Binder1 aug 10, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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Sanctity of Truth

N150 Sunday, August 10, 2014

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Vol. 1 No. 173

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

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WHY NIGERIANS MUST PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY

anambra power plant to gulp $2.5bn

Ebola: Catholic bishops to review holy communion

- JONATHAN’S AIDE

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Osun 2014: Aregbesola leads lPDP kicks lSecurity agents arrest 250 APC chieftains lOyinlola loses polling unit to PDP lAtiku urges security agents to stop intimidation of voters LG

No. Poll Units

No. Reported PU

% of Reported PU

PU Reg. Voters

Total Vote Cast

APC Vote

PDP Vote

LP Vote

% of APC Votes

% of PDP Votes

% of LP Votes

% Result for PU

ATAKUMOSA EAST

7.3529

31136

1346

768

422

57.06

31.35

0.97

4.32

ATAKUMOSA WEST

56.7164

24569

6946

3680

2544

52.98

36.63

0.53

28.27

AYEDAADE

132

56.0606

51252

11874

5631

5045

104

47.42

42.49

0.88

23.17

AYEDIRE

12.963

25899

1495

715

563

47.83

37.66

3.61

5.77

BOLUWADURO

71.6216

16844

7328

3489

3398

47.61

46.37

0.4

43.51

BORIPE

28.2051

47137

5384

2606

2291

48.4

42.55

0.91

11.42

EDE NORTH

129

46.5116

51882

11365

6190

4232

54.47

37.24

0.44

21.91

EDE SOUTH

8.8235

33179

1284

677

509

52.73

39.64

0.31

3.87

EGBEDORE

28.3019

33925

2808

1406

1053

50.07

37.5

0.14

8.28

EJIGBO

13.9785

51623

2532

1544

781

60.98

30.85

1.38

4.9

IFE CENTRAL

168

34.5238

95471

11682

3303

7579

28.27

64.88

0.54

12.24

IFE EAST

14.2857

81430

4578

1978

2255

43.21

49.26

0.61

5.62

IFE NORTH

41.1111

45435

6929

2585

3233

277

37.31

46.66

15.25

IFE SOUTH

122

27.0492

44555

6010

2338

2729

38.9

45.41

0.93

13.49

IFEDAYO

52.381

13066

4566

2213

2101

48.47

46.01

0.81

34.95

IFELODUN

105

20.9524

57591

4856

2577

2050

53.07

42.22

0.74

8.43

ILA

124

65.3226

33527

11907

6573

4708

55.2

39.54

0.45

35.51

ILESA EAST

43.1579

54746

9436

6063

2346

64.25

24.86

0.13

17.24

ILESA WEST

50.5263

52286

13997

7552

2758

53.95

19.7

0.56

26.77

IREPODUN

127

70.8661

36554

13621

7850

4851

204

57.63

35.61

1.5

37.26

IREWOLE

119

35.2941

53487

9239

5507

3089

59.61

33.43

0.61

17.27

ISOKAN

16.4179

38493

2795

1293

1265

46.26

45.26

1.07

7.26

IWO

144

26.3889

66657

8197

4350

3044

314

53.07

37.14

3.83

12.3

OBOKUN

28.9157

37957

5744

2922

2274

50.87

39.59

0.4

15.13

ODO-OTIN

112

36.6071

48720

10209

3404

5118

250

33.34

50.13

2.45

20.95

OLA-OLUWA

17.3077

25524

2268

1222

654

241

53.88

28.84

10.63

8.89

OLORUNDA

116

25.8621

71580

7520

5272

1785

70.11

23.74

0.6

10.51

ORIADE

111

47.7477

47113

11566

5818

4823

50.3

41.7

0.63

24.55

OROLU

OSOGBO TOTAL

57.8313

24914

8708

4299

3470

254

49.37

39.85

2.92

34.95

227

112

49.3392

110670

24887

16302

4539

348

65.5

18.24

1.4

22.49

3,010.00

1,157.00

1,092.42

1,407,222.00

231,077.00

120,127.00

85,509.00

2,857.00

51.07

38.48

1.48

536.48

RESULTS AS AT 7.20 PM YESTERDAY Muhammad Kabir and Buhari Bello

he Federal Government yesterday banned the movement of corpses into Nigeria and within the

Ebola: FG bans inter-state movement of corpses lSays 2014 Hajj not under threat country as a strong mea-

sure to curtail the Ebola

virus.

The Minister State of Health, Dr. Kabiru Alhassan, told a Traditional Leaders Stakeholders meeting in

Kano on Polio Eradication that the Federal GovernCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News

Osun 2014: Aregbesola in early lead Adeolu Adeyemo, Temitope Ogunbanke, Mojeed Alabi, Onyekachi Eze and Sola Adeyemo

sun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday appeared to be in a comfortable lead over his Peoples Democratic Party challenger, Iyiola Omisore, in the hotly contested governorship election. Aregbesola, who ran on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, had polled 120,127 votes as against Omisore’s 85,509 votes as at 7.20pm. There were some surprises in the race as a former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, lost in his polling unit. Oyinlola, who defected to the APC some days ago, lost his polling unit in Okuku Ward of Odo-Otin Local Government Area to the PDP. In Oyinlola’s ward, APC scored 61 votes while PDP polled 125. Oyinlola voted in Unit 3, Ward 1 at his Okuku home town. The State Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, also lost in his Olorunda Ward 1 GRA polling unit as PDP scored 95 votes as against APC’s 142 votes. Similarly, the immediate past National Chairman of APC and a former governor of the state, Chief Adebisi Akande, reportedly lost his polling unit to the opposition party. However, the state’s first civilian governor, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who was said to have been visibly intimidated when his security aides repelled an invasion of his Ede residence by some masked men yesterday morning, reportedly delivered the two local government areas in his Ede town to his new party, APC. PDP disowns results Director of Media & Strategy, Iyiola Omisore Organisation, Diran Odeyemi, in a statement said, “We noticed with dismay the desperate bid of the All Progressives Congress to discredit the fi-

nal results of the governorship election in Osun State through the publication of fake election results and celebration of false electoral victory. “In the last four hours,the APC has been publishing several concorted results which are clearly against the reality of certified results being collated by the electoral commission. The party had brazenly assigned itself the task of collating and announcing results which are doctored and designed to undermine the credibility of the official results when finally announced. By circulating fake results, the APC intends to prove to the world that the election was rigged even when in reality the collation process was yet to start before its illegal action. “The party has also proceeded to direct its supporters to commence celebration in towns and villages. Even in wards where the APC lost, the supporters followed the script by rolling out drums in celebration of a non-existing victory. This is also part of a ploy to declare the final official results as manipulated in preparation for their usual tribunal battle. It is an elaborate plot to steal the people’s mandate through the backdoor as the outgoing governor did after 2007 election.” Aregbesola protests arrests Speaking after casting his vote, Aregbesola said that democracy in his state was under “a siege of guns.” Speaking to journalists at his polling booth at Ogbon Arugbo Ifofin in Ilesa, Aregbesola alleged that no fewer than 150 members of his party were either harassed or detained by security agents on Election Day. Among them was the party’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The governor said the freedom of Osun indigenes was placed under force during the election and therefore wondered what the intention of Federal Government could be for deploying soldiers to the state. His words: “Democracy

All Progressives Congress candidate, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, after voting at Ifofin polling unit 1, ward 8, in Ilesa yesterday.

PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Iyiola Omisore, casting his vote, at unit 1 More Ward, Ile-Ife, yesterday.

in Osun is under a siege of guns. We don’t really know the intention of the Federal Government here. We don’t know if they brought the forces to intimidate us here or for security. People should be allowed to dictate who they want to lead them without force.” Aregbesola also frowned on the manner at which some APC agents were prevented from monitoring the process. He stated that identification tags were not given to some APC agents and therefore they could not represent the party at some polling booths. “The tags supplied by INEC to agents were not adequate and this deprived some of our agents of the opportunity of monitoring the electoral process. APC agents were specifically not given identity card cards to ensure that the rules of are well followed. If Federal Government continues to abuse our agents with security men, the result will not be friendly. “I cannot say for all, but some the security person-

Osun while queuing for accreditation; Vice Executive Secretary, Odo-Otin Local Government, Alhaji Raimi Shitu; octogenarian lawyer, Pa J.O Fakayode; all APC agents in Osu, Atakumosa West; and all APC coordinators in Ifedayo LGA. ‘’At this point, APC is constrained to alert Nigerians and the international community that what is going on now in Osun State Nigeria is not an election but a coup against democracy. ‘’This is definitely not an ordinary election. It is the total hijack of the process and direct violation of the rights of the people. Osun State has been turned into a theater of war. An ongoing state-sponsored political terror against the Osun people and the entire people of Nigerians has been unleashed by an elected President against his own people, against his own country, in an unprecedented act of political desperation,” the party said in a separate statement by Mohammed.

Why I’ve not visited Awka – Obi

he immediate Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has given reasons why he has decided to shun Awka since he left office on March 17, 2014. He spoke during the opening of a prayer ground he built at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in memory of the four children of Mr. Emmanuel Obiukwu - Chioma, Ifeoma, Uche and Chidimma - killed in the 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State. Obi said the day he handed over power to Governor

Willie Obiano, he made it clear that there was no agreement between both of them. He stated that he deliberately decided not to visit Awka in order not to distract the new governor. “I speak with him and we meet when it is necessary. I will support him as he works for the interest of the state, and I urge Anambra people to support and pray for him,” Obi said. The former governor took the opportunity to call on Nigerians to continue to support President Goodluck Jonathan in his fight

against terrorism. He thanked God for granting the parents of the deceased the fortitude to bear the tragedy visited on them. On the scholarship promised the remaining Obiukwu children, Obi said that an earlier pledge by the proprietor of Madonna University, Rev. Fr. (Prof.) Edeh, to give them free education at the institution had nullified the promise. He added that as things stand, he would reach out to the Anambra State Government on the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

nel behaved in manners and ways that contradict their uniform. You will recall that there has been the arrival of forces for more than a week to intimidate the voters. As I speak to you, 150 APC members, including leaders and supporters, have been molested and militarised. “Even the Attorney General was manhandled and I am not sure he participated in the election process. Also, commissioners and council chairmen are in detention without any charges levelled against them, which is an inimical action. What we are witnessing is a bastardised democracy. “When I got to the voting centre with my family around 10.30am to 11am, what I witnessed was commendable and I hope it is the same experience that I have that others witnessed in other part of the state.” 250 APC members arrested The APC’s spokesman said in a statement yesterday that his ‘Gestapo Style arrest’ by hooded security agents in Osogbo on Friday night “shows the level of illegality, lawlessness, anarchy and intolerance to which Nigeria has descended under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan.” Mohammed said he was arrested along with Mr. Sunday Dare, the Media Aide to APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Mr. Afolabi Salisu, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State. APC said its 250 members who were arrested in Osun State include Alhaji Tijani Oladosu (aka TILAD); Quadri Owonikoko (a.k.a Integrity); over 40 voters, all APC members in Erin

Omisore reacts At about 11:30am at Ward 1, Unit 3, Moore Area in IleIfe, Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, Omisore had been duly accredited and condemned what he described as “an unimaginable level of thuggery and intimidation” characterising the poll. The turnout was massive at the unit but there were incidences of intimidation, especially with the alleged violent attack on the senator representing Ife-Ijesha Senatorial District, Babajide Omoworare; and the Chairman of Ife Central Local Government Area, Dr. Taiwo Olaiya, whose tyres were deflated on the Obafemi Awolowo University campus, where

they were hiding. Obanikoro defends arrests Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, yesterday told journalists in Ibadan that if soldiers were not deployed in Osun, blood would have flowed because APC had invaded the state with thugs from Lagos State. Obanikoro, who addressed journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to debunk APC’s allegation that he was in Osun to facilitate rigging in favour of the PDP, said that the essence of the soldiers being deployed in Osun was “to create a conducive atmosphere for free and fair election.” Atiku advises security agents Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday called for the neutrality and professionalism of security agents who monitored the governorship election in Osun State. The former vice-president, who is an APC chieftain, spoke against the backdrop of an alleged clampdown on leaders and members of the party by security personnel in the state. In a statement by his media office in Abuja, Atiku noted that the use of the military for the purpose of election is an anathema to the spirit of electioneering, because the rules of engagement of the military violate the principles of fundamental human rights which give the people the power of franchise. He called on the relevant authorities behind the deployment of troops to give instructions to the soldiers and DSS agents on the imperative of limited and minimal engagement associated with the nature of their assignment.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Moments

Wedding reception between Ezinne Roseline Ekeoma and Kelechi Wilfred Nwazulu at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos...yesterday

PHOTOS: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

The couple, Kelechi Wilfred Nwazulu and Ezinne Roseline Ekeoma

Representatives of groom’s parents, Engr. Emma Nwazulu (left) and his wife, Nora

Bride’s Parents, Elder EE Ekeoma (right), with his wife, Ngozi

Uwakwo Michael Esse (right) and his wife, Chinyere

Former Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi (left) and Managing DirectorCEO, Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti

Dr. Joe Best (right) and his wife, Ekaete

L-R, Aremo Segun Osoba; Dimgba Igwe and Dr. Cosmas Maduka

L-R, Mrs Ahoma Anyaso; Mrs. Roseline Ekaoma and Mrs Lolo Patience Nwazulu

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Scenes at Osun State Governorship election...yesterday

Jubilation in Osogbo the state capital

Wife of Osun State Governor, Sherifat, casting her vote at Ifofin ward 8 in Unit 1, Ilesa Local Government

Voters checking for their registration codes at Ifofin Polling Unit 1, Ward 8

Foreign observers at Ile Ife, in Osun State

A cross-section of crowd waiting to caste their vote Voting in Ward 3, at St. Gabriel primary School, 1, Imoore, in Ile Ife, Osun State. PHOTOS: TONY EGUAYE

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News

Aliyu charges politicians on candidates’ selection

Dan Atori, MINNA iger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the only way to deepen democracy in Nigerian political parties is to allow the wish of the people to prevail in the selection of candidates. Aliyu, who spoke after casting his vote in the senatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party for Niger East yesterday also said that “people should not be forced to vote against their choice.” Aliyu declared, “In any democratic setting, people should be allowed to vote according to their conscience so as to give room for internal democracy. Do not force people to vote against their conscience for that will cause problems and rubbish governance, thereby denying the people dividends of democracy.”

He reminded politicians that in any election, “one contestant is bound to lose while another will win,” insisting that ‘if you fail, you have to wait for another time when you may win.” Aliyu expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of delegates at the state secretariat of the party where the election took place, adding that the people conducted themselves in an orderly manner. The Niger East senatorial seat at the National Assembly became vacant as a result of the demise of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta. Over 404 delegates voted in the election with a former deputy governor of the state, Dr Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, emerging victorious with 386 votes while his only challenger and former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, garnered 14 votes.

Senators don’t take bribes- Enang Chukwu David, Abuja

hairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, has refuted insinuations by Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku that his committee had been collecting bribes from senators before scheduling their bills in the Order Paper for the consideration of the Senate. In a statement he issued in Abuja yesterday, Enang debunked a newspaper publication where the former senator, who represented Benue North East from 1999 to 2003, alleged that he was told by a federal lawmaker that he could not sponsor a bill under the Seventh Senate because he had to compromise the Rules and business Committee before his proposal would receive attention.

Consequently, he challenged Waku to name the serving senator who gave him the information, and be ready to substantiate his claims with ‘empirical facts’. He also described the allegation as grievous, unfounded, and unguarded and advised Waku to retract the statement. He noted that as a former senator, Waku ought not to have made such a weighty allegation in a media interview without being properly informed by those who were in position to tell him the truth. Enang further asserted that no serving senator would hold such opinion about the committee, insisting that its members had and would always maintain a high standard of decency and fairness to all senators.

Obiano mourns late jurist, Chike Offodile nambra State Gov- governor observed that with A ernor, Chief Willie Offodile’s demise, Nigeria Obiano, has described the had lost one of the taproots passage of Chief Chike Offodile, a former AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice as a great loss to the state in particular and the country in general. Offodile (SAN) who was until his death the Onowu Iyasele (traditional prime minister) of Onitsha, passed on at 92 on Sunday, August 3, 2014. In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, James Eze, the

of the nation’s judiciary. Describing him as the last of the finest breed of legal luminaries, he said, “Chief Offodile was one of Anambra’s finest gifts to the nation’s judiciary. He served his fatherland for 50 long years, some of which witnessed the most uncertain periods in the history of our country. With his passage, Nigeria has lost yet another of the great men that laid the foundation of our current progress.”

Nuhu, who will represent the party in the August 30 bye-election, expressed gratitude to

“all those who voted for me and those who voted against me.” He urged everyone to join hands with

him to ensure the PDP emerge victorious in the election proper. Nuhu will run against

two-time governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, David Umoru.

Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido (second right), turming the sod for the Senate building of Jigawa State University, at Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State…yesterday

Anambra power plant to gulp $2.5bn Onah.O. Onah

$2.5 billion power plant to be sited in Anambra State by an American company to provide 1,500 mega watts of electricity will soon come on board. The project to be executed by the U.S-based Power African Initiatives, according to the Federal Government-Licensed Electrical Contractors, will enhance access to and availability of power generation in Africa.

New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that he project is to be installed at the instance of Anambra State Government in collaboration with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company. LECAN National President, Otunba Dele Akintola, who confirmed the installation of the plant in the state, warned that until the completion of the laying of pipes to reduce the problems associated with gas supply for the generation of the electricity, the

country may not get its power sector reforms well. Akintola, who has been a member of the National Electricity Reforms since 2005, told its members that it was no longer business as usual in installation and supply, with President Goodluck Jonathan’s signing of the 2014 Electricity Act. On the procurement of prepaid meters, he denied any collaboration with EEDC to divert the ones meant for the people of Anambra State, adding that

arrangements have been completed and necessary legislation put in place to ensure adequate supply of the PPMs. In his remark, the Principal Manager, Operations EEDC in Anambra State, Mr. J. Ajah, said logistics had been completed to ensure the entire state has electricity supply before the end of the year. He said with the installation of 1,500 mega watts, Anambra will witness uninterrupted power supply soon.

reason why a young Nigerian below 40 could not be president of Nigeria. “Asking for 35 per cent affirmative action is lowering your standard and limit. Stop comparing yourself with women who are just being allowed into governance. I would advise you to sponsor a bill to the National Assembly to remove age limits and other barriers preventing you from contesting for presidential, governorship and National Assembly positions.” Jonathan pledged that his administration would assist the youths in ensuring that the bill is passed by the National Assembly. While appreciating Nigerian youths for making the country proud in their activities such as sports, he noted that those preaching messages of hate and division were those regarded as ‘grandfathers’ and not

youths. He said the Federal Government had introduced various programmes to empower the youths to take their rightful position in economic activities in the country. “We know that education has the power to liberate a people and that was why we established 14 new universities. We believe that to take Nigeria to the moon, we need young people like those of you at NYPF. We are doing a lot to give a lot of opportunities to young people. “In addition to our presidential scholarship, there are various schemes to empower the youths to thrive in our economy. We have discovered that young Nigerians are now interested in agriculture, and we are investing. We are also working on Local Content Policy for ICT,” he stated.

Responding, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Matters, Jude Imagwe, promised that his office would do everything possible to ensure that the bill is raised and sent to the National Assembly. Earlier, the Chairman and Founder of NYPF, Mr. Moses Siasia, had said that the organisation was conceived by a group of young professionals with a conviction to promote innovative ideals for the economic and social development of the country. Speaking on the activities of the forum, Siasia said they are involved in activities where primary school children are given educational materials. He noted that 3,300 primary school children had benefited so far, adding that there are plans to reach another 150,000 by the end of 2015.

Jonathan tasks youths on age limits

By Anule Emmanuel

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

News

Why I lost interest in PDP -Ciroma

Ibraheem Musa

Kaduna

ormer Minister of Finance and Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Malam Adamu Ciroma has said that he was at the meeting when the decision to rotate the presidency between North and South was taken and that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo presided over the parley. Ciroma, who made this known during an interview on a Kaduna-based FM radio political programme ‘Guest of the week’ was reacting to Chief Tony Anenih’s comment that President Goodluck Jonathan would run for the presidency in 2015 whether or not there was any agreement with anybody or group at whatever time.

The elder statesman pointed out that the agreement was for the North to occupy the presidency for eight years before power returns to the south for another two terms of eight years. According to the PDP chieftain, President Umaru Yar’Adua died while in office but instead of finding somebody from the North to complete Yar’Adua’s tenure, PDP leaders supported then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to succeed him. “From that moment, I lost interest in Nigeria political affairs because you cannot trust people,’’ Ciroma said. He however pointed out that he is still in PDP. The PDP chieftain also took a swipe at his party, arguing that PDP has been performing below expectation since 2011 when Presi-

dent Jonathan’s tenure began. “This is a long time and government cannot act consistently. But one is so much worried about certain developments in the country and one wish that the gov-

ernment is handling these matters in such a way that will address them,’’ he said. The ‘Octogenarian’ who said that the greatest threat to the country was insecurity, added that people are hoping that the 2015 elec-

tion will even hold and the results will be generally acceptable. According to Ciroma, it was immaterial whether or not the 2015 elections are held on the same day or staggered.

He said that it is not the number of days that matters but the process, whether it is been done with integrity that is, whether people who are qualified to vote are allowed to vote and their vote count.

Seriki Hausa lauds Obiano for transforming Anambra

eader of Muslims and Seriki Hausa in Anambra State have commended Governor Willie Obiano, for his transformation programmes, unifying actions and development efforts across many communities in the state in just over three months in the office. Speaking in Awka, the state capital during a special in honor of the governor to mark his 57th birthday at the Awka Mosque, the leaders said they impressed by his leadership style and urge him to sustain it. Speaking after the prayers, Alhaji Haruna Garba, Seriki of Hausa and Special Adviser to the Governor on Religion (Islamic), said Obiano who has proven to be a unique and impartial leader. He said: “This is the first time anyone is appointed within the Muslim community to foster peace between Muslims and Christians in Anambra State, and we are praying for Allah’s guidance for the

governor especially on his birthday and for peace and tranquility to reign in the state.” Garba, also emphasised the need for peaceful existence between Muslems and Christians, whom he explained are created by God to live harmoniously. He condemned all forms of religious extremism and called for the respect of others especially Christians in their faith as indicated in the 19th Chapter of the Koran which refers to Jesus as Prophet Issa. In his remarks, Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state, Sule Momodu, explained that the special Jumat started with a recital of the Koran in supplication to Allah on behalf of Governor Obiano on the occasion, and prayed for the success of the administration especially the activities of Operation Kpochapu which is currently driving the security operations across the state.

Scene of a collision between a fuel tanker and an SUV on Lekki-Epe Expressway on Friday night. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

FG pledges to support state varsities Ugo Willies, GOMBE

resident Goodluck Jonathan has promised the Federal Government’s sustained support for state universities in the country. He said this was in an effort to expand access to qualitative education for all Nigerians. The President whose pledge was delivered by the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, at the second, third, fourth and fifth combined convocation ceremonies of Gombe State University, Gombe stated that before the advent of his administration, only about 400,000 students were admitted annually to uni-

versities across the country out of millions of applicants. He, however, stated that following the establishment of new universities across the country and the creation of a conducive environment in the tertiary education sector, his administration has made it possible for over one million students to be admitted to Nigerian universities annually. He said, While support has been given to existing universities, new ones in all the six geo-Political zones have been established. The Federal Government also extended support to state universities through the Needs Assessment Project. All these were done to expand access to qualitative education for all Nigerians.”

Visitor to the university, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, in his speech, stated that the 10-year-old institution had grown faster than its peers in terms of structural and human capacity development. According to him, the institution has clearly been living up to its expectations as ‘primus inter pares’, thus fulfilling the mandate for its creation. He expressed joy at the development of the university to its present stage, saying, “Right from my days as Accountant-General of Gombe State, through my tenure as Accountant-General of the Federation, I was an avid supporter of the concept and then the reality of Gombe State University.

Our bundles of joy today, therefore, can be likened to that of a farmer who after years of tending and pruning, has come to the stage of harvesting date fruits from hectares of his date palm plantation.” Earlier in his address, GSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi, expressed joy at the progress of the university since 2006. He said, “We are grateful for the many challenges that we have encountered so far. They have given us more clarity, will, strength, courage, patience, drive, wisdom, vision and hope. With these elements, we have been able to tackle our challenges and have done the very best we could to build the university.”

Ministry revokes 600 mining licences Sunday Ojeme

he Federal Government has revoked the licences of 600 miners over the failure of some miners to respect laws guiding the sector. Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mohammed Sada, stated this while receiving the 2013 Annual Report and Audited Accounts of Council of Nigeria Mining Engineers and Geoscientists from the Chairman, Chief Chambers Oyibo,

The minister said the Federal Government had also taken steps to shut any mining/quarry firm that was not operating in accordance with the Nigerian Minerals and Metals Act of 2007, Mining Regulations and any other extant mining laws. The new step is to ensure strict compliance with rules and regulations guiding mining operations in the country, Sada expressed pleasure at the submission of COMEG’s report and accounts, describing it as a strong insti-

tution behind the nation’s extractive industries. He lauded the council for fulfilling the requirements of COMEG’s enabling law, stressing that other agencies of government should emulate the agency. While lauding the initiative of COMEG in relation to the issuance of practicing licences to its financial members as well as capacity training, the minister said government had seen the need for human capital development as one of the

requirements of Nigeria’s extractive industries in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said, “No matter how much mineral resources a country has, if it doesn’t have the right human skills, the country will not develop.” He said the country needed the right knowledge and ideas for the minerals and metals sector to develop optimally. Earlier, Oyibo said the presentation of the documents

was in compliance with the provisions of COMEG Act part (11) Financial Provision, section 7(3), where the council is required by law to prepare and submit them to the minister. He said that in 2013, the council organised a stakeholders’ workshop on mapping of fresh water aquifers in coastal Nigeria; monitored and evaluated professionals and operators in mining and quarrying firms in North West, South – West and North-Central;

introduced pre-registration examination for various categories of members seeking registration in order to set and maintain standards of education and practice; and inducted and conducted the public registration of 394 members. He explained that the monitoring and evaluation of mining professionals and operators in some geopolitical zones of the country was carried out to sensitise them to the need to register with COMEG.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

News

I’m not contemplating resignation- FCT Minister Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

L-R: Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke; immediate Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; and mr. Emmanuel Obiukwu, during the opening of a prayer ground built in honour of the four children of the Obiukwus who died in the 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, on Friday.

Ebola: Abuja residents ignore FG’s warning ...Step up consumption of bitter kola Amadi Nnamdi

D ABUJA

espite recent warnings by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health and other health practitioners to the general public to ignore the unverified claims by some people that bitter kola is a cure for the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the mad rush for the kola by residents of Abuja has continued unabated. Residents of the nation’s capital who spoke to New Telegraph on Sunday attributed the continued high patronage of the kola to the rising cases of EVD in the country and the fact that no alternative cure has been discovered for the disease. Ibrahim Daji, a bitter kola and kolanut hawker along

the ever busy Nyanya road said that his business has witnessed a boom since the purported announcement of bitter kola as a preventive fruit against the virus. Ibrahim also disclosed that the recent high demand for bitter kola has led to the scarcity of the product in the market. Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu had last week while inaugurating a committee to find cure for EVD, debunked claims that bitter kola can cure the Ebola Virus, stating that “there is no scientific evidence that bitter kola can cure Ebola Virus.” Another incident that has further given credence to the speculation of the potency of bitter kola against EVD is the fact that Professor Maurice Iwu, to whom the claim of Bitter kola as the cure for EVD has re-

portedly been attributed, is a member of the committee inaugurated by Chukwu to find cure for the dreaded disease that has killed hundreds of people across Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and now Nigeria. Also speaking in Abuja, Mr. Isaac Ida, sees the inclusion of Prof Iwu in the committee as a sign that indeed there is an atom of truth his revelation about bitter kola, hence the Federal Government was taking his findings seriously. While expressing support for Professor Iwu’s claim, a resident who gave his name as Isaac Okafor berated Nigerians for doubting the claims of the Nigerian Professor of Pharmacology. “Why are they doubting him instead of supporting him?. Assuming he was a foreigner, I am sure by now the Federal Government

would have quickly ordered for the importation of 1000 containers of foreign bitter kolas,” he said Reports have it that an experimental treatment of the virus known as ZMapp, developed by a biotech firm Mapp Biopharmaceuticals Inc is currently undergoing more trials and experiments to authenticate its efficacy in the elimination of the virus. The company disclosed that four monkeys infected with Ebola survived after being given the therapy within 24 hours after infection, while one monkey that was not treated died within five days of exposure to the virus. However, Zmapp has not yet been approved for human use and has not gone through the clinical trial process which is standard to prove the efficacy of a medication.

Lawani wants Idoma to produce Benue gov in 2015 Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

enue State Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani has renewed his call on the Tiv people to show understanding and allow room for power shift to the Idoma ethnic group to produce the next governor that will take over from Governor Gabriel Suswam. The deputy governor who is contesting for the position on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), stated this when he met with traditional rulers Zaki Biam, headquarters of Ukum local government area in

company of his campaign team in continuation of his state-wide consultation with critical stakeholders to prepare himself to take up the challenge of steering the ship of the state. Lawani told the traditional rulers that he is seeking to run the gubernatorial race because having served the state as deputy governor for eight years, the problems of the people were on his finger tips and if elected as governor, he will be in a vantage position to tackle the challenges better. Chief Lawani appealed to the traditional rulers to consider the many years the Idoma people did not

produced governor of the state and concede the position to them this time around, adding that if elected he will run an inclusive administration to fast-track development in the state. The deputy governor also reiterated his commitment to make the state an investors haven by creating a conducive environment for them as well as transform the agricultural sector which is the mainstay of the people. Earlier, the paramount ruler in Ukum, Chief Daniel Zahan who spoke on behalf of other chiefs said, the deputy governor ’s quest for rule the state was timely, adding that he has

acquired enough experience to effectively govern the state having served as deputy, and further showered their royal blessings on him.

inister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed has reacted to speculations that he has written his resignation as a member of Federal Executive cabinet. Mohammed, who stated that his tenure as Minister is at the discretion of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who appointed him, said he has not resigned and had not contemplated resignation, contrary to reports in some quarters. The Minister made this clarification at a meeting with some community leaders from the Federal Capital Territory at his official residence in Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Abuja According to him: “If Mr.

President says that I should continue and stay here, of course I will do so. I will carry out any assignment he (President) gives me according to the will of Almighty Allah”. Others dignitaries present at the meeting included the Minister of State FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, members of National Assembly representing FCT, Area Councils’ Chairmen, the Chairman of FCT Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Yunusa Y. Suleiman, Ward Chairmen, Women leaders amongst other stakeholders of the party from the six area councils that make up the Territory. According to the Minister, the meeting was convened to create general awareness and sensitize people with a view to deepening the democratic process in the Territory.

Elective positions: Jonathan tasks youths on age limits Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerian youths to sponsor a bill in the National Assembly that would help remove all age barriers for elective offices in the country. The President gave the charge yesterday at the First Nigerian Young Professionals Summit held in Abuja with the theme, ‘Fostering National Integration and the Quest for Purposeful Leadership in Nigeria: The role of the Young Professional’. Jonathan called on Nigerian youths to stop limiting their standards by requesting for slots in elective and appointive positions. He noted that if a former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, could rule Nigeria at 32 years, there was no reason why a young Nigerian below 40 could not be president of Nigeria. “Asking for 35 per cent affirmative action is lowering your standard and limit. Stop comparing yourself with women who are just being allowed into governance. I would advise you to sponsor a bill to the National Assembly to remove age limits and other barriers preventing you from contesting for presidential, governorship and Na-

tional Assembly positions.” Jonathan pledged that his administration would assist the youths in ensuring that the bill is passed by the National Assembly. While appreciating Nigerian youths for making the country proud in their activities such as sports, he noted that those preaching messages of hate and division were those regarded as ‘grandfathers’ and not youths. He said the Federal Government had introduced various programmes to empower the youths to take their rightful position in economic activities in the country. “We know that education has the power to liberate a people and that was why we established 14 new universities. We believe that to take Nigeria to the moon, we need young people like those of you at NYPF. We are doing a lot to give a lot of opportunities to young people. “In addition to our presidential scholarship, there are various schemes to empower the youths to thrive in our economy. We have discovered that young Nigerians are now interested in agriculture, and we are investing. We are also working on Local Content Policy for ICT,” he stated.

NCAA suspends Gambian airline

he Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority yesterday suspended Gambia’s national carrier, Gambia Bird, from flying into Nigeria over alleged inadequate measures taken by the airline to contain the deadly Ebola virus. In a letter to the country manager of Gambia bird, NCAA Acting DirectorGeneral, Benedict Adey-

ileka, said the airline had failed to meet up with measures stipulated to curb the Ebola virus disease currently ravaging Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Two deaths have been recorded in Nigeria while some cases are under observation. Adeyileka said NCAA had reviewed the mea-

sures put in place by Gambia Bird but they were found to be unsatisfactory. As such, NCAA decided to suspend the airline’s flights in and out of Nigeria. He, however, gave assurance that the suspension would be lifted when the airline improves on the measures stipulated by NCAA.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2014

A boost for motherhood from Lagos

y its recent decision to extend the statutory three-month maternal leave enjoyed by its female employees to six months, Lagos State Government has cast a decisive vote for an all-round empowerment and survival of women and children in the state, and indeed, Nigeria. By this policy, which is in furtherance of its exclusive breastfeeding policy, female employees are now entitled to 24 weeks maternity leave with full pay during the first two deliveries and the leave shall commence at least two weeks before the expected delivery date, while the old rule applies to the third and subsequent children. In the same vein, male employees are to enjoy 10 days paternity leave. Critics say this policy may lead to discrimination against women in the workplace and stall the careers of young female job seekers by jeopardising employment opportunities. However, this does not take away the fact that women need to be alive to work and enjoy their jobs. Most nursing mothers are said to die within the first six weeks of delivery due to various complications. What makes the gesture even more remarkable is the fact that it heralded the commemoration of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), as designated by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). Instructively, the theme and slogan for 2014 WBW is: Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – for Life! This year’s WBW is critical in the sense that it is the last before the magic year 2015 in which various govern-

ments had set as target date for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In 1990, eight global goals, which form the MDGs, were set up by governments and the United Nations to fight poverty and promote healthy and sustainable development in a comprehensive way by 2015. And two of these goals are reduction in child mortality and improvement of maternal health. So far, much progress is said to have taken place, but a lot more still needs to be done especially in child survival. By WABA’s estimate, under-nutrition affects about a quarter of all children globally. In the last two decades, child mortality has decreased by 40 per cent, but still almost seven million children under-five die each year, mainly from preventable diseases. As the overall rate of under-five mortality has declined, the proportion of neonatal deaths (during the first month of life) comprises an increasing proportion of all child deaths.

What makes the gesture even more remarkable is the fact that it heralded the commemoration of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), as designated by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Nigeria records 295,000 stillborns and 267,000 neonatal deaths every year, meaning that every day, 1,540 babies are dying at birth, largely from preventable diseases. In the words of the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, “The current trend in under five nutritional status in Nigeria with particular reference to the South West region of Nigeria where Lagos belongs, is of stunting rate of 41 per cent in 2008, and 37 per cent in 2013; wasting rate at 14 per cent in 2008 and 18 per cent in 2013 and underweight statistics at 24 per cent in 2008 and 29 per cent in 2013, which is an indication of increased malnutrition among under 5. This is largely caused by inadequate complementary feeding from baby’s six months of age.” Exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially saving about 20 per cent of children under five. Besides, breastfeeding is associated with decreased maternal postpartum blood loss, decreased breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and osteoporosis. It also contributes to increasing birth intervals, reducing the risks of pregnancies to close together, increases the babies’ ability to develop immune system before they are exposed to crèche and reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Deaths (SID). Some constraints to exclusive breastfeeding include discriminatory workplace policies, the quest for economic emancipation, career choices, perception that babies continue to be hungry after

breastfeeding, maternal health problems, pressure from mothers-in-law, inadequate support from husbands, need to return to work and fear over sagging breasts. In total compliance with the directives of WABA, which demands everyone to identify one way or the other to protect and encourage every breastfeeding mother to have an effective and pleasant breastfeeding experience, Lagos State has expanded its scope in propagating the significance of appropriate breastfeeding practices to ensure child survival in line with the MDGs. The importance of breastfeeding needs to be emphasised and re-emphasised all over the country until all communities see the need to embrace it as a way of life. It is costless and easily available as compared to other infant formulae. Considering its overall benefits to the survival of newborns, we urge governments at all levels to continue to take breastfeeding seriously and sustain public enlightenment through the mass media and, above all, emulate the Lagos State government by reviewing the existing maternity laws to support Nigerian women and aspiring parents. Importantly, women of child-bearing age should be encouraged to initiate and sustain breastfeeding in their infants for the recommended duration. Those in private sector who cannot afford to grant six months of maternity leave to their female employees can still encourage nursing mothers by establishing babyfriendly crèches within the premises of their organizations to enable nursing mothers to still breastfeed while at work. GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday JULIET BUMAH Deputy Editor (Sunday) LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board BIYI ADEGOROYE Assistant Editor, News & Politics TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

OPINION

Ebola and the plagues of our minds

he Bubonic Plague killed half the population of Europe between 1347 and 1351. It was called the Black Death (you see why I have issues with being called a ‘Black Man’? Nothing good is ever described by that colour!). Today, it is Ebola that is scaring the living hell out of us. But it is unlikely to kill half the population of Africa. That disease, named after a small river in East Africa, suddenly jumped from the East to the West of Africa – despite there being little migration between the two regions. Some have alleged that it was deliberately introduced to West Africa, or perhaps the whole of Africa, by youknow-whom; those who are wiser than us. Who knows? They’ve done such and would continue to do what they like. If this is true, it is sad and ironic, that this would be going on at a time when African leaders were summoned by our own ‘brother’, Mr. Obama, whom, though I find it tough not to like his personality, would perhaps be the president of the US that has done worst by Africa. And so it happens that there is some flu in the air. I know a few people around me who are down with some fever and cold. I can imagine what is going on in their minds and the minds of their loved ones. I can imagine that the emergency wards of our local hospitals are filled to the brim this morning as people, out of panic, hope to get checked out for one little thing or the other. I also hope that in doing so, some will not further complicate their issues. There is this seasonal change in weather that causes rampant flu, hay fever and whatnot. But in 2014 Nigeria, the interpretations are different. I have received dozens of text messages from all sorts of organisations and people who purport to want to help but who actually know next to nothing about the issue. In fact, many Nigerians see in this recent Ebola issue, opportunities to make money, fast money, not to solve people’s problem. It is the same attitude we had towards our terrorism problem – which is still ongoing. Nigerians are a mean bunch aren’t they? DOUBLE WHAMMY A big man called me on Thursday from one of Nigeria’s big government corporations. Many have been calling to

know my opinion on this Ebola matter. But he was really depressed that Nigeria would combine Ebola with the existing problem of terrorism. As if it wasn’t bad enough to be known as a Boko Haram country – another phantom that we gave life to, much to our own detriment – now we are to be tagged as a diseased people. Yeah we know that many countries around the world will be loath to lose Nigerian big-spenders, but eventually this catches up with us all. Gradually, we are entering a phase of extinction and must claw back if we are to stay alive. The first casualties of all these bad news in Nigeria are the small businesses. Thankfully, the runners of the economy acknowledge without being prodded, that indeed, the growth they brag about is being annexed and usurped by a few mega businessmen and financiers. The truth is that businesses are dying, as well as people. The heightening of security challenges means people move around less and would buy less, especially if they have to open their bonnets and booths and be checked for all sorts before getting into a ‘shopping plaza’ or market. Is there anyone really counting the cost of what is going on with us? I doubt. Nigerians are not given to doing such public service. Everybody is focused on themselves and the personal fortunes that their god has promised them. Add to this calamity the fact that we are spending an inordinate amount of money, purchasing weapons and gadgets. Like in the Nicholas Cage movie, Lord of War, in 2014 Nigeria, the people who are ‘inheriting the land’, by getting most of the cash flow – the people with whom we are concentrating our wealth – are weapons dealers and their government cohorts. Asides this, there are the crude oil merchants and anyone positioned near government money. Nigerians are so aware these days, and also viciously greedy, that almost everyone ensures that monies meant for the common good is milked to the limit, to feather personal nests. The rest of us battle each other out for whatever trickles out after the powerful get their huge cuts. THE REAL PLAGUES IN OUR MINDS The first plague Nigerians need to be

careful about is this almost automatic tendency to make money off the misfortune of their fellow men. I think we can conclude that almost all of us have bitten more than we can chew – setting our ambitions too far off, and being quite wasteful when we get opportunities. Not only is our economy and society not well-planned, but also our personal finances and lives. This means we are always on the look out for money. Through whatever means possible. No one is speaking in Nigeria today about how we can find cures, but everyone has turned into a merchant of sterilisers and antibacterial handwash! Second, and flowing from the first, we seem not to have any structures on the ground to deal with absolutely anything. When I argued with a few colleagues on Thursday that no one was in any laboratory anywhere in Nigeria, or perhaps West Africa, trying to culture this virus, and assiduously seeking antidotes or vaccines, they argued back, in the ‘hope’ that someone somewhere was working on something. But it has never happened that way. Say, what vaccines have we discovered here in Africa? We are hoping and waiting that the US will assist us with their magic serum. Okay, I admit that the conspiracy theory is strong, but hey, sometimes I pity us Africans. We are totally defenceless, either against concocted plots or those that happen naturally. And then we heard the most bizarre of the plots. The third plague in our minds. Superstition and religion. Mixed with a bad understanding or even resistance to science. Those who control us are scientific. Their results are certain, not ambiguous. As certain as the comatose economies of African countries, controlled by those whom they appointed or anointed to ‘rule’, not for the betterment of Africa, but for its continuous exploitation. We woke up to the frenzy that Nigerians should have their bath with salt water. Before 5am! They say Ebola is a spiritual problem. Why not? The symptoms sound like it ‘possesses’ the victim. The oyibos will call it ‘zombies’. What kind of disease worries someone and makes you bleed and vomit and act mental at the same time if it is not

spiritual? A certain strain of mental laziness in Africa makes us quickly consign and confine everything to the spiritual realm. It absolves us of responsibilities since we are only human. And we have thousands of spiritual warlords ready to fill the space and exploit the living hell out of the teeming millions of lazy heads. A guy named Emmanuel – the very name of Jesus Christ himself – called a radio station on Friday morning that he got a call, wait for this, from his village, that before 5am he should bathe with salt water, and also drink some. He said he did it, diligently. I wondered what his village has ever achieved in this world. He should have remained there if he had so much respect for everything they say. But that is us, professing one religion, practicing another. Both ways, ruled by fear. The fourth plague of the mind. Rumour mongering. Fear-peddling. Our people are not spreading the cure, or even responsible information. But the fear. The challenges of our times are many. Who ever knew that we would live in such fearful times, where our hopes are eroded every day. The energy is being sapped out of our most valiant of people. And since it has now become a virtue, to remain quiet even though we can clearly see the apocalypse approaching, we seem to all be lying lifeless, waiting for the end. The end of times? Why do I feel if the world will truly end, it may start here in Africa? And it may end for Africans, and continue for others who will take the land over. Back to the rumour-mongering issue, we are very good at that. Look at the way we spread rumours on social media with wanton abandon? I watched in horror, and agonised from the beginning, and spoke up at great risk, as Nigerians plunged their country farther and father into the abyss. This used to be a good country, but today, the story is different. We are badgered on all sides with problems. We have been exploited along ethnic and religious lines by politicians whom I believe understand that they are leading us to destruction. They must have golden parachutes to take them out of the mess they created. TO BE CONTINUED

Nigeria’s leadership quagmire

he 37 odd fellows - Governors plus President Jonathan - that man the public service affairs of Nigeria, depict some of the strangest array of persons: A class of CRASS highlighting the worst cases of Very few Good, but High concentration of The UGLY and The Bad. It does not get better. With heightened Politics of the Purse, creating class of PIMPs – Put–In-My-Pocket, way of governing has become entrenched and awfully endorsed. Why nothing gets done in Nigeria is due to the rat race of government without governance. President Obama describing Nigeria as a ‘basket case’, is putting it mildly. While there are no ANGELS in politics but ANGLES, the Nigerian brand is devilish government, laced and laden with unproductive witches and a dysfunctional set, acting and enhancing the notion of ‘crabs-in-a-bucket’, milling and

jumping over each other and pretending to be doing the people’s business. It begs the question: when will the world’s most populous black nation ever get it minimally right? It is like expecting the Sun to Rise from the West. I know why there is so much commotion and confusion. It enables bad governance because the 36 odd fellowgovernors and President Jonathan, with a name ‘Goodluck’ but more like ‘badluck’, Nigeria has been hijacked and put on the auction block by persons who are not able to even sustain nurturing grounds in their personal households. Forget the role as governors/president, look into the family backgrounds of these folks and ask the question, how are they doing? Before one is crowned, sorry CLOWNS as governor and or president, they are someone’s brother, father, uncle and husband. If truth were to be told,

these fellows depict the highest order of dysfunction. Their public role just highlights the emptiness and unproductive engagement. Be a sympathiser and see it differently, we are all entitled but look at Nigeria, a country that could be a respectable member of the world, is a laughing stock and damaged good, such that the mere mention of the country’s name invokes a reaction that makes one want to puke. A country deserves the sort of leadership it gets. Nigeria deserves what it gets. With a weak and lousy sense of value, highly unprincipled, annoying communal sense with no sense of community, ready willingness to CHEAT, LIE and DEFRAUD, there is no way a country will pull itself out of such a quagmire. It has become a vicious cycle, not even Divine Intervention will help cure the dysfunction. And of course, the native

gods have long given up all, settling for the voodoo-like manipulations and machination typical of what black people do - Nigeria an exemplary performer. I foreclose on nothing, but Nigeria is like ‘pulling a tooth with a tooth pick’, daunting and hard to accomplish the task. In 100 years of hollow and stitched amalgamation, with checkered ‘in-andout’ experiments on what type of government will work, it does not matter: The human factor is the most valued asset in factors of production, and Nigeria as they know it and we are witnesses, is a dog-catcher in that arena – groping and confused. As always, my 2 kobo - prove me wrong. De eje nu. Ejike Okpa is an Admiral of the Texas Navy and writes from Dallas, United States via eokpa@airmail.net

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

News

Scare in Canada as Ghana records first Ebola death

A cross-section of people jubilating over Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s lead in the Osun State governorship election …yesterday.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

hana on Friday recorded what turned out to be the first case of death from the fast spreading Ebola virus. On Friday afternoon, a Burkinabe man, who had general symptoms of Ebola, including fever, nose and ear bleeding, was reported to have been taken to the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital dead on arrival. The man was brought through the border from Burkina Faso to Ghana by his relatives who wanted proper medical care for him but he died on the way. Dr. Joseph Yaw Manu confirmed to StarrFMonline.com that the man had died at the time he was brought in to the hospital. Manu said, “What scared me most as a medical doctor was that he was bleed-

ing from his ears and nose – symptoms of Ebola.” Manu has since sent blood samples of the deceased for testing to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana. Meanwhile, a hospital in Brampton, Ontario, Canada has instituted heightened infection-control procedures after a patient who had recently visited Nigeria was brought in with fever and flu-like symptoms. Nigeria is one of the countries affected by the largest and longest ever recorded Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed at least 961 people since March, according to the World Health Organization. The patient has been isolated at William Osler Health System’s Brampton Civic Hospital, which

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1

‘2014 Hajj not under threat’

ment had also set up isolation centres across the 36 states and Abuja. He noted that government decided to make sure that all corpsesshould be buried in the area of death so that the chances of transmitting Ebola into and across the country would be curtailed. Alhassan explained that there was no dispute between Nigeria and the United States over the Federal Government’s request for doses of an experimental drug, Zmapp. He noted that the drug was being used in the U.S on a trial basis and there was no way that the Nigerian government could apply an untested drug to its citizens. The minister also denied insinuations that Nigerian Muslims had been barred from participating in the 2014 Hajj by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because of Ebola. He noted that Nigeria was not one of the three West African countries barred from this year’s Hajj, especially since the disease did not originate from the country.

