Binder1 aug 30, 2014

Saturday Edition

Sanctity of Truth Saturday, AUGUST 30, 2014

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Peter Obi’s bid for SGF job divides PDP Vol. 1 No. 193

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

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l Ex-Anambra governor angered by Anyim’s Rev. omobude role in loss of ministerial nomination ‘Not all l Tussle for power in Ebonyi also a key factor pastors are wealthy; some are not sure of next meal’ P.3

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ruggedman photo: mjemagazine.com

I haven’t seen 9ice since our face-off P.19

Oyakhilome and wife, Anita

Showbiz Citing adultery, Oyakhilome’s wife benita nzeribe Anita files for divorce in London How I was

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espite rebuttals of allegations that their marriage had hit the rocks, it has emerged at last that all may not be as rosy as Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s publi-

cists had always claimed.

The wife of the Christ Embassy founder, Rev. Anita Oyakhilome, has filed for divorce in a United Kingdom court, citing “un-

reasonable behaviour” and “adultery”.

A report published by TheCable said the suit was filed on April 9 this year at the Central family Court,

High Holborn, London, UK., on Anita’s behalf by Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.

See Story On Page 11

Retrace your step, beg Jonathan, Alamieyeseigha tells Amaechi Waheed Bakare and Sony Neme

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ormer governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has advised Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State to retrace his political step and apologise to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Besides, he said the Peo-

ples Democratic Party (PDP) would not lose Rivers State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

Alamieyeseigha, who spoke in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Thursday, told Amaechi not to allow perceived political ambition to becloud his reason. He said it was expedient for the gover-

nor to “be humble enough to go to the president and say, ‘I am sorry’, because he has no place to go”.

He added, “The office of the president must not be desecrated. It is an institution. If you do not respect the office of the president, then you are not worth a leader, a governor of a state is a regional office. Even when it could be argued that it

is a coordinate jurisdiction. But the centre is superior. I think there is not much problem between Governor Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan.

“A child that is not respectful will also not deserve respect from anyone. Ambitions at times becloud our reasons.

I cannot see Amaechi contestCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

FG recalls sacked resident doctors P.4 Fifa gives Nigeria Monday deadline on NFF P.55

embarrassed

by a fan’s jealous wife P.24

Showbiz

It’s fun working in a cemetery

- Attendants

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Feature

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

30 AUGUST 2014

Not all pastors are wealthy; there are many pastors who are not sure of what to eat Reverend Felix Omobude, president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and General Overseer of the New Covenant Gospel Church International headquartered in Edo State, in an interview with some journalists including New Telegraph’s CAJETAN MMUTA, in Benin, speaks on the threat posed by Boko Haram, the 2015 elections and the clamour by some for churches to be taxed.

How has it been running both your ministry and the affairs of PFN? It really has been very challenging but God does not send anybody to war without providing necessary war implements. He has provided good support for me and I have good hands helping me on both sides.

Having borne a major brunt of Boko Haram’s campaign of terror, what were the measures PFN took to ensure the safety of churches?

The challenge of insurgency that has come up in Nigeria is a challenge for every Nigerian. It is true that they have targeted churches right from the onset. But it has gone beyond that; they e v e n kill their own people, those who share their faith.

So I believe that the problem is for all of us to grapple with. The PFN has continue

to pray and we will continue to pray and encourage all our people to live right and cooperate with the government. We cannot take arms against them, we will encourage our people to be vigilant, That is the best we can do for now.

Do you think the federal government and the military authorities are doing enough to curtail the activities of these insurgents?

The word enough to me is relative within the limits of what is available, Maybe they are, but I believe that they can do more. But you must know that a lot of our forces have paid the supreme price in trying to defend us and extremism all over the world is not an easy war. Nations stronger than us have spent a lot in terms of material and human resources to defend themselves and they are still doing so. So I will ask that Nigerians should be patient. It is not an easy way, it is not like the regular war.

Many have argued that the church has not done enough in changing attitudes and in helping to build a decent society.

How would you react to that?

People always say the church is growing whereas crime and other vices are also growing; but the question to ask is what would it have been if the church was not there at all? When I was growing up, there was only one television station which was in Ibadan that we knew of at that time. Now, there are television stations all over the place. The only newspaper avail-

able to us was Daily Times and maybe one other; but today, they are all over the place, yet people are uninformed. So the question is what would it have been if you journalists were not around? So I believe we are making some progress, I believe we are not where we ought not be, we will continue to direct people to the right. The church must take a firm stand and not glorify evil and stand for what is right. We will continue to do that within the scope that the law allow us. I believe that for the Pentecostals, we have a code of conduct which orders every Christian on how to behave and that is the Bible. We are urging our churches to return to biblical values in our marital lives, family lives and in our public lives so we are not relenting and we will continue to do so.

Since assuming office as PFN president, what will you consider as your most challenging assignment?

Any leader who leads at such a time like this will consider insurgency as a taxing assignment and I believe that if you are a leader at such a time as this and over 200 girls are snatched from their school and you feel unconcerned, then there will be something wrong with you. I believe that the task of building the church, the task of uniting the church, the task of re-directing the church and our people is a big challenge.

Would you say the recent national conference yielded results that justified the effort put towards its convening?

Anything that makes people talk, air their views, try to find solution to our cor-

“I have continuously broadened my perspectives through multidimensional learning which is why I’m able to wear several caps at different times and very effectively too.” porate problems, I think it is worthwhile.

The world even outside us are finding value in coming to the table and I think that is what has happened. Some of these views raised are very pivotal to our national interest and I believe that the president will look into it and probably take the next step that ought to be taken.

Do you share the view that Christians should not go into politics?

No, that time is past. The days that we said we are not of this world and that we should leave politics to politicians are past.

I urge Christians whatever the denomination, anyone who is interested to go in and make the difference. If you say darkness is not good, you must bring in light. So we are involved though at my level not partisan.

We cannot close our eyes to the politics of our nation and so we are encouraging our people to play clean politics.

How will you assess President Jonathan?

As a Nigerian, I just feel that Nigerians should look at his service or achievements based on fairness. Looking at the challenges that we have and looking at modest and

sincere efforts made by any individual whether at the state or local government level - should be the way. You spent x, y, z amount; how much actually came in?

Where is the evidence? Those are important and Nigerians have got to the state of asking questions and I think that that is positive. I will not tell you that I rate President Jonathan A or B or C, I would say he has tried. He has tried and Nigerians are the best to decide.

Would you say the efforts to tackle corruption have been as expected?

Corruption is a hydra-headed monster that has been killing this nation. It permeates almost every sector of the country. You pass through the airports, pass through where people offer service they are paid to offer and they asking you for ‘something’.

It is a shame, it is an embarrassment and I believe that we all must resolve to halt corruption. I am worried, there is corruption even in the church, very sadly, in the military, in the police, even amongst journalists. This is one of the problems of this nation; people dump refuse at the centre of the road and then blame the government.

When are we going to take responsibility?

The Edo State House of Assembly has lately experienced some crisis that polarised it along party lines. What is your view on this?

The problem that has been in Edo State House of Assembly is very sad. The spate of moving from party to party; probably the law allows it but I am worried about it.

What happened in Edo State where some lawmakers defected had also happened first at the national level and I think the leadership at the national level handled it very maturely. I wish the leaders here had borrowed a leaf but as it is I am still expecting the leaders of the two main political parties to consider the interest of the Edo people more than their political interest and bring this thing to a halt.

There is strong agitation that the church should pay tax given the wealth of pastors. Do you subscribe to that?

Now the church is registered as a nonprofit organisation, like our own here. Our board of trustees don’t earn anything. The church pays for services rendered to her, the church don’t have an annual declaration of dividend. I believe credible ministries are involved in changing lives, touching people and that is the way it should be.

Humanitarian services are still being offered by the church. Those who clamour for churches to pay tax are only looking at one or two or three pastors who they probably feel are affluent; they have not thought of the millions of others who are doing the will of God, serving people, giving hope in a very desperate world. As we speak, there are many pastors out there who are not sure of what to eat, so don’t just look at a few and say that is the way it should be.

The stand of the PFN is that the church is a non-profit organization, if the church does business, of course, it should pay for that.

We have a school and our people there pay tax, it generates money so they pay tax. So I believe that the church should be allowed to retain its non-profit status so that they can offer humanitarian help to Nigerians when needed.

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NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

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INSTYLE

Ayodele Ojo cold war is simmering in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the bid by former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, to replace the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

Already, top Presidency officials, leadership of the PDP and governors are divided over Obi’s ambition.

Both Anyim and Obi are courting the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, for either retention or nomination as the SGF, as the case may be.

A source stated that Mu’azu is favourably disposed to Obi’s emergence while Anenih is undecided on the matter.

Mu’azu’s tacit support for Obi is reportedly affecting the relationship between the PDP helmsman and the SGF. Senate President David Mark is also on the radar of lobbyists. Mark is supporting the retention of Anyim.

President Goodluck Jonathan had long wanted Obi on

Cleavage Rage

Some have called it the triumph of vulgarity over good taste. But for the celebrities, it seems just about anything would be permissible for five minutes of fame on the red carpet.

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SHOWBIZ

Career Unusual

Ademola Adedoyin, son of Doyin Group of Companies’ founder Samuel Adedoyin, brushed aside his family’s wish for him to walk along the familiar business line to pursue his dream career in showbiz.

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IDEAS & BRANDS Politicians as Brands

Recent outcomes of elections in some states are indications that the Nigerian electorate is fast seeing politics, politicians and, indeed, political parties as brands that must deliver on their values and proposition.

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sport

Ping Pong Prodigy Ojo Onaolapo’s brilliant performance won Nigeria bronze in the table tennis team event at the recent Commonwealth Games. His success was long foretold since reaching the quarterfinal of the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ing as a president, because I do not see APC giving him a presidential ticket. If he is not standing as a presidential candidate, and Jonathan is presented by the PDP and APC presents a candidate say from the north; would a Rivers man leaves Goodluck Jonathan and queue behind Amaechi to go and vote a northern candidate from APC? The answer is no.

“At the end of the day, you are only making enemies that will follow you all the days of your life. Politics is only a platform for you

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TRAVEL & TOURISM The Grove Goes on in Osun

Despite suggestions that the number of visitors to this year’s Osun Osogbo be kept low or that the festival be cancelled outright to stave of possible spread of Ebola, the annual culture fest still held with as much enthusiasm.

}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.

Peter Obi’s bid for SGF job divides PDP

Ndubuisi Ugah

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n what seems like a goodwill gesture, the federal government has rescinded its earlier decision to suspend Residency Training Programme in all federal hospitals.

The action which became effective on August 28, comes a few days after the Nigerian Medical Association announced the suspension of its 54-day old strike on August 24 after it said the federal government had promised to meet the doctors’ demands.

The suspension of the Residency Training Programme had effectively terminated the employment of 16,000 resident doctors in federal hospitals even though the government had denied that its action implied their sacking.

A press statement announcing the reinstatement issued by Mr. Dan Nwomeh, the minister of health’s special assistant on

board either as a minister or SGF. But his wife, Dame Patience, prefers the retention of Anyim as SGF. The former governor recently lost a ministerial slot for Anambra to Mr. Osita Chidoka, the new minister of aviation. His loss was as a result of his not being a member of the ruling party.

A source in the Presidency told our correspondent that sensing the implication of having Obi in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as minister, Anyim had lobbied the First Lady, Dame Patience, some PDP governors and ministers to support Chidoka’s ministerial nomination. This action was said to have angered Obi. As it is, the ambition of Obi has polarised the PDP into two camps: pro-Anyim and pro-Obi. Those who are supporting Anyim believe that the SGF has not done anything to warrant his removal as he has been a loyal party man and discharging his responsibilities effectively.

The pro-Anyim supporters also argue that it is political miscalculation to change the SGF when the 2015 election is barely six months way.

“Lobby is part of politics

and appointment is also at the discretion of Mr. President. There is no denying the fact that Mr. Peter Obi is close to the president but there are some decisions you don’t take when election is at your doorstep. I’m not saying the President is averse to the choice of Anyim, but just the timing. Replacing an SGF at this time is dangerous. Maybe after election, the president can make the necessary changes,” an aide of the president told New Telegraph on Saturday.

But the pro-Obi backers are insisting that the former governor has more electoral value in the South-East than Anyim. They cite the point that that he was for several years the chairman of South East Governors’ Forum until he left office on March 17, this year, Those rooting for Obi also argue that in terms of votes and money, Anambra where Obi hails from has more voters and resources which they believe offer bigger benefits to the PDP and President Jonathan than Ebonyi, the home state of Anyim.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Anambra has 1, 784,535 registered vot-

ers while the figure in Ebonyi is 1,020,011.

Obi’s loss of the ministerial portfolio, it was learnt, informed his decision to resign as chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), preparatory to his presumed defection to the PDP. Four of the APGA lawmakers in the House of Representatives from Anambra have already defected to the PDP. A source told New Telegraph on Saturday that Obi had intensified efforts in recent days to clinch the SGF job.

“Obi is working tirelessly to get the SGF job. He has reached out to stakeholders in government and associates of President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to have him on board.

“We are aware that he has met with the leadership of the PDP and some serving and former governors to rally support for his ambition,” a source said.

Chief Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi State, who had a bitter tussle for power with Anyim between 2001 and 2003 when the latter was Senate President, is leading the lobby for ObiAnyim is from Ebonyi.

‘Retrace your step, beg Jonathan’ to help your people and by extension yourself. Leadership on its part is service, so I see no reason that Amaechi cannot make up with Jonathan. I have spoken to both of them. Jonathan has no issues.

President of Nigeria is very powerful. I even told Amaechi; the first entity you cannot fight is Almighty God, and the second entity is the government.”

Describing the APC as a party of “traders,” he said the opposition party would not

pose any threat to the ruling party in next year’s elections.

While responding to a question concerning his removal from office as a governor, Alamieyeseigha said he had put the event behind and had pardoned those behind his removal including former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said, “Everything that has happened to me, I have put them behind me. The person at the helm of affairs then President Olusegun

Obasanjo, I have pardoned him. For him to have midwifed Goodluck Jonathan to be president, he is forgiven by me. Yes, I was impeached at number 15, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. My House of Assembly members were bundled from Bayelsa to Lagos and forced to carry out the impeachment.

I have since moved on, and I hold no animosity against anybody.”

See Interview On Page 13

FG lifts ban on residency training programme for medical doctors media, noted however that the ongoing appraisal of the programme continues.

“He said, the federal government has also reinstated all resident doctors that were disengaged as a result of the suspension with effect from the same date.”

“Accordingly, all chief medical directors and medical directors of the training centres are directed to issue letters of reinstatement to the resident doctors to enable them to resume work immediately.

“The federal government urges the resident doctors to see the magnanimity of government in reinstating them as a goodwill gesture to engender greater com-

mitment and dedication to their duties.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had in a directive suspended all residency training programme for Nigerian doctors in an internal memo dated August 13 and signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, L.N. Awute, to federal hospitals.

The federal government noted that the strike by members of the NMA had resulted in untold hardship on innocent members of the society who were in need of medical care.

Awute said the president’s directive was given following an appraisal of the challenges facing the health sector.

“Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has suspended the Residency Training Programme for Doctors in Nigeria indefinitely for the purposes of appraising the challenges facing the health sector,” Awute said.

He said the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has also directed that “letters of termination of residency training” be issued to all affected resident doctors in hospitals immediately.

The memo asked the management of all public hospitals to take necessary measures to restore full medical services in the hospitals, even without the resident doctors, adding that the hospitals could employ part time doctors who must be of “good behaviour”.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

Uduaghan worries over fresh Ebola outbreak Sabiu Mustapha, Ibraheem Musa and Bola Kareem

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Jalingo/Kaduna/Lagos

elta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has expressed concern over the new cases of Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD) outbreak in Rivers State with a call on the citizens to be on the alert and take their personal hygiene and other preventive measures seriously.

The governor, who has already set up an emergency committee on the deadly disease in the wake of the index case in the country, condemned the action of the diplomat that spread the virus to Port Harcourt and the doctor that attended to him in a hotel.

Also yesterday, the Rivers State Ministry of Health issued a statement, where it urged residents, who might have visited Samstel Clinic, Rumuokoro, Port Harcourt, within the last few weeks, to report to the ministry for urgent medical attention.

Rivers State recorded its first case when a medical doctor, Iyke Sam Enemuo, died on August 22, after contracting the disease from one of the first contact of the index case, the late LiberianAmerican, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who brought the virus from Liberia to Nigeria.

In the same vein, Kaduna State Government has directed the management of all primary and secondary schools to screen their pupils and students before allowing them to resume classes on October 13.

But Uduaghan, while speaking during a Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, broadcast live from Asaba, yesterday, as part of activities to mark the 23rd anniversary of the creation of the state, also called for increased and sustained advocacy campaign by stakeholders to curtail further spread of the disease.

“I am not only concerned that the virus has entered Port Harcourt, I am worried and we need to step

l Rivers health ministry urges residents to report cases l Kaduna to screen students, pupils on resumption l Taraba, Bayelsa declare war on disease up advocacy programme for people to raise the level of awareness. I feel very sad, very bad as a professional that a colleague, a medical doctor, went to a hotel to treat someone who was suspected to have Ebola Virus, this calls for great concern and need for more awareness to be created,” he said.

He added: “It is ridiculous why a diplomat should leave Lagos for Port Harcourt knowing that he has been in contact with the primary Ebola victim.”

The Rivers State Ministry of Health statement read: “If you visited Samstel Clinic, Rumuokoro, Port Harcourt, within the last few weeks, you are kindly urged to report to the Rivers State Health Ministry! Please search yourself and if this concerns you, please go and get tested immediately.

“If you were in this hospital but have left Port Harcourt, please look for where to give up yourself. Everything is being done to curb the spread. Please do your

little part to help. Do not hide family members who you think might be infected.

God bless you as you obey!”

Explaining government’s plan to curb the disease, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Ali, while addressing the heads of schools from both private and public schools in Kaduna yesterday, stated that: “All public schools must make frantic efforts to remit school fees to the government coffers in due time and as a matter of urgency open school accounts, in case you don't have an active school account.”

In his reaction, the Kaduna State President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Dr. Vincent Ogini, said: “At present, we pay about 13 taxes. We want these taxes to be harmonised. All of a sudden, the Ministry of Education just increased annual dues of private schools by 1,000 per cent; schools that were pay-

ing N50,000 before are now asked to pay N500,000. We are already in court and we believe in the court as the last hope of the common man."

