then President Obasanjo, he was forced to resign and later moved over to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which morphed into the All Progressive Congress (APC). The crisis which culminated in the resignation of Ogbeh started December 6, 2005, when Ogbeh wrote a letter to President Obasanjo, warning him of the dangers inherent in the unresolved political crisis that had engulfed Anambra State since the failed attempt to forcefully remove Governor Chris Ngige from office July 10, 2003.

This did not go down well with the former President Obasanjo, who in his reply dated December 12, accused Ogbeh of insubordination, disloyalty and mischief making. The exchanges to establish who was the real leader of the party, the Chairman or the President, were papered over at a place where OBJ and Audu shared pounded yam with egusi soup. But the very following day, just like it happened to Okadigbo in August 2000 when he lost his leadership of the Senate of the National Assembly after OBJ had waltzed with his wife at a celebration of settlement of differences, Audu resigned his chairmanship of the party. On what led to his resignation, he puts it vividly thus: “One day, I summoned up courage and confronted Obasanjo at a meeting. I told him point blank that Mr. President, I am not your cook but your party Chairman, so you talk to me with respect.”

BARNABAS GEMADE

Strong indications had emerged that the former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade had made up his mind to decamp to the opposition APC, to realize his re-election bid in the Senate.

Senator Gemade who represented Benue North East Senatorial District had tendered a letter of withdrawal from the PDP’s Senatorial primaries expected to hold the following day, as a result of the alleged hijack of the process by the State Governor, Gabriel Suswan.

A close ally of the erstwhile National chairman of the PDP who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the condition of anonymity had hinted that Senator Gemade may likely pick the APC form on Monday to contest the senatorial election in the area.

The source further had stated that Gemade who was the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning would join forces with the former governor of the state and Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, to ensure that APC captured the state in 2015 general elections. All these came to pass.

The source claimed that Senator Gemade had decided to leave the PDP because the NWC, of the PDP, turned down the list of his (Gemade) delegates and recognized the Governor ’s list, which he claimed were allegedly written in the comfort of his, Logo country home, Benue State.

It will be recalled that Senator Akume was allegedly pushed out of the PDP and he joined the opposition party to win election in 2011 and had become a Chieftain of the APC and Minority Leader in the Senate.

Senator Gemade in his withdrawal letter addressed to the National Chairman of the

The

Nigerian Project

MIKE OZEKHOME san, ofr mike.ozekhome@yahoo.com 08094777755 (sms only) PDP, Alhaj Adamu Mu’azu dated December 2, 2014, with the title “PDP primary elections for Senate 2015 – withdrawal”, complained about lack of transparency and level playing field in the way and manner the party’s primary election is being conducted.

He lamented over his alleged forceful withdrawal from the PDP Senatorial primaries, saying that he had realised that things had degenerated to the level that no one should expect a level playing field or even any democratic action in the party’s affairs.

He said that as a founding member of the PDP in 1998 and indeed the leader of the conveners in Benue State, he was pained by the undemocratic developments in the party where the party structure was surrendered to the State Government.

Senator Gemade noted, with dismay, that there was no room for an honest and law abiding member of PDP in having a fair chance in any contest in the forthcoming primary elections as anyone who was capable of manipulating the process, albeit illegally, was free to do so, and will be protected.

The letter for his withdrawal had read in part: “I am constrained to write you for the fourth time in two months on the subject matter of the happenings in the PDP in my state as they affect me and our teeming members who have toiled over the years to give victory to our party for four consecutive general elections.

“As a founding member of this party in 1998 and indeed the leader of the Conveners in Benue State, i am pained by these developments and i want to put on record my feelings even if there is no result arising from it.

“At least, the history of my service as convener, member National steering committee, member Executive Committee NEC, member NWC, member BOT, National Chairman and Chairman National Caucus should count”.

ernor Adam Oshiomhole on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) in 2007 and ACN in 2012.On August 27, he defected back to the PDP. Explaining the reason for his action, he said: “I have not ignored the other political parties but in the light of the foregoing I must now search to really ascertain where indeed my true political friends exist. I need to be, at this time of my life where I have friends who share a common vision with me and where my freedom, respect, honor and dignity would be guaranteed. “Notwithstanding my enor­m ous contributions over the past 12 years or so to building the alternative platform, after very deep thought and the widest consultations I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress from today, Wednesday 27th August 2014.”

AND THIS ROCHAS OKOROCHA

Okorocha

AND NOW THIS TOM IKIMI

Like a political Vasco da Gama, Tom Ikimi is a classic example of a master political defector. He was Coordinating Chairman, merger talks of major opposition Parties ACN, ANPP and CPC. Ikimi was a foundation member and member of Board of Trustees of APP between 1999 and 2001.

On September 22, 2001, he jettisoned the APP and joined forces with the PDP. He subsequently became the Chairman of the National Convention Presidential Election Panel which conducted the primary election that returned Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as the PDP candidate for his second term. Between 2005 and 2006, he was the National Leader of the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD). He inaugurated the party in Edo State on February 21st 2006. He was reported to have also played a leading role in the election of Gov-

BUSY BODY

Governor Rocahs Okorocha is not a novince in the act of decampment, having become a veteran of such. In 1999, he competed in the primaries to be PDP candidate for governor of Imo State, but lost to Achike Udenwa.

He swiftly moved to the ANPP, and was an unsuccessful candidate for President on the ANPP platform in 2003. He returned to the PDP, and President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as Special Adviser on InterParty affairs. He formed the Action Alliance (AA) party in 2005, with the aim of being its Presidential candidate in the 2007 elections. He again returned to the PDP, and in September 2007, indicated that he was interested in becoming PDP National Chairman. After Governor Ikedi Ohakim decamped from the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) to the PDP in July 2009, Okorocha decamped from the PDP to the APGA, to run as APGA candidate for Imo State Governor in the April, 2011 national elections and won.

Governor Rochas Okorocha’s reason for defection from APGA, for the APC, was simply that APGA is ethnic-based. In his own words: “There’s no way Igbo can become Nigeria’s president, vice president, senate president, etc in APGA. We know APGA can win governorship election but not at federal level”.

Are the political parties, Decampees and Nigerians, home and in disapora, reading and digesting this Sunday sermon on the mount of the Nigerian Project by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR? • Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN

By Aliu Eroje

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