Alhassan gave the assurance that the Federal Government had so far been able to curtail the spread of the disease to other parts of the country, noting that even in Lagos where it was detected in a foreigner and some Nigerians, adequate measures had been put in place to protect the people. “That is why I told you that as of now, we have 135 cases at hand and we are giving the issue serious attention. “The citizens should not too much disturbed about the virus. They should only be wary of all the things that have been highlighted like washing hands, removing dirt, stop eating bush meat and other similar things,” he stated. The minister warned Nigerians against using salt and other unverified items as preventative measures against Ebola. On the strike by the Nigerian Medical Association, the minister said government was puzzled that after an agree-

Peel Region health officials stress is purely precautionary given the patient’s travel history. Dr. Eileen de Villa with Peel Public Health said the patient was showing a fever and other flu-like symptoms but cautioned there has been no diagnosis yet. Nigeria on Friday declared a state of emergency because of Ebola. “I am aware that we are currently testing a patient who recently travelled from West Africa. Initial signs and symptoms of Ebola are similar to many more common diseases,” Ontario Health Minister, Dr. Eric Hoskins, said in a statement on Friday night. “One such disease relevant to African travel is malaria. There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ontario.”

ment had been reached with leaders of the group, a faction said it was not recognised. He said, “But to best of our knowledge, they have called off the strike. Whatever happens is an internal wrangling which is beyond the Federal Government and has nothing to do with us. “The Federal Government for its part has tried its best on the NMA issue and if someone is bringing sentiments into it, then we have no hand in that. It is beyond us. They should go and settle themselves.” On polio eradication, the minister commended the Northern monarchs for their efforts, noting that as at last year, Nigeria had 53 cases. He noted that these cases had reduced to only four. Kano State deputy Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; about 13 emirs and other traditional title holders were present at the meeting. Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji

Hoskins said he is in close contact with the chief medical officer of health and they are closely managing the situation. Alison McGeer, a microbiologist and infectious disease consultant at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, said that “although it feels odd,” seeing the precautions currently being taken at Brampton Civic should reassure Canadians. “It’s unlikely that we’re going to see cases of Ebola virus that come to Canada,” McGreer told CBC News. “But it’s important that we are precautionary about it, that we have systems in place to detect people. “And the people those systems are going to detect are people who’ve travelled, probably not even to high risk areas in those countries, but to those

Salisu Musa, has said that the state government will be left with no other option than to return intending pilgrims Hajj dfees if Nigeria is barred from the 2014 exercise over Ebola. Musa, who made the declaration at a press conference, said the 1226 pilgrims were scheduled to perform the exercise this year. He said although no case of the disease had been discovered in the state, “our team of doctors is also doing up and doing to ensure that our intending pilgrims are Ebola-free.” According to him, the state’s slots were cut by 20 per cent by the National Hajj Commission. Musa explained that the board had refunded money to some intending pilgrims who would be unable to make the 2014 Hajj due to some reasons. He said the board had already secured a befitting accommodation for the intending pilgrims, saying what is now left is for them to complete their fares.

countries and who now have malaria or influenza or one of the many other diseases that can give you a fever.” When two American aid workers who contracted the virus in Liberia were brought to Atlanta for treatment, it fuelled concerns about the possibility of Ebola arriving in North America. But public health officials have been reassuring Canadians that unlike viruses like SARS or even the flu, Ebola doesn’t spread easily through casual contact or the air. One can only become infected though direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Even if a case were to come to Toronto or other Canadian cities, the risk of it spreading remains low in part due to the method by which it’s passed on and also because of Canada’s preparedness, according to Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Code. Tetro recently wrote the blog entry ‘Canada, Don’t Worry About Ebola’ in the Huffington Post. “I’m not concerned. I already know that Canada is prepared,” Tetro said. “In truth, we’ve led the world when it comes to being prepared for these types

of outbreaks,” he added, referencing how public health officials reacted to an Ebola scare in March, when a Saskatchewan man returned from Liberia and later became ill. Tetro said the country’s readiness has a lot to do with the SARS Commission in 2003, which made a number of recommendations following the outbreak that year of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Those recommendations included asking two key questions of travellers coming back to Canada: “Where did you go, and what are you feeling right now?” Hoskins also commented on Canada being adequately prepared on Friday. “From the beginning of the outbreak in West Africa we have taken steps to ensure our health system is prepared should a returning traveller be suspected of having the disease,” Hoskins said. “With the experience and lessons learned from the SARS epidemic, our hospitals have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures to protect health providers, patients and all Ontarians, and are fully equipped to deal with any potential cases of Ebola.”

Oil spill: Shell shuts Nembe Creek Trunkline Adeola Yusuf

hell Petroleum Development Company yesterday said that it had shut the impacted section of the Nembe Creek Trunkline. A fresh oil spill had occurred on this 70, 000 barrels per day capacity pipeline between the Santa-Barbara and Tego Rivers in Owuanga-Toru of Kula Kingdom in AkukuToru Local Government Area of Rivers State. Spokesperson for SPDC, Precious Okolobo, who confirmed the leakages stated that tools suspected to have been used for crude theft activities were recovered in the area. He said:, “On August 6, 2014, the SPDC JV observed a leak on a section of the Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL) at Owangia community, Akuku-Toru LGA in Rivers State.

“The impacted section has been shut down, preparatory to investigation into the cause of the leak and repairs. Some tools suspected to have been used for crude theft activities were recovered in the area.” Okolobor said a Joint Investigative Visit would be conducted to the area to establish the extent of damage to the pipeline. Community Secretary of Owuanga-Toru Community, Alabo Fiola, said “the oil spills suspected to have come from SPDC facilities in the area, have affected fishing and the other uses of the river.” He attributed the spillage to the activities of vandals, and appealed for relief materials for the affected communities. Some members of the communities described the spill as massive, but Shell said the volume had yet to be ascertained.

‘Why I’ve not visited Awka’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

promise. Speaking at the event, Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, prayed for the repose of the souls of the four children and thanked Obi

for providing succour to the family. In his own speech, Obiukwu said that what God did to the family through Obi was a living testimony that God does wonders in people’s lives through men.

FOI’ll improve investigative journalism, says ex-NIJ Director, Duyile p.13 NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

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Ahaoma Kanu

ince 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria broke out, more than 12000 people have been killed while another 12 million have been affected by the activities of the terror group. Nigerians have been experiencing attacks like have never been seen before; bombs exploding at dawn as people make their way to work; shopping plazas hit; schools, churches, mosques, police stations, military barracks and other security installations torn apart by IEDs as well as the current use of female teenagers to carry out suicide attacks. The scale of destruction of lives and property has been at a high level. When the pupils of Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State were abducted on April 14, the same day a bomb claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians in Nyanya, a community near Abuja, Nigerians cried out and the world heard. But someone felt that beyond the agonising, something needed to be done for the unfortunate dependants of victims of the insurgency. Pretty 25-year-old Psychology graduate, Ni’mah Arigbabu, was moved to do something extraordinary after repeatedly being confronted by the ugly scenes shown on TV as well as the pictures and hart-rending stories and pictures in newspapers and news websites. Ni’mah, who graduated from University of Lagos, decided to raise support for displaced persons in Borno State through a project called ‘343 Orphans’. It is aimed at alleviating the educational challenge of children orphaned by Boko Haram’s activities. “It is said that you make your passion your profession. I don’t like seeing people go through pain and I always try as much as possible to help them in any way I can,” she told New Telegraph on Sunday in an interview in Lagos. The dashing lady can be aptly tagged ‘Nigeria’s Mother Theresa’, after the Albanian-born Roman Catholic missionary who lived most of her life in India, caring for the homeless and displaced persons. Ni’mah said she was particularly touched after reading a report in February which detailed how five villages in Borno State were razed down by the insurgents. She was also unhappy after seeing gruesome pictures of some of the dead victims clad in vests and shorts. “When I saw the graphic pictures online of dead young men wearing just shorts, I was touched. It was evident that these people were killed while sleeping and nobody would want to die that way,” she said. Using the social media, she started asking people to donate items like clothes, shoes and other personal effects for the survivors. “I had to use social media tools like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to ask people to donate anything they could for the victims and the response was encouraging,” she recalled. Two weeks after she initiated the drive, she got materials delivered free of charge by a commercial airline, Arik Air. She was informed by an organisation, which helped in sharing the items to displaced persons at Hassan Camp in Borno State, that they were not enough. Having faced the challenge of leaving her job on several occasions to collect the items sent by donors, she had to devise a better strategy to consolidate on the raising more support for the victims. “When we were told that the items were not enough, we had to come up with a plan. Since I love basketball and had friends who had a similar passion for the game, we decided to hold a basketball charity game. We started organising again through the social media and on March 30, at Syrian Club in Ikoyi, Lagos State, the Ball For Borno Charity game held. The pass for people to watch the game was donations for Boko Haram victims in Borno State. “We got so many items like shoes, clothes, towels, mats, toiletries, detergents and so on. Somebody donated two big boxes of clothes for the people. We then packed them in bags and sent them by road to the camp. We did not ask for money but for those items because I and my team did not have an account for the purpose and really wanted to get things from people and send to the victims. This time, we worked with Purple Heart Foundation and they helped us in distributing the items for the men and the women,” she said. The camp director had to call her attention to the 343 orphans residing at the camp and who had no form of education. “When I was told that such a number of orphans was at the camp, I was shocked; knowing that the fact that they were not receiving any form of education was dangerous. We were made to know that the Borno State Government was taking care of their feeding but there was no arrangement for education. So we had to think up a plan,” she said. That need gave birth to the ‘343 Orphans Project’, which is aimed at getting foster parents for the children. Anyone

Life 12

Nigeria’s ‘Mother Theresa’ seeks foster parents for 343 Boko Haram orphans

Some Boko Haram orphans in Borno State

Ni’mah Arigbabu

who adopts any of the children will take care of him or her till he or she gets to the age of 18. A five-week window period is given to any interested person and the 343 Orphans Project organisers checks out prospective participants after

COURTESY NAIJ.COM

the initial declaration of interest. “How we want Nigerians to help and be part of this project is for them to pick a child and become responsible for that child. If the child is 14, then you have to be responsible for that child for four years. You have to assume that child to be your child in the boarding house up North and we are making plans to get internet facilities, phones and teachers that would be teaching the children at the camp. “If an adopted parent wants to see the child he or she is responsible for, we will arrange that. The responsibility of the parent will be to take care of the educational needs of the child like buying books, bags, clothes and also mentoring that child by calling from time to time,” she explained. To tackle the language barrier that may pose a challenge to communication between adopted children and foster parents, a translator will be employed along with the educational team to aid discussions. Arigbabu, now a Project Manager with Purple Heart Foundation, stated that so far, her team has been engaged in a partnership with Balba and the Borno State Government to create a vocational centre for the victims. “We want to create a vocational centre for them and we will be going to Borno State very soon to conclude the talks. For now, we want to cement our foundation and focus on this project. I’m calling on Nigerians to come out and support this initiative. We will create awareness on the project using the social media as well as campaigns around. I urge Nigerians to be part of helping somebody’s life in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states,” she declared.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Life

FOI’ll improve investigative journalism, says ex-NIJ Director, Duyile Chief Dayo Duyile is a journalist, author, administrator and university lecturer. The 72-year-old who once served as director of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos tells KUNLE OLAYENI in this interview about his experience in journalism and media practice. You are former director of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. Have you left active journalism? No, I have not left active journalism. In order not to leave active journalism, I have a paper called The Record in Ondo State. It’s a community newspaper though, to disseminate local information and features to the people of Ondo State. So, I’m still very much involved in journalism practice. Apart from that, I’m teaching journalism in some universities. I can’t leave the newsroom. Which universities? Well, I teach in a number of universities. I teach in Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU). I teach in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. I teach in Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo, I also teach in the newly established Elizade University. In fact, I am the one coordinating their department of mass communication which I started for them. How do you think journalism can survive in Nigeria with the emergence of citizen journalism? Citizen journalism, I won’t call it journalism as such. I’ll call it ‘citizen contribution’ because most of the citizens that are contributing to the media are not writing journalistically. They are just passing on information. If you read their Facebook walls or whatever, you will see that there is no sense of journalism in what they are doing. Journalism is more than just passing information. You have some stylistic conditions that you have to fulfil as a journalist, to write very well, to write convincingly, professionally and so on. So, citizen journalism, to me, is not a threat to professional journalism which we have been practising and which we met on ground. Professional journalism has been practised by so many people, including the Awolowos, the Azikiwes, long before now and that one is still on. Citizen journalism, to me, is just a mere contribution from members of the community on issues around them. In Nigeria, a lot of media houses are owned by either ex-public officers or politicians. Where does the political journalist stand here in ensuring that he sticks to the ethics of the profession? Yes, it is true that majority of the newspapers and radio stations are owned by moneybags or people who are in politics and they have to hire journalists to work in these media. Notwithstanding, that they are paying your salaries is because you are working. When you stop working for them, then the salary stops. That is normal. But when it comes to the issue of ethics, it’s a must in the profession that you have chosen to practise for life. Ethics guides you like it guides the lawyers. The lawyers too have their ethics, medical practitioners have their ethics, accountants have their ethics. So, journalism ethics is a compulsory thing that you have to obey, whether you are working for a politician’s newspapers or not. But you will run into problems, no doubt. When you are adhering to ethics of journalism, the man who pays the piper is the owner who calls the tune all the time and will not like you much. Why? Because you are talking in terms of professionalism, you are talking in terms of ethics of journalism; he is talking in terms of personal interest. So, there’s going to be a clash. But sometimes, somewhere,

the owner of the medium will realise that you are a very good professional journalist. He will not condemn you when you have left. He would say, “Oh, you were telling the truth but the truth I could not stomach because I set up this paper for a particular purpose and you are saying ethics must be followed.” And he’s not ready for ethics, so you leave the job and go to another job. We have gone through all that type of problems in the past. I worked in many newspapers and radio stations and when I’m not satisfied with what is going on or when they don’t want to accept what I’m saying about my profession, then I quit. I started the Concord with Dele Giwa for MKO Abiola on contract. I told MKO of blessed memory that ethics is a different thing entirely because that is our own profession. You are an accountant. You are a financial specialist. We are journalists and therefore ethics must rule us. And he agreed at last because he had no choice than to say, “okay go ahead.” So, if you impress that on your proprietor several times and he knows that you are serious about it and you are not asking for money unnecessarily, you want to practise journalism with integrity, they will respect you. So, very soon, the truth will be out to all these newspaper proprietors that they cannot be dealing with journalists the way they are dealing with them now. Some people don’t pay salaries, they say their ID card is their salary; that is wrong. Journalism is not practised like that in Britain or in America or even South Africa or even in Ghana. So, we have to be very careful. We are the leader of the profession; we must impress upon them that journalism is not a meal ticket. Talking about media proprietors who don’t pay salaries, how do you think this situation can be addressed? It can be addressed if the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) is serious. When Chief Ajibola Ogunshola was NPAN president, he tried to correct the situation. He was not a journalist but because he was a good administrator, look at what he did to PUNCH. He took PUNCH from insolvency to self-sufficiency. And if a man had done that without any assistance from any bank, then you will know that he’s a newspaper manager. And he tried to stop this question of how can you employ journalists and say they should go and fend for themselves and they would be writing for you, and they will be publishing news, yet you don’t give them salaries? It’s unheard of. Those proprietors are guilty of what I call ‘malicious professional offence’. How would you appraise the implementation of the Freedom of Information law in Nigeria? Oh, it’s a very good one to us but we are not making use of it now. I’ve read the law and found out that it is far better than the era of Balewa when they promulgated the 1964 Newspaper Amendment Act which says you cannot even publish some facts about government officials. This one now is saying you can go ahead but you must get your facts and your information. It’s a step in the right direction for us but how many of us even read the law and understand it and then start to apply it? It will help us to improve on investigative journalism which is lacking now in most of the

Duyile

media. What we have in the media now are subjective feature articles and so on. Investigative journalism that the Jakandes were used to, the Onabanjos of the newspapers and so on is lacking now. None of us now has the courage to go to the news sources, to dig out information which hitherto could not be obtained from them. But now the law says you must write to them, and if they fail to give you the necessary documents, then you can go to court. So, to me, FOI is a blessing to the improvement of media practice in Nigeria. In this era of proliferation of online media, what does the future hold for print journalism? I’m an ardent believer in print media because of what I refer to as its permanent reference value, which the online media can never have. What newspaper owners should do to promote the image of their newspaper is to have both the hard copy and the online soft copy for people who want to read in America and so on. By so doing, you are popularising your newspaper. I’m surprised that some people said that the hard copy newspapers would give way to online media; I disagree with them. Some of my students had conducted research recently saying that it’s a matter of time that the print media will disappear. So, my grandmother in the village who could only read a little bit, how could she get information online? Not in this generation! In fact, for all generations to come, the print media will continue to exist. What can be done to check corruption in the media? Media corruption can be classified into two ways. One, the brown envelope syndrome that is minor; then the bigger corruption which is when the politicians patronise you and want you to support their party for publicity. They give editors millions, the reporters don’t know. When reporters bring story against that particular politician, the editor says ‘no, the story cannot go, don’t you know he’s our friend?’ How do we stop it? I have never taken bribe in my life and I’m still where I am. So I can look straight in the face of whoever is the bribe-giver. Integrity means a lot to everybody. But to me, I can’t sell it for any amount. How to stop it is simple. You as a journalist have to take a personal decision that you are not going to rubbish yourself

with any type of money or incentive from anybody. I will publish whatever I want to publish. If you rely on brown envelope, the people will know that you are a brownenveloper. And when you go beyond that, you can become a minister, you can become anything, they would still be looking at you from that perspective. You have left NIJ for some years now. Are you satisfied with what is going on in that institute now? I must confess that NIJ has not moved an inch further. When we were in NIJ, we tried to make NIJ a larger place in terms of curriculum development. We brought in people who couldn’t have the opportunity to do professional training either in journalism, broadcasting, marketing or public relations from the industries. Some of them never dreamt of being a public relations person or advertising person but they came to NIJ and they succeeded. Some of them are practising the professions now, they left their former professions and started doing journalism, public relations, advertising. That has disappeared from NIJ. NIJ is not supposed to be just for journalism alone, it’s supposed to be a communications school. And then they said, they should be taking ND; it’s a reduction of the integrity or the pride of NIJ. Ghana Institute of Journalism remains what it is; Kenya Institute of Journalism remains what it is, offering diplomas in journalism, public relations, advertising to anybody who is interested. It’s supposed to be a professional school. It’s not a polytechnic. But now, they‘ve turned it into a monotechnic. That’s not the dream of the founders. The dream of the founders is to produce professional journalists, professional public relations men and women, professional market communicators. It’s not to go and do ND, HND and then go to degree. Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is still offering professional diplomas; Kenya Institute of Journalism – they are all older institutions than NIJ. NIJ came in 1960. GIJ was established by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1959. Kenya also started earlier. So, what are we talking about? I’m not happy to see NIJ offering ND. I will be satisfied with professional diploma. Some people want to come to the media industry to do a professional course – two weeks, six weeks should be there. These short certificated courses should be there.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Life

Ex-Biafran commander, wife mark 50 years of marital bliss T Ahaoma Kanu

hey have seen the good, the bad and the ugly but still stood firmly together in support, trust and love. The atmosphere in the air was filled with romance and the aroma, a fragrance of an exemplary relationship worth celebrating. Family and friends from all walks of life gathered together to witness the renewal of marital vows between Col. Ogbonnaya Oji and his wife, Christie, who were celebrating their Golden Jubilee as a married couple. Fifty years ago when the couple were joined in holy matrimony, it was a military wedding and took place at St. George’s Protestant Garrison Church, Point Road in Apapa, Lagos. But this time, the renewal of their faith and trust in each other happened at the Methodist Church Amaoba, Ikwuano LGA of Abia State. Oji served in the Nigerian Army as a captain and played a major role in the Nigerian civil war as a Colonel in the Biafran Army. He commanded the 9th Battalion stationed in Calabar and led the battle for the recapture of Ikot Ekpene in 1968. After being detained for five years, he was elected into the Imo State House of Assembly and later became the chairman of Anambra Vegetable Oil production (AVOP) as well as the Managing Director of Abia State Transport Corporation. A high chief and elder in the Methodist Church, Oji is a respected leader and elder statesman from Abia State. The Methodist Bishop of Ndoro Diocese, Bishop N.U Chukwu, while officiating the service, asked young people to emulate the couple as they stayed together through thick and thin these 50 years. “Our young people have many things to learn from this couple; they utilised what they had together and I believe they prayed for each other. Wives should always pray for their husbands just like Christie prayed for her husband while he was in the army. He fought during the war and was wounded in battle but yet, after all the turbulent years and detentions that her husband passed through, he was released and today we are celebrating them,” he said. The couple shared with their guests how they met in 1959 and commenced a relationship that lasted so long. “I travelled to Uzuoakoli to visit my elder brother, Sir Mgbechi Oji, who was teaching at Methodist College then. It was a weekend and he requested that I accompanied him to visit a friend at Methodist Girls School, Ovim. I went with him and he introduced me to his friend and another lady, Miss Christiana Ihuoma Isika. At this point, our postal service was at its best. We started writing each other and it became a weekly ritual that heightened my expectation and joy. In 1960, I joined the Nigerian Army as an officer cadet and my switching over did not affect my relationship with Christie. In January 1964, I was promoted a captain in the Nigerian Army and on Saturday, June 2 that same year, we were joined together in holy matrimony,” he said. The marriage produced three sons - Chimobi, Kelechi and Chizoba - and many grandchildren. After the service, the couple and guests moved to their residence for the reception. Encomiums were poured on the couple while prayers were also said for their good health and long life. The Abia State Government described the couple as distinguished, noting that they had shown a good example of what a blissful marriage should be. In a congratulatory letter signed by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Ngozi Oji, the Abia government

The couple, Col. Ogbonnaya Oji (rtd) and wife, Christie, at their Golden Jubilee celebration.

said that, “the human legacies speak volumes of your good works as your children are men to be reckoned with in the society. “Many Ojis ate from your table and passed through your tutelage that have shaped them to men and women of repute. You are am epitome of peace and happiness; decent, reliable, upright, fair and above all, an extraordinary kind person. It is our earnest prayers that the Almighty God will grant you both long life and good health.” Renowned veteran journalist, C de Aguomba and wife, Retired Justice Chiedozie Aguombah, said that they were extremely happy with the couple, knowing what they passed through in their married life. “We are extremely happy with you because those 50 years have been turbulent, a mixed grill of joy, sorrow, happiness and suffering. In war and in peace, you have been a brave and courageous leader, undaunted by difficulties. You have waded through travails and have arrived this milestone which we are celebrating today,” he said. Chairman of the occasion and National Vice-Chairman (South East) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd), said he learnt a lot from the couple

and hopes that many married couples would do the same. “We are here to celebrate love; to celebrate a union that is not only exemplary but inspiring. I have known Col. Oji for a long time and look up to him as a father. I did not meet him while I served in the army but his words of advice and encouragement are invaluable to my career. I am very delighted to be here today and I wish them long life and prosperity,” he said. Akobundu also announced at the occasion that in order to celebrate the achievements of the host, he would fund the production of a book about the military career of Col. Oji and his exploits during the civil war for posterity’s sake. Speaking to New Telegraph on Sunday, Oji said he owed all gratitude to God and then to his wife for a successful marriage. “I must tell you that my wife has been my source of strength. She is a very good and virtuous woman who has been with me through thick and thin. Throughout my series of incarcerations, war wounds and detentions, she has been able to keep the family alive and kicking. I consider myself a very lucky man to have found her and I feel fulfilled that 50

Capt. Thomas Iweanya, Capt. Ogbonnaya Oji and wife, Christie, on their wedding day in July 1964.

years after I said I do to her, I still have the same feelings I have for her. I consider myself a very lucky man to have found her and I feel fulfilled that 50 years after I said I do to her, I still have the same feelings I have for her. I am still romantic with her and tell her I love you now and again,” he said. Some of the dignitaries that graced the occasion were Prof. Obi Onuba; Hon. Wisdom Ogbonna; Chief Emeka Ebilah; Chief Henry Ikoh; Hon. Obi Agomoh; Rev Nnaemeka Ndubuwa and many others.

I consider myself a very lucky man to have found her and I feel fulfilled that 50 years after I said I do to her, I still have the same feelings I have for her. I am still romantic with her and tell her I love you now and again

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

Page 15, AUGUST 10, 2014

Long skirt and blouse... sheer chic!

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Pull off three-piece suit with panache

At over 40 Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still single but life goes on -Clara Okoro

Body&Soul

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Juliet

Contents 10.08.2014 COVER

I have had two, three failed relationships in the past and the only good things is that you turn situations around for your benefit, I have learnt from it and I’m still friend with two of them but I have moved on and so also they have moved on -Clara Okoro

} 18-19

BEAUTY

Washing your face with a gentle cleanser is a vital part of an effective skin care routine, and removing your makeup is the first step toward clean and healthy skin } 21

GLAM DUDES

When buying a three-piece suit, it is important to note that fit is everything. Even the world’s most expensive suit will look bad if it is not tailored to the contours of your body

} 44

FASHION

The long skirt can be made with a number of fabrics. One could choose from ‘George’, Ankara, lace, satin, cotton, linen, etc. The lace blouse elevates the style to the next level

T h e Te a m Juliet Bumah (Editor)

Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) Wole Adepoju

} 22&43

ACCESSORIES

‘Gele’ is accepted by the old and young, a favourite for different occasions including weddings, coronations, and even ‘Sunday best’

Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent) Abimbola Sodeke Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics) Edwin Usoboh (Graphics) +234 (0) 811 675 9770, +234 (0) 701 110 1014 chibumah@yahoo.com julietbumah@newtelegraphonline.com

Associates

} 17

BED, WORK & LIFE

“How I wish this Prince Charming is single! That is the only blemish he has. I want a husband, not a boyfriend,” she tells herself. She tries to sleep to no avail. D av e ’ s i m a g e

keeps looming in her mind’s eye each time she closes her eyes

} 20

Helen Paul

Stanlee Ohikhuare

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Accessories

Body&Soul

Crown your traditional attire with ‘gele’ Biwom Iklaki

ead gear is an important factor in African woman’s traditional ensemble. All the

tribes in Nigeria have as part of their female traditional attire, some sort of head gear or the other. However, there is a specific style that is accepted by all the tribes and can be found in special traditional (and otherwise)

functions by all these groups. It is simply called ‘Gele’. ‘Gele’ is accepted by the old and young, a favourite for different occasions including weddings, coronations, and even ‘Sunday best’.

Some people have made a living just from the art of tying it perfectly. Brides and her entourage (bridal train, friends, and family) pay big bucks to get it right all the time. Gele is regal, it is celebratory!

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

At over 40 I’m still single but Chief Executive Officer of Brand World Media, Clara Chinwe Okoro, talks about her life and passion in this interview with WOLE ADEPOJU

Can you recall your foray into branding? This was like 14 years ago. I was at an agency where I went to see some media buyers to discuss some ideas and concepts. It was Insight Communications. I had a friend at that agency, Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, now MD Mediacom Nigeria. While we were talking, he suggested we could come up with a programme to cover advertising activities since advertising in Nigeria was moving at a very fast pace. He gave me the idea to drop a proposal and came back to me that we had a couple of clients who might be interested in putting the programme on T.V. Then, I went to design the programme called Advertising World. We started on NTA as a live show and later progressed to a pre-recorded show to give us leverage to cover a lot more. Over time, a lot of clients saw the need for it. We made them understand that an event is only witnessed by those in attendance but if we cover it and tell the story, more people can see it. Eventually, we realised that advertising was a limiting name because we were having a lot of issues with APCON, telling us that we should not bring non-professionals to the programme. That became an issue we solved by naming the programme, Brand World, since brand is a larger scope a n d i t ’ s

more connected to the consumers. Can you relate your experience in

branding so far? It’s been a very interesting journey because we used to say brand is the new wealth creator in any modern economy. and I’m of the opinion that brands are more powerful than government. They are what you buy every day, they are what you spend money on every day. They make money and money is going into some bank accounts because you are purchasing brands; they have m o r e money t h a n government a n d they can im-

pact

more lives than government. So, we needed to make consumers know their powers in terms of how they are keeping brands in business. It was that platform of broadcast, which is the TV that we needed to tell the story, and it’s been amazing; over the last 12, 13 years, Nigeria’s landscape has changed. Branding has become an overtaking factor. Advertising is just an arm of branding, instead of what it was before we started the programme. So, we are glad we raised the awareness; a lot of Nigerian brands are being built because we opened their eyes to possibilities that are endless to them. And it was in the course of this that we suggested to brands that instead of going abroad, shooting commercials with foreigners and coming to place it on Nigerian television, they could cast, use Nigerian faces to shoot their commercials. These were the things that happened when Tuface was used for Guinness and Basket Mouth for Malta Guinness; that was the beginning of the revolution and we are glad we impacted the landscape. Personally, how fulfilled are you? I’m extremely fulfilled; I think I’m one of the few lucky people that did what I was extremely passionate about and succeeded. I am gradually moving into other things now, because the industry has come to a level where it is now designated as one of the strongest in the continent. Innovations are coming. We are glad we initiated and created the awareness for people to create their own brands with people spending money on them and thereby helping the economy rather than spending on foreign brands always and growing their economy at your own expense. I’m also fulfilled because we have partnered some of the biggest events in the world. Like I said, I’m moving on to other things now but my main focus is still advertising. You must have also been financially fulfilled. Business is always motion in progress. You make the money and you spend it. My own take is to do as much as I can to keep the business rolling. So, I spend a lot of money on the business, acquiring equipment, travelling, getting information and the rest. So, for me, the money is not always sitting at the bank but used to energise the business and in the long run, I feel successful; I was able to achieve all that. So, I’ll say it’s fulfilling. At what point did you break through and hit the limelight? It’s an everyday thing; we never separated when it got to that point and where it blossomed. I’d say it’s the tenacity I embarked on with my work every single day; the effort

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

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life goes on -Clara Okoro I put in will transmit into the following day and continue to grow. What was your ambition as a child? (Smiles) It’s very funny. I thought I was going to be a music artiste because I had always been very imaginative as a child. My father took note of that, that I loved music excessively. Even though I did not see it totally, but with that display in childhood and my parents noticing it, I thought that was the way I was going to go. I was a creative person. I love art and I love anything that has to do with creativity. So, it was not surprising that I ended up working in an agency when I left school because that was where my direction was leading. And TV production for independent producers was just emerging then and a cousin of mine, Ifeanyi Dike, called me to present a programme for him on TV. It was on NTA. I did it, took to the camera and it was just a natural inclination. Tell us about your stint with television. I have been on a couple of private television stations in Nigeria but like I said, the story started with NTA, which is the flagship in the country. We moved to AIT when we started the programme as a pre-produced programme; from there to Channels, to DBN, and there was a time we were running on these together at the same time. What about your academic background? I have lived virtually all my life here in Lagos, but I was born in the East during the war. I started in a nursery school in Surulere, Onward Nursery and Primary School. I did my entrance examination and got admission to Queens College, but then the politics of Nigeria did not start today. So, somebody else was given my space but I had another admission offer from Methodist Girls High School and from there, gained admission to the University of Lagos, and that was where I got a degree in Guidance and Counselling. But my English lecturer used to tell me I had a voice for broadcasting and I that I could take another major in Mass Communication if I was interested. Ladies who appear on T.V have stories to tell about men. What is your story? I have never been attracted to that celeb culture. I am more of a cerebral person. So, I look at TV as a platform for me to transmit knowledge, not as a factor to be termed a celebrity. When men look at me as if they need me, I go like I’m sorry for you guys because I’m not an attention seeking individual. I just want us

to discuss on a cerebral level and a lot of men are not interested in that. I respect their feelings and I respectfully transmit it to them that look, how many of you am I going to say yes to? And if that was the career I wanted to embark on, I might as well just focus on it rather than cracking my brain to present. But I also met some friends in the course of my career, because you can’t throw away the baby with the bath water. Out of all these people trying to chase you, there are still some very interesting persons that you end up being friends with and learning from also. I want to believe you must have had feelings for one of these numerous men? (Mild laughter) Well, down the line, I normally say I like to keep my private life extremely private. W h a t is the point if everyb o d y knows what is going on in your private life? It’s no more private. Yes, there is but I don’t think I want everybody to know about my relationship.

Why are you different? I know women love to flaunt their men. I think when you throw your private life open to people, it is actually exposed to conjecture and I don’t like that. I think I want that little bit of me for myself and my man, so, that nobody knows what is going on between us, except the two of us.

hide their relationships are those who have been hurt. Have you been hurt? Yes, extremely…I’m human. I have had two, three failed relationships in the past and the only good thing is that you turn situations around for your benefit. I have learnt from it and I’m still friends with two of them but I have moved on and they have moved on.

In one word, how do we classify your marital status? That is what I’m saying; it’s part of the mystery of who I am. I don’t want people to know my status. I don’t want them to know my private life. I’m not interested in your private life, so, why should you be interested in mine? That’s what I always ask people, because I get that a lot, f ro m Facebook, TV and e-mail. When it’s necessary, I will let everyone know. At the moment, there is someone in my life, but I don’t w a n t people to know the status or whatever it is that is going on in that area of my life.

The average Nigerian girl has a marital plan. What was your plan when growing up? At what age did you plan to marry? Well, in all fairness, I hoped in my 30s, I would probably be married, have some kids but my business would also have been established to run on its own. But it did not happen that way. However, one thing I don’t do is to worry over things I don’t have control over. I just figured, ‘look, at some point, if it works, why not, if it does not, why not’. The only thing I have focused on strongly in life is my business. So, maybe that’s why it’s always giving me the kind of fulfillment I want, as opposed to some other women who have marriage as the focal point of their lives.

I think people who

There is a stigma, so to say, attached to ladies of marriageable age who are single. Do you have an experience in that regard? (Laughs) I can’t control it. I have no control over peoples’ thoughts and perceptions. I respect that. The point and the truth is that the second I stepped into this world, you don’t know and the second I’m leaving you don’t know. So, I can never live my life to your own standard. You don’t know my journey, my reasons, so, I don’t think I owe them any explanation or apology for that. What do you do to keep fit? I think I’m one of those few people who have a high metabolism rate. So, I walk around a lot. I don’t jog, I don’t gym but I have a bike I use every morning and that helps me. At this point of your life, what is your ultimate goal? I have achieved almost everything I want to achieve. The ultimate goal for me is how to give back.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Body&Soul with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

chibumah@yahoo.com

I think I’ll marry when he comes around

athryn yields to his every touch. She wants to say ‘no’ but every nerve in her body wants this stranger. She basks in the warmth of his embrace and they kiss passionately.

They are still standing at the door. Dave holds on to this supple flesh that is making him giddy. This strange lady is sure a temptress. Her body promises a ‘neverland’ experience...and her figure looks like it knows how to turn a man into a suckling. Every nerve in his body is on heat and reason has flown to his groin by now. With his last will, he pulls away from her. No! This is not what he wants. He wants a lasting relationship and if they start on an amorous note, it may end abruptly. “Kathy, hope I can call you that? Can I see you later today? We’re seeing tomorrow but I want to see you again today,” he says huskily. Kathryn nods in affirmation. She is not sure what she is affirming though; she really doesn’t care anymore. Her worry now is that she has fallen hopelessly in love with a married man. You see, professional escorts do not love. Every dealing with a man or woman is strictly business, no emotions. So, she never believes she can still love. Now, it’s obvious her heart didn’t turn to stone in those eight years that she was in that trade. But a married man? Agh! “I have to leave now, dear,” Dave tells her; there is a tinge of urgency in his voice. Dave wants to leave before he does something that will nail the relationship before it takes off. He cannot trust himself to hold on anymore. He has to leave, to get a hold of himself. One thing he is sure of, he’ll get this goddess to be his wife by all means. He gives her a quick peck on the forehead. “I’m coming back in the afternoon,” he says and strides out. Kathryn watches him go. Immediately she hears the sound of his car revving, she closes her door gently, slides to the floor and sobs. “Why? Why? Why must this man be married? Why must my first attempt at netting a man meet a dead end?” She sobs the more. A knock on the door and she quickly gets up. It’s the cleaner that comes once in a week. She lets her in and retires into her room. *********** Throughout the drive home, Dave’s mind is in a turmoil. He wonders if the lady likes him and concludes that she does, but somehow, it seems she is pulling back. Maybe she has a man somewhere. The thought almost breaks his heart. He must force her to be interested in him, whatever it takes. He drives into his house, a sprawling mansion on the island. As the security man locks the gate behind him, he sees Ann waiting for him at the porch. “What the hell is she doing here?”

