Binder1 aug 23, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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2015: Jonathan will run, Clark insists Vol. 1 No. 186

l Claims

president resisted pressure to appoint IG from SouthSouth Tunde Oyesina

Abuja

jaw leader and former federal commissioner of information, Chief Edwin Clark, on Friday said President Goodluck Jonathan would seek reelection in 2015, adding that he is qualified to do so and nobody can stop him. According to him, four additional years of a Jonathan government will not bring the nation to an end. “Jonathan will contest in 2015 because of two things: one, he is qualified to do so under the law and, secondly, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Two spouses of dead Ebola patients test positive in Lagos

l Govt to meet families of deceased on planned disposal of corpses l Nigeria and Liberia in near diplomatic row over Sawyer’s cremation Obinna Odoh, Comfort Chukwu and Appolonia Adeyemi Abuja/Lagos

he federal government has announced that two persons who were in contact with patients who died of the Ebola virus have tested positive in Lagos. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who disclosed this Friday at a press briefing in Abuja said the two individuals are spouses (a wife and a husband) of the primary contacts. This information comes just as the promoters of Minerals for Life Ltd, the Nigerian-owned biotech company

behind the manufacture, and marketing of Nano Silver, denied it ever claimed that the drug was a “cure for Ebola”. The firm said it simply donated its “Nano Silver immune booster to assist patients with the Ebola virus because of the history of the use of Silver Solution”. In a press statement signed by Adetunji Fadayiro, its coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa, the firm said its brand of Nano Silver was classified as a dietary supplement. It said its attention was drawn to “a claim that Nano Silver solution which is marketed for human consumption and ingestion is a pesticide. “Nano Silver is approved

by the US Department of Agriculture and Food with a pesticide registration,” adding that it also has a food establishment approval from the same agency. The claim by the United States Food and Drug Administration that Nano Silver was a pesticide put paid to the federal government’s earlier announced plan to give the drugs to patients with the Ebola virus. According to the health minister, the two new cases take the total number of Ebola Virus cases in Nigeria to 14 including the index case. “This now brings to four CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

JULIUS AGWU ‘Let’s see how expensive my guber ambition joke gets’ P.19

Showbiz

JODIE

Dreaming another hit like kuchi kuchi P.21

Showbiz

3-day-old Nigerian baby in UK learns to feed self P.10 Street Diary

Lagos State Gov. Babatunde Fashola, flanked by the State’s Head of Service, Mrs Oluseyi Williams (left); and Deputy Governor Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire (right), at a retreat for members of the State Executive Council and Body of Permanent Secretaries In Lagos on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

Made-in-Nigeria stallion vehicles hit market P.6

Marwa: Why PDP will grant me waiver p.5 News

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

OpeningShot

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

23 AUGUST 2014

‘Nigeria embodies the hopes and challenges faced by Africa’ This year’s World Economic Forum on Africa held in Nigeria was mostly overshadowed by security concerns and the global outrage caused by the abduction of female students in a Nigerian school. How did that affect the deliberations and overall organization? As Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, it made perfect sense to hold the meeting in Nigeria. While it is a land of opportunity, it also suffers from many problems commonplace across Africa: population pressure, unemployment, weak institutions. Our aim is always to bring people together to come up with sustainable solutions. With this ideal as inspiration, we worked with the local private sector and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch the Safe School Initiative. The initiative will invest an initial sum of $20 million aimed at creating safer learning environments in Nigeria. This includes reinforcing school infrastructure such as building boundary walls, deploying armed guards, training staff as safety officers and implementing rapid-response systems. At the community level, the initiative will support local education committees, teacher-student-parent defence units and religious leader engagement. Our commitment to the Nigerian people did not end with the meeting. We will continue to work with them to find sustainable solutions even as the situation in the country continues. It would be easy to lose hope while watching the news about Nigeria, Central Africa or Kenya, but it is only by working together that we will be able to achieve our goals of a brighter future for all Africans. Did the Forum at any time consider moving the meeting elsewhere? We took the security concerns very seriously, but we firmly believe that dialogue and face-to-face meetings can support future economic growth that will benefit everyone. We went to Abuja to advance the dialogue; there never was a more urgent need to advance inclusive growth in Africa. Nigeria is a country that embodies the hopes and challenges faced by the whole continent. These challenges cannot be ignored. The Forum wanted to address this issue and provide all its resources to support the Nigerian people in this difficult time. This pledge continues to drive our work and motivates the Forum towards seeking innovative partnerships. It is through collaboration that we can find the solutions we are seeking. Most Forum meetings round off with much optimism ‒ like the one in Abuja‒ which seems to dissipate only a few months after. Does the Forum team usually conduct post-meeting assessments to ascertain to what extent expectations are met? The meetings are an opportunity to start the conversations, but it is the solutions and shared experiences that propel the Forum forward. An example of this would be the launch of the Africa Skills Initiative to tackle the problem of youth unemployment in Africa, which stands at 60 percent. The initiative will bring together educators and businesses to bridge the gap between the education system and the job market. Unfortunately, too few young Africans benefit from the growth experienced in the past decade and African businesses face a skills mismatch. We need to create jobs, but we also need to ensure that young Africans have the skills required to succeed. This will not be achieved with one conversation or meeting, but we are

committed to working with our partners over the coming months to create relevant solutions for Africa. A lot of the commentary on the remarkable figures that emerged from Nigeria’s rebased GDP has highlighted the fact that a higher percent of the country’s population still live in poverty; do you also see it from that perspective or view it from a much bigger picture? Africa’s accelerating growth has been matched by pervasive inequality, poverty and high unemployment rates which are undermining its achievements and compromising its future. Nonetheless, African countries need to be praised when they take action to address these major challenges. Nigeria is such a country. Statistics show that in the 1990s its economy was shrinking and on the verge of collapse with a growth rate of about 2.5% between 2003 and 2006. However, over the past decade, Nigeria has seen a turnaround of vast significance, with an average growth of 7% per year. This has enabled the creation of 1.6 million new jobs per year. The objective of the meeting was to advance the conversation and ensure that this growth is also inclusive and sustainable. This means taking measures to create jobs, improve skills and create a tolerant, respectful environment in which every African can enjoy the optimism and opportunity that we see in the region. What do you consider the defining lessons since the World Economic Forum on Africa was launched? Africa’s potential is bigger and wider than imagined, but we still need continued creativity and training. The solutions will not be obtained by only one section of the population and all stakeholders must be part of the conversation and implementation. It is not the sole responsibility of governments, civil society or business to solve the problems. All of these communities must come together to develop sustainable solutions through partnerships. There is no onesize-fits-all solution for the continent. Most Forum meetings on Africa take place in South Africa; what criteria does the Forum normally consider in deciding the host country for any given year? In the past, we held the majority of our African meetings in South Africa. But in recent years we have used the meeting as an opportunity to showcase emerging economies such as Tanzania,

Ethiopia and most recently Nigeria. The motivation is always to bring leaders together in a location that will stimulate discussion and ideas that will bring about the changes that Africa needs to prosper. As the biggest African economy, Nigeria proved to be such a venue. Have you already decided where you will host the next Africa meeting? The next World Economic Forum on Africa will be held from 3 to 5 June in Cape Town, South Africa. Given the trade imbalance that exists between Africa and the West, do you think that a bigger potential exists in economic relations between African countries? Africa needs to further regionalize to fully exploit its economic opportunities. Africans need to lead the way in investing in Africa. There are already a plethora of regional economic communities that operate throughout Africa but they lag behind Asia and Europe. Intra-African trade is a mere 10 percent to 12 percent, whereas in the European Union it is about 70 percent. There has been some integration within regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East Africa Community (EAC), but more progress needs to be made. To move the process forward, the World Economic Forum is working to support regional integration and create a more conducive environment for business by removing obstacles to trade. We have been doing so through projects such as the Africa Strategic Infrastructure Initiative, which seeks to accelerate progress on transnational infrastructure development, and the call to action on travel facilitation and travel mobility, which was signed by President Paul Kagame, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Moussa Mara in Nigeria.

Kanza... says WEF always seeks to bring leaders together to stimulate ideas.

PHOTO: KONNECTAFRICA.NET

Despite being held amid security concerns and the ugly shadow cast by the abduction of over 200 female students by Boko Haram, the World Economic Forum on Africa rounded off last May in Abuja on an optimistic note. Elsie Kanza, the Forum’s director and head of Africa, speaks with Laurence Ani

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Content 23.08.14 INSTYLE

CO N TI N U ED F RO M PAGE 1

he has performed well to the extent that those who voted him in 2011 are willing to do so again. “Nobody has a right to stop him from contesting. Every president who has ruled this nation spent two terms. We voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari as president in 1979 and 1983, respectively. “Everybody in this country is created equal, no matter the tribe, gender or background as long as such person is a Nigerian and educated.” Although unstated in explicit terms, Clark’s views would be perceived as a response to the Northern Elders Forum’s stance that Jonathan should forget his presumed bid for re-election if the abducted Chibok girls were not rescued by October. Clark spoke in Abuja while playing host to a

Baby Bump Show

Fashion in pregnancy was once a closet subject; but increasing embrace of pop culture especially as showcased by celebrities is giving pregnant women their day in the sun.

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SHOWBIZ

Not Another Tuface

Joe EL has a striking resemblance with Tuface and his music does, in fact, sound like his. The singer whose real name is Joel Amadi narrates his tortuous walk to realising his dream and why Tuface will remain inimitable.

}22

THE ARTS Naked Truth

Wande George’s ongoing solo exhibition titled Naked Truth which opened last Saturday at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, asks some existential questions about Nigeria’s state of affairs.

group that call itself “Northern Women Mass Movement for President Jonathan 2015 Ambition”. Clark said it was unfortunate for some northern politicians to claim that Jonathan has not done anything for the North. He noted that it was unprecedented in the history of the nation for two inspectors-general of police to be appointed consecutively from the North. “When people who are close to Jonathan advised him to appoint someone from the South-South as IGP, he said ‘no’. This is because, he is not sentimental. He appointed two heads of service consecutively who are from the North. He created 10 new federal universities in the Northern region. “It is a feat that has not been achieved by anybody. He built al-majiri schools in the North, rail system has been resuscitated.

“Some people say Jonathan is parochial that he is developing his own people. We say, ‘no, those of us in the South-South are even complaining,’” Clark stated. Speaking on the Chibok girls, Clark said he was optimistic that all the abducted students would be rescued safely. “If the president had approved the use of force to free the girls, some of them would have died, and the same people will still shout that Jonathan have killed our girls. Those girls will come back to join us to build the nation.” The leaders of the delegation, Halima Tukur from Kebbi State and Mrs Paulen Tallen, former deputy governor of Plateau State told Clark that they were on a visit to express the solidarity and support of all Northern women to President Jonathan’s elec-

toral ambition. They pledged their support and commitment towards Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. Clark described the women’s action as commendable, urging them to appeal to other northern women to give their full support to President Jonathan. “I really commend the Northern women, we just finished the national conference, and for the very first time, I saw a large number of Northern women who participated brilliantly. It shows there is a dawn of a new era. I am so happy that a new Nigerian has been born. “You can all testify to it that Jonathan is gender sensitive. During his reign, more women have been appointed into positions of power and he is still promoting the affairs of women. Very soon the Chibok girls will be released,” Clark said.

Govt to meet families of deceased on planned disposal of corpses CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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the total number of Ebola Virus Disease patients currently under treatment at the isolation ward. “The number of deaths still remains five while the number of those successfully managed and discharged also stands at five,” Chukwu explained, adding that the federal government is working with the Lagos State Government and other partners to ensure that the Ebola virus is curbed. Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by researchers at the United States National Institute of Health has been fast-tracked by regulators and its first human safety trial is expected to begin in September. A report from Washington DC on Friday stated that the vaccine was based on a

sport

A Falcon’s Reminiscences Super Falcon’s star, Desire Oparanozie, reviews the highs and lows of a glittering career and recalls how playing alongside Perpetua Nkwocha and Stella Mbachu gave her the jitters.

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TRAVEL & TOURISM Enchanting Scotland

The recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is just another highlight of Scotland’s irrepressible spirit; rising from the throes of subjugation to become a modern society ready for the challenges of today’s world without flinching.

}42 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 WAHEED BAKARE Deputy Editor, Saturday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board NDUBUISI UGAH News Editor TAIWO AHMED Advert Manager UCHEY OKEZIE Ag. Sales/Marketing Manager TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

‘Jonathan will run; nobody can stop him’

Ojiaku Kalu and Ndubuisi Ugah

ormer minister of finance and national planning, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, has said the frequent use of impeachment process undermines the “constitutional integrity” of the electorate, who elected the officials in the first instance. Kalu’s statement is a tacit reference to the spate of impeachment notices that have been served by legislators to governors in states such as Adamawa, Nasarawa and Enugu. Whereas the state House of Assembly in Adamawa succeeded in removing Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Mr Bala Ngilari, the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, survived, having received a clean bill from the seven-man panel set up to investigate the accusations against him by the lawmakers. But the assembly members are not relenting in their quest to have him removed. In Enugu, it seems only a mat-

chimpanzee adenovirus, a relative of cold viruses. It said studies showed the vaccine could protect monkeys from the virus. Also, a new research has shown that about 75 per cent of people contracting Ebola are women because they are often the primary caregivers, nurses and traders within their communities, health officials have said. Julia Duncan-Cassell, Liberia’s minister for gender and development, was quoted by the Washington Post as saying that health teams at task force meeting in Liberia found three-quarters of those who were infected or died from Ebola were females. It has emerged, also, that the speedy cremation of Patrick Sawyer’s corpse had almost caused a row between Nigeria and the Liberian

government. Sources told New Telegraph on Saturday that the “Liberian government wanted Sawyer’s body returned to them but the federal government turned down the request on the ground that the body would be disposed in compliance with the World Health Organisation protocols.” The source added that WHO eventually intervened and backed the position of Nigeria to cremate Sawyer’s body, describing the process as the appropriate procedure to dispose body of an EVD victim. With regard to the four Nigerians that have died from EVD, special adviser to the health minister on media and communication, Mr. Dan Nwomeh said, “Government will meet with families of the

deceased very soon”. He said there are two methods of burial approved by the WHO for EVD victims, noting that the first entailed the de-contamination of the body before burial and the second is via cremation. “The health authority will discuss with the families and agree on the line of action, adding, “It will happen soon and these families are already in Lagos, preparatory for the meeting”. Although, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health in Lagos, Dr. Jide Idris, had said Sawyer ‘s ash would be released to the government of Liberia whenever they requested for it, it’s not certain whether the process has taken place. A few days ago, Sawyer’s mother was quoted online as calling for the return of her son’s ash.

Idika Kalu: Impeachment notices circumvent democratic practice ter of time before the Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, is impeached. Kalu, chairman of the Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED), cautioned that using the process to remove such office holders should not be seen as addressing the “political rot” so highlighted, noting that it would only assault further the political psyche of the electorate. Speaking with New Telegraph on Saturday in Abuja, he said impeachment notices were an abuse of discretions aimed at circumventing democratic practices as enshrined in the constitution. “We have less freedom of actions. If one is to give an example, this spate of impeachments could be construed as one concrete example of abuse of discretion by

attempting to circumvent democratic practice. People are now trying to be absolutists. You are either here or here and never there. I think it is a crying shame that we should be using impeachment as a political discussion. We can’t use impeachment as a threat. That shouldn’t be.” Kalu is nonetheless optimistic about the country’s prospects. “A lot of people out of there; despite our follies, despite our failures, despite our apparent underperformance still believe in us. Though like a child that is given too much paint, we seem to be splashing it anyhow. As it is said, to whom much is given, much is expected. On the over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, abducted on April 15, Kalu deplored

the government’s “indifference”. “Nigerian’s got very emotional about all of that, and I think that’s how it should be. Look at the developed countries, you don’t fool around with human life. In preserving lives, you have to give it all it takes. By saying this, I don’t mean that we should shut down literally. Government should concentrate attention on ensuring that it not only protects the citizens but indeed, be convincingly seen as doing its best to protect them. “I believe that government should be able to tell its own story more clearly: ‘this is how we have mobilised security, this is how many victims we have been able to rescue’ and stuffs like that. Government must ensure it has firm grip on the information mill.” See interview on page 45

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

Fears in APC over Ikimi’s planned defection to PDP Cajetan Mmuta

S BENIN

trong indications have emerged of a major crack in the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, following reports of a planned defection by a national leader of the party, Chief Tom Ikimi, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The New Telegraph on Saturday gathered that the move might not be unconnected with the ill-feelings the former Foreign Affairs minister during the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s military regime has against the opposition party over its handling of its recent congresses in the state and the national convention respectively. The former national chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the aborted Third Republic, has been a founding member of Action Congress (AC) since 2006, which later transformed into Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and merged with some parties to form APC. It was gathered that the Igueben-born politician might soon make his decision to dump the APC public, after months of silence over the happenings in the state and at the national level. A strong ally of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Ikimi, is said to have has lost faith in APC, a fold he laboured hard to build and thus making him its pillar over the years. Ikimi had pitched his tent with the opposition for years, having left the PDP about 10 years ago; but was said to have been taken unawares by strong forces within the APC, who allegedly sidelined him from the national chairmanship position, which he con-

l Let’s wait and see – Edo publicity scribe tested but lost during the last convention of APC in Abuja. The APC chairmanship position was later won by the first civilian governor of Edo State and a former vice-presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. New Telegraph on Saturday gathered that forces spearheaded by a former governor and other leaders had worked against Ikimi’s bid to scale through the hurdles in the choice for the national chairmanship top job. The leaders, according to a source, had expressed the fear and discomfort that Ikimi's choice might have obvious negative impact on the opposition party considering what they tagged as “antecedents” of the vocal politician. Ikimi, shortly after the APC state congresses wrote a letter to the national body of the party where

he expressed his dissatisfaction over the handling of the crises that trailed the exercise in some states including Edo State. Odigie-Oyegun few months back shed light on Ikimi’s rumoured pull out from the party and affirmed that both Ikimi and all those who were aggrieved as a result of the congresses were being reached for peaceful resolution of the impasse. Odigie-Oyegun had said: “It is still an ongoing process. But it is unfortunate that when you feel hurt, you threaten your party; that alone creates suspicion about you in the party that you still belong to. Let me just say it is an ongoing process and it was a mistake for him to have threatened to leave the party. “We value him and respect him. I have tremendous respect for him, I used to go there quite often and use to have a lot of goodwill and I hope this has not separated

us. It can’t. Politics can’t separate us and I pray that when he calms down, we will resume our very warm and close relationship.” It was also gathered that Ikimi had shunned public functions organised by the state government in recent time. The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and former ACN presidential candidate, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, recently left the APC for PDP. Ikimi when contacted on phone yesterday merely wished our reporter “well” on inquiries about the possibility of his leaving the APC for the PDP. Reacting to the development, the APC Publicity Secretary in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, said: “Let’s wait and see he (Ikimi) defect first and see what he will tell the world before we will reply him.”

NEWS EDITOR, SATURDAY:

NDUBUISI UGAH

ndubuisi.ugah@newtelegraphonline.com; nduby001@yahoo.com; 08033617741

The Week Ahead

Cross River, NDDC athletics tourney ends today The fourth edition of the Cross River State/NDDC/South-South Athletics Championship will end today at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar. The consultant on sports to the Cross River State Government, Mr. Bruce Ijirigho, said the championship was contested in three different categories: primary school, secondary school and elite levels

Nigeria faces Germany in U-20 World Cup final tomorrow Nigeria’s Under-20 team, the Falconets, will tomorrow take on their German counterpart, in the final of the FIFA World youth championship. The Falconets had secured the final’s ticket when they walloped Korea DR 6-2, while Germany sent France packing with a 2-1 victory in the other semi-final match.

Amstel Malta Showtime auditions hold Aug 25 The first leg of the third season of the Amstel Malta Showtime auditions will take place in Enugu State from August 25 to 26. The Enugu auditions will hold at Dannic Hotels, New Haven, Enugu at 8a.m. This season of Amstel Malta Showtime, a first of its kind concert drama, tagged: ‘The Rush’, and directed by Arts Director, Ice Nweke, will feature five talents selected through auditions from each region, which will finally hold in Enugu on August 29 and in Lagos on September 18.

The chief lecturer, Department of Chemical Science, School of Science, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, Dr. Adeleke Atanda Abiodun, will deliver the sixth inaugural lecture of the institution on August 27 at the Multipurpose building, YABATECH at 3p.m. A statement issued by the institution’s Registrar, Biekoroma C. Amapakabo, stated that Abiodun would be speaking on, ‘Science: Towards a Clean, Sustainable and Developed Environment’ under the chairmanship of Dr. Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, who is the rector of the institution.

Akunyili to be buried Aug 28 L-R: Director , Identity Database, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Aliyu Aziz; former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Director, Inspectorate, Regulatory and Compliance, Mrs. Hadiza Ali Dagabana, after Obasanjo registered for National Identity Card in Abeokuta...yesterday

PHOTO: KUNLE OLAYENI

ABUJA

l Atiku accuses PDP of playing divisive politics

former Military Administrator of Lagos State, who is currently a governorship aspirant in Adamawa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, has expressed confidence that the party would grant him waiver to participate in the party’s primary slated for September 6. But a former Political Adviser to the President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, who is also seeking the PDP ticket for the election, urged the party to ensure that due process is adhered to in granting waiver to any applicant. Both aspirants spoke at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, when they

came to submit their governorship nomination forms. Marwa is one of the three governorship aspirants seeking for waiver from the ruling party to contest the primary. He said: “I don’t see any great difficulty with this in the sense that when Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, became chairman, the party structures were dissolved and new congresses were organised for the party. All those new members that crossed over then from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), spent less than two months and were deemed qualified to run in the congresses; today they remain in elective positions. “Nobody asked them

YABATECH holds inaugural lecture Aug 27

Why PDP’ll grant me waiver to contest – Marwa Onyekachi Eze

NEWS

for waiver, and none was given, based on that we have full confidence that waiver will not be an issue, because if it has been done in Adamawa State for others it will be extended. ” On his part, Gulak said Section 50 of the PDP constitution is clear on the process of granting waiver. “There is nothing like automatic waiver, Section 50 of the constitution is clear on this. The person has to apply through his ward from there to the local government and then to the state. If it has to do with the national level, the application will be sent to the NWC who can grant such waiver on behalf of the NEC,” Gulak explained.

Earlier, PDP National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustaph, who received the aspirants, promised a level playing field for all the aspirants during the conduct of the election. Meanwhile, a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused PDP of playing divisive and religious politics in Adamawa State. In a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday, Atiku said: “Unlike many of its neighbours, our state has enjoyed relative peace and stability and we don’t want them to bring divisions among our people who had lived peacefully with one another.”

Former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili, will be buried on August 28, according to a statement released in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, by her husband, Chike Akunyili, who is a medical doctor. The statement outlines a weeklong series of events as part of the funeral for the late minister who died in a hospital in India on June 7, after a two-year battle with cancer.

NCC conducts auction for 2.6GHz Band Aug 28 The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has invited stakeholders and relevant industry groups to a stakeholders’ forum for the auction of Spectrum in 2.6 GHz Band as well as an invitation to discuss modalities for the auction on August 28 at Oriental Hotel, Lagos at 10a.m. A statement issued by the director, Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said the action was part of the efforts by the commission to deepen competition and improve broadband penetration in the country towards achieving the goals of the National Broadband Plan.

Jonathan to address World Igbo Congress Aug 29 President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to address Ndigbo in the Diaspora on his ambition for the 2015 presidential election during this year’s World Igbo Congress (WIC) holding between August 29 and September 1, in Houston, Texas, United States. A statement by WIC’s Media Director, Dr. Acho Orabuchi, stated that at the end of the conference, Ndigbo in the Diaspora will endorse a presidential candidate based on the person’s antecedents and what he or she plans to do for Ndigbo to bring equity and fairness to the nation. The statement further stated that how the presidential candidate plans to protect the lives and properties of Ndigbo in Nigeria should be paramount to WIC.

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

BENIN CITY e-Passport: Oshiomhole lauds Jonathan

N EWS I N BRIEF

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday commended President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro and the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. David Parradang, for the repackaged new 64 e-Passport, stating that the move would benefit every person who wants to travel. The governor, who spoke at the office complex of the NIS in Benin City, while unveiling the new 64-page e-Passport, said: “I had wondered quietly why the passport carries few pages as a result of which you are compelled to have more than one passport."

75.3m

The total population of women in Bangladesh in 2012. Source: Un.org

LAFIA

Ribadu’s kinsmen endorse Modibbo

Kinsmen of a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and governorship aspirant in the forthcoming Adamawa State governorship election, Mallam Ribadu, have endorsed another contender in the race. The kinsmen yesterday endorsed a former Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo, who is also contesting on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Modibbo’s endorsement came during his consultation meeting with party stakeholders in Yola South local government, at Makama Ward B, where various speakers eulogised his electoral values. Chairman of PDP in the council, Usman Bala Kuruma, who spoke on behalf of his kinsmen, described Mobiddo as one of the best aspirants to have emerged from the zone of the party.

39.16%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Armenia in 2012. Source: Itu.int

YENAGOA Bayelsa govt clarifies on scholarship requirement

The Bayelsa State Scholarship Board (BSSB) has clarified its position on the request for either national passport or identity card in the ongoing registration process for payment of bursary. Chairman of the board, Dr. Foster Ogola, stated that it was a deliberate resolve aimed at confirming the identity of students and as adult, they ought to have gotten their national identity cards. Ogola explained that the request for their last semester results was in order to enable the board ascertain if a student registering for bursary payment was still in school.

94%

The percentage of the urban population worldwide that gets its drinking water from improved sources in 2010. Source: Unesco.org

Akande-Adeola, Soun of Ogbomoso decry slow pace of PVC registration IRKED Two indigenes of Oyo State flay INEC over the conduct of voters' registration in the state Sola Adeyemo and Babatope Okeowo

Ibadan/Akure

he Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, on Thursday joined other Nigerians in picking holes in the distribution of voters registration cards in Oyo State, stating that its slow pace was capable of disenfranchising eligible voters particularly in her Ogbomoso area. Also reacting, a former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, yesterday called for the extension of the ongoing voters registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Expressing her displea-

l PDP chieftain asks INEC to extend voters’ registration exercise sure in Ogbomoso, after registering at her Saja Isale-Ora ward in Ogbomoso North Local Government area of the state, Akande-Adeola urged the INEC to as a matter of urgency address the identified technical lapses in the exercise to accommodate all the eligible voters in the area within the stipulated time. The New Telegraph on Saturday gathered that Akande-Adeola and former governor Adebayo AlaoAkala’s wards were among the wards listed by the INEC for fresh registration due to loss of the previous registration data in some wards of four council areas, namely Ogbomoso North, Afijio, Ibadan South-West and North-East. The PDP lawmaker could not secure her temporary voter’s card due to faulty printer and so was deeply concerned about the lapses on the part of the electoral body. Speaking further, the House Leader stated that the scheduled period should

be extended in case INEC failed to urgently address the lapses to accommodate all eligible voters in the area. In the same vein, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, expressed displeasure over the snail speed of the registration exercise after he stood under the scorching sun for hours, and had to leave his unit 05, Oja Jagun Ward disappointed. The monarch, however, could not be register due to the faulty batteries of the available Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machine taken to the area by the INEC officials. Reacting to the development, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr. Nasir Ayilara, assured residents of the commission’s readiness to quickly solve all the identified problems, and appealed to the Ogbomoso residents, the lawmaker and the Soun for patience. Present in Ogbomoso, Ayilara promised that INEC would ensure that

the ongoing continuous registration exercise was a success story. Meanwhile, Oke’s grouse and that of other residents in the state was the malfunctioning of the machines used for the exercise and the insufficient days set aside for those seeking to be registered for next year's election. The visit of our correspondent to many ward collation centres showed long queue and many people have to leave because of inadequate machines for the exercise. In a statement issued by Oke’s Media Adviser, Mr. Kunle Adebayo, he said many of those who were eligible to register have not been able to do so because of inadequate technical and manpower. According to him, the majority of the Data Capture Machines (DVC) deployed, especially in Ilaje Local Government, are breaking down while some are dysfunctional, thereby frustrating the registration exercise at the centres.

Made-in-Nigeria Stallion vehicles hit market

ultinational conglomerate, Stallion Group, yesterday made good its promise of providing affordable vehicles for Nigerians. It rolled out six branded commercial vehicles and buses at its new assembly plant in Ikotun-Egbe and Badagry Expressway, Lagos State. The vehicles are built from completely knocked down components “and designed for Nigerian roads, people and their life style. They will be available soon with dealers nationwide”, Stallion Group Chairman, Mr. Sunil Vaswani, said yesterday. An introductory price of N2.45 million is for Stallion Force LE (double cabin 4x4 Pickup) and N2.95 million for Stallion Force SE pickup. The 16-seater Stallion Citibus is being introduced at N3.95 million. Other Stallion-made

FRESH Party exposes INEC over appeal claims Inioluwa Ekeolere

awyers of the Fresh Democratic Party (FDP), Dr. Fred Agbaje and Kola Dopamu, yesterday made available to the media, a new notice of appeal/affidavit dated July 17 filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against the court verdict that voided the commission’s deregistration of the party. INEC deposed in the said affidavit: “The delay by the Appellant/Applicant in compiling and transmitting the records was occasioned by the fact that the Appellant/Applicant was engaged with numerous appeals emanating from pre and post election cases.” The FRESH lawyers said that the new notice of appeal effectively debunked the false claims that INEC officials had been making all along, that they had ap-

pealed the verdict which was why FRESH had not been recertified as required by law. FRESH had won a court verdict against its deregistration by INEC at Federal High Court, 5 Abuja division, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on July 29, 2013. But the commission refused to obey the court order to recertify the party on the ground that it had already appealed the verdict. “With the latest expose, viz the newly filed notice of appeal, FRESH was correct when we alleged that, no appeal was ever filed by INEC; a notice of appeal it initial entered was abandoned long time ago, only for the agency to re-file it and plead for a waiver by the court of Appeal rule that bans any appeal after 90 days of a delivered judgment from a lower court,” Dopamu said.

Abia Elders’ Council commend SouthEast National Conference delegates Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

Some of the newly-assembled commercial vehicles manufactured by Stallion Group, which was unveiled by the company...yesterday

buses are Stallion Civicbus 29+1seater priced at N8.45million, Stallion Contibus 40+1-seater priced at N10.95million and Stallion Countrybus, which is available from 42 to 66-seater. The starting price of Stallion Countrybus is N12.45million. Vaswani said the induction of leading auto brand is crucial to the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, which essentially seeks to position Nigeria among world class industrial economies and has been successfully achieved in other emerging countries. “We have integrated many proven metrics into this frame work and we are mindful of the six stages of development for a brand, each equating to a different marketing priority, starting with creating basic awareness and concluding with building customer loyalty,” Vaswani added.

he Abia Elders’ Council, a body of elders and statesmen led by former president of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. Joe Irukwu, has commended the leadership of the South-East delegates at the recently concluded National Conference for the unity of purpose it exhibited during the sessions. In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in August at Umuahia, Abia State capital, the elders expressed hope “that the achievements and agreements reached shat be part of a successful process to strengthen the unity of Nigeria as a nation.”

The meeting, which discussed issues of state and national importance also endorsed the steps taken so far by the Federal and Abia State governments in response to the threat of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and “advised all Abians to respond promptly to the protective and preventive measures already being advanced by the Abia State Government.” “As we approach an election year and associated preparations for these, the Elders appeal to all to conduct themselves with the highest decorum, respect and candour in keeping with the best practice and principles of democracy,” they stated.

IG decorates 27 senior officers with new ranks

ASABA Aziza served Nigeria with integrity – Olejeme

l Navy promotes 7 officers

Emmanuel Onani and Joe Obende

he acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Suleiman Abba, yesterday in Abuja, decorated 27 newly-promoted police officers, with their deserving ranks. Also yesterday, the Navy announced the promotion of seven officers serving on NNS Delta, Warri, to their various next ranks. Out of the police officers, eight were decorated with the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), while 19 others got the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG). Performing the decoration ceremony at the Nigeria Police Peacekeeping Centre, Abba noted that the appointments came “at a time that country is facing daunting security challenges.” He, therefore, urged the senior officers to “remain steadfast and contribute to the fight against insecurity”, even as he maintained that “the Nigeria Police Force will continue to perform its

statutory responsibility, in synergy with the military, other security agencies, and all well-meaning citizens.” In his remarks, the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Abdul Jelili Adesiyan, observed that “the ingredients of a dynamic police force, lie in the training and retraining of the rank and file.” Responding on behalf of the elevated officers, DIG Dan’Azumi Job Doma, pledged their readiness, to brace-up to the challenges of their new offices. The Police Service Commission (PSC) had, during the week, promoted the police officers to their respective ranks. Meanwhile, the Naval officers were yesterday decorated with their new rank badges by the Commander of NNS Delta, Navy Captain. Musa Gemu, who was assisted by some officers at the Naval Base in Warri. Those promoted included Lt. Commander Olutope Odunaike, Lt. Commander Daniel Garuba, Lt. Daniel Ali, Lt. Habibu Mohammed, Lt. Mustapha Shehu and Lt. Ndiyaks Istifanus.

Military will overcome terrorism in Nigeria – COAS Clement James Calabar

igerians have been urged to exercise patience as the military will leave no stone unturned in the fight against terrorism in the country. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, gave the assurance in Calabar, when he visited the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and the Amphibious Training School, in Calabar. Minimah is currently on a familiarisation visit to Army formations and units under the 82 Division, Ni-

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

gerian Army, Enugu. According to him, the visit to the formations is to assess the combat readiness of the soldiers and to familiarise himself with both the administrative efficiency and the challenges facing the men and officers of the division. “The Nigerian Army is ready to defeat terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria. First and foremost, will we re-organise the Army, renew our doctrine and then do our training with the new equipment we have. I have seen some competence in battle worthiness and also the administrative competences have been very exemplary,” he said.

NEWS IN BRIE F

A governorship aspirant in Delta State, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, yesterday said the death of Major Gen. Patrick Aziza (rtd.) had deprived Nigerians, particularly Deltans of the services of one of the most consistent administrators of this age. She said: “Aziza in his life career served Nigeria with distinction and integrity. He was a family man that radiated the best of family values and a public official whose wealth was measured from the indelible legacies he put in place for posterity.” Olejeme, who also described the death of Aziza as sad and painful, noted that the military officer proved to Nigerians and the international community that there was everything to gain from being principled.

0.85

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Bangladesh in 2010. Source: Itu.int

UMUAHIA

ADO-EKITI ‘Abia Charter of Equity not a law’ Fayose promises to revive An elder statesman in Abia State, Dr. cocoa plantation Anagha Ezikpe, has said the state chatter of equity, which is the basis of the rotation of the office of the governor of the state, is not a law and, therefore, not binding on anyone. Ezikpe, who is the chairman of the state Advisory Council, said in Umuahia yesterday, during a media parley on the activities lined up for the celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the creation of the state, said it was rather a matter of conscience and political consideration. “The Advisory Council has gone to all the five sessions of the state House of Assembly to put it into the law system of the state, but none found it fit," he said.

Ekiti State Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has promised to revive the cultivation of cocoa in the state to make it a big revenue source for the state. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, when the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, paid him a visit, the governorelect said moribund cocoa plantations in the state would be revived. “We are going to revive cocoa plantations across the state and motivate our farmers by adequately supporting them with seedlings and other items. I am particularly happy that the Federal Government is taking steps to ensure that value will be added to cocoa product as it will be converted to chocolate at a factory in nearby Ondo State," he said.

$71,365.7m

54,000

The capital importation of the Brewery sector of Nigeria in 2012. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

The number of adults and children estimated to be living with HIV in Papua New Guinea in 2007. Source: Blatantworld.com

INEC suspends Buruku by-election in Benue SHELVED The electoral body has suspended the conduct of a by-election in Benue State Cephas Iorhemen

Makurdi

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it had suspended the conduct of the by-election into the Buruku Federal Constituency in Benue State scheduled to hold today. The suspension of the election is, however, coming on the heels of a declaration by a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Idi Hong, that he would contest the Adamawa State governorship by-election on October 11 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a promise to elevate the level of development of the state.

l Hong declares to contest Adamawa’s governorship poll The commission’s scribe in the state, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, in a statement yesterday said the suspension was sequel to a motion from the Supreme Court asking the electoral body not to proceed with the exercise. Ogakwu, who expressed regrets over the inconveniences the suspension would cause stakeholders, assured them of the commission’s commitment to conduct credible elections in the country. The Supreme Court had on May 31, ordered Mr. Orker Jev of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Buruku Federal Constituency of the state in the National Assembly to vacate his seat. The same court ordered the INEC to conduct fresh election within 90 days to feel the vacancy created by Jev’s sacking. Parties in the appeal

were Jev, who is the appellant, while other respondents were Sekav Iortyom, INEC and ACN. Jev had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi, which affirmed the ruling of the lower court, which asked INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him. Justice Walter Onoghen, who presided at the hearing, directed that Jev’s name be removed from the ballot box and replaced with that of the 1st respondent, Sekav Iortyom. The panel also ordered the appellant (Jev) to pay the sum of N500,000 to each of the respondents except the 2nd respondent (INEC). The panel explained that the 1st respondent, Sekav Iortyom, could not be declared winner and asked to be sworn in following Jev’s ouster because such

an order would violate the provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act. Meanwhile, Hong, who during the week collected the governorship nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, had met with key party leaders and his supporters in Yola. The former minister, who pledged to revolutionise the state through infrastructural development across the various levels of the state, also promised to promote peace and unity among the people, insisting that these were the ingredients for development and furthering of democracy. “Adamawa has never been so polarised as in the last regime. I am out to vie for the office of Governor of Adamawa State for rescue mission urgently as the state is in the lowest stage of its development, hence the need to rescue it from imminent disaster that may follow its collapse," he said.

Afe Annang adopts Akwa Ibom SSG as sole governorship candidate

traditional institution in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State, Afe Annang, has adopted the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Emmanuel, as the sole candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state. Speaking in Ikot Ekpene, during the consultation visit of Emmanuel to Afe Nkuku Annang, the President and Itai Afe Annang, Okuku Pius Eside, said the Afe Annang in council, after due consideration and assessment of all the aspirants, who had visited the group decided to adopt Emmanuel as the sole candidate for the election. Eside stated that he refused to personally receive

other aspirants because he did not hear from God as the right persons for the governorship position in 2015 but that he had to personally come out to receive Udom because God had revealed to him that he was the ordained. He said when he asked God why he chose Emmanuel, he was told that there was something in Udom that would make him empower the people of the state and lift the state to a higher pedestal which would cause rejoicing among the people and the days of suffering would be over totally. Eside stated that any king who did not hear from God could not be said to have been enthroned by God.