Equally, health officials in Taraba State have said that the state government is prepared to halt an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Mr. Oliver Wubon, told journalists in a press briefing in Jalingo, the state capital, that the state government had set aside N20 million as the support to work against the disease.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Government yesterday urged the people of the state not to panic as proactive measures have been put in place to check the disease.

In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Governor Seriake Dickson allayed the fears of the people in the light of the recent outbreak of three cases in Port Harcourt.

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he Federal Government yesterday assured that with deliberate efforts being made to ensure availability of gas at power stations, stable electricity supply will be achieved in the country by October this year.

Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, after a meeting on power stakeholders at the Presi-

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NEWS EDITOR, SATURDAY:

NDUBUISI UGAH

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

The Week Ahead Niger East senatorial by-election holds today The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will hold the Niger East Senatorial Zone by-election today.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo, said at a stakeholders meeting in Minna, that the change of date from the initial August 16 was to allow INEC resolve some logistical challenges for a smooth conduct of the election.

APC governors to attend Imo lecture Sept 1 The 16 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will on September 1 converge on Owerri, the Imo State capital, to attend the third lecture series on progressive governance and capacity enhancement.

A statement issued in Owerri by the Senior Special Assistant, Media to the Imo State Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, stated that the governors under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), are expected to arrive tomorrow for the event.

Governor Rochas Okorocha, who is the current chairman of the forum, would address the governors at Nick Banquet Hall on September 1 at 10 a.m.

LBS holds strategy parley Sept 1 The Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University), Ajah, Lagos, will hold a parley tagged: ‘Turning Strategy to Action’ on September 1 to 3 at 9a.m. The event, which has Dr. Chris Ogbechie, Dr. Tunji Adegbesan and Dr. Dapo Adeleye, as lead faculty members, will focus on the implementation of strategy with the balanced scorecard based on the premise that executing strategy itself should be tied to the right leadership.

Messi, Pirlo for Vatican charity match on Sept 1 A number of international football stars, including Argentina's Lionel Messi, will take part in a charity match sponsored by Pope Francis on September 1.

The match, tagged “The Inter-religious Match for Peace”, will take place in Rome’s main stadium, the Vatican Information Service said. Alongside Messi, the advertised list of players include Gianlugi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Samuel Eto’o and Yuto Nagatomo as well as former footballers like Zinedi ne Zidane, Roberto Baggio and Javier Zanetti. Zanetti, who retired in May, had suggested organising “a sporting event uniting people of different religions” when he met the Pope last year.

Deloitte holds Tech Trends Sept 3

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano (left), and his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi, exchanging pleasantries at the Episcopal Ordination of Rt. Rev Monsignor Jonas Benson Okoye as the Auxillary Bishop of Awka, at the St Patrick Cathedral, Awka...yesterday

FG promises stable electricity by October Anule Emmanuel

NEWS

dential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was chaired

by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Nebo said: “The generation companies have been complaining that they need to have all their bills paid. The good thing about this is that arrangements are being made to make sure that all the generation companies get their money as at when due.

“We are working on that.

That is part of the meeting that was chaired by Mr. Vice-

President. Next thing is how far we have come with the issue of even settling the gas question. The gas question has remained for quite a while. But very thankfully, the Minister of Petroleum Resources and I, the central bank governor and chairman of NERC met severally to address those issues.

“And that eventually ended in finding resources to take care of the indebtedness of the generation companies to the gas companies.

So once we take care of the

backlog, we insist that the gas companies will eventually produce more gas.”

The minister explained that the government's efforts are beginning to pay off with better power supply across the country in the past one week following improved gas supply.

“The cheering news from all of these is that if you have noticed throughout the country in the past one week people have been getting much better power supply," he said.

The technology leader, Deloitte Consulting Africa, Kamal Ramsingh, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Deloitte Tech Trends analyses seminar at the Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos on September 3 by 9.am.

A statement issued by the company said the event is organised every year by Deloitte Tech Trends to analyse the impact of business of the latest major technology trends-based on the options and experiences of technology leaders across the globe.

Adamawa PDP guber primary holds Sept 6 The Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fixed September 6, for its primary election.

The party stated that the date was arrived at after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the time table for the election.

The PDP also stated that election for ad hoc delegates would hold on September 2 with the process culminating in the primary election on September 6. INEC had earlier fixed October 11 as the date for the governorship election.

2015 AFCON: Nigeria hosts Congo Sept 6 The Super Eagles of Nigeria will on September 6 host their counterparts from the DR Congo in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for the first leg of the African qualifier for the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. Also, the Super Eagles will trade tackle with South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana in Cape Town, on September 10.

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NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

DUTSE Lamido appoints Obasanjo chancellor of Jigawa varsity

N EWS I N BRIEF

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State yesterday appointed former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the pioneer Chancellor of the newly established Jigawa State University in Kafin Hausa.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Haruna Wakili, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.

Wakili said the state government had sent a delegation to present the appointment letter to the former President at his country home in Abeokuta.

He explained that the appointment was based on Section 8 of the Jigawa State University Law, 2013.

Wakili said Section 2 of the Second Schedule of the law also supported the appointment.

AWKA

UGHELLI FRSC impounds 50 vehicles Coalition seeks creation of Toru-Ebe State in Anambra The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Anambra State has impounded about 50 vehicles for plate number related offenses in the last one week.

The state Sector Commander of the commission, Mr. Sunday Ajayi, stated this while briefing journalists in Awka.

Ajayi, who led a team of officers on a patrol on plate number awareness tagged: “Strategic Intelligence Patrol Operations”, said the commission had discovered that vehicle owners were now in the habit of using one plate number for more than one vehicle.

“The purpose of this patrol exercise is to check security and safety on our highways, and since we started we found out that most drivers and vehicle owners use one plate number for more than one vehicles, others use private numbers for commercial vehicles,” he said.

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773m

The number of individuals using the The number of carcinogens (chemical) internet in developed countries in 2009. in cigarette smoke.

Source: Itu.int Source: Smokingstatistics.org

As President Goodluck Jonathan prepares to hand over the document of the just concluded National Conference for final ratification to the National Assembly, the South-South states of Delta, Edo and Ondo have urged the upper chamber to include the creation of Toru-Ebe State among the proposed states.

The states through the Coordinator of the group comprising the coalition of former militants, youth bodies, religious organisations, cultural organisations from Ondo, Edo and Delta, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, said yesterday that the call became necessary following the failure by the National Conference to include Toru-ebe State among the recommended states for creation.

106,739

The total number of air travel passengers of Yola airport in 2013.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

Boat mishap claims10 in Rivers Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

A

t least 10 persons were feared dead in the early hours of yesterday, after a commercial boat capsized on the Bonny waterways in Rivers State.

Eyewitnesses said the boat, which was loaded with about 35 passengers, capsized less than five minutes after it left Bonny for Port Harcourt, adding that the boat was over loaded and had gone down as it was hit by sharp object.

Among the passengers that survived were four serving members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), while one of their colleagues is said to be missing at the time this report was filed.

The care taker committee Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Adoye Wilcox, who confirmed the incident, said about two children were among the passengers on the boat.

According to another source, the marine police arrived the scene for res-

cue about 45 minutes after the accident, while another eyewitness said that most of the passengers wore life jackets.

The source said: “The boat was on its way to Port Harcourt and less than five minutes it took off it hit a suspected object and went down. The cause of the mishap was not known but I suspect the boat was over loaded. The boat carried about 35 passengers above its capacity.

“As it was navigating it hit a very sharp object and went down. When the incident occurred rescue effort was very difficult because there was nothing on ground. The boat was covered with tarpaulin and it was very difficult for the passengers to get out of it.

Some boat drivers mobilised efforts to rescue the victims.

We don't have official divers to rescue the victims. It was by the mercy of God that we rescued some persons."

When contacted to confirm the incident, the state Public Relation Officer, Grace Koko, said she has not been briefed on the incident.

‘Jonathan has improved fortune of Nigerian women' Bola Kareem and Inioluwa Ekeolere he First Lady, Dame Patience, has described her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, as gender-loving and had improved the fortunes of Nigerian women.

Also yesterday, a sociopolitical group, The Transformation Agenda Solidarity Forum (TASOF), has urged President Jonathan to respond to calls by Nigerians and contest re-election in 2015.

Jonathan made the remark when she received the National Executive members of the Civil Defense Officers’ Wives Association (CDOWA), led by its President, Mrs Aderonke Abolurin, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“Nigerian women have never had it so good. As a gender-loving President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has done a lot to improve upon

T L-R: Former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi and Hon. Tobi Uchechwu, at the burial of Mr. Moses Edeh Akuru, the father of Hon. Peter O. Edeh, in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State…yesterday PHOTO: Speaker's media office

Stolen crude: Presidency okays probe as Interpol launches manhunt for suspects in Ghana Adeola Yusuf

l Average of 1,656,281 barrels stolen from Niger Delta monthly

he International Police (Interpol) has launched a secret mission to arrest members of crude theft cabal in Ghana who participated in the high scale theft of Nigeria's crude, New Telegraph on Saturday has gathered.

A source at the Presidency told our correspondent yesterday that the manhunt was as a result of a formal complaint made by the Presidency to the United Nations (UN) and the United States (US) on the discovery of an oil facility allegedly inaugurated by the Ghana government in a multi-million dollar oil smuggling scheme.

The Interpol, he said, was “working in line with the request for the probe of the level of involvement of the Government of Ghana in the crude theft in Nigeria.”

“This coded operations

are to infiltrate the cabal in Ghana, Europe and their partners in Nigeria who aided and abetted crude theft in the country,” he said while declining further comments on the operations.

He, however, disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan was not taking the issue lightly, as “he has assured us that he would get to the root of the matter.”

Nigeria loss due to crude oil theft translates to almost $2 billion yearly in deficit to the country’s economy.

According to U.S officials, “Tankers often will come twice a week to load (stolen oil in Nigeria) and will go abroad.”

On its own the US authorities had also began investigating the same crime.

According to investigation, several thousands of barrels supposedly pilfered from Nigeria is

T

increasingly making it to global markets through Saltpond oil facility owned

by Ghana, and Lushann International Energy Corporation.

While over 80 per cent of Nigeria's stolen oil is being shipped out of the country in small tankers, where it goes, though, had remained a mystery.

Last year, Rear Admiral Oyagha, during the Navy Week, on the topic: Harnessing Surveillance Technology in Support of AntiCrude Oil Theft Operations in Nigeria, said: “In 2013, losses from crude oil theft were estimated at an average of about 55,210 barrels per day or monthly average of 1,656,281 barrels.”

The general manager of Petro-Marine Consult Limited, Emmanuel Oware, which specialises in ship cargo inspections and is based in Tema, Ghana,

said small vessels that have loaded what he called "unofficial" oil in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta frequently come to discharge at Saltpond.

“There, the Nigerian crude is mixed with Ghanaian oil. It comes from Nigeria, but it gets a certificate of Ghana origin,” he said.

The oil is then transferred to larger tankers, according to Mr. Oware, who said he inspected a trans shipment at Saltpond last year.

According to investigations by the WSJ, a notorious vessel called 'akshay" once seized for oil smuggling makes frequent stops at Saltpond.

The Akshay is a tanker co-owned by Ajay Bhatia, an Indian national who was sentenced by a Nigerian court in May in absentia to 15 years in jail for oil theft.

the fortunes of women in Nigeria. For the first time in our nation’s history, Nigerian women are very visible in all areas of our national life,” she added.

Earlier, Abolurin had said the association identified with the first lady’s peace initiatives.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Muhammadu Ari-Gwaska, while briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja, appealed to Jonathan to declare his interest without further delay.

“We appreciate what he is doing and what he is determined to do. We join millions of Nigerians to urge him to respond to calls by genuine Nigerians to declare his interest in the election of 2015. We would like to remind Nigerians again and again that President Goodluck Jonathan, by constitutional provision (1999) is qualified to contest election for a second term,” Ari-Gwaska said.

Traders get ultimatum to vacate business district in Plateau Musa Pam Jos

T

he Plateau State Government has given traders at the popular Abuja market in the Central Business Area of Jos the state capital seven-day ultimatum to evacuate their goods from the market or it would be demolished together with the shops.

The General Manager of Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), Brigadier General Musa Gambo

(rtd.), gave the directive yesterday in Jos, while briefing journalists on the state government’s order that the shops at the Abuja market be demolished.

“Some shops were locked up by government because of security reasons and the effect of May 20, 2014, bomb blast has gone a long way to affect the structures and some of the structures in question are at the Abuja market, they are now defective and are not habitable for human beings to occupy.

Nigeria to adopt IPSAS as uniform accounting standard – AGF Clement James

N

Calabar

igeria is currently in the process of harmonising its accounting procedure by adopting the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) through the development of a Uniform National Chart of Accounts (NCOA) and states may have to conform to this standard before obtaining foreign loans.

This was disclosed by the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Niyi Otunla, while declaring open a threeday retreat of the Forum of Accountants-General in Nigeria, at Tinapa in Calabar, yesterday.

The retreat, which has as its theme, “Towards a better public sector financial reporting and transparency,” drew AccountantsGeneral from all the states of the federation.

According to him, the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) Sub-Committee on the

roadmap for the adoption of IPSAS was working towards harmonising the Financial Regulations of the Federal Government, the Financial Instructions of the State Governments and the Financial Memoranda of Local Government Councils into “one Financial and Treasury” document.

“The sub-committee intends to harmonise the financial regulations of the Federal Government, the financial instructions of the State Governments and the financial memoranda of Local Government Councils into one financial and treasury document and guidelines that will be used by the three tiers of government in Public Financial Management,” Otunla said.

He said the harmonisation was in line with the requirements of Public Expenditure and Financial Accounting Framework (PEFA) and IPSAS and that it would lead to the preparation of Fiscal Operation Report (FOR) of the country.

Hong hopeful of clinching Adamawa PDP governorship ticket Andrew Iro Okungbowa

A

former minister of State for Health and Foreign Affairs, Dr. Idi Hong, has expressed confidence that he will clinch the governorship ticket for Adamawa State by-election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP will conduct screening for aspirants for the governorship position, which became vacant following the removal of the former governor, Murtala Nyako.

The screening exercise, which was shifted from yesterday to today, is expected to attract the attention of the bigwigs in the party and all the followers of the various aspirants who are believed to be

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

over 10.

Speaking of his chances at getting the nod of the party in a telephone interview with New Telegraph on Saturday, Hong said he had over 95 per cent chances of be nominated as he sees himself as top rated and most qualify from the lots.

“I have no fear whatsoever about the screening exercise holding tomorrow (Today) as I have a clean bill of health because I have met all the requirements of the party and that of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Hong, who was a former minister of state for tourism and secretary of the Adamawa State PDP, added: “I have been a loyal member of the party and at no time left the party for any other.”

UYO ASABA Delta has distinguished itself Akwa Ibom acquires in 23 years-Uduaghan land for seaport

NEWS IN BRIE F

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday said appraised the development strides of the state in the last 23 years and concluded that the state has distinguished itself as a force to reckon with.

The governor spoke against the backdrop of the state’s attainment of 23 years since its creation.

“At 23, Delta State has come a long way, this is time for celebration, time for reflection, time to look at the challenges we had and I can tell you that a lot has been done within the last twenty three years in terms of overall development,” he said.

Uduaghan expressed the confidence that the Delta beyond oil economic development programme of his administration would free the state from over-dependence on oil revenue from the Federation Account.

315

The number of Ebola virus case that occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995.

Source: Who.int

Akwa Ibom State Government yesterday said it had acquired 14, 900 hectares of land for the take-off of Ibaka Deep Seaport in Mbo Local Government Area of the state.

The state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, made this known in Uyo, when the chairman of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Senator Ken Nnamani, visited him.

Akpabio said the development of the seaport would be done through Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP), and therefore, solicited the involvement of ICRC in the project.

“We have worked really hard to fast-track the emergence of Ibaka Deep Seaport, which has a free trade zone. We have also received a license from the Federal Government for the commencement of the project,” he said.

7

FCT Forum tasks elders on governance

The Chairman of the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Mr. Moses Siasia, yesterday in Abuja, urged elderly among the politicians to give the youth the chance to take over governance.

The National Secretary of the Forum, Mr Nuhu Atta, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said Siasia made the call at the launch of “Nigerian Elders Give Young People a Chance” campaign.

“We are in a fast-paced world and any nation that does not create room for its young people to take over governance is living in the past. The tempo of global development today is high and only a young and vibrant leadership can cope,” he said.

207

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation in Armenia assisted

by UNHCR at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

2.1%

The annual population growth rate of Bahrain in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

MASSOB alleges Uwazuruike plotting to unleash bloodbath today CONSPIRACY An alleged plan by a militant group to threaten the peace of the nation has been unfolded Steve Uzoechi

C Owerri

hieftains of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has raised the alarm that the embattled leader of the group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, who has been declared wanted by the Police is deliberately setting the stage for a bloodbath by summoning a national meeting of the group today in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

A statement signed by MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Uchenna Madu and made available to

New Telegraph on Saturday, stated that Uwazuruike expects the Police to attempt to arrest him at the well publicised meeting and this could only lead to bloodshed.

“By this Chief Ralph Uwazuruike would have succeeded in taking attention from the pending investigation into the killing in his premises to issues of Police brutality. He knows he is a wanted man, why would he mobilise the entire MASSOB membership to Owerri under the prevailing tense situation if not to use them as human shield and draw undeserved sentiments to himself.”

Alleging that the death of any MASSOB member means nothing to Uwazuruike, the statement recounted episodes of killings of MASSOB members where Uwazuruike offered no solace or support to grieving family members of the deceased.

The statement partly

reads: “MASSOB lost 18 members in Onitsha during the last sit at home exercise on June 08, 2013 which was a total flop. During MASSOB’s 11 months camping at Kilometre 7 OnitshaOwerri Road, beside Old Spare parts market (Ngbuka Obosi) on the orders of Chief Ralph Uwazurike, MASSOB lost about eight members. These young Igbo youths who died for Uwazurike have not been given any burial, their families have not been consoled, their names were no longer existing in MASSOB book, while our leader is content amassing wealth, forging political alliances in Nigeria, while claiming to seek Biafra’s self determination.”