He mutters aloud. “Dave, your phone was switched off. Your brothers say you didn’t sleep at home,” she says as she walks towards him. “Yes, I switched off my phone and yes, I didn’t sleep at home. When did I become a little boy that cannot go and come as I want in my home?” He replies her, his face grim. “I’m sorry dear. I’m not questioning you. I was worried...” He cuts her short. “I appreciate your concern, Ann. But I can’t remember inviting you to my home,” he says. “I’m sorry darling. It was the devil that pushed me to it. I never planned to cheat on you. I didn’t know he is your friend,” she pleads. “Whether he is my friend or not is immaterial. The fact is that whatever is between you and I has ended. I told you that before. I’ll appreciate if you leave my house and never come back,” he tells her, walking into the house. “Hanson, why did you people allow her into the house? I told you guys I don’t want to see her again. Please get her out of here the way you got her in,” he says in response to his brother ’s greeting and climbs the staircase to his room. After dating Ann for seven months, he felt he could get serious with her. When he began to think of talking marriage with her, he caught her driving out of a hotel with his friend, a married man. They didn’t see him and he didn’t say anything about it to Ann. Few days later, he met them in a club. He actually had a meeting with his friend who told him he would be coming with a female

friend. Of course, he pretended as if he didn’t know her and left few minutes later, after discussing business with his friend. Dave sighs as he recalls that experience. He loved Ann. But after that incident, he doesn’t want to see her again. She broke his heart. His mind goes to Kathryn and he smiles. He undresses and lies on his bed. “Beautiful woman, good cook, great companion. What else does a man want? How come I never met her all this while? To think I almost didn’t go to the club last night! Would have missed this chance of a lifetime to meet this goddess. Does she have a man somewhere? There’s something about her that I just can’t seem to understand. My gawd, can she kiss!” Dave relives the moment with Kathryn and smiles. The smile is still on his lips as he drifts off to sleep. ******** Kathryn opens her wardrobe and selects a pair of jeans and a beautiful top. She wants to look her best when they go out later in the day. She knows she doesn’t want a married man, but she just can’t resist Dave. He comes well packaged, only that he is not single. Just few hours together and she feels like she’s known him forever. If this is not love, then she doesn’t know what love is. She chooses a pair of flat sandals to go with her ensemble. “How I wish this Prince Charming is single! That is the only blemish he has. I want a husband, not a boyfriend,” she tells herself. She tries to sleep to no avail. Dave’s

image keeps looming in her mind’s eye each time she closes her eyes. She picks the ‘How to net a husband’ manual and flips through the pages. It’s of no use. All the author says are theoretical, reality is different. She tosses the slim book away. “Dave! Why did you cross my path when you know I can’t have you for keeps?” She cries and tosses this way and that on her bed. She wonders how possible it will be to be hopelessly in love with one man and still be searching for a husband. Sleep steals her away. ******* Two hours later, Dave wakes up. He feels refreshed. He has more than three hours before his date with Kathryn. He smiles. He enters his personal gym and goes on the treadmill for half an hour. After, he takes a shower and dresses up. He still has more than two hours before the date. He cannot bear it again! Waiting for two long hours? No! He picks his phone to dial her number. Agh! He didn’t save her number because he wasn’t interested in her when they exchanged numbers. He panics. What if he can’t locate her house again? What if she doesn’t turn up for the date...what if... He picks his keys. “I’ll go pick her my self,” he tells himself.

Did Dave find his way to Kathryn’s house? Join me here next Sunday for a more exciting installment. Send your observations to julietbumah@gmail.com

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Why you must remove makeup before bedtime Vanessa Okwara

ou may go to bed with a perfectly sultry, smoky eye that took you ages to put on, waking up with the same makeup on your face will definitely not give you that sexy look of the night before. Most eye shadows and mascaras are not designed to last a whole day and night. After a while, they dry up, leaving an unsightly mark on your face that can scare the person sleeping next to you in the morning. Taking off makeup before bedtime can be a terrible bore for most ladies. It is even more tiring after a very busy day in the office. All the same, knowing the importance of taking off your makeup before sleeping will encourage you to take this nightly routine more seriously.

According to dermatologists, when makeup becomes clogged in skin pores, it can make them appear larger; it also stretches them out. Unfortunately, since your skin collagen (Collagen is that amazing skin pigment that keeps your skin firm) level declines as you age, your pores won’t bounce back to their original size as easily; resulting in the development of fine lines, prematurely aged skin and wrinkles. Leaving your makeup on at night can block pores by trapping oil and dirt in your skin, building up to acne and skin irritation. Washing your face with a gentle cleanser is a vital part of an effective skin care routine, and removing your makeup is the first step toward clean and healthy skin. You need to remove all makeup before you go to sleep so that your skin can breathe and repair itself.

To ensure you don’t sleep with makeup, keep makeup removing wipes by your bed side. This will help you to quickly remove any makeup residue before sleeping. To properly remove makeup, all you need is a proper facial cleanser and eye makeup remover. Choose your cleanser based on your skin type. If you have super dry skin, consider cleansing oil. The goal is not to rub your face raw, but to gently remove all makeup residue. Don’t forget to wash into the hairline and jawline, especially if you use foundation. Massaging in the oil loosens dirt and makeup. Wash skin with a foaming or gel cleanser, and wipe off the cleanser with a warm washcloth, which works to exfoliate skin. Follow with a moisturiser applied to still damp skin and wake up feeling clean and fresh in the morning.

Body&Soul

hile the traditional attire is favoured over European designs, especially during occasions in Nigeria and by Nigerians, it doesn’t stop them from shaking up the style and trend to help fashionable ladies stand out always. For most ladies who find the ‘double wrappers’ too cumbersome, they opt for a long skirt with a lace blouse. The blouse can be worn over the skirt or neatly tucked into the waist band of the skirt. This look is such a hit among young ladies, not leaving the older generation far behind. It shows off the figure and popular ample curves of the African woman. Depending on your social class and financial clout, the laces used for the blouse can range from cheap to cutthroat expensive. Sometimes, this distinction is obvious, but most times, only the discerning eye can tell the difference. The long skirt can be made with a number of fabrics. One could choose from ‘George’, Ankara, lace, satin, cotton, linen, etc. The lace blouse elevates the style to the next level. When it comes to accessories, there is an array to play with. There are different styles, colours and content (from gold to diamonds, pearls, crystals and precious stones). The shoe and bag also lend their own beauty to this epic attire. This style is often handmade and tailored to perfection. You must find a balance between the style you choose, the fit and your body structure. This is the culminating secret to standing out in your long skirt and lace blouse.

Biwom Iklaki

Long skirt and blouse...sheer chic!

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Hardball 'Why Obasanjo is fighting Jonathan' p.28

biyi adegoroye, ASSISTANT Editor, Politics biyi.fire@yahoo.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Tel: 08033024007

AUGUST 10, 2014

Interview ‘Amosun ‘ll not be distracted by opposition’ p.30

Politics ON SUNDAY

Saving Confab report from political marksmen As the National Conference prepares to receive, review and ratify its final report in the coming days, some delegates to the conference have warned against the submission of the report to the National Assembly. In this report, ONWUKA NZESHI examines their arguments and the alternative routes to safeguarding the report from those who might want to bury it alive

ust before the 2014 National Conference rounded off its sittings last month, there was a heated debate over what should be done with its final report. Order 13 of the Conference Rules of Procedure , stipulates that: “Should the final report of the conference lead to issues of drafting of laws and policies, the conference shall in consultation with the six principal officers of the conference, advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the National Conference into the Constitution and the laws of the country.” Ordinarily, this provision in the rules of the conference should have been enough guide, but not when it comes to the kind of issues at stake and the multiplicity of interests, agitations and proposals from several delegates in the course of debating the inaugural address of President Goodluck Jonathan to the conference. So in spite of the rule, the conference opened up a special debate on what should be done to its final report. The debate The debate raked up the fundamental issues of the legitimacy, powers and limitations of the conference. Opinions were divided on the legitimacy of the conference as some delegates said it was an illegality to the extent that it had no enabling law but was set up by the president in exercise of his vast executive powers. To this group of delegates, they were not elected but selected by the government and interest groups and therefore cannot legitimately take decisions on behalf of the people of Nigeria. They claimed that that this perceived illegitimacy, puts a limit to what the conference can do. They see the conference as merely an advisory body which must not go beyond holding talks and compiling reports of its proceedings and recommendations for onward transmission to the president who convoked the conference. At best, they want the president to send the report of the conference to the National Assembly, an institution, they believe, has constitutional legitimacy to make laws for the country. On the other hand, there was the second

Jonathan

group of delegates who saw the National Conference as superior to the National Assembly. They believe that the National Assembly had failed to respond to the yearning and aspirations of Nigerians and that the National Conference was therefore convened to rescue the nation from a seemingly lame duck parliament. They demanded that Nigeria was sick and in dire need of a surgery which must give birth to a brand new constitution that must bear the imprimatur of the people. The trap None of these two perspectives can be ignored because both parties have marshaled out good arguments to support their positions. However, it is curious that those who want the report to be sent to the National Assembly appear to be mainly those opposed to the conference. Since they were opposed to it ab initio, they are also not interested in the success of the exercise. Therefore, when they canvass that the report should be sent to the National Assembly, the rival group raises the red flag and accused them of

Kutigi

harboring a sinister agenda because there seems to be a mutual feeling between the parliament and those opposed to the conference. Some delegates who spoke with New Telegraph on Sunday were of the view that the easiest way to bury the confab report’s is to send it to the National Assembly. They reason that although the National Assembly approved the budget of the conference and participated in its inaugural ceremony, many parliamentarians have expressed misgivings about the conference. They believe that the general view of members of parliament is that the conference is a parallel parliament which has been set up by the government to ridicule the legislature. It is against this background that some delegates have vehemently opposed the submission of the document to members of the federal legislature. In addition, some delegates postulate that it would be counterproductive to take the report to the lawmakers considering some of the radical resolutions passed by the conference which appear to reduce the influence

of the National Assembly. Radical recommendations The conference had in the course of its sittings recommended the adoption of a unicameral legislative system. By implication, the conference has set in motion a proposal that could lead to the scrapping of one of the arms of the National Assembly. The current parliament is composed of 360 members in the House of Representatives and 109 members of the Senate. If the conference’s proposal is acceptable to the Federal Government, it means that one of the two chambers of the current parliament must give way. In arriving at this resolution, the delegates reasoned that the parliament as currently constituted was unwieldy and too expensive to run considering the state of the Nigerian economy. In 1979, Nigeria embraced the United States’ model of presidential democracy with all its bogus structures and flamboyance. The country abandoned the Westminster parliamentary system bequeathed to it at independence and went with this mire CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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Politics / Analysis

Saving Confab report from political marksmen C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

expensive system because it could readily afford it. It was the golden era of oil boom and Nigeria's problem at that time was not money but how to spend it. But over time, the economy has witnessed a lot of stress stemming from over dependence on oil, neglect of other sources of revenue and massive corruption. The country has passed through some difficult periods during which the economy crashed to its lowest ebb, the local currency suffered an unprecedented devaluation and local staples such as rice, beans and milk were scarce and rationed as "essential commodities". In response, the Federal Government introduced the Austerity Measures ( 1980-1984) and the Structural Adjustment Programme (1985-1993) but these remedies prescribed by the Word Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) only resulted in Nigeria accumulating huge external debts. Although the country liquidated much of this embarrassing debt overhang in 2005, it has not completely overcome its economic challenges, because both the government and the political elite have refused to acknowledge that the times have changed and other things have to change as well. They have bluntly refused to understand that some of the governance structures and the ostentatious life styles built during the oil boom era cannot be sustained under the current economic realities. In recent years, several political analysts have argued that Nigeria has a heavy political baggage in terms of the size of government and the cost of running the system. Among these baggage, the National Assembly is regarded as one of the most cited cases of a money guzzling institutions in the polity. During the debates at the conference, it was argued that if the cost of running a two- chamber parliament was becoming unbearable, Nigeria should borrow a leaf from Senegal where the political elite resolved to have a single chamber legislature and the saved resources deployed to rebuild decaying public infrastructure across the country. In the alternative, the conference has also recommended a new system where the legislators would serve on part time basis and earn their pay according to the duration they sit to deliberate on national issues. These recommendations and several others relating to the restructuring of the polity, it was learnt, have not gone down well with the lawmakers and many of them have sworn to resist them. The conference has also recommended that the immunity cause in the 1999 Constitution should be scrapped to put a check to the excesses of elected presidents and governors in the country. Other contentious decisions which many fear could be upturned by the parliament include the adoption of state police, removal of the local government councils as a tier of government and their removal from the Constitution as well as the proposed creation of 18 new states across Nigeria. The fears No doubt, many of these decisions are very sensitive and dear to the hearts of the political elite. Those who benefit from the current political configuration would certainly be opposed to the proposed changes. Already some delegates from certain parts of the country have threatened to frustrate some of these decisions and have started mobilising to use their allies in the National Assembly to do a

Mark

hatchet job in the event that the report gets to the parliament. The fear is that often times, many lawmakers in the House of Representatives are either aspiring to be governors or are the foot soldiers of the governors in their respective states. In the same vein, most of the serving senators are ex- governors while others are presidential aspirants. Often times, several senators who were not governors before coming to the parliament, have their eyes on the Government House in their states. The question therefore, is: Would a parliament of this composition be willing to scrap executive immunity from the constitution? Would a parliament dominated by the North endorse the delisting of the local councils from the constitution and creation of more states? Notable delegates speak Professor Akin Oyebode, a delegate from Ekiti State, said it was not advisable to send the report of the conference to the National Assembly because the law makers were already jittery over some of the resolutions of the conference. Addressing the issue of what should happen to the report when it is ready, Oyebode said the President has three choices namely: to receive the report and allow it gather dust on the shelf; send it to the National Assembly or subject it to a referendum and ratification by the people of Nigeria. "We might go to the National Assembly with it and the resolutions will be dead on arrival because the National Assembly has developed goose pimples because of what we are doing here. We have taken the shine off the National Assembly. The people no longer have respect for the National Assembly. The people are looking to us to do what we need to do to cure Nigeria of its many ailments. Oyebode berated those rejecting the production of a new constitution and those insisting on submitting the report to the

Tambuwal

National Assembly. According to him, the National Assembly was itself a product of Decree 24 which has metamorphosed into the 1999 Constitution and there was need for the conference to produce a draft constitution that would be ratified by the people through a referendum. "I don't know why people are fighting shy of seizing the horns of the bull and making sure that we advise the President to do what is needful. I speak as a professor of jurisprudence. There is what we call law and revolution. We are in a revolutionary situation now and that is why we were convened and we have a duty to advise the President on the right way to go. "The President came here and said that we have to help him to solve the problem of what to do with the resolutions of this particular conference. So we should seize the bull by the horn and suggest to the President to invoke the executive powers conferred on him by the existing Constitution which gave him the powers to convene this gathering. He has to pass a resolution by way of national broadcast and call for a referendum. I agree with the opinion of the man who said that we are superior to the National Assembly because the National Assembly is a contraption. Well you might not agree but the Constitution we have is a military constitution. It is not legitimate and the Constitution that the people of Nigeria will make for themselves should arise from the proceedings of this conference," he said. However, Niger Delta activist, Ms Annkio Briggs has suggested that the report of the conference be compiled in three separate volumes. Briggs said that some of the recommendations that would require constitutional amendments would have to be separated from the others that have to do with changes in policy. According to her, while a new constitution was most desirable, in its

absence, some of the recommendations could go to the National Assembly to be incorporated into the ongoing constitutional amendment process. "The ones that will go to the National Assembly, we expect that our representatives there knowing that they are representing us will understand the document coming to them and will do justice to it. We have sincerely sat down here to make these recommendations that we believe are in the interest of the people of Nigeria and the country." She also advised the conference secretariat to clearly identify those other recommendations that have to do with the policy direction of the government and send same to the President to be implemented immediately. Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on the National Conference, Senator Femi Okorunmu suggested that the conference should submit its report in three volumes namely the issues requiring constitutional amendments, issues bordering on legislative actions and issues relating to policies. He said that apart from submitting the three volumes to the president, the conference needs to do more. According to him, the conference is expected to determine an recommend to government the modalities for the implementation of the decisions of the conference. He recommended that President Goodluck Jonathan should appoint a drafting committee to prepare a draft amended constitution to contain the all the amendments to the constitution recommended by the conference. Okuronmu said that the president should also liaise with the National Assembly to expedite action on the amendment to the 1999 Constitution providing for a referendum on the decisions of the conference. According to him, this will enable the president present the draft CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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Politics / Column

Ebola virus and challenge before the Senate From the T here is no doubt that Nigerians have been thrown into another round of apprehension following the speculation and eventual confirmation of the eruption of the dreaded Ebola virus disease(EVD) in Lagos. This is in addition to the excruciating agony and fear being unleashed on the citizenry by the menacing impact of the Boko Haram Islamic sect. The sect had resorted to terrorism and insurgency in the NorthEast with sporadic bomb attacks in other parts of the country in the past few years. As the Federal Government and indeed the international community--for the Boko Haram insurgency has become a global concern--grapple with this notorious security challenge, the sad and terrifying news of the outbreak of the EVD into Nigeria soil broke in Lagos a fortnight ago, when a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who was diagnosed of the epidemic died at a private hospital in the nation's Centre of Excellence. In reaction to this unprecedented health challenge, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, made another distress appeal to the striking medical doctors to demonstrate high sense of patriotism and regard for the ethics of their professional calling by at least suspending the strike. This will enable the medical officers help tackle the Ebola threat, and save Nigerians from avoidable deaths, while negotiation with government on their demands continues. However, just like the dreaded Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus, (HIV), and its disease condition, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, (AIDS), scientists are yet to get orthodox medical remedies for the EVD. This therefore, calls for a desperate and committed efforts towards procuring immediate and efficacious cure and/ prevention for the nightmare. To this effect, it is expected that those who are in alternative medical

Chukwu David chukwudavid68@yahoo.com

The expectation of Nigerians is that this legal backing will further encourage the College to expand the scope of its operations and carry out research into finding remedies to health cases practice (those who use herbs for cure, not juju makers) should intensify their own research to complement the efforts of medical science in this regard. Meanwhile, the complementary and alternative medical practice in Nigeria has been facing some legal challenges as there is no legal framework for those in this area of endeavour to operate. However, the Senate, three months ago, passed for second reading, a bill for an Act to establish the College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Nigeria. The Bill was sponsored by Senator Clever Marcus Ikisikpo, a Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) chieftain representing Bayelsa East Federal Constituency and Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties. The Bill, which received unanimous support of all the Senators,

was committed to the Senate Committee on Health for further legislative action. The Committee was mandated to report back to the Senate within one month but this was not done until the Red Chamber proceeded on its eight-week annual recess, which will terminate on September 16, 2014. The politician had explained that the bill sought to provide constitutional framework for more effective operations of the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) created as an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health in 2007. He also pointed out that providing legislative backing for the College would ultimately complement Federal Government's efforts at encouraging alternative medicine practice, which had already been embraced by medical practitioners in most European, Asian and African countries. The bill saddles the College with the responsibility of training and retraining alternative medicine practitioners in the health care delivery services. If passed into law, the legislation will also empower the institution to carry out clinical and research as well as provide an alternative method of treating ailments. Complementary and Alternative Medicine is the branch of medicine which philosophy is grounded in the enhancement of the body's own healing power through the use of natural means.

From available data, since its establishment in 2007, the College has done research into various remedies that could cure major diseases like cancer, cholera, VVF, as well as advanced management and cure of HIV/AIDS. Regrettably the institution has been producing remedies for ailments over the years without the proper legislative framework necessary for its development and progress. Also, while presenting the bill for passage for second reading, Senator Ikisikpo assured Nigerians that the institution was capable of increasing life expectancy in Nigeria from 45 years to 75 years based on the quality and effective healthcare services it was capable of providing. He further assured that the legislative backing would enable the institution to give a proper structure to the required formal training ground for the extremely vital medical input in the country. Now, the College is said to be the first of its kind in Africa. This implies that FEDCAM is the only college that teaches Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Natural Medicine and all other related disciplines in one institution. Commonly, colleges of Osteopathy or Homeopathy or Acupuncture exist in different parts of the world but there is no one institution that teaches all these exclusively and together. This indeed is a giant attainment by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Therefore, the major challenge before the Senate now is to expedite action on the passage of the bill into law. The expectation of Nigerians is that this legal backing will further encourage the College to expand the scope of its operations and carry out research into finding remedies to health cases that currently defy orthodox medical solutions such AIDS, EVD and others. The earlier the lawmakers pass this bill the better for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Saving Confab report from political marksmen constitution to a referendum which will give the constitution the legitimacy it requires. Similarly, another delegate, Chief Okon Osung argued that sending the report to the National Assembly would be a waste of all the time, energy and resources committed to the conference. Osung said the task before the president was to summon the political will to do the needful by taking the report to the people of Nigeria in a referendum. He warned against a situation where the report of the conference would be sent to the National Assembly and the lawmakers would dump it as they did to the report of the 2005 National Political Reform Conference. "The president needs to know that he will be achieving the goals of this conference by going over the head of the National Assembly and declaring for a plebiscite in this country. We were selected from different constituencies and if we really agree that our decisions are worthwhile, we should be able to go back to our constituencies to encourage our people to vote in that referendum. It is only a referendum can save the report of this conference. If we submit the report to the National Assembly, all our efforts would be wasted. So I suggest that by the principle of delegated mandate, if the President goes over the head of the Na-

tional Assembly and in a national broadcast, asks for a referendum. His actions will be validated because of the fact that it will be popular," Osung said. Last Option Since there is no law establishing the National Conference and President Goodluck Jonathan only relied on his inherent powers as provided in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution to convoke the conference, some critical minds have been exploring ways of navigating the conference and it's report out of dangerous waters. One of these delegates is Okon Osung who once shocked the conference when he proposed a rather radical approach to handling the report. According to Osung, the National Conference is the brainchild of the president and everything about the conference depends on how he drives the process and how he exhibits the political will to implement the decisions of the conference.

Osung puts forward the following procedure as the president's possible last option. He said: " Just as the president assumed his powers in that Section 5 of the Constitution, he can also use that to rationalise the decisions of the conference. What do I mean by that? I believe that after thus conference, Mr. President should send some of our resolutions to the various Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for implementation. He has the powers to do that but there are other recommendations that would require constitutional amendment. For those ones, Mr President has two options - either he sends them as bills to the National Assembly or assume his inherent powers under Section 15 of the Constitution to go ahead in a national broadcast and declare that a referendum be conducted on the resolutions of the conference. "He will then empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (

Mr President has two options - either he sends them as bills to the National Assembly or assume his inherent powers under Section 15 of the Constitution to go ahead in a national broadcast and declare that a referendum be conducted on the resolutions of the conference

INEC) to conduct the referendum. The legal basis for that will be drawn from the maxim of lex posterior derogate legi priori , a doctrine which states that a new law supersedes the one that came before it. He would also be relying on the doctrine of implied mandate which makes an act of illegality validated by its efficacy. Mr. President has already convoked this national conference; he has also gotten the National Assembly to approve a budgetary allocation for the conference. This has legitimised the conference, though legally speaking, it was an act of illegality because he did not get an enabling law or an Act of Parliament to convoke it. "The National Conference has been accepted given the fact that the entire country is gathered here. All the regions and groups in the country have sent delegations, memoranda and position papers to this conference. This is why the president could rely on the maxim of lex posterior derogate legi priori and the doctrine of implied mandate to complete the job. Observers have posited that If President Jonathan does this, there is going to be lots of legal matters and issues that will arise there from. But the country needs him to put his feet down in this instance, because only then will posterity rate him as one of the greatest presidents that have ever bestrode this land.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics

One stupefying death hoax too many

mong my kinsmen in Tivland, (Nigeria's fourth largest ethnic tribe) in Benue State, there is this weird irony that those whom their enemies wish dead, or who are often rumoured to have died, stand to enjoy long life. Some will remember the case of Chief K. O. Mbadiwe some decades ago, who read his own ‘obituary.’ Much as death is certain for all mortals, it is imaginable why a few people chose to wish others dead. Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan took his turn becoming the latest Nigerian celeb to fall victim of a death hoax. The rumour indeed spread like a wild fire and quickly too, causing concerns among his friends across the world. Maybe to many of his political opponents who would wish he does contest in the forthcoming elections, he needed to be off the scene. Although, President Jonathan is yet to make public statement on whether or not he would seek re-election for another term of four years, the body language at the moment is so glaring. If wishes were horses therefore, beggars will ride, they say. I will not easily forget this day for one reason. The fact whether peddlers of the hoax ever imagined what confusion an unfortunate (only imagined) disaster of such could throw the country into, considering how hypersonic issues of politics have grown to become in Nigeria. Now at a sentimental level that should begin to give every sane mind some concern. First, the information was that the President had died in a plane crash. Obviously, President Jonathan did not travel anywhere when the rumour spread. On Monday, he had presided over a gathering of billionaires

Anule Emmanuel emmyanule@yahoo.com at the Presidential Villa to raise funds for terror victims. So, the worry was why such a rumour and who was behind it? But when those peddling the rumour knew that their dummy could not fly, they changed the peg, this time, that the President had just collapsed and died in Aso Rock. Sadly however, hundreds of fans who came in touch with the deceptive story online, specifically, on Facebook, immediately began writing their messages of condolence on the Face-

book page, expressing their sadness. Twittersphere was no doubt frenzied over the death hoax. Interestingly however, where as some fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of bogus death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Certainly, I couldn't have believed the story since I worked through the late hours and

knew that the number one officer was still in his Oval Office working in preparation for his trip on Wednesday to Washington where he met with world leaders to discuss on issues of peace and security in Africa. Calls kept coming from different quarters for me to ascertain the true situation. Friends and even colleagues outside of the villa called. The mood here was imaginable. Finally, Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President put the rumour to rest with a post on his twitter handle; "President Jonathan is hale and hearty. Info being spread about his state of health and condition is mischievous. Beware of devilish elements!” Nigeria needs every peace to remain united. This is why it is important to also pray for our leaders, which part of the country they come from not-withstanding. I am sure, with a good opportunity someday soon, the President will cast jokes over this hoax.

Despite Ebola scare, Aso Rock houses bats, monkeys

he secured forest around the Presidential Villa for several years has been a comfort zone for thousands of flying mammals and bats. Unfortunately, health specialists have identified these creatures as carriers of the deadly Ebola virus which is fast ravaging African countries including Nigeria and the rest of the world. The serene environment in the seat of power also provides a home for the mammals and monkeys figured out as carriers of the deadly virus as well. The bats and monkeys really do

have good moments in the Villa. No one hunts for them. Even in day light when staff are at work, monkeys hop around the well paved streets to the admiration of many. While the presence of the bats in the forest is seasonal, the monkeys permanently reside here. During certain seasons (especially during the rains), virtually all the bats migrate to unknown destinations to return after sometime. Currently, only a few can be noticed. Although the presence of these two creatures makes nature real around the ever green Presi-

dential Villa, workers are fast becoming jittery over the possibility of the animals spreading the Ebola virus. The bats for instance defecate on parked cars, even as experts have said that washing of such excreta by hand could be dangerous. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has agreed that indeed, something urgent needs to be done about the presence of the bats. Maybe, some fumigation should be carried out to send these mammals out of the villa before it becomes too late.

The story of a House on holiday

he House of Representatives formally closed for its annual recess on July 25, 2014. It had earlier on July 17, 2014 suspended plenary to enable its standing committees with outstanding issues to finish up preparatory to the long holiday, which will last till September 16, 2014. Before embarking on the break, the lawmakers had spent three out of their fouryear tenure and that event was celebrated on June 6, 2014. While they were proceeding on a short break in June, the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal reeled out a list of achievements and some of the challenges that faced the House in the past three years. There is no doubt that the Seventh House has made some remarkable landmarks especially in the area of oversight and lawmaking. In spite of these, the House could not attain some of the targets it set for itself before leaving for the long break, which is incidentally the last of such in this Assembly. So, what are the issues or things that the House could not achieve even though it set out to accomplish? One of such is the investigation of the allegations of ‘reckless’ expenditure of over N10 billion on the charter of private jets by the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. Like it did in the case of fuel subsidy regime and the near collapse of the Capital Market, which led to the recommendation of the sack of the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, the House wanted to make a statement on the allegations against the minister. But it seems the executive is becoming wiser and initiating novel strategies to counter the oversight responsibility of the legislature. Hence, the minister decided to seek refuge in the courts and that has effectively blocked her investigation.

From the

GreenChamber

Philip Nyam As it is today, when the House reconvenes in September, it may not have the time to engage in the ‘roforofo’ fight with the minister anymore, because most lawmakers would be engaged in electioneering campaigns. Even if the House insists on continuing with the investigation, it may be feasible since the process of adjudicating on matters in our courts is very slow. Apparently, the case the minister has initiated against the representatives may go up to the Supreme Court. This means, before the case is dispensed of, the lifespan of the Tambuwal- led House would have expired. I’m sure; this House would definitely rue its inability to probe Diezani. Secondly, the House will not be happy that its intervention in the lingering strike action in the health sector could not yield the desired result. Less than a month before it proceeded on recess, the House had upon a motion of urgent national importance mandated its standing committee on health, led by Hon. Godwin Elumelu to wade into the matter and amicably resolved the impasse. But things turn out for the worse as it took a threat from the House to subpoena some ministers who neglected the summon to attend one of the reconciliation meetings put together by the House with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other concern parties to solve the issue once and for

ternyam@gmail.com all before they eventually appeared before the committee. Another issue that the House may not forget in a hurry is the non-committal attitude of President Goodluck Jonathan to its recommendation for the removal of Arunma Oteh. The House has stuck its guns on these issues and for two fiscal years running made zero budgetary allocation to SEC. Yet, this has not deterred the president from funding the commission. It is indeed a sour experience in the life of the present assembly. The most worrying aspect of this is that, the House has also abdicated its oversight responsibility over SEC. in other words; SEC is being run and checked by the executive. There is no legislative oversight. The Tambuwal-led House could not also pass the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill otherwise called PIB. This is one of the oldest bills in the House yet, its survival is still in the balance. In 2012, following the politicking that trailed the presentation of the bill, the House set up an ad hoc committee led by the chief whip, Hon. Muhammed Bawa to conduct public hearings across the country aggregate the views of Nigerians on the bill. Since, after the public hearings were held in the six geo-political zones, the results have not been presented to the floor of the House to be listed for consideration. Technically,

the passage of that bill in the House is not in sight. It is now clear that despite the promises made by the leadership of the House at the inception of the Seventh Assembly that PIB would be one of its priority bills cannot be realized. Perhaps, the House would have a deep reflection at the end of the Seventh Assembly should it fail to pass this bill. Another issue that the House left behind is the investigation of the appointment of the new vice chancellor for the University of Abuja. After the recent appointment of a new vice chancellor of the nation’s capital university, some aggrieved persons petitioned the House alleging irregularities in the emergence of the vice chancellor. The House upon a motion brought to the floor by one of its members mandated the committee on education to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks. This mandate had not been carried out by the committee before the House went on recess. Most significantly, it’s the House’s public accounts committee’s investigation of the utilization of the Service Wide Votes by various agencies of government. This investigation had been on for more than four months before the House proceeded on recess. While it lasted, there were startling revelations on how monies were misappropriated by some individuals and agencies. This assignment is yet to be accomplished by the committee and with the case filed against the House by the Petroleum minister challenging its powers to investigate her; this investigation may also be truncated. For now, minister’s and other senior government officials seem to be at liberty to honour any invitation by the House. If this continues, the House may find it extremely difficult to carry out its oversight function again. This is the story of the Tambuwal House as it enjoys a long break.

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Politics

Musa Pam

T Jos

he leadership crisis rocking the Plateau State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has assumed another dimension as the two warring factions in the state are now operating two separate offices in the state as a result of the crisis New Telegraph on Sunday recalled that the APC in the state has been enmeshed in the crisis over the outcome of its state congress which produced Hon. Latep Dabang as the chairman, a position which has since came under attack. The former Interim State Chairman of the party, Senator John Shagaya and Hon. Amos Gombi had earlier petitioned the national secretariat on the eligibility of Dabang to contest the outcome of the congress, on the grounds that he was a legislative aide of Senator Joshua Dariye, who is a serving senator on the platform of Labour Party as at the time he contested the election among other reasons. Investigation revealed that the internal wrangling took another turn last week following an attempt by the Dabang-led executives to assess the party secretariat for the nomination, but were frustrated by some aggrieved members of the party who had got to the secretariat on time and padlocked the entrance gate and disappeared with the key. Stakeholders and party executives who had arrived for the meeting, had to relocate to the abandoned state secretariat of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change along Dogon Karfe road, in Jos for their meeting. Worried by the notification for the meeting, the leader of APC in the state, Chief Joseph Din in a letter to the secretary of the party said the party cannot nominate Board of Trustee members, because the crisis in the party has not been resolved and therefore requested that the meeting be shifted forward. Part of the letter titled: "Re: Text message on the nomination of BOT member in Plateau " reads as follows:” I am shocked because it is a known fact that the issue of the state chairman of our party has not been resolved. Din noted that the national headquarters of the party had told him as the leader of the party in the state that the issue of chairmanship would be resolved as soon as possible. “I, therefore, as a leader of the party in the state request that the meeting be postponed to allow the national headquarters of our party to resolve the issue before a meeting is convened for any decision can be taken," he said. However, the party Chairman, Latep Dabang said the party has finally relocated its state Secretariat to CPC Secretariat due to constant harassment and frustration any time it want to hold meeting. He stated that the letter by the party leader in the state is not binding and cannot be entertained adding that the meeting of the party has zoned the BOT member to the southern zone "We have no choice than to relocate the state secretariat to CPC secretariat due to constant harassment by the owner, so CPC secretariat has now become our permanent secretariat. He further stressed, "The party in Plateau is intact there is no crisis, the leadership issue has been settled and laid to rest" he said. Hon. Jock Alamba who is one of the strong members of the party has also accused Gen. John Shagaya (retd), for not standing on the truth because of his governorship ambition in the state. He said, the National secretariat of the party has given Hon. Dabang a certificate of return immediately after his inauguration at the National Headquarters of the party in Abuja and wonder why Shagaya wanted the position to be given to Gombi, but for the fact that he has an interest.

Leadership tussle tears Plateau APC apart

Hon. Gombi

For now, both factions have equally started to tidy up strategies and issuing statements on who is the authentic chairman of APC in the state. The faction loyal to Gombi has issued a statement, alleging that it has taken over from the faction of Dabang and declared the first runner up, Gombi as the authentic chairman of the party in the state. The interim state chairman of the party before the congress, Senator John Shagaya who chaired the meeting that annulled Dabang’s election, had relied on a letter stating that Dabang’s election could not subsist because Dabang had been found to be unqualified for the election that produced him. Shagaya then proceeded to declare Dabang’s closest competitor for the office during the April congress, Amos Gombi as the new chairman. Shagaya then mandated Gombi to work with the other members of the state executive committee. Shagaya had in a statement titled: "Decision of the State congress: Appeal Committee for Plateau State,” signed by Tijani Tumsah, stated that the national congress supervisory committee has received and considered a petition submitted by Hon. Amos Gombi in relation to the recently conducted state congress. The statement added that the petitioner submitted that the declared winner for the state chairman position, Debang was until the election date a staff of the National Assembly, serving under a senator not on the APC platform. Parts of the statement reads:"The petitioner authenticated his claims by tendering all relevant documents as evidence salary transfer for the month of March, 2014 into the account of Hon. Latep Dabang by the National Assembly as both claims were analyzed and found to be correct." "The Appeal Committee therefore, acting on power bestowed on it has accordingly annulled the election of Hon. Latep Dabang as the State Chairman for Plateau State, election into other state offices is however upheld." The statement further stressed that in

Shagaya

For now, both factions have equally started to tidy up strategies and issuing statements on who is the authentic chairman of APC in the state the same vein, the committee has declared the first runner up, Gombi as the Plateau State chairman of APC. Gombi, in his remark that day said the national leadership of the party took into cognisance the peculiarities of the state and retained and returned all other officers of APC as duly elected. He stressed that as part of the immediate programme; the New EXCO Intend to set up two committees on mobilization and reconciliation whose objective that will be to support officials in the 17 LGCs as well as to reconciled aggrieved party members who may have felt short changed during the last congress of the party in the State. However, in another swift reaction to the development all the executive committee of the party who were elected with Latep within the week, also passed a vote of confidence on its chairman, Dabang and rejected Gombi who was installed a day earlier by Shagaya, as the new chairman of the party who annulled the state congress in April that produced Dabang as chairman. The committee members who are Loyal to Hon. Latep rising to the defend him during a press briefing at the secretariat of the defunct CPC, which the Dabang executive committee said Gombi could not be their chairman. Deputy Chairman, Hon Fanmak Enoch who read the text of the press briefing in place of Latep Dabang who Enoch said was on a party assignment in Osun State, said, among other things: “We members of the

state Executive Council of the APC in Plateau State, including our local government area party chairmen, wish to condemn and dissociate ourselves from this act of this socalled leadership of the party in the state in its entirety. We have therefore resolved and have passed a vote of confidence on our chairman, Dabang and we pledge our loyalty to his leadership of the APC in Plateau State.” Enoch said the state executive committee would continue to recognize Dabang as the chairman because the Shagaya-led leadership of the party in the state had neither right nor authority to appoint the chairman of the party “even if the Appeal Committee had annulled the election of the chairman.” The committee argued that Hon. Latep Dabang was with other elected state chairman inaugurated by the out-gone national chairman of the Interim committee, Chief Bisi Akande with the same Alhaji Tijjani Tumsah in attendance and it was done after the sitting and decision of the appeal committee that claimed to have produced the letter of annulment. New Telegraph on Sunday observed that Dabang, who emerged during the party’s state congress, has not enjoyed peace for one day owing to the crisis between him and Sen. Shagaya and Captain Din who mobilised for the party shortly after the merger was consummated. The leaders, led by Sen. Shagaya, Captain Joseph Din and Former Minister of State Information Hon. Dasuki Nakande amongst others have called for the cancellation of the state congress that produced Hon. Latep Dabang as the elected chairman. However New Telegraph on Sunday gathered from the Gombi faction that if the national secretariat refused to adopt them as the authentic executive of the state, they have no option than to join the PDP where they came from, for now only time will tell since all eyes are on the national leadership to take the final decision on the crisis of the party in Plateau State.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Hardball

Mbadinuju: Why Obasanjo

Mbadinuju

igerians believe that you have been in political limbo since you left office as the governor of Anambra State in 2003. What is the problem? Well, I have not been in any political limbo. I finished four years of my administration, and there were some problems which I don’t want to go into the details now. I later ventured into the Alliance for Democracy. The Peoples Democratic Party had given me an opportunity but they failed to allow me the opportunity to do a second term. And the person who created that difficulty was the leader of the party, then President Olusegun Obasanjo. For his own reason, he said that I would not go on with a second term. I reminded him that, in 1999, the party decided on a ‘gentleman's agreement’ that all the governors of the PDP should get a second term in office. And we worked hard to make sure that this materialised. But surprisingly, when it came to my own turn to move on, we had the primaries for the second term and I won. I also won in the second primaries. Then in the third primaries, Obasanjo asked then Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, to go to Anambra State and make sure that I did not stand again in the primary election. It is very obvious that a governor who was elected at the primary with 96 per cent votes must be popular amongst his people; and indeed I was very popular among the people of Anambra, whom by the grace of God I served very well in my first term. So, what Obasanjo did to me was very strange; but he was the leader of the party. This was very unfortunate for a governor, who has done four years in office; and in those four years, many things happened. There were the Umuleri/Aguleri/Umuoba-Anam who had fought for 50 years and nobody could find any solution. When I got to Anambra State and discovered that this was the situation, I said that I would visit those three communities to find out what the problem was. The police and soldiers there said ‘no, governor, you are new and the roads are

Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju was the Governor of Anambra State between 1999 and 2003. A reputable lawyer, he had his university education in the United States and Britain. In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID, he takes a critical look at the Boko Haram insurgency, alleged militarisation of the democratic system by the Peoples Democratic Party-led government, the ongoing National Conference and his alleged political victimisation not safe’. But I said I would still go. Luckily, the deputy governor then was from that area. And I said; ‘deputy, please come and join me in my car; let's go to Umuleri, Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam. Let's go there, this is your area’. We went there and, within a short while I invited Obasanjo to talk to the people. And I prepared a blueprint. Since I left office and till today there has been no fighting in that area. It is a wonderful achievement. We talk of insurgency, welfare and security. When 36 state governors were examined on what they had done, in the area of welfare and security, I got number one position in the whole country; I was given a gold cup. When the President came for inspection of my projects, after he finished going round, he said, "I have heard; I have come, I have seen and I am satisfied with what I saw on the ground.” All in all he scored us an ‘A’. If you scored an ‘A’ in infrastructure and you scored ‘A’ in fighting insurgency and in welfare and security, what else is required of a governor to have a second term? As a Christian, I wouldn't want to go and start making trouble or anything. So, my supporters insisted that I should go to AD and I went there because we wanted to be active; not that we would win the election. Later, my name was put in all the newspapers that I would be appointed as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany. The name of former Senator Mike Ajaegbo and my name came out that time for an ambassadorial appointment

but eventually they removed my name. So, I was not in any limbo but the issue is, when you have done the best you can, you leave the people to decide what you are and what you have done. I prayed every Monday with Anambra State. We were known for Monday morning prayers. And God began to bless us. We prayed with workers in Nnewi, Ihiala and every major area. Nobody died during my administration. But your question was whether I’m no longer active politically to which I reasoned that, although I served as a foundation member of the party, the PDP. I was the first civilian governor after the military left the scene in 1999, and having satisfied myself in terms of my contributions to nation building, I can now say according to St. Paul that “there is one thing I do….forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on” toward the goal in life. You seem to be saying that you suffered political victimisation from President Obasanjo. Is that exactly what you are insinuating? Yes, it was pure political victimisation because many people didn't understand the fact that, of all the PDP governors, it was me, though there was a second person; and that was Rabiu Kwankwaso, who vied but lost. Then Obasanjo brought him and made him a minister, and after the four years,

he then brought him and gave him the ticket for a second term. Kwankwaso and I were good friends and I was watching the drama. If the person I was in the same shoes with was so treated, what stopped the system, what prevented the PDP from saying: ‘this man you have been robbed. And I know that many people in the PDP and outside the PDP have made it clear that I have been unfairly treated. Josephine Anenih, who is a strong member of the Board of Trustees of the Party took a page of newspaper and apologised for what the PDP did against me, that it was ungodly; and that is contained in my book. Let us get this fact clear. Which political party do you belong to now? We were the people who began the PDP. When we were at Jos for convention, it was Dr. Alex Ekwueme that was to be crowned as PDP candidate, and I had already won election to be governor. So, I was in Ekwueme's camp because I served Ekwueme as personal assistant. So, my membership of the PDP started from the first day the party was inaugurated. Even Obasanjo, who came for the convention, knew that he had not contributed anything to the PDP. In fact, he usurped Ekwueme's right to be the President on the platform of the PDP. But be that as it may, luck shone on him; Ekwueme didn't go through. Answering your question therefore, I was a member

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Politics / Hardball

is fighting Jonathan of the PDP, worked for PDP and was a governor on the platform of the PDP; and until today I have not changed. I didn't even stay in AD. Immediately after the election and they rigged me out, I asked myself, 'what is the use being in AD if Obasanjo has foreclosed the opportunity of a second term against me? And there was no way I could fight Obasanjo. It's true that Chris Ngige who took over from me fought Obasanjo but it is not my nature. I kept praying and my prayers worked. So, till today, am still in PDP.