L-R: Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service,(NIS) Mr. David Parradang; Minister for Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior, Mr. Abubakar Magaji, at this year's comptroller general's annual conference and stakeholders forum in Abuja… yesterday PHOTO ELIJAH OLALUYI

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

BOSEPA to prosecute sanitation offenders N EWS I N BRIEF

In its efforts to effectively tackle the problem of flooding, the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), has said henceforth defaulters of sanitation laws will be made to face the full wrath of the law. The General Manager of the agency, Alhaji Nasiru Ali Surundi, stated this in his office, while speaking to journalists on measures adopted by his agency to control the problem of flooding in Maiduguri and its environs. He said: “Anyone who catches someone dumping refuse in a drainage will be rewarded with N5,000, while the culprit will be fined N10,000."

€127.3m

The amount realised from match day revenues by Manchester United in the 2012-2013 season. Source: Goal.com

LAFIA

FCT

MAIDUGURI

NURTW insurance: Minister commends Globacom

The Federal Government has commended Globacom for powering the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) insurance scheme. The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, gave the commendation at the official launch of the scheme in Abuja. Tagged Security Verified Identity Card (SVID), the insurance scheme is instituted by Globacom in partnership with the NURTW, United Bank for Africa and Skye Bank. Unveiling the multifunctional SVID, Wogu said it was innovative and timely as it would be used for financial transactions by the union’s members.

NDE trains 50 women on shoe, bag making

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Nasarawa State yesterday said it would train 50 women on how to use local fabrics to make fashionable shoes and bags. The organisation said the scheme was designed to make the beneficiaries to become self reliant and employers. The state Coordinator of NDE, Mr. Monday Dalyop, said this in Lafia, while declaring open a two-week skill acquisition training programme organised for women in the state, said: “NDE came in to existence in 1986, saddled with the responsibilities of training people especially the youths and women in different skills acquisition programmes in the country in order to be self reliant and to contribute their quota to national development.”

21.57m

The total population of Ivory Coast (rep. 0.31% of world’s population) in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

The life expectancy (in years) at age 60 years of women in Argentina in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org

Obasanjo canvasses unified national identification Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday called for a unified national identification system for Nigeria. Speaking shortly after obtaining his temporary national identity card at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) office in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Obasanjo urged the Federal Government to jettison separate identification for Nigerians. He described the national identity card, which is expected to be formally launched by President Goodluck Jonathan next week, as “a document every Nigerian deserves.” The former president said though the identification project was initiated in 1979, he commended the Federal Government for sustaining and nurturing it to fruition. He also noted that the national identification scheme would help in enhancing the security situation of the country. Obasanjo, however, said instead of producing different identity cards for driving licence, contributory pension

scheme, health insurance and voting, the country should be maintaining only one identity card. He said: “It is a document every Nigerian deserves which is even late in coming. But we thank God that, after the initial step in 1979, more than 30 years ago, we have come back to it and I hope that this step that we are taking now will be sustained and will serve the need of all Nigerians. “It will also help us to maintain a (little) bit of security. Our Francophone sister countries have had this for many years. When we first made the attempt in 1979, there were people who were fighting against it. Today because it is a project, whose time should have come even before now, nobody is now protesting, I see people now wanting to have it, it is good. “Maybe those other institutions that are still keeping separate identification of individuals in one form or the other will be able to join hands so that with one identity card, you don't need a driving licence, you will not need another card for voting, you will not need another card for contributory pension, you will not need another card for your health insurance."

CSOs commend Jonathan, INEC on Osun guber poll Temitope Ogunbanke

A Head of Delegation, European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Micheal Arrion (left), and Jigawa State Governor, Dr. Sule Lamido (right), during a courtesy visit by Arrion to the Government House, Dutse…yesterday PHOTO: Government House

SURE-P to support Lokoja-Abuja Road project with N12.5bn ASSURANCE A federal agency has promised speedy completion of the Lokoja-Abuja Road project this year

hairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Lt.-Gen. Martin Luther-Agwai (rtd.), has said the programme will spend N12.5 billion on the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the Abuja-Lokoja Road. Luther-Agwai, who said this after the inspection of ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Road, said SURE-P had intervened to ensure the speedy completion of the project, which had been awarded

sometime in 2006. He added that sections one and two of the project would be linked before the end of December, stressing that they stretched from Zuba to Sheda and Sheda to Abaji. “Motorists will have an uninterrupted drive of 100 kilometres stretching towards Lokoja from Abuja. We have seen that the contractor handling the project has done a good job,” he said. He called on the civil engineers handling various road designs in the country to consider the disabled and the vulnerable in the construction of pedestrian bridges. Receiving the SURE-P chairman, the contractor’s representative, Mr. Yusuf Jibril, said the section one contract had been awarded to Dantata and Sawoe company at a cost of over N11

billion. He further told LutherAgwai that the project was later reviewed upward to over N28.7 billion. Jibril said the work had reached 77.29 per cent completion, adding that the project was approximately 42 km of the single carriageway.

“Zuba-Abaji is 30 km while it is 12 km from Giri Village Junction to Airport Junction. The project includes three major highway interchanges and three river bridges,’’ he said. Jibril said the initial date of completion was February 2, 2007 but it was later extended to September 8.

coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in Nigerian has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for creating a level playing ground for political parties that participated in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State. The coalition also commended the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for putting the necessary logistics in place, especially the timely arrival of electoral materials to ensure that the gubernatorial election was free and fair. The coalition in a statement issued by 19 heads of the organisations led by the Team Leader and Country Director of International Network Against Corruption in Nigeria, Bassey Ewa Ekamon; Team

Secretary, Mr. Victor Kalu and Mr. Abdullahi Jabi, who were in Osun State to monitor the election, also applauded the security agents for providing a secured and peaceful environment for the election. While advising the Federal Government to continually provide the much needed support to the umpire to discharge its duties without fear or favour, the coalition of the CSOs noted that the state election met the internationally acceptable standard of election and therefore the result should be accepted by all. The coalition also congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate and incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, for his victory during the election and urged him to run all inclusive governance.

Aregbesola, Ataoja of Osogbo sue for peace at Osun Osogbo Festival Andrew Iro Okungbowa Osogbo

s the celebration of this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival climaxed yesterday with the grand finale held at the Osun grove amidst cultural festivities, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has called for unity and peaceful co-existence among the people of the state and Nigerians.

These twin themes also formed the thrust of the message of the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye (11), to his people at the event. While the preparation for the festival heightened, there was anxiety yesterday over the celebration with the state government ordering a restriction of travel to the state. The state government

had insisted that only the residents of Osogbo and traditional worshippers of Osun would be allowed to witness the event as a measure to control the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), while the federal government called for outright cancellation of the event. But the grand finale still held though on a very low key with the usual overwhelming crowd, especially tourists missing while

the pomp and colours were tempered. But all that did not affect the mood and tempo of the religious and cultural event as the people led by the Arugba (The Votary Maiden) and the Ataoja trouped to the grove in their numbers to not only celebrate but pay homage to the Osun goddess and offer prayers to the forebears for the peace and prosperity of the land.

Companies & Stock

SEGUN EDWARDS

23 AUGUST 2014

Forte Oil Projects biggest profit in five years

orte Oil’s earnings have remained upbeat for the third year running this year and the petroleum marketing major can be expected to hit the biggest profit in five years. A downslide in earnings performance bottomed out in 2012 and a strong return to profit took turn from last year. Profit recovery trend is presently in the third year with sales revenue likely to be higher than any time in the past five years and profit is headed for an all-time peak at current growth rate. The company under Mr. Akin Akinfemiwa, managing director/ chief executive officer, seems to have overcome the critical stages of corporate turnaround and has reached the cruising level. This seems set to earn the company the strongest growths in the oil marketing sector this year, up on the 432 per cent advance last year. A major change in its operations is the rebuilding of sales revenue after four years of sustained drop. This is an indication that the company is regaining market share. The company achieved the first recovery in sales revenue in 2013 after a sustained drop brought turnover to the lowest level in many years in 2012. The healthy growth in sales revenue is being maintained in the current year. The company recorded a yearon-year increase of 32.8 per cent in turnover to N79.61 billion at the end of the second quarter.

Forte Oil Plc’s 2013 audited result 2013

2012

% Change

Revenue

N128.027 billion

N90.984 billion

40.70%

Profit/Loss Before Tax

N6.524 billion

N1.149 billion

467.80%

Taxation

N1.520 million

N142.298.million

996.20%

Profit/Loss After Tax

N5.80 billion

N1.007 million

396.90%

This represents an accelerated growth from the sales revenue of N34.78 billion in the first quarter. Based on the second quarter growth rate turnover is projected at N162 billion for Forte Oil at the end of 2014. That will be an increase of 26.5 per cent over the sales revenue figure N128.03 billion posted in 2013. The company reversed its falling revenue trend only last year when it recorded an increase of 40.7 per cent in turnover. Until then, sales revenue had been falling since 2009. Forte Oil is headed for a new peak in profit performance this year, sustaining two years of recovery. It closed the second quarter with after tax profit of N3.13 billion, which is a leap of 125.2 per cent over the corresponding period last year. This is a major acceleration from the profit figure of N1.1 billion in the first quarter.

Otedola... CEO, Forte Oil

If the second quarter growth rate is maintained, full year net profit is expected to stand in the region of N6.4 billion for Forte Oil in 2014. This will be an increase of 28 per cent over the full year profit figure of N5.0 billion in 2013. The company had lifted after tax profit by 432 per cent in

2013. That was a strong return to profit after a virtual break-even in 2012. The company had posted huge losses in the preceding three years to 2011. Its peak profit was the N5.10 billion it earned in 2008 form a turnover of N162.6 billion. Another significant event in the affairs of the company is the rebuilding of profit margin. Net profit margin has improved from 1.0 per cent in 2012 to 3.9 per cent in 2013 – which has been maintained at the end of the second quarter. This is an improvement from 2.3 per cent in the second quarter of last year and from 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of this year. At 3.9 per cent, Forte Oil is second to Mobil Oil Nigeria’s 11.4 per cent net profit margin within the petroleum marketing group at the end of the second quarter. The gain in profit margin follows both the strong growth in sales revenue and a moderated growth in operating costs. Cost of sales grew at a slower pace of 30.2 per cent than turnover, which improved gross profit margin. At N70.61 billion, cost of sales represented 88.7 per cent of turnover at the end of the second quarter, down from 90.4 per cent in the corresponding period last year. Gross profit margin therefore improved from 9.6 per cent to 11.3 per cent over the review period. This permitted a rise of 56.9 per cent in gross profit to N9.0 billion in the second quarter.

Mansard Insurance raises investment income, lifts profit

eplat’s 2014 half year results have revealed all fronts dip including a surprising a near 50 per cent drop in earnings per share. The result which probably is just a blip considering the reasons given also highlights the importance of revenue in the company’s results as it navigates through the very critical path of growth in a high risk high reward upstream oil and gas sector. Its profit in the period dipped by a huge 94 per cent to N24.3 billion ($156.0m) from N47.1 billion ($303.3m), recorded in the comparative period of 2013, a situation mainly attributed to deferred tax liabilities of N14.4 billion ($92.7m) released in the comparable period in 2013 as a result of pioneer status granted to the group, and lower revenue due to downtime on the TFP for 45 days. This was partly offset by a reduction in work-overs (US$16.4 million, N2.5 billion) and DDA costs (US$2.8 million, N435 million), royalties (US$18.3 million, N2.8 billion) and Crude handling (US$4.5 million, N699.0 million). Gross revenue for the period stands at N60.3 billion ($388.2m)as against N65.1 billion ($419.4m) which is 7 per cent lower than the comparative period of year 2013. Crude revenue (after adjusting for changes in lifting) equally dropped by 8 per cent to N58.8 billion (US$ 378.6m) in the period from 64.2 billion (US$ 413.1m) mainly due to 45 days downtime in the reviewed period .

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

olaedwards@yahoo.com 08111813095

Mansard Insurance Plc’s Q3 results 2013

2012

% Change

Gross Premium

N10.708 billion

N10.050 billion

6.5%

Profit /Loss Before Tax

N2.070 billion

N1.365 billion

51.6%

Taxation

(N218.906million)

(N140.687million)

55.6%

Profit/Loss After Tax

N1.851 billion

N1.225 million

51.1%

Basic Earnings Per share

33.3%

Yetunde Ilori... CEO, Mansard Insurance

Revenue which is a critical aspect of the company’s operations is not spared from dip due mainly to a third party downtime slice off 7 per cent of its revenue, this a huge risk. The company in response, says plans are underway to mitigate this risk may not enough assurance such would not occurs again. Nevertheless, revenue needs to be growing at double digits if its current P.E ratio of about 13x is to be justified.

Gross profit in the period stands at N38.4 billion (S$247.2m), which represents a one per cent decrease over N38.9 billion (S$250.3m) recorded in the same period of 2013. This variance is mainly driven by lower revenue in the reviewed period due to lifting adjustments over working interest of 302 mbbls. This was partly offset by lower costs of sales as a result of the reduction in crude handling fees by 25 per cent and royalties by 19 per cent. The work-over costs of the company on the existing wells stands at N2 billion (S$12.7m), this represents a decrease of 56 per cent compared to what was recorded in 2013. This decrease was due to a switch from work-overs to development drilling program. Expectedly, gross profit margins should either remain the same or improve because the reason for the downtime was due to a service provider whose cost will be captured in the company’s cost of sale.

Also, general and administration expenses increased to N8.5 billion (S$54.6m) in the reviewed period compared to what obtained in 2013, mainly due to commitment and arrangement fees paid to banks for the new N1.8 billion (US$12m) loan facility, higher staff costs due to increase in head count (included in this amount is a onetime payment of IPO bonus to staff, in line with the Prospectus of US$5.0 million), US$12 million, regulatory payment of US$14 million (N2.5 billion), which is also a onetime cost that will not re-occur in future periods, costs for the accounting and procurement system change of N1.0 billion (S$7m) and new business development costs for evaluation of prospect for new ventures.

GT Bank’s in 7% half-year profit slide G uaranty Trust Bank (GTB), seven per cent half year slide has continued to elicit reactions The release of the bank’s audited financial results for the half year ended June 30, 2014 which showed a seven percent increase in gross earnings, from N124 billion in the corresponding year period 2013 to N132 billion, but a profit before tax drop by a similar profit margin to N53.40 billion in the first half of the year from N57.4 billion recorded in the same period of 2013,had witnessed investors reactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The dip in profit prompted the bank’s shares to decline by 2.03 percent to N28.90 on the Nigerian bourse, though the bank declared an interim dividend of N0.25, unchanged from a year earlier. The bank blamed the dip in profit on loan impairment charged to the profit and loss account during the period. “This impairment charge was as a result of a significant loan that we decided to provide for following the demise of the obligor; in line with our laid down corporate governance practices” the bank’s statement said. It added that the “bank’s loan book grew by 16 percent from N899 billion recorded in June 2013 to N1.04 trillion in June 2014 and total customer deposits increased by 8 percent to N1.54 trillion as at June 2014. However, GT Bank’s CEO Segun Agbaje sought to calm the worries over the dip in profit, assuring a stronger performance for the second half of the year, “the bank will make positive improvements in its market positions across its key products and business segments”, he averred. Agbaje also gave the major objective of the bank as the offering to customers of greater convenience and accessibility to services using internet and mobile solutions stating the bank has achieved over a million downloads of its mobile banking app and experienced a 25 percent increase in active internet banking users.

‘$13b bond will lure more investors to Nigeria’

orld’s biggest underwriter of emerging-market debt, JPMorgan says it will list Nigeria’s 2024 bond on its Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) this month, making it the fourth listed bond after the country’s 2014, 2019 and 2022 bonds were also listed in the last two years. An internal document released by the underwriter stated that the addition of the 2024 bond will increase the weight of Nigeria’s bond index by 0.18 percent; from 1.65 percent to 1.83 percent by the end

of this month. JP Morgan currently values Nigeria’s outstanding bond issues on the widely followed index at $13.75 billion. Nigeria is the second African nation to get its local currency listed on the GBI-EM index after South Africa. This is largely attributed to its improving liquidity levels. Since it got listed in late 2012, its bond has raised the country’s economy profile among offshore investors, attracting an excess of $1.5 billion in portfolio inflows.

Would you allow your child to marry a man/lady with tattoo? p.12

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3-day-old baby Amara Chiedozie, learns to feed self

hree-day-old Baby Amara Chiedozie, has shocked British doctors by learning to feed herself. According to UK Dailymail on Friday, Amara weighed 6lbs 3oz when she was born on August 3 at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, UK. The baby, whose pictures were displayed on the newspaper glugging milk from a bottle, looked like any other contented three-week-old, except for the fact that she was already capable of holding the container on her own. Her mother, Onyi Chiedozie, 20, from Nigeria, claimed she has been doing it since she was three days old. The strength of her grip at such a tender age has amazed her family and medics. She said: “When we were feeding, she started shaking, and then she just grabbed the bottle. She was holding it by herself. “We couldn’t believe it because babies don’t normally do it that young. I’m so shocked that I have been documenting it every day. It’s unbelievable. “When she doesn’t want it she will push it away; she isn’t strong enough to throw it away, but she does push it, like she does with her dummy. “If she is really hungry, she starts shaking. Then she will just grab the bottle as you give it to her,’’ she said. Chiedozie said her progress had astounded medical professionals. The student added: “Even nurses are really surprised. When my health support nurse came, she was shocked as well. She

Amara and her mum, Onyi

couldn’t believe that this could happen. “Whenever we go to appointments, we take pictures of her doing it. The midwife and even the doctor we had an appointment with on Saturday were actually amazed. They couldn’t believe it.’’ Chiedozie, who also breast-

feeds Amara regularly, said: “The breastfeeding is better now, it’s comfortable. It used to be painful and sore before but it’s good now. “When she breastfeeds she is touching and holding on to me. It’s a really nice experience and way to bond,” she added. Chiedozie, a single mother

PHOTO: UK DAILYMAIL

who lives in Chadwell Heath in Essex, said she makes sure she is always watching her daughter when she is feeding herself. She said: “Sometimes I hold her or sometimes you can prop her up with a pillow and give her the bottle. I’m always watching her, I don’t let her out of my sight.”

C’River relaxes levy law on churches Clement James Calabar

he Cross River State Government has relaxed its signage law which levied churches on sign boards, banners and other forms of advertisements within and outside the premises of the churches in the state. A release titled, “His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State directives on implementation of CRS signage agency law on churches in the State,” and signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Akin Ricketts, explained that government decided to give churches waivers halting the collection of the said levies due to persistent appeals from the leadership of churches in the state. “Pursuant to the implementation of the Cross River State Signage Agency Law No. 8 of 2011, and in furtherance to persistent appeals from the leadership of churches across the state, His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, has approved a waiver halting the collection of the said levies on signage, sign boards, banners and all other forms of advertisements located within and projecting outside the premises of all churches in the state. “The levy shall only apply in respect to all other forms of church advertisements located outside the precincts of all churches in the state especially those located along Tjunctions, roundabouts and all entry points into the city centre. “The government of Cross River State hereby enjoin all churches in the state to reciprocate the state governor’s humane magnanimity by being more responsive and co-operate fully in this regard so that we can all make our state a better place now and for future generations.

Group trains pharmacists to manage cases of abortion in Edo Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

orried by the increasing cases of abortion among women, particularly, young ladies of school age, the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC), a non-governmental organisation with focus of reproductive health for women, yesterday embarked on the training of pharmacists in Ovia-North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The aim of the training workshop is to curb the ugly trend that destroyed the happiness of many young women and families in the

country. WHARC in organising the programme hopes to build capacity of mid-level providers to equip them to cope with cases of medical abortion and post abortion care in Nigeria. The Project Officer for Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), Miss Rebecca Eze, said attention was needed to areas of women’s reproductive health and rights, family planning, data management, counselling and referral on medicated abortion and contraceptive services. Dr. Lucky Owabor, a resource person, noted that “abortion is illegal in Nigeria but Nigerian women are faced with the problem of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion

and the complications of unsafe abortion.” He pointed out it was the right of every woman to have access to reproductive health. According to him, the reproductive rights framework emphasises the protection of an individual woman’s legal right to reproductive health services, focusing on increasing access to contraception and keeping abortion legal. He said such reproductive rights that embraced human rights recognised both in national and international, legal and human rights documents include the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information,

education and means to do so. Also it is the right to attain the highest attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health and the right of women to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. The workshop stated that men and women had the right to choose a spouse and to enter into marriage only with their free and full consent, gain access to information and right of everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its implications. In his remarks, Prof. Patrick Erah, a Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice expert at the

University of Benin said, “Pharmaceutical industry plays a major role in accessing essential medicine in reproductive health because it helps to reduce unwanted pregnancies, complicated pregnancies and maternal mortality with essential medicine that are affordable, accessible and of good quality.” He stated that out of the estimated 46 million induced abortions each year, nearly 19 million were performed in unsafe conditions and/or by unskilled providers and result in the deaths of an estimated 68,000 girls and women. These deaths represent about 13 per cent of all pregnancy-related deaths.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

STREET DIARY

Osun poll: Police arraign fake DSS personnel

Abducted Chibok girls

Chibok girls’ rescue taking too long –Principal Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

30 days after the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist group, the Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, Hajiya Asabe Kwambula, has expressed concern that the girls have not been rescued. Speaking at a one-day capacity building/skills acquisition training event for vulnerable women and girls in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas of the state, Kwambula lamented that the girls had been in captivity for too long.

The principal, who spoke at the Women Development Centre (WDC), Maiduguri, yesterday, said although about 57 of the abducted schoolgirls managed to escape from captivity, no fewer than 219 were still being held by the terrorists. She urged Nigerians to continue to pray for them, noting that the girls’ parents had become traumatised. She frowned at the rate at which quite a number of women and girls became widows, orphans and vulnerable in the society following the increasing rate of killings in the state and some parts of the NorthEast by insurgents. In her welcome address, the Coordinator of HECADF, Agnes Bashir, said her organisation with

support from the British Council took time and visited some begging spot centres around Mr. Biggs, Oasis, Lizzy Restaurant, Bolori Roundabout, Post Office areas in Maiduguri and Jere. She said the visit enable her group to be able to select about 60 poor people and those affected by the insurgency. In her goodwill message, the Regional Coordinator of NSRP/ British Council, Hajiya Hamsatu Laminu, thanked the organisers of the workshop and promised the council’s support to all institutions that works towards women/girls empowerment, especially the vulnerable ones in the society.

he Nigeria Police, Osun State Command has arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court a 22-year- old man, Aladegolu Victor, for parading himself as an officer of the police and DSS during the just concluded governorship election in the state. According to the charge sheet, the accused in company with others now at large presented themselves as personnel of Directorate of State Security (DSS) at a polling unit in Ile-Ife City Hall area. The suspect and others at large allegedly committed the offence on Saturday August 9, 2014 at Ile-Ife at 12:05pm, which is contrary to and punishable under Section 517 of the state criminal law 2003. The suspect and others were alleged to be wearing black T-shirts with the inscription “police in the front and ‘DSS behind.” It added that the suspect committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 109 of the State Penal Code. Mr. Biodun Badiora, while announcing his appearance said the Attorney General of the state was taking over the matter from the po-

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of a suspected fraudster, who allegedly impersonated Mr. Wilson Amarachi, Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The anti-graft agency said this in a statement signed yesterday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren. The suspected fraudster, John Madu, according to the statement, was arrested at the Ojodu, Lagos branch of Diamond Bank, where he allegedly went to make withdrawals with an Automated Teller

Machine (ATM) card. The statement reads in part: “A suspected fraudster that impersonated Wilson Amarachi, Secretary to Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. “Investigation showed that Madu defrauded Wu Qingzhu, a Chinese national, of $5,380 when he allegedly posed as Wilson Amarachi and deceived the Chinese into believing that he had outstanding payments to collect for contracts executed for the Nigerian government. “This he achieved by presenting the Chinese with fake

documents from ranking Nigerian officials. He allegedly used different email addresses, two documents purportedly from a national newspaper (not The Telegraph), an official gazette purportedly signed by the President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President, David Mark, and an international passport data page purportedly belonging to Amarachi. “Madu contacted Qingzhu through an online message, informing him that he was expected to open a non-residence account in Nigeria and make payment of $300. “Qingzhu complied and made two other payments: $1,430 and $3650 through Western Union.”

Osun State governor, Aregbesola

OOU students plan another protest Owumi Kevwe

tudents of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, are set to go for another mass protest as the one- week ultimatum given to the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, expired yesterday. The students had embarked on a street protest last week during which, they marched to the Governor’s Office demanding that Amosun should address them on the school fees hike. The governor, who later addressed the students after they had spent a night at his Oke Mosan office in Abeokuta, appealed to them to give him a week to sort out the issue. The state government had

EFCC nabs impersonator of Okonjo-Iweala’s secretary Emmanuel Onani

lice to ensure diligent prosecution. The defence counsel, Nnenna Ngwu, did not object to the application by the state to take over prosecution from the police, stating that the court had been saved the rigour of stretched trial with the suspect pleading guilty to the two charges against him. In rejecting the bail application for the suspect, Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Olusola Aluko, urged defence counsel to apply for bail formally. He also ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter till September 12, 2014 for hearing.

EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde

earlier reduced the tuition by 50 per cent but with a caveat that the reduction would take effect from next academic session. But the students said the tuition should be reduced further and implemented immediately. The students’ head, Ifade Segun, said the next 32 hours would be defining as the students awaited the governor’s response. Segun said if Lagos could reduce the state university tuition, Ogun had no excuse. On his part, Abiodun urged the students to be ready for another round of protest, adding, “I implore all OOUITES to await another Clarion call with our beds and stoves to move temporarily to Oke Mosan on Monday if the government fails to shift ground.”

Voices

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

Street Diary

Would you allow your child to marry a man/lady with tattoo? My child can’t marry such person Sincerely speaking, I can’t allow my child marry such irresponsible person who wasted his time and money in drawing tattoos. (Mrs. Florence Kareem, businesswoman) I can't lead my child astray I can't allow my child to marry a man or woman like that because it is very obvious that such person cannot make a good parent. And it is possible my grandchildren will end up being

like that. (Mrs. Arinola Oyedokun, Fashion designer)

Scripture is against tattoo There is no way my child (son or daughter) is getting married to a tattooist and a pierced body spouse. It is unethical and against the scriptures. (Buari Olajide, teacher) I see tattoo as sign of irresponsibility Irresponsibility comes straight to my mind when I see people with tattoos and I wonder what parents have been teaching their children and what the children are learning outside their homes. (Obasa Funmi, fashion designer) I will educate my child As a parent, all I need to do is to educate my child and leave him/her to make the choice. But I will also let the child understand that to every choice there is a consequence. If he/she is truly my child, it will not be difficult for him/her to listen to my advice. I will just show the child the consequences of towing that part. (Morenike Quadri, teacher)

Tattoo is not bad It doesn't mean anything bad. To me tattoo doesn't give any impression of who you are, as far as he/ she has good behaviour my child can get married to such person (Captain Uzor, pilot).

Reason will prevail I think I would want to know why he/ she find such person as a suitable companion before I write him off. Then, if I am able to see reasonability in my child for making a particular choice, then I will allow him/her. (Awojobi Yetunde, businesswoman)

I won’t allow tattooist in my house I can't accept that, because that just shows how irresponsible he/she is. And as for me, my child must bring home a good Christian and a responsible person to me. So as far as am concern, l will never allow that in my house. (Mrs. Esther Adewale, cleric)

Tattooist can’t marry my child I won't accept that, because I am a Christian. Such an in-law can never be and even if he/she is, he can't be responsible and such a person can never marry my own child as long as I live. (Mr. Seyi Ogunwale, a mechanic). I can’t take it I can't take that, because his father doesn't have a tattoo and likewise his mother. So, where did they meet each other? To me, it just shows how irresponsible he/she is. (Mr. Emmanuel Akinbobola, engineer). Nothing is wrong with tattoos God has given us the power of choice. I think he or she can go ahead to marry any spouse of their choice regardless the obvious tattoo. After all, no one chose for me. (Mrs. Lola Ibironke, lecturer)

The tattoo must be removed I will never allow my child to marry such a person. I will tell him/ her to go and remove it because it's a sign of irresponsibility. (Eboji Okwi, medical doctor) Not in my house I can never take that, an adage says, ‘show me your friend and I will tell who you are.’ Moreover, I trained my child in a Christian way, so where would she say she met such a person? I will never allow that in my house (Grace Akinbobola, trader).

It doesn’t matter I don't think anything is wrong with getting married to such person because I have tattoos on my body and my husband married me. It will be a regret not to allow your child to choose whoever he or she wants. (Mrs. Ayo Olayemi, civil servant) Tattoo is irresponsibility I can't accept that, because to me that shows irresponsibility and an irresponsible person can't marry any of my children. (Reginald Inyang, businessman).

compiled by

GLORY TITTY, FAITH OBADAN, INIOLUWA EKEOLERE, BOLA KAREEM AND TOSIN ADEWALE

Instyle

Dressing for the cold weather p.15

Travel

In De Santos Hotel, the suburb regains its groove p.39

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C o n v e r s at i o n

‘To be a san is honourable and to serve my people as governor is just as honourable’

n Imo State, there is a presumed understanding that the governorship would rotate among the senatorial zones comprising Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri. This understanding is premised on what people in the state call “Charter of Equity”. It’s expected this would to a large extent determine the candidates likely to emerge governor of the state next year. While this puts a snag on the ambitions of some, to others, it’s a blessing. But how exactly does this play out for Odom? “Yes it favours me as I’m from Owerri zone whose turn it is by the Charter of Equity to produce the next governor. Beyond this, I’m very qualified to serve Imo State as the governor. My vast experience spans legal practice, public administration, real estate, entrepreneurial ventures, community work etc. I clearly understand the demands of this position and would bring my extensive experience to bear in restoring structure, respect for the rule of law, integrity, accountability, security, enabling environment for growth and development and many more in Imo State.” But politics is hardly ever as straightforward as that. What if the incumbent governor, who has hinted he might not be seeking re-election, has a candidate he would rather have as a successor? “Anointing has no place when it comes to do with the will of the people and their exercise of franchise in the choice of credible leadership. People who are in the business of anointing hardly ever anoint their superiors or intellectual equals, so the results and performance will naturally be worse. Even the thought of one man singlehandedly deciding for a people in something as critical as who leads them is appalling and cannot happen in Imo State. Anointing is better left in the realm of spiritual affairs not political leadership.” Having overseen two ministries (he had also been minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory), Odom argues that it’s wrong to assume his services are better deployed at the federal level where he seems more adept. “Much as I have vast experience as a two term former minister with strong record of performance, I believe my expertise at this juncture is best applied towards the service of my people, to fight poverty and crime, to build lasting structures and infrastructure, to elevate the standards and quality of education, health and living, to empower our youth and create an economically viable Imo State,” he said. He entered politics from a flour-

Former minister of state for the environment ministry, housing and urban development, Chief Julius Chuka Odom, speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA about politics, leisure and family.

“I have continuously broadened my perspectives through multi-dimensional learning which is why I’m able to wear several caps at different times and very effectively too.” ishing law career during late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha’s reign as a gubernatorial aide and was later legal adviser to the United Nigeria Congress Party in Abia State. Abacha’s death put paid to all that. And as a new transition unfolded, Odom joined the Peoples Democratic Party. On the political dynamics in the state, Odom observed: “Yes, a lot has changed. There has been a gradual progress in the direction of the electorate as regards understanding of the value of their votes. Ndi Imo (Imo people) of today would rather keep changing leadership till we get it right than to sit and accept whatever we are served. My people today would rather vote based on value than hollow oratory. That may also explain why most of the previous governors have been chosen from modest and conservative backgrounds.” Born on October 19, 1960 in Umuahia, Abia State, Odom, a native of Okwu in the Ikeduru local government area of Imo State, attended Holy Trinity Primary School, Okwu, and St. Michael’s Primary School, Umuahia, obtaining his First School Leaving Certificate in 1973. The second child in a family of eight, he thereafter enrolled at the Immaculate Conception Seminary for his secondary education in 1974, and later read law at the Imo State University. While at the Nigeria Law School, Odom developed interest and skills in leadership which helped him forge friendship with members of his peer group from across the country. It was during his National Youth Service Corps programme at Ken Anyaegbulan & Co, a law firm

in Enugu, that he began to nurse ideas about a career in politics. As the minister of state, federal ministry of environment, housing and urban development with responsibilities for housing and urban development, Odom helped in implementing the federal government’s land reform. He initiated a comprehensive reform of the National Housing Policy and led advocacy tours across 11 states of the federation to solicit the governors’ support in a bid to amend the Land Use Act. During the 2011 election campaigns, he became the chairman, Association of Professional Groups for Positive Change, as part of the 2011 Jonathan/ Sambo campaign group. He also became a member of the Mobilization and Contact Committee of the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign. Given the fact that Imo State is mostly dependent entirely on federal allocation, how does he hope to improve the state’s fortune? “Firstly, the

total dependence on federal allocation is one of the practices I will change immediately I assume office as the governor of Imo State. One of my key priorities would be to create sustainable structures for growing internallygenerated revenue. A few states have toed this path and have seen commensurate growth in Industries, products and services, employment for indigenes and by direct implication earned more revenues from taxes, rates etc. This way Imo State would not have to depend on federal allocation to function. You can only achieve this when you have a leadership that focus on strategic thinking and constructive engagements than political razzmatazz.” Asked whether politics would not undermine his growth as a lawyer, he replied: “I left courtroom advocacy in 1999 after more than a decade of lucrative practice. I am sure that I would have earned the silk if I had continued in legal advocacy. My career trajectory right now does not support seeking the silk. I however encourage younger lawyers in my firm to strive for it, especially now that effort is being made to restore its value as a recognition of excellence in practice or legal CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

ODOM

WEEKEND | CONVERSATION

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

‘Politics can never take the place of one’s knowledge or expertise’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

scholarship. To be a SAN is definitely honourable and to serve my people as the governor of the state is equally as honourable and gives me a wider room to impact people’s lives through some of the transformational changes I plan to introduce. “Technocracy is driven by knowledge and expertise mostly acquired from training and formal education. Politics can never take the place of one’s knowledge or expertise acquired over time; rather, technocracy will drive excellence in political participation.” Odom is confident too that his politics won’t be at the expense of the home front. He recalls how he met his wife and how life has been in marriage. “I met my wife at the parish where I used to spend my holidays while I was in the university. We had a long friendship spanning eight years before we got married. It’s has been a blissful experience till date.” Marriage has taught him some invaluable lessons, he said, adding that it is disservice to the society and God to disrespect the institution. “Listening, patience and understanding are some of the vital lessons marriage has taught me. When you pay attention to your spouse, practice patience, you

‘My children give me the greatest joy and fulfilment,’ Odom shown here in a family portrait, said.

surely will understand her perspectives and positions on issues better and this makes for a stronger bond, friendship and love. “My children give me the greatest joy and fulfilment. I consider their academic successes and brilliance as the best gift God gave to me.” But will he sincerely encourage anyone of them who decides to follow his path in politics? “Definitely. I have followed the path of hard work, loyalty and commitment to duty and it has been most rewarding. I have continuously broadened my perspectives through multi-dimensional learning which is why I’m able to wear several caps at different times and very effectively too.” With Odom, all work and no play never makes Jack a dull boy. He seldom finds time for leisure but when he does eventually, he has no qualms indulging: “My best form of relaxation is reading, but I play tennis twice a week to keep fit. I love red wine and I do occasional shot of cognac.” An avid lover of antiques, he shares his favourite travel spot. “My favourite leisure spot is a small village outside London called Cromer. It is so peaceful and reminds me of the old colonial buildings in Nigeria before we destroyed them in the name of development.”

“When you pay attention to your spouse, practice patience, you surely will understand her perspectives better and this makes for a stronger bond.” His vast means still don’t drive his choice of lifestyle. Same explains why he won’t drop and pick luxury cars at will, though he could effortlessly collect a few. “I simply go for durability and reliability as I see automobiles as a means of transportation. I own a Mercedes Benz G55 Wagon which I have used for almost eight years and I’m very happy with it so long as it serves me.” Not quite a fashion freak, Odom keeps it simple, clean and contemporary. “On dress sense, I will describe my style as eclectic and contemporary. Although I love top designer labels because of their quality but I’m not a slave to fashion. My choice of what makes it to my wardrobe is fit and functional-

ity. My favourite time piece is JagerleCoutre. I have had one for 10 years and my wife bought me a Cartier for my 50th birthday. I wear that on special occasions.” On what manner of childhood he had, Odom recalls: “I had a very modest upbringing. My parents were devout Christians who believed in uprightness, truth and love. Right from our formative ages we were taught obedience, diligence and love for one another.” As though Kurt Vonnegut had him in mind when he said, “Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been’, Odom does have a few regrets. “Frankly, I would want to strike a better work-life balance. At times, I find myself working so hard at the expense of quality time with family. So far, I have not managed this badly though, I always wish I could do better.” Readers are leaders and this can’t be gainsaid. This voracious reader also remembers how some books have shaped his life. “For books I love old classics. I have most recently had to reread The Great Gatsby and The Curious Case of Benjamin Burton by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Similar books of interest are David and Goliath and What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. I also enjoy the works of Chimamanda Adichie”

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

Dressing For The Cold Weather

Angela Davies

ave you noticed how unpleasantly cold the weather has been recently? So, are you thinking of how best to dress and still remain stylish with the right clothing? Well, for as long as this weather lasts, you do not need a new wardrobe. Neither do you have to sacrifice your style and comfort because it is all about combining some clothing’s and accessories to help keep you warm. For instance, for the office you could wear your normal dress, pant or skirt with a dress shirt or top but throw in a jacket if you are not used to wearing one before now to help keep you warm. But ensure that when you take off your jacket whenever you feel hot, you will still feel comfortable and fashionable. However, if you don’t want to wear a jacket or blazer over your outfit, then wrap a colourful pashmina around your torso. It is also ideal at this time to wear long or three quarter sleeve outfits. For a casual outing, you could wear a boyfriend jacket or blazer which is designed to appear oversized when worn with your jeans for a stylish look that is sleek and sophisticated. This jacket is aimed at adding a touch of elegance to your casual fashion ensemble while offering a layer of protection against cold. You can choose to pair your ensemble with a pair of flats or sneakers, depending on your style. You could also decide to pair a jeans blazer with your outfit as well. There are also some elegant long sleeve cardigan sweaters with buttons or belt made of a blend of cotton, rayon, and nylon that provides both comforting warmth and softness which you can wear with tops or camisole paired with pants or skirts. You could also wear chic sweater dress paired with leggings if you feel it is too short. Wearing black clothes in different styles is also a good way to ward off the cold. Black colour act as a good insulator.