Madu also recalled the

Shettima, Shema constitute Amirul Hajj committees Ahmed Miringa and Ahmad Mohammed Maiduguri/Katsina

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Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State signing the condolence register during his visit to the Bodija, Ibadan home of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja over the death of his mother, Alhaja Aalimotu-Sadia Ladoja, in Ibadan... recently PHOTO: OYO GOVERNMENT HOUSE

Ezu River case, where corpses suspected to be MASSOB members were found floating on the river.

He also urged members to ask Uwazurike questions surrounding the sudden closure of the matter.

“He knows what happened, a delegation was sent to him at his house in Owerri on the Ezu River case, he invited me but I refused to attend,” he revealed.

However, efforts to reach Uwazuruike to comment on the proposed meeting was unsuccessful, but a lieutenant of the MASSOB leader, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent that the scheduled meeting was a harmless meeting and merely routine sensitisation of the movement.

he Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has approved the appointment of a 24man hajj committee for this year’s hajj in the state.

Similarly, Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, has approved the appointment of Alhaji Adamu Saidu Daura as the Amirul Hajj and leader of government’s delegation to this year’s hajj.

Shettima in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press, Mr. Ndahi Pidar Sawa, said the appointees where carefully selected based on individual merit and wealth of experience to ensure a smooth hajj exercise.

The 2014 Amirul Hajj committee is to be headed

by the state deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, while the Chief of Saff, Government House, Maiduguri, will serve as deputy chairman of the committee.

Meanwhile, Shema said other members include Alhaji Rabiu Gambo Bakori, General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd.), Senator Ummaru Tsauri and Halilu Ibrahim Karofi.

Also appointed are Aminu Danbaba, Mahammadu Dalha Dunburani Daura and the District Head of Ajiwa, Mahammed Bello Kabir.

A statement issued to journalists, by the executive director of the state pilgrims welfare board, Ahmed Hassan, said government also approved the composition of the state preachers’ team for this year’s hajj, which comprised 15 members.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

SOKOTO Sokoto Assembly backs Wamakko

N EWS I N BRIEF

Sokoto State House of Assembly yesterday expressed confidence on the exemplary leadership qualities of state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawali Zaiyyana, who led the 27-member assembly on a solidarity visit to governor, said the visit became necessary in view to restate their unflinching support, loyalty and confidence to the governor.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the undersigned would like to use this medium to denounce the current spate of abuses of both the human rights and the constitution as being witnessed by the attempts of the Federal Government to lure through cash incentives the conscience of our members,” Zayyana alleged.

121,320

The total area (in sq. km) of Eritrea.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

IKOYI

Akinlade eulogises Bode George

A member representing Yewa South/Ipokia federal constituency, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, yesterday said that the investiture of the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, was in recognition of the qualities of the party leader, saying the recognition was a tune-up for the PDP’s bid to reclaim the South-West in 2015.

Akinlade, a governorship aspirant under the PDP in Ogun State, noted that the vision and disposition of the elder statesman has continually unite Nigerians across all divide and age grades.

“Bode George as our fearless leader in the South-West has proven to be a father of all with a large heart, and again he is set to lead the party to a rousing victory in 2015 in the zone,” he said.

73

The sex ratio of men above 60 years per 100 women in Argentina in 2012.

Source: Un.org

AWKA Obele Chuka joins APGA

An activist and human rights lawyer, Mr. Obele Chuka, will today in Awka, the Anambra State capital, declare for a pro-Jonathan group under the auspices of Join Jonathan Journey (J. J.J) Chuka, who is founding member of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and a close associate of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi will also officially announce his political intention for 2015 on the same occasion slated for Dr Alex Ekwueme Square.

Sources said Chuka, who was a member of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), would declare for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Before now, the activist was equally involved with the joint Action Coalition of Nigeria under the leadership of late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

91.3%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Bermuda in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

Gwoza caliphate: Deploy full military strength against insurgents, Oke tells President INSURGENCY From a clergy, a call has come for the Federal Govt to declare full scare war on the Boko Haram insurgents.

Sola Adeyemo

P Ibadan

resident, The Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has described as grossly ridiculous, the declaration of Gwoza as a ‘caliphate’ by the Boko Haram sect, saying it was high time the Federal Government deployed full military strength against them.

Oke, who spoke with journalists yesterday in Ibadan, on this year’s Holy Ghost Convention with the theme: ‘Grace for Exploits’, at the ministry’s headquarters, in Ibadan, Oyo State

capital, advised President Goodluck Jonathan to put a lie to the general belief that he is a weak leader.

He said it was unacceptable that a group of insurgents would declare a republic within a federal republic, while they continue to behead people and kill innocent people on a daily basis, unchecked.

The cleric deplored the almost five- month abduction of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State by the insurgents.

“The Federal Government should be decisive in its dealing with the band of hoodlums holding the nation by the jugular. The nation is at the cross-roads which calls for prayer, sincere efforts of all, and not time to bury our heads in the sand like ostrich, but the time to come out openly and collectively to fight from all fronts in order to bring back our peace,” he said.

Contrary to the negative

criticisms that had trailed the defection of the 400 Nigerian soldiers to the neighbouring Camoroun for the safety of their lives, the man of God said rather than blame the soldiers, the system which ill-trained, ill-equipped and ill-structured the command should be held responsible.

“When soldiers, who are deployed to save lives now run for enemies, it means that they are confronted with superior power which is a shame and total confession that they lack the wherewithal to confront the Boko Haram insurgents,” he stated.

Oke, who differed from President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposal to borrow $1 billion for the purpose of fighting the insurgents, said the government should do everything within its power to curtail the activities of the insurgents with the abundant resources available in the country instead of incur-

ing another foreign debt.

“What's $1billion to the economy of Nigeria? I don't think we need to borrow to prosecute the war against the insurgents. What we need is concerted efforts of all. This is not the time to play politics but a time to do everything possible to put the problem behind us,” he said.

On the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Oke commended the government for the efforts made so far to curtail its spread. He particularly praised the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, who he claimed had done a yeoman's job to fight the scourge.

Though he said the Holy Ghost Convention would among other things witness fervent prayers against the dreaded disease, Oke assured attendees that every measure had been taken to see that everybody attending the annual week-long convention would be protected against the disease.

Police Commissions names two new AIGs, 37 CPs

Emmanuel Onani

T

he Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday, approved the promotion of two Commissioners of Police (CPs) to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

They are Messrs Buhari Tanko and Johnson Ogunsakin.

A statement by the Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Ferdinand Ekpe, also announced the promotion of 30 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the rank of CPs, while seven others would act in same capacity, pending their confirmation.

The newly-promoted CPs are: Pius U. Imue, Valentine U. Ntochukwu, Felix Goodluck Ogundeji, Frederick Taiwo Lakanu, Hilda IbifuroHarrison, Micheal Ogbodu, Nwodibo Ekechukwu, Etop John James, Ademola Omole, Olushola Emmanuel Amore, Joshak Habila, Adegbuyi Samuel Damilola and Rasheed O. Akintunde.

Others are: Istifanus Shettima, Jimoh Omeiza Ozi-Obeh, Ibrahim Lamorde, Ghazalli Mohammed, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, Victory Niro Menta, Clement O. Adoda, Austin I. Iwar, Adekunle J. Oladunjoye, Adaji-Adejo-Gabriel, Sobulo B.T.M., Mohammed Lawal Hussein, Ishaku Alhaji Barau, Emmanuel T. Inyang, Olufemi Olanipekun Oyeleye, Gabriel Achong and Ezekiel Danboyi Zang.

The seven CPs others in acting capacity are: Wilson Inalegwu, Mani Murtala Usman, Fatai Owoseni, Emmanuel C. Ojukwu, Moses Jitibor, Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilusi, Ibine Emanuel J. The acting Commissioners are currently occupying/holding offices of Commissioners of Police.

According to the statement, the AIGs were promoted " for their strategic professional experience, and also to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of AIG Adebayo Ajileye from the South –West geopolitical zone."

Cross River female council chairmen laud Ita-Giwa Bola Kareem

E

lected Female council chairmen in Cross River State have commended the former Presidential Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita–Giwa, for facilitating and sponsoring their trip to the United States of America (USA), where they attended the African Women Leadership International Conference at Atlanta Georgia.

In a statement made available to journalists yesterday and signed by the Bakassi Local Government Area Chairman, Mrs. Usang Iso Edisea, described ItaGiwa as a sophisticated politician with a heart of gold.

She added that the five day trip had further exposed them to international politics and would bring to bare their various experi-

ences to their local councils.

The statement stated: “Five of us left Nigeria for the African Women Conference held at the United States as facilitated and fully sponsored by our mentor and political leader, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.

The trip made it possible to exchange technical notes with great women like the First Lady of Mozambique, Maria Da Luz Guebuza and the Senator representing Atlanta Georgia in the Congress. It was a great experience similar to same trip she organised for us to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently.”

Reacting to this development, Ita-Giwa confirmed that the trip was part of her mentoring programme for female politicians and that she had plans to do more in ensuring that they got needed exposure to international politics.

Oyo community gets light after three years

I

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali; Minister of Power, Prof. Chinnedu Nebo; Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi and a market operator, Mrs. Osuhor Veronica, during a briefing by the minister to State house correspondents on the outcome of a meeting on power generations chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, at the Presidential villa, Abuja…yesterday

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

t was a moment of joy for the people of Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State yesterday, as the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), formally commenced the supply of electricity to the area after three years of power outage.

The power outage was the aftermath of the burning down of the defunct PHCN sub-station at Olorunsogo area by hoodlums during the January 2012 nationwide fuel subsidy protest.

The development had paralysed the socio-economic activities in the entire Ona-Ara Local Government Area and other

neighbouring council areas, with repeated calls from the residents for the restoration of light.

The state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, while speaking at the inauguration of the rehabilitated sub-station by IBEDC, described the rehabilitation of the two 15MVA and 33/11KV as a thing of joy to him and his government.

“Thirty months ago, during the 2011 fuel subsidy crisis, a demonstration against government was capitalised upon by some unscrupulous persons in the society to inflict the harrowing pain of darkness on this peaceloving community," he said.

Companies & Stock

SEGUN EDWARDS

30 AUGUST 2014

Okomu Oil Palm: Heading for big turnaround

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he Okomu Oil Palm has commenced on the recovery trend this year with and a major lift in profit performance can be expected at the end of 2014. From the significant lost profit in the preceding two years the oil palm and rubber producer seem poised for a rebound at the second quarter growth rate. According to the Dr. Graham Hefer-led management the company isn’t expecting to grow sales revenue this year. He hopes to lift the bottom line by cutting cost and raising profit margin.

The company, which plans to double its rubber production capacity by 2015, has been losing sales revenue in the past two years but the downward trend may end in the current year with a flat growth.

Two developments have provided the strength to grow profit in a constrained revenue situation. One is the absence of loss on changes in fair value of non-current biological assets, which claimed almost the entire operating profit in 2013. The other is a sharp drop in cost of sales, which has lifted profit margin.

It grew pre-tax profit by 21.1 per cent to N1.73 billion year-on-year at the end of the second quarter. This is an accelerated growth from a pre-tax profit figure of about N680 million at the end of the first quarter. The improved profit performance in the second quarter equally follows accelerated growth in sales revenue.

The company’s full year profit outlook has improved further with the second quarter report. Based on the second quarter growth rate, adjusted for a usual slow down in the second half of the year, after tax profit is projected at N2.40 billion for the company at the end of 2014.

This will be to multiply the company’s full year net profit of N425 million in 2013 by more than five and half times. Earnings projection for the company needs to be read with caution as it is subject to wide fluctuations arising from the nature of the business.

Its management has succeeded in cutting down a major cost in the second quarter and has raised profit margin from the corresponding period last year. He faces the challenge nevertheless of sustaining the high profit growth rate to full year.

The company has suffered profit drops for the past two years just as sales revenue has equally been declining since 2012. Its peak profit is the N10.52 billion posted in 2011. The high profit levels of 2011 and 2012 were built largely from windfall gains in the net fair value of non-current biological assets. So far, neither gains nor losses in the value of those assets are affecting profit but an eventual appearance in the accounts cannot be ruled out at year end.

Sales revenue amounted to N4.87 billion at the end of the second quarter, virtually unchanged from the corresponding figure last year. Full year sales revenue is expected to come to N8.9 billion for Okomu Oil in 2014. This means a flat growth in turnover is expected, which is better than the loss of 12.7 per cent in sales revenue in

9

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

olaedwards@yahoo.com 08111813095

Africa Prudential Registrars Q2 2014 Results 2014

2013

Change

Revenue

N914.66 million

N667.41 million

37.0%

Profit before tax

N613.61 million

N463.79 million

32.3%

Taxation

N130.98 million

N151.56 million

-13.6%

Profit after tax

N482.62 million

N312.22 million

54.6%

Africa Prudential Registrars steady profit growth

S

Gbenga Oyebode... CEO, Okomu Oil Palm

Okomu Oil Q3 2013 Results 2013

2012

Change

Revenue

N6.78 billion

N7.95 billion

-14.7%

Gross Profit

N3.65 billion

N5.47 billion

-53.2%

Earnings before tax

N1.63 billion

N3.78billion

-57.4%

Earnings per share

N0.02

N0.06

2013. Sales revenue dropped from the 2011 peak of N11.12 billion to N10.15 billion in 2012 and further to N8.86 billion in 2013. While sales revenue isn’t expected to grow this year, the end of the downward slide is anticipated.

Analysis of the company’s profit margin is indicating strength as well as weakness.

Strength is indicated by the gain in profit margin from 19.7 per cent in the second quarter of last year to 29 per cent at the end of June this year. Weakness is equally indicated by a decline in profit

-66.7%

margin from 37.1 per cent in the first quarter to 29 per cent in the second quarter. The drop is explained by the fact that profit failed to grow as rapidly as revenue from the first quarter levels.

The gain in profit margin on year-on-year basis follows major cost saving from cost of goods sold, which fell by 37 per cent to N1.52 billion during the period.

This led to a rise of 38.2 per cent in gross profit to N3.35 billion. Gross profit margin rose from 50.2 per cent to about 69 per cent over the review period.

Nigeria interbank rates rise on CBN’s liquidity mopping N igeria’s interbank lending rates, the benchmark for public lending rose by 25 basis point to an average of 10.75 percent yesterday, following funding for foreign exchange (forex) purchase and issuance of treasury bills curbed market liquidity.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had retired about N198 billion ($1.22 billion) of matured open market operations (OMO) bills on Thursday, but rolled over N179 billion as fresh issuance, sources in the market informed.

Money deposit banks in the country have been unable to access their cash balance with the regulator for more than two months due to a system glitch.

“The market is seen inching up next week as the CBN is expected to issue new OMO bills to further drain liquidity,” one dealer said.

The open buy-back climbed to 10.75 percent from 10.5 percent last week, 1.25 basis points below central bank’s benchmark interest rate of 12 percent.

hare registration service company, Africa Prudential Registrars ranks among the top growing companies in 2014. It raised after tax profit by about 77 per cent in the second quarter, up on the 63 per cent full year growth in 2013. The strength to grow profit is coming from sustaining growth in revenue and improving profit margin.

The Peter Ashade led management, is building wealth for shareholders while distributing wealth to other companies’ shareholders, converting more than one-half of revenue into profit, representing one of the highest profit margins among listed companies.

The company has witnessed expansion in earning capacity rapidly, where it’s investment portfolio has more than tripled within the first six months of the year and earnings per share is expected to rise to a new peak this year after dropping last year due to the doubling of the volume of shares.

It closed its second quarter operations with an after tax profit of N551 million, which is an increase of 76.6 per cent year-on-year. This is an accelerated growth from the profit figure of N213 million the company reported in the first quarter.

Based on the second quarter growth rate, net profit is projected at N1.18 billion for Africa Prudential Registrars in 2014. This will be an increase of 29.1 per cent over the net profit figure of N914 million in the preceding year.

Also based on the earning pattern in the prior year, profit growth is expected to continue to accelerate in the second half of the year.

The second quarter profit figure of N312 million last year was about one-third of the full year figure.

The company grew profit by 62.6 per cent to N914 million in 2013.

Turnover rose to N1.08 billion at the end of the second quarter, an increase of 61.8 per cent over the corresponding figure last year and an accelerated growth from N473 million in the first quarter. If the second quarter growth rate is maintained to full year, turnover is expected to be in the region of N2.32 billion for Africa Prudential Registrars in 2014, representing an increase of 25.4 per cent over the revenue figure of N1.85 billion in 2013.

Turnover had grown by over 79 per cent in 2013 and further growth acceleration is also expected in the remaining half of the year. There is a sustaining growth in revenue from N564 million in 2010.

Costs moderated generally relative to revenue for the company in the second quarter, which permitted an increase in profit margin. Total expenses, including taxation, grew by 44.4 per cent to N527 million

Ashade... CEO, Africa Prudential Registrars

compared to the increase of 61.8 per cent in turnover. Net profit margin rose from 46.8 per cent in June 2013 to N51.1 per cent this year. This is also better than the 49.3 per cent net profit margin recorded at the end of last year.

The biggest event in the balance sheet during the first half of the year is the huge expansion of the investment portfolio. Financial assets held to maturity rose by 227.3 per cent to N7.83 billion at the end of June, a major boost in the company’s earning capacity. Also customers’ deposits have grown by 58.2 per cent to N17.72 billion over the closing figure last December.

The company earned 27 kobo per share at the end of the second quarter compared to 15 kobo in the corresponding period last year.

Earnings per share is expected to be in the region of 59 kobo at the end of 2014. This will be a new peak in earnings per share after a drop from 56 kobo in 2012 to 46 kobo in 2013.

The drop in earnings per share last year followed a rights issue that doubled outstanding shares to 2000 million during the year.

Stocks extend gains by 0.42%

T

he equities transactions on the Nigerian Bourse closed yesterday on a positive note, as major performance indices, the All Share Index appreciated by 42 per cent increase to close at 41,532.31 basis points, compared with the 0.58 per cent appreciation recorded the previous weekend. Its Year-to-Date (YTD) returns currently stands at 0.47 per cent rise.

Market breadth closed positive with a leads of 29 gainers against 19 losers topped at the end of the day’s session- an unimproved performance when compared with previous outlook.