Which senatorial district is Peter Obi from? He is from the Anambra Central while I am from the South. I was even building a new Government House and Lodge, which had come to almost a final stage. When Peter Obi came, he said that he wouldn't touch it. So, it is still like that. He also refused to touch the airport we started building. He refused to touch the extension of Onitsha Main Market. His problem was that he did not want to dabble into a project another governor had started. It is not fair. This is what happened; but I am not speaking against him. I understand that most of those projects which I began and which Ngige and Obi didn't touch, when Willie Obiano came, he has gone into them to complete them. I think he will go far for Anambra.

Why was it that even when Obasanjo left power, the system seems not to have remembered you. What do you think is the reason? After him, it was President Umaru Yar'Adua; and Obasanjo held sway during Yar'Adua’s tenure. He was almost dictating what Yar'Adua did or did not do. But to cut it short, because of pressure on Yar'Adua, who was my very good friend, before he travelled to Saudi Arabia for treatment, he had short-listed seven names for the next appointment and my name was there. It was seen in his office, and he travelled. Unfortunately, he came back to Nigeria so sick that you might conclude that he was dead. It was not at that stage that he would be looking for seven names for appointment. Then he died. By the time President Jonathan came in, he was quoted as saying that he would start on a clean slate and perhaps finish up with what Yar'Adua did. But that clean slate did not include the seven names; he decided to use his discretion, which I believe was reasonable. Do you still intend to engage in active politics? What is your next political move? Somebody who is in my position will say that he has seen it all. I went to America when I was 17 years old. I took an exam and applied for admission to the University of Ibadan; the same month Ibadan gave me admission, New York State University also gave me admission. Why I didn't go to Ibadan was because they say I should produce 10 pounds advance payment before registration. While I was considering how to raise the money, I received a letter from the State University of New York. I was admitted with all the fees paid by the university because it was a scholarship. They also gave me a library job that I could work and help myself. Apart from a Bachelor’s degree at New York, a Master’s degree in Ohio University and Ph.D at Cornell in International Law and Relations, I also started teaching at the State University of New York. I lectured in Political Science and African Studies. I rose to the rank of Associate Professor. When you are an associate professor, the next rank is full professor. And that was where I was in the university until I was getting home sick. And I was told that the Law I read at the Cornell University could not take me; that it was academic. Then I went straight to the United Kingdom and read Law for two years and got the LLB Honours Certificate. So, you can see the trend. When I came back, then Managing Director of Daily Times, Chief Dele Cole, invited me for an interview. I worked with Tony Momoh and others; and we worked very well. From there, I went to Enugu and worked under Dr. Jim Nwobodo. From there, I went to Lagos and worked under Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Ekwueme, and then the military came. Anybody who has done this much has tried. The intriguing thing was that when the army took over, I went home and established my law practice. I was there until 1999 when I won election as governor of Anambra State. And nobody believed that this man known as a Christian and Full Gospel Businessman's Fellowship person could rule Anambra. They said that I was too religious. That was why I began with Monday morning prayers. I think anybody who has done this much should pat himself on the back and say that he has tried. Anambra people know that I have tried. If the opportunity comes for me to do my second term as Kwankwaso was given a ticket to do his, and as President Jonathan must have a second term, nobody can stop it. So, that is the issue and we stand by that. So, I am waiting for my great party, the PDP, and the President. How will you compare the tenure of President Obasanjo, a retired military general in politics and the administration of President Jonathan in their adherence to democratic ethos? Well, the only thing that links Obasanjo and Jonathan is the PDP. I must say that it was through

like, I will be able to score Obi very well. Now Willie Obiano is the incumbent governor, and I believe that he is the right man because he is from the Anambra North, where Umuleri, Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam are located. Up till now the people of Anambra North are grateful to me for what I did. That is why Willie is always pondering towards what I did for his people. And he has started on the right footing. There was a market project I started building for traders at Oba. When I left office, I expected that those following me would finish the project. You know that Anambra people, particularly those from Nnewi and Onitsha, are good in business. We also built an airport at Oba; we already finished the ground work. But it was the policy of Peter Obi that he would not touch any project started by his predecessors. But government is a continuum.

Mbadinuju

Obasanjo's goodwill that Jonathan even got the position of vice president, and then he became the president. But the young must grow now. That Obasanjo assisted him to become this or that is no barrier for President Jonathan to move on. Chief Obasanjo, in many aspects, did well for Nigeria — he handled the repayment of debts with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and so on. He chose the right people. He put the right people in the right places during his administration. That does not mean that he should not allow whoever he assisted into office to do his work. He should give Jonathan a free hand to do his job. We heard that Obasanjo said he was tele-guiding Yar'Adua in whatever he was doing. You know he likes putting people in power; so, he wants also to be teleguarding Jonathan. He wants to stay in his Ota Farm and control anybody he puts in office; and you know only a very few people will accept that. Remember that somebody formulated the Transformation Agenda. Do you leave the agenda you have put in place as your guiding policy as president to go and find out what Obasanjo wants? It is unfortunate that they had to disagree. But if you ask me who is at fault, I would say Obasanjo because he was at fault in my own case. And anybody he fights with, I will also say that he is at fault with that person because he has dealt with me and what he did was unnecessary. He should have allowed me like every other person to do my own second term, which Anambra State, as I said, voted for me in primaries three times. Then on the styles of governance of Obasanjo and Jonathan, I would say that because of his military background, Obasanjo didn't care much about democracy. Remember he wanted to be a third term president, unless you are not in Nigeria. He almost made it, if not that the Senate refused. To that extent, democracy to him is just an appendage of the military as far as he is concerned. But since Jonathan came in, he came in as a civilian just like Yar'Adua and also Shagari. So, everybody has seen clearly the difference between the two; that the essence of what we are doing is democracy, rooted in our Constitution. But the issue of constitution or democracy is not what you table before Obasanjo, he will not listen to you. For example, when he employed some special advisers, he made it clear to them that he had not appointed them to tell him what to do; that that that was his government. And many of his advisers stayed in the office without doing anything. So, you can see his own brand of democracy. It has 'K-leg'. Conversely, Jonathan so far has shown Nigerians that there is something like democracy. He has promoted and entrenched the principle of one-man-one-vote. Look at what happened in Edo, Anambra and Ekiti states. This

We heard that Obasanjo said that he was tele-guiding Yar'Adua in whatever he was doing. You know he likes putting people in power; so, he wants also to be tele-guiding Jonathan. He wants to stay in his Ota Farm and remote control anybody he puts in office; and you know only a very few people will accept that is democracy. I am not saying that it is perfect. Democracy cannot be perfect any time. I think that we should so far commend and complement the efforts of President Jonathan; he has done much better and very well and everybody should acknowledge it. What is your appraisal of the performances of your successors in office as governors of Anambra State? I think successive governors of Anambra have done well in spite of all the difficulties, problems, ‘bigmanism’, money bags and so on and so forth. They are there to try to discredit us as governors, and we are there making sure that the people get what they bargained for. When anybody reads my books, he will be able to appreciate what we have done. When I got into office, I saw that the military people who were in power owed workers four months’ salary. As a governor coming for the first time, I was able to clear those salaries and then made sure that salaries of workers were paid on the 27th day of every month. Within 100 days in office, the Government House was refurbished. You can see the progress that was being made as a new person. Another person who did well is Peter Obi because he had the eyes and ears of President Jonathan. Chris Ngige, in his own right, I cannot judge him because I was not sure of what he did. He took over from me. But he is my very good friend; whatever he did, he did with his own policy. If you go in as a governor, you develop your own policy. And I don't blame Ngige in anyway because Obasanjo also dealt with him. You can't do much when the people at the head are always looking for how to make trouble with you. It is not fair; it is not good, but he survived it. Peter Obi also did well. In terms of economic progress, building of roads and things

The National Conference is about to wind up. What is your impression about the project and some of the critical issues raised or recommended by the delegates? National confab is the right step for Nigeria. In one of my previous interviews, I said that this confab should better be held in 2015 so that whoever is president will find it easier. Right now, it has a very broad constituency. But President Jonathan felt that whatever will be done tomorrow, let it be done today; and the confab is here and I support it. Many delegates have been commenting and I have seen and heard many of them on television that this confab is the best of all confabs any of the former presidents had ever convened. They say that it gave them latitude to prove every area. And to that extent, President Jonathan has scored very high; in fact higher than any of his predecessors. Then when you come to the nitty-gritty of what the delegates have said or done, then you may find fault. For example, the issue of state creation. Everybody knows that in the whole country, the South-East has five states while every other zone has six and North-West has seven. Now, is this a balanced democracy? I know many of the delegates who did not understand that there is such an imbalance, and they all agreed that it should be corrected. But spoilers have come up among them to say that if you give the South-East one, you must give others. It will, therefore, make no sense. If everybody wants to be fair on the issue of state creation, it would have been one state each for the zones with six states and then two states for the South-East and none for the North-West, so that it will be seven for all the geo-political zones. And that is where everybody ought to stand. I stand there, and every man of goodwill ought to stand on that. So, equality of the number of states is very vital. What is your view on state police? On state police, during my time as the governor of Anambra State, we instituted what we called the Anambra Vigilante Service, popularly known as Bakassi Boys to stem the tide of criminality and insurgency in the state. That was what gave us a gold cup. It really worked and Anambra was peaceful. There was no kidnapping; nothing at all. People criticised it but my philosophy is, if there is an orthodox position, there should be also an orthodox solution. Whenever you have an orthodox problem, there must be an orthodox solution. That was what we did in Anambra State and we succeeded. The state governors are the chief security officers of their states. But that is in theory. The problem is that if you leave everything in their hands to dictate everything about state police, it will be terrible; we wouldn't go to that side. I will not subscribe to that. What do you think is the solution to Boko Haram? Many experts have pointed out that Boko Haram insurgents cannot be easily appeased. Whatever you give them to pacify them is like what goes into a bottomless pit. For them, they are not in a hurry to win the war; theirs is a war of attrition. It is like the more you look the less you see. I pity our dear country Nigeria that Boko Haram insurgents have visited us and it is God alone that can save us. Nigeria needs prayers. But God shall save us from the insurgency of Boko Haram.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / National

‘Amosun ‘ll not be distracted by opposition’

ow easy was it for the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to undertake many projects within three years? The truth of the matter is that this government is led by someone that has planned what to do before he got to office. That is why he came up with five cardinal programmes under his ‘Mission to Rebuild Ogun State’ while on campaign. So when he came in, it was easy for him to plug various projects under each of the cardinal programmes. For example, the five cardinal programmes are affordable qualitative education, efficient healthcare delivery, increased agricultural production leading to industrialization, efficient housing and urban renewal and, lastly, rural and infrastructural development with employment generation as part of it. In the first year, for example, initially the focus was on education. You will see that education is one area in which Ogun State people are well known. It is one sector that has given Ogun State its pre-eminence status among the 36 states in the country. And any government that toys with education in Ogun State has failed from the beginning. This is a part of the country that has benefitted from the free education policy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the early years of independence and, again, when Chief Awolowo’s UPN was controlling this state between 1979 and 1983. The first thing this government did was to reintroduce free education policy in government-owned primary and secondary schools. We made the tuition free, and then free textbooks and instructional materials were also supplied to them. Apart from that, the government also realized that it needs to rebuild the infrastructure because of dwindling investment in the building of infrastructure in our schools. The infrastructure has gone so bad that even despite the fact that this government had since the first year given the lion share of its budget to education and investing massively in rebuilding those infrastructure, we still have some areas not touched yet. So, it is still possible for you to see areas where the government has not touched. Because it is so wide that even in eight years, we wonder if everything can be fixed. It will take a progressive and continuous investment in rebuilding of education infrastructure before we can get Ogun State to the right place. Government has started building model schools. There is a plan to build 28 of those model schools in the 20 local government areas, some will have two. Now 15 of them are about to be completed and the plan is that all of those 15 admit students in September. One of the flagship programmes of the state government is the model schools. In three years, only one has probably been completed out of about 15. Why is this so? No, that is not true. The first foundation laying ceremony was done after our first year in office. The thing about those model schools is that the plan is to get it right and you need to take your time and plan. It also involves massive investment. And when you are talking about massive investment, it is not only the massive schools that are required of us, every other sector will require fund. More than that, it is not true that only one is ready. Fifteen are about to be completed and I am sure that a good number of them will be ready by September. It is not just building classrooms; some have hostels and each of the schools have a carrying capacity of 1,000 students. And the plan is also to make them world standard. The best of the private secondary schools anywhere in the country will go

Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, lists some achievements of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and why he deserves another term in this interview with KUNLE OLAYENI have this agreement with some Americans that we will build cancer centre in Sagamu, just close to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. Then again, there is a diagnosis centre that we are planning for Abeokuta here. They will have world class facilities because they are being done under PPP arrangement. There is also plan to expand hospitals like the General Hospital in Ijaye within the limitation of the compound.

Olaniyonu

and be copying what we have there. So if you have that kind of plan, you can’t do it within one year. Though security situation in the state has improved with the procurement of Armoured Personnel Carriers and patrol vans But there are fears that your government has inflated the prices of those equipment. How true? Let me tell you one thing: the governor has said it on so many occasions that while purchasing those APCs, we went for the best and today we have the best available anywhere in the country. That will come with some cost. And secondly, he has also challenged people who think they can get it cheaper to go and get it cheaper and let him know and I have not seen anybody who has done that. That is the confidence of a man who is honest and who is sure of what he has done. So if anybody can get it cheaper and thinks that it is better, the person should come out and let us know. There is a lot of mischief going on in Ogun State, especially by the opposition. They believe that when they cannot fault the achievement of this administration, the next thing is to put the label of the prices inflated and that is why people will think about one road that they constructed and got bad within one year and started causing a lot of accidents. They will now equate the cost of that road with the cost of six-lane road with all the road furniture. You are talking of a road with drainages on both sides, street lights, bus stop, median, walkway. They will be comparing that with one small road that was badly done. That is mischief. You can only compare equal with equal. It is unfair to compare unequal with equal.

The state’s free health programme has been mired in controversy due to alleged non-implementation by the governor in accordance with his electoral promises. What is the situation? There are some misunderstandings. Sometimes it is consciously done out of ignorance. Sometimes, it is consciously done out of mischief. Sometimes it is just unconsciously done. Let me tell you, this government didn’t promise free health like that. What it said is efficient health care delivery system. The governor had also promised that those who are vulnerable within certain ages should be able to access medicare. He has categorized them: those who are pregnant, when the child is born until age five and those who are above 70. So, one of the problems is that people misunderstood it that everybody can access health free. That caused confusion. We now started strategizing that our promise for these vulnerable people to give them access to medicare is not abandoned. Out of that strategizing, we came up with Araya and to get this programme and to ensure that it is workable, we needed to now bring in the World Health Organisation (WHO) to look at the arrangement on ground. The concept of Araya is a community-based health insurance scheme which the community itself will provide the fund for those that are vulnerable and powerless. And then those who are strong will also benefit from it. For the Gbomoro programme, it is actually for pregnant women. It is a product of MGDs. It is targeted at reducing maternal mortality. The government is also working on nine upgraded primary health care centres which will be in the federal constituencies. Apart from that, there is also plan to build some more advanced hospitals and we have started. We

But there are allegations that the government concentrated developmental projects in urban centres only at the detriment of rural areas. What is your take? This is not correct. There are many project been done for the people at the grassroots. We have done the “Omilero Pot” for rural people to ensure that their water is safe for drinking. All our agriculture projects are not located in urban centres but in the rural area. Take for example, the rice plantation at Eegua, government engaged the rural farmers on the farm. They don’t spend the entire 24-hours on the farm. They spend about five or six hours and get paid. They also apply those things that they have learnt on government farms in their farms, that is, transfer of technology. The new improved seedlings used on government farms are equally distributed to the farmers. We are also doing rural electrification using solar energy. This is being done in so many villages. Government is also working on rural roads. We have done motorized boreholes for rural people as well. At a time, government also started this idea of 20km per local government road construction. The ministry of Rural Development started it. The roads were graded and made motorable. Of course, the roads are not Ogun standard roads, but the concern of government is to make the roads passable for its users. The governor has lately been preaching against “Amala politics” as against good governance. In view of the poverty level across the state, don’t you think his stance may adversely affect his re-election bid? Without preempting the governor, I think that the man is taking his time to complement, complete and consolidate on his projects, programmes and policies. I think that he will re-contest in the 2015 general elections. I have been saying it that people should not be in a hurry to judge what happened in Ekiti. The jury is not yet out on Ekiti election. We have not heard the last of what happened in the state. Do you think that the people of Ekiti, as educated and sophisticated that they are, can vote for anybody because of rice or what have you? There are still so many mysteries surrounding the election. It is a general belief that the Ogun State people are the most sophisticated in Nigeria. Is it not the same Ogun State that the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) spent so much money, yet the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, simply because of his performance or record, people voted massively for his party against a party that had so much money? More than that, I think a governor who has performed creditably well like Amosun should go back to his people and seek for their votes confidently. I am sure that the people will overwhelmingly support his re-election. The governor does not need to engage himself in any “stomach structure” or “Amala politics” or sharing money with the people because he does not believe in it.

News

PMT partners FRSC on safe motoring p.33

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

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AUGUST 10, 2014

Power Platform Experts urge investment in biofuels p.37

Business AZUBIKE NNADOZIE, ASSISTANT Editor, SUNDAY

azubike.nnadozie@newtelegraphonline.com

ON SUNDAY

Why Nigerian bonds trade well globally – Analysts

Chijioke Iremeka

apital market analysts have said that Nigerian bonds trade satisfactorily on the international bond market due to the country’s positive business reputation. They also said it is boosted by the positive rating of Nigeria by international rating agencies, such as Fitch and Standard & Poor. The analysts said notwithstanding the two per cent current drop in Federal Government bonds, Nigerian bonds have been affected by the obvious confidence that Nigeria has all the potential to repay any amount of money borrowed at the international capital market. “Though the international community knows that the bonds taken by Nigeria for a specific project in the country are often used for other projects than the specified,

they still rush bonds issued by the country,” said the Chief Executive Officer of Nozika Securities Limited, Mrs. Ngozika Nwosa. She added, “When a country has good and positive rating abroad, international organisations are willing to lend and support such country because they know the country would not default in servicing such bonds.” According to her, as long as Nigeria’s economy is rated and perceived to be healthy and high, Nigeria’s bonds will continue to make waves in the international market. She said the country’s population and untapped mineral deposits as well as her good financial reputation will always attract investors to the country. Also, tax adviser and Managing Director, Coscord Capitals, Jack Green, said one of the reasons for the positive showing of Nigeria’s

bonds in the international market is the potential posed by the latest economic situation in the country, which include the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing. He said, “With the latest report on rebasing, all far-sighted and business risk-takers would like to invest in the Nigerian economy. Nigeria has growth potential that would surpass many economies in Africa and in the world in the near future, if they plan well. These are some of the things many countries and international organisations are looking at when they invest in Nigeria’s bonds.” The Country Head, Citigroup, Omar Hafeez, said the security challenges in Nigeria had not discouraged foreign investors from buying assets and investing in Nigeria’s economy (bonds), making reference to $1.1 billion worth of Eurobonds the country had trad-

ed this year for three banks. He said, “The investment community is very well informed. Nigeria is a loan market and financial investors have been tapping into treasury bills and bonds for a very long time. Nigeria is growing as an investment destination, attracting capital equity and debt investors, but security and political risks cloud its outlook.” Professor of Statistics at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Matthew Adichie, said Nigeria’s economy is growing at the rate of seven per cent, noting that the country has a great potential to outgrow China, if only its resources would be managed for that reason. According to him, the untapped potential in the country is the major factor attracting investors to the country; the reason Nigerian bonds are trading like wild fire on

the international bonds market. The Managing Partner, SIAO, a chartered accounting firm and tax adviser, Ituah Ighodalo, noted that Nigeria is a faithful country when it comes to debt serving, saying that every country of the world would want to support Nigeria at any point in time. “The oil deposits in Nigeria have given the country international bargaining power. Nigeria has high growth potential and this is more reason the bonds are trading well as every country wants to build good business relationships with Nigeria,” he added. However, Prof Francis Egbohari of University of Ibaban said there is more to be done by the government rather than celebrating the sale of Nigeria’s bonds on the international markets. He listed road construction as another sector with immense potential but regretted that the country has yet to tap into it.

Inside

Ford unveils new Focus, Ranger, Mustang pg 32

L-R: Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko; Director, Consumer Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Hajiya Mariam Bayi; and Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, at the new Etisalat Experience Center, Ropp House, Abuja

‘Nigeria seaports vulnerable to Ebola’

he Management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has issued guidelines to its employees and port community stakeholders on the risks posed by the deadly Ebola Virus. It also gave directives about the risk factors in a port

environment. Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority Malam Habib Abdullahi has said that Nigerian seaports are gateways hence vulnerable to the deadly Ebola virus. He cautioned port operators,

especially first line contact officers against negligence when dealing with foreigners and vulnerable group, saying however that NPA would leave no stone unturned to make sure that the pandemic does not hit Nigeria port facilities.

He said on Thursday in a statement that the medical department of the authority has issued guidelines to all its medical personnel on protection and prevention measures to be adopted in discharge of their duties. These precautionary measures CONTINUED ON PAG34

FG responsible for low ports revenue -NPA boss pg 34

SundayTransport

PAUL OGBUOKIRI, paulogbuokiri@gmail.com 0802-779-0557, 08037613380

Stories by: Paul Ogbuokiri ight from the day Hyundai stunned the global auto market with its debut three years ago, the Veloster has never lost its well earned reputation of an attention-grabbing, uniquely crafted car no other can. According automotive journalists, it is not an out and out coupe, and neither a sedan nor a roadster, yet it embodies the basic characteristics of all these vehicles, thereby placing itself in a class of its own that never existed before 2011, they said They said the vehicle is equipped with a four-seat hatchback built for young, trendy generation of drivers, adding that the vehicle differs from many competitors with its asymmetrical door configuration, featuring one large door on the driver side and two large doors on the passenger side. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the combination of coupe and hatchback body styles plus a design craftsmanship that makes one side look different from the other (without altering the flowing lines), evokes sporty feelings among car enthusiasts, including those in the Nigerian market where the compact hatchback coupe is provided by Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, a member of the multi-branched Stallion Group. Truth is, coupes are sleek but can be very inconveniencing when you are with friends or family members who need to hop in and out intermittently. However, Veloster’s threedoor design not only offers good looks, but easy access too, which eliminates this inconvenience. Where else can you get a coupe that is this unique, stylish and practical at the same time? Veloster’s stunningly outstanding design makes it a delight to watch on Lagos roads and elsewhere, but the car’s beauty is not vainglorious, for under the bonnet is a powerful 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine credited with having more standard horsepower than even the respected Volkswagen GTI and MINI Clubman S. Linked with the engine is an automated six-speed transmission available on the base trim and a six-speed automatic available on the Turbo trims. And, here is another thing that makes the Veloster tick: When next you get close, go in, occupy one of the four seats, and you will be amazed at how roomy and impressively trimmed the interior is. In fact, it has been reported that no other sporty compact car in its class (that is, if there is really any other one at all in this class) has more total interior space. With all these attributes, it is not surprising that, though not a volume-driven offering like say the popular Accent and Elantra sedans or the ix35 SUV siblings, Veloster has exploited its alluring aesthetic qualities to

elow are measures recommended by the National Safety Council on what to do when you have breake failure on the Highway: 1. Downshift immediately Putting the car in a lower gear allows the engine to slow the car, and may give you enough time to be able to safely pull over. Whether you’re driving an automatic or a manual, try to downshift smoothly through the gears. If you downshift too quickly, you risk a skid. Do not shut off the car to stop it, as you’ll lose your power steering, and do not put the car in neutral or you will lose the engine braking effect. 2. Try the emergency brake, but don’t depend on it to stop you If you’re driving a car with a good, strong emergency brake, go ahead and use it. In cars with manual transmissions, the

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Profile of Hyundai Veloster

leave deep impressions on many hearts and along every road it has travelled in many parts of the world. The result is that the car has been able to chalk up a long list of honours, including the Best Design Award at the recent 2014 edition of The Nigerian Auto Awards (TNAA), held on Friday, May 16 in Lagos Two months ago, precisely on March 25, Veloster received Best Value in America Award from Vincentric, the automotive research firm specializing in automotive cost of ownership. The Veloster bested com-

petitors like the Ford Fiesta, Nissan Juke and Kia Forte to take the top spot in the subcompact segment. “The Veloster provides great value in the highly competitive subcompact segment,” said David Wurster, President, Vincentric. “It’s priced right and has real advantages in terms of depreciation, insurance costs, fuel economy and, due to an excellent warranty, repair costs, its total cost to own is much lower than one would expect from a subcompact at its price point.” Moreover, Motor Trend has at different

times: paid tribute to Veloster’s dramatic exterior styling, high-quality interior and unique three-door design; honoured it for being an attention-getter; and called it eyecatching, practical and sporty; just as the magazine’s Ultimate Guide said it is a car for those with uncommon taste. In rating Veloster’s breath-taking design, attention is always drawn to the attractive fascia and the available 18-inch alloy wheel – both of which add to the subcompact car’s one-of-a-kind style.

Ford unveils new Focus, Ranger, Mustang

our new models that are destined for the Nigerian and other African markets were showcased by Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) at its first African Go Further event held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg recently. Ford also used the event to detail its vision for the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Go Further is Ford’s brand promise and the name of product events it has held in Australia, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. The inaugural South African Go Further event marked the first time it was hosted on the African

continent. With nearly 1,000 media, stakeholders, suppliers and VIPs in attendance, President and CEO for the Sub Saharan Region, Jeff Nemeth, outlined the company’s vision for driving growth in existing markets on the continent, as well as entering new ones. Among the guests were representatives of the two dealerships in Nigeria – President of Coscharis Motors (a member of the Coscharis Goup), Dr. Cosmas Maduka; and the Group Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel; as well as the MD of BriscoeFord (a division of R. T. Briscoe Nig Plc), Mr. Seyi Onajide.

Auto Clinic

emergency brake is often operated via a hand-activated lever located behind the shifter, while in many automatics you use a small pedal located on the far left of the driver. It helps to try your emergency brake out at slow speeds to see how much stopping power it really has. 3. Work your vehicle into the right lane as soon as you can Move toward the right shoulder of the road, or, if possible, toward an exit. If it is necessary to change lanes, do so smoothly and carefully, watching your mirrors and the traffic around you closely. 4. Stay off the gas pedal Perhaps this goes without saying, but do not touch the gas pedal. Your goal, right now, is to slow down, pull over and safely stop. 5. Check for brake pedal blockage Believe it or not, debris such as as soda

Nemeth said, “South Africa remains our engine of growth for the continent, and moving forward, Sub-Saharan Africa will be a key market for Ford. Our vision is to become the first choice for mobility in Africa, and our event today underscores our commitment to serve customers throughout Africa.” The next two years will see an unprecedented expansion of Ford’s vehicle and technology line-up in the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) region. In total, 17 vehicles will be launched or refreshed, including the new Focus, Fusion, Ranger XL-Plus, Transit and Tourneo Connect

cans or bottles, coffee cups, rolls of paper towels and other items bouncing around in the cockpit can wedge behind your brake pedal, preventing its use. Make sure the pedal’s path is clear and if not, kick the obstruction out of the way. 6. Pump your brakes only if you have an older car without anti-lock brakes (ABS) If your car has standard brakes they may respond to pumping, which could build up enough hydraulic pressure to allow them to work again. But many newer cars with ABS will do the pumping for you, so you should firmly press the brake pedal even if the brakes are not working. The brake failure may be temporary and if they suddenly start working again, your foot will be where it needs to be. 7. Alert others Turn on your hazards and honk your horn until you’re stopped so other motor-

- which was on show for the first time at Go Further - and of course, Mustang. SYNC connectivity will feature in many of the new vehicles. SYNC with AppLink will bring voice commands to select smartphone applications, and SYNC 2 will offer a new, interactive version of SYNC boasting a touchscreen as well as voice command functionality. EcoBoost drivetrain options will also be expanded. EcoBoost is a turbo direct-injection technology that significantly improves power and fuel economy while CONTINUED ON PAG33

ists will know to give you plenty of room. 8. If you must hit something, aim for something “soft” This is a judgment call, but a wooden fence is better than a tree, for example -- and anything is preferable to hitting a human being. 9. Stay calm Knowing the steps outlined in this article and being able to perform them should give you the confidence to respond naturally instead of panicking, in the unlikely event that your brakes do fail. 10. Once you’re safely stopped, summon help Don’t be tempted to drive the car again, even if the brakes suddenly start working. Have the car towed to a repair shop or dealer for inspection and repair.

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Sunday Transport

Nigerian, others in Ranger Odyssey across Africa 4x4 contest

Stories by: Paul Ogbuokiri

Nigerian will be among the 20 constants billed to compete in the upcoming 2014 Ranger Odyssey-Across-Africa 4x4 adventure on September 8, 2014 at Kaokoland in the far Northern Kunene region of Nambia. Group Managing Director of Coscharis Motors, Mr. Josiah Samuel, said this recently in Lagos. He said that Coscharis as an official Ford dealer would help determine the contestant to represent Nigeria in the 2014 Odyssey. The other two SSA markets that will participate are Mozambique and Angola. This is coming on the heels of the hugely successful 2013 Ranger Odyssey-Across-Africa 4x4 adventure which held last year. He told journalists in Lagos that the 20 contestants would prove themselves through a two-week long expedition in Namibia on September 8, 2014, to prove the ruggedness of the vehicle on Africa’s most difficult terrains. He said, “It’s not a race nor is it a rally. Odyssey is first and foremost an extremely tough adventurous expedition. It will, however, include elements of competition where participating teams could

Ford unveils new Focus, Ranger, Mustang reducing emissions. Globally, EcoBoost is offered in 80 percent of Ford’s nameplates, and 30 percent of vehicles available in South Africa. By the end of 2015 this will increase to 33 percent in South Africa and 55 percent in SSA. Fusion The Ford Fusion offers the best of all the technologies from Ford and will go on sale in South Africa in early 2015. Fusion comes with EcoBoost petrol engines, and will be the technology flagship for Ford in SSA, offering SYNC 2, Active Park Assist, Active City Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Rear View Camera, and LaneKeeping System. In addition, Ford’s award-winning rear inflatable seat belt safety system will debut on the Fusion. New Focus The world’s best-selling car* - the Ford Focus - was also one of the highlights. First announced in February this year, the new Focus made its African debut at the Go Further event, and is expected to go on sale next year. Mustang Ford’s iconic Mustang performance model was also on show at Go Further. The all-new Mustang, which will be available with both an EcoBoost engine as well as its hallmark V8 powertrain, will go on sale in South Africa and SSA markets next year.

test their 4x4 driving and mechanical skills, endurance, courage, stamina, perseverance and resilience against the worst that nature could offer.” He said unlike last year when the Odyssey travelled through six African countries, this year’s event will take place in one of the

wildest and least populated areas in Namibia, the Kaokoland, in the far Northern Kunene region. “The conditions in the Kaokoland are harsh and will present the ultimate test to both the toughbuild Ford Ranger and the patience and endurance of each contestant. The roughly 2500km route encom-

passes some of Namibia’s most spectacular and arduous terrains, including the notorious Van Zyl’s Pass and the famous Purros Loop renowned for its desert elephants,” Samuel said. According to him, Odyssey is a brand that will appeal to the authentic, adventurous, outgoing,

free-spirited, as well as the hardworking, professional and bold and adaptable. He added that the main emphasis of Odyssey will be on testing human endurance and adaptability combined with the fierce ruggedness that comes with the Ford Ranger brand.

L-R: PSA Director of Programmes, Mr. Alejandro; Managing Director PAN Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi; Automobiles Peugeot France Vice President, Mr. Yves Moulin; and Zonal Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Andre Lorgere, shortly after signing commercial and technical agreement in Paris France, recently

PMT partners FRSC on safe motoring

leading land transport company, Peace Mass Transit (PMT), recently organised a one-week training for the 400 drivers in the company’s fleet at its head office in Emene, Enugu. Tagged ‘Safety Consciousness As A Habit’, the training served as a reminder to drivers that they need to imbibe high safety standards while plying the highways. Declaring the exercise open, the FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu State, Abayomi Olawoyin, represented by Assistant Corps Commander, Rose Anosike, noted that FRSC has a vision of making the roads safe, in view of the fact that road transportation plays a very important role in the socioeconomic development of the country. She, however, lamented that like other developing nations, Nigeria’s economic development is being threatened by road traffic crashes, most of which are caused by human factor. “Road crashes and fatalities have become a common sight on our highways and cities. The wastage of human and material assets which generally characterises accidents, constitutes a great deal of problem to the employer,” he stated. The sector commander noted that the aim of the training was, therefore, to enable PMT drivers to operate at such acceptable standards that they could not be criticised or faulted by others, and that their driving habits would set

an example and gain the respect and cooperation of other drivers and the general public. “In addition to driving to high standards, PMT drivers must at the end of this training exercise restraint, patience, tolerance, discipline and show consideration for other road users, and most importantly drive at all times according to the recommendations of the Highway Code,” said the sector commander. Responding, the Managing Director/CEO, Peace Group, Dr. Samuel Onyishi, said, “Peace Mass Transit is determined to ensure the safety of its passengers as a leading transport company in the country.

We equally have an in-house safety department that ensures the continuous training and re-training of our drivers. We are bent on eliminating the human factor in road crashes among our drivers. We will continue to remind our drivers of the need to imbibe these driving ethics so that safety consciousness will always be in them.” He stated that PMT introduced speed control device in all its mini-buses in 2009 even as he expressed gladness over the partnership with FRSC which, according to him, has placed the company on a pedestal of safety. In his remarks, the General Manager, PMT, Mr. Sylvanus Ozioko, assured the customers of the

company’s readiness to sustain the quarterly training of its drivers which will ultimately lead to drastic reduction of crashes. Founded in the year 1995, Peace Mass Transit, a subsidiary of Peace Group Limited, moves over 45 million travellers around the six geopolitical zones of the country annually. With a staff strength of over 4,000, the company operates motor parks in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Determined to ensure safety, PMT, in collaboration with FRSC, recently embarked on the third quarterly training of the company’s drivers.

Afreximbank closes $150m financing facility for Econet Chijioke Iremeka

he African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced, in Cairo, the successful closing of a $150 million financing facility for Econet Wireless Global Limited, Mauritius, to enable the company to fund its expansion programme across the world. According to the President of Afreximbank, Jean Louis Ekra, the closing of the facility represented a clear demonstration of Afreximbank’s commitment to partnering with African and in-

ternational financial institutions to support the growth of African multinationals. He noted that Afreximbank is determined to continue to working with leading African entities, like the Econet Group, which are making great strides in connecting Africa through their innovative telecommunications solutions and, in-turn, enhancing intra-African trade, which is a cornerstone of the Bank’s mandate. Ekra stated that the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is the foremost Pan-

African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extraAfrican trade, which was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors. “Under the terms of the syndication, Econet will use the proceeds of the facility for the expansion of new business areas, such as its mobile banking and solar energy businesses, as well as refinancing existing debt relating to its telecommunications network infrastructure,” he said.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Commerce

FG responsible for low ports revenue - NPA boss

•Says trade polices fuel smuggling Paul Ogbuokiri

anaging Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, has blamed trade policies introduced by the Federal Government for the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian ports in recent years. Abdullahi, who stated this at the recent 2013 scorecard presentation to stakeholders in Lagos, noted that while the trade policies of government had reduced imports of the affected commodities from the ports, they were fuelling the smuggling of the commodities into the country. He said NPA handled less cargo in 2013, resulting in lesser revenue than its performance in 2012. He stated that the fiscal policies of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, that restricted the import of rice and some other items into the country as well as other sundry factors were responsible for the agency’s poor performance in the last two years. NPA recorded zero growth in cargo tonnage handled in 2013. In the 2013 ports’ performance report signed on his behalf by the Assistant General Manager (AGM), Public Affairs, Mallam Musa Iliya, the NPA boss declared that market forces were also part of factors responsible for NPA’s poor performance in 2013. He said, “Recent research revealed that, generally, each port is being shaped by the market forces dictated by the commodity demand and by the particular port users. “The decline experienced in some products can be linked to general economic factors. In dry bulk, for instance, there is a ban on the importation of cement. Also, the increase in rice tariff has reduced the importation of the commodity to the country through Nigerian ports, but through smuggling by other routes.” He also said that the European debt crisis gave birth to the decrease in Liquefied Natural Gas. “Many of their industries have closed down, and so the demand for our product was low. They have also discovered an alternative means of production in the Middle East,” he said. He noted, however, that petroleum product liberalisation, growth in Gross Do-

mestic Product (GDP) and the Transformation Agenda (of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration) resulting in increase in construction work had had an unprecedented economic impact on the port industry. The performance report of 2013 showed that a cargo throughput, excluding crude oil terminals of 76,886,997 million metric tons (mt), was handled at all Nigerian ports in 2013, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.042.6 per cent over the 2012 figure of 76,855,754 mt. A breakdown of the figure showed that container traffic amounted to 1,010,836 20ft equivalent units (TEUs), reflecting a growth of 15.2 per cent over the 877,737 TEUs posted in 2012. Also, a total of 291,824 units of vehicles were handled in the period under review, showing an increase of 8.9 per cent over the 268,026 units recorded in 2012. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipment handled in the period amounted to 19,341,663 metric tons, a drop of 12.7 per cent from the 22,146,908 mt posted in 2012. On the hand, refined petroleum shipment handled in 2013 was 19,416,043 mt, showing an increase of 9.5 per cent over the 17,730,727 mt recorded in the previous year. Dry bulk cargo handled at the ports in the reviewed period totalled 9,537,447 mt, a decline of 6.5 per cent from the 10,205,339 mt posted the previous year, even as general cargo handled was 11,964,978 mt, indicating a 5.8 per cent drop from the 12,702,826 mt recorded in 2012. “In year 2013, the total of 5,185 oceans-going vessels with a total gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 131,674,337 gross tons called at Nigerian ports,” the statement indicated. Similarly, in the period under review, the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) recorded 34,466,291GRT, reflecting an increase of 9.4 per cent over the 31,513,987 GRT posted in 2012, even as a total of 1,498vessels were handled at same facility in 2013. While 1,725 ocean-going vessels were handled at the Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIP) in 2013, the statement added that the port recorded 42,758,161 GRT, which is 23.2 per cent increase over the 34,703,547 GRT of 2012.

Unlike the two Western ports, the LPC and the TCIP, which both experienced increased GRT in 2013 over the 2012 figures, Eastern ports in Calabar, Rivers and Onne suffered drops in GRT in 2013, when compared to 2012. Calabar Port Complex recorded 2,792,488 GRT, a

decline of 2.8 per cent compared with the 2,871,622 GRT of 2012 with the same facility recording 197 oceangoing vessels in 2013. In the same vein, Rivers Port Complex recorded 6,394,270 GRT, which is a 7.9 per cent drop when compared with the 6,929,179 GRT recorded in 2012 with

447 ocean-going vessels registered. Also, Onne Port Complex recorded 38,967,131GRT in 2013, reflecting a decrease of 7.4 per cent as against the 42,062,351 GRT witnessed in 2012 and 820 vessels in the period under review. Delta Port Complex, also part of the NPA Eastern

ports, was an exception from the mentioned trio above, having recorded 6,295,996 GRT in 2013, a phenominal increase of 105 per cent over the 3,069,887 GRT the port posted in 2012. It equally handled 498 vessels in 2013.

L-R: Head, Training and Consultant, Institute of Directors (IOD), Mr. Oluefemi Mosaku-Johnson; Managing Director/CEO, Infogem Limited, Mr. Ayo Olumoko; President, IOD, Dr. Yemi Akeju; and Mrs Toyin Olumoko, at the Institute’s New members evening forum in Lagos...on Thursday

Anti-counterfeiting conference ends H

P on Wednesday hosted a one-day Anti-Counterfeiting Abuja Conference, to help fight against fake products and fraudulent marketing while protecting customers from illegal scheming. The one-day event was meant to raise awareness on the impact and consequences of counterfeit trade during its one-day summit in Abuja. Reports show that as the global trade in counterfeit goods is growing, Nigeria and other African countries are increasingly being targeted as markets for counterfeit merchandise. African nations are therefore becoming increasingly aware of challenges that

counterfeit trade represents to their economies and their citizens, and becoming active in the fight against it. Multinational and national companies; government officials; representatives of ministries responsible for Anti-Counterfeiting in education, trade, economy, health, etc; procurement officials; press; top tier partners of tech companies; as well as law enforcement organisations responsible for Anti-Counterfeiting, around the country were at the summit to discuss consumer protection and ways to raise awareness and fight against the sales and purchase of fake goods. “False goods impact businesses and global trade

through lost revenue, damage to brands and the negative effects on hardearned reputation and consumer confidence,” said Jeff Kwasny, Brand Protection Programme Manager for HP’s Printing and Personal Systems group. Across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, over the last five years (2009 through 2013), HP has conducted around 1,600 investigations, resulting in about 1,300 enforcement actions (raids and seizures by authorities) and around 11 million units of counterfeit products and components seized, thus preventing them from being sold in the EMEA marketplace and beyond.

The programme has also overseen around 4,000 unannounced inspections of HP products at the warehouses of HP Channel Partners across EMEA in the past five years (2009 through 2013), to verify that they are not selling counterfeit products to their customers. Through its Anti-counterfeiting Programme, HP actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with the local Nigerian and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.

‘Nigeria seaports vulnerable to Ebola’ to be instilled in the workplace environment and in the Port terminals will be carried out in collaboration with the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Division of the Authority and the Port Health.