INSTYLE

Eclectic without the drama Music producer and entertainment consultant, OJB Jezreel, manages to keep his dress sense simple despite the inherent eclectic outlook, writes ANGELA DAVIES How would you define your style? My style is simple. I believe when you keep it simple, it has its own class, level and platform. It just separates you from the pack. I already have dreadlocks so need for cumbersome dressing. So, I like keeping it simple, simplicity works for me. What determines the kind of outfits you wear? It is definitely the gathering and the theme of the event. What kind of outfits take up the larger space in your wardrobe? It consists of different outfits because I wear suit, simple blazer on top of jeans, contemporary African top on jeans, native attire as well. But one unifying factor you will find in my dressing is that it is simple. Are there clothes you would rather not be seen wearing? As much as I like dressing simple, I’m a little bit eclectic too. I like to experiment too but you will not catch me wearing skirt. Fashion accessory you cannot live home without That is definitely my wristwatch and glasses. Best designer I will say my best designer is Giorgio Armani. I like their suits. Most expensive fashion accessory ever bought I think it is a Rolex wristwatch. Signature perfume That will be Bvlgari because I have used it over time and the fragrance is not too harsh. Best colour Initially my best colour was black but I've discovered that I look better in white. So, white is now my best colour. Wearing earring It is just a fashion statement that I am breaking away from the norm irrespective of how old you are, you still find that you are not going with the norm. It is my own rebellion. Shoes and colours I like varieties when it comes to shoes because I am not a black and white shoe person. Any colour and type of shoes goes for me as long as it OJB Jezreel fits.

Jodie:

INSTYLE

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Accessories to live for

For your hair only

Facts

Hair accessories are a great way to either fix a bad hair day or add elegance to your locks and overall look without almost any effort, writes ANGELA DAVIES.

Meg Alabi, ex-international model is the brain behind Alabi Couture. The fashion line launched in June 2011 specialises in designing couture high tempo fashion with an eye for cut and fit of the designs. The clothes are designed to complement the personality of the wearer, regardless of the occasion.

rom simple pins to hair clips down to jewelled headband and combs, hair accessories are an important part of any woman’s outfit. Hair pieces help take a hairstyle from simple to glamorous in a matter of seconds. However, your hair piece should complement your outfit, hairstyle, suitable for your look and the occasion. For instance, a sparkly crystals and beads or vintage hairpieces are best appropriate for evening events. For less formal occasions, you could opt for hair accessories like hair clips, thin jewelled hair bands, scrunchies, barrettes or even black headband. Hair accessories come in a wide range of gorgeous styles, sizes, colours and designs for every occasion, right from simple ones for daily wear to fancy and bejewelled ones for different occasions. So, adorn your tresses with beautiful hair accessories that will create glamour and draw attention. Remember that whether your hair is long, short or braided, you can add elegance with lovely hair accessories.

Prepping your manicure with a base coat acts as a protective layer prevents darker polishes from staining your nails.

In 1932, Gucci created the loafer shoes with a gilded snaffle. To date, these shoes are the only footwear on display in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

FASHION ETIQUETTE

Men’s shirts button is on the right while women’s is on the left

Go sockless with loafers

oafers are versatile lace-less slip-on that many men love to wear which should not be worn with socks. Wearing socks with loafers is a fashion blunder that is made by some men. Loafers are made to compliment a casual smart look, so wearing socks with them will totally kill your look. Even if you decide to wear them with a tuxedo or jeans or pant, shirt and blazer, they are not supposed to be worn with socks because loafers come in a wide range of colours and fabric which makes it hard for them to be paired with socks. Even when worn with contemporary African attire, it should be worn socks less. However, if you really want to have socks on, then you should not wear your regular socks, instead opt for loafer socks or at least ankle-high socks.

BEAUTY

Essential items every woman need in her makeup bag

o doubt, a makeup bag should contain all your makeup instead of scattering all over in your handbag. However, it is important to carry only the essential makeup items that will help give you that dazzling look at any time of the day. Here are the essential beauty basics that you should carry daily in your makeup bag. • Concealer: Every woman needs the perfect concealer. It hides undereye circles and blemishes perfectly whether you blend them with your fingers or a brush. • Blush: The prefect blush is one that makes you look like you are naturally glowing. So it is essential to have it in your makeup bag. • Eyeliner: Every woman needs to have some eyeliner to add more drama to her eyes. Whether you wear a little or a lot, eyeliner is a great way to open your eyes and make them look brighter. Make sure you get one that slides on smoothly and does not tug the eye.

• Mascara: To get the most out of your mascara, choose one whose wand has bristles with spiky tips that grabs tiny corner lashes. • Eye shadow palette: Choose a palette with at least three to six different colours. However, ensure it has dark and light colours for during the day and evening look. • Eye pencil: They are easy and

comfortable to apply. They come in different colours and can be used to create a sharp line or a softer, smoky effect. • Nude lipstick and lip gloss: Sometimes you just want to look natural, so it is ideal to use nude lipstick or lip gloss. • Red lipstick: It is the ultimate lipstick for women. A red lip is always appropriate whether it is worn during the day or at night. So, choose and have the right shade that compliments your skin tone in your makeup bag. • Nail buffer: This comes in an array of styles and sizes. You will surely find a buffer that will fit perfectly into your make up bag. It is important that the hands look as beautiful as the face. • Brush set: Using the right brush can make all the difference so always make sure you have the right brush on hand. • Makeup remover wipes: It is important to have makeup remover wipes to wipe your makeup instead using tissue paper or handkerchief. It removes makeup; dirt’s and leaves your face clean and fresh. There are various brands you could select from. So now that you know what you really need inside your makeup bag, it's time to drop all the unnecessary makeup that you seldom or don’t even use.

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INSTYLE | TRENDS

Cast away inhibitions... show off your baby bump Fashion in pregnancy was once a closet subject; but increasing embrace of pop culture especially as showcased by celebrities is giving pregnant women their day in the sun. ANGELA DAVIES writes

ears ago, it was the norm for expectant mothers to reach out for maternity gowns once the bump begins to be evident. These roomy outfits whether it is a gown, skirt and blouse, trousers and top are meant to hide the bulge as well as provide comfort for both mother and unborn baby. But with the evolution of fashion as well as the influence of international celebrities in recent times, pregnant women who still want to look chic and stunning throughout the duration of their pregnancy; opt for outfits that show off their growing baby excitedly. Today, being pregnant does not mean that you have to stop being fashionable, and neither does it mean you need to change your wardrobe. It only means doing something extra to still look stylish, stunning and improve your glowing new look. Consequently, you need to embrace your new shape and flaunt it in clothes that flatter you and your growing baby bump. So whatever style of outfits and accessories you choose to dress in during your pregnancy could range from glamorous, gorgeous, sexy to corporate, formal or casual as this will tend to come down to your own style and how you are feeling about your body. However, many 'normal' clothes made from stretchy fabric will quite often help flaunt your bump. There are lots of outfits that will sure flaunt your baby bump like elegant hugging dresses, stylish hugging or flowing tops with jeans, pants or pencil skirts, maxi dress, wrap dress, pant, skirt or dress suit, sleeveless dress and jacket and many more. However, ensure that these clothes are not only stylish but also comfortable. Clothing like jeans, pants and pencil skirts should come with elastic waistline or adjustable waist bands for extra comfort. Remember to wear clothes with soft fabric that have the ability of providing support and

comfort without irritating your bump. Many women also experience itchy skin as their bump grows, thus, making soft and stretchy clothing even more important. Sometimes it is nice to feel special during pregnancy especially when you have a night out with your husband or an evening event. There are so many gorgeous outfits that will show off your pregnant figure like a wrap or Grecian dress to enhance your bump and boost your cleavage. Also, a lovely top paired with jeans or trousers or a comfy low slung skirt with a flattering top is ideal. You do not have to forget about your hair and makeup just because you are pregnant. You should wear stylish hair and makeup to enhance your already fabulous and glowing look. When it comes to footwear, depending on your trimester, you could choose to rock heels, wedge or even flat shoes. It all boils down to what you are comfortable in. However, wedges are a more supportive option if you are used to wearing heels. Also, you can wear backless shoes made of a flexible material to accommodate the changes in their feet. Do not forget to use accessories like necklace, bracelets, earrings, cocktail rings and scarves to brighten and add elegance to your look and bring a sense of individual style. As much as you want to show off your baby bump, you should avoid tight and uncomfortable clothing. Tight clothing around the waist can become very uncomfortable as your pregnancy progresses. Remember, when it comes to dressing during pregnancy, comfort and style are key. Also know that you should be true to your own style but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to be a little bit daring when it comes to putting together your outfit. So, why not take a cue from these elegant ladies on this page when they were pregnant.

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Data security, way of life for corporate organisations – Paramole Moruf Paramola, a consultant in ICT, with specialty in IT security and computer forensics speaks to SEGUN EDWARDS, on a new branch of data infrastructure protection, which protects organisations data base from intrusion within an organisation as well as against hackers from outside. What does your branch of Information, Communication Technology, data security entail? It entails securing organisations’ ICT infrastructure. For example, all organisaitions’ activities are computerised now and as a result they are bound to protect all information contained stored in their data, either for the organisation or the data of clients at their disposal i.e. financial institutions as well, they have information they need for the running of their business and at the same time protecting the data containing information about their customers. In a nutshell what is the name of this initiative? The name of the initiative is ICT infrastructure security. What is the level of awareness about this initiative in the part of the world? Actually, it is novel. It is new in Nigeria and several parts of the developing countries. It is in the developed countries that the initiative is well known and it has become a way of life for the corporate system particularly since the global economic meltdown of 2007.

How does it assist in protecting organisation’s data infrastructure and who are those using your service? The way we install a security for an organisation’s data infrastructure is to develop an ICT policy for the particular organisation, which is IT security policy. IT policy is like a guideline that every personnel adhere to, procedural guide for access to the organisation’s hierarchy. In other words, the guideline would specify everybody’s bound to the organisation’s data base. In this the way, a situation of ignorance on the part of the particular personnel or someone would not arise. Is it that the ICT data infrastructure is capable of shutting out any particular personnel or any intruder that is not granted the right to have access to valuable information about the organisation? Yes, all organisations have their levels or personnel, the initiative would ensure that information accessible to particular personnel is limited to the level of the personnel or the designation of such personnel and the security policy also has the capability to completely shut out any outsider or intruder, unless there is an insider’s connivance. The ICT security policy put in place in respect of the protection of an organisation’s IT infrastructure security would be able to protect information of the organisation making the case of information of such organisation getting into wrong hands while it goes a long way in enhancing the image of the organisation as well as raising public confidence. The working of such organisation is equally enhanced. Who are the major gatekeepers of the data base structure security that would ensure that unwarranted intruder within and out-

side are effectively checked? In the process of putting the structure in place, certain personnel within the organisation like a team, must be in the know of the infrastructure or carried along to know information contained in the policy. Personnel like the managing director, the human resources head, the ICT head, the accountant of the organisation. It would also depend on the particular organisation. In other words, it varies from organisation to organisation. But the standard requires that the MD, the human resources Head, the accountant and the ICT head of the organisation are the personnel that are expected to form the team of gatekeepers to the platform as required by the approved standard.

tions that are being carried out and the system administrator can easily detect wherever somebody is trying to access something that is not within his jurisdiction on the system.

At what point would the consciousness of the gatekeepers be raised about a like intrusion on the platform? Among the team, we have the system administrator, the system administrator is actually in charge of giving access to all personnel of the organisation, and somebody would not be expected to bypass his boundary because a well-laid down control is put in place. But in case somebody is doing that, the computer has a way of recording transac-

What is required to acquire training in this branch of ICT? What it entails is to have the basic and prerequisite knowledge in the day to day use of the computer particularly in the networking and the hardware engineering knowledge of the computer and also know how to explore around the computer system, that is the basic requisite requirement. So, to be on a safe side, a network and system engineer in computer would aptly fit into the training.

IT infrastructure security would be able to protect information of the organisation making the case of information of such organisation getting into wrong hands

After training, can one be on one’s own? Cost implication after training varies depending on exposure of the person, you just need to impart this branch to the person. So, the cost is not fixed at a specific fee, it is subjective. I really don’t want to talk on cost implication until a prospective makes an enquiry. But what I can say is that the cost implication is reasonable. I don’t have a problem imparting knowledge on this particular branch of ICT, because computer training is liberal. I am in a position to say this because I have been on this for a least a decade now.

This ICT innovation is novel, how many hands would you say you have trained? Yes, it is a novel initiative in ICT, it is not known very well in this part of the world. Although people are gradually getting aware, I have trained quite a numbers of hands, in conjunction with some foreign partners. I have trained so many numbers of personnel. To be modest, I have trained 120 personnel across board as an instructor with a notable international partner which I had a contract on this initiative.

Jodie I don’t know when I will make another hit p.21 Screen Love Couples who met on movie sets p.20

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www.newtelegraphonline.com/showbiz The joke about your governorship ambition is beginning to get reactions. Are you running for the office seriously? Well, Governor Rotimi Amaechi is someone who everybody, at least those of us who are from that part of the divide know that he has done pretty well and if any past administration has done close to that, we would have probably gone back to the glory we lost. You’re all aware that Port Harcourt used to be called Garden City, so based on that understanding, I don’t want anybody to come and mess up his achievements, I want to continue and be able to build on his achievements if I am given the opportunity. You’re from the same constituency as the incumbent governor; will the presumed rotational arrangement not scuttle your ambition? There is no constitution or signed agreement that states that. Would you say that you’re the governor’s anointed candidate? No, I would not say that. Everybody has a right to contest. But you’re not known as a registered member of any political party yet... That is the mystery. A lot of people have been asking under what platform are you contesting? And what I say to them is that they should wait; we will unveil the party very soon. It is sounding more like a joke now; we came to you to shed light on the issue... We are shedding light here now. My platform is still under wraps. The truth about it is that I'm concentrating on my UK tour for now which started yesterday and we are in Glasgow. The tour ends on August 20 after the London show. When we return we will unveil the platform, that’s the whole idea. Aren’t you worried this might be a distraction and could indeed cost you your place in the industry? I do not intend to play any dirty politics. I’ve kept a very clean name while I’m plying my trade in comedy, movie and music and built a solid brand from showbiz. Agreed a lot of people are like are you sure you are ready to swim in this murky waters? We all know what is involved especially how it is played in Nigeria; that is why you have to be praying for me. Governor Amaechi is close to you and you call him your brother, don’t you think that’s one of Julius’ expensive jokes? Let’s see how expensive this joke gets, there are certain things I don’t want to say. What is your vision for Rivers State? Like I said, Amaechi has done well and I make bold to say so, he is part of the generational change so I don’t want somebody who will come and make a mess of what he has done. You know how our country is, the way politicians behave, if a governor who is not part of the ruling party emerges, all his ambition will be to crush the legacies of the other person, that’s why my major vision is to build on the existing legacies of the present administration. There are indications that your destination is the All Progressives’ Congress... I didn’t say so. There are other parties and we want to try as much as possible to make people realize that you can actually run as a person, as an independent candidate, depending on your clout and level of popularity and your vision and what you

‘Let’s see how expensive my guber ambition joke gets' Comedian Julius Agwu recently voiced his ambition to be the next governor of his state, Rivers State and it went viral on social media. But this is no joke; a comedian is headed for the government house and he’s asking the world to follow his grass to grace story. He shares this in an interview with LANRE ODUKOYA and INIOLUWA EKEOLERE.

l Although there is no provision for independent candidacy in Nigeria's electoral law, Agwu says, incredulously, he would run as an independent candidate

and what you stand to achieve, you can actually get voted in. What is your agenda? We have an issue, for some time now, when I drive through from Rumuokuta to my village, I realize that people no longer have verandas anymore. And because everybody now has a shop in front of their houses, you’d realise how much poverty is biting on the people. So what we want to achieve is to be able to create jobs for the youths and the women. It embarrasses me, stores so those are part of what we intend to change. Aren't these small businesses that should be encouraged? So SME is when people put two balls of tomatoes, pepper, three tubers of ginger and one piece of kolanut on the tray? What are you doing differently with your show, Crack Ya Ribs in the UK? This year is a tour, we have tagged it Crack Ya Ribs tour, so it starts from Glasgow and it moves to London.

How do you feel about the death of Robin Williams? The truth about it is that so many of those who give laughter and joy are not really happy people. At times, we are in our world; nobody gives us our own joy. But, we live in a world where people pretend that all is well. A lot of people are actually passing through harrowing times. I wonder what will actually make someone take his life. I mean there are those who aspired to be in Robin Williams' shoes until the dastardly act. We have an advantage from this divide, by the time you start thinking about all the suffering you have gone through; the mosquitoes, the NEPA palaver, you will understand that you have already passed through process of suicide. You wake up every day to see area boys that are waiting for you. Sometimes you will have to contend with armed robbers and run away. Then you go to the airport where at times they just cancel your flight with no reason, the day you come five minutes late they will say that you have missed your flight. The day you come one hour early, they will say it has been delayed for three hours and nobody does anything. For instance, two years ago, we had this same Crack Ya Ribs tour. We bought Air Nigeria ticket, I bought for all my team I was taking to London from there we went

to America. We had Texas and Dallas, on our return, we were supposed to fly back to London and then take Air Nigeria back to Nigeria. We were in America when the news hit us that Air Nigeria had closed and sacked all their staff and that was it. To date, nobody is talking about the refund, no apologies, nothing. So, when you pass through these moments, they are suicidal moments for a typical Nigerian. So we’ve passed through this process. After a typical Nigerian looks at it, he would ask himself, 'what do I want to kill myself for?' Have you ever contemplated suicide? Yes, I have, but after the whole thing, I just realized that it would be stupid, because when I put the rope around my neck, it pained me. For real, I had. I am sure everybody has contemplated suicide before when you get so frustrated and things get terribly annoying. When I think of it, I just say, 'you have gone this far and God has a purpose for me'. The truth about it is that I feel that God has a bigger project for me, but I am waiting for Him, to call me. Who knows? Maybe He wants to start with me serving my people. Suicide is a process, you contemplate it and it grows. The advice is that when you start having depression, go for advice or counselling, see a psychiatrist.

20 SHOWBIZ

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Adegbite & Attoh

LANRE ODUKOYA - 08059296445 lanreodukoya@gmail.com

Isaac & Nneka

Surely, life imitates art in matters of the heart

t usually begins with an idle gossip and, in a blink of an eye, the love story becomes the talk of the town. Actors do fall in love. The difference is that their romance tales seldom get the plaudits of fans who mostly assume it's a fleeting dalliance. Fans are quick to forget that actors are first of all humans with just as much emotions. The flames of many marriages have been kindled on set, though with a startling number of failed ones. From lucrative Hollywood to a sold-out Bollywood and now to towering Nollywood, actors waltz from the movie sets to the altar. Lately, there’s been a surge of this trend in the TV series, Tinsel. At least, no fewer than three couples have bonded to become actual lovers after meeting on the set of Tinsel. Most famous of this category is Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, who’s known as Kwame Mensah and Nigerian actress, Damilola Adegbite, playing the role of Telema Duke in the series. Attoh engaged his pregnant lover, Adegbite a few days back with a ring and made the affair public.

Iyke Okechukwu who stars as Chuks and Florence Uwaleke known as Ene on the set of Tinsel married about two years ago. The union has produced a child already. And the most recent news from Tinsel is that Gbenro Ajibade who acts as Soji Bankole and Osas Ighodaro otherwise known as Adanna are now engaged. Their romance was for long shrouded in secrecy but may just be the next big wedding from the Tinsel family. From Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s story seems the most inspiring for now. Here’s the duo who has managed to stay together for nine eventful years. Pitt and Jolie met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Rumours of an on-set romance began almost immediately, though both denied the allegations, saying they were just friends. And by 2005, Pitt’s exwife, Jennifer Aniston, announced that they had decided to formally separate after nearly five years of marriage and more than seven years together. Pitt remained single though he has kids with Jolie until 2012 when he engaged her.

E-BRIEFS

Omoni Oboli and the cleavage revealing dress

Owo & Martins

ctress Omoni Oboli wormed her way to Aso Rock and got the Presidency to stage a private screening of her movie, Being Mrs Elliot, leaving many buffs saying bravo. But an infamous report was to later emerge from the feat that should have been celebrated. The lead character in the tale of infamy turned out to be Oboli herseIf. The pretty mother of three attended the high profile event in a dress that stirred some imagination. Since then, she has been getting the public censure for dressing in a manner deemed indecent at a function that had the president in attendance. Some less charitable observers even suggested she was trying to seduce the president. But do we blame the angry fans? Oboli has never been that brazen. Well, in a recent statement, Oboli tried to rationalise everything. “I styled myself and I thought the outfit was appropriate because there were no vital parts showing. Sometimes the angles with which pictures are taken can portray certain things you do not have intention of portraying. We have pictures from the event and you won’t see what people are seeing. The truth is that a lot of people are very bitter and when people are bitter they try to look for a lot of negative things in every positive thing. It is unfortunate that we are in the limelight because if someone else wears that outfit no one will say anything. I don’t even read blogs and see the comments. My true fans know who I am and my intention when I am doing things.” President Jonathan and Oboli

Remember them? Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were married for nine years (from 1989 to 1998). Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise met Cruise in December 1989 on the set of their 1990 movie, Days of Thunder. They separated on 25 May, 1998. Kidman was three months pregnant at the time; shortly afterward, she suffered a miscarriage. Cruise filed for divorce in February 2001, and the marriage was dissolved that year, with Cruise citing irreconcilable differences. In Marie Claire, Kidman said she had an ectopic pregnancy early in their marriage. In the June 2006 Ladies' Home Journal, she said she still loved Cruise: "He was huge; still is. To me, he was just Tom, but to everybody else, he is huge. But he was lovely to me and I loved him. I still love him." Some of the Nigerian co-travellers are Sunday Omobolanle (Aluwe) who married Peju Ogunmola, Afeez Owo and Mide Martins, Saheed and Fathia Balogun (now divorced) Robert and Gloria Young and Isaac and Nneka Moses who met on the set of Love in Vendetta in 1996 and married in 1998.

Pitt and Jolie

Cruise and Kidman

Brenda Fassie resurrects at Standard Bank's Joy of Jazz

overs of pulsating jazz music will be getting a near overdose of it at a concert featuring Asanda Bam, Brenda Mtambo, Lindiwe Maxolo, Nonfundo Xaluva, Thiwe Mbola and Wanda Baloyi. The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, which takes place from September 25 to 27, will mark 20 years of South African democracy with two performances by Mzanzi Golden Voices who will perform the music of the late Brenda Fassie who died 10 years ago. A younger generation of songbirds who have made a mark in jazz, Afro-soul and gospel genres will pay homage to Fassie with renditions of some of her memorable compositions. They will be accompanied by Germany’s Hessian State Jazz Youth Orchestra (Kicks & Sticks) under the direction of conductor Wolfgang Diefenbach with Tshepo Mngoma as the musical director. The mercurial Fassie was the first musician of her generation to publicly sing about the then jailed Nelson Mandela in a stirring song titled Black President (1989), a soul-

ful track that poignantly captures those dark days of apartheid 50 years ago when “the people’s president was taken away by security men”. She sings about the struggle hero who broke rocks but whose spirit was never broken. In the 1980s, a period when the apartheid authorities and the recording industry made it a crime to perform songs that captured the social and political mood of the times, Fassie stood up to be counted among the few who dared to sing truth. The new-look 2014 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre with more than 70 artistes on the bill. For the first time, audiences will be able to buy a full festival pass to the four main stages – Dinaledi, Conga, Diphala and Mbira – in line with jazz festivals around the globe. The 2014 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is produced by T-Musicman and brought to audiences by Standard Bank in association with the Department of Arts & Culture; the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province and South African Tourism.

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Jodie: I don’t know when I'll have another hit like Kuchi Kuchi Joy Odiete popularly known as Jodie won many hearts when she released her first single, Kuchi Kuchi, which became a huge hit. This talented singer talks about music, her kinky hair and relationship in this interview with ANGELA DAVIES. Did you ever dream of becoming a musician? When I was much younger, I always wanted to become a singer. How that will happen I didn’t know, but that was always my dream. However, when I went for Idols West Africa in 2007, I saw my dream becoming a reality. When I came fifth, I was not sad because I knew that platform was enough to build my musical career. So when I saw the way people embraced the song, Kuchi kuchi, I realised that in life nothing is impossible. When should your fans expect another hit song like Kuchi Kuchi? I don’t know, honestly. The truth is that music is not something that you can predict all the time. You could try to do all the writings and it may not be accepted the way you want it to be. So, I didn’t plan to have Kuchi Kuchi become a hit. I wanted to test the waters with a song from the couple of songs I had and I chose Kuchi Kuchi and it blew. I just believe God that He will drop more songs in my heart which people will love. While I am still here, I will keep singing and who knows, there might be more songs that might blow like kuchi kuchi. Musically what is the latest about Jodie? I just came out with a new singles titled, Seasons, which is a few weeks old. It is a song of hope. It is mid tempo and not a party kind of

song. It is gaining grounds and people love it. Seasons is really doing well, and I know that there is a lot this song has got to offer. What informed your kinky hair style? Actually, when I decided to go kinky, that is wearing my natural hair, it wasn’t about brand. I was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos then and I had not even decided to become a professional singer. So it is more of my lifestyle first even before my life on stage. How have people reacted to your choice of hair-do? People love it and more women are embracing it. So it’s not so strange anymore. A lot of women wear their kinky hair whether it is braided or fixed and that is because it is beautiful. Wearing kinky hair is something that women have gradually come to embrace and I think it has come to stay. How would you describe your personal style? My style is simple but African just with a little stunt on it. I was a lot more conservative but I had to spice it up a little to add a little more colours. I love to wear clothes with African touch, but not entirely African because I still want some contemporary feel around my outfit. And when it comes to my kinky hair, I don’t mind fixing and braiding but I do not ever want to perm my hair. I love the texture of African hair, it is just that a lot of women don’t know how to take care of it. Also, I comb and style it the way I want. What do you consider when dressing for an outing? I consider my comfort, the suitability and fit of the outfit. I normally would wear a long dress but I decide to experiment sometimes. Would you consider a career in fashion? Honestly, I don’t know. I can’t think of any right now reason. But change is the only constant thing in life. What you think is not cool today, might be so cool tomorrow. For instance, when I decided to cut off my perms while at UNILAG, everyone was like, ‘Jodie what is this?’ At a point,

I was even ashamed because at the time it wasn’t a fad. But today it is fashionable. I am not sure I want to nail it yet because the truth is that I am still very young and still learning much more about myself. There is this glow around you right now. Is that an indication you're in love? The truth is that we learn everyday and we grow. I think things happen whether good or bad and they all make you who you are. I think a few things have happened in my life and I have learnt a lot. I am still learning and this glow I believe is just the beginning. So are you in a relationship? Honestly, I am not in any relationship and it is not a bad thing. It is like life has just begun for me and I want to really calm down first. There is so much good out there and I mean it in the good sense not because I want to just be some loose person out there. But it is because I am learning a lot and I am sure if I settled for what I thought was the best yesterday, maybe I would have been satisfied today. So, I am actually taking it easy and with God’s inspiration and prayers, I will get there. Do you consider being in a relationship a distraction to your career? No, I don’t consider relationship a distraction. Instead, I consider being in a relationship with the wrong person a distraction. Tell us about your ideal man When I was in primary school, my ideal man would be tall, light-skinned with curly hair, perhaps a bi-racial. But now my ideal man will be someone with whom there is some kind of connection which should be much more than the physical. I still don’t mind a fine, comfortable guy who loves me and supports my career. Actually, I still pray for a fine guy. Much more than the physical, I want someone who as we are in a relationship, as we get married, as we have kids, I want to keep saying, ‘Oh God thank you'.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

Joe El has a striking resemblance with Tuface, his idol with whom he is pictured here (inset)

Joe EL: It's flattering to be compared with Tuface, but he's simply inimitable

Kennis Music singer, JoeL Amadi better known as Joe EL speaks OLUSHOLA RICKETTS on the tortuous walk to realising his dream to be a musician.

How far did you go academically? I have a diploma in accounting and auditing from Kaduna State College of Education. I didn't go further than that due to the problems I had with my father when I opted for music. He was ready to send me to school, but not until I came back home. I still have plans to pick up more degrees in future.

How did you get into music? Well, I started singing at the age of nine in the church choir, Evangelical Church of West Africa, in Sokoto State. Afterwards I just decided to take it to the next level and here I am today.

What were those days like as a struggling artiste? I would say that it is a little bit easier than now because the more you get popular the more challenges surface. There is need to maintain the fame and keep growing. Then, nobody knew me so it was easy to do something secretly, but I cannot avoid to fail now. To maintain that stardom is not an easy task for anyone.

Were your parents supportive? Yes, of course, but it was only my mother that supported me at the beginning. My father did not support my decision to go into music and it was one of the main reasons I had to leave home. I give God the glory; they are all in total support of what I do now. He now calls me to ask after my welfare. But my mother has always been in support right from when I started. Although she didn't have the financial muscle to back me up, she encouraged me the little way she could. My father had the money to invest on me, but since he does not like what I settled for, you cannot expect him to part away with his money. Why do you think he didn't support you? He believes that musicians' lifestyle is wayward. He loves music and he is also a chorister, but frowns against secular songs. The day I told him I wanted to release an album was the day I started having problems with him. He said once I released an album, I will start mingling with people who will lead me astray. I left home for Kano State where I got a job as a restaurant attendant. I worked for three years before I finally relocated to Lagos in 2010.

What was it like composing the single, You Are in Love? It was actually produced in The Gambia some years ago. It was basically the producer's idea. He produced the beat and wrote some parts of the song. And I also got support of my record label brother, Capital Femi who was also in The Gambia with me at that time. So, three of us put our heads together to write the song and it came out nice. Can you tell us about your other singles, including the one you released recently that featured Tuface? All my songs are doing good out there. From You Are in Love to Fade Away and Oya Na, I am getting support from people. At present we have Hold On, featuring the legendary Tuface. So things are going well for me. When is your debut album coming out? The album is set. We have concluded works. It is as good as coming out tomorrow, but we are still putting one or two

things in order. I just want people to watch out for it; It is coming out very soon.

society, the less-privileged and the orphanage homes in any way I can.

How do you see the challenges? Challenges so far are just the normal things an artiste would face in Nigeria or abroad. To start with, the entertainment structure, I would say we need more support from the government to grow better than where we are today. I can tell you that people respect Nigerians in other countries because of the entertainment industry. So I expect the government to leverage on it.

Do you have any fear? I don't want to fall and I am always scared of the word 'rise and fall.' It is the major reason I am working very hard. I don't want to drop by the wayside.

How do you feel when people compare you with Tuface? I don't take it seriously because people must talk. I pay attention, but it is to make me strong, not weak. I am brave, hardworking and I also believe so much in myself and abilities. So, what people say doesn't really matter to me because I'm not trying to do things like him. Tuface is not someone anybody can imitate because he is in a world of his own. All I want to do is to sing and leave my own footprint. In 2007, after dropping two songs and people said I sing like Tuface, I felt really bad. But my mother encouraged me to move on since it was what I wanted to do and told me not to ever look back in my career path. What do you do when you are not making music? I just try to relax. I love to stay indoors and watch movies. It refreshes me. What are the qualities your woman must possess? I like a lot of things. But I crave for a lady with good character. She must be sincere, have the fear of God, beautiful and hard working. What are your plans for the future? I plan to live a better life, give back to the

What is your dress sense like? I just like things that fit me. I like simplicity; I don't like too much combination of colours. It might be cheap as it seems, but I like being smart. What turns you off about people? I don't like pretentious people. It irritates me a lot. I like being real, open and truthful. Are there regrets so far? I don't think I have regrets in life. What I have always wanted to do is what I am doing at present. Where I wanted to be is where I am now. I have my record label, management team and my family around me. How do you want to be remembered? Though I know I have been doing well for myself and improving, I still feel I have not done what will make the world remember me when I'm gone. I want to be remembered for my good music. They should remember my name Joe EL for the kinds of songs I put out. What do you say to young artistes to encourage them? I would tell young acts like myself to keep working. They should not ever feel they are there or have arrived. R. Kelly still sings, Dangote still does business etc. They should also have a good heart towards people and fellow artistes, be prayerful and stay focused.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

SHOWBIZ

From counter-terrorism class to music stage Although R&B singer Seun Oni started singing professionally last year, she has earned some impressive stripes. Oni, whose showbiz moniker is Saeon, speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA about studying counterterrorism being passionate about R&B and rap, two diverse genres. You rap and also sing R&B. This is unique. How do you combine these diverse genres? I think it has to do with experience and time I spent in nurturing my talents. I started with writing R&B songs and then stumbled on something that wasn’t R&B. I just took it up from there. I guess I am able to ride on anything I come across. I have dabbled into different genres like Afro, hip-hop but I am originally an R&B artiste and I also rap. I sing about love as well as on any inspiring theme. Which do you enjoy the most? I am endeared more to R&B. That is what I started with, that is what I know and which keeps me going. It is my choice when it comes to writing songs. I think R&B first before any other kind of music. At what point did it dawn on you that you would be a musician? I had always known as a child that I would be a musician. I have loved music since I can remember. It has always been my ‘to go’ place whenever I needed to be alone. It was just a matter of time for me; mainly because of the kind of family I come from. I had to be done with my education first before venturing into music full time. Music for me is very interesting and exciting because it improves my blood flow. You studied a course on terrorism at postgraduate level, what informed this decision? I read international studies and history at Babcock University. I did my post graduate in international relations with focus on terrorism and counterterrorism as well as the covert activities of the CIA. I had different modules I could have focused on. Nothing was challenging or so when I came across ternew to me rorism and counterterrorism, I saw it as something that happens in contemporary times so I decided to go for it. I feel guilty because I should actually apply myself into my field of study in the best of ways that I can in Nigeria because it is actually facing terrorist attacks. I have been looking for ways to link myself up with the NIA, that is the Nigerian Intelligence A g e n c y. Although I want to do it from the background just to contribute in m y

own little way, as a patriotic citizen who has specialised in this issue. How financially rewarding has music been for you? There is time for everything and I think it is a gradual process. I am still coming up and believe strongly that with time, music will make me smile to the bank. People often tell me that R&B is not financially rewarding but the truth is, I am happy doing this and will always be happy with it for a long time to come. I am aware that we love high tempo music in Nigeria but I love R&B. Outside music, I have a company; I make theme songs, jingles, souvenirs and general merchandise. That is another way for me to keep myself going. How soon will you release your debut album? I believe it is important to take a step at a time. I did a cover of Brymo’s Ara album and it gave me a jumpstart in my music career. I am not planning on releasing an album now but I have a couple of singles. I am at the stage where I have just come out from a lull. I actually took time out to study the industry. When I came back from school, I didn’t know how things were properly done here in Nigeria. I had to study the terrain first. I took time out to really understand it and to know how things are done and how to push my music. I also took time out to rebrand myself and my style of music to suit the Nigerian public. I have done some collaboration with some artistes in the past and I’m working on doing some with some established artistes. The industry is fiercely competitive, how do you hope to survive the rivalry from other few rappers in the country? I am not contesting with anyone. I am not a rapper; I only have the ability to rap. There is a better market for me as R&B artiste. Can you recount some of your experiences as an artiste? I once took part in a competition while I was in the United Kingdom; it was an MTV UK Brand New Artiste competition that allowed people to compete with each other and the winner will be pushed by MTV. I had to compete with people from all over the world. I didn’t win it but it was something I was glad to have done. I got to the final stage actually. You never know who is listening to your music. You can’t say you are doing music meant for Nigeria only. You have to think big because at the end of the day, what determines your stardom is the clout you have internationally. I performed at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week last year. I was nominated last year at the Nigerian Music Video Awards and I got to perform there as well. I performed at the Koko Concert. I have performed in Nigeria, Angola and United Kingdom. What was growing up like for you? I am from a family of five children. I grew up in FESTAC Town, Lagos, before we relocated to Abuja. I am the middle child and the middle girl. I feel like I am special. Growing up was fun. I remember singing from a very early age with my siblings. They even used to call us the Oni Family Singers Then. Growing up in a loving family was fun and I thank God for my wonderful parents and my great siblings.

People often tell me that R&B is not financially rewarding but the truth is, I am happy doing this and will always be happy with it for a long time to come

Thinking big...Saeon says "what determines your stardom is the clout you have internationally"

24 SHOWBIZ

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... a finger on the city’s pulse

LANRE ODUKOYA - 08059296445

Mo Abudu plans big for 50th birthday in September

Otunba Adewunmi’s daughter Shola floats new eatery

he countdown to TV entrepreneur Mo Abudu’s 50th birthday ceremony has begun and the EbonyLife TV boss plans to colour the grand occasion celebrating great but unsung professionals. Born Mosunmola Abudu on September 11, 1964, the executive chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV and her team plans to award deserving women in the society to commemorate her golden jubilee. According to a statement from Red Media, "the award is set to promote and recognize women who are innovative and committed to national impact, individuals who have outstanding performance and are making a difference in the area for which they are being considered." The talk show host said, “I want to celebrate those that are not often celebrated or not celebrated enough, but who are making significant impacts in their particular areas of influence.” Tagged “Mo @ 50, Celebrating Sisterhood,” the celebration is expected to be graced by several celebrities and dignitaries from diverse calling. Mo Abudu was listed among the 25 Most Powerful women in Global TV by the Hollywood Reporter in recognition of her outstanding work in diverse fields especially in the field of media and her service to humanity. She has been conferred with many laurels including the awards by Forbes Media recognising her as the first African woman to launch a pan-African TV channel; Entrepreneur of the Year by Women Werk in New York, amongst several other awards. Recently, she was honoured with an honorary doctorate degree by Babcock University.

hola, daughter of Otunba Niyi Adewunmi, Mike Adenuga’s close ally, has shrugged off pains on the marital front and moved on with her life. Her five-year marriage may have failed due to no fault of hers, but her greatest weapon of revenge is to be more productive and enterprising. This explains why she established an upscale eatery, Grubbies in Lekki, Phase One, Lagos. The lady who also ran a classy beauty centre, Touch of Glamour on Victoria Island for eight years is making a detour to the food and catering industry, a passion she said she has had for many years.