Market turnover closed positive as volume traded upwards by 35.28 per cent against 32.12 per cent downtick recorded in the previous session. Transcorp, ABC Transport and GT Bank were the most active to boost market turnover. Nigerian Breweries and GTBank topped the market value list.

Can your spouse live abroad while you remain in Nigeria? p.12

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10

Traders in showdown with Anambra over imposition of market leaders Paulinus Onah Awka

C

risis is brewing in various markets in Onitsha, Anambra State, following allegation that the state government was bribed by some traders before they were appointed as members of a caretaker committee.

It was also alleged that the government imposed leaders in various market associations across the state.

This is just as a group of traders from the Onitsha Patent and Proprietor’s Medicine Dealers Union led by a human right activist, Mr. Dede Uzor, took to the street of the commercial city demanding the removal of the Commissioner for Commerce and Trade Mr. Ifeatu Onejeme, for his alleged role in the bribe scandal and imposition of markets’ leaders.

It was learnt that various groups are now in court following the appointment of a caretaker committee at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market.

The Chairman and Secretary of the market’s immediate past caretaker committee, Messrs Jude Ikechukwu Orizu and Peter Okeke, Inioluwa Ekeolere

P

eople from all walks of life converge on Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday to celebrate an icon, Alhaji Ayo Adeyemi , who marked his 80th birthday and launched 11 books to celebrate the occasion.

The well-attended colorful ceremony, which saw an array of members of his Islamic Mission Organisation (IMO) in their immaculate white and red attires, lived up to expectation.

The IMO band was at hand to render beautiful and sonorous Islamic songs which held the audience spellbound to avert boredom at the event which lasted for about five hours.

The event was chaired by First Bank Chairman, Prince Ajibola Afonja, and assisted by the Chairman of the planning committee, the Ranota of Imota Kingdom, Oba Bakare-Agoro, who side by side with the anchor of the event made it a beautiful experience.

Prince Afonja zests the event with appraisals for the host. “I looked at Alhaji, at his picture on the programme itself; I saw how confident he is, how radiant he is. I feel like I have never seen Islam in this way before, I am indeed happy I am a Muslim.

“It is good that at 80, Pa Adeyemi is still expanding knowledge.

Onitsha market

respectively, said their removal from office was illegal and unconstitutional.

According to them, their removal is a breach of court order and contempt of court because the suit challenging their removal is still pending before Justice Agbata of Onitsha High Court.

Besides, they said there was a subsisting order of interlocutory

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injunction, restraining anybody or group of persons from instituting or interfering with the activities of the market union, pending the determination of the substantive suit brought before the court by Chief Peter Okoye and four others.

Okoye, it was learnt, had gone to court to challenge the constitutional provision of the market union which precluded him and

Orizu from voting and to be voted for or taken parts in the market elections.

Justice Agbata, according to them, had on the last adjourned date gave them between July 1 to September 30 to resolve the matter or face legal battle following the intercession of the patrons of the market led its former PresidentGeneral, Chief Robert Ozigbo.

“While the matter is being resolved, the commissioner appointed another caretaker committee as traders are preparing for their election that has been scheduled, just barely a month from now. This has been causing serious crisis in the entire market following the refusal of all the 27 units heads to co-operate with the committee even when we had pleaded with them to do so.

“The crux of the matter is that we were appointed members of caretaker committee of the market in April 18 2013, with directives from state government to among other things, resolve the crisis that had bedevilled the market in the past, prepare a level playing ground for the conduct of the market election at the expiration of the six months.

“But we were reappointment by the commissioner because the

Eulogies, celebrations as Adeyemi joins octogenarian club …launches 11 books

Adeyemi

Knowledge is very important and Islam places emphasis on it, so anyone who expands knowledge should be celebrated,” he says.

“What we see today is triumph of Islam. There are about a billion Muslims in the world today. This is a very good achievement that is attributable to the work of people like Alhaji Ayo Adeyemi,” Afonja adds.

Oba Bakare-Agoro, a former employee of Adeyemi, recalled the sweet memories he had working as a young man in the celebrant’s firm.

“He is a father figure to me. He has surprised me a lot since the very time I met him, he has remained as

faithful and committed to Islam as he was about 50 years ago when I met him. His persistence and readiness to suffer for the course of Islam is the reason we are gathered here on a day like this to celebrate him,” Agoro-Bakare says.

The book was launched by Senators Ganiyu Solomon, Gbenga Kaka, and also the Chairman of Island Club, Chief Ademola Dada and a host of other dignitaries.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Abdurahaman Bello, who delivered the birthday lecture titled, ‘The Role of Religion in Nigeria’s Quest for Security and Justice,’ stresses the importance of

knowledge in Islam.

Bello, who was represented by the school’s Director of Distance Learning, Prof. Ganiu Oke, says Islam abhors terrorism.

He said, “Islam as a religion of peace has a major role to play in creating an enduring culture of secured livelihood and egalitarianism in Nigeria. Achievement of a long lasting culture of secured livelihood and an egalitarian Nigerian society portends that religions and religious leaders, parents and the state, ought to collaborate to evolve mechanisms that breed and sustain all forms and degrees of social injustice in Nigeria.

market election clashed with the local government and governorship elections held in February 2014.

“So, when we concluded the second tenure and the governor has been sworn-in, we wrote to the state government that we are ready for the election following the conclusion of campaign by the contestants before the court action was instituted,” they said.

A source told our correspondent that the appointment of the caretaker committee has created tension in the market.

The source said, “The market is boiling because all these people who campaigned have spent millions of naira and the problem in the market has also been amicably resolved. The traders are only waiting for the election to be conducted.

“Government should remove the committee and conduct the election before this crisis gets out of hand.”

In a similar development, a faction of the aggrieved traders at the Onitsha electronics market has also petitioned the state government through the commissioner for trade over the outcome of the last election into the Electronics Dealers Association.

“This has led to misinterpretations of the doctrines, which themselves were to ensure security of lives and properties and social justice. Personal, rather than corporate interests, have taken over and the only panacea to security and social injustice in our country today can only be reversed if we all practice the religions in their original form.”

The books were reviewed by a former Dean, Faculty of Arts, the Lagos State University, Ojo, Prof Lakin Akintola.

He urged people to emulate the good gesture of Adeyemi, saying his good deeds attest to the attendance of the event, adding that “birthdays should remind us that we are close to the period of accountability.”

He points out the books will shed more light on Islam and will be highly beneficial to the readers.

“Before now, Muslims were held in contempt. Their music was detested in Nigeria. It didn’t draw the youths, but with the timely and educative songs sung by Pa Ayo, Islam is beginning to appeal to both the young and new converts,” he adds.

In his remarks, Adeyemi, who eulogises God with one of his songs, attributes his good health and longevity to His mercy.

He says he will continue to hold the banner of Islam high and better the lot of humanity.

STREET DIARY

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

11

Pastor Oyakhilome’s wife finally files for divorce in London court

T

he dissolution of the marriage between Christ Embassy Church founder, Pastor Christian Oyakhilome, and his wife, Rev. Anita Odegwa Oyakhilome, has entered the final phase.

An online news portal, TheCable, reported that the wife is seeking divorce on the ground of “unreasonable behaviour” and “adultery.”

She outlined several allegations against the pastor which TheCable said it could not publish for legal reasons.

The divorce case, with Suit No FD14D01650, was filed on April 9, 2014 at Divorce Section A, Central Family Court, First Avenue House, High Holborn, London, UK, on Anita’s behalf by Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, a full-service law firm with expertise in commercial law and a strong consumer focus in family, wills and estate, personal injury law and medical negligence.

Efforts to reconcile the popular couple, whose church is one of the biggest denominations in Nigeria and has branches all over world, have failed. They have two teenage daughters, Sharon and Charlyn. Oyakhilome is the president of Believers’ Love World Inc., the registered name of the Christian ministry, while his wife is the vice-president.

The pastor, according to an elder of the church, has denied allegations of adultery and believes his wife is being influenced by “bad friends” who are intent on destroying their home.

While Anita believes she has been relegated in the scheme of things in the church, her husband has reportedly accused her of trying to usurp power and authority above her seniors in the ministry.

Sources told TheCable that the pastor had been mak-

…alleges adultery ing efforts to avoid divorce in the hope that the wife would eventually have a change of mind.

However, TheCable reports that the decree nissi was served on the charismatic pastor in his hotel room during a recent visit to the UK. Decree nissi, in legal terms, is like a yellow card in a football match which is a precursor to a red card (“decree absolute”) if no new evidence is provided to stall proceedings.

Church insiders said Oyakhilome had been hoping for rapprochement, but he was left with no option than to receive the papers when the lawyers cornered him at his hotel in London.

The decree absolute, which will effectively end the marriage, is expected to be issued soon while terms of the divorce will be worked out by the lawyers on both sides.

The Cable learnt Anita recently wanted to go public with the details of her allegations against the husband but reached an informal agreement to

sheathe her sword in the interest of the church. Oyakhilome is regarded as one of the richest and most influential pastors in Nigeria, and co-authors the fast-selling Christian daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities, with the wife.

However, following the strain in the marriage, the wife had been complaining to friends that her husband had stopped the payment of royalties due her from the devotional. “She complained of being deliberately starved of funds, perhaps to bring her to her knees in the belief that she would eventually return to her matrimonial home and mend things,” a church member told TheCable in the UK. A wealthy Zimbabwean businessman, who is into telecoms, is one of the biggest financiers of the London branch of the church which Anita pastors along with other branches in Europe. When the crisis got to a head, the Zimbabwean stopped funding the church some said in solidarity with Oyakhilome, his close friend and neighbour in Johannesburg, South Africa.

However, Oyakhilome was said to have been shocked when the wife announced at a fundraiser that she was sowing a “seed” (donation) of $1 million despite her assumed lack of access to funds.

Matters got to a head on July 13, when s o m e re l a -

tives of Anita locked up the London branch of the church to protest against the “humiliation” being meted out to their sister who had not overseen services at the branch since November 2013.

Some church members had sometime in May 10 launched facebook campaign, asking: “Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome?”

They said Pastor Chris and Rev. Anita must unite “for the sake of the gospel, the church and their two beautiful daughters.”

They quoted Malachi 2:16 in the Message Bible: “I hate divorce, says the God of Israel.”

The facebook page, which has over 3,300 ‘likes’, was opened with a stated mission: “This is a call to prayer for all believers who understand God’s heart concerning marriage and a call to action

by Pastor Chris. #DoWhatYouPreach.” Officials of the church quickly moved to deny any rift between the pastor couple.

One official, Kenneth Achumasara, told the media last June: “I can tell you authoritatively that there is no issue between Pastor Chris and his wife, Anita… If you go to the UK now you will see her along with the kids. She is still with him and there is no issue between them. I have been with him for 22 years and the Pastor Chris I know cannot even utter such words as reported. He will never address such a gathering.

She will soon be in Nigeria for a programme and I will definitely invite you to have access to her.”

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and wife, Anita

Governor Amosun

Amosun reinstates OOU’s SUG Owumi Kevwe

O

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has reinstated the Olabisi Onabajo University’s Student Union Government.

The governor had closed the school following the students’ protest over hike in tuition and proscribed the students’ union, saying the students were acting under the influence of external forces.

But the governor on Thursday through the school management reinstated the SUG after the intervention of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), South West Zone, well-meaning Nigerians and other stakeholders.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Saburi Adesanya, in a statement said the ban was lifted to give room for further deliberation on resolving issues surrounding the closure of the school.

He also urged the SUG and the entire students to maintain peace, while both parties explore dialogue to settle the matter.

Police arrest five suspects who robbed motorists in traffic T Shola Adefuwa

he Lagos State Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) has arrested five suspects who specialised in stealing bags, phones, ATM cards and other valuables at Olopomeji/ Car Wash Bus Stop, Oworo.

The suspects identified as Ibrahim Martin (20), Adekunle Michael (19), Nnamdi Humphrey (22), Yinka Arokoyo (32) and Sule Aliu (21).

SD gathered that the suspects who were always harmed with weapons such as cutlass usually target motorists held in traffic.

On August 14, around 6am, the suspects allegedly attacked one Dolapo Ashiru on his way to work along in the area as he approached

the Third Maryland Bridge.

One of the suspects, Martin, who claimed to be “aluminium worker,” and gave his address as 25, Mogeola Street, Bariga, confessed that he stole a woman’s bag containing large sum of money and recharge cards on Lagos Island.

He told the police during interrogation that after he had stolen money, he did not realise that the some policemen had spotted him and was subsequently arrested.

Martin said, “This is my second time of stealing. My first operation was in Lagos. I discover about N5, 000 in the bag. I used the money to buy clothes.”

The suspect, who said his father stays in Lagos, while his mother lives in Ikorodo, added, “If God

saves me from this, I will be preaching to people that stealing is not good.”

Another suspect, Michael, said, “My work is hustling; I live at 11 Ogo Oluwa Street, Iyano Oworo, Lagos, and I am from Ile Ife, Osun State. I am single and I sell table

water and soft drink. My parents are divorced.

“I join the gang last year. I have stolen phones at Ifako Expressway and we have robbed at different places. During operations, we used cutlass not gun. We do operate around

Ibrahim Marthins, Adekunle Michael,Nnamdi Humphrey, Sule Aliu and Yinka Orokoyo

6am. I have stolen four phones and sold them for N5, 000. I feel bad and I will stop robbing if released.”

Aliu, an indigene of Kogi State, who resides at 3 Akinsoji Street, Oshodi, said the group used cutlasses to rob its victims, adding that he took to robbery because of “fast money.”

Nnamdi, an indigene of Isele Uku in Delta State, and resident of 22, Afiju Street, Iyano Oworo, said he became an armed robber because “there is no work in sight. I feel so bad because of what I did. I used cutlass to threaten people.”

On his part, Arokoyo said he was arrested after engaging in a fight at a food vendor’s stall.

12

Voices

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

Street Diary

Can your spouse live abroad while you remain in Nigeria?

It requires constant communication Communication is the solution because we will always talk and keep in touch through Skype and there will be a mutual agreement between us as to the number of years she is staying there.

(Kareem Kazeem, civil servant) Once there is trust, it is fine by me All we need is good communication and we should trust each other.

It is no big deal to me, especially if she wants to stay overseas for business purpose that will change our life why will I stop her?

(Babatunde Oyenuga, student) My wife sanctioned it I was facing a lot of hardship in Nigeria due to economic and environmental factors.

My spouse never wanted me out of the home but there was no option left for both of us then so she had to allow me go. She prayed for me and I am doing well now.

(Apata Abayomi, system administrator) I will accompany him No, because I would like to be close to my spouse and enjoy the joy of marriage. Distance can be a huge barrier in a relationship therefore, I would not want anything to hinder my marriage. Even if I trust him something can still happen over there so if he wants to go there we will have to go together.

(Obadan Daphne, student) I won’t allow it No, I will not allow it because some men will go abroad and get married to other rich women there.

They will start another family there, some will promise to be sending money but will never. You will not hear from them in the next 10 years and you will still have to answer their names.

(Udebuani Chinyere, student)

It is better she stays abroad Yes, I will allow her. It is a thing of joy because of the nature of my job.

I will have time to do things on my own. If my wife is here in Nigeria she will not easily get a job, so it is better she stays there.

(Adako Samson, business man) I will divorce him I will divorce him because what is he looking for there that is not in Nigeria?

Wherever he goes I go because we must be together. Instead of living a life of pretence then I better divorce him. I can’t be enduring suffering and smiling.

(Dumebi Chukwu, civil servant)

We are staying together here Never, whatever she thinks would work over there in foreign country I also think it will work here in the country. So we are staying put together.

(Igbadumhe Justice, student) It is not a big issue for me Why not as long as the love remains intact? Also, the money is coming in for the family. As for me it is no big issue.

(Adelusi Mayowa, student) I will not allow it Not at all because that means we are giving the devil the chance to come between us. He living abroad will scare me daily. Also our men of this day are not too trustworthy.

(Wahab Mariam, nurse)

It is fine by me As long as I am going there all the time to see him and he also comes often, then there is no problem.

(Precious Uzebor, civil servant) I can’t bear it How can you say such a thing? If it were you would you allow it or cope with such a situation that somebody you have been together with for years all of a sudden he travels and leaves you? I can’t bear it.

(Jessica Okafor, self employed) My husband cannot cheat on me I trust my husband, he can’t cheat on me.

He loves me even more than I do. I will allow it.

(Essey Orobosa, political scientist) My wife cannot cheat on me Whatever would be would be, that doesn't mean I will go after other women. What I can’t do at home I won’t take it abroad.

I know my wife trust me and she knows that her husband can’t misbehave. So ı can stay outside the country with no fear whatever that my wife is cheating on me.

(Osaretin Osagie, surgeon)

Surely, I will allow her Surely, I will because before she became my spouse I must have seen something in her and also I should be able to trust whoever I want to get married to.

(Okeleye Damola, student) Yes, if she has a reason for it Yes, if her business is over there and she is doing fine, why not? But nevertheless it will be for a purpose and a real one indeed. So that shouldn't be a problem to me.

(Adewale Tobi, student) It is not the best Lo n g d i s ta n ce relationship is not really the best. There will be lack of trust. You will be with your spouse and she receives a call the first thing that comes to your mind is cheating, then jealousy sets in and that is how all what you have built together will crumble.

(Ugobude Franklin, student) compiled by

OBADAN FAITH, GLORY UCHE TITTY, BOLA KAREEM AND TOSIN ADEWALE

Instyle

The high-top sneakers for men p.16

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13

C o n v e r s at i o n

Obasanjo midwifed Jonathan to be president – Alamieyeseigha Former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, How has life What is been away describes the APC as a party of “traders” who cannot your take from being a threaten the PDP in 2015. He also bears his mind on on the governor at a country’s time? the feud between President Goodluck Jonathan and security Well, things Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, the challenges have not changed and the federso much. I have alinsurgency war and his rumoured senatorial al government‘s ways been a well-calambition in the next political dispensation responses? culated human being.

I am focused. Whatever More than anyamong other sundry issues. He I want done, I will do it. I thing else, our greatest speaks with SUNNY NEME can say I am very bold and dechallenge today is securicisive. Even as a governor, I never ty. What we are facing today arrogated to myself as a boss should. In is new to this part of the world. most cases I drive myself, without security I go We are used to conventional warfare. anywhere I want to go.