According to him, the measures are in line with the information from the World Health Organization (WHO). Ebola virus disease (EVD) is one of the world’s most virulent diseases, with a case fatality rate as high

as 90 per cent, according WHO. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. EVD is often characterised by the sudden onset of fever, in-

tense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, and followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function. In some cases, there is both internal and external bleeding.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Interview

Why Nigerians must pay more for electricity - Jonathan’s economic adviser As Nigerians continue to grumble over high electricity tariff and unstable power supply, Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Dr. Nwanze Okidegbe, insists that power sector investors need a favourable business climate to remain afloat, ANULE EMMANUEL reports How is government addressing the challenge of poor infrastructure? Every African country, not just Nigeria, is concerned about the infrastructural deficit that the continent experiences. In fact, it is estimated that because of infrastructural deficit across transport, energy, communication, there is about two per cent decline potentially in economic growth. So, we are growing less than two per cent than we should have been growing if we able to have our infrastructural challenges. But empirical evidence suggests that currently, Africa needs to spend $100 billion annually to be able to meet this deficit. In Nigeria, the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has taken deliberate efforts to begin to address the country’s infrastructure deficit. Mr. President has led the development of infrastructure through three major means. These are through the reallocation of budgetary resources to allow more resources for infrastructural development and dedicate bonds; the setting up of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE – P) with a partial remit to complete critical existing infrastructure projects across the country; and the increased facilitation of private sector funds through the ICRC and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). We can see clearly that he has been able to create an enabling environment to encourage private sector players to invest in infrastructure. We now have efficient public private participation (PPP) arrangements; the second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, for instance, are being done under this arrangement. So, the private sector and government are jointly pooling resources together. This is creating some amount of savings for government as well. You may be aware of the SURE-P, part of the revenue is going into infrastructure and as a result of that, you can see visible evidence of improvement. If you drive from Lagos to Benin, you will notice a significant improvement in infrastructure. Same with the roads from Kaduna to Kano and other different places, even Abuja to Lokoja. What about giving private sector players confidence in the system? We have created a regulatory framework like the Infrastruc-

ture Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to give the private sector the needed confidence to come in. So, infrastructure financing remains a challenge but government is doing a lot in this regard. You may be aware also of the Lagos Abidjan Road which has already been agreed among the countries in ECOWAS. In fact, Mr. President deserves a lot of credit for the changes. If you look at 2010 and where we are now, you will notice significant progress and more is being done. But why is steady power supply still a challenge? I know the issue of power is on every Nigerian’s mind. Mr. President made a commitment to change the paradigm and he has done that. You know that the international community commends Nigeria for the comprehensive reform in power which is more far reaching than any other African country. But over the last 30 years, we have not been investing enough in power, whether in transmission, generation and distribution. The sector has been mismanaged over a significant length of time. As a result of the reforms the President has put in place, new light has come into the sector, with a lot of investments moving into the sector on a continuous basis. But you realise that there is a time lag between the time the investments are made and the time you start seeing results. The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, once said in South Africa that if you are building a duplex and you manage to have a decking, you can move in. But power is such that unless everything is ready, it cannot be used. So the work you need to do from the time you start is important. For instance, we are spending a lot of resources to pipe gas to the power plants because gas is one of the constraints. It takes about 18 Months to two years to pipe gas from the East to the West where the plants are. And during that time, you may have made huge investments but you may not get the impact. Now, those investments are being completed, so all I can say yes, we have turned the corner, the impact is also just near the corner. The issue of power will be a thing of the past soon. Given the reforms, creating an enabling environment and adequate pricing, the issue of

power will be solved once and for all. The foundation has been laid by the President. Nigerians complain of high tarriff when power is still unstable Let’s be clear on this. If you run on generators, what it will cost you is almost three times what the current tariff is. The point is that we have a regulator (NERC) which is adjudged by the international community as one of the best in Africa. NERC is making sure that the public is not ripped off, but we need to have adequate pricing so that the private sector can cover their costs and continue to invest. If the return on investment is very low, they will not have the incentive to continue. I think that Nigerians want access to power and if they are getting adequate access, they know that the current level of tariff is far, far cheaper than the alternative which is running on generators. It appears that our foreign debt is again speedily climbing. Let’s put this in perspective. In 2004, the level of foreign debt was $35.9 billion and domestic debt was about $10.3 billion. If you put the two together, it is about $46.2 billion or approximately 64 per cent of our GDP at the time when we went to the Paris Club. Let us come to the present. As we speak, our foreign debt is $9.2 billion, which is about 1.9 per cent of our GDP. If you add the domestic debt to it, it is about 11 per cent of our GDP which is one of the lowest in the world. Look at Europe, United States or even other African countries, you will find that our debt burden is one of the lowest which even gives us room to borrow. But the government is not interested in borrowing, not that borrowing is bad. You borrow to accomplish a particular goal. Yes, we borrow for infrastructure because we need to address it but we are always mindful of the level of our debt. In fact, last year, in-

stead of rolling over domestic debt, we paid N25 billion off, which means that the government is conscious of that. You also have to realise that even private businesses or government can borrow to invest, to improve on infrastructure, capital growth and development of human resources. By doing so, you get the return, in terms of expanding the economic base. So, yes, government is mindful of the country’s debt burden and that is why fiscal consolidation is one of the pillars of the transformation agenda of Mr. President. We are making sure that we are prudent in our expenditure, including borrowing. In fact, our rating agencies commend the President and Nigeria highly for the way we have been managing our debt. What has been the reaction of the international community to the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP? We are experiencing quality response already. You are aware that we recently hosted the World Economic Forum for Africa, which was adjudged here and abroad as being one of the best so far in Africa. As a result of that, a number of big international companies have indicated their interest to invest in Nigeria, because they see a huge market. In fact, on the basis of risk adjusted return on investment, investing in Nigeria is one of the highest in the world. The General Electrics of this world are coming to Nigeria not because they love the country but they know the return on their investment would be high. I will say that because of the policies Mr. President has put in place, international businesses see the opportunity in investing here. It is not a surprise that since 2010, we have attracted over $25 billion Foreign Direct Investment, bigger than any other African country. I see Nigeria as a fertile environment for new investment and expanding business frontiers as well as reducing infrastructure

deficit. What about reducing cost of governance? Government is making a lot of progress in this regard. Since the President came on board in 2010 to the present day, almost any sector you look at, you see that deliberate steps have been made to reduce the cost of governance. I’m not saying that we are there yet. In the past, huge sums of money were spent on fertiliser subsidy and the fertiliser never reached the farmers. Now, we have e-wallet and the fertilisers are reaching over 75 percent, before it was less than 5 percent. Mr. President took a bold step to reduce fuel subsidy and the gains were put in SUREP for the provision of critical infrastructure as well as the Save One Million Lives in Health, Almajiri schools among others. We are improving welfare but also reducing waste. There are actually deliberate steps to reduce the cost of governance and we are making continuous progress in this regard. But you know that in reducing the cost of governance, part of it is paying salaries, recurrent expenditure. You cannot in one scoop cut that off because you will be adversely impacting on the lives of workers. So, you have to manage and sequence and one of the ways to do that is to continue to grow the base, expand economic activities which allows the private sector to employ more people, reduce unemployment and make growth inclusive. Government would then use that increased base to reduce the cost of governance because like I said, some of the cost is recurrent expenditure (payment of wages). In fact, based on the NBS survey which they do on a quarterly basis, you find that more jobs are being created by the private sector. So, the thing here is yes, the cost of governance has been historically high, but Mr. President has taken steps to significantly reduce it and there is data to show.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Commerce

Success Nuggets

Victor Okwudiri MS only) (08037674300 S

oseph was posted to Lagos State for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps programme. On the day he was to travel to Lagos, he was late to the park at Water Lines, Port Harcourt. As such, he couldn’t get a bus going to Lagos directly. Given that the camping exercise was to commence the following day, he had to take a bus to Warri, hoping that he would get a vehicle from there to Lagos. When he got to Warri, something dramatic happened. On alighting from the bus at Warri, he heard people calling his name. He turned, and, to his greatest surprise, saw two acquaintances, Daniel and David, in another bus. “Daniel! David!” he called out in excitement as he ran in their direction. When he got to the side of the bus where they were seated, he asked for their destination. “Lagos,” they chorused. “We were posted there for the NYSC exercise,” David added. It was too good to be true. “That’s the same place I am heading to,” Joseph retorted, unable to hide his excitement. “I was posted there too.” “Hop in, then,” said Daniel and David to Joseph. “Will the driver let me board the bus?” Joseph asked cau-

tiously. “Do this thing sharp, sharp, my friend,” charged David. “Instead of you to take advantage of this God-given opportunity to get to Lagos for free, you are here wasting time. Don’t you know this is a miracle in disguise?” Daniel chuckled before speaking his mind. “Joseph, so you still dey do like JJC. How that old man you call driver wan take know say na for here you just enter the bus? Who give am mind to ask you nonsense question?” When Daniel saw that Joseph was still skeptical about the suggestion, a frown covered his face, in a show of seriousness. Then he blurted out: “Joe, if the driver asks, tell him you entered from Port Harcourt with us. After all, he cannot recognise everyone that entered with us. If he asks for your receipt, tell him you have thrown it away. After all, I have thrown away mine.” Giving in to pressure, Joseph reluctantly boarded the bus. Though he was not comfortable, he didn’t want to look stupid before his friends. More so, he reasoned that it could be God saving him the cost of paying for the trip from Warri to Lagos. “After all,” he said to himself, “the Bible says that all things work together for good to them that love God.”

Echoes for posterity All through the journey from Warri to Lagos, Joseph was not at peace, as he could hear his heart beating like the work of a DJ. He prayed all through the journey that the driver would not notice him, let alone ask any question. When the bus finally came to a halt at Ojota, where he was to alight, he whispered “Thank God,” and heaved a sigh of relief. “God, I won’t do this again,” he said, when the bus disappeared into the distance. After the three-week camping exercise, Joseph, Daniel and David were posted to the same place of primary assignment. That made them stay in the same Corpers’ Lodge. While Joseph stayed in a room with Daniel, David shared a room with John, another corps member they met at the camp ground. On his return from a trip one day, Joseph found out that Daniel had been cohabiting with a girl in their room, in his absence. When he entered his room, he saw Daniel with the girl in a rather compromising position. However, they quickly adjusted. Joseph was quite angry for much of the day, but waited for the girl to leave before confronting his room mate. But that was not to be, as the girl remained in the room, lying on the bed till 9pm, without any sign that she would leave that night. It was then that Joseph confronted Daniel on his im-

moral cohabitation with the girl, and asked him to send her away immediately. “She is going nowhere!” Daniel screamed. “Who is talking morality here? Did you remember morality when you joined our bus in Warri without the driver’s knowledge, depriving him the fare for the journey?” Joseph stood transfixed, as Daniel walked out on him. It suddenly dawned on his that he had lost his bargaining power. Lessons 1. Your actions of today could send echoes into your tomorrow. Joseph did not think beyond the ‘NOW’ when he connived with his friends to defraud the unsuspecting driver. However, months later, it became an issue - a serious one at that. 2. Some people you call friends are actually manipulators. Joseph thought Daniel and David were his friends. Their ‘assistance’ in his getting a ‘free ride’ from Warri to Lagos could have further strengthened that wrong impression. Little did he know that they probably were not just interested in saving him cost, but interested in having his good company to make the journey more pleasurable. Another interest Daniel and David probably had was to make Joseph like one of them, so he would be unable to judge their deviant behaviour in the future. 3. You can hardly get good advice from bad friends.

No one can give what he or she does not have. It is a notorious principle in law, expressed in the Latin maxim, ‘Nemo dat quod non habet’. Beyond law, however, it is commonsensical that no one can give what he does not have. It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. 4. If you stand for NOTHING, you will fall for ANYTHING. Though Joseph had a conscience, which made him somewhat reluctant about defrauding the driver, it appeared he didn’t have a principled stance on honesty. If he did, he would not have fallen for his so-called friends’ bad advice to defraud the driver. 5. PERSISTENCE, more often than not, will outwear RESISTANCE. Joseph’s friends were able to convince him to defraud the driver because they kept mounting pressure on him. As long as Joseph kept listening to them, his resistance gradually waned. In fact, his resistance wore out gradually as they piled pressure on him. What he should have done was to walk away immediately. Friend, the best way to deal with a temptation is to cut off from its source. As long as you are in touch with the SOURCE of temptation, you risk giving in to the FORCE of the temptation. Run for your dear life, my friend. CONTINUE next week

The female suicide bomber Ikem Okuhu

s the war on terror becomes more sinister in Nigeria, the advent of a new phenomenon has brought the depths of terror to a new low. The female suicide bomber. Years ago, the mere idea of a Nigerian suicide bomber was virtually unthinkable as the general belief that Nigerians love life too much to risk death by their own hand was the norm. But since 2009 when terrorists have taken up permanent residency within our borders, that myth has been expunged. But alas the new phenomenon released to further breath terror down the neck of Nigerians is the female suicide bomber. The first attack of the Newly Formed Boko Haram female suicide bombing brigade was upon the Nigerian military barracks in Gombe. The next attack targeted a fuel depot in Lagos while the latest attack was when a female suicide bomber on the way to her target was arrested by the police in Kano. The terrorist detonated her device prematurely, severely maiming five police officers and killing herself. It is indeed appalling and condemnable to see terrorists target innocent Nigerians on a Sunday, a day that is holy to Christians and on a day set aside for Muslims to enjoy the Eid celebrations. This further makes vivid the fact that these terrorists have neither a religious nor ethnic

agenda but are devilish individuals whose sole purpose is to widen the divide between Nigerians to either fracture the country via the balkanisation of the nation or secure political advantage for certain individuals. These elements must not win. Hence, Nigerians must be vigilant. The female suicide bomber is the worst kind of weapon. It plays on the emotion that women are the weaker sex. It plays on the reluctance of male security officers to search a lady in her intimate parts hence the urge to let her slip past plays on their minds. And with the cover of the Islamic head scarf, hijab, weapons of mass destruction can easily be concealed and carried into a sensitive location. The fact that the Boko Haram insurgents are using teenage girls to perpetrate their evil deeds even worsens the matter. Girls that should be in school are recruited or kidnapped, raped and then brainwashed into becoming suicide bombers. This is a trend that makes one wonder about the fate of the female pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok Borno State, abducted by Boko Haram insurgents sicne April 14, 2014. Since the Federal Government claims they know where these girls are but cannot rescue them without jeopardising their safety, then the time has come for the current strategy to be revised. These girls are likely being raped and tortured in a bid to brainwash them into

becoming suicide bombers since the government has not acceded to the demands of the terrorist leadership. Thus their status as hostages is useless hence they are now being used as suicide bombing assets. Of what use is delaying a rescue with this new information at hand or is one waiting for all the girls to become suicide bombers or baby factories producing little terrorists for the insurgents, before the zeal to rescue them is stirred into action? The Federal Government must rescue those girls immediately and risk the collateral damage in order to deny the terrorists a healthy supply of female suicide bombers. Meanwhile, Nigerians need to be educated on how to identify a terrorist cell so as to quickly inform the security forces before they strike. A terror cell comprises a leader and other operatives. The leader picks the targets and coordinates the activities of the group. He takes his orders through a cut out from the terrorist high command and is the most important asset in the terror cell. Then there is the Host. He provides shelter for the cell. He is usually a local, who is sympathetic to the group and is generally quiet and unassuming. He accommodates the cell and is responsible for their feeding and upkeep. He is also the link to the surveillance team to whom he provides local intelligence. Then, there is the surveillance team that scouts for the target and also provides security for the cell

080395121535 (SMS only) against possible detection. Also, there is the bomb maker. His designation is self-explanatory. This individual is in charge of the explosive ordinance. Then there is the suicide bomber, the individual empowered by the leader of the cell to convey the device to its target. Then there is the sleeper. The sleeper escorts the suicide bomber to the target, instilling words of encouragement to the bomber and ensuring that the individual does not chicken out at the last minute. The sleeper is also armed with a secondary trigger to remotely detonate the bomb if the primary trigger fails or the bomber backs out or is arrested. The sleeper also hangs around the vicinity of the blast after the attack in order to verify the damage done to the target for his report back to the leader of the cell. And if there is a secondary device aimed at killing the first responders, the sleeper is the one who detonates it once he sees a sizable crowd in the vicinity. The cross-dressing man arrested following the attempted assassination of the opposition leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, may have been the sleeper of this cell. This

man in women’s clothing is an important link in the chain hence intelligence must be gleaned from him to lead the security forces to the terror cell. There is a new terror cell operating along the KanoKaduna axis as typified by the sudden upsurge in attacks in the region. Nigerians must be on the lookout for a resident who recently took in some brothers/friends who appear to spend more time indoors than going out to work during the day. These individuals will also buy a large quantity of fertiliser without being linked to any farm. Fertiliser is an important component in making improvised explosive devices. And most of all, this individual hosting them will suddenly refuse visits from neighbours and the surveillance team will often be mindful of allowing friends and relatives into the home, especially during celebrations which will appear strange. Terrorists do not fall from the sky. They eat, live and sleep among the people they terrorise. Nigerians must remain vigilant at all times to defeat this scourge that is threatening our corporate existence.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Business

CHIJIOKE IREMEKA, sundayplatform@newtelegraphonline.com 08182284162 (SMS only)

PowerPlatform For complaints on power situation across Nigeria

Experts urge investment in biofuels G

Chijioke Iremeka

iven the availability of biomass resources and their potential to supply Nigeria with certain degree of electricity, government at all levels as well as private investors have been encouraged to take practical steps towards investing in agriculture for the production of energy crops and establishment of biofuel-processing plants in the country. According to Edirin Agbro of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State, in a research, titled: ‘A Comprehensive Review of Biomass Resources and Biofuel Production Potential in Nigeria’, a variety of biomass resources exists in the country in large quantities with opportunities for expansion. He said 85 per cent of the world’s energy demand is met by combustion of fossil fuels which are depletable, while the global energy demand is expected to grow about 50 per cent by 2025, with the major part of the increase coming from rapidly emerging countries. He said, “Given the growing world population, increasing energy demand per capita and global warming, the need for a long term alternative energy supply is clear. Biofuels offer the advantage of coming from large, mainly under-utilised biomass resources that are sustainable and renewable in a closed carbon cycle that reduces environmental input.” He noted that biomass power is carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned or left as fodder for forest fires, adding that biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power. “When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. If you have a fireplace, you already are participating in the use of biomass as the wood you burn in it is a biomass fuel. In biomass power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to industries and homes,” he said. Fortunately, he stated, new technologies, including pollution controls and combustion engineering, have advanced to the point that any emissions from burning biomass in industrial facilities are generally less than emissions produced when using fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil). He added that biomass is the major energy source in Nigeria contributing about 78 per cent of Nigeria primary energy supply. He noted that biofuels apply to solid, liquid or gaseous fuel produced from biological materials

Biofuel proccessing plant

(biomass) which can be used for the generation of power, heat or fuel for motive power. In addition, Nosa Ogie of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State said biomass resources are considered renewable as they are naturally occurring and by comparison with other renewable energy resources such as solar and wind, biomass is a storable resource, inexpensive and has favourable energetic efficiency. He noted that the biomass resources available in the country include agricultural crops, crop residues, fuel wood and forestry residues, waste paper, sawdust and wood shavings, residues from food industries, energy crops, animal dung poultry droppings and industrial effluent/municipal solid waste. The following are complaints from the electricity consumers: Eko DISCO takes Nigerians for granted ThankGod Opkara, Soba, Ojo, Lagos Eko Electricity Distribution Company does not value our lives. I live at Soba, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos State. After a downpour, our cable dropped to the ground and was there for days, before it was fixed. It was so pathetic that such cable could remain on the ground for that length of time. Well, I don’t know whether EKEDC was contacted on that incident on time but the electricity cable was there for days. The fact is that because most people here are low-profile people and they take certain things for granted. Such a thing will not

happen in a community with highprofile people. We want our power supply improved. We need alternative energy supply Jerry Ogunbunmi, Old Ojo Road, Lagos We need another source of power in Nigeria. It appears hydro is no longer working. In fact, I don’t even know if that is the problem we have concerning power supply. Power supply in my area is nothing to write home about. We usually hear a loud bang in our transformers and after that, the power goes off. As I speak, there has not been power supply for the past six days. The transformers are bad and even with the good ones, there is no power supply. We pay our bills regularly but we don’t have power supply. I would suggest that Nigeria should move towards alternative energy to give regular power supply to the people. I want a revolution in the power sector to bring in more people to the business. If more investors come into the power sector with different sources of power, such as renewable energy from solar, there would be light everywhere in the country. Just like in the telecommunications sector, competition brought down the price and now, one can decide on which network to use. Then, there were challenges but we overcame that. The tariff might be high for a start but I have to tell you, it will be easier to have high tariff and have constant light than to pay low tariff and have no light. Businesses are crumbling and

nobody is saying anything. Yet, we are talking about being among the 20 biggest economies of the world by 2020. Is it not a joke? We are still suffering from crazy bills, Ben F. Ajeromi, Lagos The incidence of crazy bills is still going on unabated. The major problem we have here is crazy bills. We don’t even know how to go about it because if you try to clear the bill, more will come. This has made a number of houses to stop paying rather they depend on power theft (power tapping). What we see are clusters of electricity cables here and there. The DISCO’s officials had come and disconnected some houses but they still tap light without paying. What they do is to use flexible wires to temporally connect light. Then upon getting information that the DISCO’s officials are coming, the defaulters would quickly remove them. This is not the best for the environment, because it has led to a number of fire outbreaks in this area in the past. If possible, let every house have a prepaid meter to stop this problem of crazy bills. And this is the only way it can be solved, though, I know that prepaid meters have their challenges. We need light to do our businesses, Kola, Mushin, Lagos We have yet to see changes in power supply in Mushin, Lagos state since the new company took over power supply and control. They only give us light between 30 minutes and one hour in a day. We experience serious outage here. We are making use of heavy machines to print and we

need steady power supply. We spend so much on diesel and that has made this place uninhabitable. There ares fumes everywhere. We are asking the government to give us light. Light is so important to business. DISCOs are committing serious fraud in Nigeria by collecting money they did not work for. We are calling on the federal and state governments to reduce our suffering by giving us electricity. We only have power supply at night Bassey Eniang, Aguda, Lagos We do have light in this axis but only at night. In the day time there is no light. Sometimes, the light comes at 10pm or 11pm and lasts till 6am, when it goes off again. But once it comes, we can iron our clothes and do other things. Well, my wife still cooks and stores in the fridge. I still refrigerate drinks anyway. No electricity for some months Iyabo F, Evie Street, Lagos State We’ve been in total blackout, which started as low voltage for weeks and later metamorphosed into an outage. We have gone to our DISCO, yet there is no light despite their promises. They said the transformer is faulty. We contributed money for a new transformer which we are still waiting for. For almost two months now, we’ve not seen light. We are calling on governments at all levels and the DISCO to come and restore our light. Our businesses are going down day by day for lack of electricity. We need a new transformer to serve us.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Market mood swings positive

he Nigeria equities market returned to the positive zone following two consecutive weeks of negative trading sessions. The NSEASI index however rose further by 1.58% during the week to drive the All Share Index to 42,598.48 pts just as market capitalization inched up to NGN14.066trn. 47 stocks recorded price gains as against 36 decliners thus pegging market breadth at 1.31x, an indication of the positive mood of the market the week ended. The high point of the market for the week ended was CONOIL’s announcement of the NGN4 dividend per share. Consequently, the stock gained 21.5% within two days. In other news, CAVERTON posted its half year results showing 21.2% growth in turnover and 11.6% decline in PAT on the back of earnings normalization as there was no any extraordinary income as compared to the previous period in H1:2013 ( Other income in 2013 buoyed by a one off extraordinary item) . However, we attribute the recent mood in the market to the ecstatic response of investors to companies’ earnings announcements which further provided certain position taking in some stocks that are perceived relatively cheap. We present below, highlight of the sector performance during the week ended Financial (Banking) Sector: Impressive Run as Large-Cap Banks Push Index Forward The banking sector had an impressive week, with banking index closing 3.20% higher than previous week. Overall, there were 9 gainers against 5 losers, while UNITYBNK traded flat during the week. The gainers’ camp was led by ETI, FBNH, UBN and GUARANTY, which appreciated by 8.65%, 7.08%, 6.51% and 5.56% in that order. Conversely, the top losers for the week ended were STERLNBANK, STANBIC and WEMABANK, which lost 4.35%, 3.23% and 0.99% respectively. The loss posted by STANBIC was largely due to profit-taking that greeted the release of its impressive H1:2014 results, and declaration of NGN1.10 interim dividend. Investors had speculated rosy numbers and taken position ahead of the release. Another major news in the financial space was the announcement of new risk capital regime for commercial banks by the CBN. The apex bank in a bid to ensure more prudent assessment of the required regulatory capital of banks, announced the exclusion of the regulatory risk reserve for the purpose of assessment of capital adequacy. Collective impairment on loans and receivables will be excluded from Tier-2 capital, while Other Comprehensive Income (OCI) reserves will be included in this Tier-2 Capital, but will be subjected to guidance notes by the CBN. Even though the new policy suggests that there are gaps in current capital adequacy of some banks, thereby necessitating some fresh fund raising, we also expect that the policy and expected responses will significantly improve banks’ financial strength, while also allowing for increased confidence in the Nigerian financial system. In the week ahead, we look forward to having H1:2014 results from GUARANTY and ACCESS, which is also expected to raise some gyration amongst investors. Industrial Goods Sector: Cement Stocks Drive Sector Gain Mood in the industrial goods sector was mostly positive during the week, largely riding on the back of impressive H1:2014 results from WAPCO, CCNN and ASHAKACEM. The Mer-IND index which measures trading activities in the industrial goods sector advanced by 0.08% WtD, pushing sector’s YtD returns up to 5.47%. Most cement stocks traded in the positive zone this week with CCNN topping the gainers list (+7.29% to NGN15.02) even as ASHAKACEM appreciated by 3.03% to NGN34.00 while WAPCO shed a marginal 0.05% to close at NGN119.94. Sector giant DANGCEM, traded flat to hold price at NGN230.00 We attribute the current investors’ attitude towards cement stocks to positive sentiments on sector outlook as cement majors focus on long term growth and value. Conversely, sentiment on the chemical and

…as NSEASI gains 1.58%

paints stocks was however not quite strong as all the tickers either traded flat for shed some weight (PORTPAINT; -0.56% to NGN5.37) and DNMEYER ;-4.35% to NGN1.10). Whilst we admit the strong positive sentiment on industrial goods stocks due to impressive earnings releases, we acknowledge the possibility of profit taking by investors in the coming week as most of the stocks have recorded significant gains in the past 2-3weeks. Consumer Goods Sector: 7up Consolidates On Previous Week’s Gain even as NNFM Tops Gainers’ Chart The NSE food and beverages sector index (NSEFB-10) added 1.36% for the week occasioned by attraction of investors to the sector. 11 stocks recorded price appreciation against 7 which declined. NNFM (+9.77%) topped the list of sector gainers, followed by 7UP with +7.48% return (a consolidation on the 6.97% gain the previous week). This was followed by BETAGLASS (+4.97%), PREMBREW (+3.90%), INTBREW (3.19%) and GUINNESS (+3.09%). On the contrary, CHAMPION, JOSBREW, PZ, VITAFOAM and HONYFLOUR all led the decliners for the week with -4.92%, -4.65%, -2.64%, -1.85% and -0.96% losses respectively. The sector’s performance was buoyed by impressive earnings broadcast from 7UP, Nigerian Breweries and FLOURMILL. Flourmill declared NGN2.10k cash dividend and 1 for 10 bonus (closure date is August 22, 2014). On the other hand, we attribute rally on GUINNESS on 2013/14FY results expectation, as investors relish the beer maker’s generous dividend payment history. NESTLE (+0.36) was among the key players favoured by investors due to decent H1:2014 earnings performance. In the course of the week, DANGSUGAR released its performance scorecard for H1:2014 with rather disappointing numbers. The company recorded 9.50% decline in production volume (0.424MMT compared to 0.469MMT in H1:2013). This was attributed to its Apapa Refinery maintenance/upgrade, 12% price cut and disruptions in gas supply. All these headwinds resulted in revenue slash by 9.87%. The company PAT also weakened by 2.54% despite improvement in production cost. Looking ahead, we do not anticipate any major earnings releases to drive the sector return, as most key players have released their scorecards for the quarter save for GUINNESS. Oil and Gas Sector- Production & Marketing: Forte Oil Grew PAT By 125% As CONOIL’s Directors Recommend NGN4.00 Dividend Forte Oil (FO) maintained its impressive

performance so far this year growing H1 revenue by 33% over the corresponding period in H1:2013. Despite OPEX increase by 14.58%, earnings grew by 125%. The growth in earnings was largely buoyed by better direct cost management as cost-to-sales ratio pegs at 88.69% (vs. 90.44% in H1:2013). FO gained 4.85% week-on-week to close at NGN240 for the week. CONOIL announced NGN4.00 cash dividend to shareholders at its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM).Position taking on the counter was swift post this announcement as it returned 21.52% during last two trading days of the week to close at NGN75.73. MOBIL, SEPLAT and TOTAL were the other beneficiaries in the sector rally, posting 8.69%, 4.64% and 4.36% to close at NGN173.90, NGN690.00 and NGN178.96 respectively. MRS was the only decliner for the week, shedding 4.02% week-on-week while ETERNA closed flat. At current prices, TOTAL and ETERNA are our top picks as we see both counters as being relatively underpriced from fundamental stance. Agric Sector: OKOMU Releases H1:2014 Results, Grows PBT By 21.16% OKOMUOIL released its H1:2014 figures which showed some improvements over Q1:2014 performance. Revenue grew by 0.83% compared to 0.47% decline in growth in Q1:2014.We observed that a significant production cost reduction (36.89%) trickled down to 38.20% growth in gross profit. Higher finance cost (16.71%) and OPEX (45.10%) however tempered growth in PBT to 21.16%. Investors appeared satisfied with the H1:2014 earnings performance of OKOMUOIL as the stock traded 8.31% higher to close at NGN35.98 for the week. LIVESTOCK also gained 2.50 % to close at NGN3.28. As a result of the gains by the 2 stocks, the sector posted a week-to-date (WtD) gain of 3.78% to temper the sector’s year-to-date (YtD) loss to -11.36%. All other stocks in the sector traded flat in the week. So far in the H1:2014 earnings season, we have reviewed our target prices on the Agric sector stocks to reflect newer realities and assumptions. Based on technical analysis, we expect the sector to post slight negative return in the coming week as OKOMUOIL appears very close to the overbought region. Some profit-taking may also be seen on LIVESTOCK while we expect PRESCO to remain flat, at best, in the coming week. Insurance Sector: Insurance Index Dips amidst Positive Market Return Insurance sector, has remained retail or pen-

ny investors’ toast for quite a while. Coming from a positive performance in the previous week (0.07%), the sector closed in the negative zone this week, shedding 1.59% weekon-week (WoW) as measured by MERI-INS Index. The sector’s negative performance is largely attributed to 10.71% significant price depreciation posted by CONTINSURE. The counter’s loss is partly ascribed to the decline in PAT in its H1:2014 scorecards and the news of divestment by the company’s majority shareholder (Emerging Capital Partners, a Pan-African private equity firm focused on investing across the African continent including Francophone Africa). Other drags on the sector’s index were performances from PRESTIGE, WAPIC, MANSARD, AIICO and CUSTODIAN all of which dipped by -7.41%, -6.82%, -1.96%, -1.23% and -0.51% in that other. However, despite the shrink in the sector’s index level, ROYALEX recorded a significant price appreciation of +9.62% following growth of +19.29% and +40.64% in its top- and bottom-lines performance in its 2013FY results while NEM also inched up in price by +5.26%. We expect the negative sentiments on CONTINSURE to subside in the coming week and close in the positive zone, albeit marginally. On a balance of factor, we do not anticipate an upside in performance in the coming week as the earnings results by most other active counters in the sector fell below consensus’ expectations. Health Care (Pharma) Sector: Losing Streak Continues, Albeit Marginally The healthcare sector continue to hemorrhage in stocks’ price performance as sector index level waned marginally by 0.01%. Only one counter (PHARMDEKO) closed in the green zone (+10%), intensifying the return it posted in the preceding week, following position taking that ensued its impressive H1:2014 scorecards. On the converse, industry laggards for the week were NEIMETH, EVANSMED, and MAYBAKER which depreciated in price by -10.74%, -4.87% and -1.82% respectively. The decline in EVANSMED may not be unconnected to profit-taking by investors as the counter appreciated considerably by +9.71% in the previous week. The industry giant, GLAXOSMITH, appears not yet pardoned by investors as the counter closed the week flat following its decline in PAT in Q2:2014 so also FIDSON. We opine that the pharma sector might close negative in the coming week. This is based on our expectation of profit taking in PHARMDEKO even as other counters oscillate in price. Services Sector: High Operating Costs Drag Bottom Line Growth The services sector closed the week flat with 5 stocks recording price gains, while 4 stocks declined in value. ACADEMY closed the week at NGN1.79 (+4.68%) after trading flat for 10 weeks at NGN1.71. Other price gainers were TRANSCORP, UPL and NAHCO which advanced by +1.45%, +1.36% and +1.21% accordingly. RTBRISCOE shed -5% to finish at the bottom of the sector’s performance ladder while CAVERTON, TRANSEXPR and AIRSERVICE also recorded price declines. Airline Services and Logistics Plc (AIRSERVICE) released its H1:2014 during the week with declines in Turnover and PAT of 7.26% and 67.25%. The decline in PAT was fuelled by +1.33% increase in operating expense (OPEX) which pushed OPEX margin to 72.43% from 66.29% as at H1:2013 even as net margin settled at 1.40% from 3.96% in erstwhile period. University Press Plc. (UPL) in its Q1:2014 results declared revenue growth of +23.72% though PAT declined by -7.12% as a result of increases in cost of sales (33.87% and operating expense (5.71%). Studio Press Nigeria Plc (STUDPRESS) also suffered from high cost of operation as it recorded -6.60% decline in PAT in spite of the +36.15% growth in revenue. The disparity in top and bottom lines was due to +39.12 YoY growth in cost to sales while operating expense grew by +35.00%.

South-East

BEATS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

AUGUST 10, 2014

Ndigbo deserve reparations for civil war -Anikwenwa

You are retired? I’m not retired. You are not retired? Certainly not. I’m in my uniform so I’m an archbishop, putting on my attire. If Obasanjo puts on his uniform as a general, he will be arrested. If he puts on the uniform and tries to perform certain functions, he will be arrested. If a retired IG puts on an IG’s uniform and starts to perform duties, he will be arrested. But here I am, still an archbishop, doing what an archbishop could do, a priest forever. I am not retired. I withdrew, I stepped down. You can see the difference. Can it therefore be said that you are now a roving Archbishop? Not roving. There is nothing an archbishop can do that I cannot do. There is nothing a bishop can do that I cannot do. How do I address you - as an Emeritus Archbishop? Exactly, that is it; but not the word retired or tired. I am not retired. I can baptise; during ordination of priests I lay my hands, during dedication I lay my hands. I stepped aside, I am not de-robed. Can you recollect your time as a priest, how you climbed the ladder before you stepped aside? Well I didn’t climb without a price. It took a long time. When I was at Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), then Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Fisher, was visiting Onitsha. He was visiting Province of West Africa because the Archbishop of West Africa then was Archbishop C.J. Patterson, living in Onitsha. So there were two of us that went to serve and then he asked me what I was going to be. I said I wanted to be an Agric Assistant so that I can ride a motorcycle. My colleague said he wanted to be a police officer. My father was an Agricultural Officer and his father was a police officer. Then, there were three other people who left CKC and DMGS as Agric Assistants at Nkwelle farm riding motor-cycles and we loved them. I wanted to be like them. Then he said, “No, you are going to be a teacher and pastor.” I didn’t take him seriously, though he was a man with a lot of grey hair; an Archbishop and jovial man with long lashes. That was the beginning of the journey inside me, but not outside. When I left DMGS, I took an entrance examination to go to College of Agriculture, Umudike and passed. But then the Archbishop in Onitsha asked me what happened and I told him that I passed the entrance exam to go to College of Agriculture, Umudike. He said, ah! I thought you were told you were going to be a pastor and teacher. I said I didn’t really understand. I was meant to go St. Mark’s Teacher Training College, Nibo-Nise. So, I went to St. Mark’s College Nibo-Nise from 1960 – 61. I left DMGS in 1959 and was sentenced to St. Mark’s to learn how to teach. I didn’t enjoy it because we had to go to the farm to cultivate crops and it was full of dust. Agriculture was optionally compulsory. After some time, I bolted away with Mr. Reuben Ekpunobi of Obosi and fled with another DMGS old boy, Alphonso Okonkwo, who ended up as senior registrar at WAEC; both of us went to

Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa wielded enormous powers in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) before he stepped aside some years back. At a point in history he was holding three prominent positions in the Anglican Communion simultaneously as Dean of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Awka diocese. He makes a case for reparations for Ndigbo in this interview with TONY OKAFOR

Anikwenwa

my father’s house at Nkwelle Ezunaka and said we were not going to continue. One day, the principal landed at my father’s house at Nkwelle; we were sitting down and so there was no way I could escape. That was how I went to Nibo-Nise. Both of us finished and were sentenced to Oraukwu Grammar School to teach. After one year, Alphonso Okonkwo went to Ibadan to study linguistics but my eyes were almost prepared for the ministry. That was the beginning and that year, our cur-

rent President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was a house boy to Mr. Ekwebere who was senior chemistry master and vice-principal. He attended St. Thomas Primary School with my brother who was living with me at Oraukwu. He was in standard III and my brother Geoffrey Anikwenwa who is now at NNPC was in class five. That was 1962 – 63. By 1964, I left Oraukwu for theological training at Trinity College, Umuahia. In another three years, I was ordained at All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha on December 18

by Bishop C.J. Patterson. That was in 1966. Since we are discussing religious matters now there is this contentious issue at the moment - the ordination of women as priests. What is your take on that? Do you support or disapprove? Well, my support or no support does not really matter but as an Anglican prelate I want to express my mind. I don’t find any theology against women ordination. Jesus CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

South-East Beats

Ndigbo deserve reparations for civil war -Anikwenwa C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 9

never said women should not come near; they served him till death. Where was Peter when Jesus was being tried? A virgin came along and said he was like him, get him. You know his answer? “I don’t know this man called Jesus.” But women followed him. That’s what the Gospel tells us. The men stood at a distance but the women followed Jesus closely. Why should they not take a vow to participate in what they believe in, Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the world? I don’t see anything wrong theologically against women ordination. But I am bound to obey what the church decides. I have no choice; I have to abide by the decision of the church. I find that the issue of ordination brought a division in the Anglican Church and that gave rise to the church in Africa partly parting ways with the Church of England. No, the issue of women ordination did not divide us. What we said was well we are not yet matured, that is, the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion to have women ordained. And when we went to the conference, there were women priests administering communion and we took it. I did. So, Church of Nigeria did not say no to women ordination, it said we are preparing for it. What then brought the division? Well we are in communion with Canterbury. What caused what you called division yes, is what you call gay people, men marrying men, women marrying women and the Bible condemns it. What I read this morning was Genesis 3. When God told Noah to put animals, male and female, in the ark, He did not say only male or female. He said, “So that the earth will replenish.” But some people in the world said a man may love a man and a woman may love a woman. I am sure the Bible did not say that. The man should leave his father and mother and be joined to a woman and both of them will become one. So, what is the situation now? Have you reconciled on that? We have not reconciled. Canterbury, Church of England has not supported it (gay marriage) openly. Having said that, many countries in Europe have approved gay marriage. We have not approved it. Church of Nigeria says no! It is wrong. Let’s talk about your achievements. It is believed that you did a lot to put the Anglican Church firmly on the ground. Can we know those things you achieved in Anambra State and beyond? I didn’t know I put the church firmly on the ground. You are just telling me. Some people are of the view that you were political when you were archbishop? Political, you are political, are you not? If you are not political in seeking something then you are not a serious person, like politics is played among brothers. I am not supposed to be apolitical; I am not supposed to take part in party politics. What is politics? Science of human living. Even in NUJ there is politics. And you think in the church there is no politics? There is much of politics in the church but not partisan politics. I am not a pretender. As for achievement, I did my job. I tried to protect my church in terms of human development. Our priests need to develop; our lay people need to be developed. Ignorance is as bad as Boko Haram insurgency. So, I had to make sure that the priests are developed and the lay people are developed because un-examined faith is not faith at all. Didn’t they say that you must love our God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your heart. So you need to develop that so that you can understand the people you are serving. So, that was my priority. Second is doing theology, what I call in-