Oba Akinruntan’s kids flex muscles again

hat wealthy siblings, Yomi and Femi Akinruntan, often have an axe to grind is no news. In fact, there’s yet another rumour of discord between the two. They are half brothers and eldest children of their respective mothers. Their father, oil magnate Obateru Akinruntan is the current Olugbo of Ugboland, Ondo State. There are insinuations that the princes SOLUTIONS TO CROSS are quarrelling over control of their father’s businesses. The WORD PUZZLE fracas is alleged to be polarising the family by virtue of their E R U D I T E S K Y positions as helmsmen of differM N R S E T A ent companies owned by their B A T I T T E M father. Siblings of the same R O S E S P Y mother and their faithful are said to be quietly taking sides A B L E R E B with one another. C D B M S L R But the man said to be having E A D R I M I the upper hand, the younger of the brothers, Prince Femi ObatR E D O Z B S B eru described the story as ‘a falD V B E E I R E lacy that should be disregarded A I B A G D R by all’ in a recent statement. M A L B I O L O G Y Sources however insist it should be expected - that the ACROSS 10. ESPY 22. BEE combatants would do all pos1. ERUDITE 11. ABLE 23. IRE sible to keep the squabble for 5. SKY 12. RE 24. IBA control within the fold of the 7. SET 16. AD 25. MAL family in order not to incur the 8. BAT 17. RIMI 26. BIOLOGY wrath of their father and patron. 9. ITT 18. REDO It was alleged that Femi gained the upper hand in vyDOWN ing for influence by virtue of his 1. EMBRACE 6. YAM 20. ZERO position as head of Obat Oil, the 2. UNTOLD 13. BRIBERY 21. DAM cash cow of the family’s empire. 3. IRIS 14. BAOBAB These factors are said to have 4. ESTEEM 15. LIBIDO transformed him into an influential player in his father’s affairs. 5. STEP 19. EVIL

His elder brother, Yomi, lives in Abuja with the claim to fame of overseeing one of their father’s sprawling hotel in that part of the city. Yomi's attempt to create a clout for himself outside of his father’s business in politics was short-lived as he failed to secure nomination of his party. He was forced to return to his father’s business empire to slug it out with his younger brother. The battle between the two is said to be on, with Yomi reportedly striving to take larger responsibility and more active role in his father’s business, while his brother checkmate him by working harder to sustain the confidence his dad reposes in him. But hunky Femi dispelled the tale when he said, “firstly, I want to bring to the knowledge of all that the Akinruntan family is one unique family, where love and equity reign. Prince Abayomi Akinruntan is my elder brother, friend and mentor. As a matter of fact, he (Prince Abayomi) is the best brother one prays for, a man of integrity and the ‘BEST AMONG EQUALS’. I know that people are out there cooking up lots of alien stories to distract us from taking OBAT Group to the next level, but we have a fighting back weapon which is called LOVE… The oil and gas sector is vast, and not a one man thing, in terms of management and decision making. The inputs and expertise of Prince Abayomi on daily basis has helped OBAT Group in breaking new frontier. Thus rumour of a cold war between myself and my beloved brother is fallacy and should be disregarded by all".

Yomi

Femi

SPSPLASH RT

Rumble in Goodison Park As Everton test Arsenal’s might

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van Persie set to return for Sunderland tie

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VINCENT EBOIGBE

vyncenteboigbe@yahoo.com; 08099400228, 08116706850

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

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Oparanozie: Falconets must seek revenge against Germany

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Ideye set for West Brom debut

}p.28 Super Eagles players from left Victor Moses, Ogenyi Onazi and Emmanuel Emenike celebrate a goal during the World Cup in Brazil

NFF crisis: I am fighting for football – Umeh

Adekunle Salami

he Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike Umeh, who insists that he is still the Acting President of the nations’ soccer ruling body, has opened up on the reasons behind the recent crisis in the football house. Umeh stressed that greed and the unprofessional attitude of most members of the NFF are at the root of the current impasse in the body. The former chairman of Rangers International of Enugu told our correspondent that he had been grossly misunderstood by many

people in the football family. “I am not a baby. I am not a rebel as some people are saying. Nobody bought me over and I am not working for anybody. I am fighting for the development of football in the country. Things are getting out of hand and we cannot continue this way,” he said. Umeh was in the government team that travelled to Rio, Brazil to explain to FIFA why a court in Nigeria ‘sacked’ the board of the NFF. He was also one of those who voted for the impeachment of Aminu Maigari after which he became the Acting President of the NFF. On August 14, a FIFA letter dated August 12 returned Maigari to

Umeh

office and the Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, also advised the board members to cooperate

with Maigari to avert FIFA ban. The minister also urged the returning president to conduct a transparent election into the board of the NFF on August 26. Just as FIFA cited confusion and inconsistency as reasons behind asking the body to revert to status quo, Umeh is also accusing Maigari and his other colleagues of insincerity. Maigari returned to office on August 18 and the next day a meeting of the board was held at the secretariat. Umeh did not attend that meeting. Umeh said; “I don’t know why some other people failed to attend but the truth is we cannot impeach Continue on page 27

Ike Uche, Azeez ready for season opener

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Rojo, Aguero fight over stunner

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Nigerian League Rendezvous with charles Ogundiya

charlesog2001@yahoo.com, charles.ogundiya@newtelegraphonline.com

08098042287

LMC launches ‘Wonder Goals’ initiative

Akwa United eager to play at new home

he League Management Company has launched another corporate social responsibility initiative which aims to deepen the league’s engagement with the general public. This initiative confers on a player, whose goal has been voted for by fans as the best of the week, the benefit of choosing a local charity that will share from the N100,000 prize money. The Wonder Goals Project is a social media interactive scheme that aims to encourage community-based engagement by the clubs, showcase the video of goals scored by players in the Glo Premier League, and also to recognise the circumstance, collective and individual qualities that produced some of the goals. LMC Chairman, Nduka Irabor, explained that the project offers fans the opportunity to see some of the best goals scored in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season and also to vote for the goal they consider the best. The Wonder Goals initiative follows on the heels of the social cohesion messages and health awareness campaign launched by the league organisers through its digital media platforms and at match venues. Every player whose goal attracts the highest number of votes will earn N100,000 from which 50percent will be donated to a local charity of his choice. All voting will be done online through the LMC’s website, www.lmc-ng.org, as well as through the LMC’s facebook account (www.facebook.com/ leaguemanagementcomapny).

head of the commissioning of the new Akwa Ibom State Stadium, players of Akwa United say they cannot wait to play their home matches at the venue. The stadium scheduled to be commissioned on September 23, has been described as a masterpiece that will put other stadiums in the country in the shade. Speaking to League Rendezvous, the media officer of Akwa United, Uwem Ekoh, says playing on the new pitch will afford the players an opportunity to express themselves better, a situation he believes will culminate in favourable results in the league. “The new stadium will afford the players the opportunity to express themselves more,” he said. “It will also boost confidence, resulting in good results. “The players cannot wait to start playing inside the masterpiece. We would have loved to start immediately the place is commissioned, but we have to wait for the League Management Company’s approval. And I am sure the place will be made available to us as from next season,” Ekoh said.

Enyimba’s Abdurahman Bashir (r) vies for the ball with a Kano Pillars defender in a recent league match

Dolphins, Sharks in battle for supremacy

P Akwa United Stadium

ort Harcourt will play host to one of the star matches of the Nigeria Professional Football League this weekend with city rival Dolphins and Sharks taking on each other. The first leg played between the two rivals resulted in a barren draw and both sides have been talking tough ahead of the encoun-

Nollywood star commends Abia Warriors ollywood star, Charles ploits of the club this season Awurum, has described considering the caliber of men N Abia Warriors Football Club behind it like the Chairman, of Umuahia as an outfit that is capable of winning the 2013/2014 Glo Premier League. Awurum said from what he has seen so far this season, The Warriors, who are making their debut in the elite class of Nigerian football, have demonstrated that they are not pushovers as they challenge for the title with other soccer giants in the country. The Nollywood Star, who presented prizes to winners of Abia Warriors’ “Pick n’ win” raffle draw which hold at half time of every home game, said he was not surprised at the ex-

ter billed for the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt. Speaking with League Rendezvous, the coach of Sharks, Gbenga Ogunbote, says he is expecting a tough match as the game is the mother of all derbies. “Dolphins came to our home to pick a point, but we are going for outright win this weekend to improve our standing on the table.

Glo league table No

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Kano Pillars

Dolphins FC

Nasarawa Utd

Chief Emeka Inyama, adding that with fantastic prizes going to lucky winners in the half time draw, it was not surprising the arena was jam-packed.

Enyimba

Abia Warriors

Warri Wolves

Lobi Stars FC

-2

Akwa Utd

-1

MATCH DAY 25 FIXTURES El-Kanemi vs Bayelsa Utd Kano Pillars vs Abia Warriors Gombe Utd vs Crown Dolphins vs Sharks Sunshine Stars vs Rangers Nasarawa Utd vs Heartland Giwa vs Warri Wolves Enyimba vs FC Taraba Nembe vs Akwa Utd Kaduna Utd vs Lobi

Heartland FC

Sunshine Stars

Sharks FC

El-Kanemi

Giwa FC

-1

FC Taraba

-7

Rangers

Bayelsa Utd

-6

Gombe Utd

Crown FC

-10

Kaduna Utd

-11

Nembe City

-21

“The management and fans are not happy with our position on the table, the only way to improve on that is to start picking points away from home to make up for the points dropped at home,” the former Sunshine Stars of Akure coach said. Sharks began their revival last season with a win away to their city rival and Ogunbote is looking ahead to an-

other outright victory. Meanwhile, Dolphins have said they are not ready to drop any points at home again as they are working on moving to the top of the league table. Dolphins are currently second on the league table with 38 points from 24 matches, while Sharks occupy the 11th position, four points behind their rival.

Relegation: Eguavoen plots escape route for Gombe

echnical adviser of Gombe United, Augustine Eguavoen, believes the Desert Scorpions will avoid the ignominy of relegation, despite last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Heartland. Gombe United’s three-match winning run came to an abrupt halt following that loss in Owerri, but the former Super Eagles coach remains optimistic about his side’s chances of remaining in the top flight. “We are a team on the rise and the elementary errors that characterised the goals we conceded against Heartland must be eliminated,” said the former Enyimba coach. “We will take this and forget it as quickly as possible. We have another important game coming up

against Crown, so we will shift our focus to that one. You saw what we exhibited in the second half; we are going to pick points on the road, no doubt about that,” added Eguavoen, who offered a word of advice to his side’s Premier League rivals. “Teams should watch out for us,” he added.

Eguavoen

Oparanozie: Falconets must seek revenge against Germany

Time for Murray to find old magic – McEnroe

Choe Sol Gyong (L) of Korea DPR is challenged by Chinwendu Ihezuo of Nigeria during Wednesday’s semi-final clash at the U-20 World Cup

ish up the job with a revenge mission against Germany on Sunday. “Germany are very technical and also have strength for extra time but we must finish the game very early and with a revenge

US OPEN

Emmanuel Tobi

uper Falcons and En Avant de Guingamp of France striker, Desire Oparanozie, has charged the Falconets to go all out to seek revenge against Germany by winning the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when both sides meet in the final on Sunday in Canada. Nigeria orchestrated a ruthless demolition job on a Korea DPR side fresh from unseating the defending champions with Asisat Oshoala undoubtedly emerging as the star of the day, illuminating this one-sided Moncton encounter with four goals that set all kind of records tumbling. Oparanozie who was part of the team that lost 2-0 to Germany in the 2010 edition in Germany, believes the current squad can overcome the Germans with more determination. “The Falconets are just a marvel to watch but they must fin-

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mentality, they will surely bring back home the trophy,” she said. Forward Asisat Oshoala scored four goals to help Nigeria’s U20 Women football team defeat Korea DPR 6:2 in the semi-final on Wednesday.

ndy Murray, last year’s Wimbledon champion, has struggled all season to find his best form after undergoing back surgery last September. The Scot admits he has been far too up and down, mixing encouraging performances with bewildering ones, none more so than the quarter-final loss to Grigor Dimitrov that brought his Wimbledon title defence to an end. Heading into the last grand slam of the year, which begins on Monday, Murray is still looking for his first final and first top-10 victory since winning Wimbledon. And legend McEnroe said: “It’s difficult to say what’s happening with Andy. “It seems like the physical issues are behind him – it’s impossible to say for sure from the outside but that’s how it looks. “It’s been a process for him to come back from those issues so that takes its toll on the confidence, and he made a big change – I thought he and (coach) Ivan (Lendl) worked well together. “To change course when he did is tricky so it remains to be

seen what happens there. “You need to give it more time to judge, but you sort of feel like the US Open would be a time he needs to step up because it’s been a struggle compared to what it’s been the last couple of years.” The end of his hugely successful partnership with Lendl in March certainly did not help Murray’s confidence levels. The US Open will be Murray’s second grand slam with Amelie Mauresmo in his corner, and McEnroe is reserving judgment on whether the partnership can be a success. The American, who was himself briefly linked with the role, said: “Amelie Mauresmo’s appointment was a little out of left-field and an unusual choice, but she’s had some coaching experience and she’s been out there herself so she can bring things to the table. “You always need to give these things some time to see how they relate to each other and whether she can make that little difference. Can she help him find that extra two to five per cent? That’s the key. It remains to be seen.”

Chiney Ogwumike’s winning character shaped by Nneka Ifeanyi Ibeh

ollowing her sister’s lead from the very first time she picked up a basketball has helped Chiney Ogwumike develop into one of the best interior players in the WNBA. And although her talent speaks for itself, it is her remarkably close relationship with older sister Nneka that is most telling about Chiney’s game and the person she has become. The sisters, both graduates of Stanford University, are the oldest of Ify and Peter Ogwumike’s four daughters. Ify is a long-time school administrator while Peter, a tech consultant, splits his time between Nigeria and Houston. In addition to the two oldest, there’s Olivia, who last month committed to joining the basketball team of Pepperdine University, and Erika, an incoming high school senior. Formerly gymnasts, Chiney was nine years old and Nneka 11 when their mom’s co-worker recommended basketball. Nneka fought through the awkwardness of the new game and kept playing with the other girls that first year. Chiney, however, felt most comfortable watching her big sister from the side-lines. Then, at home, Nneka would show her what she had learned. “Nneka was in charge,” said Stanford associate head coach, Amy Tucker, who recruited both Ogwumikes and coached them for a total of six years. “(As) the first-born, her job is to take care of her sisters. And she took Chiney under her wing, and before we could even correct Chiney in practice, Nneka was already correcting her and telling her what she needed to do. It was almost comical.”

“You know that Nneka was actually Chiney’s coach, and we coached Nneka,” Tucker joked. “But Chiney took it like a pro. And that can’t have been easy, either, but she handled it very, very well.” From the outside, it might seem that these were prime conditions for the development of an underlying “sibling rivalry” that inspires each sister to grow and improve. Those who know them have never seen any evidence of it. “I don’t think in the two years that they overlapped I ever saw either one of them get upset with

each other or say a harsh word to each other,” Tucker said. “And that’s really unusual.” When Nneka graduated and got drafted by the Los Angeles Spark, Chiney was hit with an unsettling reality check and, according to their mom, Ify, “lost a lot of weight.” Yet, the sisters never lost touch. That was not even a thought. “We’re best friends,” said Chiney. “We talk all the time, 24-7. Just because we’re sisters (in the WNBA) doesn’t mean we just talk about basketball. We talk about everything in life.”

NFF crisis: I am fighting for football, says Umeh CONTINUED from PAGE 25

a President and he will return to preside over a meeting. We should have held a meeting to discuss the FIFA letter and then take a position on Maigari’s return. “Sad enough, the minister also supported the issue and I wonder if that is not government interference. The whole issue is so sad and unfortunate. That was why I did not attend that meeting. Two people that were banned were at the secretariat to be part of the meeting where they were unbanned. Imagine!” On Wednesday, the headquarters of the NFF was in flames and this came as a surprise to many people especially because it happened during the office hours. Umeh was furious about the development which he noted was

an embarrassment to the country in general. “Maigari resumed Monday and there was fire outbreak on Wednesday while all of them were in the office. It is ridiculous and I believe it is sabotage. They know what they are doing because corruption has been levelled against most of them. It is a shame. Government should come out hard to probe this incident,” he said. On the forthcoming elections into the board of the NFF, Umeh insists he will still contest for the presidency of the body. “I am still going to contest. The electoral body has cleared me. There should be a level-playing field but we are aware there is a candidate ‘from the top.’ I will go all the way because this battle is for the good of the game,” Umeh stressed.

Murray

Bouchard unfazed by early exits

imbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard insists there is no reason to be concerned for her form heading into the US Open after another early defeat. The 20-year-old Canadian returned after a month off following her exploits in London to lose her opening matches at tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati. Despite ending her losing run at the Connecticut Open in New Haven this week by beating Bojana Jovanovski in the first round, she then bowed out to Australian Samantha Stosur in her next match.

The third seed and world number eight lost 6-2 6-2, and Bouchard conceded her 30-yearold opponent, who won the US Open title in 2011, had dominated the contest. Bouchard said after her late Wednesday loss: “Sam was serving amazing and hitting amazing shots. You have to give her credit. “You can’t play amazing every week.” Bouchard made it through to semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open before reaching her first grand slam final in July. The US Open begins next week in New York. She said: “It’s been a little bit of a journey since Wimbledon, but I’ve been improving the whole way and hopefully I can get a few days’ practice and be ready for the US Open.”

Rugby: Teams battle for Seven’s slot F riends of Rugby, organisers of this year’s Independence Rugby 7’s tournament, have announced Sunday, August 24 as the judgment day for the 11 Nigerian teams that will participate in the newly improved 16team annual Rugby 7’s event, slated for the 10th to 11th of October. The tournament which is sponsored by CMB Building

Maintenance and Investment Company Limited will for the first time since its inception in 2009, feature five international teams, from Europe and across Africa. This has given the organisers a tough task of organising a playoff game for Nigerian clubs who want to participate at Nigeria’s Independence day commemoration rugby tournament.

illarreal striker, Ike Uche, is expected to continue from where he stopped last season as the Yellow Submarine face Levante in their first match of the season tomorrow. Uche emerged as his club’s top scorer last season after hitting 14 goals in 30 appearances and all eyes will be on him to repeat the feat. He also had a wonderful pre-season as he weighed in with some goals in their friendly matches and his fans will count on him for goals against Levante. Super Eagles midfielder, Ramon Azeez, will put aside transfer talks

Ike Uche, Azeez ready for season opener

uper Eagles striker, Brown Ideye, could take his Premier League bow today when West Brom visit Southampton. Ideye who moved to the club in a record £10million deal this summer was overlooked by the Baggies coach, Alan Irvine, in their season opener against Sunderland last week. The coach claimed the former Dynamos Kiev forward was not ready for the encounter. The manager has said the striker might play a part in their match up with Southampton and the former Sochaux hit man will want to hit the ground running. His compatriot, Victor Anichebe, was in action last week and the former Everton man will be desperate to repay his coach with goals. Victor Moses who secured a loan move to Stoke City last weekend was understandably missing in action for his new side in their 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa but he may be thrown into the fray when they face Hull City this weekend. Moses had a terrible loan stint at Liverpool last term and he will be keen to make a first impression at his new place. His national teammate, Osaze Odemwingie, was also not listed by Coach Mark Hughes and it remains to be seen if the striker who managed six goals for Stoke last term will be handed a chance this time against Sone Aluko team.

• As Baggies face Aluko’s Hull

EAGLES FOCUS Ideye set for West Brom debut

ajibade.olusesan@newtelegraphonline.com

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www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

NEW TELEGRAPH

verton will effectively test Arsenal’s title credentials as the two teams clash at Goodison Park today. The Gunners have a pretty good record against Everton, but the Toffees will hope to respond better after being held to a draw at Leicester in their opening fixture of the season. The Toffees took a win against Arsenal in the league last April and that snapped a 13-matchwinless streak for them against the London side. They will have been disappointed with just a draw against the newly promoted Leicester last weekend, but they will have the firepower to trouble the Gunners. They have Romelu Lukaku and Steve Nai-

smith. Naismith has scored four and assisted two in his last nine Premier League appearances. The Toffees have scored at least two goals in each of their last six Premier League matches at Goodison but Roberto Martinez’s men have lost two of their last three at home and they are taking on a side that was good on the road last season in the top flight. Arsenal won more away games than anyone else last season (11) and yet they only managed a goal difference of +2 on the road. The Gunners are now without a win in their last four league matches against Everton and have never ever before gone five in a row without

As Everton test Arsenal’s might

•

Rumble in Goodison Park

oberto Martinez said Everton must show they are not one-season wonders as they attempt to regularly challenge for a spot in Europe. Everton were on track to reach the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League last season, only to falter and finish seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League. But if Everton want to be regarded as a genuine threat to England’s top four, it will take more than one season, with manager Martinez referencing Arsenal’s consistency on the big stage. “It doesn’t surprise me because they are a team that got into the Champions League positions and have been doing it for many years. We’ve got to earn that respect,” Martinez told the Liverpool Echo. “I don’t think just one season when we did well in two games a win against them. Does that against them can give you an outmean they are due one? The come in that respect.” Gunners were a bit pedestrian in their opener against Crystal Palace, needing a late goal by Aaron Ramsey to pull in the three points against the battling Eagles. They’ll need to have a bit more conviction up front where they have Olivier Giroud. Avoiding defeat on the road has to be top priority for A r sene Wenger.

Martinez calls for Everton consistency

Global Football Special

TRANSFERS

urgen Klopp will become Borussia Dortmund’s longest-serving manager when his side begin their Bundesliga campaign against Bayer Leverkusen. The charismatic manager took charge at Signal Iduna Park in 2008, and has since led the club to two league titles as well as the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League final. Ottmar Hitzfeld was the last man to guide Dortmund to the final of Europe’s premier club competition, in 1997, and when the club open their 2014-15 season against Leverkusens on Saturday, Klopp will go past Hitzfeld’s mark of six years at the helm. The game sees two of the division’s strongest sides go head to head, although Leverkusen will have to contend with three days’ less recovery, having beaten Copenhagen 3-2 in their UEFA Champions League play-off firstleg tie in Denmark on Tuesday. Newcomers Cologne, promoted as secondtier champions, start their campaign with a home clash against Hamburg, who narrowly escaped relegation last season thanks to victory in the play-offs. Paderborn - runners-up behind Cologne are also at home, and they will take on Mainz, who ended the previous campaign in seventh, on Sunday.

Klopp set to break record as Dortmund host Leverkusen

28 SPORT NEW TELEGRAP 23 AUGU

PTS 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

iro Immobile doesn’t think this season’s Serie A champion will be either Roma or Juventus. The Giallorossi and the Bianconeri are widely seen as the only two genuine title contenders this time around. But the goalscorer, who recently left Torino for Borussia Dortmund, has backed Rafa Benitez’s Napoli for the top prize.

Immobile backs Napoli for Serie A title

sentially he’s had no pre-season whatsoever, so basically he’s three or four weeks behind the rest of the squad in terms of match sharpness. However, Robin could well get thrown in at the deep end, due to the alarming lack of fit Manchester United players within the squad. Danny Welbeck is out injured, whereas Javier Hernandez’s head appears to be elsewhere already. Van Persie knows how to play in Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation, and he could form a deadly partnership up front with Wayne Rooney.

Double Paralympic champion and world record holder Michael McKillop claimed Ireland’s second gold medal at the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea when he breezed his way to victory in the T38 800m in a time of 1:58.16. The Antrim man led from the off and finished a staggering eight seconds ahead of his rivals in what was his first 800m race of the season having only recently recovered from a lengthy spell out with a foot injury.”I won’t lie, that was tough, but I’m delighted to win the medal,” McKillop said afterwards.

WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs) is meeting with his adviser Gabriel Peñagarícano to pick out Cotto’s next opponent for his December 13th fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. Neither of them is saying who the guys are they’re picking from, but they’re rumored to be Tim Bradley, Andy Lee and possibly Marco Antonio Rubio if he pulls off an upset in his title shot against WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on October 18th.

Roger Federer is the form player going into next week’s US Open but Novak Djokovic is favourite to win the title for a second time, according to former champion John McEnroe. Federer, who reigned supreme at Flushing Meadows with five consecutive titles from 2004, won the Cincinnati title last week on the back of reaching the final in Toronto and with world No 2 Rafa Nadal injured, many believe the 33-year-old Swiss maestro can claim an 18th grand slam title.

SPORT BRIEFLY McKillop

anchester United are set to be boosted by the imminent return of Robin van Persie, as the Dutchman prepares to make his first appearance under Louis van Gaal at the weekend. According to The Guardian, van Persie is nearing match fitness, and Louis van Gaal will now consider utilising his Dutch compatriot. Holland came third in the World Cup, and Robin van Persie hasn’t kicked a ball since the third-placed playoff game against Brazil. Es-

van Persie set to return for Sunderland tie

he “renewed” Barcelona will go head-to-head with Elche at the Camp Nou for the opening round of the 2014-15 LA Liga on Sunday. The arrival of Luis Enrique at the helm in Barcelona this season will certainly allow the team to somehow travel back in time and restore that game style they develop at La Masia. After a fairly disappointing overall performance last term, it is time for Barcelona to turn the page and to start writing a new chapter on their already rich history. Their new head coach, Enrique, has had a key role at Barcelona’s B team for quite some time and was the man responsible for “bringing to life” some of the most talented young Spanish footballers at the moment. Barcelona made some important signings this Summer, as they brought in the skillful Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla, the erratic Luis Suárez from Liverpool and Thomas Vermaelen from Arsenal, only to name a few. With Suárez still suspended, Enrique will most certainly implement his versatile 4-3-3 style in the team for the first official match of the season, with Neymar and maybe Rafinha or Pedro backing up Lionel Messi at the front. For the clash against Elche, the new Blaugrana manager will not be able to rely on the contribution of Suárez, who is suspended, and of the newcomers Marc-André ter Stegen and Vermaelen, who are sidelined due to injury. As for Elche, after only gaining a place at the Spanish football top tier in the last days of the previous season, they will start this La Liga campaign visiting one of the main contenders to the title. The team’s manager, Fran Escribá, welcomed some new quality players this summer, such as the skilled Polish goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton, who arrived on loan from PSV and Mario Pasalic, a talented young Croatian midfielder, who arrived from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal.

Cotto

LA Liga Saturday Malaga v Bilbao Granada v Deportivo Sevilla v Valencia Almeria v Espanyol Sunday Eibar v Sociedad Barcelona v Elche Celta Vigo v Getafe Levante v Villarreal Monday Madrid v Cordoba Vallecano v Atletico

Ligue 1 Saturday Guingamp v Marseille Bastia v Toulouse Lille v Lorient Montpellier v Metz Nice v Bordeaux Reims v Caen Sunday Lyon v Lens St Etienne v Rennes Nantes v Monaco

ndre Schurrle has said that there is more to come from him and believes Chelsea will be stronger this season. The former Bayer Leverkusen star scored Chelsea’s second goal and was impressive in their 3-1 comeback victory over Burnley on Monday. “I enjoyed the World Cup a lot, so I got out of that with a lot of confidence,” Schurrle said, quoted by Get West London. I came back to Chelsea, and obviously had a very short break. (At Burnley) I think it was a good start for me, but of course we can be better. And when I am 100percent fit, there will be more. So there’s a lot of work for me, but I’m feeling good. I’m enjoying my game, I’m enjoying being on the pitch. I think the whole team played well (at Burnley). We had a lot of control, passes, good combinations. It was a lot of fun on the pitch.”

There is more to come, Schurrle warns

Barca target victory in La Liga opener

Djokovic

Bundesliga Saturday Frankfurt v Freiburg Cologne v Hamburger Hannover v Schalke Hertha v Bremen Hoffenheim v Augsburg Dortmund v Leverkusen Sunday Paderborn v Mainz M’gladbach v Stuttgart

Premier League Saturday Aston Villa v Newcastle Chelsea v Leicester Palace v West Ham Southampton v West Brom Swansea v Burnley Everton v Arsenal Sunday Hull v Stoke 13:30 Tottenham v QPR Sunderland v Man Utd Monday Man City v Liverpool

FIXTURES

NO TEAM P 1 Chelsea 1 2 Man City 1 3 Arsenal 1 4 Liverpool 1 5 Swansea 1 6 Aston Villa 1 7 Hull 1 8 Tottenham 1 9 Everton 1 10 Leicester 1 11 Sunderland 1 12 West Brom 1 13 Palace 1 14 Man Utd 1 15 Southampton 1 16 QPR 1 17 Stoke 1 18 West Ham 1 19 Burnley 1 20 Newcastle 1

PREMIER LEAGUE

around him and focus on how to help his La Liga side, Almeria, beat visiting Espanyol. The former Golden Eaglets player played 30 times and scored two goals as the Andalusia side escaped relegation last term

resh reports from Italy claim that Torino are demanding Milan midfielder Bryan Cristante in a swap deal that would send Alessio Cerci in the opposite direction. However, the 19-year-old Cristante is believed to be central to plans for the Rossoneri this season and head coach Filippo Inzaghi will be reluctant to accept this offer. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan vicepresident Adriano Galliani and Torino chairman Urban Cairo recently spoke on the phone to negotiate on the ever-dragging Cerci deal when the latter decided to ask for Cristante.

Torino want Milan youngster included in Cerci deal

ayern Munich are seriously considering a late bid for Napoli star Gokhan Inler, Il Corriere dello Sport has revealed. The Bavarians are short of options in the centre of the park following injuries to Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thiago Alcantara, and they may decide to add another central midfielder to their ranks. And Il Corriere dello Sport has suggested that Napoli’s Gokhan Inler is one of the first names on their hit-list. The 30-year-old developed into a key player for the Azzurri shortly after arriving from Udinese and he has been linked with quite a few top clubs of late. Inler further established himself as one of Europe’s top midfielders with some very good performances for Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup, but it would probably take a big money offer for Napoli to even consider his sale.

Gokhan Inler on Bayern radar

rench giants Olympique Marseille have offered attacking midfielder Andre Ayew to English Premier League side Newcastle United, according to reports. The reports come in conjunction with Marseille President Vincent Labrune’s current visit to London. Labrune is believed to have offered the Ghana international to a number of clubs in the capital where Arsenal, West Ham, QPR and Crystal Palace are based. It is certain that Marseille are ready to release their talisman for the right fee after it emerged that Inter Milan were ready to meet his asking price.

Marseille offer Ayew to Newcastle PH ON SATURDAY UST 2014

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

AFCON: Keshi, NFF feud threat to Eagles’ success O

Vincent Eboigbe

ver one month after the World Cup, negotiations between the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, remain deadlocked. Keshi’s contract expired at the end of the championship in Brazil, but due to the constant altercations between the ‘Big Boss’ and his employers, there were suggestion that he may not return as Eagles’ handler. The coach himself had fuelled the speculations when he said that he had had enough of the federation’s bad faith and wasn’t prepared to continue. However, both parties were able to arrive at a point where negotiations for a new deal commenced, but concluding it had proven to be a tough nut to crack. Keshi wants an improvement on his monthly salary from N5m to N15m, while NFF, mouthing the usual refrain of lack of money, insists on continuing with the old salary regime. Keshi is not impressed and is unwilling to play ball. Perhaps uppermost in the mind of the coach is the fact that he was one of the least paid managers of the 32 countries at the June World Cup. Keshi’s $392 000 annual salary was only above Ghana’s Kwesi Appiah’s $251 000. Ivory Coast’s Sabri Lamouchi, Algeria’s Vahid Halihodzic and Cameroon’s Volker Finke earned $1.03m, $1m and $394 000 respectively. Placing Fabio Capello who earned $11,235,210 in this mix would be a serious remiss. As things stand now, who takes charge of Super Eagles’ qualifying campaign for the Nations Cup which gets underway on September 6, less than two weeks away? With a deal still a long way away, it is almost safe to wager that an interim coach will take charge for the encounter against DR Congo in Calabar on September 6 and likely for the second tie in the series against South Africa. This position was tacitly reinforced last Tuesday during the meeting of the executive committee of NFF, presided over by the reinstated Alhaji Aminu Maigari, when the issue of a new deal for Keshi was not even discussed. Interestingly, a list of 23-man squad was released on Tuesday to prosecute the qualifiers. Who drew up that list? Was it Keshi who is still holidaying in the United States? The federation wants Nigerians to believe it was Keshi who named the players. Now if it was Keshi who actually drew up the list and yet he won’t be in the dugout for at least the first two matches, can a caretaker coach be held responsible for a squad he didn’t select in the event of poor results? As the drama untolds, what gives cause for concern is how the whole episode will affect Super Eagles’ fortunes in the qualifiers for the African Nations Cup in Morocco next year, a championship where Nigeria are the defending champions. “I think we must learn to prioritise. The issue of hiring a coach is not the most important thing in Nigerian football right

now. The most important issue is the administration of the game in the country; there is crisis undoubtedly and we need to resolve that first,” noted chairman of Lagos State Football Association, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi. “I sincerely think we don’t have to rush into employing a new coach until the coast is clear. What happens when we hire a coach now and a new NFF executive comes in and they say they don’t want the coach whether it is Keshi or another person?” Akinwunmi who was one of the only two state football association chairmen who were in Abuja to welcome Maigari back to the Glass House, argued that Nigeria can prosecute the qualifiers without a substantive coach, that the federation can put one of its coaches in charge for the duration of the series. “We have people in the administration and technical committee who know what to do. The players are available, a list has already been released, so what we need to do is get someone who can handle the team in an interim capacity,” Akinwunmi added. However, Waidi Akanni disagrees. Akanni who is also a former Lagos FA chairman insists that Nigeria need a proper coach in place to prosecute the qualifiers and forestall a potentially risky situation. “I can tell you that there is no way the September 6 match will not be affected. We need to quickly sort out the contract negotiations so that a substantive coach will be on the bench during the qualifiers. I don’t know why it is so difficult,” said Akanni. “This was one of the problems we had when (Austin) Eguavoen was in charge of the Super Eagles and the team had to travel to Rwanda for a match without the coach being confirmed. We all know that Keshi is still in the race for the job so why not make him happy and quickly sort out the whole thing. It won’t do to start running about with just three or four days to September 6.” As if to further push the issue of the contract down the pecking order of priorities at the NFF, the football federation was on Wednesday gutted by fire. While Mike Umeh who acted as NFF President when Maigari was impeached

Maigari

sees arson written all over the fire, the latter believes it was just an accident. Both men at the moment love each other the way a mongoose loves a snake. “I am sur-

prised the deal is yet to be concluded. The men at NFF should first show urgent concern to re-engage their Nations Cup-winning coach, regardless of the crisis rocking the body. The coach has shown he is ready to stay and work for his fatherland. But the earlier the deal was done the better for both sides and the country as a whole,” admonished ex-Eagles midfielder Moses Kpakor. “The delay may or may not affect the team in the qualifiers. That largely depends on how Keshi feels about it. But I have known Keshi to be a strong character and ever ready to work for this country. So this may not affect his commitment to take our team to greater heights. I recall he went eight months without salary at some point in the past. But like I said, the NFF needs to show some urgency as well as transparency in this case.” Joe Erico who, alongside Keshi, was assistant coach to Amodu Shuaibu at the Nations Cup in Mali in 2002 was unequivocal that appointing a caretaker coach was an “administrative blunder” that should not be contemplated. Erico wondered why a contract has not been concluded by now, nearly two months after Super Eagles’ campaign in Brazil. “What is delaying a new deal? It is not such a difficult thing to do if there is the will. Is he asking for too much? Would they be carrying on like Ebenezer Scrooge if it were a white man that was involved? Don’t forget that Keshi was one of the least paid managers in Brazil,” fumed Erico. “As far as I’m concerned there is no need for an interim coach; that will be an administrative blunder capable of confusing the players. Well, I won’t be surprised if they did it. Let me also add that the reason NFF constantly whines about lack of money is because they depend on government and it shows mental laziness on the part of the marketers at the federation. Let them source for funds on their own, that is what FIFA expects. Now they are burning their offices, who will put out the fire?” Erico asked, tongue in cheek.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Playing alongside Nkwocha, Mbachu was scary – Oparanozie

Super Falcons star, Desire Oparanozie, takes at look a her career so far while also making projections for the future, in this interview with Emmanuel Tobi and Moyosore Makinde

What is your progress at the club level, given that is key to the success of your career? I was playing in the Turkish league before I was called to the national team for the African Women Championship qualifier earlier in the year, but now the league has ended and I’ve moved to En Avant de Guingamp of France. How can you rate your performance during your time in Turkey? Well, I was in the Turkish league for a couple of months because I moved directly from Wolfsburg to Turkey given that it wasn’t a long transfer, it was just for few months and I played about seven games and netted five goals A lot of people were skeptical when you left Germany for Turkey. What informed that decision? The German league is a strong league and its standard is very high, but as a player what matters most in football is peace of mind and happiness. When you are happy, you can give everything you’ve got for your team. I guess I wasn’t very happy in Germany; again the tax rate in Germany is really high and I could not cope with it. In terms of competition and standard did you really enjoy Germany? Oh, yes. I really enjoyed my time in Germany, because it made me grow as a footballer. It really imbued me with knowledge and tactical play. It was really challenging, but it was also a good experience. Can you remember a particular situation or game that stood out for you in your career In Germany and Turkey? Well in Germany, it was a match against Bayern Munich in the FA Cup. We won with five goals and I scored one of the goals and I really put up a good performance in that match. In Turkey it was in a league game where I scored a brace You were part of the Under-20 team that got to the final of the World Cup while playing in Germany, were you initially intimidated when you played against them in your club? No, not at all, I felt at home. I was happy playing against them in the national team level and also having them in the club as my teammates. It was really a good experience for

m e . I was never in any way intimidated. Will you say the reason you moved to Germany was because you did well against them? No. The main reason I moved to Germany was because I really wanted to know and feel what it was like playing in Germany. I also wante d t o get acquainted with the standard of their league and get to meet new people, and thankfully I experienced a lot during my time there. How did you get into football? I started my club career with a division two team. I was still in school then and I would say that playing and studying at the same time was easy for me. When I finished my schooling in Owerri, I moved to Ebonyi Queens. We got promoted from division two to the top division and from there I moved to Bayelsa in 2007. I played there for only two seasons before I moved to Delta Queens. Can you evaluate your impact so far in the Super Falcons, because you came in as a junior player and are seen now as a key player? So far so good! comparing the time I start-

SPORT

ed and now, I think I’ve grown, I think I’ve really improved. I started from the Under-17; I was in New Zealand in 2007 for the U-17 World Cup. I broke into the Falcons when I was 20. It has been really good for me and I know I’ve improved in my game and that is why I am where I am today. What is the relationship between you and your senior colleagues? I’m asking this because I can recall when you came in as a junior player there were a couple of people that were not too pleased. I haven’t had any issues whatsoever, there hasn’t been any problem with my colleagues and also my coaches, we have always had good relationships; we have been helping each other and working as a team. The relationships have been really good. Were you in any way intimidated by training with the players you always wished to be like? Well, at first I was really scared when I got to meet established stars like Precious Dede, Stella Mbachu and Perpetua Nkwocha, but somehow I had to encourage myself. I also made up my mind that I wasn’t going to come and sit on the bench and watch. I wanted to break into the team and play alongside the senior players What tournament would you say you have enjoyed the most in your career? The tournament I enjoyed most was the 2010 Nations Cup in South Africa, where we won the gold. I scored five goals in that tournament and at the end of it I was named the MVP. That was the most memorable competition for me. Women football in Nigeria hasn’t managed to get to that pinnacle, what do you think are some of the challenges you girls face? It’s true that when we get into football we don’t really make our mark at the senior level. One of the reasons for our problem is our tactics. Looking at the foreign teams in terms of strength we are stronger than them. But when it comes to technique and tactics they are ahead of us. I think we need good and experienced coaches Do you think our women league is good enough to compete? I must confess we have a very strong league in Nigeria but the problem is that we don’t have sponsors for our teams. I once had an interview with a female administrator and she said: “our women’s team is likely to win the World Cup before our male team.” Do you also subscribe to that given the performance of the Falcons at the world stage? I can’t compare the men with the women, so I can’t really talk about who will win

first. But I believe one day the Falcons will make a mark in the world. Which role do you prefer: being a top striker or a support striker? In the national team I enjoy playing as a support striker because I get to work for other people to score, but sometimes when I play as the top striker I am denied goals and I don’t really like it.