Your enemy on the other side, and whoever that has I am from a very poor family, so position doesn’t better training or a superior fire power will overrun mean anything to me. Yes, I am a self-made man, but the opponent. But what we have today is a situation the environment and almighty God play a major role where the enemy is within your household. We also and in our lives. I am a product of two stark illiter- have a problem in this country as no parent will reates. And for God to have used people to get me to port his own child to security operatives that he is a this level in life, I am ever grateful. There are so many member of Boko Haram. That is one major problem. people over there that has passed same route like me.

Even those who claim to be nationalistic will Even the president of Nigeria today, if you refer not point to members if they know them. But back to his background, you will agree with me that unfortunately, even the parents of the Boko great people in this world are not necessarily from Haram converts are not spared in the crigreat homes. Humility is the key word. Whoever that sis. Yet these people are not spirits. They must be great, must serve first. If you look at those live among us. It is we as Nigerians who have played leadership roles in this country, that created the enabling environstarting with the first supreme commander of the ment for them to fertilise. Nobody armed forces, Aguiyi ironsi how many of his children will come into this house, if someare visible today? body in this house does not open the Next was Yakubu Gowon, how many of his chil- door for them. So, it is a Nigerian dren are prominent today, then Murtala Mohammed, problem.

(Olusegun) Obasanjo, Shehu Shagari, Muhamadu I pray that our armed forces Buhari, IBB, (Ernest) Shonekan, Sani Abacha down would quickly establish a robust to Abdulsalam Abubakar.? If you are made, and you national anti-terrorism agency, predon’t have anybody at the family circle to hand over pared and equipped to deal with the to, what achievement have you bestowed? situation we are in now. Because as Take a close look at all of them, how many of their at the moment I do not think we are children are in the limelight today? You have to be winning this war. And without secuvery careful when position of authority is bestowed rity there is no development. If I were on you. It is God almighty that gives power. If you the president I will deploy whatever look at that list, you will discover that they are from I have to solve this problem. It is not lowly background. So, we have to be extremely care- a war of ‘face me I face you battle,’ this ful, when position of responsibility is bestowed on us. is the war of the mind, a psychological warfare. So, we have to change the thinking of the young people there. It is an idea, Although there has not been much attention on you, it has been said that you have the eyes and of the which is a movement. So you have to change their president. How true is this assertion? thought pattern.

Well people can say anything. He was my deputy and because of that you cannot separate me from the president. My relationship with the president is in the public domain. I am extremely grateful to God “If I were the president I will Almighty that someone who was once my deputy is today the president of the Federal Republic of Nideploy whatever I have to solve geria. I am not taking the glory, because it with the this problem. It is not a war of divine will of God that he is the president. Even the circumstances that made him my deputy was created ‘face me I face you battle,’ this is

by Almighty God. And I cannot misuse that privilege. the war of the mind.”

So, mine is to support him 100 per cent in whatever he is doing because if he succeeds I have succeeded; if he fails, I will not be proud as a Nigerian. So, I will give him everything I have to see that he succeeds.

What do you think is responsible for this insurgency?

First of all it is the collapse of our value systems at the family level, poverty induced, lack of education, and religion-all these play a very insignificant role, as they kill more Muslims, than Christians.

As a delegate to the recently concluded national conference, how would you describe its outcome, especially as it relates to derivation, state creation and regionalism?

It is the best that has happened to this country.

The delegates were carefully selected, even though we were not elected. But never in the history of this country have we had these robust highly-competent persons under a roof to look at Nigeria’s problems.

Even at that, the president’s inaugural speech was revolutionary. He exhibited courage, that attitude of ‘I don’t know it all, let Nigerians make inputs to build a new Nigerian.’ The first week was very rough, because we all came from differents part of the country with different mindset. But after a week, we realised that be you an Ijaw man, Itsekiri, Kanuri, Yoruba or Igbo, we all agreed that first and foremost, we have a country that must be respected and protected.

It dawned on us to build a new country that all our fears are addressed.

An Ijaw man may be thinking that he is the most marginalised, but when you go to the north, which we used to know was a cohesive entity under the caliphate, it may be a CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Alamieyeseigha

14

WEEKEND | CONVERSATION

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Nigeria not winning war against Boko Haram mandate. It is a movement. Nigeria needed a change, and that lot fell on Jonathan. And if you go through what Jonathan has achieved as a president, in less than four years, no president in the past has ever recorded that level of achievement.

No government has also been troubled like Goodluck Jonathan’s government. Of course after the election, somebody promised that he would make his government ungovernable.

Yet due to his (President’s) maturity and level-headedness, he did not pursue anybody. We never experienced that before. In terms of project execution, if you catalogue projects, he has done more projects in the north than where he comes from in terms of project items and the volume of money. It is sheer ignorance, and at times people are mischievous to say things that they have no knowledge of.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

different ball game. We soon found that it (north) is not that united as we think, as there are lots of marginalisation and discriminations among the northern minority.

But remember that Ahmadu Bello’s statement in December 12, 1964 that, the northern minorities are willing tools to the Caliphate, his grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio. So, we all have issues, but national interest played a dominant role that all the decision we took on the about 600 recommendations were based on patriotic zeal. I think if we have the political will to implement the policies, we can make it work.

The policy decisions were in three volumes: those that require the executive implementations without necessarily going anywhere- the president can handle it; those that require act of parliament will get the attention of the National Assembly; and those for constitutional amended. If the government implements what we recommended, I can assure you that we have almost a brand new constitution, which we can proudly say, ‘We the people…’

Some talk of referendum, others talk of constitutional amendment, my take is that those decisions are not the language, but the impact on the people, because anything that does not put food on the table of Nigerians will not work here. Most of those economic theories were imported and it is not working here, it does not even work where they were imported from any longer.

With your influence and clout in the South South, especially in Rivers/ Bayelsa axis, many are wondering why you could not reconcile the president and Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Aren’t you worried that the South South is going into 2015 a divided house?

The office of the president must not be desecrated. It is an institution.

If you do not respect the office of the president, then you are not worth a leader. A governor of a state is a regional office. Even when it could be argued that it is a coordinate jurisdiction. But the centre is superior. I think there is not much problem between Governor Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan. I think Amaechi should be humble enough to go to the president and say, ‘I am sorry’, because he has no place to go. A child that is not respectful will also not deserve respect from anyone. Ambitions at times becloud our reasons. I cannot see Amaechi contesting as a president, because I do not see All Progressives Congress giving him a presidential ticket. If he is not standing as a presidential candidate, and Jonathan is presented by the Peoples Democratic Party and APC presents a candidate say from the north; would a Rivers man leave Goodluck Jonathan and queue behind Amaechi to go and vote a northern candidate from APC? The answer is no. At the end of the day, you are only making enemies that

What are your expectation for 2015, are you worried by the strength of the opposition, APC? APC is not a threat at all. They are traders. Don’t mind them.

The old animosity and suspicion between the Igbos and old Eastern minorities seems to have given way to a new understanding and comradeship. Is this for the period of Jonathan Presidency, or are there truly a new friendship and good neighbourliness?

It is not there at all. We worked very closely at the national conference. It was not just South South and South East, but also South West. For the first time, I saw southern Nigeria coming together for a course, because our demands, our issues and challenges are the same. We went to the conference with one accord. And to a large extent, the Middle Belt as well.

Alamieyeseigha

“We soon found that it (north) is not that united as we think, as there are lots of marginalisation and discriminations among the northern minority. ”

powerful. There are two entities you cannot fight.

I even told Amaechi: the first entity you cannot fight is Almighty God, and the second entity is the government.

No matter how you interpret it, nobody can fight government successfully. If you don’t understand that, then you have derailed and you have even no business to be in government. I am hoping that before we get to the time of elections, reasons will prevail, and people will retrace their steps; because Rivers State, I repeat Rivers State will never be surrendered to APC

will follow you all the days of your life. Politics is only a platform for you to help your people and by extension yourself. Leadership on its part is service, so I see no reason that Amaechi cannot make up with Jonathan. I have spoken to both of them. Jonathan has no issues. President of Nigeria is very

Many have accused Ijaws of making the government of President Jonathan an Ijaw affair…

That again is a misconception. Yes we have never had this opportunity since Nigeria became an independent.

So, naturally they feel happy that their son is the president of Nigeria. Jonathan’s presidency is a pan-Nigeria

You were removed by less than twothird members of Bayelsa House of Assembly, which culminated into your subsequent travail, then a presidential pardon. How would you react to this?

Everything that has happened to me, I have put them behind me. The person at the helm of affairs then President Olusegun Obasanjo, I have pardoned him. For him to have midwifed Goodluck Jonathan to be president, he is forgiven by me. ‘Yes’ I was impeached at number 15, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. My House of Assembly members were bundled from Bayelsa to Lagos and forced to carry out the impeachment. I have since moved on, and I hold no animosity against anybody.

The story around town is that you are warming up for a shot at the senate come 2015. How true is this?

I have seen posters and I have even seen T-shirts, being printed. But I have not told anybody that I am contesting, yet people are working behind me. About the calls from my people to take a shot at the senate, I am a stakeholder in this country and I know how politics work. I need to be further convinced before I can take a decision on issues like this.

INSTYLE

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

15

Fit for a queen

Musician Ure Okezie, better known by her showbiz moniker Queen Ure, never seems to have had enough of long, flowing gowns which she wears in varied styles and fabrics to depict royalty. The ex-banker speaks with ANGELA DAVIES.

L

Angela Davies eather pants and leggings are in style and ladies are embracing this hot trend.

These slimming and sexy leather bottoms will give you that chic or edgy look when paired with the right top and definitely standout you out.

They are perfectly flexible for any informal events like a friend’s birthday party, album launch or even a night out with friends as long as you choose the right accessories, top and shoes to go with them. However, how you choose to rock these leather outfits depend on your style.

TIPS

Veronica Ebie-Odeka

Go faux: Faux leather pants look like the real deal and are more affordable.

Avoid too tight leather pants: Too tight leather pants are uncomfortable. So wear a pair that is just perfect for your silhouette.

Pair with ultra feminine pieces: Pair your leather pant and leggings with stylish and girly blouse and tops to add the perfect dose of edge a basic outfit needs to keep it looking trendy. However, wear longer tops if you choose to wear the leather leggings.

Avoid head-to-toe leather: Just because you are wearing a leather pant or leggings do not mean that you have to match it with leather tops, jackets or accessories.

Accessorize: It is ideal to accessorize your outfit with bracelets, cocktail rings and wristwatch. And when it comes to footwear, you could opt for pumps, peep toes shoes, ankle strap sandal or even lace up boot depending on your style.

And do not forget your clutch or strap handbag.

Make up: Your make-up should blend with your style.

Nevertheless, if it is a daytime informal event, wear a light make up. But if it is an evening event, add some drama to your makeup.

Tiwa Savage

Tania Omotayo

Rita Dominic

Zinna Anumudu

What words best describe your style?

My style is queenly. I like to come out and royalty will be speaking. But generally, I am a stylish and trendy person.

What determines the kind of outfits you wear?

It depends on the occasion. I wear comfortable outfits that represent the occasion.

What kind of outfits make up a larger part of your wardrobe?

It is mainly long flowing gowns because I am a church girl even though I am not a gospel artiste.

However, you will also see dresses, skirts, blouses, jeans, T-shirt and shirts.

Is there any outfit you would rather not be seen wearing?

I cannot think of one now, but I cannot be caught wearing low heel shoes because I don’t feel comfortable wearing them.

What is that fashion accessory you cannot do without?

I cannot do without my brown powder. Even if I have just my powder on without any other make-up, I am good to go.

Most expensive fashion item ever bought That will be a human hair called Funmi Hair.

Are you the jewellery type?

I love good jewellery like bracelets, chokers and hand chains.

Signature perfume It is Angel

by Terry Mugler.

The fragrance is angelic.

How do you love your make up?

My makeup depends on the time of the event.

So, my make-up will be if it is for day event and a bit dramatic for an evening event.

Do you have a fetish for any fashion item?

It is high heel shoes. I love to always wear them in different styles and height. I started wearing high heels at a very tender age so I'm very comfortable in them. They make you look taller and sophisticated.

Best colour It is red. It is a bright colour that brings you out.

How do you love your hair?

I love it full, long and calling Queen Ure for attention.

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INSTYLE

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

Accessories to live for

Statement high-top sneakers High-top sneakers are comfortable smart casual footwear for guys which should be worn with the right attitude to make the perfect fashion statement at informal events, writes ANGELA DAVIES.

S

neakers have come a long way. They used to be limited to the gym, basketball court or jogging. Nevertheless, today the high-top sneakers, kicks or trainers as they are also called are the trend for guys as it has gone beyond being used for sport activities. These comfortable and fashionable footwear have become an essential fashion piece for guys who want to keep up with trend.

Wondering what high-top sneakers are? They are sneakers for serious fashion addicts. These sneakers are just a variant of the normal sport shoes with a little extension of the fabric to cover a little bit more than your ankle. Although they look more like basketball sneakers, you can still wear them with trousers, baggy jeans or skinny jeans depending on your style.

If you wear a skinny jean with high-top sneakers, tuck in the jeans and don’t keep the laces untied.

You can wear any top, jeans or trouser with your high-top sneakers as long as you remember to stay true to what normally defines your personal style. Try to make a statement pair of sneakers as a main component of your dressing and not just an accessory that you think of in last minute.

These designers footwear come in different colours and style. You only need to choose a statement pair that will blend with your style.

Facts Kunbi Oyelese is the creative director of April

by Kunbi, which was founded in 2010. Inspired by the month of April, April by Kunbi label has its design philosophy built on femininity, adventure and glamour.

Celebrated designer, Coco Chanel learnt the sewing trade from nuns who ran Aubazine Abbey, the orphanage she grew up in.

Maybelline New York is the official make-up sponsor of London Fashion Week 2014.

Costume jewelry is also known as fashion jewelry, junk jewelry and fake jewelry. It was specifically made to be an ornament to go with fashionable attires or costumes of the day.

FASHION ETIQUETTE

Right bra for backless dresses O

pen back or backless dresses are sexy, stunning and seductive. But what diminishes its appeal is an unsightly bra band showing across your back. That is the reason some women choose not to wear a bra.

In essence, you should not wear your normal bra with a backless dress.

But for women who are small-breasted, you can probably go without a bra. To pull off that backless dress, you should wear the right bra underneath. Hence, the solution is to wear a backless bra or adhesive bras for the most flattering look Backless bra or stick on adhesive bras consists of just the front cups of the bra.

And each cup of the bra easily sticks onto the breasts with a reusable adhesive, then fasten them up to get an instant cleavage. This bra provides lift, support and stays invisible to everyone.

However, the best size for you will depend on the size of your breasts and the level of support and lift you want to achieve.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

Grey blazer and black pants

T

he fashion face-off this week is between two gentlemen in the music industry. They are R&B singer, Bankole Wellington better known as Banky W and rapper, Chukie Edozien popularly known as Lynxxx. Both musicians wore a grey blazer with black pants to the same event.

Banky W wore a grey blazer paired with a black pant to the black tie event of DJ Jimmy Jatt’s 25th anniversary dinner and book launch which held on Sunday, August 17 at the InterContinental Hotel, Lagos. ‘Mr Capable’ styled his single button grey blazer which features black shawl lapels with a crispy white long sleeve shirt with black buttons, black bow tie, black stud earrings, black strap wrist watch and held a dark shades. He coordinated his look with black shoes.

Lynxxx also wore a single button grey blazer with black shawl lapels paired with a white shirt, black bow tie and black pant.

He added a white pocket square to the breast pocket and accessorized with dark shades, a Chanel brooch, gold signets, a silver wrist watch and black lace up shoes.

It is not just a fashion showdown between two musicians but two eligible bachelors as well. So who do you think pulled off the look better? Banky W or Lynxxx?

Banky W

Lynxxx

INSTYLE | TRENDS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

17

Think twice before you bare that cleavage S

Angela Davies ome have called it the triumph of vulgarity over good taste. They were referring to the brazen outfits worn by female celebrities which leave barely anything to the imagination. For the celebrities, it seems just about anything would be permissible for five minutes of fame on the red carpet.

No doubt at major events around the world like the Golden Globes Awards, MTV Movie Awards, 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards, The Oscars and the recently held MTV Music Video Awards and Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Alist celebrities audaciously showed up on the red carpet provocatively dressed up in cleavage-baring outfits with so much aplomb and they sure drew the attention of the readily waiting paparazzi’s who had field days taking pictures from all sides.

In recent times, many Nigerian celebrities and wannabe celebrities have embraced the trend of wearing cleavagereavealing dresses to major and special events in and outside the country. This trend however is not peculiar to spinsters as some married women and mothers equally embrace this trend especially when attending special events.

Often, this is construed as a bad thing and with good reason because in this part of the world, wearing such outfits is not considered an epitome of class and style. On the contrary, there are certain negative undertones associated with wearing cleavage-baring clothes especially in prudish societies.

In reality, one’s outfit should attract attention but not for the wrong reasons.

Although, there is a popular cliché that, "if you've got it, flaunt it" but showing a lot of skin does not make you sophisticated but only draw attention to yourself for the wrong reason.

These celebrities show up on the red carpet dressed in stylish and sexy dresses with low, plunging or deep v necklines that reveal cleavage which though may be sensual and appealing, but are overly expressive.

No doubt, cleavage is certainly the best asset of a woman’s body, but it should be flaunted properly. Hence, you can show off your cleavage in an elegant, confident and classy manner that exudes style but by no means assails the wearer's dignity. The key is to maintain some sense of balance. Leaving more than just little to the imagination is one of the sexiest manners of dressing, and it can also bolster a woman's confidence and style.

It's wise to avoid the extreme to avoid turning heads for the wrong reasons. To show off your cleavage modestly, try a slip dress that just grazes the bust or falls into a low "V" shape at the centre of the bust. The combination of elegant fabric and flattering cut will put focus on your overall look and not just on your cleavage. Then add your accessories to complete your evening look for that special event.

Before you decide to wear cleavage-baring outfit, remember that: • If you are not comfortable in your outfit, it will definitely show in the way you carry yourself and even on your facial expression when people begin to give you that less-than-complimentary stare. So wear something you feel very comfortable in.

• The "if you've got it, flaunt it" cliché certainly has some weight. So flaunt your cleavage in a classy manner and you will always be a style winner.