Anikwenwa

carnation. Jesus took human flesh and was born and moved along with people – service. The whole theology, all God’s talk is about service to mankind. That was why Jesus took the form of a man. He would have been there in heaven, giving us orders. But He did not do that; He came down and lived among us, seeing our problems, seeing the politics among the disciples. The mother of James and John went to Jesus and told him, “These are two of my sons. Please, when you leave let one be at your right and one at your left.” What do you call that? Politics - one will be governor, one will be deputy. That was why I told you that politics is the science of human living. That is my definition of politics, that is the positive way. The negative way is: it is the shortest way of being rich. Tell me all those who went to Abuja and came back poor. Not one. In the twilight of your career, there was this controversy over who becomes your successor. What really happened? And what is your relationship with your successor? My successor is the bishop of Awka and I relate with him well. Who really is your successor? Is it the Bishop of Awka or Bishop of Aguata Diocese? I was succeeded by three persons: I was succeeded by the Bishop of Awka, I was succeeded by the Dean of Church of Nigeria and I was succeeded by the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger. You held those positions during your time. Yes. So, were you involved in the appointment of your successors? Bishops are not appointed. Bishops are anointed after Holy Communion and guided by the Holy Spirit. So, what the Holy Spirit does, I cannot challenge it. At what point did Bishop Chukwuma come into play in the appointment of the Bishop of Aguata Diocese? I don’t know and I wouldn’t know. Some people believe that bringing down Bishop Efobi to Aguata Diocese denied the Igbo the chance of having another bishop. Do you believe that? It wasn’t Efobi alone that was brought from the North; Chukwuma was brought from

the North and Bishop Madu came down from the North too. I must say that at certain stage it was felt that Province II which I led was becoming too strong and there was a need to dilute it. So, what happened at that time? You were supposed to be the Primate of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria. What really stopped it? Well, Adetiloye retired and there was an election between Peter Akinola and myself and he defeated me at the primary. That was democracy. And I bowed and became number two. What do you make of the new wave of Pentecostal churches that are everywhere now? Every church is Pentecostal. Anglican Church is Pentecostal. If it is not Pentecostal, it is not a church. Pentecostal church is where the Holy Spirit operates. What we have is neo-pentecostalism. We call it ‘neo’ because ab-initio, Acts of Apostles chapter two when they were seated in prayer with one mind, the Holy Spirit fell on every one of them, isn’t it? All of them, were they holy people or righteous people? But it fell on them and they spoke in tongues and they understood one another. That was the beginning of the church. But what we have today is neo-Pentecostalism where they recruit people and teach them how to speak in tongues. There is a school where it is taught, how to speak in tongues, but that is not a gift from God. That is neo-Pentecostalism doing funny things. Is our God deaf? Why do you shout? Increasing the noise and polluting the air, with all the money going into loud speakers. It appears that the new groups exclusively ascribe to themselves the name of Pentecostals? Quite right. Now those who call themselves Pentecostals are those who didn’t find positions in other denominations. They are looking for positions, they are crossing carpet. There was this disagreement at the National conference where some sections of the country were demanding for some special fund allocation to cushion the effects of Boko Haram. The Igbo also demanded reparations for the civil war among others. How do you react to this? Justice and equity go together. You don’t

make issues about the civil war. I was part of it, a captain; and perhaps the only living chaplain since after the war. What happened in Biafra was a hidden genocide. Any Igbo man should not forget the civil war. A lot of people suffered. A lot of people died. Whenever I pass through Oba, I always weep. I was in the 11th Brigade. In those days there would be an operation (attack) at 6.30am. Before it was 1 pm, come and see dead bodies that I had to bury. There was a burial ground at Oba, which was my area. I think we need to remember those who shielded us during the war. Those people - lawyers, doctors, graduates - we must remember there was a time we were not wanted and we tried to defend ourselves and we failed. There were people who were used to shield you and not me, because I participated in the war. For a sense of history, Biafra should remain somewhere for the Igbo man. The records are there. There are books written on the civil wars; are they being used in schools? Not to create enmity but to tell us how we come to live together. You cannot be a good Nigerian, if you are an Igbo man without first being a good Igbo man. You cannot be a good Nigerian if you are a Yoruba man without first being a good Yoruba man. That God put us together, we cannot challenge it. It is not a disadvantage. What others create we cannot challenge; ethnicity is God’s creation. You are talking about remembering the dead; do you want a periodic ceremony to remember them or what? There shouldn’t be a periodic ceremony but we must remember that we are Jews. What do you make of those still clamouring for Republic of Biafra? Do you think they are doing something worthwhile? They cannot do that otherwise they will be charged with treason because of what was Biafra. But Arewa, what is it? Oduduwa, what is it called? Afenifere, what is that? What of Ohaneze N’digbo? Well you can’t compare Arewa or Ofenifere with Ohaneze whose leaders are not devoted to the cause. Christianity has been here for a long time, but there is a conflict between it and heathenism. What can you say about Christianity and culture of the people of Igbo land? Well, when people want to become disobedient to God they speak about culture in a different way. The greatest thing in culture is language. It is not the worship of idols. And those pseudo-Christians in the Anglican Communion we call them those who accepted the Gospel by trick. We pray in the Anglican Church every morning that God will have mercy on those who fraudulently accepted Christianity, and there are a good number of them. I know there are traditionalists and there are Christians. If Jesus Christ had wanted he would have made all of us Moslems. But he did not. What do you think or how do you react to the spate of bomb blasts in different parts of the country these days? My condemnation is just one of those, but insurgency and terrorism have gone worldwide. Let nobody make any mistake that it is something that will end tomorrow. All we need, government is doing its best, I think; all the security forces are doing their best and it is for all of us to join them. That is what people have been saying and I believe they are right. It is not left for the military alone; not left for the governors alone or least to Mr. President. It is for all of us to fight it. And I would say, to live by giving information about everything that happens around us. There is some thing I want to use to answer this question: to the Scotsman it is see, know, say nothing and I am telling Nigerians: see, know and say something.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

South-East Beats

2015, Obiano and the banana skins Tony Okafor

A AWKA

nambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, had a quiet and sterling career in the oil and banking sectors where he made an excellent mark before moving into politics. His close associates say he is a jolly good fellow. In fact, there is this insider story that he so loves his hair that he habitually puts a small comb in his socks and uses it at intervals to ‘style-dress’ it, in aristocratic splendor. Obiano’s jolly-round disposition may not be as a result of choice, it is something that is genealogically inherent. His Omambala riverine sub-clan is known for their spiral happiness and merry go-round disposition. They are predominantly agrarian and fishermen. But Obiano’s job as the governor of Anambra State is a serious one. As the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu once told erstwhile governor of the state, Peter Obi: “To serve the people of Anambra State is a thankless job.” Dollar billionaire, Aliko Dangote, also restated this during a visit to Anambra State when he said, “Even those in far away Yobe know that Anambra State is a difficult place to govern.” What is more, all those who sat on Obiano’s current chair had one ugly story or another to tell. Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, an Associate Professor of International Diplomacy and Law governed the state between 1999-2003, at the return of democracy in Nigeria. He was, to say the least, diminished by his people. He literally saw hell governing the state. His detractors, who incidentally were members of his Peoples Democratic Party, sponsored industrial and civil unrest against his government so much so that Mbadiniju became the only PDP governor among 27 of them then that was not returned for a second term. His successor, Chris Ngige, a medical doctor, had the record as the only sitting governor of a state ever known to have been kidnapped. During Ngige’s reign, his opponents (from the same PDP) set the state ablaze, leaving in their trail about N40 billion worth of property destroyed. Ngige was sacked from office 30 months later via a Court of Appeal judgment of March 15, 2006. Peter Obi that succeeded him was impeached six months after assumption of office. Though he staged a comeback three months later via a court reinstatement, he was again sacked from office via an unconstitutional election that brought in Andy Uba as the next governor of the state. Interestingly, Andy Uba ‘tasted’ the governorship of the state for only 17 days, as Obi was reinstated by a Supreme Court judgment that lampooned the Independent National Electoral Commission for conducting the election that purportedly led to Uba’s election as the governor of the State. Dame Virgy Etiaba, who held forte for Obi following the latter’s impeachment by the state house of assembly, got her own fair share of the Anambra headache. She was nicknamed ‘Mother Christmas’ by the people of the state for alleged squandering over N40bn saved in the state’s coffers by Obi before his impeachment. Etiaba had at several fora, including an autobiography, denied this allegation. It remains to be seen whether the people of the state have accepted her explanations on the issue. Obi, who just left the governorship of the state some months ago, had in a recent interview described his tenure as ‘tough and hellish’. Obiano seemed to have stirred the hornet’s nest barely 24 hours after his inauguration on March 17, 2014, when he made his first appointment. The governor had reappointed Oseloka Obaze as the Secretary to the State Government and brought in two other new persons, Prof. Joseph Azike as Chief of Staff and Willie Nwokoye as Principal Secretary to the Governor. Shortly after those appointments, some leaders of thought in the state led by Anayo Nweke described the appointment as lopsid-

Obiano

Obi

Ekwunife

ed. They wondered how the governor who came to the saddle of leadership under the cloak of equity should be partial in his appointments. Nweke said, “The only way we are not comfortable with him now is appointing SSG of the state from the senatorial zone he (Governor) came from, knowing fully well that the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili, also hails from the same zone. Does it mean that other zones cannot produce people capable of handling such positions? This is a bad beginning for somebody who climbed the rope on the principle of equity.” A human rights group in the state, Intersociety, led by Emeka Umeagbalasi had 24 hours after Obiano’s inauguration on March 17, 2014 faulted his inaugural speech and described the promises in them as “unbelievable.” In its bulletin number two, entitled ‘Obianno’s Inaugural Speech and our Inaugural Advice’, the rights group said, “For instance, his promise to set up or build a refinery ‘within one year’ of his regime may most likely be seen by many as ‘a psychology of politics’ or bloated promise. A similar thing applies to his promise to set up a power plant in Nnewi, Awka and Onitsha zones.” All these, somewhat, must have been said in hushed voices then. Today, things are blowing open. Aside from internal wrangling and opposition in the state over Obiano’s seeming ‘imperfections’, especially in the area of appointments, where some people accused him of favouring his wife’s kinsmen and his Aguleri kinsmen, political arithmetic is pointing towards a ‘stormy future’ for the governor. The mass defection of some APGA lawmakers in the House of Representatives is one trouble too many for the Anambra State helmsman. They are Uche Ekwunife (Anaocha / Njikoka/ Dunukofia) Victor Ogene (Ogbaru Federal Constituency) Honourable Azubuogu (Nnewi North / South / Ekwusigo) and Honourable Egwuatu (Onitsha North /South). New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that Obiano’s recent State Executive Council meetings have been dominated by this development. Addressing newsmen in Awka, Anambra State recently, the President of pro-Obiano group, Initiative for Good Governance, Chief Jude Emecheta, accused the Presidency of being behind APGA’s political woes. He said, “Any attempt by President Goodluck Jonathan to disorganise APGA will count for his (Jonathan’s) loss in next year’s election in the state. “We know PDP’s style of thuggery, threats and power show, but APGA has been in the system for a long time and we will fight any further disorganisation of our (APGA) members by the PDP in the state with the last drop of our blood.”

He alleged that two PDP chieftains in the state with business interest in oil and gas offered the APGA defectors N100 million each to entice them to PDP. Emecheta maintained that the oil magnates were being used by the Presidency to divide APGA and win Anambra State for the PDP in the 2015 elections. Speaking on the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Joe-Martins Uzodike, denied knowledge of the defection of the APGA House of Representatives members. Uzodike at the media briefing maintained that their defection remained a matter of speculation and media reports. According to him, none of them had notified either the state government or the leadership of APGA of their exit from the party. The special adviser, however, stressed that in the event that the story of their defection became true, “anybody who defects will lose his seat or go back for revalidation. The speculation is that they may be defecting because they want to stand for re-election on another platform. But newspaper reports do not amount to defection because defection takes place on the floor of the House.” His defence flies in the face of a report in Friday’s edition of New Telegraph, in which PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, told the defecting seven lawmakers and two former legislators from Anambra State that they would be given “fair and equal treatment.” Speaking while receiving the defectors from APGA, Accord Party and Labour Party in Abuja on Thursday, he said, “For the prodigal PDP children and non-former members, you are as good as original members. I assure you of fair and equal treatment.” Anambra State PDP Chairman, Ken Emeakayi, who presented the defectors to Muazu, said that in the 2011 elections, out of the 11 federal constituencies in Anambra State, both APGA and PDP had five members each in the House of Representatives while APC has one. Emeakayi said that with the defection, PDP now has one 10 members leaving APGA with only one member. Some observers have adduced other reasons for the mass defection. A source said the leader of the APGA defectors, Uche Ekwunife, had been promised the senatorial seat of Anambra Central by an influential female personality in Aso Rock. But when Ekwunife was greeted with stiff opposition within the hierarchy of APGA, especially from Obiano and the National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, she had to look for an alternative senatorial ticket to get the seat in 2015. The seat is currently being occupied by Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Obiano has scores

to settle with Ekwunife for the latter’s court action challenging his nomination as APGA’s governorship candidate in the November 2013 governorship race. Ekwunife had dragged Obiano to court, contending that she was the validly nominated candidate of the party in the poll. She submitted that Obiano, having allegedly registered as a voter in multiple places, should be disqualified by the court from contesting the election on the platform of APGA. She stated that having come second in the party’s governorship primary election, she should be declared the candidate of the party in the race. Though Ekwunife quickly and voluntarily withdrew the matter from court, insiders say the governor has not forgotten that embarrassment. A source said that Ekwunife being disenchanted with the shabby treatment she was being given by the APGA hierarchy had to talk to some of her APGA colleagues from Anambra state into joining the PDP, assuring them that her Aso Rock benefactor could also facilitate their re-election next year. The latest onslaught on Anambra State by the PDP is being viewed by commentators with suspicion. They believe that the Presidency, having declined to nominate Obi as aviation minister, due to his refusal to join PDP, may have decided to go all out to demolish APGA. Some warn that Obiano may be facing an uncertain future, going by the Presidency’s alleged interest in the removal of some governors. The Presidency’s suspicious role in the removal of Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, and the direct involvement of Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, in the botched plan to dislodge Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko al-Makura, are pointers to the fact that some hawks in the Presidency may push President Goodluck Jonathan to betray his friendship with Obi and perhaps instigate Obiano’s removal sometime after the 2015 elections. They insinuate that if APGA does not put its house in order as quickly as possible, that the gale of defections may soon hit the state house of assembly and local governments. If that happens, then it would amount to the betrayal of the century, because Obi has been telling whoever cares to listen that he will do his best to ensure Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. Therefore, luring his protégés away from APGA, a party which put him in government, may just be the beginnings of a plot to use and dump the amiable former governor of Anambra State. Only time will tell how things turn out in the state.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Abuja Beats

I damaged my boss’ camera to learn its repair - Lady GSM technician For 25-year-old Ayegwalo Justina, repairing digital camera, GSM phones and Play Stations games is one job she does with passion. Despite working in the midst of fellow technicians who are male at the popular Abuja GSM Village, Zone 1, the Edo State-born sales girl turned technician says her male counterparts encourage her work. She explains to YEKEEN NURUDEEN how she damaged a digital camera while learning the job broken but I had no option. The next day, somebody brought a camera to fix and I believed that the way that other one got bad I would not spoil this one. I fixed it.

What do you do for a living? I’m a technician; I repair GSM phones, digital camera and Games. I mean Play Station games even 2 and 3. I have been doing this for the past three years now. How did you get into this job? When I came here as a sales girl, I picked interest in games and cameras. So I have to learn how to fix them but the funny aspect of it is that I did not even sit down to learn it. I was just looking at my boss doing it and sometimes I would just sit down with a camera to while away time. I would open it and couple it back. That was how I started. One day, I decided to work on a camera to test myself. That day, I ended up damaging the camera. The screen was

Hajj 2014: FCTA screens 2497 intending pilgrims -Defaulters to forfeit seats

Who owned the camera that you damaged? It was my boss and I had to let him know that I damaged his camera. What was his reaction? He was angry but he believed that I’m still learning. He told me that it was one of the things that he did in training. But in the end he got to know everything.

Justina

Yekeen Nurudeen

s part of efforts to ensure that intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia are in good health for the spiritual exercise, the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board has screened all its registered 2497 intending pilgrims. According to the Public Relations Officer of the Board, Mohammed Lawal, intending pilgrims from Kwali, Kuje, Abuja Municipal Area Councils, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje have so far been screened. Speaking to New Telegraph on Sunday on the telephone from the FCT Permanent Hajj Camp on Airport Road where the screening took place, Lawal said the exercise was in line with the directive by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to all states’ officials to screen intending pilgrims and obtain their medical records before the journey. He warned that intending pilgrims who failed to make themselves available for the screening exercise would forfeit their hajj seats for the year. Lawal explained that the exercise would enable the board to have a comprehensive medical record and ascertain the health status of the intending pilgrims for proper planning, especially with the current challenge of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Saudi Arabia. He added that due to the syndrome, intending pilgrims within the vulnerable age bracket, especially the aged and minors may be advised to suspend their trip to Saudi Arabia this year. The board’s spokesperson further said that pregnant women would not be encouraged to perform the hajj in accordance with Saudi government regulations and NAHCON’s policy. The screening exercise which was meant to capture all the intending pilgrims from all the six Area Councils of FCT ended on Tuesday.

This is a highly technical work. How did you find it so easy to handle? It is not as easy as you think but if you have passion for it, you will find it easy. There are some people that would say, “I can’t do this thing in one year, even five years’ time. I can’t do this thing.” But for me, when I started dismantling cameras, I discov-

ered that I was enjoying it. It is just like a game that you play. When I was younger, my mother would buy us one game in which you have to rearrange an animal or alphabets in the right order. That is how a camera is. If you can set that game complete, you can fix a camera. I was able to set that game that time. I played it every time. So whenever I’m fixing a camera, I look at it as it is that game that I’m setting. In fact it is not because of the money. I enjoy doing it. Don’t you feel intimidated in the midst of your male counterparts because this is a highly male dominated field? No, I feel happy any time I’m working on a camera or a PS game because it is not every lady that can do it. Some ladies would come and meet me doing this work and say, “Wow, we are very proud of you.” They would be impressed. The same way some guys would come and express delight seeing me fixing camera. How guys who do the same work treat you? Some of them don’t know I can fix these things but once they come around and see me fixing them they are always happy. Some of them would say, “I will be bringing customers for you.” One would have thought that with this kind of experience you should go to school for higher education. What’s your plan? That is my plan though I’m facing some circumstances that have been hindering me. But I will surely go back to school. With this skill, will you still look for work? I can’t work under anybody. I can’t do anything for anybody again because with this I can go anywhere and my family will be okay. I have a big plan for this job. I even will be traveling out to buy spare parts and I believe I will make it.

AMAC officials booked me unjustly - Taxi driver There havse been public outcry over the activities of task force members of Abuja Municipal Area Council. These officials daily harass motorists over the payment of some fees. David Olasunkanmi, a taxi driver in Abuja, narrates his experience OBINNA ODOH Are you the owner of the Abuja painted car that is being towed away by towing van and who is responsible? Yes, I’m the owner of the car and also a taxi driver in Abuja. The people that towed the car are AMAC task force officials. What was the offence you committed? I did not commit any offence. My car broke down here yesterday during the downpour and was stuck inside water. I did all I could to repair it but couldn’t because it was already late in the night. So I went home and returned this morning with a mechanic to fix the car. After the repair, I drove off and got into traffic when one man suddenly jumped into my car and told me that he is from AMAC. He asked if I had collected AMAC receipt and I told him that it’s not yet time. By then, it was still some minutes to 12pm which is the deadline for the collection of the receipt. Then I asked him to alight because it was not yet time. I told him that I was going to pay and collect both AMAC and National Union of Road Transport Workers receipts. But he refused to alight and before long, some other boys started gathering and informed me that I was under arrest. They said I should submit my car to them but I objected and told them that I wouldn’t submit my car key to people I don’t know. They started beating me and

said I must leave the key and get down. After beating me, they called their office to send a towing van. And the towing van came and dragged my car away. Immediately, they booked me and issued this receipt to me. They directed me to go to their office and pay N25,000 as the fine for violating the rules of AMAC that allows all the commercial drivers to pay for ticket on or before 12pm each day. Initially, I thought they were criminals or armed robbers who came to snatch my car but when I saw one of them lately with AMAC tag card I then came to know who they are. They asked me to bring the receipt for the collection of my car when I must have paid the fine. How much is the ticket in question? The ticket is N200 every day but my case was different. I was arrested unjustly when it was not yet up to 12pm. Were you paying the ticket fee before? Yes, even yesterday and I showed them the receipt but they said that doesn’t concern them. Even when I told them that my car broke down and was stuck because of the rain they didn’t believe me. Is your car registered under AMAC and NURTW? I’m a registered member of both and have been in this work for many years now. I’m

not new neither am I a stranger in Abuja and the work. How do you feel about this incident? Very bad and unhappy. I don’t have any money to pay the unjust fine they booked me for. I know how much I borrowed from people to repair the car. Where do I get the money to pay them now?

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Pull off three-piece suit with panache Vanessa Okwara

acket and trousers are regarded as a suit if both are made from the same fabric. Suits come in different numbers of pieces: a two-piece suit has a jacket and the trousers; a threepiece adds a vest or waistcoat to the overall ensemble. A threepiece suit may, in fact, be the most useful and versatile item a man can own in his wardrobe. The waistcoat, which actually turns a two-piece to a threepiece, allows for a few more combinations with other clothing in your wardrobe. When buying a three-piece suit, it is important to note that fit is everything. Even the world’s most expensive suit will look bad if it is not tailored

to the contours of your body. A three-piece suit is regarded as the most formal type of suits. It should only be worn for events that call for high profile dressing or business meetings that require strict formal dress code. The formality of a threepiece suit is such that it requires a necktie. Since only a few inches of the tie is visible, the knot should be tied with extra care. The three-piece suit announces itself loudly and clearly; which means you should opt for a relatively subdued shirt-andtie combo to provide balance. This elegant suit also calls for formal footwear, so no loafers or sneakers. Go for formal shoes with wingtips or cap toe shoes. Wear your three-piece with a spread-collar shirt. This forms a

nice proportion with the waistcoat’s wide V-shape. Make sure the waistcoat is long enough to hit your waistband and that your tie isn’t hanging out. Never close the bottom button of your waistcoat, just as you wouldn’t the bottom button of your suit jacket. Equally, never wear the vest unbuttoned and never button the suit jacket. What’s the point of wearing the waistcoat if you are covering it up? Finally if you have a big belly, the three-piece should not be your favourite style. It is only going to put a flashing red light on the belly, making it more noticeable.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Love needs trust to thrive

rust is a word that is gradually fading into oblivion in a world filled with treachery and deception. Honesty and fidelity seem like foreign languages in the kind of life people live today.

A simple scenario is when you hear a man sitting inside a bus going to Benin tell someone on the phone he is heading towards Badagry; or a young lady telling her fiancé she’s in school while she’s busy gallivanting with other men in the city. In relationships, especially between a man and a woman, trust is a big issue that must be tackled from the onset. It is the foundation of a good relationship. If you are in a relationship and the red light is beeping that your partner cannot be trusted, Abeg, take the back exit. You will not want to be saddled with someone who will turn your life into a charade. Let me ask you a question, can you be trusted? Do you believe in openness and being completely truthful in your dealings with your fellow human being? I ask this because it is important for us to

C NNECT NG vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

understand that trust is like currency; it has to be earned before it is given. You cannot ask for what you are not willing to give or work for. How do you intend to build a solid foundation in a relationship if trust is absent? If you cannot be trusted or your words hold no water when properly investigated, you will definitely lose the love and respect you may have gained previously. Nobody will go into a relationship once they get know that the subject of their desire cannot be trusted. You cannot truly say you love someone if you do not believe in them and what they tell you. Love grows with trust and not the other way round. Once you abuse the trust invested in you by your partner, you violate a grave principle on which love thrives. Love needs trust to survive.

Some people ironically believe that it is wrong to tell the whole truth to their partner. They are of the opinion that half-truth is still better than no truth. A man once told me jokingly that he will never tell his wife how much he’s earning because she will start demanding for money almost commensurate with his whole

package. So, he decided to tell her only half of it; that way, he still gets to keep the other half to himself. Still, two wrongs do not make a right. If you are not free to discuss money matters with your wife or significant other, then you have already started planting seeds of distrust in that relationship. Trust is the thread that

Trust is the thread that holds the fabrics of a relationship firmly together. It is like cement that bonds the hearts of two people to form a lasting relationship that stands the test of time. When trust is broken, that relationship begins to give way at the seams; before you know it, it disintegrates into resentments, anger and breakup

holds the fabrics of a relationship firmly together. It is like cement that bonds the hearts of two people to form a lasting relationship that stands the test of time. When trust is broken, that relationship begins to give way at the seams; before you know it, it disintegrates into resentments, anger and breakup. Broken calabash can be mended if the pieces is brought together and glued with the right adhesives. It may look cracked and rough; at least it will still gain its rightful place as the water container in the house. The same thing goes for trust that has been abused and thrashed. It can be mended if the two parties involved come together to implement certain principles that breed trust. In building trust, you should not keep secrets from your partner. Be open and put everything on the table, including your past secrets. Avoid even the smallest lies, white lies or whatever colour you wish to paint the lies you are fabricating. Trust flies out of the window once your partner catches you lying and wonders what other things you may be hiding. If there is an issue

you are concerned about, make sure to discuss and work it out. Good, open communication helps in so many different areas and improves trust and your overall relationship. If you find out your partner is cheating on you or has betrayed your trust in anyway, try and handle the issue in a civil and matured way. Find out the real reason behind their actions and a way both of you could mend the hurts and anger that such betrayal may have caused in the relationship. People make mistakes and need to be forgiven. That does not mean you should excuse your gut instincts if something does not feel right about the person you are in a relationship with. If the pattern of behaviour breeding lack of trust in that relationship continues, then there’s a problem and you have to confront it head on. You may need to make a decision whether to continue in the relationship or not. Whatever you decide, make sure your judgment is based on verifiable facts and not just on hearsay or fabricated lies. If you can’t entrust your heart to someone, it’s pointless to invest any more of your emotions, time, or energy in that relationship.

So, what is wrong with African culture? I

have seen Nigerians all over the world and one thing stands them out; they are happy to be Nigerians and never miss an opportunity to remind you of it. It seems the pride of the green flag is ignited by the winds of the Atlantic. Granted, I have also seen those who, at the presence of a white-skinned human, drop all form of decency and practically grovel at the feet of the white man, condemn Nigeria and Africa in general, all to gain the approval of a white man who does not see them as equal.

This are the people that make me upset, make me want to eat my head whole. The people who will say anything to curry favour from their white benefactors. Sadly, few as this people are, I seem to run into them more often these days. Just this week, at a conference for international entrepreneurs in Toronto, I met another one. Ade, (not his real name as that will be giving him too much credence), was talking to everyone about how bad his homeland has become and how good Canada and the comfort it offers is. I ignored all of his comments as the Nigerian government has not commissioned me yet as its external relations manager. However, he touched on my eyeball when he ventured to mention to his white audience that ‘the culture of his people is at best barbaric.’ Seriously, I felt like getting up and slapping him at that point. However, I did what was civil, interject and tell the people that the culture Ade condemns is the culture that produced me and many of the skilled workers Canada calls upon in their immigration drive. I told them it is the culture

that produced Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Duro Ladipo and other artistic greats that have held the literary and theatrical world spell bound for the past five decades. ‘If this is a barbaric culture, then just what is civil? What is elevated?’ I concluded and they all agreed. I did not even bother looking at Ade. I had made my point and I care less whatever he had to say after that. In a strange sort of way, I turned the television on that evening and what was on display? A slice of Canadian

entertainment and culture. On the news was a parade in Alberta and part of that parade is a show called The running of the bull. Simply put, some idiots get on the race track with wild bulls and the last man still standing against the bull is declared the winner. I wanted to know the prize that will make me want to risk my life against wild bulls? One thousand dollars (Approximately N150,000). So, for a thousand dollars, I put my life on the line, get run over by a bull, a few broken bones,

Make no mistake about it, Canada has welcomed me and given me an opportunity that I probably would not have had in my homeland, but that has nothing to do with the culture and more to do with the people who abandon the lessons and values of the culture and adopted ones that are foreign and unworkable in the environment. I have not seen an African proverb that does not extol hard work, honesty and care for neighbours; something the politician left in charge of the affairs of the state has abandoned

broken nose and all over body ache, yet my culture is being referred to as barbaric. I felt like reversing time to show this to my friend, Ade, along with the dictionary definition of the word. My guess is, even after winning the top prize, the guy who won spent all of it on medical bills. The rest he will have to use to pay the bills for the period he will not be able to work. In all, I see him spending more than he actually won. Yes, being entertained by the travelling theatre of Osogbo, listening to folklore from the griot in my village square or dancing bata to the minstrel in the town square may not be as rewarding, but at least these are part of my culture that leaves me happy and I am definitely proud of it. Make no mistake about it, Canada has welcomed me and given me an opportunity that I probably would not have had in my homeland, but that has nothing to do with the culture and more to do with the people who abandon the lessons and values of the culture and adopted ones that are foreign and unworkable in the environment. I have not seen an African proverb that does not extol hard work, honesty and care for neighbours; something the politician left in charge of the affairs of the state has abandoned. So, looking at the alternative choices, I will say I am okay with the cultural background that I have and in a manner of speaking, have defended for the last decade and a half. Perhaps, the likes of Ade and his ilk who sees nothing in their culture need a reality check.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

with

Wole Adepoju 08085003746

Obioma Imoke plans retirement N

Peter Obi still cooling off

ot many thought or gave a chance to former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, when he wanted to rum for the seat. This was because he appeared too simple and fragile to be a politician who would play the game at that high level. Although it looked like the opinion of people was going to count, fate came into play and the softspoken dude was pronounced the governor by the Appeal Court. He survived an impeachment and went on to win a second term in 2010. Saying it requires lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifices of different sorts will amount to stat-

bioma, wife of Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, happens to be one of the first ladies who are well loved by their people. Apart from her simplicity, she has also endeared herself more to the people through her projects which were said to have thrived considerably. Some of the projects she embarked on as First Lady include a home for the vulnerable and homeless children, which is called Destiny Child Care Home; and Power Integrated Cancer Care, an initiative to stem the cancer scourge. As her husband’s tenure gradually comes to an end, the pretty lawyer is said to have begun winding up her activities. However, the woman who used to be a plus size before she trimmed down may have mapped out plans for life after office as first lady. Although she had said that she doesn’t have a political ambition, but the news making the rounds in some privileged quarters is that moves are being made for her to run for the Senate. Her husband has been in the Senate before as well having been a minister.

Wonu Ohio moves on

lim built and light-skinned lady, Wonu Ohio, belongs to the league of young ladies with a vision. She is also pursuing it vigorously. This lady, who shuttles between Nigeria and the

United Kingdom, is the brain behind Lagos upscale fashion outfit, Wonu Ohio Style. She has been in business for a couple of years but her name further soared when she was some time ago romantically linked with Olamiju, the controversial son of immediate

woleadepoju@yahoo.com

ing the obvious. Peter Obi, many will attest to, was one governor who distinguished himself as a performer. And from what is being said of the former governor by those who should know, it will not be wrong to say the man is taking his time to cool off from the tension and troubles of governance in which he was soaked himself for eight years. Currently, he enjoys attending social events. Although he’s not said to have boycotted important and official gatherings, he has taken pleasure attending social events to cool off. He was said to have enjoyed himself so much when he was a guest at the wedding of the son of the proprietor of Chisco Transport Company, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, recently in Aba, Abia State. Sources at the event said it was evident the man fondly referred to as ‘Okwute Ndigbo’ (the Rock of Igbos) is enjoying life after office as he graced the birthday party of the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, some days ago in Lagos.

governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo AlaoAkala. Olamiju has since got married to Hadiza, the daughter of billionaire industrialist, Rasak Okoya. Beautiful Wonu, Celeb Lounge learnt, has since moved on with her life and is looking ahead to a brighter future.

Jeddy Agba’s troubled ambition

s stakeholders and aspirants in various states get ready for the 2015 elections, the political scene is busy in Cross River State. For politicians who are angling to occupy one elective post or the other, the question of who takes over from Governor Liyel Imoke is generating controversy and tension. Those who are in tune with the way things are going on in the state would certainly have heard about one of the aspirants in PDP, Godwin Jeddy Agba, whom many have tipped as the man to beat for the governorship. This is because he’s believed to have many things working in his favour. Agba, apart

from his popularity in the state, is said to also have to his advantage an immense war chest and the influence of his father. His father, JD Agba, is the chairman of the state traditional council and has been the traditional ruler of Obudu for about 50 years. According to a source, Jeddy Agba has secured the support of most traditional rulers, elders as well as meaningful number of Peoples Democratic Party top shots in the state. His generosity with money is said to have played a great role in the support he enjoys across the state but information has it that man who works as Manager, Sales and Marketing Department, Crude Oil

Marketing Department of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, may have a hurdle to cross in securing the governorship ticket of the PDP. Sources revealed that Agba might have to contend with resistance from Imoke, who is alleged to be favourably disposed to another governorship aspirant. Although PDP is said to have zoned the governorship slot to the Northern district of the state from where Agba hails, but there are other strong contenders for the ticket. They include the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Larry Odey, and Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Ugbo Ntufam Fidelis.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Body&Soul

with

Tumi Akogun’s smooth style

08085003746

Wole Adepoju

he name, Lady Tumi Akogun, might not ring a bell to everyone but certainly, not to those who are conversant with happenings in the social scene in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Here, she’s a factor as far as society functions are concerned. Niger Delta-born Lady Tumi is married to Hon. Tunde

Lola Edewor gives to humanity T

hat Omolola, daughter of late businessman cum politician, Chief MKO Abiola, is giving to humanity will not be a strange thing to many because her father was such a great philanthropist from whom multitudes benefited. According to information from sources in the know, Lola has taken her work towards humanity more seriously as she is said to have so well that many are now praising her. By virtue of her position as the Executive Director of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Lola is said to have helped well over 20 people into federal parastatals, just as she has bought over 200 UME forms for students. Meanwhile, the lady is said to be under pressure to run for Senate in Ogun Central by people who believe in her. But she has not made up her mind on her political career as she’s still a serving public official. Omolola Abiola Edewor went into political oblivion after a stint in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. She became relevant again after she was appointed the boss of NDIC by President Jonathan.

Big boys gather for Femi Ajanaku

t was indeed a gathering of those that matter in the high society recently when Olorunfemi, son of society big boy, Rotimi Ajanaku, marked his first birthday. Those who witnessed the party that held at Lekki, Lagos told the story of how the birthday party of a toddler became an avenue where movers and shakers in the society came to display affluence. Celeb Lounge learnt that expensive drinks and edibles were abundantly served, and that the party ended up being a carnival. Deep pocket owner of Islander Lounge, Gbenga

Jimoh Ibrahim revives hope

ust like every offspring of a humble background, Jimoh Ibrahim struggled to survive. As he grew up and became exposed, his struggle for survival soon became a determination for success and he was able to cut a clear picture of what he wanted to do. He worked on his vision while he was an undergraduate at Obafemi Awolowo University and before anyone knew it, Jimoh had created a path for himself and success became imminent as things started working out for him. How the controversyloving personality made it big is now history as Jimoh Ibrahim today ranks among the moneybags in Nigeria. To further fulfill his dream in life, the Igbotako-born Jimoh

ran for governor of his state, Ondo, on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, but his war chest could not do the magic for him as real political gladiators shoved him aside when it was time for real battle. After his failed outing in 2003, the man behind Global Fleet went back to the drawing board and part of the strategies he came up with was to pitch his tent with the Peoples Democratic Party, to which he has been contributing his quota at the state level. From what is on ground, the business man may has made up his mind to take another shot at the coveted seat of Ondo governorship in 2016, as he has earnestly started his awareness campaign. It is clear that he’s interested in succeed-

Akogun. But she’s not one who wants to ride on the back of her husband because she has also made right connections which are working for her in her own way. Celeb Lounge learnt that she has been a little bit off the social radar but those who should know said she’s been very busy running things with the First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. Lady Tumi was also very close to late First lady, Maryam Babangida.

ing the incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. As part of his activities, Jimoh, some days ago staged a conference for politicians in Ondo State, where modalities on how to turn the state around took centre stage. The event which had Chief Olu Agbi as the chairman was held at Ile Ife, Osun State. Apart from this, some vehicles plying the roads in the Sunshine State now bear the inscription of Jimoh Ibrahim’s governorship ambition.

Akinbobola a.k.a Islander; owner of popular upscale Victoria Island-based Movida nite club, Hakeem Shodehinde; proprietor of Quilux Nite Club, Shina Peller; man about town, Dare Santana, and many o t h e r s were all guests at the party. Ajanaku, who is also a big spender, mooted the idea to r u n for

governor of Oyo State but he could only achieve little or nothing with the ambition.

DIY on the GO

Body&Soul

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

How to remove candle wax from fabrics Abimbola Sodeke

andle wax can be annoying when it sticks to your cloth. It takes some processes to get it off. It might seems difficult, especially if it is a coloured wax which will definitely leave stains on the cloth. However, you do not have to worry. DIY has a solution. Just follow these steps: Step 1: Scrape off the wax with a dull knife or spoon. If the wax is still soft, place the clothing in the freezer or leave for some minutes to harden. This makes it easy to scrape off. Step 2: Place the stained area between clean paper towels and press the cloth with a warm iron. This will transfer the now warm wax from the cloth to the paper towel. Using a spoon? Heat the spoon, then place it on the paper towel to help melt the wax and transfer it the towel. Make sure your iron is NOT on the steam setting. Step 3: Now that the wax has been removed, if you still have a stain, pretreat the candle wax stain with a laundry prewash stain remover. Step 4: Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow. Use chlorine bleach cloth label directs. Note: If the above does not work, try blotting dry cleaning solvent on the stain. Once the stain is removed, launder as usual.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Wine & Dine

Body&Soul

Light indulgence with Pinot Noir Ibukunoluwa Kayode

ed grape wines come in different types just like the white ones. Pinot Noir is a typical lightmedium bodied, fruit-forward red wine crushed from burgundy’s most famous noble grapes. This grape is the toughest grape to grow when it comes to harvesting, but the effort is often worth the constant care and investment. It’s a fickle grape that demands optimum growing conditions, opting for warm days consistently supported by cool evenings. These are the most elegant wines that come from the French region, but today they also have their roots in other regions around the world -Oregon, New Zealand, Australia, California, Chile, Spain, Germany and Italy. Due to the stringent growth requirements for Pinot Noir, it is usually produced in smaller quantities than other popular red wines. This varietal holds a low profile aging potential dominant because the grape’s tannin structure is on the lighter side, compared to an age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir is a dry, red wine with a pale colour, translucent and a very subtle flavour that exhibits fruitforward character with strawberry, cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit for palate presence. There are also notable earth-driven layers common in a glass of Pinot, with herbal, mushroom, leather, and gamelike qualities being fairly familiar. Warm spice notes also make their way into the Pinot Noir palate profile, in the form of cinnamon, clove and smoky, tobacco nuances. The rich fruit character components of many Pinots give it a step up in the glasses of both red wine and white wine drinkers. Pinot Noir is well-suited to pair with a wide variety of ethnic dishes, classic cuisines and traditional foodie favourites, due to its consistent acidity, subtle, silky tannins and lighter-bodied style. Perfect Pinot pairings include pork and poultry, beef and bacon, cheese and chocolate, fish, lamb, mushrooms, fresh herbs, and wild game. It is considered by many to be one of the world’s most versatile food wines.

Okro pepper soup with rice or wheat

Biwom Iklaki

his is a season that has been fondly termed ‘weather for two’. It is amazing how romantic many people get up to just to stay warm. For those who are married, kindly hug your spouse. For the unmarried and married alike, you may want to consider hugging your

tummy with a hearty meal. Depending on the amount of chilli you incorporate, you will definitely feel the warmth enough to sweat! Explore cooking together; it is very romantic and can draw you closer while you test, taste and bump into each other in the kitchen. Try making this okro pepper soup with your favourite seafood. It is light and

guaranteed to glide down your throat into your tum in a smooth journey. INGREDIENTS Shrimps, crab meat, squid and mussels dry fish stock fish 6 medium okro 1 whole onion(choppped) 5 tbs palm oil 4 tbs pounded pepper

Salt and stock cubes to taste PREPARATION Wash seafood in warm water and chop into strips or cubes. You have the option of leaving the mussels in their shells. Wash and chop okro, pound pepper. Wash dry fish and stock fish with warm water and salt.

Bring a pot of water to the boil with the onion, stock fish and cook till tender. add the dry fish and palm oil and wait 5 minutes. Add salt, cubes and pepper. Add the squid for 2 minutes ahead of the other seafood because it is a little tougher to cook. Put the okro and put it down after 2 minutes. This ensures that the okro is not cooked

to death, it stays fresh, and the seafood doesn’t over cook either. Make sure the okro is light so that you can barely see the viscosity. Enjoy with rice or prepare wheat meal to go with it. A favourite option is ladling it into a soup bowl and sipping it with a spoon in front of the TV!.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Mini-mums Biwom Iklaki

cute to behold trend that never ceases to bring a smile to many faces is that which has mothers and fathers dressing their kids to mirror their own attires. It is very common among mothers and their daughters, but some unique mother-son and father-daughter duos are not to be outdone! Perhaps it is in an attempt to rob some of their style off on their little ones, perhaps it is important to them to show them how good clothes look

on them when they wear what mummy wears. The reason is not so crucial as the impart this stylish foot forward has on the kids. It is possible they identify more and feel closer to their parents when they dress like them. We all know how much we wanted to be like (and be acknowledged/accepted by) our parents. This is probably the ultimate pointer to the child that you love them and accept them. When rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; this trend, remember that your child is still a child after all. Where your design calls

for a full flared maxi skirt, opt for the shorter version for your child to prevent them from tripping on their clothes. They are after all still little fashion icons. Besides clothes, they can also mirror your hairdo, (especially braids and corn rows) shoes, accessories, etc. The list of possibilities is endless to make a mini-you out of your little angel. Just let your creative fashion juices flow and let them lose in your room to play dress up. You never know, they may give you your next big fashion idea.