I an extent.

Apart from football which other sports do you engage in? play table tennis well to

So what do you do to relax? Well, I don’t really do anything other than to watch movies, listen to music. But I also surf the internet a lot. Who are the players you enjoy playing with the most? I enjoy playing with Ngozi Okobi, she plays for Delta Queens, Perpetua Nkwocha also, because they are more of playmakers and I understand their game very well. The Super Falcons will be playing against Ivory Coast, Namibia and Zambia at the African Women Championship in October. What are your chances? On behalf of the Super Falcons, I want to say we are going to Namibia to reclaim that trophy. What gives you that confidence considering the fact that most African countries no longer fear the Super Falcons? My confidence stems from the fact that we are eager to reclaim the title. In the last Nations Cup we finished fourth and that doesn’t tell good of us. This also serves as the World Cup qualifiers and it is the best three from the continent that would go to the World Cup. So I know the rest of the team members have the same mindset to reclaim the trophy. Are you a little relieved that you avoided Ghana, South Africa and Cameroun in the group stage of the Nations Cup? Yes, when I saw the draw I was happy because they are all in one group. I am very optimistic about our chances in the tournament How do you see the future of women’s football in Nigeria? The future is still very bright; we have many talented players in Nigeria and abroad. We also have a strong league in Nigeria. So all we need to do is just to scout for good players and do what is right at the right time. Most women footballers haven’t been able to combine education and their careers. How have you been able to manage it? From what I know football is a onesided thing. It’s very hard combining education with being a professional footballer. I didn’t just decide I was going to play football; it’s something that happened suddenly. If you aren’t patient to further your education after football it won’t be possible.

32 Sport

anchester derbies may have an added degree of spice with Argentina World Cup team-mates Sergio Aguero and Marcos Rojo squaring up against each other on November 2. Rojo sealed a £16million move to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday and the two World Cup finalists were said to have exchanged angry words earlier in this summer’s tournament after Rojo invited a friend of his, Argentina pop star El Polaco, into the dressing room after one of their wins during the group stage. Trouble is that El Polaco is the former partner of another Argentine pop star, Karina La Princesita, whom Aguero has been dating. The two pop singers, who are big Cumbia stars, a popular Latin-music style, split acrimoniously last year but have a four-year-old daughter from their relationship. According to Argentine paper La Gaceta, Aguero was unimpressed with Rojo inviting the singer into the team dressing room and had angry words with his team-mate. Aguero himself was previously married to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Diego, and they have a six-yearold son from their relationship. Aguero and Rojo seemed to have managed their differences through the rest of the World Cup, with both appearing in the semi-final and final team together, once Aguero had recovered from injury. Nevertheless, there may well be a degree of extra interest in the handshake between the compatriots when the two Manchester teams meet later in the Premier League.

Rojo

Aguero

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Lifestyle

Rojo, Aguero fight over stunner

Serena Wil iams hits karaoke stage S

erena Williams replaced her tennis racket with a microphone at a karaoke event ahead of the US Open. The top-ranked athlete performed “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” on Wednesday night at Arena in New York City. She danced and swayed her hips in a mini dress as she sang the song in falsetto and attempted high notes. Williams, a karaoke enthusiast, called the singing sport “my favorite thing.” “I do like 80s, 90s rock because it’s good for my voice,” she said before she performed. “The thing about karaoke is picking a song that works for your voice, that way if you sing like a cat -- like I do -- you can still sound pretty good.” Williams is seeded No. 1 as she seeks her third straight US Open title. She said winning is “super important,” but added that there’s “no pressure.”

El Polaco

Sharapova opens up on beauty routine

Serena

Robert Pires watches as model wife poses nude

Sharapova

n the tennis court, she has other things to worry about besides her appearance as she puts everything into her game. And despite being known as one of the more glamorous female tennis players, Maria Sharapova admits she doesn’t spend much time focused on her appearance. As she poses for a stunning shoot with US magazine Self, the Russian athlete, 27, speaks about her body confidence and her changing attitude to fashion. She tells the September issue: ‘I have a competitive drive. It’s ferocious and powerful, and it’s about winning. ‘When I’m on the court, I’m not thinking about how I look. I do my ponytail in two seconds, and I’m not wearing a stitch of make-up. I’m confident in my skin, and I’m there to play the game.’

Pires’ wife Jessica

rsenal legend Robert Pires attended his wife Jessica’s nude photoshoot w it h French photographer Jean Philippe Piter. Accompanied with the caption ‘Behind the scene with my bodyguard. Thx to @jeanphilippepiter2 got t hose amazing pics!!!’ Pires can be seen overlooking the model. Despite his protective presence, the former France international has decided to dust off his football boots and step out of retirement. In July, t he 40 -yearold announced t hat he

had agreed to come out of retirement to link-up with former team-mates Freddie Ljungberg and David Trezeguet, who will also be involved in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League which begins in October. It was announced that mont h too t hat former Sweden midfielder Ljungberg had penned an ambassadorial contract with the ISL, while Pires is expected to line up for one of the league’s eight teams. The Gunners icon hung up his boots following a brief spell at Aston Villa in 2011, but the veteran is relishing a return to the game at the ripe age of 40.

Stories courtesy Dailymail

Ideas&Brands ON SATURDAY

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

With KINGSLEY OGBONNA

www.newtelegraphonline.com/weekend Assessment of the noodle market The market is getting interesting. This can be seen from the number of new entrants into the market. Before now, it used to be dominated by Indomie Noodles, but right now, we have up to 30 brands in the market with each having a fair share of the market and that will show you that the market is doing well. Opportunity for new entrants It is wrong for anybody to think that the noodle market space is filled up. People that will say such a thing are ignorant of the industry. First of all, you have to consider the population of this country. Nigeria is highly populated and I can rightly tell you that Nigeria can even accommodate 30-40 new noodle brands in the market because the market is not yet saturated. We are doing everything possible to make the consumers to embrace the consumption of noodles. So, as it stands today, Nigeria do not have enough noodle brands in the market. Unique selling point of Al Grain Our brand is one of the best in the Nigerian market. Our company is an indigenous company wholly owned by Nigerians. Secondly, during our market survey and product development, we looked at the mistakes of others and tried to improve on them in order to have a noodle that will meet the needs of consumers. This shows in the quality of the brand. It is one brand that does not compromise on quality. You will see this in the ingredients that are used to produce the product. We considered quality and nutrition in producing the brand. It is the first noodle in the country produced with indigenous ingredients. Unlike other noodle brands that use artificial flavours in their seasoning, Al Grain is the only one that has the natural chicken seasoning. You see raw pepper; you see raw crayfish and every other ingredient are natural and this is indeed healthy for Nigerians.

kingchudy@yahoo.com; 09091809827

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

23 AUGUST 2014

‘The noodle market can still accommodate more brands’ Jude Okafor is the national sales and marketing manager of Al Grain Foods Limited tells Kingsley Ogbonna how thinking outside the box has helped his company make significant gains in the competitive noodle market

brand is being appreciated by consumers. I can authoritatively tell you that we have gained a substantial share of the market as a new noodle brand. We are a national brand and we are doing quite well in almost all the corners of this nation. Foreign technical support It is purely Nigerian company, though we have technical partners not in terms of funds but some foreign expatriates that provide technical support to our operations. We have the Chinese, the Israelis, and the Philippines. Market sustainability plan As a brand, we have our marketing strategy to be impactful in the market and I can assure you that we are here to stay. We always think out of the box; we do some unimaginable things that some notable brands in the market do not even do. So, strat e -

gically, we are good. We are doing a couple of things that I may not mention here, but all in all, we are growing steadily in the market. T h e company is an offshoot of a group of companies. We intend to go into so many other things soon.

We are food industry and will soon come up with other products. A word for the consumers A new product is out and different from others in the market. It is one noodle that does not stick together when prepared. It is pocket friendly, as a matter of fact, it is the cheapest brand of noodles in the market with great value and vitality. Up close I am the national sales and marketing manager and I have really made a big impact in the industry. I am not new in the market and I have a deep experience on the field. I have experience in different industry as I have worked with Vitamalt Nigeria Plc as distribution manager and district sales manager in different locations across the country’ I have worked with the Sun Newspapers as a business development manager. I have also worked with Champions Breweries as a district sales manager. I also worked with Sona Breweries. I will say that I am a brewery person as I ended up with Nigerian Breweries before switching over to the noodle industry. I am not new to the market. I am very much involved in brand development.

Market share We are gradually coming up. The

90,000 Entries for Airtel Touching Lives

irtel Nigeria has revealed that it has received over 90,000 entries from across the country barely one month after the launch of its CSR programme dubbed Touching Lives. According to the company, the bulk of the entries received are passionate pleas, nominating disadvantaged persons or group of people needing help; major community problems requiring urgent intervention and other special cases ranging from health issues, scholarships, and renovation of schools, economic empowerment interventions and skill acquisition programme, among several others. Speaking on the high success rate of the on-going call for entries, chief executive officer and managing director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, described the response from Nigerians as massive and highly encouraging, saying it underscores the trust and confidence many people have for the Touching Lives programme. “We are thrilled by the interest, ex-

citement and level of participation of Nigerians in our Touching Lives programme. Without a doubt, this indicates that we have the enormous support of well-intentioned Nigerians just as it is a glowing testimony to the fact that we are on the right path with the Touching Lives programme. Ogunsanya explained that the many entries shows the enormity of challenges facing our people and the need to provide support for the less privileged no matter how little because “a little help will go a long way in making a difference in the lives of others or the community”. Airtel Touching Lives seeks to identify underprivileged persons with specific challenges, pains and struggles with the ultimate objective of helping to empower and enrich the lives of these individuals. It is a more holistic approach to CSR, covering humanitarian, education, economic empowerment and other aspects of life needing support. The idea is to

encourage Nigerians to call attention to individuals, groups, communities and projects needing support. At the launch of the programme on Wednesday, July 16th, 2014, Airtel had announced the call for entries, stating that the window for nomination will close on Sunday, August 24th, 2014. The programme allows Nigerians to nominate disadvantaged persons who are in need of care or special interventions. Also, nomination letters not more than 1000 words can also be submitted at Airtel Showrooms, shops and dealers outlets nationwide. Interested people can also go to Airtel Facebook page and Airtel CSR/Touching Lives web page for further information. Airtel Touching Lives Season 1 is scheduled to run on both satellite and terrestrial TV stations as a 13-week series with a weekly feature of two individual stories of beneficiaries of the project. It opens with a call for entries from the focus groups over a period of Oba Otudeko... Airtel Chairman four weeks.

34 IDEAS & BRANDS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Contestants applaud Maltina Dance All 8 auditions

ollowing the successful completion of the regional auditions of the Maltina Dance All season eight (MDA8), over 10 thousand contestants who participated in the dance show have applauded the brand for putting together fun filled and rewarding auditions which visited three major cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. The 2014 edition tagged “The Rhythm of Happiness” which chronicles a new dance style known as Rhythm of Happiness Dance produced 48 winners from the age grade categories who won various gift items and 28 winners in the “family representative” category. These 28 family representatives will perform alongside their families and after successfully scaling the medical and physical test hurdles they would then be admitted into the famous Maltina Academy where they would learn various dance styles from across the world. Only ten families would be admitted and they stand a chance to win the whopping N10 million star prize. An elated Bola Oguntola, a staff of National Bureau of Statistics who featured at the Abuja region, said the audition gave her the opportunity to interact and bond with friends and families. She added that, “it is a thing of joy to see different categories of people display their

inbuilt talent and get rewarded, this MDA platform is one of the best in getting consumers from different social group to interact with each other. The atmosphere of happiness here makes you forget whatever problem you might have and just mix with the happy crowd.” Divine Onyejide, the star of the day in the 5-12 category at the Abuja audition and proud winner of a generating was equally full of excitement and could not hide his joy. Voicing his excitement and gratitude, he said “this is my first time in MDA regional auditions, am so grateful to Maltina for the gift and the opportunity to display my talent. With this recognition, I know I will go places in the future and I’m looking forward to it.” Maua Ulugbe, a 31-year-old media practitioner who was overall winner in the 30 and above category at the Lagos audition disclosed that Maltina idea of maintaining consumer relationship through the MDA is highly appreciated even as she expressed her satisfaction and gratitude for the generator she won. Stanley Eze, second-place participant in the 5-12 categories in Port Harcourt also applauded the brand for the MDA innovation which “has been bringing consumers’ and families together for some time now. I’m grateful for the home theatre I won

Some contestants at the MDA Season 8 audition

and look forward to participate in the 2015 edition.” Wilfred Utere, who came first in the 20-29 age categories at the Port Harcourt region, was also filled with praises for the brand. “I have watched the show on television for some years now and seen how poor families have won millions of naira that has been beneficial toward solving problems such as housing and

school fees payment. I must commend Maltina for this initiative and encourage them to continue to do more for us, their consumers.” Maltina’s senior brand manager, Mr. Adewole Adedeji who was visibly excited about the huge turn out and quality of dance styles at the audition venues, applauded the zest and energy displayed by the con-

testants, commenting that the academy for the MDA8 will be a ground of wit and strength even as the show promote bonding and sharing of happy time with families. After the conclusion of the regional auditions, Nigerians and fans of the show are set to witness the greatest dance battle of all time when the show begins in earnest in September.

Procter & Gamble receives ‘African Business Leadership’ award in US

he African Business Leadership Magazine has recognized Procter and Gamble’s commitment to economic and social investments throughout Sub Sahara Africa, with the ‘Africa Business Leadership Award’. The award was presented to the company at the Annual US-Africa CEO Summit held recently in Washington DC. The Annual African Business Leadership Awards puts the spotlight on companies and business professionals who have impacted society and used their business portfolios to touch humanity. Mr. Stanislav Vecera, P&G’s vice president, South Africa and African Expansion Markets, said throughout Sub-Sahara Africa, P&G has touched over 50 million children across 17 countries in Africa. “P&G’s social programmes have touched over 50 million children across 17 countries in Africa and we aim to double this in the coming few years into 40 African countries,” he added. He, however, called on the support of organizations and governments to scale up the number of people that will benefit from the programme,” she added. Similarly, the U.S. Secretary of State for Commerce, Penny

Pritzker in her remark noted that P&G’s $300 million investment on a new manufacturing plant in Lagos Nigeria will spur job growth in the country and other countries where the company operates. Procter & Gamble Nigeria’s corporate communications manager, Tomiwa Akande explained that the company has a long commitment to Africa and its development, adding that its investment in Africa, especially Nigeria is unique. “P&G has been present in

Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) for over 22 years. Today we have generated over 6,000 direct and indirect jobs in Sub Sahara Africa. Our investment in Africa is unique in that we manufacture on the continent relying upon local talent. Today we have touched the lives of hundreds of millions of African consumers with our world class brands across 30 SSA countries in small but meaningful ways, helping to make everyday life a little bit better,” she said.

L-R: Mr. Alade Abdullahi, reconciliation committee members, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN); Dr. Ify Uraih, Chairman Body of Fellows, NIMN and Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye, President NIMN at the official unification/signing of memorandum of understanding between two factions of NIMN in Lagos

Diamond Bank, partners with MTN to unveil Diamond Y’ello account

iamond Bank Plc in partnership with MTN Nigeria, have officially unveiled the “Diamond Y’ello Account” (DYA) in Lagos. The ceremony which was held at the Wheatbaker Hotels, Ikoyi, Lagos was attended by senior management of Diamond Bank Plc and MTN. They include the group managing director of Diamond Bank Plc; Dr Alex Otti, CEO of MTN Nigeria; Mr Mike Ikpoki, Acting Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria; Mr Usoro Usoro and the deputy managing director of Diamond Bank Plc; Mr Uzoma Dozie, among others. The Diamond Y’ello Account is the outcome of an exciting syn-

ergy between Diamond Bank Plc and MTN Nigeria. Diamond Bank will through this product, provide numerous banking services to Nigerians via the robust telecommunications platform of MTN. According to the bank, subscribers on the MTN network will now be able to open an account, save money, make purchases and even apply for loans, all through their mobile phones. The Diamond Y’ello Account is easy to use, as it completely eliminates the burden and risk of moving around with huge sums of money. Customers who are registered on the MTN network are automatically eligible for the service.

Speaking during the formal unveiling of the product, Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr Pascal Dozie, who also doubles as the founder of Diamond Bank Plc, paid glowing tributes to both companies for partnering to pioneer a product, which according to him, will change the face of banking in Nigeria. He described the collaboration between the two companies asa joint commitment to excellence, which also aligns with the current financial policy of the federal government aimed at engendering a cashless society, managing inflation and promoting socio-economic growth. Otti described the Diamond

Y’ello Account as a “novel, earthshaking product”. He expressed confidence that the product will enable the bank to reach out to the millions of people who do not have a bank account, but are connected on the MTN network, which is the largest in Nigeria with 58 million customers. Also speaking, MTN’s CEO Ikpoki expressed delight over the partnership with Diamond Bank. He expressed full confidence that the Diamond Yello financial service will ultimately promote a cashless society, create more jobs and ultimately build a vibrant economy, powered by technology.

THE ARTS ON SATURDAY NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

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23 AUGUST 2014

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

Buoyant brushstrokes that speak Naked Truth The paintings in Wande George’s ongoing solo exhibition which opened last Saturday at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, highlight socio-cultural issues in our polity. The exhibition titled Naked Truth also asks some existential questions, write TONY OKUYEME and JOHN ENUBIAK.

reativity, says Henri Matisse, takes courage. In Naked Truth George demonstrates this through the series of paintings on display. Even for a casual observer, the title of the exhibition is striking; suggesting the thrust of the artist’s creative engagement. The works show why, as he puts it, he is not just an artist, but also a voice in the affairs of his generation. Executed largely in oils, the paintings, as Duke Asidere notes in his statement on the exhibition, can be placed in three categories in terms of style. The first series of works are portrayed in simple large mass of the same colour in “swift brush strokes which take about three quarters of the space with a demarcation and a quarter of another colour. Reflection, Desperate Men, East & West, Generation X and Window of Opportunity are in this category. “Generation X addresses urban culture – a gadget-driven life style for example phone, iPad, touch screen, laptops and so on. The blues in this painting represent a state of bliss. Youth without parental guidance will not be able to patronize opportunities and may miss their goals in life. In The Blind Leaderthe artist underscored the need for visionary leadership. The blind leader can be likened to visionless leadership, which has plagued Africa. Leadership must be visionary. A lack of purpose is also a kind of blindness. George also addresses issues like fear and peace. There is need for peace. Peace will enhance progress and development. Leaders at all levels must emphasis the need for peaceful co-existence. “The next body of paintings have cubist influences. The paintings are in geometric shapes – colours are split. The colours are of different shades of Blues, Browns, Reds and Yellows. The figures are broken down in shapes – squares, triangles, cubes, rectangles etc. in these Waiting, African

George

Queen, Seated Models, City Girls Drummers Ecstasy etc, here the Artist explores social and cultural issues. “The third body of paintings dwells on naturalistic rendition of the subject matter, paintings like Motherhood, For the Sake of Our Girls, Joy and the Return. Also in Motherhood, the artist shows a pensive woman with her two sleeping children. The mother is probably lost in thoughts. These paintings look at the Art of Education, happiness and party culture where money is the determining factor. From this, he has shown that he has a strong grasp of the current issues facing our nation today.” Indeed, for George, Nigeria can be stronger, prosperous and more peaceful if Nigerians will do their bit. George says he has been exploring the concept of Naked Truth since 2004. “When I started the series it was soul searching and were basically religious concepts, but somehow along the way, I found out that what happens to me, happens to others and can easily be applied to the society in which I live, after all, I am a product of the society and so interestingly, the more I explore the more I discover. “Most often, I like to express the ideas as crude as it hits me because that is the only way I can be true to the concept and keep the idea intact. As you look at this body of works, some of the ideas may not resonate well with you, please pardon my ignorance and look beyond the surface meaning of the works. For example the Border Post is an

expression of a personal experience when my privacy was intruded. A Yoruba adage that says 'Bi ogirikobala’nu, Alangbako le wo ibe', meaning without a crack on the wall lizards cannot gain entrance, is what I tried to express here but applying it in a global term. You will notice how people are infiltrating and migrating uninhibited especially in Africa, this is because there are so many porous route and access. The advent of the internet (especially social media) has also given unhindered access to people to intrude on other people’s privacy. The Border Posts are indeed porous.” While a few of the works may denote violence, he does not intend to promote violence. “I am an ambassador of Christ and He is the Prince of Peace. It is a wake-up call that violence is real and it is becoming our second nature, therefore, if we do not act fast, danger is imminent. For example, both individually and corporately, there’s no day that I drive on the street of Lagos that I don’t see people bullying each other, on the global scene you will also note that Nations are also on each other’s jugular, trying to prove superiority. There is an imminent danger and we all need to slow down, unlearn what we have learnt and show more understanding and love because we are made in God’s image and God is love. “You may be jolted, amused, indifferent or nod your head and say “yes this is true” believe me, I am just trying to be fair to my conscience. In this body of work, you will also find figure paintings, landscapes etc., it is only a reminiscence of my days as illustrator in the advertising world,” he explains. Joseph Umoibom of Terra Kulture also captures the essence of the show in the foreword: “There is something about the Truth that seems to strip us all of whatever veil or cladding we might have been hiding behind, exposing us and leaving us Naked. “In his usual thought provoking reflection of social and domestic issues, Wande highlights both the common elements and the great diversity that constitutes the fabric of our society. Wande’s world of art is that of commentary, colour, wit and unique craftsmanship, leaving the viewer with a feeling of connection to the works. Simply looking carefully at the works, there is an intricate intimacy with the works that provokes a leisurely feeling and suggest a kind of speculative fantasy approach by the artist, yet connecting seamlessly to present day realities. “The works in this exhibition function as mirrors where the viewer can see a re-

flection of the society through the eyes of the artist, yet giving you the freedom to see what you want to see, each piece creating a stream of consciousness peculiar to the viewer. While there may seem to be a lot of superficial resemblances running through some part of the exhibition due to the unique style of the artist, viewers will find sparks of inspiration and reflection of self in unexpected places.” Wande George graduated from Auchi Polytechnic in1987 with an HND in painting and general art. After graduation, he worked briefly as a studio artist, joining Daily Times of Nigeria in1989. Thereafter, he moved over to the advertising and media industry where he made his mark as an illustrator and art director. He called it quits in 2011 to direct his attention and energy to his first love - Painting. All through his sojourn in the advertising world, his passion for painting never waned. He has been painting and experimenting consistently, which has resulted in the uniqueness of his style and the depth of his thinking. He has exhibited both locally and internationally. He is a member of the Society of Nigerian Arts.

REFLECTION

Coming Under The Knife Timothy Akinleye Coming under the knife, Patiently etherised on a table; Oscillating between death and life While practised hands cut through flesh and tissue. There my still body lay like a toy, Dexterous hands on the tools; Intent gazes on the monitor My engaging soul inclined to choose. Five hours of celestial dialogue, Endless, unfathomable scenes; My inquiring soul enthralled Like a childish soul without a sin. Gradually, my soul now retreating, The offending flesh removed, Blurring nurses, my distant name repeating, Knowing not whether to slip, rise or be moved. While yet my options debating, Full consciousness tried I to regain My mobile bed from the theatre exiting. The will to live winning the battle yet again! I have seen death's younger sibling, While my dangling soul hanging on the horizon of life, But Gracious invisible hands holding, And yet have I a second chance to life.

Drummer Ecstacy

Tears for Our Girls

In God's Name

36 feature

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Our experience

Notwithstanding the social stigma attached to brothels, people still enjoy visiting them in Lagos, as OLUSHOLA RICKETTS reveals.

n Saturdays and Sundays, Kampalla, a popular brothel at the Bariga area of Lagos is always a big jamboree. People troop in like a marketplace where they buy and sell foodstuff and condiment. Activities on the busy road go on without any distraction. Shops and houses are situated around the brothel too. For a first-time visitor, the place is a bar where people relax and listen to music. But it is not just a bar; it is also a place commercial sex workers have been doing their business for many years. And this pictures most of the brothels that our correspondent visited in Lagos. At first glance, one could just see them as mere bars, but unbelievable things go on at nights and inside the walls. In a chat with New Telegraph, a man who owns a boutique opposite Kampalla, says living in the neighbourhood is a normal thing to people in the vicinity. Though everybody knows going to brothels is inapt, he says an adult has the right to seek pleasure whenever one desires. “The girls come out and relate with people. Some of them buy things in my shop and other shops around too. It is business to them. If you come on Saturday or a Sunday, you will see what I am saying. Today is a week day that is why it is a bit scanty. “People need to go fetch money and the night is still early too. I have known the place even before I came here. I do not go near there again since I relocated because some people are not well oriented. They think that everybody who comes out from there just gets laid. There is a bar there too; one could decide to chill there,”He fashion designer stresses. At Kampalla, a bartender tells our correspondent that the brothel charges N700 for a short time service. But he notes that it largely depends on negotiation, adding that the sex workers charge N4, 000 for all night. The moment anyone steps into their midst, a rush ensues. Men are dragged and fought over as if their lives depend on them. And they do and say all manner of things to entice a potential customer. When our correspondent asks Lovet, a resident sex hawker, if she and her friends would be available for a party at the weekend, she says “no problem.” But she declines to tell how much they would charge, insisting that it would be sorted on Saturday. Michael used to patronise them. But he says he has nothing to do with the ladies in Kampalla anymore. He recalls how cheap sex was there. His words: “It was N500 then and you can even get it free if you are a regular customer. I don’t know if things have changed because I am talking about four years ago. Everything in life is a stage and besides it has its own repercussion. “I had lived a rugged life and I saw that it didn’t pay me. I realised that things were not working well for me because most of these girls there could be so desperate. You will be surprised that once you collect your salary the only thing you could think of is to stop by. While I was working on the Island, I was a regular customer. I spent my Thursdays and Fridays in brothels.” Michael also reveals that there is one along Ladilak Road, Palmgroove. If you get there, he says, one would see different sizes of girls and some are always scantily dressed. “Once they are done with their erotic moves, people will start negotiating on how to make out with them as if they used a sort of spell on them. Brothels are everywhere in Lagos and people patronise them. “If you enter the passage at Kampalla, the first room or so, there used to be a girl.

Her name is Mercy or Blessing. She was fun to be with. If you see them during the day, you would not have any reason to think they are night workers. Once you get addicted to it, it would take the grace of God to scale through,” he concludes Immediately after Kampalla, there is one narrow corner where sex workers hangout too. The place is always dark, but a market woman, who wished to be identified as Iya Beji, reveals that older people are always seen there more. “Some of them have children and need money for their upkeep. In the morning, you would see condoms scattered around the area. I think why people do not fancy that place again is because there are old sex workers there. The hottest place in this area is Kampalla, but they do not allow underage people to come to the place,” Iya Beji explains. Also, there is a notorious chalet called Araromi Hotel at Sawmill Bus stop, IfakoGbagada. One would need to pass through a mini market to access the hotel. And there is a church situated at a stone’s throw too. The hotel attached to the name gives a fake impression. There are many rooms there, no doubt, but all the rooms are occupied by sex workers. The numbering of the rooms is comical too. When our correspondent visited the hotel, there were no much activities inside the compound. It was in the afternoon, precisely 4pm. Our correspondent knocked a door and a young lady in her 20’s came out. There was a man inside with her. Our correspondent says: “Sorry I wanted to check if you are available, but I can see you are busy.” She quickly replied: “I am done oo.” Jenifer speedily discharged the fun seeker in a matter of seconds. Our correspondent gives her the impression that he just came into the country. She gave a green-light, but she says she can only be chanced during the day, as she is always busy at night. However, a reliable source in the neighbourhood informs New Telegraph on Saturday that Jenifer hailed from Delta State. According to the source, there was a time he visited the state and met with her. The source, a man, said he was so surprised to see her at the brothel some months later when he visited with his friends to relax. “When she saw me, she was surprised too. She started asking me how I got to know the brothel. I don’t think I can walk with her on the street again, especially during the day,” he says. Musa, an electrician who is familiar with Araromi Hotel, says most of the girls there are from the south. According to him, some of them were lured into prostitution. “By the time they go home a year later they would have made enough money and no one will know what they do in Lagos. I have a friend that met a virgin there. It seemed she was just introduced to the business at that time. He made all attempt to make her his girlfriend because, according to him, the girl was sweat and well behaved. But after a while he got tired of her misdeeds,” Musa adds.

It (sex) was N500 then and you can even get it free if you are a regular customer. I don’t know if things have changed because I am talking about four years ago.

feature

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

living near brothels –Residents The electrician opens up that the brothel has been there for years, adding that the place is popularly known as ‘99.’ He says people used to crowd the place before, but the constant raiding by policemen made people to flee at some point. He narrates: “At times, they come with two danfo (commercial buses) and load people inside and you know it could be shameful when you are caught in such a place. You can also pay as much as N10, 000 to bail yourself. Having a girlfriend is better than going to brothels, but a girlfriend cannot always be available when you need her. I had not been a victim of an arrest before because I don’t really go there again.” Instead of going to brothels, Musa says he has two street girls he gives N500 anytime he wants to make out. “They come to my house; they should be in their 20s. The only thing is that you cannot see me and them together in the area. I owe one of them N500 presently. When she sees me I know she would definitely ask. I believe the girls on the streets are still better than the ones in the brothels,” he maintains. Also, Musa informs our correspondent about an ugly incident when a friend contracted sexually transmitted disease there. According to him, his friends likes making out without protection. He says he was lucky it was something that was curable, revealing that he cannot make out with any of the ladies in the brothels without protecting himself. New Telegraph on Saturday however learnt that the brothel was in crisis last year when a daily newspaper published a story on the mode of operation of the prostitutes in the brothel. An insider there told our correspondent that it was reported that teenage girls were talked into prostitution with many promises. The girls were said to be under the watch of prostitutes who were older and experienced for some periods. The young girls were made to sleep with men, while their earnings were confiscated. “The day a paper carried it, the proprietor of the brothel panicked. Due to the fear that the police could raid the place, she asked all the girls to a leave the premises that night. In the morning, they arranged all the girls and gave them stipends to go,” the source revealed. It was also gathered that the media report made the proprietors of brothels in areas like Gbagada, Oworonsoki and Bariga to quickly eject underage girls from their brothels. Thereafter, the proprietors came together and developed a code of conduct for all the prostitutes in the areas. They now fill a form, indicating their age, name and state of origin. They also swear an oath not to bring in underage girls into the brothels. A business man who stays near a brothel in Ikeja says the sex hawkers behave themselves. He notes that they are always indoor in the afternoon, stressing that it is not possible for them to stay outside during the day unless they want to be scolded by the residents. “There are little children living in the area and it is a bad influence. But some children go there after they have stolen their mothers’ money. I was told the women will just play with them and collect their money,” the man who craves anonymity, adds. When asked if policemen still raids brothels at Ikeja, he says the sex workers normally sort them. “But occasionally, they cannot avoid it. When such happens, people often stay away for a while. Commercial drivers, conductors, apprentices and area boys are mostly their clients. Married people and people who work in the corporate environment come around too, but they keep things quiet. They only come when everywhere is dark,” the businessman tells. A resident of Oworoshoki who pleaded

I have a friend that met a virgin there. It seemed she was just introduced to the business at that time anonymous maintains that one needs to see the level of aggression displayed by the girls when they have issue with a client or people in the area. “So people avoid them because they don’t act with shame; they have nothing to hide. But when they have issues among themselves, ranging from snatching of customers and stealing properties, it is always full of drama. That neighbourhood will not go to bed on time,” the resident informs. At Railway Police Station, Agege area of Lagos state, there is one brothel religiously patronised by fun seekers. The brothel, an old storey building, houses both young and old women. Her neighbours, asides a police divisional headquarters, are two churches, houses and shops too. But a source told New Telegraph on Saturday that they offer sex to policemen to please them. Some of the prostitutes also informed our correspondent that their relationship with the policemen is warm. “I’ve been doing this job for a while now and I tell my customers not to fear because the police will never come here to harass us. They are aware of what we do here and how we operate. They are our friends here,” one of the sex workers says. In some cases, they also offer money at the Agege brothel. It was learnt that they part with at least N3, 000 monthly to bribe law enforcement agents. “Whenever the police come there, they are there to drink or to collect money. They even come to have fun with the girls and it comes with money. Business starts 7.30 pm there when it is dark and patrons could hide under the cover of the night to visit. The ladies dress seductively; they hardly cover their breasts and buttocks. The fee depends on the customer. They can ask between N800 and N1, 500 for a quick service,” an okada narrates. A mechanic, who identifies himself simply as Kunle, says if one is smart and knows how to play the game very well you could meet a girl at the Agege brothel and convince her to always visit you at home. He had met a girl there too, Queen. According to him, she was very beautiful and paid him visit often. Though it has its downside since most of the ladies are thieves, but there are still well behaved ones who can even cook for you. Kunle reveals: “Most of my friends then thinks she was a student; they didn’t know I met her in a brothel and I didn’t tell anyone the truth till date. After sometime, she stopped demanding money, spent the nights and even, cooked. But most times it was when she was not on duty. That is the advantage there. Once you profess her how much you love her you might not have to be dropping money every time again. I met her at one brothel at Agege here, but she has since then moved to Maryland to continue her hustle. I still have her number on my phone and I can always call her whenever I need her.” It was also learnt that most of the ladies change their names once they venture into the business. And a common reason given by most of the patrons who spoke to our correspondent is that once one does not have a serious relationship or the person’s girlfriend lived far away there is always a tendency to visit the brothels when the sexual urge comes.