•Try not to get too much inspiration from international celebrities, who often dress for the cameras. It is very easy to jump into a trend simply because it is the hot new thing in the magazines or in the fashion world, but bear in mind that it is always better to dress for your own comfort.

Uzo Aduba

Ruth Enyinaya

Hannah Banner

Genevieve Nnaji

Ibinabo Fiberesima

18

THE ARTS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

Demystifying Securities Investment Management

A

Emman Usman Shehu lbert Einstein, famous for his Special Relativity Theory which in some way changed the world, at least from the perspective of physics, was also a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility. But he was also something of a philosopher. Some of his thoughts reflect the reality of life. For instance, he is quoted as saying: “ Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I am not sure about the universe.”

But my favourite Einstein quote is that which states” “ A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is NOT what it is built for.” That succinctly summarises the fact that we cannot run away from taking risks, because life itself is about taking risks.

I will take a deliberate risk by starting this review in violation of our natural reading order. Towards the end of Eghosa Imade’s book, Security Investment Management, there is an illustration that has become universally familiar. Inspired

by Dante’s The Divine Comedy, Auguste Rodin’s bronze sculpture of a nude figure sitting on a rock with his chin on one hand as though in deep thought, is referred to as “The Thinker”.

Since its public appearance in 1904, it has been cast in multiple versions around the world and has become a fitting image that represents philosophy. But then our concern here is about finance, economy and possibly accounting. Accounting, for me, suggests accountability, something we do not seem to truly bother about in this country and that has led to a lot of our deficiencies that have become the Nigerian disease.

But more on this later.

The progress of a society inevitably manifest through the quality of thinking that is encouraged. It does not matter the quantity of resources available to that society as long as the capacity to utilize those potentials are not harnessed. In a sense this encapsulates the Nigerian situation.

A country bursting with enormous human and natural resources, that it used to be referred to as the “Giant of Africa”. A potential it has woefully failed to fulfill.

That appellation was not just a reference to its geographical, but essentially to its large population and economy. The preface of Imade’s book is a telling commentary on the relationship between population and economy, two important development indices. It is also, unfortunately, a sad commentary on Nigeria.

For instance, he notes that: “Sorely structured as an import-dependent economy, the volume of trade economic activity by Nigeria is built around a sole natural resource: crude oil. Worse, with dysfunctional refineries at home, even the critical value-added jobs are also shipped abroad, thereby docking the economy of the competitiveness that should naturally be hers, were the consumable petroleum products processed

REVIEW by our citizens here, giving the nation some leverage to improve its balance of payment profile. That mirrors our crass dependency on other economies for such a pivotal commodity with overarching tendencies on the national economy and security. Precisely because we export jobs overseas, our GDP, indeed our national income, is grossly trimmed by the avoidable huge import bill.”

Imade further adds: “ Therefore our exchange rate is blighted by the vagaries associated with the commodity in the international market. Which is why the economy is afflicted by the Dutch disease; a situation whereby a nation’s foreign reserve grows for exogeneous reasons and not because of the value adding activities of its citizens. The egregious and widespread poverty, unemployment, privation, destitution and misery poignantly underscore this point.”

Nigeria will always have economic possibilities.

The challenge is to go beyond the possibilities and make them into practical economic realities Indeed just as there is a Dutch disease, we must frankly admit that there is a Nigerian disease, which the last part of the aforementioned quote hints at.

We must not be lulled into not doing the needfulls, a reality check and taking pragmatic steps however risky they may be. Much better than being stuck in the

harbour of our failure.

The current rebasing euphoria only restates the familiar anthem of potentials. Nigeria will always have economic possibilities. The challenge is to go beyond the possibilities and make them into practical economic realities. We do not even have to radically think out of the box, so to speak, because the lessons of history all over the world provide solutions applicable to our own situation.

It just requires taking the appropriate ones.

First step is accepting that we have a problem. Second is making the right diagnosis. For instance Imade notes: “ The fallacy of financialism and the specious outlook of a strong economy fly in the face of an uncompetitive and wobbly manufacturing sector, a small clique of ingratiating businessmen , spoilt with patronage by their cronies holding evanescent state power; a condition that accentuates the lopsideness of wealth and income distribution in the country.”

Nigeria at this point needs a leadership that has the corrective will. A leadership that is willing to take risks in properly and actively diversifying the economy, and not docking the economy with manipulative tendencies that amount to wating time and resources, while we remain stuck in this pitiful harbour.

What Imade’s highly technical book offers, for instance, to borrow his own phrase, is a means of economic wellness through the capital market.

That can only be possible when we have a proper understanding of what it entails, especially in the area of Securities Investment Management.

The book started life as a Masters thesis, as Imade himself admits, and benefits from a rigourous study of relevant texts providing a formidable cornerstone. Clearly, the work has also benefitted from the author’s vast experience as an accountant, financial educator and public commentator. Therefor what is on offer is a treasure trove that will dispel fears about financial investment management. It will help those willing “to seek better and more profitable ways of harvesting a fair return” without taking unnecessary risks. This detailed exploration of investment management in almost 240 pages is commendable. It shows us , apart from the technicalities, that there are peculiar risks with well documented examples. This therefore gives us the power of relevant knowledge to circumnavigate the potential minefields as we steer out of the harbour.

We can call this work a homegrown solution and it is fittingly so. Imade shows, through this work, the can do spirit of the Nigerian especially if he is given the enabling environment. Our dependency penchant can be reversed if we truly wish to change by boldly taking risks. We can have our own Einsteins and Rodins who can make impactful contributions not only in Nigeria, but also beyond. Eghosa Imade, take a welldeserved bow. *Dr Shehu is a literary activist.

REFLECTION

Dora, The Jewel Timothy Akinleye The news broke and Time stood still!

Good old Sun got frozen along his Westward path like steel; Joyous birds and dancing trees, Put on hold their cadent zeals.

Chai! An Eastern Jewel is stolen, Our collective Treasure, death hath broken, The NAFDAC Eagle has fallen!

And death from us a Stalwart is taken!

A Teacher and a Public Servant with a Difference Even in frail health partook in the Conference Seasoned Administrator, who kept her Words And against fake drugs and Barons she waged the Wars.

Visionary Leader, a pace she set Twice tried they, the Sun of her life to set!

Honest. Courageous and Patriotic In a political terrain chiefly chaotic!

She came, she saw, she conquered Drug Barons, murderers of our future Vanguards.

Outstanding Egghead and a Mentor to many Who put her life on the line without a penny.

Born in Markurdi, Benue State on July 14, 1954, Earned worthy degrees and accolades far above five and four Passed away in June, twenty-fourteen in India. Oh Dora!

Though once a great Speaker in many fora.

Proponent of Good People, Great Nation, She fought gallantly devoid of personal ambition.

Described by Time as Heroine of international repute And Drug Warrior with nearly a Messianic Zeal.

Strong Voice for Due Process, Avowed Defender of the Helpless, Survived two assassination attempts!

But succumbed to death and its contempts.

Officer of the Federal Republic We mourn your demise openly in public Erudite Scholar and Island of Integrity We know with you we shall mock death in Eternity. © Tim: August 2014 0809 866 8480

Funke Akindele vs Femi Adebayo The odds against their marriage p.21 Benita Nzeribe My ordeal with a female fan p.20

SHOWBIZ NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

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19

Ruggedman: 9ice and I haven’t seen since our face-off

Rap artiste Micheal Stephens otherwise known as Ruggedman rose to fame in the music industry in 1999. The Lagos State University political science graduate has just released the single Agidi featuring Wande Coal, a song that was leaked on the internet a few weeks back. On this and some pressing industry issues, he speaks to LANRE ODUKOYA WHAT I’M UP TO As I speak to you I just dropped a new song titled Agidi featuring Wande Coal.

It’s produced by Tyrone. The song is so hot that somehow, someone stole Wande Coals part of the song and leaked it on the Internet. I felt bad at first because it is the 1st song I am releasing after a long time, but instead of the leak working against me, it worked for me. The leaked part went viral and since they had gotten a taste of the new Ruggedman song, It got them clamouring for the complete song.

It is being mixed by Sheyman and it will drop very soon. I am also getting ready to shoot the video for it. Also dropping on TV real soon is the video for 8Figures featuring Reminisce, directed by Squareball Films. Also, I've been manufacturing new wears for my 20th Sept Wear clothing line. I produce them outside the country because I want the professional standard finishing people are used to. I have snapbacks, t-shirts and hoodies. I have been having meetings with top online stores and I am happy to say they will be handling sales and distribution. I am actually re-launching with 8Figures hoodies, t-shirts and snapbacks and they will be available for purchase from online stores from the day 8Figures video is released.

WHY WANDE’S PART IN MY COLLABO WAS LEAKED Wande’s part was recorded at his place and sent to me. I can’t put a finger on where or how someone got a hold of it. I can’t do a publicity stunt with an unfinished song.

POLITICAL TIE None. I am just one person that’s up for the rights of humans and I am always ready to help raise funds, lend a hand or voice where it’s needed. However, if I’m offered a post and If it’s one that will effect immediate positive change in the lives of people and one that I am free to run the office as I can and want? Yes, but is there such a post?

DAVIDO AND WIZKID’S IMPASSE What two artists feel for each other cannot affect the image of the industry. The real actions I believe will affect the image of the music industry is crime committed by an artist. What they feel for each other only affects their image, and really I can’t pick one. I love the talent, great songs and drive they both have. If they choose to have a little friendly competition thing going, it’s cool. It will drive them to do more and better. As long as they don’t get it twisted that it’s supposed to be friendly competition.

THE RAP INDUSTRY The rap being made in the industry today is moving with the times. There was a time hardcore hip hop was the in thing. Right now commercial hip hop is in vogue, but what I like about the industry is that you can still find rappers doing both hardcore and commercial rap. We all know which pays more, so it is a thing of choice about which route you want to take then the "why" will be obvious. Whatever choice you make, just do it well that's what matters most. Only a fool will argue with success.

ON SAYING GOODBYE TO WESTERN RAP I think it’s a good move especially since I was one of the first Nigerian rap artist to ask people to infuse our mother tongue when I said, 'the only thing wey go make dem know where you come from in the long run is the fusion of grammar, you slangs and your mother tongue'. This was in the song, Ruggeddybaba ft 9ice in 2006. So, what I said years ago is coming to past and I am glad.

CURRENT RELATIONSHIP WITH 9ICE I haven’t seen him since our face-off.

MY OTHER ENTERPRISES I do a bit of business outside music and I also compere events. I also frequently do a

lot of work to give back to the society which explains why I was recently made a United Nations Peace Ambassador. I also have my clothing line called TSW (Twentieth Sept Wear) and I am re-launching it in a few weeks. I just finished a new video for my track, 8figures featuring Reminisce and I am re-launching my clothing line with 8figures snapbacks, varsity jackets and hoodies.

LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE YEARS I have been in the music industry give or take 10 years or 13 if you want to start counting from when my first song ever came out. That's how I know I am blessed because so many people who came out when I did have dropped off. Even some artists that came out after me are not remembered today, but I am.

THE INDUSTRY AND I One has to be sufficiently grateful. I must say that the industry has been fair to me especially because I have been fair to it with my songs that revolutionised the industry.

MARRIAGE PLANS Again I say, marriage is not a fashion statement. I pray for the right partner and as soon as it is done you will know.

20 SHOWBIZ

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LANRE ODUKOYA - 08059296445 lanreodukoya@gmail.com

Clement, Ruky, others take audience to fantasy land on Project Fame

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Adebayo and Akindele on a movie set

This tie should bind Funke Akindele, Femi Adebayo but...

Y

oruba actors, Funke Akindele and Femi Adebayo, have since proven that they’re masters of their game. The number of lead roles they clinch and corporate deals that rake in millions for them help seal this just as much. But beyond the arts, they tango in matters of the heart. Their romance a couple of years back produced screaming headlines until it headed for the rock.

How did the affair even end? That was shrouded in secrecy and a lot of half-truths about the break-up were paraded as facts. Anyway, Funke and Femi gave their crush a longer lifetime than necessary.

They knew it would end nowhere but the love bug continued to bite until the famous romance put a dampener on the happiness of Femi’s wife, Khadijat. Today, Funke and Femi have but the ashes of what once made them happy called "marriage". You see why some are asking that they return to each other’s arms? They share a mutual marital status and whatever they both have learnt in their failed marriages, maybe they would be able to correct together as a lovers who once paired well.

No man would envy Femi knowing why he couldn’t marry Funke. According to a source, his dad, Adebayo Salami is averse to his children marrying anyone from the Christian faith, they were only allowed to pass time with Christian girls anyway. Khadijat, the ex-wife who had three kids with Femi hated her husband’s career.

If she had her way, Femi would only resume sessions in the courtroom as a lawyer. And by the way, Femi has an LL.M while Khadijat holds an LL.B degree.

She was uncomfortable with how women flocked around Femi and wished she could put a stop to that. Alas, she resorted to finding succour in someone's arms. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was an incident that ruined Femi emotionally. He was on the set of a movie when a text message Khadijat meant to send to the "strange man" crept into Femi’s phone instead. It read, “The idiot has left me alone with the kids as usual...”

Disheartened Femi was said to have left a movie location angrily and the situation didn’t abate until Khadijat moved for divorce. Though Khadijat is a Hijab-wearing Muslim, her ex-father in-law was said to have forewarned her not to expect monogamy if she married Femi. It’s actually alien to Oga Bello (as he’s fondly called) who glories in polygamy that produced numerous children. Femi and Funke may look good together, in fact, Funke should be able to cope with polygamy as she’d just severed one from her rested marriage with Kehinde.

Whether the duo still feels anything for each other is one and that the "no Christian spouse" embargo will be relaxed for Funke and Femi is to marry another.

t was yet another heart-fluttering evening and one not to forget in a hurry last weekend. The evening started on a very happy note with the contestants’ group performance of Pharell Williams’ Happy. The audience was particularly thrilled to hear that Banky W, one of the A-list Nigerian artistes was in the house as a guest judge and would also be performing.

The contestants performed some songs that made it to the much acclaimed International Billboard. One thing was evident in the performances, the contestants have realized that the competition has become survival of the fittest and they did bring on the fighting spirit as they battled for survival.

The night produced one of the most touching performances ever witnessed on Project Fame and left majority of the ladies in tears and enfeebled the gentlemen’s hearts. The depth of emotion Clement brought into his performance of When Am Back on My Feet Again was truly stirring; especially given the fact that he has been struggling with temporary walking disability in the past weeks, his performance carried everyone on the wings of emotions to his battlefield.

Banky W’s performance did a terrific job of dispelling the heavy atmosphere; the audience could not remain in their seats as he effortlessly did what he knows how to do best - singing his Yes/No and Lagos Party.

Before Mr. Capable's spectacular performance, the judges announced Ruky, Daniella, Flourish, Emeka, Clement and Geoffrey as the top best performers for the night.

The hope is that the contestants will put to good use Banky W’s wise words: "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard".

For the contestants, it was another week full of various activities like morning drills, lectures, rehearsals and it can also be tagged the most emotional week as it featured several emotion-laden moments.

But in all, after earnestly seeking votes on air during their meet and greet session and of course from their online fan base, the weekend came and it was time for another set of contestants to leave the Academy.

The show kicked off on a good note with the parade of all the contestants in their "Lagbaja" costume. They came all out dazzling the audience with their Afropop performance of Lagbaja’s all-time best hits and this of course got the excited audience grooving along.

Roy (Season 4 runner-up) is another proof that Project Fame does not only support the winners but serves as a good platform for all who pass through it. He stepped on stage again to entertain everyone with one of his new singles, Omalicha, which is currently enjoying massive airplay.

It was then time for the contestants with the least number of votes: Taiwo, Oge, Christian, and Debby to contend earnestly for their stay in the competition.

Christian again enchanted the audience including the judges and who couldn’t but save him for the second time in a row. Faculty on the other hand saved Debbie and Taiwo who hasn't been on probation before got a second chance into the Academy via the contestants’ votes.

This sadly brought tenacious Laami who was the first Academy captain and pretty Oge’s quest in the competition to an end.

Although saying goodbye hurts badly, they couldn't help but appreciate with smiles and a strange sense of contentment the enormous input of the faculty and judges in their lives and promised to put all they have learnt to work.

Linda Ikeji acquires duplex for parents F

rom the gossips you probably made your daily devotionals, Linda Ikeji is making the millions. Love or loathe the vivacious lady, her blog is the most visited in Nigeria today. The exmodel and now Nigeria’s queen of blogs has acquired a multi-million naira duplex for her parents, we gathered. This was made known by her younger sister, Vera, who posted the photograph of the near-completed edifice on Instagram. The young lady who is obviously taken over by joy also prays to God to be as rich and benevolent as his sister, Linda.

The photos were captioned thus: “Linda Ikeji’s gift to our parents. God bless u every second of your life. N may ur Xmas wishes come true.”

Ikeji

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

SHOWBIZ

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Why I now sing hip-hop – Pasuma For Fuji musician, Alhaji Wasiu Odetola aka Pasuma, things are falling into places with ease. Apart from releasing some hip-hop singles recently, plans are underway to celebrate his 30 years on stage by October.

OLUSHOLA RICKETTS speaks with him.

By October you will be celebrating your 30th anniversary on stage. How do you feel?

It was really great when we had my 25 years on stage.

Now, we are celebrating my 30 years. I give thanks to God and I promise my fans I will continue to make good music.

For the celebration, my manager, Afolabi Oyekoya and AO21 media, will take care of the activities and I can assure my fans that it will be a memorable moment.

How would you describe your romance with hip hop music?

I think hip hop is something that people have been waiting for me to explore fully. I felt this is the right time to really make something unique and let Nigerians know that I’m still fully active in music. You know I’ve been around hip hop for some time now. At present, I’ve dropped three singles titled ‘Abo,’ ‘Omo olope’ and ‘Oti clear.’ And before my hip hop album is released, I plan to do more collaboration. I also have a video for the first single ‘Abo’ directed

by Clarence Peters.

Do we see you dropping fuji music for hip-hop?

No way, I won’t leave fuji. I’ll still remain a fuji musician; I am just doing this to make myself stand out among other artistes doing and for my fans to have a feel of another part of me. People are already accepting the singles and there are demands for more.

Could you tell us some of the challenges you had to surmount?

As for me, the challenges were so much that I can’t even remember all at the moment.