Sermon Taming your emotion p54

News Okafor counsels parishioners on 13th anniversary p.53

TAI ANYANWU, titus.anyanwu@newtelegraphonline.com titusanyanwu.2012@gmail.com 0706 438 0029

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AUGUST 10, 2014

Sermon Unlocking The Supernatural! (2) p.54

Faith ON SUNDAY

Ebola: Catholic bishops to review holy communion C

Tai Anyanwu atholic bishops in the Lagos Archdiocese are set to review the method of administering holy communion to members of the church at a meeting coming up this week, in response to the dreaded Ebola virus. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the bishops may drop the age-long hand – mouth method of administering communion. The Lagos Metropolitan Archbishop, Alfred Adewale Martins, made the declaration in an address on the state of nation last week. Archbishop Martins noted that while the world had been struggling to find a cure for HIV/AIDS, a more dangerous disease had found its way into Nigeria and West Africa in the form of Ebola. “This no doubt is very disturbing. We call upon our government to continue to seek ways and means of curbing the fast spread of this deadly disease. This is even as it is a wake-up call for everyone, most especially our health workers and those in government, to put in place urgent measures to curb the fast spreading disease,” he urged. The Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, he explained, had issued a circular notifying the faithful of the outbreak of the disease. “We also advise that anyone having any of the symptoms not to panic but to proceed immediately to the hospital where they can receive proper medical attention. We call upon people who have any of such symptoms not to hide their condition or patronise quacks who will only cause the disease to be spread even more quickly,” he counselled. The Archbishop expressed concern that Ebola disease, which medical experts have said could be got through contact with sweat, saliva, blood or semen of an infected person, was fasting spreading in the sub-region. Archbishop Martins said, “The Bishops of the Province will be meeting next week to discuss, among other matters, the issue of communion by the hand. Meanwhile, the traditional means of distributing and receiving communion (hand to mouth) should be maintained until we give contrary information. In doing this, priests should be cautious and pay attention to ensure that they do not touch the tongues of recipients. If necessary, a purificator should be used while distributing holy communion.” He added that priests had been directed to use hand gloves while counting church offerings. Priests are also to exercise caution when responding to calls for prayers for the sick, particularly when they had to administer the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. “They should ensure regular hand washing after visiting patients in the hospital or homes. “Priests should encourage the people to practise frequent washing of hands with suitable anti-bacterial hand-washing liquid and use of hand sanitisers. “Priests should enlist the services of medical doctors and other health workers in sensitising the people on Ebola, its symptoms, effects, preventive measures, management of self and how to handle an infected person,” Archbishop Martins continued. By the guidelines, Catholics would no longer do the sign of peace, a rite peculiar to the Catholics, in which worshippers shake hands or embrace one another as a sign of fellowship. On the rite, the archbishop said, “Taking into consideration the fact that this rite is optional, we shall henceforth omit it i.e. not invite people to offer the sign of peace. When you get to this rite, skip it. Note also, that the recent Circular from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments acknowledged this when it stated: ‘It is completely legitimate to affirm that it is not necessary to invite ‘mechanistically’ to exchange the sign of peace. This rite is optional.” Also barred till further notice is the use of holy water fonts at the entrances of church while wash hand bowls and soap as well as sanitisers should be provided in the sacristy for regular use by altar servers and priests. Martins also called on research institutions to expedite effort to discover a vaccine for the Ebola virus and a cure for the disease. He left the following word of omfort to all: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

Pope Francis

Archbishop Martins

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Faith

“I

Of World War and World Peace

n the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.” (Gen 1:1). This Biblical narrative encapsulates the Christian view of how the world came to be. It highlights formlessness and waste but not violence. God put order in the formlessness and by His word created all that exists. He created man, male and female, in His image, making Him the summit and manager of His creation. Indeed, “God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good” (Gen. 1:31). Good was everything until man made his contribution! Adam and Eve yielded to the evil one and disobeyed the Creator. Their offspring, Cain and Abel, brought violence, playing out the first ever fratricidal drama in history (Gen 4:1-16). A radical reading of this narrative finds in it the beginning of all world wars, located in the hearts of men. Since then till this day, humanity has practically been at war. The First World War On August 4, 2014, homes and businesses all over Britain switched off their lights for two minutes as part of the commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. That day in 1914, Herbert Asquith, then British Prime Minister, declared

FIRM FAITH: RIGHT REASON by

Most Rev. Emmanu el Ade Badejo

Tel: 08039494219 Email: revodege@yahoo.com war on Germany in defence of the autonomy of Belgium. There will always be questions to answer about that ‘first world war’ dogma. Which world was really at war at that time? Did that ‘world war’ really end four years later as historians have recorded? These are questions for curious minds to answer. One hundred years and many wars later, the world is still at war. Conflicts remain in many countries of the world in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and even America. What does it really take to classify such conflicts in different corners of the earth as ‘world wars’? After all, they all share the same characteristics: propaganda, violence, death, destruction, devastation? These characterise all political wars - religious wars, drug wars, economic wars, tribal wars. The ugly reality of war By the time the First World War

‘ended’ four years after it began, millions of people had perished, thousands of families were decimated and many countries devastated. Pope Benedict XV, after failing to stop the outbreak of that war, branded it “a useless slaughter.” Saint John Paul II once said that war is the defeat of humanity. He wrote that problems have never been resolved by arms but that new and greater tensions among men are simply thus created. Truth indeed is always the first casualty of war, followed by decency, compassion and humaneness. To justify the choice of war, facts are manipulated, statistics exaggerated, and human dignity demeaned. These cause nations to blunder. Iraq and Libya today stare us all in the face. Those countries, ravaged and devastated by bitter rivalry among the murderous factions operating in

them, were probably better off under the so-called tyrants ruling them before those were toppled by an arrogant and naïve West. In order to justify its action the West implemented massive propaganda and got almost the entire world to root for its intervention at the time. Today, not even the West has a solution to the escalating mayhem. The Prospects of Peace Humanity has always longed for peace, mostly in words but rarely in deed. Even Cain complained about his punishment for killing his brother (Gen 4:14). The prophets in the Bible spoke of God’s peace to His people and of a new world where peace and justice would endure. Isaiah represents them best: “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse… Justice shall be the band around his waist and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them…There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea” (Is. 11:1, 5-9). Jesus Christ came to fulfil the entire Scripture and He gave the ultimate gift to His followers during His life and after His resurrection. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for

they will be called children of God,” He declared in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:9). When He showed Himself to them in the Gospel of John he was even more elaborate: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me so I send you… Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn. 19: 21-22). Nonetheless while war originated and crafted by man has persisted, peace, given by God, has eluded most peoples and nations. For enduring peace on earth Humanity can find peace only by redeeming the heart of man from all the evil it habours (Mk. 7 20-23). Jesus spent His lifetime trying to purify the human heart of selfishness and unforgiveness. Ask yourself the question: “Would Jesus have ever bombed anyone”? Mother Teresa reflected thus: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” In truth, all wars leave a country with three armies: an army of mourners, and army of handicapped people and an army of thieves. Unfortunately we are all always very good at remembering the dead and even better at forgetting the lessons of their sacrifice. The biggest lesson of every war is that war, in spite of its damages, never resolved anything that dialogue could not. Why then do we not wage dialogue instead?

Use what you have and get what you don’t have

psychologist, Mr. Oke Uma Madukwe, once said, There is but one way to increase any faculty we possess, and that is by using it. So if you want to become more intelligent, USE THE INTELLIGENCE you already have.” From the foregoing, it should be understood that one of the things that can make a person to be what he wants to be in life is the person’s talent. God created man and deposited something wonderful in him. This is why you are wonderful! You have all it takes to be great: your gift, potential or talent stands as your guide to excellence in life. This is why it is written that the gift of a man makes a way for him. Do you want to get what you do not have? If yes, use what you have. Every gift that is in you is pregnant. It is ready to deliver many good things, including other gifts. If you have the gift of helping people and you use it diligently and faithfully without grumbling, you will never lack anything in life. This is the law of sowing and reaping. Your gift is a light to your future. God makes it so in order for you to be useful to him and to the society at large. If you fail to use the gift God deposited in your life, it means that you have withheld God’s hand on earth from reaching some people, and you will certainly give account of it. Your gifts are God’s manifestation of power and glory. So, if you hide it, you are hiding God’s power. If you use it, the power will work out miracles for you. Every gift you gives birth to another gift. If you use the gift of wisdom; knowledge will be born;

if you use the gift of wisdom; knowledge will be born; if you use the gift of knowledge, faith will be born; if you use the gift of healing, miracles will be born. If you use the gift of working of miracles, signs and wonders will take place. Every gift in you is pregnant. Learn to use your gifts to get what you want. Getting anything in life is not difficult when you know how to use what you have. You are born to excel. Joseph excelled because he used his gift efficiently – the gift of interpretation of dreams. Daniel also excelled because he used his own gift efficiently. The three Hebrew men excelled and were elevated to a higher position in the kingdom of Babylon because they used their gifts very well - the gift of wisdom, knowledge and faith. If you want to excel in any profession or business, then use what you have efficiently. I know why I am using the word ‘efficiently’. Samson had a gift but he did not use it efficiently. He wanted something – that was getting married to Delilah. But that was not the will of God and the wish of his parents. He used his gift selfishly and did not live to enjoy the fruit of his labour. This therefore means that it is one thing to have a gift and another thing to use it to God’s own glory and according to His will and purpose for the gift. If you have a gift and do not know how to use it to please God, the gift will destroy you. And to use the gifts in you according to God’s will and purpose to get what you want, you must know how, what, when and where to use them.

Word of FAITH byby Apostle Clement Apostle Clement Ogbonna Ogbonna apostleofgraceinwof2010@gmail com, apostleofgraceinwo clementogbonnaya2007@yahoo.com Tel: 08036774737 .

The gift of God is without repentance, no doubt. But it can be used against your well-being. To avoid this, always know how God wants you to use it. That is principle number one. The ‘how’ is the method through which He wants the gift to be used. You may decide for instance to help people by opening a business for them when God wants you to send them to school. So, when you miss the method of the utilisation of the gift, it means you have missed the ‘how’ of the will of God. This will deprive you of getting your reward. In fact, this is why some people do what they feel God wants them to do and yet don’t receive any reward for doing it. For instance, if you are a minister of the Gospel, and you are called to pray for a sick person, your first duty is to know how to go about it. Do not just start praying. God may want you to speak ‘the word’. Find out how He wants you to go about it so that you will get the desired result. Joel Osteen, an American evangelist, was in his office one day praying and crying to God to heal all the sick and deformed people in his city. But God said to him, “My son, what are you

doing in your office? Organise a crusade and gather them together for my healing.” Joel Osteen did that. And as he climbed the pulpit, he began to pray, crying for God’s mercies on them. But God said to him again, “My son, speak faith into their hearts through my word.” Osteen obeyed God. As he was preaching to that great crowd, miracles of divine healing were taking place. The deformed, the blind, the lame, the crippled, the deaf, and people with all manner of sicknesses and diseases were healed. That amazed the preacher. He did not believe that God could just perform miracles without prayers. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So, the greatest way of using the gift of God in you to get what you want is by using it through His own method. Moses was one of the men who did not understand ‘the what’ of the will of God. God asked him to speak to the rock the second time, but he hit the rock. Because of that, he was deprived of entering the Promised Land. Do you see how a man’s gift destroyed him? Knowing the ‘how’ and the‘what’ of God’s gift will save you from a lot of trouble. Some of us, because we are blessed with one

gift or the other, decide to exploit people with it. Is this the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of that gift? Remember that we will give account of everything we do on earth. The Bible says that every work of man shall be tested by fire. The fire will consume the one we did with a wrong motive and we will not receive any reward for that. Jesus also said that many would come to Him on that day and say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, heal the sick in your name, cast out demons in your name? But I will say to them, depart from me, all you workers of Iniquity.” Why will Jesus say this to some people on the judgment day? He will say it because many people are using their gifts without giving due consideration to the ‘what’ of the gift. If you want to escape from the danger of hell, then find out what God wants you to do with the gift you have received from Him. Do not use your liberty in Christ to destroy yourself like Samson did. John the Baptist destroyed himself before his time because he did not know the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of the gift God gave him. Herod also destroyed himself because he missed the mark of the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the gift of leadership that God gave him. Ananias and Sapphira were not exempted. They destroyed themselves even when they had used the gift of helping charity and caring God gave them. What is happening to you these days? Are you using the gift of God in your life according to your own method? Desist from it now that there is still time. Tomorrow may be too late. Repent now and change from doing that. To be continued next week

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Faith

Okafor counsels parishioners on 13th anniversary

he parishioners of Saint Catherine Catholic Church, Alakuko, Lagos have been urged to maintain a high level of personal hygiene to avoid contracting the dreaded Ebola disease. The Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Thaddeus Ifeanyichukwu Okafor, gave the counsel while marking his 13th year of Priesthood last Sunday. The cleric gave guidelines on how people could prevent the disease, pointing out that Ebola presence in Nigeria is real. “People have to be very careful with body contact and contact with fluid and learn how not to eat anyhow,” he said. He added that people should also learn to maintain hygienic habits, adding, “People should keep their body clean because hygiene is cleanliness. It is one of the ways you can also prevent the disease.” Speaking on his experience as a priest, Rev. Okafor expressed gratitude to God for giving him the grace to cope with the challenges of managing

human beings with different attributes. “God has been so faithful. He has been so kind. I must tell you that I am happy to be a priest. Even in the next world, I would still like to be a priest. “I don’t mean that there had been no challenges, but God has been so kind that He has given us the grace to surmount the challenges. You know that it is not easy to manage human beings, but He has given us the grace to carry on, we are still moving on and we are going on,” he added. Okafor thanked all the parishioners and fellow priests for their support. Some of the priests are Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Anagbo, from the Diocese of Nnewi; Rev. Fr. Ike Osward, from Awgu Diocese; Rev. Fr. Sylvester Umoh, from the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene; Rev. Fr John Sowande; and Rev. Benjamin Ekpo. As part of the activities marking the 13th ordination anniversary, the church held a group wedding, a football contest, novelty soccer

and First Holy communion celebration. Congratulation the children who partook in the first Holy Communion, Okafor said, “I want to thank our children who received the first communion today, and I say congratulation to you. As you have received communion today, you are no longer the same person you were in the past. So you are supposed to live a very good life; prove yourself that you are good children.” Rev. Okafor

L-R: Rev.Fr.Paul Sobande; Rev.Fr.Sylvesster Kemfon; Rev.Thaddeus Okafor; Rev.Fr.Bejamin Ekpo and Mr. Greg Usiholo.

Fr. Thaddeus Okafor and guests in group photograph with football players from St.Catherine and St.Christopher Catholic Churches.

Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Okafor kick start the nolvety match between men from St. Catherine and St. Christopher Catholic Churches.

Women from St.Catherine and St. Rapheal Catholic Churches slug it out on the field of play.

Cultural dance performed by Black Heritage Group.

Players from St. Catherine Catholic Church won the novelty football match and received the Cup.

L-R: Mr.and Mrs.Victor Oluyemi;Vice Chairman,Parish Pastoral Committee,Mr. Greg Usiholo and Rev.Fr. Thaddeus Okafor presenting gift to Mr. Oluyemi for his support to the Church.

The celebrant with Rev. Fr. Ekpo alongside with visiting fathers and newly communicans

The combined wedded couples in a group phptograph with the Rev, Fr,Okafor after the wedding ceremony.

Rev.Fr.Thaddeus Okafor officiating combined wedding for six couples in his church.

Vice President,Women Group in the church, Mrs.Rossy Onyekweo urshering the the newly wedded women into motherhood in the church.

PHOTOS:GODWIN IREKHE

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Faith

Unlocking The Supernatural! (2)

ast week, I discussed the reality of the supernatural. In that teaching, we established the fact that every natural happening is determined by events in the supernatural. The supernatural is, therefore, the foundation of all things. This week, I shall be showing you one of the ways to command the supernatural. This is The Word Command. It is the Word of God that makes you a commander of the supernatural. No accomplishment is therefore authentic; no miracle is genuine, until it is founded upon the Word. The name of Jesus is a potent force for the release of the supernatural. That is why Mark 16: 17 says: And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils... But Psalm 138:2 says:...For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In spite of the potency of the name of Jesus, it cannot be compared with the Word in power. The Word of God is therefore God’s number one instrument for producing miracles. A young man came to me and said he needed a job. I quoted Isaiah 3:10 to him that says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” I

The Voice of

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told him that the Bible said they shall eat the fruit of their doings, not the doings of their uncles or fathers. This means that God has no plans for the righteous to be jobless. I asked him, “Do you believe that?” He said, “I believe”, and I said to him, “Now, go and get a job!” He got a job the following week! That miracle came by operating the Word. I did not need to pray; all I did was to take charge of the situation by the Word. It’s The Rod For Signs: And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs (Exodus 4:17). God told Moses to take the rod in his hand and produce signs. That means the rod had the ability to command the miraculous. What or who is this rod? So, the rod is Jesus. He is the ‘Rod out of the stem of Jesse’, and He is the Rod whom the Father has appoint-

ed. From an understanding of scriptures, this same Jesus is also the Word of God (Rev. 19:13). Therefore, the Rod is Jesus and Jesus is the Word; so the Rod of signs is the Word of God! Friend, it is with God’s Word that you do signs. It is this Word that determines how much of the supernatural you experience in your life, and actually shows you your worth in the world of the spirit. Your Access To The Word: • Through Meditation: Meditation is an avenue through which you can receive insight from the Word of God. To meditate means, “to consider deeply, to reflect upon, to revolve in the mind.” It is similar to the physical process of food digestion. When you eat food, it undergoes three major processes before the nutrients in it can benefit the body. They are: digestion, ab-

sorption and assimilation. Similarly, until the Word of God you hear or read is broken down to assimilable forms and you contact the gems in it, your life cannot be bettered by it. The meditation process is what breaks down the Word into digestible forms, equipping you to walk on the highways of the miraculous (Joshua 1:8). •Quietness: This is another avenue for receiving insight from the Word of God. It is a remarkable strategy for accessing revelations to bring revolutions in your life. ...Study to be quiet... (1Thessalonians 4:11). God came to Adam in the cool of the day, when everywhere was calm and serene (Genesis 3:8). So, God still comes visiting, when everywhere is calm. It is in the ‘cool’ of the day that you often encounter insight or light from God’s Word. At such times, as you begin to ponder on certain scriptures, solutions to situations are handed over to you. It is also at such times of quietness that every weak area of your life is strengthened. It is a pity when men and women claim to be too busy to settle down to locate where next to go or what next to do from the Word. There is no substitute for light in the conflict against darkness. Please, create

an atmosphere of quietness for God’s visitation, and it will end all your life’s struggles. Friend, the power for access to God’s Word is for those saved. You are saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you are set for it, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” I will continue next week! Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — ‘Commanding The Supernatural’, ‘Operating The Supernatural’and ‘Walking In The Miraculous’. 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., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m. and 10.45 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 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@ lfcww.org

Essence of self-control, discipline

s humans, we are ‘feeling beings.’ God created us with feelings. And this is why we perceive, observe and react to feelings. Our body chemistry is wired up with sensitive organs that respond to stimuli: the skin is sensitive to touch, the eye to sight, the ear to sound, the nose to smell and the tongue to taste. The cumulative consequence of these is that we respond to the feelings and these reactions form our behavioural pattern. The preacher in recognition of the inordinate emotional tendencies that influence the behaviour of man whether positively or negatively but often in the extreme cases warns that “He that has no rule over his own spirit is like the city that is broken down and without walls.”- Proverbs 25:28. This stresses the essence of self-control and discipline in our emotional expression. According to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost , this writing is desired to help you understand the intricacies of emotional expressions, its implications in the extreme cases and the application of wisdom in taming your emotional tendencies towards gaining self-control for divine enthronement. Our body is covered up with skin and sensory system that respond to stimuli. The eye respond to sight, the nose to smell, the tongue to taste and the skin

to touch. These sensitivities make us ‘feeling beings’. The cumulative influences of our perceptions and observations tame our feelings which consequently manifest in our behaviours. We generally react to the things we hear, we taste, we smell and even the things we say. These emotional expressions have largely contributed to our exhibited behavioural patterns, and when they are in extreme, they have in no small measure influenced the direction our lives are heading to: hell or heaven, failure or success, shame or fame and such indexes. From my years of experience as a minister of the gospel of Christ, a husband to one wife, a father to both biological and spiritual children and a leader of the congregation of heavenly minded people, I have discovered that the feelings of a man have overall control over his body or his behaviour. The expression of sadness, happiness, anger, fear, envy, jealousy, zeal, enthusiasm etc are the results of our innate feelings. And humanly, we respond to these feelings one way or the other, positively or negatively, passionately or dispassionately depending on the conviction of our emotions. For instance, the Bible recorded that Jesus wept when he came to the burial scene of Lazarus, his friend. His weeping is an obvious manifestation of his emotional state. It was an innate expression of the depth of

his feelings. Certainly too, his weeping was spurred by what he perceived and observed. He saw man helpless at the pranks of death and observed the faithlessness of man even in the present dispensation of grace and power. He knew that death was not originally designed for man, yet it has brought such volume of untold torment, anguish, frustration, setback and pain to mankind. Jesus was therefore overwhelmed by the helplessness of man whom God had made with dominion and power and wept at the ignorance and falling state of man. This is a result of feeling. And reacting positively, he gave thanks to the Father and occasioned the resurrection of Lazarus defeating death to show forth the manifestation of the eternal power, dominion and glory of God. Though Jesus wept, he was not overwhelmed and depressed by the pangs of death. He had control over his emotions. In contrast, Cain, the eldest son of the first parents on earth, Adam and Eve saw the sacrificial offering of his little brother, Abel, and perceived the acceptance of God and felt jealous; his feelings deepened to envy and anger, the consequences of which resulted in the killing of his own brother – the first bloodshed in the history of mankind. Uncontrolled inordinate emotional expressions have in many ways destroyed several persons

Taming your emotions by

Apostle Clement by Ogbonna Bishop Lawrence Osagie apostleofgraceinwo Tel: 08063250667, mail:powerlineministries@mail.com, www.powerlineministriesinc.org

– the rich and the poor, the famous and the common irrespective of race and religious background. We have all been victims of uncontrolled emotions at one circumstance or the other. Many lives, opportunities or goals have been shattered at the sentimental cliff of uncontrolled emotions in the form of anger, envy, jealousy, fear, lust and what have you. Elisha out of anger cursed the children who mocked him and they were lost to hell. Samson for inordinate emotional tendencies lost the power of his glory in the laps of a deceptive woman, Delilah. He died in agony. For fear of the spies sent by Moses came home with the evil report that they were like grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the promise land. For the same fear, the whole army of Israel dwelled in the torment and torture not able to dare or challenge Goliath, the giant until the emergency of David, the one who was able to control fear with boldness spurred by his faith in God.

This postulate confirms why the preacher in his ultimate book of wisdom warned that “he that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.” – Proverbs 25:28. This portends in many details that we are responsible for our emotional manifestation whether positively or negatively. More so, it suggests that we have the divine obligation to bring our emotions under control. This lesson is what we intend to explore in this eye opening writing. How to understand your emotions and gain absolute control of your spirit are the series of lessons we want to explore in this episode. The series are thought provoking. The expositions are inspiring. And the lessons are profound. Only read on. Fellowship with us at Poweline Bible Church Glass House OdoOlowu B/stop Apapa Oshodi Expressway Ijesha-Tedo, lagos Sunday @ 9:00am

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Faith

ECWA Church, Agbowa gets new auditorium Tai Anyanwu

he glory of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was reportedly lost in Agbowa area of Lagos state following the collapse in 2004 of its old auditorium located in the ECWA Agbowa Campground. But the glory was rekindled when the President of the church, Rev Dr. Jeremiah Gado, opened the church’s new auditorium in Agbowa last week. The new auditorium, jointly powered by ECWA Ebute Metta and Mushin District Councils, began as a personal vision that was shared among stakeholders who later formed a club of donors. New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the club members agreed to contribute funds for one year. That enabled the stakeholders to commence the auditorium project in year 2010, our correspondent learnt. In his address of welcome at the ceremony, Chairman of the joint Ebute Metta and Mushin District Council, Rev. E K Oguntosin, explained that the

story of the new building could be likened to the Temple of Solomon. He pointed out that after the temple was destroyed, the people of Israel didn’t have one until they returned from exile. With the auditorium now achieved, Oguntosin said that the next line of action would be to construct a fence around the conference hall, do the landscaping, erosion control, external electrical installations and build more hostels. In his message of appreciation to the donor, Chairman of ECWA Agbowa Campground, Elder O S Babtunde, recalled that in year 2008, he beheld the place as a demolition site but was now grateful to God for the great work that had been done. The chairman also thanked the districts under the leaderships of Rev. Dr. J. B. Odofin and Rev. (Dr.) E. B. Omidiji, for endorsing the club’s vision to actualise the structure. Oguntosin thanked the club members and the ECWA president for their efforts at carving out to commission the conference hall.

The President of the church, Rev Dr. Jeremiah Gado, cutting the tape at the commision of ECWA auditorium at Agbowa, Lagos. recently.

Worshippers at the RCCG 62nd Convention

The five-fold ministry of Elijah

he spirit and power of the Elijah ministry scripturally will occur five times at different periods as it pertains to the plan of salvation and the whole counsel of God. Each time a true prophet arrives on the scene with a direct commission and responsibility, whose ministry is confirmed by God, then our attention is to be drawn to the message he brings. Once again, we have arrived at that important point and we are not ashamed of God’s choice in Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Noah, Moses etc. Whoever does not recognise or accept God choice will be living in spiritual blindness and is not in the Kingdom of God or has not yet recognised the merciful visitation of God. What is the Elijah ministry meant for in the counsel of God? It is to restore! Restoration is turning back to God the heart of a backsliding nation or person from what is not God’s teaching and God. Let us look at the all-inclusive promises on the coming of Elijah. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” Malachi 4:5 – 6. The Lord Jesus confirmed this very important promise again in the New Testament in Matthew 17:11 when he said; “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things” Mark 9:12 “And he answered and told them,

THE ORACLES OF GOD by

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com, 07033621866

Elias verily cometh first and restore all things…” Jesus also referred back to the already completed ministry of John the Baptist, who had come in the Spirit and Power of Elijah,“Elias is indeed come and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed…” (Verse 13). Let us look at the individual ministries of the five appearances of Elijah, their commission and the judgment of God on those who ignore God’s counsel through them. ELIJAH THE TISHBITE He is the first of the five prophets that operated in the spirit and power of Elijah (1Kg. 18:17) He had the commission to bring Israel back to the Lord their God. In a showdown with 850 prophets of Baal, he went up to Mount Carmel to prove to the backsliding nation of Israel that Jehovah God is their real God and not the idol Baal. He took 12 stones representing the tribes of Israel to rebuild the altar, placed the

sacrifice upon it, poured water on it and called upon the name of the Lord God at the time of the offering at the evening sacrifice. This is after the false prophet and their god, Baal, failed to impress. Elijah did what he did according to the word of the Lord. “He prayed, hear me O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou has turned their heart back again.” (1Kings 18:37). God answered by fire, which consumed the sacrifice and the entire altar. “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is the God.” It was a day that marked the end of the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah in the judgment of God. Elijah had the greatest responsibility on earth

at that time. He obediently followed through with what the Lord had commanded and the Lord God turned all the hearts of the people back to Himself. Elijah the Tishbite Ministry of RESTORATION was accomplished successfully with the positive response of the backsliding nation back to the Lord God. This was Elijah’s first coming. ELISHA, THE SON OF SHAPHAT Elisha was chosen by God through Elijah and therefore an immense responsibility to continue the work of restoring the confidence and faith of the nation of Israel in the Lord their God. To achieve this divine commission, Elisha knew that he required the double anointing on Elijah upon him to fulfill his responsibility. ”And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9). He got it and carried out his responsibility in the same spirit and power of Elijah. He ensured that the tendency to worship or serve another god other than Jehovah according to the first commandment was removed. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house

of bondage. Thou shall have no other gods before me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness or anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor even serve them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:2 – 6). Moses connected this commandment to Deuteronomy 6:4 when he declared to the Israelites “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” True faith is anchored in the promises of God. Elisha anchored his ministry and ensured the total and full restoration of the faith of the nation of Israel back to their God. If your faith and beliefs is not mirrored by the Bible it is time you turn your heart from church traditions to the word of life. May God bless you always!!! Amen. Frank Oboden Olomukoro writes from Christian Ministry of Reconciliation, Km 14, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (beside PUNCH Newspapers), Wasimi, Ogun State.

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Faith

The principles of multiplication

verybody likes to increase and be multiplied, but not everyone is ready to do what it takes. No matter your leaning and bent in life, I can categorically say that most people would prefer a life of productivity and multiplication. However, it is only when you give life what it takes, that it will give you what it contains. I repeat: WHEN YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES, LIFE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT IT CONTAINS! You see, I have come learn and observe that life responds to principles and not tears. You may cry from now till next week, but except you do what it takes, you will not see the right results. You may shout from now till kingdom come, but it amounts to nothing without following the requisite principles. LIFE RESPONDS TO PRINCIPLES AND NOT TEARS, OR PRAYERS AND FASTING WITHOUT CORRESPONDING ACTION! REPEAT OUT LOUD! I WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES! I WILL GIVE LIFE WHAT IT TAKES! LIFE, YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO RESPOND TO ME! GIVE ME ALL YOU CONTAIN FOR ME, AMEN! How then can I be multiplied or

POWER IN THE WORD with

Banke David

Tel: 08034156014 get maximum results for all my efforts in life, you may ask? There are principles or guidelines of operation for anything in life. Life responds to principles and when you follow the right principles, you will get the right results. A man of principles will become a principal in life! What then are the principles or guidelines for multiplication? Let’s take a look at these verses of Scripture in Luke 9:10-17: “When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves in a town called Bethsaida. But the crowd learnt about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon, the twelve came to him and said ‘Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote

place here’. He replied, ‘You give them something to eat’. They answered, ‘We have only five loaves of bread and two fishes - unless we go and buy food for this entire crowd’. (About five thousand men were there). But he said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each’. The disciples did so and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” Wow, what an amazing account! There are many principles we can grasp from Jesus here; 1. JESUS USED WHAT HE HAD AVAILABLE: I see countless number of people who want to start a business, complaining that they do not have enough to start the proposed enterprise. You

Pretenders and contenders

his world is a journey, your take is what will be given you. Your views, thoughts, actions, inactions, pedestal, right moves, wrong decisions and leverage are ingredients that will put you in good stead. Uncommon deeds will give you uncommon results. What you sow, you will bountifully reap. Your input determines your output. Inward thinking determines outward results. Local thinking will produce a local champion while a global thinker becomes a universal change agent. Pretenders move in droves to celebrate achievers while the champions write them as an addendum in their pages of history. In summary, it’s what you see that you get, what you believe you receive, your vision becomes your transmission, lifters flying out of the camp of limiters, groundbreakers dusting onlookers, passage makers confounding passers-by and eagle thinkers stunning chicken thinkers. This informed our teaching today – Pretenders and Contenders. Dust your shoes and spike on with me as we journey into the world of who, what and where of your being. May you be celebrated in your lifetime. DIVINE WORD Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, Where are you going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width

and what is its length. And there was the angel who talked with me, going out and another angel was coming out to meet him Who said to him ‘Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I, says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst>. (Zechariah 2 verses 1-5) DIVINE MIND The Lord spoke through Prophet Zechariah that millions are not maximising their potential and divine endowments. They were merely living in their Jerusalem, but when measured, had no value and Heaven is alarmed at this disturbing trend. Millions in the world are pretenders who never contest for anything, held by the devil with their negative warped thoughts and they resign to fate that what will be will be and this is counterproductive to their glorious destiny. They never aim higher, won’t try anything positive with their lives, believing negative reports from critics when others are breaking new grounds and making great and innovative discoveries daily. To them, the environment is not conducive, the clouds are a gathering storm, the sun is too scorching, none has achieved that feat before, money will be too difficult to raise, nobody will

support me because the stress will be too much, let me stay with my small salary I don’t want trouble. If I start now who will feed me and my family? These are the daily chorus of pretenders as if singing a dirge. Brethren, come off it, there is no harm in trial. God did not make a mistake in endowing you with great potential. Why line your thoughts with the mentality of those being spoon-fed with a monthly salary, wasting away, not stretching your mental abilities, not discovering your innate talents? Blow out your potential, discover your gifted areas to bless your world thereby giving hope to the destiny of those tied to the manifestation of your divine endowments. INSPIRATION God is an investor. He gave you His all during creation to bless, transform and make you a cocreator in your world. Mind you, He expects results. What I have discovered is that those on paid employment with salary thinking never reach their potential in life. It’s always a slavery mentality. Such thoughts have programmed their lives into potential stagnancy, not discovering other talents inherent in them. They thereby have multiple sources of income. Wake up from your lethargy now. once you master an area, discover other possibilities sleeping inside you, explore them and ultimately become who you should be. Some points suffice here viz:

see, you don’t have to have all the cash before you launch out. In most cases, you may never have all the funds required before starting. I want to encourage you by saying that God did not create the world by money. He used what He had - the confession of His mouth. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. Don’t despise the days of small beginnings, God works that way! 2. JESUS WAS ORGANIZED. I have had the privilege of attending weddings here in the SouthEast and the way the service of food was done, left much to be desired (not all cases anyway). As a result of the haphazard method of service, some people eat twice and some get none at all! What a shame! We see the administrative prowess of Jesus displayed here, as he asked the people to sit in groups of 50. This method ensured that all the groups were served, and everyone in each group had food to eat. If only we would apply the principle of organisation in our homes, businesses and other concerns, we would see fantastic results! When we lack organisational skills, we will encounter losses! BE ORGANISED. 3. JESUS GAVE THANKS. The life of a believer should be a lifestyle of thanksgiving. We should not just thank God on occasion, we should thank Him continually. We should thank Him when we have abundance and when there is a shortfall. We should give Him thanks when we are promoted and

when we lose our jobs. We should thank Him when children are born to us and when we lose a loved one! Ephesians 5:17 tells us to give thanks to God continually. When we have a habit and lifestyle of thanksgiving, we will never run short because thanksgiving brings multiplication and peace. 4. JESUS WAS NOT A WASTER: In many homes today, left- over food is thrown into the trash can (and we wonder where all our food is going!) If we desire to be multiplied and I know we do, we ought to avoid waste. This should be avoided, not just at home but in the offices and in all our endeavours. The amount of profit a business makes may be cut short by waste, which can be avoided. In the above account, though Jesus had fed all the people and they were full, the left-overs were still gathered. Remember, what you consider waste might be another person’s lifeline! GIVE IT AWAY! 5. FOLLOW HARD AFTER GOD: In order to experience multiplication in our lives, we need to follow hard after the Master and His Word. The Word of God can bring change to any situation it comes in contact with. Are you experiencing a downturn and a lack of progress? Come to Him and He will in no wise cast you out. You will begin to experience multiplication in all areas of your life as you prayerfully apply these principles, Amen. Banke David writes from Aba in Abia State.

Prophetic Insight with

Rev. James Akinadewo Tel: 08037188392 (SMS only) motailatugrow@hotmail.com

Measure Jerusalem, its width and length – You have a Jerusalem to explore. Your Jerusalem is your world; are you fulfilling your potential there? The angel told Zechariah that through the width and length of the city (your world), people are not fulfilling their potential. They live like a city without walls. What a damning verdict! Hope you will leave that group and contend for great things in life. Only champions are celebrated, not the also-rans. Angel one and two – As the first angel was reporting back to Heaven of his unimpressive voyage on the life stagnancy of God’s creatures in their world, another angel came and posited that in the midst of those not productive, there was a shining light that needed a wall of fire to become more productive, glory seeking and importantly, not to be polluted by limiters who never see anything good in themselves and are determined to bring zenith thinkers to their camp of total stagnancy. This should strike you – move with lifters and leave the camp of

limiters. The higher your vision, the bigger the opposition. Any vision not attracting opposition is not big enough. If you follow your mind, today’s critics will be your cheerleaders tomorrow. THINKING CORNER Arise now and make a great impact. God knew what He wanted and created the world within six days. That chair you are seated on was made by someone. Automobiles became a reality because somebody, somewhere left the camp of pretenders. Those who made the first aircraft failed 16 times but were undeterred. On their 17th attempt they hit it right and history books gave them a space. The man who invented football has left the stage but his name and memory will live and linger for ages. Think, time ticks away – those who got silver and bronze in the Olympics were still honoured with the gold medalist. Do something now or be thrown into oblivion. Leave pretenders now and become a contender. Jesus loves you. God bless Nigeria. Be Holy. It is well.

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MYSTERY OF ANXIETY with

Bishop John Ogbansie gbe Tel:08033416327

he book of Matthew 6:33 says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” To seek means to look for something. It means to aim at something. To seek means to zealously desire for, or pray for something. It means to try to get, find, acquire, possess or achieve something. It also means to resort to or advance against. To seek is the same thing as to search into something. It means to probe into something. This is a divine instruction from our Lord Jesus Christ, for us not to be preoccupied with the affairs, problems and worries of this life; whether they are material things, financial, social, domestic, marital, health or academics. As far as our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned, these are distractions from the fundamental focus. By the implication of this scripture, there are greater and better things we should think of, concern and worry about; which are the king-

dom of God and His righteousness. The Kingdom of God here talks about the will of God, the work of God and the programme of God. In other words, our Lord Jesus Christ is challenging His believers to be committed and consecrated to the work of God as a catalyst and condition for the divine supply, release and manifestation of our needs. It means that as you focus on God and Him alone and all the necessary things of life, which are perturbing you, shall be divinely released and given to you. This is the sum and substance of the whole duty of man. It means to desire, aim and pursue the will of God and the work of God is a priority over any other thing. There are many kingdoms which are competing with the kingdom of God in the lives of the believers of Christ, as far as we are still in this world. Every care of this world outside our Lord Jesus Christ is a kingdom. Thus, there is the kingdom of money (Mormonism); there is the king-

Faith

Seek first the Kingdom dom of materialism; there is the kingdom of self; self satisfaction and self-dispositions. There is the kingdom of Satan and his demons. Your heavenly father knows all that you need. Therefore, seek His kingdom first. Give him His first position as God has originally ordained. Give Him the priority in your scale of preference and all these things, for which you are painfully experiencing sleepless nights, shall be added unto you. This was why the word of God declared: “And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence (the first position).” He wants to have the first position in your business; He wants to have the first position in your finances. He wants to have the first position in your marriage, in your academics, in your health, in your budget, in your pursuit, in your heart; indeed, in every aspect and facet of your life. Again it is pertinent to note that the first law in the 10 Commandments says: “Thou shalt have no other god before me.” – Exodus 20:3. The divine intendment behind this scripture is also the intention and motive behind the

provision of Matthew 6:33. God is a jealous God and therefore does not want to share His glory with any man or anything. When our Lord Jesus Christ taught us how to pray, He said it is this way, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” – Mathew 6:10. The fundamental mystery revealed here by our Lord Jesus Christ is the fact that the major pre-occupation of every creature in heaven is the total execution of God’s will without any reservation as the absolute obedience to the will of God. This is God’s great desire, and also the dominant daily pursuit of all that are in heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven as God incarnate and with His knowledge of what was obtainable in heaven, He taught His disciples to pray in that manner, similitude and possible exactitude. “Let that same spirit of obedience to the will of God which is obtainable in the kingdom of heaven, come down into the earth, and exactly as it is in heaven.” From this scriptural injunction and Christological prayer methodology, one can rightly infer and convincingly conclude that: “The will of God is the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is the will of God.” “Seek also his righteousness.” It

means to live a life of Holiness. It means that the believer in Christ should do things in a way which seemeth right unto God. It means to do things in God’s own prescribed style and way, which is the only way God considers right or righteous. The Bible says: “But we all as unclean things, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.”- Isaiah 64:6. As credence to the above scripture and spiritual fact of life, the word of God also declared: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” – Proverbs 14:12. To seek first the kingdom of God means advancing the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ over every area of our lives, wherever we go or in what way we do. Seeking first His kingdom also brings comfort and relives our fears, anxieties and feelings of insecurity. When we realise that our sovereign king is in total control of everything and that there is a purpose for everything He allows to happen to us, and that there is a unique kingdom outside the secular, earthly kingdom which controls out future and destinies, we heave a sigh of relief.