Short Story NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

23 AUGUST 2014

kon was startled out of his sleep by the loud knocking on his door. He leapt out of bed and bounded towards the door wondering who the intruder was. His wife has left for the early morning market with their toddler and their four year old child who she dropped off in his school. It was the customer from the workshop Mr. Akpan wearing a forbidding expression. He ignored his greeting and proceeded to berate him for not carrying out a proper servicing of his vehicle. “I say you mechanics are swindlers,” the over bearing Mr. Akpan shouted. “Do you realize the vehicle you serviced only two days ago has developed the same problems again?” “Mr. Akpan, I told you the crankshaft of that vehicle needed to be changed and---" “Crankshaft my foot! It is barely five months now since the last one was changed and now you are telling me of changing it again. What do you think I am? A bank?” he shouted in fury. Finally he left, leaving behind the vehicle with a promise to return back for the vehicle at the close of work. “Make sure you fix that noise once and for all; I will be back by the close of work,” he said and tossed the keys to Okon wagging his finger ominously as he turned and left. Okon glared balefully at the beat up vehicle and rubbed his eyes. He hissed and turned back to his room. He pulled from the wall hangar a rumpled short-sleeved shirt and slipped it on and went back outside. “Ah, Okon, that your visitor was really mad at you this morning,” his friend, Okpako, from the adjacent compound crowed as he waddled over to sit with him on the bench. “Don’t mind the useless man! He calls himself a big man, see the scrap he went to buy,” Okon fumed flicking his finger contemptuously towards the vehicle. “I tried to let the foolish man know that these vehicles have an expiry date but he kept on blabbing like an imbecile.” “Are you saying the vehicle has expired?” his friend asked as he doubled over in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “That is what I said,” Okon replied with a serious look on his face. “A good number of these vehicles and electronics that comes into this country from Europe have expired. In fact a good number of them were grabbed from the junk yard by our people and shipped down here,” he explained to his friend who was still reeling with laughter. “That man was lucky that I woke up on the right side of my bed this morning or I would have punctured

Writer in focus:

KENNETH ANI

Going to America the tenants. Only short of physically assaulting the landlord, he hurled a stream of invectives at the stunned house owner who seemed to wilt under the barrage of verbal missiles from a wild-eyed Okon. “Okon! Start looking for another accommodation from tomorrow. I give you quit notice---" “You talk nonsense, Oga landlord! When I return from America, I will buy this contraption from you and pull it down, or in the alternative convert it to a poultry.” “Make sure you take your family with you to America!” the landlord blustered as he finally found his voice. Photo: slashgear.com

that fat stomach of his,” Okon said truculently as he hollered at a passing hawker of illicit gin. “Woman let me have awapa” (pronounced awakpa) he said and turned to his friend, “Which one is your choice?” “Woman, let me have soldier root. Mix it with monkey tail.” “Ah, Okon you are still sitting here drinking awapa, are you not going to work today?” Lucky, his colleague from the workshop queried as he parked his Honda motor bike and joined them. “Work, work, work, is all that I keep hearing every now and then,” Okon exclaimed wrinkling his nose in disgust. “If it is work, and I mean hard work that gives riches I tell you the truck pushers would have no equal; even us the mechanics too.” “So what do you plan to do? How do you expect to become rich if you don’t work? You want to work in a bank, in an office or travel abroad? Everything has levels you know,” Lucky sniggered and made to drink from Okon’s glass. He fended him off and signaled the woman to serve him his choice. “The truth is that my days as an artisan are numbered… You have just said the truth about levels; soon and very soon level will change.” “I hope you are not planning to rob a bank my friend,” Lucky said, casting a sly glance at him. “Anytime from now I will be in America,” Okon said as he sipped his drink. Lucky asked open-mouthed. “America?” Okpako asked almost slopping his drink suspended half way to his mouth. “You heard me the first time,” Okon said nodding his head in a self- important manner. He asked the woman to serve them more drinks. “Did you win lottery or something?” Okpako asked suspiciously, while Lucky extended his hand to Okon’s forehead like a doctor feeling

Deflated and devastated Okon soon discovered that it was a domestic flight and not an international flight like he had presumed a patient's temperature. “This must be a case of malaria and typhoid fever,” Lucky muttered. He drained his glass and rose to his feet, “Anyway, see you at the workshop, Americana.” “I wouldn’t be at that stupid workshop today but not for this scrap of a vehicle,” Okon said glaring at the vehicle and hissing contemptuously. “Okon, all I want to say is remember me in your paradise,” Okpako said bleary eyed. Soon his wife was back lugging her ware, a sack of plantain. “Ah! Okon you are still at home; are you not going to work today?” she exclaimed as she dropped the sack at the spot where she sells roasted plantain. “Another of them,” Okon muttered in disgust turning towards Okpako and ignored her. ***************************** Clad in the uniform of the porters at the Akwa Ibom International Airport, Okon piled the last luggage onto the trolley and proceeded to push it towards the exit of the arrival hall a fixed smile etched on his face as the passenger engaged him in small talk. He had finally persuaded his cousin who works as a top management staff at the airport to secure him the appointment after months of prevarications. But he was here for a different purpose and working as a porter was not the

purpose of his being here. His smile widened further as he received a fat tip from the man who he learned was an American returnee One week afterwards he woke up his sleeping wife in the night. “I have something important to tell you,” he began as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. “America?” she sat bolt upright, all thought of sleep deserting her. “Don’t tell me you are serious about this your talk about going to America? Besides I heard it is only those that went to school that can travel to America,” she said suspiciously. “Who told you that? That’s the problem with you women, always thinking with your bottom. Besides don’t you know there are also illiterates in America?” Okon shot back belligerently. “So how will you get the money to travel to America? I hope this is not malaria fever again,” she said truculently. ***************************** Okon paid off the taxi driver that brought him home from the airport. It was 08:00 PM in the evening and as usual there was power outage and the area was in a blackout. There was bedlam in the compound known as “civilian barracks” and though it wasn’t unusual he wondered what was amiss as he darted across the road pocketing his change. It was a fight between his wife and the neighbor living in the opposite room. There was no love lost between the two women who engaged each other in a verbal mud slinging. Both women were being restrained by concerned neighbors from going for their jugular. The landlord rounded on Okon as soon as he appeared. “Okon!” he bawled and proceeded to berate him for failing to control his “troublesome wife.” Okon flew off key to the consternation of the landlord and

***************************** It was 4:00pm as the plane taxied slowly onto the tarmac and stopped with its engine still running. Squatting in the bush, a backpack strapped to his back, Okon peered at the scrap of paper in his hand and looked across at the plane with its blinking tail lights. He nodded and rose to his feet and without hesitation he sprinted towards the aircraft in a crouching run and quick as a monkey he climbed into the wheel compartment. “America, here I come,” he muttered with a tight smile, more like a grimace. One hour later the aircraft was airborne and Okon in the tire compartment braced himself for the long haul to "God’s own country". A quarter of an hour and half later he was still bracing himself when he felt the wheels of the plane begin to shoot out of the compartment. Alarmed, he wondered what was amiss. He had been informed that give or take it was about ten hours of flight time to the U.S. He felt the tires hit the tarmac as the plane sped along and finally come to a stop. “Hey! Someone’s under the plane!” a voice shouted suddenly. In no time the underbelly of the plane was surrounded by a curious throng who peered up anxiously at him. He was soon coerced out of his hiding place. Seized by the rough hands of the airport security men he was taken to the terminal building. Deflated and devastated Okon soon discovered that it was a domestic flight and not an international flight like he had presumed. STOP PRESS The Airport Police Command today arrested a young man at the International Airport in Lagos. The suspect who gave his name as Okon flew in from Akwa Ibom, hiding in the aircraft's wheel compartment. He confessed that he thought the plane was a U.S bound flight but unfortunately found himself in Lagos.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

23 AUGUST 2014

NEW TELEGRAPH PARTNER HOTELS

FESTAC, LAGOS

PARKVIEW ESTATE, IKOYI, LAGOS

The poolside

HOSPITALITY Barely one year in operation, De Santos Hotel despite its suburban location in Lagos has created the sort of buzz that points to a promising future, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

In De Santos Hotel, the suburb regains its groove

he residents of Santos Estate, Shasha and Akowonjo Roads and its environs, finally have something to crow about - a cozy and plush hospitality home that is literally next door. That is thanks to De Santos Hotel which opened in the area after so many years of a yearning for a classy hotel in that part of the city. The newly opened facility comes with the luxury of a befitting hotel set out to entice and provide alluring services for the people. This point was emphasised by the hotel’s general manager, Ajibade Remi, when he revealed that the hotel based in the largest and most populous local government area of Lagos State, is committed to ‘‘meeting the most basic hospitality, leisure and conference needs of the people as a hospitality and tourism outfit’’. With the presence of the hotel, Remi said residents of the area and the entire stretch of the council don’t need to go to distant places to indulge their fancy. And it's just as well, because the hotel boasts a serene environment and is equipped with an array of modern hospitality facilities. The general manager described the hotel as a full service hotel and a one–stop shop where guests can possibly have all of their needs met. ‘‘We offer total package ranging from room, restaurant, bar, leisure and entertainment, fitness and wellness as well as business for the corporate world. Remi added that the hotel is service-driven and professionally run with well-trained workforce to

One of the bedrooms

provide excellent and personalized services. With just a few months in operation, the hotel is gradually becoming a box office affair with residents and visitors coming in their numbers to explore the various services on offer. Visiting the hotel on weekends, the atmosphere, especially at nightfall, is something to behold as the hotel has inevitably become a social hot spot. Accommodation The hotel boasts 46 rooms of different classes, all fitted with luxury amenities for the pleasure and comfort of the guest. The different categories of rooms include standard room, deluxe and executive. Of course, there is Wi-Fi and the requisite creature comforts. Top of the list is De Santos Suite, which comes with a living room and all the luxuries that go with a suite. Dining/wining Although the hotel offers bed and breakfast for diners, the place to visit is D – Restaurant, where under the culinary expertise of the foreign executive chef and his team of chefs and restaurant attendants you are treated to what Remi described as multi–choice

breakfast, romantic and enticing lunch and dinner while Sunday brunch, which offers varieties and more than five course meal is a delight for people. The Lobby Bar offers choice wines, cocktails and beverages with a serenading atmosphere and soothing music. You can actually conduct your business and other affairs in the bar that presents a different life of its own. Leisure The hotel offers a range of leisure activities and facilities ranging from a swimming pool and a pool bar with a relaxation spot for guests and visitors both during the day and night time. There is also a barbecue corner offering flavoured foods and an assortment of dishes like asun and sharwama. There is also attached to this section a snooker board for exciting moment. The leisure and entertainment packages of the hotel are nonstop event and round the clock, especially during the weekends. Some of the dates to watch out for include Wednesdays with jazz at the pool side beginning

from 6pm; and ladies night at the lounge beginning from 10pm; Fridays serves happy hour between 6pm – 8pm with drinks heavily discounted and a live band on the stand. This is later followed by Club at the T- Lounge beginning from 10pm. Actually the Club is on offer from Wednesday night. Sunday evening offers live band entertainment at the lounge for guests and visitors to unwind and explore the feel of the hotel. Besides, the hotel also comes alive during public holidays and festive periods with various leisure packages. It recently celebrated its Summer Bash, which featured a number of musical and comic acts. It was a top rated affair for the people. Wellness/fitness De Santos Hotel offers a fully equipped fitness centre with a wide range of facilities for bodily exercise, treatments and massage. Conference This is one of the hotel's unique selling points, as it is fast becoming an event centre of note in the vicinity. It offers different facilities from a Vera Conference room (small conference hall) for board meetings, Shasha Hall for banqueting to Flora hall for other social events such as wedding and parties. Impressive business For the hotel’s general manager, business which started last December has been good. ‘‘It has been very impressive because we have realized that the people actually appreciate the presence of this type of facility in this environment. Happily, the patronage of both the local and foreign guests has been quite impressive, especially with its closeness to the Lagos airport and its array of hospitality offerings.’’

LAGOS

ABA

BENEFITS There are lots of benefits to derive as one of our partner hotels. For enquiries and details on how to join the programme, please contact Andrew Iro Okungbowa: 08023152195 (sms only), e-mail: iroandy@ymail.com or Chinyere Opara: 08063768131 (sms only) e-mail angela_curtis-2@live.com

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

CHEF’S CORNER

The making of Nigerian soups:

Enticing Ogbono soup In continuation of the series on Nigerian soups, ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA serves you inviting Ogbono soup

GBONO soup, otherwise called agbono soup in some dialect, is another Nigerian soup with an appeal that cuts across cultures. It is common, widely cooked and enjoyed across the country. There might be different variants, but it is one delicacy you would likely find on menu lists. From highbrow hotels, eateries and households, it is eaten with relish with some people or eateries making it a celebrated soup by the way they prepare and promote it. It is largely popular among the Igbo but over the years, just like some other Nigerian food, it has gained root among other tribes and people of Nigerian with the different tribes and localities adopting it as one of their own. During ceremonies and communal events, the food set may not be said to be complete without the option of Ogbono soup as people look forward to it while the absence of it in some occasions may make some people not too happy with the chef or organizers of the celebrative event. In most of the eateries where egusi is served, ogbono is often served as an option as some people seem to prefer a mix of both soups. It has become a common culture now to

hear people at these eateries order for "mix" even the local chef or food vendor makes it a point to ask when taking orders if it is "mix" you want or plain egusi or ogbono? The mod of cooking and serving the soup also vary from one locality to another and from household to another. As a result, there is really no standard recipe but, generally, it should be noted that to make it a pleasurable treat some amount of condiments or ingredients are needed. Ogbono soup is derived from the seed of African mango or wild bush mango, which is known as Irvingia Gabonensis and is commonly found in West Africa. It is believed to be highly nutritional with a high content of mucilage, which serves as thickening agent for dishes such as Ogbono soup. Just like egusi or other Nigerian soups, it is eaten with

eba, fufu, amala, semovita and pounded yam and other staple foods common to the various localities. It is also quite easy to make with prescribed ingredients. Here are some of the ingredients for a savoury experience: ogbono seed (milled into powdered form) beef or goat meat dried fish crayfish dried Haddock (pre-soaked in water) dried pepper (milled) stock fish chicken/turkey locust beans (a local spice) palm oil vegetable (optional)

TRAVEL BEATS

Tanzania tourism tops revenue earnings

World’s second tallest tower to open after hajj

Tanzania tourism has shot to the top as the highest revenue earner for the country with nearly 12.3 percent earning over the previous year’s record to topple gold, which incomes fell short as expected. According to a release by the Bank of Tanzania, tourism yielded nearly US$2billion tourism receipts between July 2013 and June 2014. This is coming on the heels of the country’s preparation

THE acclaimed world’s second tallest tower, The Makkah Clock Tower, is to open to the public officially after the celebration of the year’s hajj event. Tickets will be on offer at the summit of the tower. The gigantic tower is constructed on top of Tower number five of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, which consists of seven towers. The tower features hotels on which the clock is

to host the debutant Swahili Tourism Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam, which is bill to hold from October 1-4 at the Mlimani City Conference Centre. The Tanzania Tourist Board alongside the private sector will showcase at the trade fair the country’s wide range of tourism attractions, from the islands of Mafia over Unguja and Pemba to the national parks and game reserves on the mainland.

… Tourist clinches new ABTA kicks off conference registration for members record on Mt. Kilimanjaro THE South Africa – based African rates. This will run until the end of Au-

A Swiss Ecuadorian, Karl Egloff has earned a new climbing record at Kilimanjaro as he completed the round of the mountain, which is the highest peak in Africa, under six hours 56 minutes and 24 seconds. A distance, which normally is covered between five and seven days. Egloff ran the distance, going up the steep Umbwe route and down to the Mweka gate. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, is one of the many options visitors to Tanzania have and the vicinity of Moshi, one of the starting points, to the international airport aptly named Kilimanjaro International, makes for a swift start as tourists can fly in, spend a night at a base hotel, and then embark on their week-long climb. This is reportedly a new record and was a result of several months of high altitude training in the Ecuadorian Andes and then on site in Tanzania, courtesy of sponsorships by Switzerland’s Aktiv Reisen and local partner Leopard Tours.

Business Travel Association (ABTA) has opened the registration of its conference bill to hold from November 2 – 4 for its members only. The three days conference would hold at the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel in South Africa. Over 200 delegates from across Africa and the globe are expected to attend the Conference, which will among others feature key insights into trends, challenges, opportunities and best practice when sending - or planning to send - travellers into Africa. "The inaugural ABTA Conference has garnered a huge amount of interest not only from the South African travel community, but from the key emerging African markets, as well as travel professionals from across the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East. For this reason and as we have limited space, we have taken the decision to open registration to our ABTA and ACTE members first, at early bird discounted

gust and registration will open to the rest of the industry from 1 September when the early bird rate comes to an end," said ABTA founder, Monique Swart. According to Swart, "the theme of the conference is ‘Education-StrategyPower’ and this event will truly be the place to be for travel professionals from all industry sectors and across all geographies, to gain insights into local, regional and international business travel trends, allowing them to make more informed decisions within their travel industry roles. This event will have a purely corporate travel education and networking focus where delegates will not only experience a host of highly pertinent education sessions pertaining to managing business travel in Africa, but will finally have the chance to meet and interact with industry peers across our continent and the globe - which is a first for our industry."

situated. Overlooking the Grand Mosque, the newly constructed tower, which is also known as Abraj Al Bait Towers, is 601 metres high with 76 stories and 858 suites. A number of hotels inside the tower attracted many visitors who were keen to enjoy the view of the Grand Mosque, especially during Ramadan. Custodian of the two holy mosques, King Abdullah, had ordered the largest clock tower in the world to be built in Makkah. The clock is placed at a height of 380 meters and can be seen from all sides. The name of Allah has been inscribed on each of the four clock faces. Two

of the clock faces, including the inscription, are 80 meters high and 65 meters wide, and the dial diameter is 39 meters. The King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, which overlooks the Holy Mosque, is one of the world’s largest construction projects. Makkah Clock Tower is a metre taller than Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China, which held the distinction as the world's tallest from 2010 until it was dislodged by 634 meters tall Tokyo Skytree in Japan. Tokyo Skytree, which is the world's second tallest structure, is surpassed only by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (launched in 2010), and stands at 829.8 meters.

Turkey provinces make UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. They were named at the 38th World Heritage Committee session held in Doha, Qatar. With this development, Turkey now boasts 13 cultural and mixed locations on the world heritage sites with the other sites as Istanbul, the Great Mosque and TWO of the outstanding Turkish Hospital of Divrigi, Hattusha, Mount provinces – Cumalikizik in Bursa, nemrut, Xanthos – Letoon, Troy, which is the birth place of the Ottoman Goreme National Park and Cappadocia, Empire and the cultural landscape of Pergamon in Izmir province have made Hierapolis – Pamukkale, the city of Safranbolu, the Selimiye Mosque and it to the increasing list of the United the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk. Nations Educational, Scientific and

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TRAVEL PERSONALITY

Efetobo Awhana: Every state in Nigeria has lovely attractions E fetobo Awhana, the CEO of Avantgarde Tours Limited, a Lagosbased travel management and consultancy outfit, is one of the few tour operators across the country, whose dedication to the promotion of domestic tourism is unflinching. His belief and fate in the richness of the Nigeria tourism industry and its ability to create wealth for the teeming population, is also not in doubt as he talks of his love and dogged commitment to the industry. “I am passionate about tourism, very, very passionate. I think that this is probably a perfect fit for me as a person because I help people enjoy tourism attractions. I think for me, that is the key thing that pushes me when you are able to get people to say ‘thank you’ at the end of a tour,” was his opening salvo as we settled down for the interview. With a bachelor of science degree in geography and planning from the Lagos State University, it is interesting to note that for the Delta-born Awhana who never set out to be a tour operator but later found himself in the travel world and yet described it as a “perfect fit” for him, it means that he must be having a ball doing it even though he tells you without mincing words that there is no money in domestic tourism, which is his forte. “My major bias actually is domestic tourism in Nigeria,” he reveals. The beginning It all started with a field trip to Ologe Lagoon in Badagary in his third year at the university where they have gone for a project on sand mining activities. On the way back to the campus, it was dark and with a beautiful sunset just coming on the scene, he pulls out his camera to capture the revealing and picturesque scenery with sea heads of birds flying across. “It was very lovely; I appreciate things like that and I didn’t know that people also appreciate things like that,” he says of the incident. When days later he got out the prints some of his course mates on the trip were enamoured with his beautiful piece of the fleeting moment. “I was surprised by that reaction and it was one of those things that made me realised that there were people out there w h o also had that same yearning for relaxing and enjoying those things that we take for granted about life,” he says as what that did was to set him on the dream world of travels. “After my graduation, I set out as a publisher, publishing a tourism magazine and it was called Crest Magazine,” Awhana Awhana reveals of his

Simply put, the job of Efetobo Awhana, the CEO of Avantgarde Tours Limited, is to help you have a memorable experience on the travel beat. This he does with passion, panache and professionalism. His company’s name -Avantgarde Tours Limited - tells it all. He speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA of his motivation, niche and the depth of Nigeria tourism, among others. romance with the tourism industry. It was an ambitious magazine he envisaged for himself but not having the experience and the resources to sustain it, it turned out a failed project. “Then direct imaging was still a new technology and it was very expensive and I said no I must start with direct imaging, it has to be beautiful and colourful but over time that project died because we were not able to sustain it. That is how it started.” Perhaps if it was someone else, he would have abandoned the industry and moved on to something else but not for this determined young man who was already bitten by the bug of tourism and was not ready to take no for an answer. In a way, his reputation as an emerging travel person has gone ahead of him with some of his friends and colleagues turning to him in droves for travel advice on where to visit and how to go about it. Even while he was serving as a Corp (NYSC) member and it was actually at this time that he embarked on his first packaged tour to Obudu Mountain Resort, a trip, which he would later described as very successful and wonderful. Upon the completion of his NYSC, Awhana got employed by a travel company with a specific mandate to help set up a tourism department. But because he wasn’t fulfilled as all he ever wanted was to get engaged in domestic tourism and not out-bound tourism, which was the vogue then and is still. He moved on to an-

other travel company and the story was also the same. Then Dana Air came on the scene and he signed up as one of the pioneer staff of the airline. He was employed as a ground operation officer. With the airline, he learnt the curves and also the business side of travel, which were to come handy later in life. But tired of doing someone else’s biddings, Awhana decided to set out on his own and so Avantgarde Tours Limited was birthed in 2010. “In 2010 I decided that enough was enough that I had to try and push my dream of selling Nigeria first,” he says of his motivation for his tour company. A commitment to domestic tourism “I was very, very keen about domestic tourism. I was not interested at all about selling out-bound even though as a young person you want to travel and see other places but I was very much interested about helping people to see the attractions in Nigeria. So those were the things that formed my love and attraction for tourism, my passion to push the destinations that I want to sell. I was passionate about Nigeria and I am still passionate about Nigeria, it is a priority for me.” B u t as he soldiered on, he developed a niche for selling honeymoon packages, which he has taken to a greater height by becoming a specialist in that

area. “Those were my dreams when I started out and I think today when I look back to a great extent I am very satisfied that so far I have been able to establish myself as a specialist when it comes to honeymoon,” he confesses. Helping people to enjoy travels brings fulfilment “For me, it is important that you are able to help people to enjoy travels. Not just selling to them a hotel or a ticket but you are able to help them enjoy or destroy their trip because what you are selling to them as a travel professional really is their happiness or otherwise because if you are able to get them the best experience, they would always remember that trip and you would become the source of their joy.” The richness of Nigeria tourism “Over time I think I have been to practically almost every state in Nigeria except in the north eastern part. You found out that every state has its own lovely attractions. Because when I travel I get to see attractions even though raw but attractions that are very heart warming. “I also believe too that travel is not always about blitz, it is not always about skyscrapers and technology. Eco tourism is a major theme and people travel all over the world to distant places just to get close to nature and this is what Nigeria offers. “We are a peculiar people in this part of the world, we have touts and there are people who just want to see the touts, the average agbero, how they work, to feel the adrenalin, walking tall through the middle of the market. These are experiences that they don’t know about and this is what Nigerians should realise, we are not Europeans and should not try to sell all of the blitz and glamour of Europe. We are trying to sell us as a people and it is our peculiarity that can sell, it is who we are that we can sell.” Nigerians need to know the economic power of tourism If Nigeria is to make waves in tourism, Awhana believes the way out is to educate Nigerians at all levels, particularly those in the rural communities, of the economic importance of the tourism assets within their various localities. “Basically, every tourist that comes into your locality brings in wealth, income that can drive the economy. That is why you have countries which rely solely on tourism and this can be replicated in Nigeria when the locals begin to realise that the waterfalls in their village is income to them, that it generates income and employment, that is the message that we have to drive home to every Nigerian.” The trouble with Nigerian tourism “The major challenge for me is logistics because we don’t have good travel infrastructure it is difficult for you to take somebody from point A to point B and be sure that the person is comfortable. The package is very expensive too for the individual because of this, it is only when we have groups or when we break the trip but it is not every part of the country which has the facilities for you to be able to make the breaks."

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DESTINATION DAPO SOTUMINU was in Scotland where he covered the recently held Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He highlights the rise of Scotland in the last 800 years to an enchanting modern and sophisticated society where, as promoted by Glasgow, the people make the difference.

Background COTLAND is a progressive nation built on dynamism, creativity and the fabulous warmth of its people. Here you will find a range of Scottish facts, from information on its diverse and dramatic landscape and natural resources to facts about Scotland’s population, economy and industry. Tourism is one of Scotland’s most lucrative assets, focusing on such attractions as golf, walking and a rich history. In industry, too, the country is pioneering enterprising businesses. Key business sectors include life sciences, electronic technologies, energy and financial services. Scotland also boasts a thriving export market with an impressive global reach, especially in food and drink - including Scotland’s famous whisky - and chemicals. The people say without inhibition that: “Our people are a major strength. In the workplace, we are well-educated, skilled and motivated - and we are proud of our heritage of inventiveness and innovation. We also like to play - whether it’s a party, festival or sporting event.” While Scotland is a small nation it has big ambitions, with the latest being a referendum seeking independence from the United Kingdom. The country’s capital is Edinburgh, while Glasgow is the largest city. The official Languages are English, Gaelic and Scots while the government runs a Constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II of England is the head of government while the British Prime Minister David Cameron reigns supreme. Scotland stands on an area spanning 78,772 square kilometres with a population of around 5.2 million. The country’s currency is the Pound sterling. Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom (UK) and occupies the northern third of Great Britain. Scotland’s mainland shares border with England to the south. It is home to almost 800 small islands, including the northern isles of Shetland and Orkney, the Hebrides, Arran and Skye. Its location is to the mid-west of Europe and is surrounded by several different seas. Located to the east of Scotland is the North Sea, which divides the country from other areas of Europe, in particular Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. Across the North Sea to the south-east is Denmark and further south still is Germany. North and west of Scotland’s mainland is the Atlantic Ocean. Travelling north from Scotland will eventually bring you to Iceland and Greenland. To the south-west, across the Irish Sea, is Scotland’s closest neighbouring island of Northern Ireland and Eire. Scottish Opera Theatre Scotland’s theatre has a long tradition spanning centuries and continuing to the present day. From professional, amateur and community performing companies, to the multitude of dedicated theatre and arts festivals which take place all over the country every year, it’s safe to say that Scotland truly soaks up theatre in all of its forms! The National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) is Scotland’s national theatre and performing company. Launched in 2006, NTS has no central location. Instead, the company takes theatre to the people of Scotland – and beyond – by performing anywhere they can connect to an audience, including airports and high-rises, forests and ferries, drill halls and football pitches, pubs and factories. By collaborating with the best writers, di-

Union Street

Independence or not, Scotland rectors and casts, NTS has enjoyed wide success not just in the UK, but around the world. National Theatre of Scotland Edinburgh hosts, arguably, the most famous annual arts festival in the world – the Edinburgh International Festival, which – for three weeks in every August - sees Edinburgh's six major theatres and concert halls, a few smaller venues and often some unconventional ones too, come alive with the best professional classical music, theatre, opera, dance and visual art from around the globe. The associated Edinburgh Fringe Festival - which also runs for three weeks in August - brings thousands of performers to the city, from big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artistes looking to build their careers. The festival includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, musicals, operas, music, exhibitions and events. The country plays host to a wide variety of additional arts and theatre festivals, such as Glasgow’s Bard in the Botanics, where classic Shakespeare is performed against the backdrop of Glasgow’s internationally famous gardens. Every year in May, Burns an’ a’ That! Festival in Ayrshire brings together international performers with local people to celebrate Scottish life and culture. Meanwhile the long-running multi-arts celebration Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival celebrates its 34th year in 2013!

Conferences The country boasts a wealth of fine auditoriums and theatres which host many big touring shows as well as exclusive onenight events. Edinburgh is home to the largest allseated auditorium in the UK – The Edinburgh Playhouse - as well as the Usher Hall, the King’s Theatre, the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Traverse Theatre and the famous Festival Theatre, amongst others. Meanwhile in Glasgow, there is a plethora of theatres to choose from, including the King’s Theatre, the Pavilion Theatre, the Tramway, the Tron, the Arches, the Citizens Theatre and the Theatre Royal, to name but a few. Outside the major cities, there are many theatres throughout the country bursting with creative talents and thought-provoking performances. There’s the Dundee Rep Theatre, the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in rural Perthshire, the Eastgate Arts Centre in Peebles and Eden Court in Inverness, not to mention An Lanntair in Stornoway, the Theatre Royal in Dumfries, Mull Theatre on the Isle of Mull, and the Byre Theatre in St. Andrew’s. Opera Scottish Opera is Scotland’s national opera company and the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland, performing in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness and over 50 other theatres, village halls and community centres in Scotland and the UK each year. Notable

Glasgow Science Centre

Winton House, Pencaitland, East Lothian

achievements include the world premiere of James MacMillan’s Ines de Castro at the 1996 Edinburgh International Festival and Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle at the 2003 Edinburgh International Festival. The Company celebrated its 50th birthday on in June, 2012. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, based in Glasgow, provides a superb launching pad for new talent in opera. In 1998, the Conservatoire opened Scotland's first and only opera school, the Alexander Gibson Opera School. Notable alumni include Janis Kelly, Felicity Hammond, Lisa Milne and Patrick Doyle, all establishing successful careers at both the Royal Opera and Scottish Opera. Dance In Scotland, you are never as much as a pas de bourree away from a dance class, competition or performance! From traditional Scottish Highland and ceilidh dancing, to ballet, contemporary and street dance, the country celebrates a host of dance forms. Scottish Ballet is Scotland’s national dance company, based at the Tramway in Glasgow. Employing 36 professional dancers, 41 staff and a part-time freelance orchestra of up to 70 musicians, Scottish Ballet's primary aim is to provide programmes of world-class dance performance and educational activity at all scales. The company performs its broad rep-

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Hutchesons - A fantastic place to eat in Glasgow

is an enchanting place to be ertoire throughout Scotland and around the world, which includes both classical and contemporary works from Sleeping Beauty to The Nutcracker to A Streetcar Named Desire. Scottish Dance Theatre (SDT) is Scotland’s national contemporary dance company and is based at Dundee Rep Theatre. SDT’s programme includes work by internationally celebrated and emerging choreographers. The repertoire is constantly evolving, pushing boundaries and expectations. The company has nine dancers and two apprentice dancers and tours throughout the UK and internationally, with recent performances in China, The Netherlands, Italy, Denmark and the USA. Each year, the World Highland Dance Championships take place as part of the Cowal Gathering Highland Games in Dunoon on Scotland’s West Coast. The complex footwork of Highland Dance with its jigs and reels is celebrated here with more than 650 dancers from all over the world taking part each year. The game of golf Loch Lomond Golf Course: Is nestled on the banks of Loch Lomond. The course occupies a spot previously held by Clan Colquhoun and includes the clan's seat of Rossdhu Mansion as its clubhouse. It is considered to be among the 'top 100' finest golf courses in the world. The old course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. Known as the

home of golf, it has been home to many prestigious events, including more Open Championships than any other club. The course also has a special place in the hearts of the professionals. After the 150th Open Golf Championship in 2010, Tiger Woods declared it as his favourite course in the world. While Jack Nicklaus is said to have fallen in love the first time he played it. And the commendations have been coming sin. There are over 110 bunkers waiting to catch out golfers at the Old Course, St Andrews. The Hell Bunker on the 14th and Road Hole Bunker at the 17th being the most feared. The Swilcan Bridge: Is one of golf's great attractions, and has become a touchstone for every golfer fortunate enough to play the old course at St Andrews. The Gleneagles' PGA Centenary Course: Will be the setting for the 2014 Ryder Cup. Let's hope it will be as thrilling as the 2012 competition! Scotland is known for its famous links golf courses, but there are also a plethora of inland courses to play in beautiful surroundings. Museums and galleries Scottish museums and galleries are a veritable treasure trove of inspiration, home to some of the most coveted art and artifacts in the world. From works by Salvador Dali, Damien Hirst, David Shrigley to Botticelli, there is something to satisfy every artistic

palate. No trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to one of these thoughtprovoking spaces. They are the perfect place to gain an understanding of Scottish art, science, history, engineering and culture. Best of all, admission to many of Scotland’s galleries and museums are completely free! Edinburgh Edinburgh’s National Gallery Complex covers three major galleries across the city including The National Gallery for Scotland, The Scottish National Gallery for Modern Art and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Here you can see works from artists such as Picasso, Van Gough, Monet and Henry Raeburn. Other museums include the National Museum of Scotland, Museum on the Mound, The Royal Yacht Britannia and the National Library of Scotland. For those looking for dedicated themes, there's also the Museum on the Mound in Edinburgh's city centre. Opened in 2006, this museum takes a fresh look at the art and design, technology, crime, trade and security behind money. Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of Scotland's most popular free visitor attractions. It has 22 themed, state-ofthe-art galleries, displaying an astonishing 8,000 objects. Some of the highlights include a real RAF spitfire aircraft built in 1944, and Sir Roger the stuffed Asian Glasgow Necropolis

North West Highlands Geopark

elephant, one of Kelvingrove's oldest and best-loved exhibits. The Glasgow School of Art is Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s living legacy which is still in use by students today. Visitors can take tours around the artist and architect’s former school and become enchanted by the unique and avant-garde style of this Scottish icon. The Riverside Museum is Scotland's Museum of Transport and Travel and one of the newest additions to Glasgow’s museum scene. Here you can see over 3,000 exhibits and take a stroll down a recreated Glasgow street from 1895 to 1930. The Burrell Collection in Glasgow’s Pollock Park displays a staggering range of exhibits from work by major artists such as Rodin, Degas and Cézanne, to important examples of late medieval, Chinese and Islamic art, as well as artifacts from ancient civilizations and much more. Finally, The Mitchell is one of the largest public reference libraries in Europe, home to over one and a half million titles, including works by and about the Scots poet and author, Robert Burns. The Burns Collection is still being added to and now contains over 5,000 items; it is believed to be one of the largest in the world. Perth Perth Museum and Art Gallery is one of the oldest museums in the UK and is home to over half a million exhibits of national interest and houses works ranging from Warhol to Beatrix Potter. Aberdeen Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums covers five main attractions throughout the city, including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Maritime Museum, The Tollbooth Museum, Cowdray Hall and Provost Skene’s House. Across these superb venues you can immerse yourself in fine art, archaeology, maritime history, science, technology and industry. Dundee The McManus houses Dundee’s impressive collection of art. Voted Dundee's best loved building in 2000, The McManus has been at the heart of art and culture in the city since its opening in 1867. The display includes an impressive collection of fine art, history, natural sciences and archaeology exhibits. In 2012 it was also announced that a prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum - the world's greatest museum of art and design - will open in Dundee in 2015.

My Weekend

or Azzizat Okesanya, she gets fascinated with every opportunity that ensures she finds herself in quietude. She describes herself as a personality who often and always craves to enjoy the best of life always in a quiet atmosphere. Although she confesses that she socialises, her best way of relaxing is to always be in a quiet atmosphere. “I derive the most relaxation when I am at home on weekend and on such occasion, I often crave the best of serenity and quietness. This has being the best way for me to relax after a whole long week of engaging in business and encounters with customers. It does not have anything to do with the idea of isolation as some people would want to think. For me, I think it has to do with the attitude I have imbibed from the days of my childhood.” The University of Lagos Banking and Finance graduate says she has always wanted to establish something of her own in terms of livelihood or business despite being educated. Working closely with her mum from whom she acquired the requisite entrepreneurship experience, she says, has created the platform for her 15-year-old business outfit nurture to fruition. “I had never imagined working for any employer after school and I’m enjoying my present blissful world. It was what I had envisioned when I was in school, a platform, where I have all the time to myself to do whatever I wish to do, in terms of when I wish to sleep, when I wish to play, and when I so desire to take any decision pertaining to living my life. “What this means to me is that, the idea of being the owner of my time as a private person gives me all the time in the world to have a lot of time for myself, which in itself is a lot of opportunity to have the best of time for relaxation for me and my family without having to bear the burden of meeting the expectations of the employer,” Okesanya enthuses. According to her, satisfying her customers with regard to their choice Gele fabrics for their social functions is highly demanding. Hence, she stresses the importance of having a quiet rest on weekends. “I ensure I take adequate rest on my weekend from the busy week’s encounter with the numerous customers, whom I have had encounter with in respect of convincing them to appreciate the quality of the Gele products they come to buy. In some cases, they buy large quantity for their events like marriages, burial and what have you,” she adds. Her busy schedule, she notes, does not constitute any hindrance to her embracing a decent social life, saying, “Generally, ’I’m a very quiet person and I don’t like talking when there is really nothing reasonable to talk about. Same goes for my attitude to mixing with people or friends. “I specifically admire mixing with people with gentle mien, those are my kind of friends. And of course, I get easily put-off with people’s appearances, especially ladies, whose dressing exposes 80 per cent of their body and I’m also easily put-off by loud people,” she explains. She says she prefers to be indoors on weekend, when going out isn’t worth her while. On such occasion, she embraces cleaning her environment thoroughly because such occasion is rare opportunity that enables her to put certain important things in place and overhaul other things. Okesanya, the mother of eight years

I and my siblings were regular club goers in those days when we were growing up

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I observe my weekend mostly on Sunday – Okesanya Azzizat Abiodun Okesanya, the MD/CEO of Taofikat Enterprise Limited, a merchandise outfit which deals in various exquisite female headgear tells SEGUN EDWARDS why she always craves to stay off the public glare in whatever she does. old twins -a male and female- says she socialises on specific weekends with friends and families usually decked in her preferred attires of traditional dresses like the Buba and Iro made from Ankara, lace or voile fabrics and at times English dresses. She says her weekend can actually be described as a single day (Sunday) because she is always at her business on Saturday, which she describes as a very busy day when customers besiege her store. She says that her Saturday is not exactly an idle day, as she says she creates time to meet her obligations in terms of getting the better part of her weekend attending social events at times. According to her, she may also decide to take time off her busy schedules to relax the way she may deem necessary, stay at home to sleep, attend to pressing family issues as well or visit interesting places with the family. The 43-year-old fabric merchant reveals that socialisation and relaxation has always been part of her life when she was growing up way back in the 1990s, stating that herself and her siblings were regular club goers. The only snag in their clubbing then, she says, was that they don’t stay away throughout the night. “I love to socialise and relax, which has been part of a well-spent life. For instance, I and my siblings were regular club goers in those days when we were growing up, we will go to the club to relax and enjoy ourselves in places like Club Faze2, in Jibowu, a suburb of Yaba and others. It was fun then but the only thing is we didn’t spend the night at the club, we will come back in the early hour of the next day.” Obviously with a well-fed look, Okesanya may be taken as a big eater, but she says she does not have the penchant for eating bountifully. She reveals that major menu

for her household on weekend, preferably on Sunday, are egg with yam or bread in the morning and rice and stew in the afternoon. The near six feet beauty says her family enjoys basic Nigerian and Yoruba menus like eba or Iyan (pounded yam) and vegetable or egusi soup. S h e declares that she avoids alcohol,

adding, “My preferred drink at weekend when I’m at home is the mixed fruit juice and sometimes I would just take the normal beverages which is the soft drinks, I embrace the consumption at social gathering only.” “It is not immodest though, I try as much as possible to avoid the consumption of alcoholic contents because of religious belief. I profess to the Islamic faith and it is emphatically wrong for a devout Muslim to indulge in the consumption of alcoholic content,” Okesanya says. On what she does on Sundays, she adds, “I ensure that I attend the Asalatu (prayer session by Muslims) every Sunday morning with Muslim faithful. This I do first in the morning, after which I would give consideration to any social event. This is usually an important aspect of my schedules on weekend, without which I don’t feel fulfilled. “I am an Islamic faithful. So, for me, the Asalatu is a major and important event I must attend every Sunday to have a fulfilled and blissful weekend. I hold it in such high esteems that I put everything in place, prior to any Sunday in my weekend because I’m a believer in the fact that it is the Almighty Allah that can sustain anything us and everything we own.” She adds that she is a thorough bred Muslim but harbours extremism. “I am a devout Muslim and my approach doesn’t entail any fanatical view both in terms of disposition and relationship to non-Muslims. I hold God, who is my creator high, which is why I always strive to worship Him as it is stipulated in the Quran, the Muslims’ holy book. Of course it is a major tenet of salvation for any faithful of the Islamic faith.”