There were instances band members would suddenly tell you that they don’t want to play because you've not been paying them well. You would wait for them to come to shows endlessly. I also remember cases when the vehicles transporting the instruments to the venue of an event would break down and it becomes difficult to get to the venue. Clients would be devastated and screamed at you.

Some will even ask for a refund, but hard work has taken us to this level and we thank God things are now different.

People used to struggle to accept fuji music. What did you do to win the hearts of people?

We really didn’t do anything; we just kept doing what we do best. I pray to God that this was

what I wanted to do and I stayed committed to the genre.

Tell us about your trying periods, a time you thought of quitting music.

Something happened in the 90s; I went to a show and it was scattered. My instruments were destroyed and most of my men were seriously injured. When I got back home, to be honest, I told myself that I would not return to fuji music again. But a very good brother, Nene Jamiu, encouraged me and even went as far as getting me new instruments. He also took care of my boys who were admitted in the hospital.

What could you have done if not music?

I can’t really say; I would probably have returned to school to continue my education.

How did you come about the name Pasuma?

The man that gave me the name said it’s a medicine that makes a weak person strong. It is more like a pain relieved drug. So to me, if you listen to my music, you would be relieved of your pains.

How was growing up like those days?

My father used to be the general manager of a company in Apapa, while my mother was a trader. She was formerly an actress, though. We lived in a house popularly known as barracks in the modern Lagos. My childhood days were rough and tough. If you are born and bred in Mushin, you will understand where I am coming from. Your lifestyle can never be like the person in Lekki or Ajah. Then, when you meet a girl and you tell her you are from Mushin, she would completely turn her deaf ear towards you. My parents got separated when I was 10 years old. I was in primary four then.

How was it like living with a single parent?

My mother like I said was a trader and I used to help her to hawk fried fish. There was a cinema close to our house and I used to carry fried fish there to sell.

At some point too, I sold Fan Ice products with bicycle.

There was also a place in Mushin where I used to push wheel barrow. I helped traders to convey their goods. I also worked as a bus conductor; we used to ply Mushin to Oshodi and Iyana ipaja to Agege.

Your story is touching. How did you really get into music?

I was inspired by the music of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal. Then, he released an album ‘Talazo ‘84’ and I felt I could do more. I started my musical career when I was in secondary school. I would sing to my friends in school. After secondary school education, I ventured into music. Though my mum and dad wanted me to further my education, I settled for music.

I started with performing in hotels. Later in 1993 a man asked me to come to the studio and do some recordings. I declined immediately because it was a new idea to me and I was afraid. He urged me to try, we signed an agreement and that led to my first album, ‘Recognition.’ I choose the name because I wanted people to identify me with fuji. After I returned from Mecca, I had my third album ‘Orobokibo’ and it was the breakthrough. I had my first award as the ‘Best Fuji Artiste of the Year.’ I got so many awards afterwards.

Are you married?

No, I am not. I had all my children out of wedlock.

I tried to get married, but it failed. I would have married Ayo Adesanya when I wanted to settle down, but things didn't work out. I used to see being single as part of enjoyment while I was younger. I didn’t really think about marriage, but I know I need it now. I see myself as a good father despite raising children by myself. I take good care of my children and I don't play with their education and development.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

It all depends on my mood. I dress to be comfortable, but when I am going out for events I often dress to attract attention because people want to see that you are looking good. I have people around who tell me what is tending or not.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

BENITA NZERIBE: 'A woman once told me she hated me so much in an aircraft' Nollywood actress, Benita Nzeribe, is known for playing bitchy roles, earning her admirers and antagonists alike. She talks about acting, Nollywood and endorsement deals in this interview with ANGELA DAVIES. As a safety ambassador for Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, what have you been doing?

Our television commercial is on air and we are working on a project that I am not allowed to talk about for now. And outside NAMA, we have a soccer television reality show coming up soon which includes me, Kanu Nwankwo, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha and others sponsored by some banks and oil companies.

Did you take a break from acting?

I did not take a break from movie. We premiered a movie in London on August 8 which incidentally was my birthday. I have been busy shooting movies and television commercials.

When did you start acting?

I started acting at a young age. I hit stardom at 18 years old and I have been around for 15 years. Then I used to wear heavy make-up so you don't see my real age. As a green horn, you have to put in your best so I wasn't acting my age because I wanted to meet up.

What was your first movie?

My first movie was in 2000 titled gold diggers which also featured stars like Jim Iyke, Olu Jacobs and others. It was produced and directed by Ekenna Igwe. I think I was paid N30, 000 or thereabouts. Most challenging movie role That will be an epic film titled Land of the Dwarfs which had 30 dwarfs and was directed by Andy Amenechi. I was a fearless medicine woman who led the warriors on their quest for the golden axe kept in a shrine at the dwarf's homeland. The movie was shot on a hill and thick forest in Enugu and sometimes even by 3.00am we were still filming whether it was raining or not. It was not funny at all. And I was the only woman among the 12 warriors I led to get the golden axe. It took me two months to recover from the grazes, mosquito bites and all that. It was really rough. However, I acted in a series titled Beyond Our Dream before switching to movies.

Do you plan on producing your own movie someday?

If it is producing movies, I would have done that a long time ago because I have the wherewithal to handle that. But I just don't want to do that. Must I follow the trend? There are many upcoming acts in the industry.

Does that scare you?

There are so many of them because it is a very big industry and it will accommodate all of us.

I don't have to compete with anybody, I am just me. I am still me and I am still here. Nollywood then and now I will call Nollywood giant because

we have grown. I mean the world is standing still for us, take it or leave it Nollywood is a name to reckon with all over the world. We have made a mark. Back then when you say you wanted to be an actress, people would look at you as a never-dowell. But these days, if you have got what it takes, let's meet in Nollywood.

What do you think is lacking in Nollywood?

I will just say we are learning. In life you fall and you get up, you make mistakes and you learn from your mistakes as well. Yes, we make mistakes in Nollywood but we learn from it to improve our industry. We are not lacking anything, we are actually performing magic. No doubt, some movies are worth it and some are not, but we keep growing.

Just like acting, you get better with more jobs.

Playing bitchy roles In real life I'm a humble person. I am a professional to the core. I live my roles so once I am in front of the camera, I am that character until the camera goes off. And once the camera goes off, I go back to being Benita. Since it is all about make believe, when I act bitchy role, you will think I am bitchy. I act any role given to me to the best of my ability for myself and also to put a smile on my director's face. I love God passionately; I am very humble sometimes to a fault and easygoing. I like to laugh though sometimes my good heart puts me in trouble.

How have you been able to give back to the society?

I am giving back to the society in an enormous way which I don't like talking about. I own a foundation which helps abandoned babies and a particular grade of widows. It is on a monthly basis because they have to eat and survive. It is just like paying bills. When you give back to the society, you do it so that God will bless you and that has been my secret.

Is there a man in your life?

You will meet him soon. I am single but I'm taken.

What's the weirdest thing someone has said to you?

We had boarded an aeroplane and a woman sat beside me, but she didn't talk to me. But just as the plane began to taxi, she turned to me and said angrily, 'I hate you so much'. But I pretended as if I did not hear her. When she saw that I didn't react, she repeated the same thing. Then I said, 'Ma, have I offended you? I am not sure I have met you before'. Immediately, she replied, 'No, because my husband is in love with you'. I was dumbfounded. I became very humble instantly because the airplane doors were already closed but if it were open, I would have disembarked.

I thought of my life first, then, I began to chat with her. By the time we landed, we had become friends. But when she started, it was not funny.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

What influenced your decision to consider the arts?

In terms of stimulus, I was influenced by books, music, films and comics. I spent a lot of time alone as a child so I was constantly looking for ways to amuse myself. It turned out great because I was able to develop my talents in drawing and painting, which led to graphic design. My first attempt at narrative work from very young was drawing full length comics with characters and plotlines. I think these would even qualify as storyboards with text today. My sister, Funke, is a huge influence on my reading habits, and I studied English Literature as one of my A-Levels. I think the songwriter in me developed when some friends in secondary school made me write out the lyrics to hit American pop songs for them as I seemed to understand the accents better. It helped me to understand the structure of modern music and I started trying out my own songs. I just spent long periods trying to understand great films, music and marketing campaigns.

How did your parents react to your choice of career?

I generally keep most of my preparations to myself, so they didn’t really get a chance to say, ‘don’t do this or that ’, although they sensed my artistic side and spoke against it. All I know is that deep down they want the best for me, even if we’re still in negotiations on concurrence.

You clinched the lead role in Kunle Afolayan's work, October 1. How did this happen?

Well, for a long time we’ve shared a film obsession, even though I didn’t know about his until I started hearing about his work some years ago. I had been showing him my videos since then, as I went to film school in the UK after my Master’s course

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It felt natural for me because I understand the structure of music, from classical / opera to hip hop so I just had to develop it by creating my own stuff, which I did.

How many songs do you have already?

It’s just 14 so far. We only really released three so far, but with minimal marketing.

Are your songs, both from R&B and Hip Hop of artistic appeal or for the lure of commerce as we mostly have today?

I’d say both, because they are actually quite diverse, which may scream ‘contradiction’ , but it actually suggests range.

Who are those who influenced your decision to embrace music?

The list is too long. I’ve delved deep into different genres of music from many countries.

Are you planning musical collaborations with any of the A-list singers?

Yes, as soon as I can set some dates aside to concentrate on an official body of work for release.

So far, I’ve had collaboration with Ice Prince, who is a really cool creative cat. My work with him and DJ Atte will be included.

Which of the works of art do you wish to make your main stay?

So far, even though I make plans, I leave room for the unexpected. I love film though.

At what point did it dawn on you that you would get a livelihood from the creative industry?

It was when I realized that my truest future would come from harnessing my God given talents, as opposed to simply paper chasing. I worked for around 4 months during a school break at Alder Consulting, which kind of rearranged my views on creativity in Nigeria and what was possible.

Leke Alder is a visionary that was excelling at Brand Management & PR long before the new wave of companies born out of the recent success in our creative industries.

Did you not show early interest in business as expected of the son of a successful businessman?

I did, because that’s the basics of making money. I worked in my dad’s companies before, factory hopping and spying on the marketing department and he has many ways of teaching you how to make money without letting you get a taste. This is hunger inducing, but I guess that was the point. Of course, due to this I’ve attempted all kinds of businesses and money making schemes in different industry sectors over the years. Some went well, some didn’t. But there are many business lessons up my sleeve. I’ve run a multimedia production firm called Yin Media ltd for about seven years now and the lessons continue.

SHOWBIZ

Ademola Adedoyin: I’ll be to entertainment what my dad is to commerce Ademola Adedoyin is another billionaire's kid whose ambition is finding expression in entertainment. His father is the famous industrialist, Samuel Adedoyin, CEO of Doyin Group of Companies. Adedoyin read graphic design and English literature at A-Levels at St Bede’s School in Hailsham, East Sussex, UK. He speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA about career and family. and had started shooting my own stuff. I had never heard him as excited as I did when he called me about some script written by Tunde Babalola called ‘October 1’ (working Title ‘DUST’). Of course he put me through the paces, multiple readings and script analyses.

He becomes this ‘other’ person when it comes to the work, very serious and hyper-focused. We were able to agree on the direction and form the ‘Prince Aderopo’ character would take and it was non-stop after that.

Have you acted in a film or a stage play before then?

I got a part in a short film directed by Fleur Wesling in the UK about racism. I got to see and feel really high tech film gear in action and how it can transform what a director is trying to say through actors. Not too long after I got back to Naija I got offered a lead role by Storm Records' director Tola Odunsi. It’s called The Island which is a feature length sponsor-backed TV series. Apart from

playing the lead role I helped write the character Bible and first couple of episodes. I also created the graphics and website we used to initially promote the show.

You also sing, where did you draw this part of you from?

I used to be a good Boys II Men mimic and one day someone made the mistake of suggesting I had a nice singing voice. I’d been experimenting in studios with rap and r & b long before that anyway.

How do you hope to help in sustaining your dad’s business legacy when you concentrate more on showbiz?

Well, his legacy will evolve based more on his own plans than anyone else’s, and I’m in the process of building my own.

Of course, I understand the responsibility of guarding it and I would effectively if that’s part of my future.

What other passion do you have that may well evolve over the time?

So far I’m focusing on the creative industries but my selfeducation in real estate is in continuity. I learn a lot about this particularly from my dad and my knowledge of this sector is growing.

How about family life, is there a woman giving wings to your dream yet?

If you’re talking about a Muse, the answer is yes.

Do you see marriage before you anytime soon?

This question always pops up.

Well, I can’t tell the future but these things can happen really fast at a certain point in life.

What are the values that strike you in a woman?

It’s curiosity and wit.

What projects are you working on currently?

With the publicity run for October 1 and a web development and film diary project for an estate in Abuja my hands are pretty full.

We’re also looking to finish filming The Island before end of year.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

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Ooni of Ife rounds off superlative burial for mother in-law

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t is no more news that, the Oonirinsa of the source, Oba Okunade Sijuwade is bereaved, but the superlative burial plans of the first class royal father’s mother in law was the talk of town. One of the Oonirinsa’s celebrated Olori, Chief Ladun Sijuwade recently lost her nonagenarian mum to the cold hands of death.

The burial ceremony of Chief Flora Olamide HaroldSodipo was held this week. Mama Harold-Sodipo (née Adefope), a grand dame of the Nigerian social establishment, was the mother of Oloori Ladun Sijuwade, the beautiful wife of the His Royal Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse 11, the Ooni of Ife. She died on Thursday, August 24, at the ripe age of 92.

Mama Harold-Sodipo was survived by three children - Adedapo Harold-Sodipo, Oloori Ladun Sijuwade and Adebayo Harold-Sodipo, many grandchildren and a great grandchild.

The funeral arrangement kicked off on Wednesday, August 27 with a service of songs at Yet's Court, Maryland Crescent, Ikeja. The dress code was gold head gear.

The Christian Wake Service held on Thursday, August 28, at the Anglican Church of Ascension, Omodara Street, Opebi, Ikeja. The colour code for the event was coral head gear and white attire. The funeral service took place on Friday, August 29, at St. Peter's Church, Ajele Street, Faji, Lagos Island. Reception followed immediately after the service at Habour Point, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. The dress code was bronze head gear and Ankara attire.

Where’s Tafa Balogun?

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Akpabio and Umana take face-off to United States

F

riendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art; it has no survival he life of former police helmsman, Tafa Balogun, value. It is rather one of those things often reads like fiction. It’s really sheer idling to that give value to survival. The clash attempt to mock his travails; one just mirrors the between governor of Akwa Ibom State, life of the former super cop through a bloodline characGodswill Akpabio and his former poter. In the late 1990s, there was an enigmatic young man litical ally and ex-secretary to the state named Sheriff Balogun, he was in his late teens then. government, Obong Umana Okon He wasn’t the best student in the arts department, but Umana put paid to this. As a matter he stood out in his own right. He was a kid with a well of fact, the no-love-lost situation has managed medical condition, average pupil in class, travelled with them beyond the shores but jaw-dropping on the soccer field. He combined of motherland. The former friends relittle traits of both introversion and extroversion, but cently engaged in fierce verbal altercahe hardly ever talked whenever it wasn’t necessary. In tion in the United States and almost Badagry Grammar School, Lagos, in the era in focus, reached for each other’s jugular. They Sheriff wasn’t particularly a lady’s toast. In the mixed allegedly crossed paths at a conference school (with day and boarding facilities) that had over organised by Akwa Ibom people resi2,500 students, guys mostly flocked around him and dent in the United States. Informants they were all "boarders". It was to later dawn on us insist that Umana had got wind of the that what made Sheriff a superstar was that he never meeting and attended to drum up suplacked money; in fact, there was constant supply of it port for his gubernatorial ambition. He to his account. So, he was benevolent to pupils who had taken the floor and was reacting would exhaust their upkeep money before the midto allegations of abuse of ofterm. Interestingly so, he was to the school football fice levelled against the team what Kanu Nwankwo was to the Super Eagles. incumbent with an At the resumption of the new session and on visiting apology for being days, the NPF official SUV and the hunky police ofa part of it from ficers that conveyed Sheriff with his props gave him the outset. He away as the son of a super cop. It was too late before we realised he was the son of Tafa Balogun. We already left secondSOLUTIONS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE ary school, lost contact with Sheriff before we could recognise the A C T U A T E K I T ACROSS 10. OPEL 22. NIL striking resemblance between him 23. TAG D Y L U R N A 1. ACTUATE 11. RAND and his dad. Tafa Balogun made 5. KIT 12. UP 24. EVE history as the most humiliated inM A R T A R E N 7. URN 16. OB 25. CAR spector-general of police. Was this 8. MAR 17. ORAL 26. RADICAL I A O O P E L based on the scale of his vices? Is 9. TAR 18. EVER he the most corrupt public office R A N D U P I holder recent history? Anyway, the A T C E S A L then president Olusegun Obasanjo DOWN

treated him as though he were. AfL O B O R A L 1. ADMIRAL 13. ILLEGAL ter languishing in jail and having 14. CORNER E V E R C C S E 2. TYRANT lost his fortune through confisca3.

ALTO 15. ARCTIC tion, the man shrank back to his P E N I L T A G 4. EUROPE 19. VEER cocoon. He practically broke his 5.

KNEE 20. CLAD I E V E A I A social claws and would mostly be 6. TAN 21. PIC found at Islamic functions lately.

C A R R A D I C A L Akpabio

was said to be in the middle of the plea when Akpabio walked in. And when he had the microphone, he trashed all of Umana's assertions with his own claims and made a grave accusation.

All the instability experienced by his government were the offshoot of the conducts of Umana in and out of office. His next claim nearly resulted in a brawl. Akpabio allegedly requested his audience to ask Umana if he wasn't given free hand to nominate candidates for appointment into government. According to informants, “at that point, Umana couldn't restrain himself again, he rushed at Akpabio shouting you are a liar...” and that he would ensure Akpabio paid for his crime "when" he is elected governor. Barring the timely intervention of some participants, Umana and Akpabio who were restrained might have engaged in physical combat.

Umana

SPSPLASH RT

Balotelli faces baptism of fire ...as Liverpool TACKLE Totteham

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Chelsea battle Costa’s injury, as Everton unleash Eto’O

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NFF crisis a disgrace – Ikpeba

zzSays AFCON qualifiers may suffer zzUrges Sports Minister to make peace

A

Vincent Eboigbe

Musa

former Nigeria international, Victor Ikpeba, has described the current crisis engulfing Nigerian football as a “disgrace and embarrassment.”