Testimony for fruit of the womb 2

was married in 1992. I did not take in at all for many years in spite of the effort I made. I was asked to bring sets of materials for spiritual work. Each spiritual church gave me a list of items to buy for prayers. I spent much money on these but nothing happened. Money was not my problem because I had enough that could ‘earn me a baby’. I also met a herbalist (native doctor) who also asked me to bring some items for spiritual work, which I provided. She then took me to the forest, made sacrifices and incantations and gave all the assurance that I would have a baby. Despite all this, I could not even take in for a day. My menses came always at the appropriate time and even before the calculated or expected date. Another herbalist (native doctor) also took me to the bush with the items prescribed for me to provide. After all that he did, nothing happened. In fact, I must confess that some of the places I went to were without my husband’s knowledge or consent. He knew about only some of the places. I went to diagnose the source where the problem with the fruit of the womb was coming from. I was told it was my late grandmother, some said it was my late mother and many other irrelevant sources. Some persons said it was a mermaid problem. I also went to a medical specialist who treated me. The medical doctor too put his hand in my womb. When he removed his hand from inside my body, he told me that he had given an injection right inside my womb. I felt very cold right inside my womb. I felt the womb was ab-

normally cold for a long period of time. I was worried and I met another medical practitioner who examined me and told me that my womb was too cold to take in again in life. I became more confused and worried. For four years, I was called different names such as barren woman, vulture, a man, etc. Many persons insulted me and I was nearly pushed out of the house. I continued in my search for a baby. I even met an Alhaji who assured me that I had come to the end of the journey, (to the last stop). He asked me to come with my husband, which I did. He prescribed a long list of expensive items for me, including a big fowl that in 1995 cost N550. In 1995, the biggest normal fowl could be about N150. It is funny to tell you what happened to the fowl. After the spiritual work by the spiritualist (Alhaji) the wife prepared a special dish with the very big fowl for only me. In the midst of my husband, the Alhaji, the wife and myself, I was mandated to eat the big fowl alone, without breaking a single bone while others watched. The Alhaji said unfailingly, I would miss my menses, and that the fowl automatically would turn to a baby. Lo, and behold, after few days, my menses came and all hope was gone. In fact, the eating of the fowl alone was a punishment to me, I felt. One day, a woman who was my neighbour insulted me as usual, saying if I was not a vulture I should take in and deliver a child. I cried and wept, until the mother of my landlord came to me and spoke to me in Igbo. She said, “Nwam, iga aga fellowship?” It means: “My child, go to fellow-

ship at Alode.” I had not heard of the church before and the old woman giving me the instruction was not even a member of the church. The full name was Christian Fellowship Deliverance Church (now Commonwealth Covenant Church Int’l). She understood that I did not know the church, so she saw a female member of the church and handed me over to her. She was going to the church for a miracle night service on that Friday. I took my head tie and followed immediately. I enjoyed the service and it appeared as if the message was for me alone. At the end of the service, I went to see the General Overseer, Rt. Rev. M.O. Kattey, who prayed for me. For seven days, it appeared as if all evil things in my womb were flushed out. I decided to be worrying the General Overseer and his wife always for prayers and deliverance. Believe me; I did not see my menses again. I took in for the first time after marriage! I did not spend any kobo. The Lord heard my prayers. I did not have ideas about the ‘window of the Devil’ mentioned in this book, so I fought and quarrelled bitterly with a neighbour who insulted me because of no baby, and miscarried a three-month pregnancy. I wept. The General Overseer asked me what I did, and I confessed that I quarrelled and fought with my neighbour. He consoled and lectured me on how to retain my deliverance and blessings, and prayed for me. I took in again and by the grace of God gave birth to a baby boy by C.S. (Caesarean Service). That night because of the operation I

WORD OF LIFE by

Bishop Moses Kat tey Tel: 08087707486, Email: moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

was not able to get up but my baby was crying and crying. The nurses on duty removed my baby from me and kept him somewhere but did not attend to him. I felt helpless, as I could not get up. My baby died. I felt like my world was collapsing. The doctors blamed the nurses on duty, but only comforted me. You can imagine my grief. I came home without a baby! My enemies were happy. One day, one woman laughed at me and was singing to irritate me. She said that what I had was bitter and that a mermaid gave me a baby. She said that that was why mine died but God gave her children and that’s why hers are alive. I cried bitterly for this song of hers but at a point, I found myself outside, saying, “Oh God of Rev. Moses Kattey, if you are the true God, give me my baby. If you are the true God, give my baby now.” I shouted this to the hearing of all, including the woman. I then went to my General Overseer for prayers. I took in that month that I challenged the God of Rev. Moses Kattey. In nine months’ time, I gave birth to a baby boy

and named him after my General Overseer, Rev. Moses Kattey, whose God I had challenged. At the first anniversary of my son, Moses, a boy boasted that even if Rt. Rev. Moses Kattey, the General Overseer, and the entire Commonwealth Covenant Church, prayed, I would never get a baby again. This boy mocked me without a cause. The boy even said that my only, Moses, would die soon. That night, my son fell very sick and I rushed him to his namesake, Rev. Moses Kattey, who prayed for him, and asked God for another child as a challenge. I took in that month and eventually gave birth to a baby girl in December 1999. The enemies even thought that I would die in that pregnancy but the Lord disappointed their expectations. Brethren, my testimonies are great but I have just summarized everything. Truly, I have seen that no woman is barren, and that Jesus can reverse every situation of yours to give you powerful testimonies. I am sure that you will have opportunity, like me, to give your own testimonies one day. Praise the Lord.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Faith

Revoking evil decree

here was a young man who was besieged with the disease of epilepsy. He comes so close to blessings but just in the nick of time, it eludes him. This became so bad that each time he is at the verge of getting married, this strange sickness would rear its ugly head and disgrace him, and he would return to normal after he had lost the opportunity. This affliction continued year in year out until the day he met a man of God who was able to unveil to him the source of his affliction; a decree was passed in his life by a wicked relative to waste his destiny. “Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed” Isa 10:1. A decree can be said to be a le-

gally binding command or decision entered in the court record or a rule backed up with authority. However, evil decrees are words spoken under satanic anointing to imprison, enslave, bewitch or destroy the destinies of men. They are specifically targeted at glories and destinies, to bring people down and frustrate the lives of men. Decrees can be of three kinds viz: · Satanic decree – usually issued for a destructive and demonic assignment. · The decree of man – This kind is often pronounced in a monarchy (kingdom) or in a military regime. · The decree of God; this speaks of the plan; purpose and counsel of God for His children and likewise to execute judgment

on His enemies. This satanic scheme was used in the Bible days when Pharaoh issued a decree that no Hebrew male child should be allowed to live (Ex 1:15-16). The same happened in the days of King Herod when he decreed that all male children from age two and below be slaughtered (Matt 2:16). It was the same decree that was in place to eliminate Queen Esther and the entire Jewish nation. But for divine intervention, the situation was salvaged and the enemies took their portion in death (Esther 3:8-15). The list is inexhaustible. There is an evil decree that runs and it is peculiar to every family with varying degrees of wickedness. In some families, this decree enforces untimely death, delay, stagnation, divorce, failing, health, poverty, terminal disease and hardship, to mention a few. “And a man’s foes will be those of his own household” Matt 10:36(RSV). This scripture exposes the atrocities of the satanic secretary who ensures that these decrees come to pass with or without your permission and more notable is the fact that these are close friends and family members. You must understand that you are born to shine on earth and this reason is responsible for the several attacks aimed at you from the camp of the

It won’t be long! H ear what the Bible says: “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he came whose right it is; and I will give it to him”. (Ezekiel 21:27). You will soon manifest because your generation is waiting for your turn, and now that it is your turn, no man should return to your ugly past. Let your spiritual tentacle be high for your destiny is about to speak. It won’t be long that your ceased voice will be heard again in a more positive form. You are just in transit to your dreams actualization. If I may remind you, that delay is never a denial, something good and memorable is coming out of it. It is said that a patient dog, though you are not a dog eats the fattest bone. In the case of failure which is not final, the story of Thomas Edison, should spur out the hidden giant in you. This I detailed in my book “MOVING ABOVE EQUILIBRIUM”. He was sent out of the classroom for academic dullness. Though sent out of the classroom, he determined to rough it out on his own in the research laboratory. The result of his self development was the discovery of electric motor etc. it won’t be long you shall turn a celebrated celebrity. There is a connection that will connect you to the connected. And the connected will keep you connected. There is an end to suffering and ugly situation. Don’t give up. Without doubt, there is a desire on your mind. The burning expectation of moving to a new level, a hunger and thirst for af-

fluence, these and lots more are eating you up. Hold your peace and hang on God. The Assyrians felt they arrived as war lords and traumatizers. The paraded their powers against the Lord and his people. “ For he saith, by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. And my hand had found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. (Isaiah 10:13-14) The enemy was mouthy and spoke proudly and arrogantly against God and his people, Israel. Are people taking advantage of you because you are poor and of a low estate? It won’t be long and you will be speedily moved to the next level of surprise and bewilderment to them. In response to this deviant attitude of the Assyrians king, God now asked a puzzling question…. “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Or shall the saw magnify itself against he that shaketh it? As if the rod should itself against them that lift it up, if it were no wood. Therefore shall the LORD, the lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like a burning of a fire”(Isaiah 10:15-16). It is an act of stupidity and idiocy for man to boast against his cre-

ator and maker. If you brag and close up the source of your supply who then will help you in time of adversity? If you, out of your flippant tongue detach yourself from your source, who then will sustain you? As I said in one of my books, the source of a thing is the sustainer of that thing. God is the source of life; we must have to cleave to Him for sustenance. WHAT CAN GOD NOT DO IF HE WANTS? The secret of every strength and might is within His jurisdiction. By His inherent search warrant, he locates and dislocates seats of powers. Can any deity or powers withstand God? No force can challenge Him and still stand a trip top. I Samuel chapter 5, can attest to my point. “And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer when the Philistines took the ark of God; they brought it unto the house of Dragon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold Dragon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord; and the heard of Dragon and both the palms of his hand were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dragon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dragon, nor any that comes into Dragon’s house. Tread on the threshold of Dragon in Ashdod unto this day. So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines, and said, sent away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slays us not, and our people: for there was deadly destruction

enemy against the fulfillment of your God-given assignment. When such decrees are issued, they are kept in their archives waiting for appropriate time of manifestation, depending on the timing associated with it (satanic programming). If such does not come to pass in your days, they remain as effective and valid as ever waiting to be enforced on coming generations. Can you now see why you must stand and fight to destroy the satanic decree issued against your generation? Now, say this loud and clear, “my head, you will not respond to satanic decree in Jesus name.” The decree your father struggled with, you will break away from it in Jesus name. These satanic decrees can be programmed into diverse mediums such as spell, bewitchment, manipulation, demonic embargo, seeing strange animals (crab, snail & tortoise) in your dream, serving in the dream, breakdown at the point of breakthrough. Unfortunately, this decree can affect generations yet unborn. It does not respect your personality but can be destroyed on the altar of warfare prayers. For you to be free from this siege: • You must be are genuinely born again • Confess all ancestral sins you are connected with.

• Revoke and pray against satanic decrees issued against your life • Cast out the demon or powers backing the decree. Isa. 43:1-4 • Raise an altar to alter and destroy this satanic decree because an altar was raised to issue the decree and for you to be free, a greater altar must be raised against it. PRAY LIKE THIS 1. Fire of the Living God, burn to ashes every satanic decree operating in my life 2. Every decree of darkness that is older than me in age, be swallowed up by the Blood of Jesus 3. Satanic decree familiar with my family, be erased by the blood of Jesus 4. Every decree of darkness in charge of my affliction, destroy your owner 5. Holy Ghost, slaughter every satanic secretary enforcing evil decree in my life. In Jesus name. I know you have been blessed. Write and share your testimonies, comments, etc., through; info@thehebrewsng.com. Hotlines-01-7903163, 08085845864. You can also listen to messages on our podcast at www.thehebrewsng. com/podcast. Rev’d Femi Akinola – The Hebrews International, Lekki, Lagos.

DIVINE WORD by

Pastor Vero Ezeh Tel: 08033378287

throughout all the city; the hand of God was heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven”. (I Samuel 15:1-12) Here we can see: • The mutilation of Dragon god • The massive destruction and the plaguing of the city dwellers with emeralds. • God is the universal field marshal. • The adjutant general of heavenly army • He is mightier than the mightiest and higher than the highest. I don’t know the force terrorizing your environment. I don’t know the satanic kingdom holding you hostage. I don’t equally know the bottle with which they have cocked your destiny. Despite the onslaughts of Satan and his messengers, your set time for freedom is now. Hear this, extra-ordinary visitation requires extra-ordinary preparation. Your preparedness will announce your readiness. While your readiness will attract results that will remove your insults Among other requirement, the major condition for God to fight your battle is sound salvation. If you are not born again, surrender your life to him who died

and paid the price for your sins. Then look for a Bible believing church and attend for your spiritual growth. The choice is yours. As for me and my household, we have chosen to serve the LORD unreservedly. Here comes the core of this information an insightful write up. God now stamping His authority as the LORD God of hosts, said, 0” my people that dwelleth in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrians: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and my anger in their destruction” (1 Samuel 10:24:25). The enemies may come with different strategies to smite your destiny. He may play on your intelligence. He might as well ask “where is your God?” nevertheless, stand right and see God disgracing him. God is saying that the threat of your enemies is for a short while. Soonest, He (God) will register His anger upon them. They will be visited with calamities, misfortunes and massive annihilation. My sister, it won’t be long your case will receive prompt answer. Beloved, it is not yet late until you are late; neither will it be over until you are over. Don’t dry off, there is refreshing in you.

Football Middlesbrough’s best option for me -Kenneth Omeruo p.62

African Athletics Championships

Alli predicts victory for Team Nigeria p.63

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/sport

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

AUGUST 10, 2014

Dapo Sotuminu, Deputy Sports Editor dapo.sotuminu@newtelegraphonline.com 08099400190, 08038154192

Sp rt

Chika Amalaha

Doping: Nigeria shouldn’t dump Amalaha -Ogbeifo Dapo Sotuminu

N London

Ruth Ogbeifo

igeria Olympic weightlifting silver medallist, Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin, has sent a passionate plea to the National Sports Commission’s Director General, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye, not to allow 16-year-old weightlifter, Chika Amalaha, rot away in condemnation. Ogbeifo, who won her silver medal at the Sydney Olympics 2000, begged the Nigerian sports authorities not to use the failed dope test at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as the excuse to dump the young weightlifter, who obviously made what she called a pardonable mistake. “The mistake she made is pardonable because the drug she took wasn’t taken for the purpose of enhancing her performance rather for weight loss. She has been very consistent, as she performed the same feat in Botswana during the Africa Youth Games two months ago. What she lifted

in Glasgow was the same thing she lifted in Botswana where she did not have any foreign substance in her system. She did not lift an extra-ordinary weight that could have raised suspicion. “While waiting for the action of the International Weightlifting Federation, IWF, after the Commonwealth Games Federation withdrew her gold, the weightlifter should not be treated like an orphan. And when the ban eventually comes, she should be encouraged to continue to do her best in training for the duration of the ban. “I believe strongly that Chika will become a world class lifter. If I am given the opportunity, I would take her into my training camp in London where she would be kept away from the win at all costs coaches who may encourage her to use banned substances. And in two years, you won’t believe what she would have become under my care. We should not allow her to switch off.” Ogbeifo, said she understood the plight of Chika Amalaha to reduce her body weight, but she

abhors the use of drugs that contain prohibited substances. “I had a direct experience with the issue of increased weight at the Sydney Olympic Games where I lifted the same weight with the athlete that won the gold, but she was pronounced winner as my body weight was heavier than her own by one kilogram. “So when Chika fell into the trap, I knew what she was trying to avoid, but that notwithstanding, the team’s coach, Emmanuel Oshoma, was liable and should be held responsible.” Ogbeifo said it is high time, the NSC settles the case of coaching in the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation. “Until this is done, true and trained professionals like me won’t make any move to coach Nigeria. I am calling on the NSC to intervene in the NWF problem which is basically coaching and allow true professionals who have felt the pains and won valuable medals for Nigeria to take charge. When this is done the glory days of weightlifting would return,” she said.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Sport

Review of XX COMMONWEALTH GAMES GLASGOW 2014

How the unknowns fared at the Commonwealth Games T hey travelled in search of recognition, knowing they were unlikely to return with medals. At the Olympics, Norfolk Islanders had to settle for being part of Australia’s vast team. But the Commonwealth Games, which ended Sunday night, offered the tiny south Pacific outpost a platform to stand proudly on the world stage, competing under its own flag. It hardly matters that the island has now collected just one medal from eight trips to the multi-sport event for former British colonies - bronze in lawn bowls in 1994 - because their hunger for competing is no less. “It’s very important for national pride,” Norfolk Island Sports Minister Tim Sheridan said. “It’s the pride we are doing it representing the island instead of Australia.” Sheridan - a direct descendent of Fletcher Christian, the ringleader of the 19th-century HMS Bounty

mutineers who settled on Norfolk - has not just been in Glasgow as a government figurehead. He was on the bowling green as one of Norfolk’s 23 competitors. The island, which is 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles) northeast of Sydney, was one of 71 teams from the former British Empire competing in the Commonwealth Games - disparate lands united by the link to British monarchy. “It’s a chance for the lesser territories to show what they have,” Sheridan said. “It’s great to have the opportunity to play against the best in the world. The Olympics might be the world but at the Commonwealth Games we are one family.” It’s a family that has presented itself as more united in sports than at the most-recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that was boycotted by many leaders because of host Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

Libby Clegg and guide runner, Mikail Huggins

Nigerian Medalists At A Glance Blessing Okagbare Aminat Adeniyi Abdulazeez Ibrahim Ese Brume Esther Oyema Loveline Obiji Maryam Usman Odunayo Adekuoroye Oluwatoyin Adesanmi Paul Kehinde Patience George Ada Benjamin Andrew Dick Bose Omolayo Dominique Duncan Ebikweminomo Welson Folashade Abugan Gloria Asumnu Itohan Ebireguesele Lawretta Ozoh Ndidi Winifred Obioma Okoli Olufunke Oladoye Omolara Omotosho Rolland Ezuruike Regina George Tosin Oke Yinka Ayenuwa Amas Daniel Bode Abiodun Blessing Oborududu Blessing Onyebuchi Efe Ajagba Efetobor Apochi Edith Ogoke Hannah Rueben Ifeoma Nwoye Jide Ogidiolu Melvin Bibo Nkechi Opara Ojo Onaolapo Quadri Aruna Richard Okigbazi Sinivie Boltic Sampson Clarkson Segun Toriola

(Athletics): 2 gold, 1Silver. (Wrestling): 1 gold. (Powerlifting): 1 gold. (Athletics): 1 gold. (Powerlifting): 1 gold. (Powerlifting): 1 gold. (Weightlifting): 1 gold. (Wrestling): 1 gold. (Weightlifting): 1 gold. (Powerlifting): 1 gold. (Athletics): 2 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Wrestling): 1 silver. (Powerlifting): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Wrestling): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Weightlifting): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Weightlifting): 1 silver. (Weightlifting): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Powerlifting): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Athletics): 1 silver. (Weightlifting): 1 silver. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Table Tennis): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Boxing): 1 bronze. (Boxing): 1 bronze. (Boxing): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Table Tennis): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Table Tennis): 1 bronze. (Table Tennis): 1 bronze. (Athletics): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Wrestling): 1 bronze. (Table Tennis): 1 bronze.

“The games really galvanised the strong sense of community within the Commonwealth,” said David Grevemberg, who be-

comes chief executive of the games movement after running the Glasgow event. “There is a real connection.”

Commonwealth 2014 reignites friendly games

fter disappointing in Delhi in 2010, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were hailed as an unmitigated success, drawing some of the sporting world’s top stars and packed crowds to venues. The low-key Delhi Games were quickly forgotten as Scotland’s biggest city warmly embraced more than 4,000 athletes from 71 nations, 53 of them former British colonies, the rest mainly territories or dependencies. “Glasgow you really have delivered in every aspect the best Games ever,” Commonwealth Games Federation president, Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar, said. Opened in blisteringly hot conditions, the balmy weather eventually receded to ensure a traditionally wetter climax. But the rain did not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm on view at a host of top venues including Celtic Park, Ibrox and Hampden Park. Needless to say, Usain Bolt grabbed the headlines, the Jamaican sprint legend anchoring his team to gold in the men’s 4x100m relay. He had caused controversy in the lead-up to that after The Times reported that he had dubbed the Games a “bit shit.” Bolt, with six Olympic and eight world gold medals to his name, was vehement in his denial of the story. “The people were good, the food great and the energy was outstanding,” said Bolt, who revelled as a vibrant Hampden Park afforded him a hero’s welcome. East African giants Kenya topped the track and field medals table with 23 in total, including 10 golds, 10 silvers and three bronzes, with Bolt’s Jamaica second with 19 (10gold-3silver and-6bronze). There was no doubt that the outstanding overall performance on the track came not from Jamaica but the Kenyan women’s team, who won 13 of all 18 medals on offer between 800m and marathon, including all six golds. It was England who topped the overall medal table ahead of arch-rivals Australia, who will host the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, and Canada, with hosts Scotland finishing an unexpected fourth. Australia once again led the way in the pool, winning 19 of the 44 gold medals on offer, but their dominance was challenged by the home nations as England claimed 10

Action from the Wrestling event

gold medals, Scotland three and Wales their first female golds in the pool for 40 years thanks to Jazz Carlin and Georgia Davies. The Aussie women led the way with 11 golds in total, including three apiece for Emma Mckeown and Cate Campbell, whilst England’s Fran Halsall bounced back from a disappointing couple of years to take double sprint gold in the 50m butterfly and freestyle. There were also three gold medals for South Africa thanks to Olympic champions Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh with Le Clos ending a remarkable meet with a total of seven medals. However, Van der Burgh was beaten in his preferred event, the 100m breaststroke, by 19-year-old English sensation Adam Peaty, who also played a huge part in his team’s medley relay gold as he swam his leg over a second faster than Australian world champion Christian Sprenger. Australia dominated on the track as they won 20 medals including seven gold. Anna Meares successfully defended her 500m time trial title and won silver in the sprint to join New Zealand’s Gary Anderson as the most decorated cyclist in Games history with eight medals. New Zealand’s men won four titles in the Velodrome to end a 12-year drought with Sam Webster’s double gold in the individual and team sprint, more success coming for the Kiwis with Linda Villumsen taking the time trial gold and Anton Cooper winning the mountain bike event. England had success in the form of Olympic champions Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott as they claimed the 3000m pursuit and 25km points race respectively but the men were left without a gold on the track for a second successive games. Alex Dowsett showed them the way as he won the time trial while Lizzie Armitstead went one better than New Dehli as she won gold in the women’s road race. A dramatic finale saw Geraint Thomas became the first Welsh winner of the road race. South Africa trumped New Zealand for gold in the rugby sevens, a sport that will feature in the Rio Olympics in 2016. The Games were relatively free of doping cases, the highest profile that of former world 400 metres champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana, who tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Sport

Review of XX COMMONWEALTH GAMES GLASGOW 2014

It was Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games

t’s hard to imagine what the XX Commonwealth Games would have been like without the Jamaican spark and flavour and what it would have been like without the Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt, who brought stardust to the meet and to the city. There was excitement, as there was anxiety, as people got nervy he wasn’t going to show. But he finally took to the track in the semi-final heats of the men’s 4x100m, and Glaswegians were relieved. They had seen their messiah. Bolt further obliged a day later in the final with a scintillating anchor leg to lead Jamaica to gold in a meet record and worldleading 37.58 seconds on a wet Hampden Park track, showing that the weather failed to put a damper on Bolt and his fired-up relay teammates of Jason Livermore, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Nickel Ashmeade. The Jamaicans already had the world record of 36.84 seconds, set in London in 2012. And who could forget the images of the world’s fastest man streaking to victory in that brilliant race? Jamaica’s 22 medals in Glasgow represent one of the best-ever hauls in the Commonwealth Games, or any other major championship for that matter. The team secured 10 gold, four silver and eight bronze medals - the majority won in track and field as expected. Away from Hampden Park, Alia Atkinson won two of those medals - silver in the 50m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m breaststroke. And, on the final day of competition, the Sunshine Girls quenched their medal thirst by winning bronze by defeating England 52-48. On the track, the two sweeps took the cake. Firstly, the 400m 1-2-3 with Stephenie McPherson (50.67) winning gold, Novlene Williams-Mills (50.86) taking silver, and Christine Day (51.09) copping bronze. Seeing the women’s success, the men’s 200m trio got jealous and decided that they, too, could repeat this feat. And they obliged. Rasheed Dwyer (20.14) took gold, with Warren Weir (20.26) following close for silver, and Jason Livermore (20.32) with a late burst completed the sweep. On the final night of competition in track and field, the 4x400m relay team of Day, Williams-Mills, Anastasia Le-Roy, and McPherson ran a games record 3:23.82 minutes for gold. Nigeria won silver in 3:24.71, while England were third in 3:27.24. But the record bug did not just sting quarter-milers, the sprinters were also infected. Coming back from injury and showing little signs of not being fully fit, Olympic and World Championships gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a blistering anchor leg to guide the Jamaican team to a Commonwealth Games record and world-leading time of 41.83 seconds in the women’s 4x100m. Her teammates Kerron Stewart, Veronica Campbell Brown, and Schillonie Calvert got the baton around seamlessly to handover to the ‘Pocket Rocket’, who opened up the jets to finish in style. Nigeria was second for silver in 42.92 and England won bronze in 43.10. With the inimitable Usain Bolt on a relay team in a final, fireworks are bound to go off. And they did. In another games record and world-leading 37.58 seconds, the Jamaican men, with textbook baton changeovers, had no match. Jason Livermore, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Nickel Ashmeade were impeccable getting the baton around. And when it got to Bolt, he showed little of the rust of the day before in the semi-finals, and he was clearly after something more than just gold. He appeared in record-breaking mood. On the track, Andrew Riley (13.32) won gold in the 110m hurdles, so did Bailey-Cole (10:00) in the men’s 100m. In the latter event,

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt takes photos in the midst of spectators

Ashmeade (10.12) claimed bronze. Kaliese Spencer ended her gold medal drought by winning the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.10 seconds, ahead of Scotland’s Eilidh Child (55.02). Spencer’s compatriot and MVP Track Club teammate Janieve Russell (55.64) claimed the bronze medal. Other interesting results were the gold medals won by in the field by O’Dayne Richards in the shot put and Kimberly Williams in the triple jump. Richards took his gold in a meet record 21.61 metres, while Williams’ jump was measured at 14.21. Another success inside the track came when Jason Morgan won bronze in the men’s discus. The veteran and the decorated Campbell Brown (11:03) took silver in the women’s 100m, trailing the in-form Nigerian Blessing Okagbare (10:85). Campbell Brown’s teammate Stewart (11:07) took the bronze. “Certainly Jamaica’s performance has been outstanding, the track and field this

would blow anybody’s mind, and I think in a way... we had four relays, and they won three of them in record-breaking style, and of course our superstar Usain just blew the crowd away,” said Jamaica Olympic Association President Mike Fennell. “It was Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games,” he added. But with so many magical Jamaican moments, Fennell struggled to pick just one. “Many, many moments, but I would imagine that it would be when our girls did the one-two-three in the 400 metres, and when Alia Atkinson won silver, though she expected a win, but she swam her heart out and did very well. “We must remember the other sports that we didn’t win medals in like table tennis, badminton, the diver (Yohan Knight-Wisdom) was excellent. I did not get a chance to go to Shooting, because it was two hours away and things were so busy here,” said the former president of the Commonwealth

Games Federation. Technical director of the Jamaican athletic team, Maurice Wilson, thinks the Glasgow games were of very high quality. “I think it was the most competitive Commonwealth Games as almost all the top athletes were on ground.” With regard to the sublime sweeps, Wilson said they came as no surprise to him. “Once we have three runners in a final we are expected to take one-two-three. If it was not done then there would be disappointment... people just expect that trend to continue,” said the head coach at the 2012 London Olympics. He said that the high-quality coaching team in Glasgow must be applauded for a job well done. “We had coaches here of different skills sets, and the athletes were able to properly prepare. And I must congratulate the coaches as they have done well in developing the athletes,” Wilson expressed.

Glasgow 2014 Games by numbers

he Commonwealth Games has drawn to a close after 11 days, 174 medals and 71 Nations. Here are the other numbers which made the games what they were: 17 - The number of sports contested at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 1986 - The last Commonwealth Games that took place on Scottish soil was in Edinburgh 28 years ago 3 - This is the third time that a Scottish city has hosted the Commonwealth Games 25 - The maximum cost in pounds of twothirds of the total number of sports tickets at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 4,000 - The number of people who are carrying the baton during the relay in Scotland 248 - The number of days the baton travelled the world before arriving in Scotland 118,000 - The approximate number of miles covered before the baton arrived in Scotland 11 - The number of competition days at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 2,486 - The approximate number of miles the baton will travel in Scotland, across land, air and sea

70 - The number of Commonwealth nations and territories across the world that the baton has visited 400 - The number of Scottish villages, towns and cities to be visited by the Queen’s Baton Relay 288 - The total number of days the Queen’s Baton Relay has taken before being delivered to the Queen at the Opening Ceremony 30,000 – Number of towels in use at the Games 1 – Athlete who won gold after learning his sport on YouTube (Julius Yego from Kenya in the javelin) 62 – Percentage sales have risen in Tunnock teacakes since the opening ceremony featured the giant dancing teacakes 0 – The number of competitors Fiji were going to send to the games after they were told that their rugby sevens side could not take part 16 – Number of the 53 Commonwealth member countries HM Queen Elizabeth II is monarch of 2 – 13-year-olds who completed (gymnast Victoria Vincent and swimmer Erraid

Davies) 1 – Special light-up cone warn by Glasgow’s famous Duke of Wellington to mark the closing ceremony 11.6 – Tonnes of mushrooms prepared for the competitors over the 11 days 11 – Number of Commonwealth Games medals collected by one Australian family – Boyd family from Alexandra Headland 2 – Married couples who won gold (Chris and Gabby Adcock in badminton and Paul and Joanna Drinkhall in table tennis) 1 – Gold Medals Jersey has won since it started competing in 1958 140 – Games records broken this year 174 – English medals won in total 22 - Number of para-spots medals, the largest in Commonwealth Games history 16 – Years Viorel Etko has lived in Britain since seeking asylum before winning Scotland’s first wresting medal since 1994 8 – Millions of people who tuned in to watch the closing ceremony 454 – Number of flags in the opening ceremony. 5 – Millions of pounds raised by UNICEF during the games helping to “change lives.

AUGUST 10, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Sport

Middlesbrough’s best option for me – Kenneth Omeruo

Kenneth Omeruo got his season underway on Saturday, coming in as a fourth minute substitute as Middlesbrough took on Birmingham City at the Riverside Stadium in an English Championship game. In this interview with the Northern Echo, the 20-year-old reveals his reasons for opting to play for Middlesbrough ahead of a number of Premier League sides interested in his services

ess than six weeks ago Kenneth Omeruo was playing the last of his four matches at the World Cup in Brazil. He had been tasked with keeping France’s Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema quiet in Brasilia, just five days after facing Lionel Messi et al in Porto Alegre in the Group F date with Argentina. “Aside from the Iran game in the first match in Brazil, we were up against some of the best strikers around,” said Omeruo. “In the Bosnia game, they had (Edin) Dzeko. Argentina had Aguero, Higuain, Messi. In the game against France they had Benzema, (Olivier) Giroud ... all of these players are great strikers of the world. It was a great experience – and test - to be facing those players for my country.” The experience of playing in Brazil will never leave Omeruo. While he would have liked something other than his own Nigeria shirt to savour from an appearance against Argentina when he was dragged away for a routine doping test, he does at least have something to savour from the last16 tie with France. “I’ve got Benzema’s shirt, it’s at home, and it was a real honour to be on the same pitch competing with him because I’ve always regarded him as one of the best strikers around,” said Omeruo. For the young defender to have had the privilege of playing in every game for Nigeria at the World Cup highlights the high regard that there is for him both internationally and in England. As one of Chelsea’s rising talents, Jose Mourinho is keen to keep an eye on him and the season-long loan move to Middlesbrough merely highlights that. At first glance the prospect of playing in the Championship after an impressive World Cup does not look particularly attractive, particularly when there were options of moving to other Premier League clubs such as Queens Park Rangers or Hull City on loan. But there was more to this switch than simply picking the highest ranked team

to play for. As a valued member of the Chelsea development squad, Mourinho wants to keep the closest of eyes on his progress. That is why Aitor Karanka, the Portuguese’s former right-hand man, has been granted the opportunity to have him for the full campaign. “I know a lot of my friends back in Nigeria think I have not made the right decision to come back to Middlesbrough,” said Omeruo. “Last season’s loan here helped me a lot though, it gave me a lot of confidence before the World Cup. It has helped my career. “Chelsea also made it clear to me that they think this move is what is best for me. I had offers to play in the Premier League and other places, but Chelsea felt the training sessions would help me more here because the two sides have similar ideas on the training ground and systems. “Chelsea felt it would help me for next season. I spoke to Michael (Emenalo), the Chelsea sporting director, and he told me that Jose was happy with my performance at the World Cup and about the plans they have for me. “It’s not that my friends didn’t want me to go to Middlesbrough, it was just that my friends enjoyed watching me play in the World Cup and they want to keep seeing me play on TV every week. In Nigeria it would be the Premier League live every week on TV, to come in to the Championship they might not see me as much. Hopefully I can help Middlesbrough get to the Premier League.” The Premier League has always been Omeruo’s target since he started to play football as a youngster back home in Africa. Brought up in the highly-populated Abia State,

he earned himself a crack at Europe after working his way on to Nigeria youth team stage when he was spotted by a number of clubs. After short successful trials with Anderlecht and Standard Liege in Belgium, Chelsea moved in and signed him in 2012. “I think I’ve spent just three months at Chelsea since then,” said Omeruo, who has had lengthy loan spells with ADO Den Haag and Middlesbrough since to aid his development. Such is his approach to life the likeable and down to earth young man still feels extremely fortunate to have had the breaks to get where he has got already. He said: “When I was younger I had a nice life, I would just play with kids and help my mam in a small restaurant she runs. I was a young waiter at times! It was always fantastic for me because I came from a great family. They have always been there for m e

Omeruo

and encouraged me. “They have always been by my side and encouraged me to keep going. My younger brother, Lucky, is in Malta now playing football too. I also have a 15-year-old who is coming through, a really good player. I hope he is better than me. “But in Nigeria, the area where I come from, they love football. Thousands play football over there and you have to be really lucky to succeed. There are hundreds of really good footballers who have to go out and get normal jobs because they are not spotted. But they are good enough to be professional, that’s for sure. They just have to be lucky. “It’s really hard because if you can get in to the national team, the Under-17s, then you get the world to see you. You obviously have to be talented but there are only a few spots for that. In the trials there are a lot of people pushing for it. You have to be lucky and good on the trial days to play. I was and I have kept going ever since.” Having been here, there and everywhere in such a short space of time for club and country, Omeruo is excited about the next nine months and knowing where he will be playing. “I have done a lot of travelling around, so to come from London to Middlesbrough is not far at all,” he said. “When I was younger I went to Anderlecht and

then Standard Liege. When I was 18 I could not believe I had signed for Chelsea. I thought it was the fraudsters. In the end it happened and I was happy to be on loan because I did not have a visa to play in England. I had never been to Chelsea, people could not believe it.” Before he heads back for Chelsea he feels indebted to Middlesbrough supporters for the way they have responded to his performances during the second half of last season. He would love nothing more than to return to Stamford Bridge knowing he had brought top-flight football back to the Riverside. “Last season the fans gave me a lot of support,” said Omeruo. “They always wrote on my Instagram or Twitter feeds to come back. I see it as an opportunity to play regularly. It’s good to be back. I knew before the World Cup it was possible. I knew there was a big chance. “I would like to help the team to promotion. Last season the team played really well and we were winning games. I think it’s shaping up for an even better season. I just want to play as many games as I can in the Championship and stay fit. “The World Cup was such an amazing experience for me, but now it’s all about playing football again and improving as a player. Middlesbrough can help me do that and hopefully I can help them return to the Premier League.”

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2014

Sport / News

AFRICAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS Alli predicts victory for Team Nigeria Ifeanyi Ibeh

he coordinator of Nigeria’s Track and Field team to the 19th African Athletics Championships, Marrakech 2014, Yusuf Alli, is confident Nigeria would successfully defend the title it won two years ago. Speaking at the team’s Golden Tulip Hotel base, after training session, a confident Alli said for the competition which begins today: “After studying the entries and looking at our strength and those of our opponents, I can confidently tell you that we will win this championships with about eleven to twelve gold medals.” The former African Long Jump record holder, also dismissed fears over the prevalent hot weather in Marrakech which is a far cry from the cold and humid weather most members of the Nigerian team experienced at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. “I don’t think it will affect us,” said Alli, who was also at the Glasgow Games. “I have been there before and done it at this level. The weather will not affect us; this is Africa and our success in Glasgow will serve as morale booster for this championship. “We must not forget that the African Championship is a step down compared to the Commonwealth Games,” added Alli, winner of the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the Long Jump in 1990. He also expressed optimism that Team Nigeria will dominate in the sprints, and relays, as well as in the jumps- Long and Triple events. “Our athletes are highly motivated; we are ready to go. There are no injury concerns and the athletes are well behaved,” continued Alli. “With respect to our co-competitors, I can confidently say this is our championship. I know South Africa is here with a strong team, ditto Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and even hosts Morocco, since this championships also serves as qualifier for the IAAF Athletics World Cup slated for this same city and stadium next month. “But I am confident we will overcome all the opposition to be crowned champions of Africa again,” added Alli, who thanked the leadership of the National Sports Commission for their support for athletics.

Okagbare

Uzoenyi granted work permit M

amelodi Sundowns winger Ejike Uzoenyi has obtained his work permit and will arrive at the club this weekend, according to his agent. The 26-year-old joined the Brazilians in January, but was immediately loaned back to Enugu Rangers whom he had joined Sundowns from. Downs boss Pitso Mosimane was hopeful of having Uzoenyi available for the start of the season, but a delay with the Nigerian’s work permit meant that he is yet to join up with the Tshawne outfit. However, it appears that this situation has now been remedied. “We just received Ejike’s permit,” Uzoenyi’s advisor, Mohammed Lawal said. “We just came out of the South African High Commission in Abuja. He will now be heading to South Africa to join his team-mates. “We are excited now because Ejike missed the whole pre-season of the club due to the delay of getting the work permit. He joined his new club yesterday.”

Alabi loaned to Accrington

toke striker James Alabi has completed a move to Accrington on a one-month loan deal. Alabi, 19, has previously spent time on loan with Scunthorpe, Mansfield and Forest Green and joined in time to be named on Stanley’s bench for their season-opening clash with Southend. “We are pleased to have James on board,” Stanley boss and former Stoke striker James Beattie told his club’s official website. “He is a strong centre forward who will be a good addition to our squad.” Accrington announced the signing of former Bolton goalkeeper Jay Lynch on non-contract terms on Friday, and he lined up alongside Alabi on the bench on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs target another Nigerian youngster

couts of English Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur, are closely watching former Nigeria U-20 star player, Moses Simon Ajala. Already another Nigeria youngster, Musa Yahaya, has a pre-contract with the Londonbased club and is currently training with the club’s academy team. Kaduna-born Moses, 19, was first linked with Spurs in April 2013 and he is now valued at about two million pounds. It was recorded that scouts of the EPL club were impressed with the AS Trencin winger in both legs of the Slovak club’s unsuccessful Europa League

Uzoenyi

Eagles to battle Bafana in Cape Town

Alabi

he 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between South Africa and Nigeria will be played in Cape Town. The Super Eagles face Rwanda at home on September 6 in their opening match of the qualifying campaign before travelling to South Africa for the Bafana Bafana clash at the Cape Town Stadium on September 10. Nigeria are in Group A with South Africa,

Rwanda and Sudan and the defending African Champions are expected to cruise through and qualify for the African showpiece being hosted by Morocco in January - February 2015 . The last time Nigeria played in Cape Town was during the African Nations Championship (Chan) in January 2014 where along the way to finishing runners up they beat hosts South Africa 3-1.

Ajala

qualifier against Hull City. Moses, who was at a time reported to have signed for Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, has been very impressive since joining Trenchin in January. He has scored nine goals in 17 appearances for the club, including seven in his last five league matches. He failed to make the final cut to the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey. His agent, Tony Harris, is also known to have strong links with Spurs and even arranged for Nigeria World Cup midfielder, Reuben Gabriel, to train there earlier this year before he finally signed for Belgian club, Beveren.

SPORT Doping: Nigeria shouldn’t dump Amalaha – Ogbeifo

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Silent massacres in Taraba State P reoccupied with the Boko Haram scourge in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, Nigerians are not aware of the daily mass massacres of innocent Nigerians in yet another North East State – Taraba. On a daily basis, Nigerians are being slaughtered in this state and the governments - both federal and state-consider the situation as very normal. There is nothing to indicate that the horrors going on there constitute a source of worry. Last week, the media reported that 20 people were killed in Ibi. This particular incident enjoyed the luxury of media reportage because Ibi by Taraba standards is a town. Deep in the hinterland of the state, more serious mass killings take place daily without a single mention. Taraba today is ruled by Alhaji Garba Umar. He became Acting Governor in a theatrical style. Governor Danbaba Suntai was elected in 2007and again in 2011 with Sani Abubakar Danladi as his deputy. On October 4 2012, the state House of Assembly impeached the deputy governor. If Danbaba Suntai had no hand in the misfortunes of his deputy, the speed with which he nominated Garba Umar to succeed his disgraced deputy suggested that he was happy at the sack. Exactly one week after he swore in his brand new Muslim deputy, Governor Danbaba Suntai, a Christian piloted an aircraft to a near fatal crash. When the news broke out in Jalingo the state’s capital, the Muslims jubilated that at long last this was their time to govern the predominantly Christian state. The Christians reacted angrily that a Muslim will rule the state over their dead bodies. That was the day Taraba started what is fast becoming its slippery road to religious blood, fire and anarchy. In the ensuing transition imbroglio, some of us - even as Christians - stood by the constitution. We argued consistently that Garba Umar had every right to take the office of his boss since the man suffered severe injuries and needed medical help. The state House of Assembly did the right thing and invoked the doctrine of necessity to promote the newly appointed deputy governor to Acting Governor. And as the days dragged on to weeks and weeks to months, some of us argued as I did in Daily Trust of May 21 and Peoples Daily of May 20 2013 that Danbaba should be relieved of his office to take care of his health while Garba Umar should take his seat substantially. Even as late as May/June this year, when Senator Emmanuel Bwacha unleashed a virulent criticism of the Acting Governor, full of religious venom, I criticized the Senator on June 29 in my column and on these very pages. But while some of us are ready to stick out our necks to offend our Christian brethren so that Umar will have a chance to govern Taraba and govern it well, the man appears determined to prove us wrong. Nobody who as a chief security officer of a state supervises the mass killings of those who believe in traditional African religion, Islam or Christianity like it is happening today in Taraba can convince me that he has read the 1999 constitution; a person who allows this to happen as endlessly as is the case today in Taraba certainly does not know what governance is all about. Following last week’s killings in Ibi, the Taraba state Security Council met under

the chairmanship of the acting governor. It was resolved that any traditional ruler or council chairman who allowed communal violence in his domain will face the music. It was also announced that more patrol vans would be distributed to the police to ensure surveillance of the troubled areas of Wukari, Ibi, Donga, Takum, Bali, Gassol, and Gashaka. These are some of the areas where Nigerians of all religious convictions and tribal affiliations are brutally murdered every day in a routine manner. As governor, Danbaba Suntai was not perfect. He had many shortcomings. But one thing you couldn’t fault the sick governor on was his handling of security matters. Taraba under his predecessor, Jolly Nyame was nothing but a fantastic zoo where people just killed others casually. The horrors then even spilled over to Benue in 2001 with the butchering of Nigerian soldiers in Zaki Biam and the subsequent invasion of a whole senatorial district and massive extra judicial executions by the army. The horrors of that event shocked the world and caused the US to impose military sanctions on the Nigerian military. Danbaba changed that trend. Between 2007 and 2012, he was able to maintain the peace. Some of the measures he took are what the acting governor announced last week that he is going to do. What stopped the acting governor from putting these measures in place long before now? Why did he allow innocent lives to be lost before taking these actions – actions that had produced positive results for Danbaba. It is like bolting the cage after the cat has found its way out. In an article last year, I urged the Taraba House of Assembly to confirm Umar because he needed the full executive powers enjoyed by Danbaba to stem the steady degeneration into anarchy in the state. It is now over one year since I wrote that article but the Taraba state Assembly has not confirmed him as governor. Regrettably, the

MAMA LASISI

Umar

man himself appears to be working very hard to convince me and others that he does not have the capacity to be a governor, let alone stem the tide. The acting governor has approved the purchase of vehicles for distribution to the police. It looks like motor dealers are having a contract bonanza in Taraba. We have heard of many vehicles going to the Taraba police command before and yet nothing has changed. I hope contactors are not feasting on the carcass of our unfortunate brothers and sisters who are being killed on a daily basis in the bushes of Taraba. A few weeks back, I read in several newspapers where the Taraba police commissioner Mrs. Karifite Adeyemi delivered a message to the Tiv indigenes of Taraba. According to the newspaper reports, the acting governor sent his police chief to tell the Tiv people of Taraba to go to Benue and tell the Tiv people of Benue to allow the Fulani’s to return and graze their cattle there; if they failed to do so, the Tiv of Taraba would

know no peace. I have waited for three weeks for either the acting governor or the commissioner of police to disown the statement. I am yet to see a disclaimer. Will I then be wrong to believe the newspaper report? When a state chief executive or his police chief harbors this twisted mental status, it is a recipe for disaster. Do the Tiv people of Taraba dictate what happens in Benue? Is their right to life and property not a fundamental human right but a function of the policy direction of a state government where they neither belong nor reside? By sending Tiv indigenes of Taraba to Benue to go in search of solutions for the problems they face in their state of Taraba, the acting governor is telling them that they have no stake in Taraba and or that their lives and property are not the problem of Taraba State. This is rather ironic. I have it on authority that the acting governor is of the Wurukum ethnic extraction and that he was either born or grew up in Benue state. Today, there is a substantial Wurukum community in Benue. In fact, a whole ward of Markurdi, the Benue state capital is named Wurukum. If this community has some security challenges in Benue, will Governor Suswam of Benue be doing the right thing if he fails to protect them but instead sends them to Jalingo to go and ask their ‘brother’ Umar to change his policies in Taraba before he can attend to their security needs? Somebody should tell the acting governor that his directive is discriminatory and against the spirit and letter of the 1999 constitution. Before this unconstitutional directive by the acting governor, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha had issued an inflammatory press statement in which every action of the acting governor was cast in the mould of Christians versus Muslims. At the time, I challenged the Senator, advising him to stop stoking up the flames of religious conflict in Taraba. But as I watch events in Taraba unfold, it may just be true that Bwacha was right and Umar is a culprit in this endless bloodletting. Finally, it should be clear to Umar that he cannot chase the Tiv out of Taraba. Look at the travails they have gone through in the past 20, 30 years from the Gongola days till today. They have been massacred and their properties destroyed again and again. But they have always come back to Taraba. The simple reason for theirsuicidal journeys back to Taraba is that they have no other land theycan call their own. Before now, I had implicit trust in Umar. I thought he was a Prince of peace brought to Taraba by divine will. I’am tempted today to believe I was wrong after all.

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By Aliu Eroje