FACEOFF Gombi is an impostor in Plateau – Dabang p.48 I’m the authentic APC chairman – Gombi p.49

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No aspect of the Nigerian economy thrills me – Idika Kalu

Former World Bank economist and Finance and Planning Minister and Chairman of the Institute For Policy And Economic Development, IPED, tells OJIAKU KALU, Editor-At-Large, the requirements for transforming the Nigerian economy to global reckoning. By way of mentoring generation next and retrospectively, what aspects of your story would you love to change - given the chance all over again? That’s a rather intriguing question. I believe that people of my generation and, particularly myself, went through a rather charmed life. Let me explain what I mean by that. You see, part of the stress of life is your environment, your growing up and all the other strains associated with going to school - whether you are able to identify your needs as a student, whether you have resources to cope with the demands of your education, and so on and so forth. From that context, people in my situation today would not believe how relatively

smoother this aspects of growing up were. It was such that I was always deliberately tested and pushed to the limit. I was sent from one school to the other by my father who was determined to make sure I was actually doing as well as it seemed. So, concerning your question, a lot of people if they knew exactly the true story - sheer humility would not permit me to go into all the details. If people knew my background, a lot of them would wish they had it so easy, so smooth. You never had to go one day without having to afford exercise books or the other things necessary for your studies, live in an environment that was not good for a growing person or live with not having your food well prepared and well served. We were served at school and we paid attention to our studies. We had fantastic extra-curriculum exposure. At the end of high school, I had about six scholarships. I had an array of offers to either go to the United Kingdom, Sweden, America, Italy, Ghana or study here in Nigeria. I finally had to choose to go to America after my higher school certificate [HSC] and within four and half years from then, I had taken my doctoral exams and came back to Nigeria and started teaching and collecting materials for my doctoral dissertation. The civil war broke out and for that, I chose to stay back in Nigeria because I had completed my course work. And as soon as the war ended, I was awarded an alumni fellowship to go back and write up my dissertation. As I was finishing my doctoral dissertation there was a visiting panel that came to my school and one of them saw my research thesis and said, ’’ Ah, you should be at the World Bank!’’, that is how I ultimately ended up at the World Bank. And going to the World Bank, beCONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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‘Young people have dumped trades for C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 4 5

cause the chief economist on the interview panel was of the East Asia and Pacific Department and impressed with my performance, I was selected to work on the star performers, the so-called Asian Tigers. I did and enjoyed my job there. Eight years later, I was preparing to come back home to Nigeria when Dr. Pius Okigbo (a world renown economist who unfortunately passed on a while ago), and his team came to my location and said they’d come for me and I said I was already packing to return home . Upon returning to Nigeria, I worked on some star projects which included Skoop and Company as the Head of Economics under the Onosode group which handled the Federal Wages And Salary Review. I also did work at the Special Steel Projects, Osogbo, the LNG, the Federal River Basin Authorities, etc. This involved a lot of travelling overseas, as if I was still at the World Bank. Within three years of that, I got a call to Owerri and thereupon became Commissioner for Finance and within eight months of that, I got another call to Lagos and I became a Minister. I went through four phases of that - twice in Finance, then Planning, and Transport. So with all due humility, this is not the sort of background one would say, ‘’ Oh, if I had a second chance, I would do this or that differently.’ At the World Bank, we were part of a team of policy advisers that assisted the Korean planners, for example, to overcome the sudden four-fold increase in the price of oil. Our advice also helped in building the capacity of several Korean companies such as Hyundai, Samsung, Daewoo, LG, and dozens of others who had contracts overseas, particularly in the Middle East; and helped Korea recover from the adverse terms of trade. And one would have thought that with all that experience and exposure: good professors, good tute lage, good research works and the field experience; with sterling antecedents, one should have had a little better hearing in terms of proposals for addressing our development problems. I think it’s probably from there you would say maybe one would have played better politics to implant the economics. But I only say that grudgingly because as we all know, part of the problem we have in Nigeria is how we find it difficult to get scientific professional expertise and mix it with the politics in proper measure and still make requisite progress as a nation. In Nigeria, we place too much emphasis on politics; and I would be the first to say yes, political economy is the issue, the veritable context for policy implementation. While you cannot do economics without politics, you must first get the economics right and then see how you advance it with politics. But we flagrantly practise the politics and do not care whether the economics is right or wrong. This has been our problem. Is Nigeria right on point as an emerging democracy; are we heading in the right democratic path? Every indicator you look at should have been so much higher than what it is. The economic reform paper which I wrote as a commissioner in old Imo state; I didn’t call it

But we flagrantly practise the politics and do not care whether the economics is right or wrong. This has been our problem

structural adjustment or whatever , I just set out specific policy directives that will grow the economy - whether you are talking about diversification and improving the quality of our export, improving domestic capacity, increasing quality of local expertise, all of these things would have come about and our economy would have grown at least as fast as it did, but the difference would have been the large lacuna which we now see in the distribution of wealth, creation of job opportunities and the availability of different skills at different levels. It would have been much more. Clearly, manufacturing should not be 3 or 4 %. It should really be four-five times higher than it is now. As in some African countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, and certainly South Africa and, for instance, in our Southern states, the economic potentials of all our farm produce there should have been fully harnessed, researched into improving the seeds for higher yields; researched into improving the seeds for higher yields, preserving the harvests to reduce spoilage and increase exports as well as creating sustainable local markets to encourage the rural farmer, etc. By so doing, we create more export income. Instead, we concentrated on oil and gas to the detriment of the other economic potentials. It’s a very simple story. There is nothing I would have done differently given the chance all over again. I would wish to rather say that maybe one should have been more successful in convincing people; because now they are listening and this is what I have been harping on for nearly 30 years running. When the issues were first raised, all sorts of funny things were said to discredit them. Yesterday, Ghana got into trouble and where do they go to get a reprieve? It is at the IMF. I hope Nigeria hears that now. Really, what about the liberalization and proliferation of parties in our polity? That is a very wrong way to look at it. What we should be talking about is the certainty of individual freedom, individual liberty, individual freedom of choice - without glancing over your shoulders to make sure someone is not wielding the big stick over your head. That is how you measure the growth of democracy, and not by the proliferation of political parties. Democracy should be measured by the contestation of ideas, by free expression of solid opposition, by the tolerance of broad opposition, by the certainty of admission of many viewpoints in the system. Not when people are being cajoled into one camp or the other. And that has happened more now than in the early years when people believed and associated freely without recourse to any untoward consequence. We may not have had as many parties as we do now, but that was when people like Waziri Ibrahim talked about politics without bitterness. That was back in the days when politicians criss-crossed and campaigned everywhere and anywhere without stories of harassment and killings and all sorts of intimidation. So let’s not be deluded by the so called proliferation of parties. We should go back to yearning for growth in civil liberty; the certainty of taking for granted that you are free to express your views no matter how different it is from the majority. We should reinstate easy accommodation of opposing views, and I think that is what those that built the political firmament of Nigeria from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial years exemplified. See, it is not

easy to answer your question, whether we are right on point in our democratic journey as a nation. But I think by and large, the Ghanaian President was talking the other day about how free the Ghanaian press is. We know how free the South African press is since the ousting apathy in that country. The Kenyan press also is quite free. It’s very obvious that Nigerian press used to be very free but right now, it is not structurally free. And part of the problem is the less than optimal growth of income and the less than optimal level of opportunities. The cost of losing your job is so much higher now than before. These things, whether or not one agrees, tend to impinge on one’s freedom of expression - because you are now consciously or unconsciously, aware of the high cost of losing your position. So quickly, your friends, your family and town folks interfere and say ‘’Ah, please don’t go shouting; just tag along with them.’’ In those days it wasn’t the case; so let’s not be deluded by the multiplicity of our newspapers, the other media genre and course, political parties. For instance, a whole 20 political parties vied for the Osun governorship election! The reality is that we are not quite as free as we should. Even the sheer rambunctiousness of, as I said, the mid 50s and early 70s; those were the periods you saw the vibrancy of the Nigerian community, and the economy was growing at a rapid pace, alongside the assurance of the sanctity of the human life. So you see this. What is your take on current Nigerian economic trend; what areas should its managers be concentrating more on? You should rather put it the other way. There is no aspect of the Nigerian economy that I will tell you am happy with - in relation to the potentials that we have. Ok, let’s start from mining. You see, at this stage, we should be much more productive and not just producing minerals, but also processing, refining, and going through the whole value-added chain for minerals. I am talking about oil and gas, solid minerals and so on. Now you yourself would admit that even though w e

mine tin, columbite, manganese, zinc etc, because of the inadequacy of engineering and power supply, we haven’t really made the needed impact in our mining sector. Let me end it just there. Look at how mountains and hills litter the entire geography of Nigeria, if we had done what needed to be done in the real mining sector, we would not be squabbling over oil and its attendant 13, 15, 20 % of derivation allocation and how it’s distributed between place of origin and the rest of the federation. So in consideration of economic diversification, we’ve faired rather badly. Now you come to agriculture and we’ve talked a lot about the potentials in that sector. Even if we were growing at say 5 or 6 %, at the level and quality of our production, we are still way below what we can achieve. Look at what is happening in every state of the federation, look at the sheer variety of crops in each geopolitical zone. The maize staple for instance, could be planted three times a year. We should look into the technology of its preservation, plus study how much we produce compared to how much eventually survive harvest. If we did that, we would see that a lot is being lost due to lack of requisite technology to preserve and process the maize staple. You can only preserve more when you have electricity in the rural areas so that farmers could harvest, store, and preserve a higher percentage of their produce and not just push in panic, okra or tomato or carrot into the market to beat the limited time allotted them by nature. Where are the fresh fruits and vegetables and horticulture and the aquaculture? They are still clearly sparse and this is why food is so relatively expensive and not so available. The requisite varieties and quantities of highvalue foods are far above the budget of low and medium income classes. Even the high income earners can barely afford what you may call a proper mix-meal. Nigeria should have been exporting so much food. Name it, forestry, agricultural produce and the derivatives of those. We

Kalu Idika Kalu

POLITICS

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hawking which is more lucrative’ should have been exporting a lot. We recall that during the debate on economic policy in the mid 80s, and even up till now, the erroneous notion that Nigeria is a mono-economy has persisted. But I believe people would realize what a fallacy that is. Don’t forget that the elasticity demand for food diminishes with higher income; because with increased income, you are no longer going to spend just on food, health, housing, transport, etc. These are some of the issues that increased in manufacturing is going to solve. But even as pertinent as it is, we have only been scratching manufacturing on the surface – because we have not made the real investment that is required in the sector. As I said, it should have been about 20-25% of GDP over the last 25 years. Indeed, from the mid 60s to the early 70s, the manufacturing sector was growing at 16 %. It was in those days you saw the Nigerian sugar, Nigerian flour, all over the West African sub-region and this trade was not delimited by any trade agreements as such. Because when you produced at such competitive prices, you do not need formal agreements for your commodities to flow; because foreigners would still come right where you are to buy your produce and pay you in foreign currencies and when they are converted, their values would be like you exported your produce to those countries.I can go on and on. You look at the services sector, the infrastructure sector and you begin to consider areas like building skills, plumbing skills, carpentry, electrical/electronic repairs, etc. These soft technical expertise are on the decline just because of the collapse of our technical schools, research institutes and other vocation-acquisition centres. For example, an incident that aptly portrays the extent of the dearth of these soft technical skills happened in Aba, Abia State in 2010. The particularly heavy rain of that year came with it, the storm that blew away the roofs of many houses in the southern part of the city. For close to two weeks, affected residents desperately searched all over the place for carpenters to reroof their homes. Safe one Mazi Amadi, a man then in his late fifties, no carpenter was handy to rescue the city from that emergency. An apparently overworked Amadi - bereft of apprentices and journeymen- was heard complaining of how young men had totally lost interest in his trade and had instead, ran into hawking envelopes and handkerchiefs for quick money. It finally took the business acumen of a fellow who, from wherever, imported some Togolese artisans. They rendered their services alright, but at exorbitant fees which ultimately repartriated back to the Togolese economy! You can go through the whole components of GDP and say yes, we have grown and are now applauded as the highest economy in Africa. But that goes to tell you that the size of this economy should be a lot more than it presently is. In reality, if we had done the very needful, we should have been among the top 25 economies in the world 20 years ago. Therefore that potential is there, and this is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work, for we have all it takes to be among the top economies – if we do the needful now. As we begin to do the very needful, our GDP may not go higher at first, but the composite components of it will deepen and that is what matters. The establishment of some basic cottage industries like, plastics, woods, steel, transport equipment, petrochemicals, electronic-chips, and rubber will bring down import and consequently, create more domestic investments in these areas. In essence, every sector of this economy should be made to realize its full potentials. Comparatively, do you think the citizens are happier with Nigeria’s contemporary administrations in terms of welfare, compared to

cal discussion. We can’t use impeachment as a threat. We should be using ideologies, records, accountability, sterling ethical practices, for political discussion. And when it is accountability , there should be due process to vet it - without bringing impeachment as the only instrument . It should rather be the very last resort, only when the facts have been established. So I am deeply worried about the growing impression that this spate of impeachment is solely for sheer political gains. Whether this is true or not, it should never be seen to be for purely political gains.

Kalu Idika Kalu

the earlier era? Well I think the general impression is that they are not. Those who are in their 60s and above would probably agree with this assessment. I have already talked about the wholesomeness of the environment and so on. When we left school, employers came to look for us to offer us jobs. When I knew I was going to go to university, I was quickly going through as many jobs as I could to help me save money. For example, within eight months of leaving school and travelling abroad for further studies, some us did consecutive jobs. There were a lot of opportunities. In so many senses, the environment was vibrant and wholesome. But then, there is no denying the fact that there is so much more of all these things now, but look at how many more we are in population. While we have a lot more of these, we are so much more in number. The economy has not clearly grown proportionately with the population to sustain that quality of life we had. As a public policy proponent, should the gamut of programmes like privatization, globalization and macroeconomics be sustained as core policies? Basic and technical education, infrastructural development, should be prioritized. The private sector can come in on basic infrastructure, but at this initial stages, in the areas of power, railways, ports, and other heavy and lumpy infrastructure, it is government that has access to the requisite long term capital and I have said this over and over. It is government that can mobilize the best. In privatizing to private investors, say NITEL, PHCN and so on, it should be those that meet four simultaneous criteria: [1] Those who have the ‘deep’ pockets to pay, and not those who would be saying they can’t pay, they have to pay! [2] Those who understand the technology Those who have management experience in the business [4] Those who have the best plan to take the enterprise forward. With the use of these four criteria simultaneously and satisfactorily, there is no way that power and

In essence, every sector of this economy should be made to realize its full potentials

the other public infrastructure would not significantly improve. So my first advice would be for us to take another look at policies and their implementation in all the areas. About the Nation’s festering insecurity, and the resultant abduction of the Chibok girls, how can we come out of the wood?Nigerian’s got very emotional about all of that, and it think that’s how it should be. Look at the developed countries, you don’t fool around with the human life. In preserving lives, you have to give it all it takes. By saying this I don’t mean that we should shut down literally. Government should concentrate attention on ensuring that it not only protect the citizens but indeed, be convincingly seen as doing its best to protect them. So I believe that government should be able to tell its own story more clearly: this is how we have mobilized security, this is how many victims we have been able to recue and stuffs like that. Government must ensure it has firm grip on the information mill. There should never have been a dissonance between those who are crying ‘’bring back our girls’’ and those saying ‘’support our president’’. Those two groups should and must be seen as same in And some of those adverts that say that those who are crusading for bringing back the girls are not supporting the president are entirely wrong. They are misleading the rest of us. There should be an identity of objectives. You cannot stand up and raise a group against the other group as if its interest is different. Every well-meaning citizen must be mobilized and equipped for the common good. The interest of the National Assembly on both sides of the aisle, the ruling as well as the opposition parties and indeed the masses, must be one and the same when it comes to issues that threaten our corporate existence. So I think that the current common posture is right and should be sustained. A section of the populace has condemned the current spate of impeachments in our polity. What alternate strategy should be employed in settling political scores, other you know earlier I said that we have less freedom of actions. If one is to give an example, this spate of impeachments could be construed as one concrete example of abuse of discretion by attempting to circumvent democratic practice. People are now trying to be absolutists. You are either here or here and NEVER there. I think it is a crying shame that we should be using impeachment as a political discussion. That shouldn’t be! We can’t use impeachment as a politi-

Your last word in all of these, sir ? My last word is that a lot of people out of there; despite our follies, despite our failures, despite our apparent underperformance still believe in us; though like a child that is given too much paint, we seem to be splashing it anyhow. As it is said, to whom much is given, much Numerous countries out there, despite our mistakes, can still see the Nigerian spirit. They can still see the unusual confluence of resources - number, talents, and natural endowments. The world is still waiting for Nigeria to fully emerge and excel in the committee of nations. We are only just beginning, as it were. So we should show more humility. One of our problems is that we talk too much and do relatively very little. We brag too much; in fact flippancy is now part of Nigerian culture. We should be more organized, more circumspect. We should seek to pay attention to the real things. We have been blessed with untold resources, and with all those, we should pay more attention to education. There should be no reason any Nigerian child should be out school for want of requisite necessities to keep him there. With our mammoth gains from oil and gas, let education be what every parent should say they have benefited from the country’s endowments. The ordinary Nigerian should send his kid to school and be free to focus on other areas of personal development without having to worry about school fees and other So for us to have over 10 million of school-age children out of school because their parents cannot afford to keep them in school is a crying shame! Whether they are in Borno or Bayelsa; Shagamu or Sokoto, every Nigerian child should have unhindered access to free education. There should be free lunch at school as well as free medical services. Health is the other sector. Now look at what we are now facing. With the Ebola staring us in the face, and all its easy take of lives. We should have been more proactive by putting in place advance technologies in our health facilities before now. We had it though. At the time of UCH and, LUTH thereafter, we were still up there. But the structure has since disintegrated because we have since stopped sustaining commensurate allocation to this vital sector. We have to start providing ancillary services for the health sector. We have enough resources to pay attention to these key areas. We should have modern railways crisscrossing this country. When I was Minister of Transport we came up with the idea of building modern railway from Lagos to Abuja, Lagos to Calabar and modernizing the existing system from the Borno extension. This was the crux of the mass transit programme that was initiated at the time. Nigeria, as a country, is on the threshold of emergence as a medium income economy. In order to sustain and improve on this moderate to high income growth, we need to maintain a more secure environment for both domestic and foreign investors, build an institutional and legal framework for a modern industrial society.

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23 AUGUST 2014

Gombi is an impostor in Plateau – Dabang Between you and Gombi, who is the authentic chairman of the APC in Plateau State? I will be surprised if there is anybody who is parading himself as the chairman of APC in Plateau State. Election was conducted with security operatives as observers and the INEC sent in their people to supervise that election. You also know that it is the requirement in the constitution of the party that INEC should supervise or oversee party congresses and INEC was there. It can be confirmed from the INEC office, who emerged as the chairman of APC in Plateau after the state congress. They (INEC), will tell you I was the one; not only that, after the election, a ceremony was conducted where certificates were issued to winners a day after the congress, I was duly issued with the certificate of return as the chairman elected of the APC. Again in May, all the state chairmen were sworn –in by the former acting national chairman of the party, Chief BisiAkande and I was sworn-in along with others. So if there is anybody who is still parading himself, or deceiving himself, pretending that the election produced something else, then I think that it is the deception of their own imagination. As far as I know, I have not received any letter from the national secretariat telling me the election that produced me as the chairman has been repudiated, I’m not aware of that. I am aware that one of the persons that contested the APC chairmanship wrote a petition to the appeal committee that I was not a member of APC. I have adequately responded and that matter has been put to rest, so I’m not aware of any development that somebody could claim that he is the chairman of APC in Plateau State. But Mr. Amos Gombi petitioned that you did not resign before the stipulated date of elections? In the first place, I was not working with Amos Gombi, but I was working with Senator Joshua Dariye. It’s only Senator Dariye that can say precisely today that Dabang did not resign. As far as I’m concerned, I put my resignation letter which the senator accepted graciously and that letter took effect on December 8, 2013 and that was what even qualified me to contest for the chairmanship election of my local government as a candidate under the APC. So, wherever they are getting this information from, I do not know. I think they are just manipulating wrong and unfounded information and the person that can best explain this is the senator himself, whether I’m still his employee or not. But let me tell you one thing, the constitution of the APC, in article 17, it simply says no one shall hold any office in the party, if he holds an executive position or office in government; which simply means if you’re holding an executive position in government, you cannot, at the same time, hold an office in the party. So that section, itself, does not say when you should resign but simply say’s you cannot hold an office at the same time. So it simply means when you get elected as either council chairman or state chairman or any of the offices at all, you are presumed to have resigned your previous position . My colleague in Nassarawa State was a commissioner for higher education and when he won the election, he resigned. My colleague in Kano was also a commissioner and when he won the election, he resigned. That is what they should say: you cannot hold the two offices at the same time. I’m just taking time to explain this in case they

A factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, Mr. Latep Debang, tells MUSA PAM that Article 17 of the party’s constitution is clear on who can hold office in the party

Dabang

As far as I know, I have not received any letter from the national secretariat telling me the election that produced me as the chairman has been repudiated don’t understand what the constitution means and in my own case, I had resigned even before the election. And I am telling you that even if I had not resigned at all, there was nothing in that guideline that prevented me from contesting. It simply says when you are being sworn-in in that capacity, you cannot hold the two offices

at the same time, simple. Gombi insists he remains the authentic chairman of the party in the state? On which arrangement? I would be surprised if Amos Gombi, a former member in the House of Assembly, ,whose job was to make laws, cannot understand the implication of the law in the party. That, seriously, would be a huge disappointment because as far as I’m concerned, we were given our certificates of return and we were told, categorically, that our job had begun and I have since been in charge. However, I would not stop any body from running around making noise, but at the end of the day, reality will come down on them that they are instigating trouble. We have been trying to get people to come together and form a formidable party so

that we can carry this party to greater heights and take over the affairs of governance in Plateau State. Why were you detained at the party secretariat sometime ago by members of the party? Nobody detained me. I was a member of the interim executive committee when the APC was formed and the question arose where we were to locate our office, because there were ACN, CPC and ANPP offices. These were the three parties that merged and it was then agreed that we should settle for Kalwa House, which was a former office of ACN at that time of merger; the defunct ACN was not in Kalwa, it was in Kufan, but Captain Din volunteered that Kalwa should be used as his contribution to the party, free of charge. So the ACN, ANPP and the CPC left their offices and moved to Kalwa to form the office of APC. So it is his personal property and, fortunately, he happens to be one of the elders that are not comfortable with my emergence as party chairman in the state. Sadly enough, throughout the congresses to the ward, to the L.G.A, to the state congress, captain Din was in London. He was not in Nigeria and he did not even participate in any of the congresses. But when he returned, he decided to join forces with Amos Gombi and those that were complaining about my emergence. When the national secretariat wrote and requested me to consult stakeholders and the state executive committee to nominate members to represent Plateau at the board of justice, we went to Kalwa to hold our meeting but on arrival, Captain Din locked us out. He locked up the place and wrote a very provoking letter that he was the leader of the party in Plateau State and that the meeting should not hold. What did you did after this? We immediately took a decision, in conjunction with our local government chairmen and stakeholders who arrived for that meeting, that since it is a personal property and we were not paying rent, we resolved that we should look for an alternative place where we can call our own. And so we simply relocated and said ‘thanks to you, sir, for the hospitality you offered to us while we were there. Now that we know it was a Greek gift, we are sorry, we are moving to one of our former offices’. And we left his personal property for him, so it is not as if it is a constitutional requirement that APC must be in Kalwa. No, it was the decision of the executive committee in the state that we now move to the former CPC office in order for us to avoid another embarrassment. Let me tell you, this is not the first time Captain Din is doing something like this. He did it when we were in PDP, he did it to the executive of A.C. and he also did it to JD Haruna. Some people believe you are a factional chairman. What is your take on that? There is nobody apart from me because I’m the authentic chairman of APC in the state, having been elected and given the certificate of return. I want to call on all party faithful in the state to disregard some few people operating in disregard of stakeholders. There is nothing like two chairmen in Plateau State. There is nothing like that, I’m the only original and authentic chairman of APC having been elected. Anybody calling himself chairman is fake and not original and the party has only one chairman and that is me.

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Why are you and Dabang claiming to be chairman of APC in the state when the position is meant for one person at a time? I am the authentic chairman of the APC in Plateau State. Anyone parading himself otherwise should stop because immediately after the congress that was held in the state which was said to have produced Dabang, I wrote a petition immediately after to the national secretariat and we are still waiting for the outcome. In my petition, I asked that Dabang be stopped from becoming the chairman because he was not eligible. The reason was that he was still an employee of a serving senator not under the APC but a different party and he didn’t resign till March 2014. Even during the contest, we had facts to stop him from participating in the elections but because the chairman of the State Congress Committee then, one Mr Sam Mba, got allegedly motivated by the Dabang group and that encouraged him to go-ahead and contest the election. Even the week before the election when we had handed over the petition to him, Mba refused to look at the petition and I walked up to him, even before the announcement of the result, to inform them in the election committee that there was a petition against the elections. We told them that in view of this therefore, the result of the election shouldn’t be announced. But Mba’s response was that he considered the petition as just an ordinary letter. So he did not even look at it and that is why he refused to stop Latep from contesting the election. And so the announcement went on and then immediately after the announcement, I also used that petition to write my personal petition to the national headquarters of our party, APC’s, Appeals Committee and I gave them details of my own petition. On receiving the other petition, what happened was that I think the Appeals Committee said because I was in the party secretariat with other stakeholders, including Senator John Shagaya, Captain Joseph Din, the former Minister of State for Information, Dasuk, Akande and some other stakeholders from Plateau State to enquire about the outcome of the petition, I really needed a reply from the national secretariat and we were told that a decision had been taken.

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I’m the authentic APC chairman – Gombi

Mr. Amos Gombi, a former legislator in Plateau State and factional chairman of APC in the state, tells MUSA PAM that Dabang is not fit to be the party’s chairman because he had violated APC’s rule But up till now, the decision has not been communicated to us but I know I’m the authentic chairman of APC in the state. Has any decision being taken in respect of your petition? And I believe that the decision that was taken by the national secretariat, to my knowledge, was in my favour and that is why I have the full authority to inform you that I’m the authentic chairman of APC in Plateau State. In addition, the copy of the response Dabang wrote to the national secretariat, which is also in my possession, contains tissues of lies. I know that the national headquarters will do justice because there is no truth in whatever he has written. We found out that he has been paid u p

till May and my petition was for March salary but it was also confirmed, in his responses, that the salary had been going into Union Bank account until May, 2014. The constitution is very clear about anybody who wants to contest the elections. But Dabang says that he is the elected chairman of APC in Plateau? It is very unfortunate and too bad for Latep Dabang to be parading himself as the chairman of the party in the state since the national secretariat has not taken its final decision. You know, all this delay is coming because the national headquarter has not responded immediately. We are really waiting for them to give us the letter which we are waiting for to take over the leadership of the party, even though he is parading himself. I want to assure you that he cannot call any meeting in the state because he not the chairman and therefore, I’m telling the national headquarters of the party that I am a loyal member of this party and therefore without a letter from them, I would not misbehave. What I’m saying is that they should, as a matter of urgency, give us our letter because the party is powerful in this state. People are eager and waiting to join. So Dabang should stop parading himself as the chairman because nothing has been given to him as a chairman . That is the problem we have in Plateau and I call on the national headquarters of our party to please, as a matter of urgency, give me my letter

I want to assure you that he cannot call any meeting in the state because he not the chairman

because I know that we have waited for a long time and we want to start work as fast as possible. Therefore, I believe that APC is a party of justice; a party that listens to the truth and we have followed according to party instructions, party guidelines and its constitution.We have not been able to go out to publicise our programmes but I’m granting this interview because we have seen that time is not on our side. We have gone to the national headquarters of the party severally, we have discussed with the party executive severally and therefore, we are still patiently waiting for the decision of the national headquarters which I believe will come very soon. If Dabang is on the payroll of a senator who in the Labour Party, are you suggesting that he is planted to take over the party? For now, I wouldn’t know until, may be, we confirm from the senator because he has submitted letters to the national headquarter with the senator’s signature which I have seen. I don’t believe that is the signature of the senator as seen in the copies of the letters which I now have. Certainly, I don’t think, he would write such letters, the senator is a learned person, the senator cannot write a letter saying that his employee has resigned but the national assembly should be paying the person until May, 2014. The senator is an accountant. I don’t think he can rubbish himself that way. With this leadership crisis in the party, how would you advise APC supporters in the state? They should be calm, this problem is only with the chairmanship, all the other exco members of the party, as far as I’m concerned, I intend to work with them when I resume. Nobody would be dropped because they were fully elected and no petition has been written against any of them, beginning from the deputy chairman, secretary, to the ward level. Nobody has written any petition against anybody. Dabang is the only man in question and therefore, it’s only the chairmanship that is affected. Therefore when I come in, by God’s grace, I would work with all the exco members. Nobody will change any exco member. So I call on them to be calm and wait for the decision of the party from the national headquarters and I believe that we would work with them, once that letter is given to me. I will assume office and work with them. Did your supporters detain the Dabangled executive at the APC secretariat? I think they were detained by aggrieved party members who oppose the leadership of Dabang, They could be from Latep Dabang group or my group, I cannot say. They were aggrieved people but I did not know that they were locked-up. May be, they were from the Latep group because you know, problems started during the convention. So there were lots of aggrieved members even within the party exco that he claims he is heading.

Gombi

So Dabang cannot enter the party secretariat any longer? He is not the authentic chairman, as far as I’m concerned. I’m the chairman and I remain the authentic chairman of the party in this state and the national headquarters is aware that Dabang has problems.Period.

50 politics The Mbaise New Yam Festival, STEVE UZOECHI reports from Owerri, offered Gov. Rochas Okorocha and some prominent politicians from the area, the platform to verbally assault each other.

he 2014 New Yam Festival of the Mbaise nation,popularly known as ‘Iri ji Mbaise’, held Friday, August 15, 2014. As usual, indigenes of the three local governments in Mbaiseland, namely Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise, gathered but this hallowed cultural tradition left an unpleasant aftertaste. Those who attended left with a single story line - the spat between Governor Rochas Okorocha and Chief Emeka Ihedioha, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives - both major stakeholders in the state.In the run-up to the event, everything pointed to an impending showdown, but nobody could have predicted the intensity of verbal confrontation between both leaders. Most Mbaise indigenes nursed a measure of resentment against the governor due, largely, to Okorocha’s uncomplimentary exchanges with some prominent politicians from the area. Some wondered what actually was the sorepoint between Okorocha and Ihedioha. When Ihedioha began his consultation visits to local governments in Imo state, very few people suspected that the Deputy Speaker reserved venom for the governor, including indicting commentaries from his consultative visits which promptly roused the Imo state Government. Okorocha had no choice than to sit up and take notice. Ihedioha was rankled by Okorocha’s jab at a public function, advising him to quit the PDP or lose his political future.The Deputy Speaker supposedly ignored the jibe but during his visit to Okwelle in Onuimo council area, he riposted: “Instead of a people-oriented development, Okorocha has sold everything including Imo Transport Company; Concorde Hotel; Ada Palm and General Hospitals, including mortuaries. The primary purpose of government is to improve the lives of the people and ensure security of lives and properties, but this administration has rather impoverished the state and its people.” Not done, Ihedioha promised to sack Okorocha from the government house with ignominy come 2015. The governor’s media team responded to this but while the dust was yet to settle, Ihedioha fired another salvo during a visit to Okigwe, insisting that the governor must go in 2015. He swaggered that he would personally kick out the governor, stressing that the sack process for Okorocha was unalterably on course. Mbaise nation naturally backed their son, even if tacitly. Earlier at the New Yam festival of Owerri municipal community known as Oru Owerre, Okorocha unleashed a crude verbal assault on an unnamed woman governorship aspirant largely believed to be Senator Chris Anyanwu, a daughter of Mbaise, saying, “Prostitutes and husband-beaters cannot govern Imo state.” The media in the state feasted on the attack and while Chris Anyanwu and her handlers struggled to distance her from the label subtly stamped on her by the governor, Okorocha and his supporters reveled in the well-delivered knock.Though Senator Chris Anyanwu’s media team and her husband described Governor Okorocha as a coward for lacking the courage to name the female aspirant he was referring to, Mbaise nation condemned the assault on their prominent daughter by the governor, refocusing attention on the Azara-Egbelu road rage between the governor’s convoy and the senator’s which left some of the senator’s aides brutally battered. Earlier in the year, the governor also had a series of verbal brawls with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, another prominent Mbaise daughter who questioned alleged incommensurate deployment of local government allocations by the governor. And to this, government lashed out, describing her as the weakest link in

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Okorocha, Ihedioha, others trade verbal assault

Okorocha

President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. With this reservoir of grievances, Okorocha’s presence at the festival promised to generate sparks. And when Ihedioha was invited to welcome Okorocha to the event, he did not lose a moment in telling the governor a piece of his mind. Receiving the Okorocha to the event, Ihedioha pointedly told him to start packing from the Government House as he would not return to Douglas House in 2015. Going a step further, Ihedioha told the governor that he will, as a matter of necessity, hand over to him in 2015, stressing that the governor’s exit was not negotiable. Ihedioha also held the governor accountable for what he described as ‘lack of state government presence in Mbaise’. According to him , “The major projects in Mbaise land are those executed by the Federal Government. In the few areas credited to the state government, we only see projects that are very poorly executed. It is evident that the governor has run out of ideas, so as a matter of expediency, it is expected that he would hand over the reins in 2015 so we can help out.” Responding, an angry Okorocha said that Ihedioha’s trademark green cap is not enough to make him governor. Apparently, Mbaise nation was not impressed by the governor’s attempt to engage their son in their own soil. Okorocha’s microphone was repeatedly switched off, some times for as long as five minutes, as the crowd jeered the governor. But Okorocha defiantly held on to the dead microphone until it was switched on. He went on: “Green cap will not make anybody governor in Imo state and green cap cannot rule Imo. As a matter of fact, there is nobody in Imo PDP that is my match in an electoral contest. My three years in office is more productive than the 12 years spent in Imo by the PDP. Imo people have rejected PDP because PDP is worse than the Ebola virus.” Dismissing Ihedioha as a little fry of inconsequential electoral value, Okorocha queried: “How could Ihedioha say that I have done nothing in Mbaise land? We have built 15km roads in each of the three council areas in Mbaise amounting to 45kms; a model school block in each of the INEC

Ihedioha

wards in the three council areas in Mbaise; an ultra modern hospital complex in each of the three council areas; the Mbaise nation is the highest beneficiary of our free education programme owing to their large population. Just yesterday, I performed the groundbreaking of the Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala campus of the Imo State University (IMSU).” At this juncture, Okorocha’s microphone was switched off again when he said he had laid the foundation for a campus of the Imo state University to be sited in Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala federal constituency. The crowd booed and jeered at what they described as a Greek gift that was intended for ‘political convenience.’ “Okorocha has not completed the Imo state University campus now turned into Imo European University he has been building in his hometown, Ogboko for more than two years now, yet he wants to build a University in Mbaise in less than six months. It’s such a cheap trick. He should finish the Ogboko University first”, an Mbaise chief shouted in the bedlam. As security agents struggled to contain the free for all that ensued between Okorocha’s supporters and Ihedioha’s, the governor left the occasion, long before the yams for the festival were presented. Consequently, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan at the occasion, described Governor Okorocha as an embarrassment to democracy and a disaster waiting to happen. “Since Okorocha assumed office in 2011; he has never attended the Iri ji Mbaise until this one that precedes the election year. This is not the ground for venting personal animosities. He even left before the actual ceremony began. He just brought trouble to the event and this is an embarrassment

Hon. Ihedioha should be honourable enough to apologize to Governor Okorocha over such unwarranted attacks

to the state and its people. I am positive that by 2015, we will all have a chance to redress this anomaly.” Apparently jolted by the Mbaise incident, Okorocha, two days after, demanded an apology from Ihedioha, Mbaise leaders and traditional rulers for what he described as ‘unprovoked verbal attack’ on him. A statement signed by Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor’s spokesman depicted Ihedioha as lacking in manners, immature and unfit to lead which, according to him, was not flattering to the Deputy Speaker. “Hon. Ihedioha should be honourable enough to apologize to Governor Okorocha over such unwarranted attacks. The leaders and traditional rulers of Mbaise should also do the same”, Onwuemeodo wrote with unmistakeable disgust. Responding, the Deputy Speaker who spoke through his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, challenged the governor to list the projects his government did for Mbaise people and compare same with federal government projects and programmes which Ihedioha attracted to the State. “If he is courageous enough to do this, Imo people will rightly be the judge on this matter”, the statement read in part. “It needs to be made clear here that further remarks by the Deputy Speaker, as a well cultured, civilized representative of the people, to the governor were simply at the instance of the Mbaise people and a correct reflection of how they felt about the abandonment and sheer neglect they have suffered in the hands of the Okorocha administration. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha was simply expressing the opinion of the Mbaise nation and indeed the totality of Imo people who have rejected Governor Okorocha for his serial misgovernance of the state as reflected, for instance, in the lack of state government presence in the land. The Deputy Speaker and other Mbaise leaders believe that it is the governor who actually owes the Mbaise nation an apology for disrupting the event after coming late in his characteristic manner and desecrating the treasured cultural values and tradition of Iri ji Mbaise.” It is believed that as 2015 schemings intensify, confrontations like these will abound between political contenders.

politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Boko Haram brought Northerners shame – Seriki Seriki Hausawa (Hausa/Fulani leader in Akwa Ibom), Alhaji Saduaki Yahaya, tells Tony Anichebe exclusively in Uyo, that the criminal activities of the Boko Haram sect, especially in the northern parts of the country, have imposed unimaginable challenges on his kinsmen.

Nwazunku

I was never impeached, says Hon.Nwazunku Hon.Chukwuma Nwazunku, embattled Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, in his first reaction since the controversy began, tells CHARLES ONYEKWERE in Abakaliki that his purported impeachent is false and unfounded, vowing that he would do everything possible to reconcile aggrieved members. Tell us about yourself I am Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku,the speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

children just as your children depend on their parents to learn many things.

What is the cause of the on-going crisis in the Ebonyi Legislature? I am not aware that there is crisis. All I know is that we embarked on a month’s recess and we resumed Monday, August 18. It is as a result of a misunderstanding between a particular family because members are just like one family and we have resolved the issue. I have done my best not to provoke anybody. I have tried to make us work in harmony, if anybody feels he is aggrieved, it is best known to that person

Is that why you are in court with the faction that has already elected Hon. (Mrs) Helen Nwaobasi rival speaker? Yes, I think when somebody is confused, the person needs clarification or if you like redress. But as a family, we are handling the issue, the aggrieved ones are beginning to understand the need for peace and we are making progress. Very soon, all of them will embrace peace and the needed progress will come. So that is what I can say about the court issue because that we are in court does not mean there is a problem. Anybody can go to court to seek clarification

Tell us your experience since becoming the speaker? We are improving. One thing good on earth is learning; learning in the sense that my responsibility as the speaker of the House is to advise my colleagues where necessary and themselves to also advice me when they feel it is necessary because nobody knows it all. As a leader, you have to show a sign of maturity for posterity sake. It is public knowledge that some members have fundamental issues with you. How do you intend to reconcile with them? The best way to tackle this challenge is to tell them the best way a human being should live in this world. I will not stop making peace because I believe they will surely embrace it. There has been false information, including from the press. Why I have been accepting to talk with the press is because they are my friends. I don’t see any reason to chase them, like some people normally do. I don’t have any problem with them . If you are acting based on communication gap or as a result of false information, I don’t have problem with that but my interest is that they should not feed the people with false information. I was never impeached, remain the speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly. As a human being, learning is a continous process and nobody will tell you that he or she is tired of learning. As a father or a mother, you will be learning from your

The House has lifted the suspension on three members any remorse? We are not forcing them to show remorse but we believe that we have done what we needed to do in order to ensure that there is peace in the house. So it is left for them to turn a new leaf. The 14 lawmakers including Mrs Nwaobasi, were arrested on Tuesday by the Ebonyi State police over a petition allegedly sent to the Commissioner of Police by you and the other 10 lawmakers. How come about petition sir. I think I am not in the right position to know. You will get the true story from the same police you said arrested them. I am not there and there is no way I could know what happened at the police end. So you are just informing me now. Comment on the wave of impeachments going on in the country? The cause of these impeachments we hear is impatience and some people failing to verify information when they get it. People should get correct facts. It is not something you hear in a bear parlor that you accept hook, line and sinker without verifying the authenticity of such information. I thank Ebonyians and, by extension, Nigerians for their prayers and support.

Assess the interface between you and your host community over the years? The relationship has been cordial with the help of God and good understanding between good members of my community and our host community. We inter-marry and I personally married from here and have children. We have been doing businesses together over the years and involve in other social activities but, once in a while, we do have problems which are, most times, amicably resolved. What businesses do you engage in as your members always live together, secluded from the host community? We truly love living together to enable us observe our religions activities and as you know, we are more business-oriented; we are heavily involved in agriculture, northerners are good farmers and majority of the food stuffs in the market here are from the north, so majority of us in Akwa Ibom state deal in either livestock or food stock. That is, mainly, our line of business here, we are equally into textile materials, tailoring and so on. We equally have our community members in the Federal Civil Service but over 8o percent of our members are business men and women who came on their own to this state to carry out their businesses. Again, anywhere in the world where we northerners found ourselves, we prefer staying together in a community of our own because of the differences of our culture and religion thus in order to practice our religion perfectly without inconveniencing our host, we prefer living in a community of our own. Again, our religion teaches us to be united and we love doing things uniformly. For instance, when we are united, we have time to practice our religion, our five daily prayers requires uniformity in observing the spiritual “salat”, so these are some of the things that encourage us to live together as a community. With the

Seriki

killings in most parts of the north, I want to know if Islam prescribes intolerance of other beliefs. Islam has nothing to do with violence. Most of us Moslems, here, live in people’s houses as tenants and we are very peaceful and tolerant. We co-habit cordially with others. In fact, make your own inquiry, in any place Hausas reside with people from others, people there prefer to deal and relate with the Hausa. Our religion rather teaches us to be tolerant of people from other faiths and that we should respect one another. Our lives as Moslems are regulated by the Sharia, and this sharia means total submission to the will of God and also following his commandment, one of which is to always declare that Allah is the supreme God, and observing our daily Salat knowing that we were created by the Almighty God and witnessing that Mohammed was the last messenger sent by God. Our religion abhors cheating in any form. It preaches faithfulness to our spouse, and peaceful co-existence. A good Moslem knows what I am saying. Islam abhors even revenge, vengeance or retaliation of wrong doing in any form. The so-called terrorists and armed bandits operating in the north have no religious justification for their activities. Islam abhors their activities totally. The killing and bombings are completely barbaric and unacceptable. Specifically, how has the activities of Boko Haram affected your relationship with the host community. Yes, of course, since the upsurge in the activities of the Boko Haram in the country, our members have been under pressure here, sometimes we are humiliated by people. For instance, from what I have witnessed, moments we have any misunderstanding with hosts, even on the road, they will scream, “you this Hausa man killing our people in the north, do you think you will come here and kill us too?” I have appealed to my people to be patient with our hosts because these are trying times. Likewise, a lot of my people have been coming to report to me, how our people have abused and beaten them up after labeling them Boko Haram in the course of doing their legitimate business and I appeal to them to remain patient. This is because if we retaliate, they will conclude that we are the Boko Haram. Even the security authorities have advised my people to eschew violence in whatever form, warning them to avoid retaliation or provocation.

52 politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Sir Emeka Offor Foundation: Fighting Polio, supporting sports in UK Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), gives hope to the hopeless in a society that ordinarily should have had nothing to do with poverty and lack if the ‘national cake’ was rationally distributed. Nevertheless, since there will always be poor, needy and physically-challenged people in any society, the Foundation strives to guarantee their fulfillment, writes ANTHONY NWOLISA

S The South-East rally by TAN at Awka, Anambra State

TAN South-East rally: a post-mortem Callistus Eze

hether in business or socio-politically, once you define your goal and set the machinery to achieve it the journey is as good as half done. Some political watchers may have their reasons why they may never be on the same page with the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), a nongovernmental organization designed to promote good governance. But it may be hard for you to fault their style and means of delivery of their set objectives. According to TAN, it is a body of like minds consisting of individuals of impeccable character fostering the continuation of transformation by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ). The group comprises professional men and women, youths, businessmen and women, artists, artisans, sportsmen and women, physically challenged persons, widows associations, christian, muslim and native religious groups, community, traditional and market leaders, opinion moulders and analysts, farmers, school teachers, trade unions and all masses of Nigeria committed to the ideals of good and quality leadership, order, unity, peace and progress of our nation as constitutionally provided. Among their missions is to assist and be part of the transformation of the second 100years of the existence of Nigeria into a nation; a transformation that will visibly transcend the threshold of under-development, overcome the challenges of diversity and enthrone our collective vision of a nation where good governance, natural justice, equity and good conscience become the hallmarks of quality leadership which is in conformity with the status and standards of other developed nations of the World. The group since it’s inception has not minced word about their love for President Goodluck Jonathan and how they intend to anchor most of their activities on him. The rally was scheduled to kick off from the South- East in Awka, Anambra state capital on August 16th and the train moves to Ibadan, Oyo state capital the next week of

The environment was electric and the organization superb August 23 for the South West rally. OnAugust 30th the train lands in the garden city, Port Hartcourt capital of Rivets state. From 13th September, the rally train will move up north and perch in Minna, capital of Niger State for the north Central rally, followed the following week20th September for the north East rally in Gombe, Gombe state capital and to Kano on 27th September for the north West rally. It was a ‘who is who’ in the zone. Governor Theordore Orji of Abia state, who is Chairman of South East governor’s forum, led the pack from the executive arm, deputy speaker of the federal House of Representatives Hon. Emeka Ihedioha led the legislative arm while the Secretary to the Government of the federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, led the the Ndigbo federal team that included Senator Ben Obi. Conspicuously visible at the rally also was the irrepressible immediate past Governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi. From the private sector came the indomitable Arthur Eze and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. There were also serving and former ministers as well the royal and spiritual fathers. Also significantly present was one of the key ambassadors of TAN, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah. Senator Uche Chukwemerije cannot be easily forgotten as he was loud with his supporters. The environment was electric and the organization superb. Speaker after speaker highlighted the achievements of President Jonathan particularly in the South East before they unanimously endorsed the TAN project seeking to persuade the President not only to contest but that he remains the only Presidential candidate for Ndigbo. The success recorded in Awka has thrown huge challenge to the rest of the zones and South West the next stop hopes to prove to the rest of the country that contrary to media insinuation, President Jonathan is loved by many in the zone.

ir Emeka Offor is finally delivering, years after a futuristic vision and plan to support the less-privileged. In 2006, he established the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) in Nigeria, a non-governmental philanthropic organisation. The organization, by conception, was designed and poised to assuage the suffering of the many less-privileged people in the society through charity which specifically focuses on support and hope to those in need. The kind-hearted moneybag believes in the principle that the poor and needy in any given society can become an active and creative member of that society. To actualise this, Sir Emeka Offor Foundation is focused to human and material capacity progress; gaining skills and transfer at the grassroots level, leading to the establishment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), cooperative societies and small scale businesses for the less privileged. As a cheerful giver, the Foundation has so far expended over N750 million ($4.9m) on charitable schemes. The Foundation’s intervention programmes are through the following schemes: youth empowerment; widows co-operative; education scholarship; health services and infrastructure development. But thoughtfully linked to the Foundation is the establishment of a PolioPlus Ambassador’s Office, at no cost to Rotary in Abuja. The office is said to serve as a hub for his ambassadorial activities and to support the work of the Nigeria PolioPlus Committee. But even before then, Sir Offor’s interest on eliminating polio stemmed from the fact that some of his friends were heavily attacked by polio and he therefore vowed, as a young man, that he will do something special to eradicate the dreaded disease in the country. Today, he serves as a Rotary’s PolioPlus ambassador in Nigeria. Offor’s philanthropic gesture knows no bounds, extending even beyond the shores of this country, donation either in cash or kind is not his problem. Recently this year at Sydney Rotary Convention, he announced a $1 million gift to the Rotary Foundation for polio eradication. Also as the executive vice chair of the Chrome Group, he has made contributions to Rotary’s campaign to rid the world of this deadly disease and gave about $3.1 million, including a $1 million gift he announced at the 2013 convention. All these donations are his personal commitment to finding solutions to the disease. But apart from monetary commitment to finding solutions to solving polio related cases, Sir Emeka Offor’s Foundation also focused its strength on what they can do to support polio victims in Nigeria. Offor who knows how to make timely use of available opportunities, decided to console and put smile on the faces of some paralympians who apparently were not considered to attend the just concluded Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. He made another provision for them to travel to Stoke Mandeville, near London, UK to attend the 10th International Wheelchair and Amputees Sports

He has done us proud and that was our dream. We know he will continue to make us proud

(IWAS). Chrome business development and head of communication, Mr. Edwin Ndukwe, ensured that the country’s contingents had a befitting time and Sir Emeka Offor himself strategically played a novel role at the event. Though the contingents from the country that attended IWAS was not a large one due to difficult in getting visa’s for them, but most importantly was the fact that Nigeria participated at the event and eventually came home with a gold medal. A feat even the Foundation never anticipated, as a Benue State born weightlifter, Emmanuel Omale, 20, made the country proud during the male category powerlifting. He lifted 145kg ahead of other contestants to win the gold medal. “I thank God who made it possible for the Foundation to bring us here and I also thank Sir Emeka Offor in particular for being kind hearted to people like us,” Emmanuel, a 200 level student of local government and development undergraduate at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said. The paralympian picked interest in weightlifting and started visiting the gym to build up his strength and learn new skills for international competitions someday. Well, Emmanuel never knew that his joy will be greatly multiplied by a foundation that is fighting the disease that attacked him at infancy. A total of 320 athletes from 31 countries competed in six sports, which are archery, athletics, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. Para taekwondo was be a demonstration sport. The age group of competitors was from 14-22 and the games provided valuable competition for all up-and-coming youngsters and 2016 Rio Paralympic prospects. IWAS President, Paul DePace, said: “IWAS is fortunate to be able to build on the legacy of London 2012 by the renewed interest and especially so in Buckinghamshire which was the birthplace of the paralympic movement.” The National President, Persons with Disability, Mr. Augustine Onwumaegbu, who incidentally is Emmanuel’s coach, was at the event too. He testified of Emmanuel’s performance and concluded that he is good. “I am happy he came to UK and won a gold,” his coach said. But Augustine’s major concern was on the passage of the disability bill that is before the National Assembly and waiting to be passed by the House of Representatives. He said the passage of the bill will accelerate a lot of developments regarding the wellbeing of the physically challenged in the country. He therefore urged the House to do something quick and consider the plights of the disable people. Augustine who has been a coach for over four years, was trained at Hertfordshire, UK in track event. Even the President of Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Mr. Monday Emoghavwe, also remarked on Emmanuel’s performance. “He has done us proud and that was our dream. We know he will continue to make us proud and win more laurels for the country,” he said. He noted that because the National Sports Commission had committed themselves to the Commonwealth games, IWAS was therefore not a priority to them. According to him, their hope of attending the game would have been dashed if not the intervention of Sir Emeka Offor Foundation. “I moved round the country to canvass for support, but there was none. Later, it was this Foundation that had interest to partner with us. We should have come in large numbers if not for visa problem,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Where are the Awoists?

side from being a Fourah Bay trained educationist, the late Michael Adekunle Ajasin(28 November 1908 – 3 October 1997) first Principal of Imade College and Owo High School both in Owo, was the also the brain behind the free education policy of the Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN). This policy was one of the linchpins that helped transform the social strata of South West Nigeria, giving the people who lived in that part of the country a vision for development and achievement. Ajasin, who later became first executive governor of the Old Ondo State, was content to remain a protégé of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He allowed Awo take the glory for a policy that had been laughed at and even scorned by many of the party caucus, but was to become the most popular policy of the true progressives. Today, if Awolowo were alive , he would be shocked at the bulk of South West Governors charging small fortunes for University education, and still laying claim to being his followers. Awoists indeed! Perhaps Governors Babatunde Rafi Fashola, Rauf Aregbesola, John Kayode Fayemi and Abiola Ajimobi are not Awoists and are rather ‘Tinubuists’ and so they do not owe anyone explanations for the School fees they have been charging and their tinkering with tertiary education. All of these gentlemen benefitted either directly or indirectly from the largess of the Awo philosophy, so why have they turned their backs on the masses? Education has become a commodity being sold by the clergy and the politicians in Nigeria and many parents are breaking the bank to buy it, while they are being taxed to the boot! In recent times, whenever West African School Certificate(WASC) results come out, parents have been in a state of frenzy, trying to get their wards into higher institutions of learning. Buying post Joint Admission and Matriculation Board forms appears defeatist in some places, because

PERSPECTIVES

BUSINESS SENSE ALEX OGUNDADEGBE alexogundadegbe@gmail.com

The truth of the matter is there are no Awoists in present day politics. There are only people that subscribe to some of the late sages ideals and ideas for those parents who do not know anyone in the institutions their children have chosen, their chances among the thousands who are listed for admission are very slim. The older Federal Universities appear to be the most permissive in terms of school fees and admissions based on states of origin. Fees are still in the affordable bracket. But students, once admitted, have to contend with run down infrastructure, restive lecturers, outmoded and outdated learning facilities and cultism. The state universities, in many places, have been priced out of reach of the common man with fees that make an applicant wonder if the sole objective of the administrators of the institution is to post a profit! The private universities are for the children of millionaires. The fees are only affordable for top executives working in

oil companies or banks or businessmen who can afford to buy their way in. Many parents have taken loans or thumbed their noses at the Universities and have opted for the polytechnics where they feel the competition is not so cut-throat. But within the administrative processes of these supposedly technologically proficient institutions, is a struggle for government recognition. University education is rated higher than Polytechnic education in all areas for no justifiable reason. Recently, I had a bit of a tiff with friends on the social media over a thumbs up I gave to Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of state for defense. Obanikoro had urged Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola via Twitter, to apologise to Lagos State University students and would be students, for the ding dong attempt to adjust school fees of the university. The man hours spent at making Lagosians accept those fees are imperceptible. I watched Fashola defend the policy on Television Continental with Yori Folarin in Lagos and knew instantly that if this policy was not reversed, it could mar some of the good work the governor had done in Lagos. One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch! My friends hammered at me: “What is the big deal?” some of them asked, “the governor backed down, LASU students have even paid him a thank you visit!”

This all looks good in the public relations realm, but the question ought to be asked: why did he back down? Could it be students’ restiveness? Caring for the struggling masses? If governor Fayemi had a hint that the school fees in Ekiti State University would be part of his obstruction to reelection, perhaps he would have backed down too! Fayemi and Fashola have done great jobs in their states but a few policy flaws here and there have affected their popularity among the masses. The truth of the matter is there are no Awoists in present day politics. There are only people that subscribe to some of the late sages ideals and ideas. There is not much a politician in present day Nigeria would not do to get back into office. Sadly, education has become a tool. Accolades are being given to President Goodluck Jonathan for establishing nine new universities during his tenure, a worthy feat by any standards, except that these new institutions are being established in a period when the existing ones are desperately in need of overhaul and alternative funding. The existing universities are underfunded and are not being properly scrutinized. We have had cases in which students are being registered for courses that have not been approved by the University Commission. The universities in Nigeria need to urgently explore multiple approaches to classes, sessions and semesters as well as multi campus structures. A lot still needs to be done. The clergy, sadly, have latched on to the demand for quality education in Nigeria, making it even more of a commodity than the governors in charge of some of the states. Their institutions are no doubt outstanding, but they are expensive. The politicians who hold political power are in the position to make education more affordable by lowering fees and expanding existing schools. More admissions would likely bring the prices down and make the sector less pressure-stoked. This is not asking too much.

Celebrating the Nigerian spirit

will never choose another country in this world over Nigeria except maybe for Brazil and that is because of the women. Kai, those girls that is story for another day. This Ebola thing has brought the best out of us as a people. The thing has been running riot all over the West African region believing that it was all conquering. The mistake it made was to come here. Naija people, we are a very different breed. Immediately Sawyer landed and infected us, we started the fight. Only Nigerians, we first tried bitter kola; who will die without fighting? Ebola underestimated our resolve to survive or how else do you describe a people who know very well that if you are caught with drugs in Saudi Arabia you will be beheaded and still carry it in sack loads to the place. When bitter kola failed, we moved on to salt and even sacrificed some of our brothers in our research to prove the efficacy of salt in halting the damaging effect of Ebola. The fact that our brothers died from too much salt intake during the research did not prevent its publicizing and before you knew it 170 million people were grabbing bags of salt to bathe with. From professors to First Ladies, to tomato sellers, even my old mother in Uyo all descended on salt and like everything Nigerian, the price hit the roof and some of us became millionaires. Today, the most lucrative career is to become a distributor of sanitizers. People are resigning from oil compa-

EDGAR’S WORLD JOSEPH EDGAR

josephsamsponedgar@gmail.com

nies and even leaving PDP and APC to join this new profession. The price of sanitizers have hit the roof. I even met someone who buys the sanitizer in big drums and redistributes it in small quantity to sell at over 1,000 naira for a tiny bottle. Even crime has dropped. You cannot make this kind of margins from kidnapping and robbery. Even those who kidnapped president Jonathan’s uncle did not enjoy like this. So everybody is now selling sanitizers until our traditional researchers come out with another possible cure. Me I have always known that we would find an alternative means to curing this Ebola. We did it with AIDS. Remember Doctor Abalaka who screamed that he could cure it. Pastor Joshua is curing it daily and recording testimonies, I hear he even has bottles of holy water he will be export-

My money is on onions, ginger and kunu. I have started stockpiling them so that once the information comes out, I will be ready to start selling at the highest prices ever ing to Liberia to help our brothers. I am trying to forecast what item our traditional researchers would come up with so I can start stockpiling. My money is on onions, ginger and kunu. I have started stockpiling them so that once the information comes out, I will be ready to start selling at the highest

prices ever. Seriously, I have never seen so much love by Nigerians. The way we share sanitizers, share information on the disease and how to avoid catching it, discuss in groups the latest stories on Ebola and also monitor the situation, the NNPC clinic, First Consultant etc. Even the jokes - picture of our President applying sanitizers, governors and First Lady showing the new Ebola handshake. As I write, I heard on radio of the death of Dr. Adadovah the doctor who treated Sawyer. She is my heroine. She could have run away and abdicated, but she stood like a fighter and fought the virus. She has lost the battle but not the war. I pray she is immortalized and her story be taught to young Nigerians as a true example of the Nigerian spirit. Sad. But we would bounce back. We always do. Four have been discharged, we are containing it. Zeroed it down to Lagos and Enugu. Ebola isolation centres are working. So like every other thing we have risen up to the challenge. We always do. The other day I saw pictures of Nigerians still going about their business near the First Consultants Hospital. Life must go on Ebola or not. We are that kind of people. All hail, the Nigerian spirit. All that is remaining is for Tinubu to retire and the transformation would be complete. Viva Nigeria.

54 NEWS EXTRA

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 august 2014

Imoke commends army on loyalty to nation N EWS I N BRIEF

Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has commended officers and men of the Nigerian Army for exhibiting great capacity and integrity in contributing meaningfully to the security of the nation. Imoke also said the army had come to terms with the importance of democracy and had since supported the present administration while ensuring the protection of the country’s territorial integrity. The governor made the remarks when he received the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah, in his office in Calabar on Thursday, when the later paid him a visit to his office.

$2.68trn

The nominal GDP of United Kingdom (IMF) in 2009. Source: Blatantworld.com

ABAKALIKI

IBADAN

CALABAR

Abolurin warns against vandalism

The Commandant-General, Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, has warned Nigerians to desist from acts capable of destroying sectors responsible for growth and development of the economy. Abolurin gave this warning in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital when he visited the committee on disposal of vehicles and other items confiscated by NSCDC from oil thieves and vandals. He said the visit was an assessment tour to identify and evaluate all various items forfeited by vandals to the Federal Government. “Enough of enlightenment, enough of appealing for now, we want to curb the act of vandalism in the country. We want to reduce it drastically, so any offender caught will be punished,” he warned.

'I was misquoted on Elechi, PDP'

A legal practitioner, Dr. Eze Anoke, has denied a media report (not New Telegraph), which reported that he condemned the position of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State in the ongoing leadership tussle in the state House of Assembly. In the said report, Anoke was quoted to have described the activities of the ruling party in the state and that of the governor as being a “clear manifestation that the present administration in the state was a threat to the growth of democratic principles”. He said: “Ebonyi State House of Assembly had always supported Governor Martin Elechi on the passage of bills into, appointment and sack of commissioners, and local government officers ... but wondered why Governor Elechi should become over bearing on the House members.”

80%

The life expectancy at birth (in years) of men in Australia in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org

9.7m

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Argentina in 2012 Source: Itu.int

Why we are investing in Nigeria, by South Africa firm Olushola Ricketts

n agency vested with the responsible of projecting the positive image of South Africa, Brand South Africa, has identified Nigeria market as a key figure in its programme in Africa. The Chief Executive Officer, Brand South Africa, Miller Matola, while speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC), in Lagos, said the choice of Nigeria alongside Angola, DRC, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal as key markets was informed by South Africa’s foreign policy, political and economic diplomacy as well as trade and investment imperatives. Matola mentioned the importance of the South Africa nation brand viz-a-viz

the promotion of the African brand in view of developing the continent as a whole and competing at par with international standards. “Brand South Africa pursues its Africa Programme with an emphasis on promoting the South Africa nation brand as part of the continent brand, therefore Africa’s reputation and competitiveness is central to that agenda,” Matola stated. He challenged the organised African business and corporate brands to invest in changing the perception of Africa from negativity to positivity. Matola also advised that it was imperative for each of the African nations to reflect a collective unity of the continent in order to improve the perceptions of Africans and Africa as a whole.

Pitan: Ayangburen believed strongly in greater Lagos Bola Kareem

agos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant and former Lagos State Commissioner for Health and Education, Dr. Leke Pitan, has described the late Ayangburen of Ikorudu, Oba Yussuf Oyesanya, as a traditional ruler, who believe strongly in concept and ideas of a greater Lagos. Speaking during a condolence visit to the Ikorodu palace of the departed monarch alongside the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi, Ikuforiji; former Speaker Jokotola Pelumi; Senator Gbenga Ashafa and Chief Yetunde Arobieke, Pitan said men like the late traditional ruler were needed to not only stabilise the polity, but to move it forward in an atmosphere of concord. “I am one of papa’s sons. I knew papa intimately well.

He was a great man. A wonderful traditional leader, a good leader, and more, he believed in the concept and ideals of greater Lagos. Papa never hid behind nebulosity. He was focused with full compliments of native intelligence. A very forthright, can candid Oba. We shall all miss him in Lagos,” he said He recalled the support the late Oba gave him while he was the Commissioner for Health and Education respectively. He noted with regrets that he was no more to continue offering such advises to those in government. He assured the widow, Olori Oyesanya, that he would always be there for her and the family, anytime they call on him and therefore prayed that God will choose a successor who would carry on with the good deeds of the late Ayangburen, for the people of Ikorodu and Lagos in general.

Forces of darkness on the prowl in Imo – AP chieftain Inioluwa Ekeolere

ccord Party's governorship aspirant in Imo State, Mr. David Chukwuemeka Mbamara, has called on the people of the state to rescue the state from forces of darkness and evil cabals, who are currently on the prowl in the state. Speaking in an interview in Lagos, Mbamara charged the people of Imo State to vote for change in 2015 and he promised to wipe away the tears of the people of the state if voted as governor in next year governorship election. “The forces of darkness are on the prowl and the evil cabal has shot Imo State in the foot. We must rescue our beloved state from this

mindless people. Imo politics is not about party but an act f God. It is not about who willeth, but about who God wants to show mercy. We shall return our state to God and wipe away the tears of our people,” he said. The former army intelligence officer, while enumerating his developmental agenda for the state, stated that after a carefully study on the state, his team came up with ‘Imo Divine Six-Point Agenda’ to take the state to a greater height. He said agriculture would be giving top priority to put food on the table and create jobs for the teeming unemployed. He also promised to established agro-based industries.

The Arugba (Votary Maiden) and some of her acolytes on procession to the Osun grove…yesterday

PHOTO: ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

Vote according to your conscience in 2015, lawmaker tells Nigerians CLARION CALL A lawmaker in the House of Representatives has called on the electorate not to trade their votes in future elections Sola Adeyemo

A Ibadan

member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Dr. Dawari George, has said Nigeria will soon be a better country to live in, especially when Nigerians vote according to their conscience. George, who is Presi-

dent, Men’s Missionary Union (MMU) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), stated this yesterday at the union’s 35th Annual Congress held in Saki, Oyo State. “These are trying moments for our nation. The security challenges in the North-East culminating in the abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok and the political tension across the nation; the various strike actions, the social and economic dislocation arising from unemployment and under employment, are all realities that require the church to rise and confront. I can see a better tomorrow despite all the odds facing us. We will overcome in

Jesus name. Amen,” he prayed. The lawmaker, who represents Akuko-Toru/ AsariToru Federal Constituency, urged Nigerians to pray for the nation and its leaders, as well as participate directly in nation building. “We should in our little corner uphold probity and accountability because the leaders we criticise are products of our homes, communities and society,” he said. He urged Nigerians to exercise their franchise with responsibility and good conscience as the election draws nearer. In their various lectures, Rev. Dickson Madogwe, Rev. Israel

Olaniyan and Dr. Franklyn Nlerum, all admonished members to uphold righteousness in all they laid their hands upon. Madogbwe, who is the vice-president, Ministerial, NBC, said the nation could only be free through righteousness, urging the people to develop patriotic spirit for the nation. “We all should start having positive aspiration for leadership and move very closer to God,” he said. Olaniyan, the President, Ogbomoso Baptist Conference, also challenged members to emulate great men like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who left enduring legacies, urging them to live to build legacies.

SPORT EXTRA

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2014

Falode charges Falconets to win trophy

Danagogo

Maigari

NFF elections: Minister insists on August 26

Ajibade Olusesan

ontroversies have continued to trail the elections into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation as Minister of Sports Tammy Danagogo kicks against the postponement of the exercise. NFF announced on Thursday that it had obtained approval from FIFA for the election to be shifted from August 26 to a later date that will be decided by its General Assembly. NFF claimed that the decision was informed by its desire to give all prospective candidates a level playing field.

But minister, on Friday, said in a press statement signed by his media aide, Patrick Omorodion, that he expected the elections to be held at the Congress billed for August 26. He said that was the agreement reached between Aminu Maigari and Mike Umeh factions of the federation during a peace meeting he superintended over. He insisted that there has not been any reason to abandon such agreement. “The Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission wished all delegates, candidates and stakeholders to the Elective Congress holding in Abuja, on the 26 of August, 2014 a very successful Congress,” the

TRANSFER

Good-Conduct clause for Balotelli

iverpool will only sign Mario Balotelli if the player agrees to conduct clauses in his contract. A £16million fee was agreed with AC Milan for the striker on Thursday, but sources close to Brendan Rodgers suggest there are still some “significant hurdles” to overcome in talks, even though the financial terms have already largely been agreed. Reports suggest that only if the representatives agree to stringent clauses relating to Balotelli’s behaviour will Rodgers even meet the player, who flew into the city Thursday night. However, only after the striker and his agent Mino Raiola accept tough proposals over his conduct will the deal progress. And even then, Rodgers will not give the green light to the biggest transfer shock of the summer, until he has met Balotelli face to face, and assured himself that the 24-year-old can accept the culture of professional commitment at the club.

Stoke coach delays Moses debut M

says Osaze may return

anager of Stoke City Mark Hughes admits Victor Moses, the on loan Nigeria forward from Chelsea might not make the team for Sunday’s visit to Hull City. Moses Joined Stoke a week ago and missed the team’s opener against Aston Villa which they lost 1-0 at home. He was tipped to make his debut for the Potters this Sunday against Hull City, but Mark Hughes says his lack of pre-season action means he might not debut as predicted. “It’s a little bit early for Victor,” Hughes told the club’s website. “He’s in my thoughts, as everybody is, but he hasn’t had a great deal of football, he has like 13 minutes in pre-season which is a bit low in terms of what we really

need.” Hughes insists that the Capital One cup game against Portsmouth is a realistic target for the Nigerian to debut. “We’ve got the weekend and the game against Portsmouth coming up so he’s got opportunities,” added Hughes. On the other Nigerian Peter Odemwingie, who alongside Geof Cameron were left out of the opening day fixture, the manager confirmed both could be back against Hull. “I spoke to Geoff and Peter, they’ve been at the World Cup and we don’t want to put them at risk, they haven’t had a great deal of football themselves,” confirmed Hughes. “We were a little bit cautious but they are back in my thoughts again.”

aggrieved participants should seek redress through available channels including the Elections Appeals Committee.” He enjoined all parties to put aside their personal ambitions and promote the corporate good of Nigerian football.

statement read. He said that the NFF should respect the position of FIFA which the world governing body stated in its August 14 letter that; “it is advisable that major decisions are frozen until after the elections of 26 August.” The minister said that

Balotelli

he coordinator of Nigerian women teams, Aisha Falode, has congratulated the Falconets for their five-star performance against North Korea at the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Falconets demolished the Asian giants 6-2 in Wednesday’s semifinal clash at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, Canada to pave the way for a repeat of 2010 edition of the final against European heavyweights, Germany, on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Championship topscorer, Asisat Oshoala, netted four goals in the largely one-sided encounter while forward, Courtney Dike, and supersub and Rivers Angels star, Uchechi Sunday, scored one goal each to complete the goal feast against the Koreans. Falode, a CAF media committee member,

charged the nation’s campaigners to go all out for a resounding victory aimed at avenging the painful 2010 edition of the championship final defeat in the hands of the Germans. Falode said; “I commend the side once again for reaching their second final at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. I charge them not to miss the golden opportunity to avenge the Germans’ defeat and in like manner write their names in gold as the first Nigerian side to win the coveted world title at U-20 cadre. “Falconets have the qualities to overpower the Germans, the world title will be the icing on the cake for Nigeria’s Centenary celebration as well as a comeback gift to the Nigeria Football Federation President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, who has been supportive to the national women teams.”

Falconets arrive Montreal for final

igeria’s U-20 women team, the Falconets, are in Montreal ahead of their final match against Germany scheduled for Sunday.. The Falconets qualified for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating Democratic Republic of Korea 6-2 in their quarterfinal match played on Wednesday in Moncton. The team left Moncton on Thursday for Montreal where the final will take place. The Nigerian delegation are currently staying at Sheraton Hotels in Montreal. All players are in good condition with no injury fears. They hold two training

sessions daily as part of preparations for the final. Nigeria drew 1-1 with Mexico, defeated Korea Republic 2-1 and pipped England 2-1 in the preliminaries. The Falconets also thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in the quarterfinals to proceed to the semifinals where they edged out Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea 6-2 to advance to the finals. Nigeria and Germany met four years ago when the Germans hosted the competition and the Falconets lost 2-0 in the final. The 2014 final comes up on Sunday by 7pm local time which is 12 midnight in Nigeria.

Loveth Ayila (left) of Nigeria being challenged by Megan Lee of New Zealand during the FIFA U-20 World Cup match. Nigeria won 4-1

GAMES/CROSS WORD PUZZLE World Languages-1

KEY WORDS

EFIK PORTUGUESE FRENCH ENGLISH SPANISH AMHARIC

AFRIKAANS BULGARIAN KISWAHILI DANISH SOMALI SWEDISH ALBANIAN CZECH GERMAN SLOVAK DUTCH FINNISH

I N A K I F S E N H K E F I N R S G E W L N A I C H S H I H I L A

P S H E W K D E F A D R N I S I S R S H D H F R H C T G H E M O S

S U T C H F A G U Y Z

I E N A M R E G D U J

N T O P K A V O L S F

A N A I N A B L A U S

P O R T U G U E S E B

H M A

S H

S A

18 19

ACROSS

16 Nigeria political party 1 Having great academic knowledge 17 2nd republic Kano Governor 5 Upper atmosphere 18 Perform again 7 Make ready 22 Honey-making insect 8 Nocturnal flying mammal 23 Anger 9 Int’l Tel. & Telecomm (abbr.) 24 Lagos suburb 10 Catch sight of 25 Indicating ‘badly’ 11 Competent 26 Study of living things 12 Concerning

15 17

DOWN

S E

14 16

10 11

4 7

1 Hug

14 Large African tree

2 Incapable of description

15 Sexual prowess

3 Part of the eye

19 Wickedness

4 High regard

20 Naught

5 Walk a short distance

21 Barrier across a river

6 Nigerian staple food 13 Giving of bribes

See solution on page 24

INSTYLE

CAST AWAY INHIBITIONS... SHOW OFF YOUR BABY BUMP

P.17

SPORT

Playing alongside Nkwocha,Mbachu was scary – Oparanozie

Sanctity of Truth w ww. n ew te l e g r ap h on l i n e . c om

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

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Mediocrity as the Superior Caste O

n every count in which excellence is desperately needed in our contemporary society, mediocrity asserts itself and wreaks havoc. The tragic outbreak of the Ebola virus disease ought to bring out the best in our doctors. It has not. Selfish pursuit of narrow interests has arrested their attention. Excellence and merit have wilted under the intense searchlight of public health emergency. The opportunity that might have thrown up the potential Nobel Prize claimants amongst the medical community has instead found it in full retreat, if not surrender. That our medical community persisted in its industrial action even for a single hour after the dangerous menace of Ebola arrived and unnerved an already terrified and traumatized nation is proof positive of the growing streak of thoughtlessness and pomposity that have, unfortunately, gained cultural status in Nigeria. How did Richard Yates put it? “It’s a disease. Nobody thinks or feels or cares any more; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little goddamn mediocrity.” I couldn’t agree more. There is a sense in which mediocrity has built its case in this country and, finally, claimed a victory that endangers us all. The voices of the critical vanguards of social health and progress have gone largely mute. The candle of vigilance against nonsense has been snuffed out. Acceptance of our wretched condition has calcified into a culture. A culture of mediocrity. In thought, practice and instinct, we have evidently succumbed. Practical and mental laziness have grown to the point where they cost lives, impede progress and enfeeble the nation. Mediocrity and cowardice amongst the posse of lazy elites that lord it over us no longer ignite outrage in mainstream society. They are the norm. This acceptance is the greatest peril that we face as a people. Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister was recently convicted of corruption. It took courage and leadership to deploy the full force of the law without regard to status. Nicholas Sarkozy, former French President, was recently arrested and has become the target of a complex criminal investigation for attempting to pervert the course of justice. It took courage and leadership to allow the designated institutions to kick into gear without fear or favour. General Pavez Musharaf, former Pakistani dictator, is presently on trial for treason occasioned by his attempt while in office to subvert the role of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Many more examples, from Ghana to Chile, and from Cambodia to Romania, abound. But you get the picture. I cannot think of a time when such a black fate will befall the exclusive club of reprobates that had ruled and ruined this nation, and who are fully deserving of the bitter five-course serving of justice. Mediocrity has intoxicated us and afflicted us with disinhibited social disengagement disorder – this is not a fabricated psycho-social pathology. A nation that pays scant attention to the big picture much less the small details is doomed. We are caught in a vast and rapidly expanding bubble of mediocrity – merit is the orphan

BROADSIDE EMMANUEL ONWE agubata@aol.com

Patrick Sawyer... The Liberian-American gave Nigeria its first Ebola case

in rags, with a calabash bowl picking the scraps discarded by the scions of incompetence and ignorance. The concentration of mediocrity at the decision-making levels in our nation, private and public arenas inclusive, has attained the quality and strength of steel. This has always been the case, to a smaller or larger degree. But mediocrity began to fly first class from the moment the nation’s pretension to democracy commenced in 1999. Whatever criticism you care to lob at the Nigerian military establishment, and I have done my fair share of upbraiding the military, it remains to only sector of public service that retains a modicum of professionalism. The compulsory courses and training that military personnel are obliged to attend periodically place them on a rung of advancement in character, comportment, discipline and patriotism above the median population. We may squabble over how low or high that rung really is. But we must recognise that an established process which presumes to improve an individual citizen and compels that individual to pass through its mechanisms, is superior to the one where there is this fallacious presumption that the individual operators of the levers of our societal structures are already Excellent or Distinguished or Honourable or Lordly. At the very least, one must, for instance, go through a regimented process, complete with the lengthy and periodic bureaucracy of teaching and learning before

one becomes a Brigadier. Contrariwise, for one to become a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, MON, CON, GCON, GCFR, one needs only have the muscle to snatch ballot boxes, or enough cash to pay the thugs that would do the snatching. Thereafter, one may stand on the floor of the senate chambers and forge the signatures of fellow committee members and pocket some N400 million naira and lie about expending some quarterly allowance in the region of N60 million on fictitious water boreholes in one’s constituency. And as one lies and cheats one’s way to untold fortune, one makes no pretence whatsoever to use one’s syntaxes and tenses correctly, much less would one care about equipping oneself with the ability to correctly spell the word constituency. Once the military vacated the political scene and scampered back into their barracks, capable Nigerians shunned the declared democratic process. Mediocres seized the opportunity offered by a vacant palace. They moved in, thumping their crotches, picking their noses and farting all the way to every available throne of power in the land. Once there, they spawned their brand, reducing governance and leadership to the cult of personality and gang fiefdom. They turned the public treasury into private coffers. They acquired palatial residences and bred like rabbits through matrimony and concubinage. Today, they have enrolled their children in the most expensive citadels of learning across the globe, not necessarily through meritocracy but through the potency of high office and grand corruption. In so doing, they have successfully created a dynasty for the mediocrity caste. Today, their sidekicks are appointed to head the most powerful institutions in the land in all departments of public life. In so doing, their example is the only beacon that guides society, and moral turpitude is the column on which that beacon is mounted. Now we have a caste system, whereby they have not only entrenched themselves in power, almost in perpetuity, but they have also raised their offsprings and sidekicks to take over from them, thus enacting a federal caste of mediocrity. After four general elections cycles since 1999, the mediocre class has so deeply and irreversibly entrenched itself in political power and material wealth that the values of society are stood on their heads. Every election in the future will rest in the caste’s hands, and it will determine the

future of generations to come. The most potent coercive instruments, money and security, are in the caste’s wallet, to be capriciously dispensed in furtherance of its narrow interests and to the detriment of the populace. A classless bunch of men and women with open and known histories of failure, fraud and crime are, therefore, looked upon by our children as role models. The values of academic achievement, self-discipline, professional modesty and competence are furiously disdained, mocked and relegated. Instead, the nouveau caste of mediocrity that wields power and influence sets the pace of not just social style but of values in all the fundamental aspects of society. Here is why this is an unfolding nightmare. A generation hence, this large scale pervasion of long held traditions of modesty, merit and uprightness will yield a tragic outcome: our nation will be turned into a zoo where the beasts with might will perpetually rule with the application of brute force. Yes, I admit it: they, the civilian and military adventurers, are basically the same, if you examine the objective evidence. I see, for instance, no difference between Obasanjo the military man and Shagari the civilian as far their deleterious political influences in government are concerned. But, at the very least, the military accepts that it usurps power by force and rules by force. What vexes the average citizen is the nauseating pretensions of democracy and the claim to its lofty precepts and high ideals. This is the epoch that sees the editor of a major national newspaper writing stuff like “I tried severally to reach him” – the word “severally” is apparently intended to mean several attempts, which word does not take the intensification intended; severally simply means separately; respectively. The simplest effort would enlighten those prone to this error. These simple examples point to a more debilitating malaise – casualness in mediocrity quickly transforms into a culture. This is the moment in national evolutionary history in which probably less than three of the entire occupants of high offices in the land have ever read a book from cover to cover in their entire lives, much less read one whilst in office, or ever wrote one with a pen between their digits. From whence, then, would come inspiration and impetus for great deeds? You recall Nelson Mandela reciting William Ernest Henley’s Invictus and you rest assured that the concomitance of a greatly enlightened mind is great accomplishments. As impervious as a great rock, our brand of mediocrity is completely immune to global mockery or chastisement. We are in turn heedless and hyper-sensitive to criticisms, be they mild or severe. Society is hostage to the swagger and arrogance of the mediocre caste, as it mindlessly runs our institutions (of justice, finance, education, legislation) to advanced decrepitude. The darkest days await us if we shirk the onerous task of ridding our system of the evils of mediocrity and pomposity.

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