The trouble, which started following the removal of Alhaji Aminu Maigari as President of Nigeria Football Federation, his subsequent impeachment, reinstatement and inability to function afterwards, came to a head on Tuesday with two congresses taking place in Abuja. One ended with Chris Giwa, owner of Giwa FC, emerging as NFF president, but the other faction in the imbroglio dismissed the election as a sham.

Ikpeba, a member of the NFF technical committee, said the crisis in the Glass House was not only needless, but capable of throwing a “spanner in the works” of the AFCON qualifiers which get underway on September 6.

He noted that election into the board of the federation should not be a do-or-die affair as is the case right now, but should follow laid down procedure in keeping the democratic dispensation. He also said that government reserved the right to institute a probe into NFF’s activities and how the body has spent money released to it in the last four years, but that this again must be done consistent with due process.

“What has been happening in our

Ike Uche set to punish Barca

Anxiety, overconfidence cost us trophy – Falconets captain }p.27

football is an embarrassment, a disgrace and sad. I’m a member of the technical committee and I know these guys personally and my appeal is that they settle everything amicably so that election can hold,” counsels Ikpeba.

“We are in a democratic dispensation, we elect the nation’s president, state governors and other positions, so NFF’s election should not be different. It should follow the democratic spirit and not be subject to this war of attrition that is dragging our football down. Nobody can tell now what action FIFA might take; they might ban us again. It is a shame.”

“How will all this affect the national team in the qualifiers? I cannot say whether the team will be affected or not or how they will be affected.

But what I can say is that there are no more minnows in football. I recall a match we played against Congo in Lagos in 2002, we had defeated Tunisia and we though Congo will be easy but we were unable to break them down.

So we should be mindful of that and put our house in order.”

Ikpeba traced the latest crisis in Nigerian football to Super Eagles players’ strident demand for their entitlements during the World Cup in Brazil with the attendant embarrassment to the country and ouster of the team in the second round.

“Everything happening now is as result of the players’ action during the Continue on page 27

Bolt enjoys night out in London

}p.28

}p.32

City test for Moses, Osaze

}p.28

Basketball is my life – Colonel Ahmedu

}p.31

26 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Nigerian League Rendezvous with charles Ogundiya

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

08098042287

Who will rescue Strikers battle for LMC’s Wonder Goal award players from T this infamy?

D

espite the effort to make the Nigeria Professional Football League one of the best- run on the continent, the continuous poor handling of players’ remuneration may hinder such lofty ambition.

The players are the major actors of the game and without them, there ‘ll be no league. Yet most of these players are suffering in silence with no succour in sight for them.

Players of El-Kanemi Warriors during the week gave the state government 10 days ultimatum to settle all the backlog of entitlements owed them after they suspended their initial three days strike.

In Taraba, the battle for the soul of FC Taraba between the chairman of the club, Tijani Babangida, and a permanent secretary in the ministry of sports, is already taking its toll on the players.

According to investigations by League Rendezvous, the players received their last salary in May, while also waiting for backlog of match bonuses.

The Oyo State government is owing players of Crown FC of Ogbomosho several months’ salary arrears leading to the players embarking on strike at the beginning of the second half of the season. The situation is yet to improve even after several weeks since resumption.

Also during the week, the players of Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt stormed the Rivers State government house to receive last season’s sign-on-fees and match bonuses.

Some of the players who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity say they don’t know who to turn to as they don’t want to lose their jobs.

“My brother, we are really suffering in this league. Some of us can’t even attend to our immediate needs despite playing week-in-week-out.

“In fact, I can even play for a club in Niger Republic if the treatment is better than what we experience in Nigeria,” the player said.

A coach with one of the clubs in the league who also did not want his name in print informed League Rendezvous that the players were the architects of their own problem.

According to him, the players make the club management believe that they are doing them a favour when in fact it is the other way round.

“Sometimes I blame these players for their desperation. They jump into any contract without proper paper work and when the clubs threaten them, they keep quiet because they don’t want to lose their jobs.

“If the players can come together and form a common front, then the club will see them as united and treat them with respect,” he said.

he second winner of the first ever ‘Wonder Goal’ instituted by the League Management Company will be rewarded this weekend as the voting came to an end today, August 30.

Rangers International of Enugu striker, Osaguona Ighodaro, won the first which was part of LMC’s drive to deepen fans and community engagement and reward marksmans h i p of the

highest quality in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

According to a report by the organiser, the goals of Abia Warriors’ duo of Chisom Chikatara and Cletus Itodo in the 4-1 victory over Akwa United on June 4 and the 1-0 away win against Enyimba on March 3 respectively, have been penciled down. The last goal on the list is Emeka Eze’s goal for Rangers in a 2-1 victory over Kano Pillars on March 22.

The winner will be rewarded with N100,000 with 50 percent of the amount going to a charity organisation of the winning goal scorer ’s choice within the location of his club.

Crown striker, Shehu Dauda, deploying the bicycle kick

Nasarawa United target continental ticket N

asarawa United’s coach, Baba Ganaru, and skipper, Baba Idris, are targeting a continental ticket at the end of the season.

The club currently lies second on the league table behind defending champion Kano Pillars with 41 points from 25 matches, two behind Pillars.

Baba Ganaru, who won backto-back titles with Kano Pillars before pitching his tent with the Lafia side, said the club would continue to press forward for a continental ticket.

According to him, it is not yet Uhuru as the conclusion of the league is still a long way away.

The skipper of the side, Baba Idris added: “Being in second position and getting a continental ticket have been our dream and that of the club management since the start of the season.

“At the start of the season, the chairman, Barrister Isaac Danladi, told us that playing on the continent is the minimum and that they were ready to support us to achieve that.

We are enjoying life at the top and we are poised to keep fighting till the end of the season.”

Idris said that the team was not lacking in anything as the management was providing everything needed for a successful campaign.

“The management ensures we lack nothing. Providing all we need and getting the right people to get the job done.

“After finishing in the 13th position last season, the club brought young and hungry players as well as very experienced people. The boss, Baba Ganaru, has imbued us with his principles and ideas. On our part as players we are young, we are disciplined, we are focused, we are determined,” he said.

Sardaunan Babes for Ghana tourney D Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt players at the Rivers State Government House demanding to see Governor Rotimi Amaechi over last year’s sign-on-fees and match bonuses.

Battle of noisy neighbours

T

he clash between noisy neighbours, Bayelsa United and Nembe City of Bayelsa State, will be more than the three points at stake. Pride is a major issue as the two sides continue their fight against relegation.

The two clubs are enmeshed in relegation struggle and the three points will be

important for both of them.

In some of the other matches on Sunday, Kano Pillars will stake their title credential against FC Taraba, while Crown will be home to title hopeful, Nasarawa United in Ibadan.

Enyimba will trade tackles with neighbour, Akwa United in Uyo as the battle for continental

ticket enters the crucial stage.

Kano Pillars lead the table with 43 points followed by Nasarawa United and Enyimba in second and third postions respectively.

Nembe City are marooned in the last spot on the table with 24 points, with Crown FC three points ahead of them in 19th position.

Glo league table No

Team

P

W

D

L

SF

SA

Pts

GD

1

Kano Pillars

25

12

7

6

38

28

43

10

2

Nasarawa Utd

25

12

5

8

27

19

41

8

3

Enyimba

25

11

7

7

29

17

40

12

4

Dolphins FC

25

10

9

6

26

17

39

9

5

Abia Warriors

25

11

4

10

35

28

37

7

6

Sunshine Stars

25

9

10

6

33

29

37

4

7

Warri Wolves

25

11

4

10

25

26

37

-1

8

Lobi Stars FC

25

12

1

12

27

30

37

-3

9

Akwa Utd

25

10

6

9

20

21

36

-1

10

El-Kanemi

25

10

5

10

28

22

35

6

11

Sharks FC

25

9

8

8

25

22

35

3

12

Giwa FC

24

10

5

9

22

21

35

1

13

Heartland FC

25

8

10

7

23

20

34

3

14

Gombe Utd

25

9

5

11

29

27

32

2

15

Taraba FC

25

10

2

13

17

27

32

-10

16

Rangers

25

9

4

12

32

31

31

1

17

Bayelsa Utd

25

9

3

13

29

37

30

-8

18

Kaduna Utd

25

9

3

13

21

31

30

-10

19

Crown FC

25

8

3

14

18

30

27

-12

20

Nembe City

24

5

9

10

13

34

24

-21

ivision two side, Sardaunan Babes FC of Kano, will storm Accra, Ghana, in September to battle for honours in the FIFA Agent Cup competition.

According to a report by the club, the team will be made up of 20 players and seven officials as they take on other teams from the West African coast.

According to the team manager of the club, Alhaji Kabiru Ali Mazado, the team will depart for the competition on September 25 ahead of the first game of the tournament.

Mazado said the club sponsor, former Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has given the team assurances on their participation in the competition.

He said Shekarau who is the Education Minister transformed the fortunes of Kano Pillars when he was governor of the state and has charged the players to excel in the championship.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

27

Daniel hails ‘impressive’ Falconets Temitope Ogunbanke

F

Falconets captain, Patience Okaeme, foreground, with team mates during the U-20 Women’s World Cup

Anxiety, overconfidence cost us trophy – Falconets captain C

Comfort Chukwu

aptain of Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, Patience Okaeme, has attributed Nigeria’s loss to Germany in last weekend’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final down to two factors – overconfidence and anxiety.

The usually efficient Nigerians, who had found the back of opponents’ net 15 times on their way to the tournament final in Canada, suddenly found goal scoring hard to come by when it mattered most against the Germans.

The Germans, however, made the most of the few chances they created and ran out with a 1-0

Akinlade donates ICT to Abeokuta Sports Club Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A

House of Representatives member, Abiodun Akinlade, has inaugurated an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre at the Abeokuta Sports Club to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the club.

Akinlade, representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, had some months ago initiated the project which includes the donation of more than 20 flat screen computers.

Speaking during the inauguration, the lawmaker promised to organise a free three-month training on ICT for members of the club.

He noted that the training was imperative to enhance their

skills on the use of the computers and other facilities.

Akinlade asked the leadership of the club to discuss with members and fix a convenient period for the training.

Responding, the President of the club, Lion Tunde Aregbesola, expressed appreciation to the lawmaker for his gesture, saying he had been consistent in fulfilling promises.

Aregbesola urged members of the club to explore the opportunity provided by the federal lawmaker.

According to him, age is no barrier to acquiring more knowledge, especially now that the world is going digital in all facets of life.

He promised to expedite action in reaching agreement with other members of the club on when to commence the ICT training.

An ICT centre donated by Hon. Abiodun Akinlade to Abeokuta Sports Club as part of activities marking the 110th anniversary of the club in Abeokuta on Wednesday.

PHOTO: KUNLE OLAYENI

win with Lena Petermann grabbing the match-winning goal eight minutes into extra time to steal victory for the Europeans, who have now won three world titles at U-20 level.

And speaking to New Telegraph in Abuja, Falconets skipper, Okaeme, said the loss to Germany was a function of overconfidence and anxiety.

“We were too sure we would win the game,” said Okaeme.

“We had made it a habit of scoring goals at the beginning of matches because that boosts our morale.”

She added: “But when we played Germany and the goals were not coming, we got tired and discouraged. I think that contributed to our loss.”

NFF crisis a disgrace – Ikpeba

Daniel

Wada restates support for Kogi teams Muhammad Bashir Lokoja

Ikpeba CONTINUED from PAGE 25

World Cup, their fight for money, we tried to let them know the implication but they won’t listen, and the Sports Ministry saw that as a lapse on the part of the NFF board. I think the players should have been more patriotic. Even now we are yet to receive a technical report from the coach as a result of all the trouble,” he said.

The former African Football of the Year urged the Minister of Sports, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, to thread softly and seek to bring all the warring factions together as he was like a father to all.

“Danagogo is a young man who should play the role of a

ormer governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has congratulated the silver-winning Nigeria Women’s U-20 team, the Falconets, for their feat at the justconcluded FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Daniel in a statement made available to New Telegraph by his Media Officer, Ayo Giwa, hailed the players as real heroines of the tournament for going that far to do the nation and African continent proud.

“The zeal, determination and patriotism displayed in their fivestar performances during the tournament is a testimony that the country was not in any way disgraced but only lost in the final match to their German counterparts by a slim 1- 0.

“The Falconets really did the nation and the African continent proud. Although it was painful to have lost the most important game and by such a slim margin, their efforts are truly worthy of commendation,” he said.

The former governor also praised the handlers of the team for the great job by getting the team to the final, urging them to build on the experience they garnered during the competition and present another formidable team that will bring the coveted trophy to the country at the next edition.

peacemaker in this feud, he cannot afford to take sides. I hope he doesn’t go down as a minister whose tenure witnessed the worst chaos in Nigerian football,” Ikpeba pointed out.

“The Maigari board, and this is without prejudice to my being a member of the technical committee, has done very well in the past four years – we won the Nations Cup, qualified for the World Cup and got to the second round, we won the U-17 World Cup, the Falconets only recently got to the finals of the U-20 Women’s World Cup – so I think the whole problem could have been handled better and election conducted without this rancour.”

K

ogi State Governor, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada, has reiterated his support for the two Kogi State football clubs.

Wada gave the assurances while responding to questions from journalists in Lokoja during the week.

Captain Wada expressed confidence in the day-to-day running of both Kogi United and Confluence Queens.

“The sole Administrator, Adama Abdul, was appointed on merit, and from the feelers I am getting from the public show that the sole administrators knows what he is doing and is directly in charge. Ours is to provide logistics and financial backing to ensure his success.

“As much as Kogi State’s teams are doing very well in their cadre of the Nigerian league, I support in entirety all his actions to restore our lost glory in sports in Nigeria,” the governor said.

illareal hit man, Ike Uche, can extend his rich vein of form when his side welcomes former champions, Barcalona, today in the La Liga.

The out-of-favour Super Eagles striker continued from where he left off last season when he scored in his club’s 2-0 win at Espanyol last weekend.

He will be expected to show his worth in a match of this magnitude as the Yellow Submarine look forward to getting at least a draw in the tie.

In Italy, Ogenyi Onazi may play a part in Lazio’s away tie at Milan.

Ogenyi recovered from an injury he suffered at the World Cup, but it remains to be seen if he has regained full fitness.

In Germany, Obasi will have to prove he is fit for the World Cup qualifiers against Congo and South Africa, when his club Schalke confront Bayern Munich.

There have been questions about his fitness ahead of the qualifiers and he is yet to feature for his club this season.

V

Ike Uche set to punish Barca

ictor Moses could make his Premier League debut for Stoke City when they face Manchester City today at the Etihad Stadium.

Moses who joined Stoke from Chelsea was named the Man of the Match in the club’s 3-0 win against Portsmouth in the Capital One Cup and the former Liverpool loanee could get his chance to shine again against rampaging City.

Osaze Odemwingie who missed Stoke’s season opener was in action as his side secured 1-1 draw at Hull City last weekend.

Brown Ideye must banish the disappointment of missing a penalty in West Brom midweek’s League Cup win over Oxford United and help the Baggies secure their first win of the season.

The club’s record signing is still looking for his first goal and could come under pressure if he does not find his bearing this weekend. His compatriot, Victor Anichebe, may also play a part for West Brom in the match.

V

City test for Moses, Osaze

EAGLES FOCUS

ajibade.olusesan@newtelegraphonline.com

ajibade oluSesan

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

NEW TELEGRAPH

Totteham’s Chadli

Liverpool’s Balotelli

Liverpool’s Sturridge

L

iverpool manager, Bredan Rodgers, is set to unleash Mario Balotelli on Tottenham in a mouth-watering Premier League clash at White Hart Lane on Sunday The Italy striker joined the Merseyside club from Milan last Monday, but was not signed in time to feature in the 3-1 defeat against his

of the campaign in their second fixture of 2014-15.

Raheem Sterling and Coutinho took up good positions in pockets of space in the final third, and Steven Gerrard sprayed the ball around nicely from deep but, ideas in the final third were severely lacking, and it looked as though individual magic courtesy of Daniel Sturridge was the

help fill the void left by the Uruguayan is new signing Mario Balotelli.

The Italian possesses so much talent, but the negative he can bring on and off the pitch comes with an aura of fear. When Balotelli is on his game, nobody works harder, but when he gets frustrated, he can fade out of the match and everybody forgets he

For Tottenham to dominate a game so completely, at such an early point in the season under a new manager, is a massive contrast from last season, which saw numerous close-fought wins and only two by a fourgoal margin.

Tougher tests lie ahead as they gear up for Liverpool on Sunday in what will be the

...as Liverpool tackle Totteham

Balotelli faces baptism of fire

Totteham’s Adebayor

Global Football Special

W

tletico will be hoping to kick-start their campaign against Eibar, particularly with both Real and Barca facing potentially tricky trips following their wins on matchday one.

Luis Enrique’s Barca head to Villarreal on Sunday and they will be aiming to produce a more convincing performance at El Madrigal than they did last term.

After falling 2-0 down, Barca – who were then coached by Gerardo Martino – had to rely on three goals in the final 25 minutes to snatch victory.

Real make the trip to San Sebastian on Sunday to face Real Sociedad and they will be looking to continue their excellent recent run against the side of under-pressure Jagoba Arrasate.

Last term Carlo Ancelotti’s side accumulated a 9-1 scoreline against Sociedad over the course of the two league meetings.

A

Atletico face Eibar , Real battle Sociedad

est Brom boss Alan Irvine has confirmed that he will be missing three of his new signings for Saturday’s trip to Swansea.

Defender Joleon Lescott, Georgios Samaras and new loanee Silvestre Varela will all be unavailable for the trip to Wales as they continue to work on their match fitness.

The Baggies named a much-changed side for the penalty shoot-out victory over Oxford in the League Cup on Tuesday, allowing some of the returning players to get some game time.

However, Irvine admitted the injured trio will need until after the international break to get themselves in shape for the rigours of the Premier League.

Irvine said: “Varela won’t play any part on Saturday; he’s not fit. He’s going to need the international break to have a mini pre-season.

“Neither Samaras nor Lescott will be fit for the weekend. The fact is none of them have had a pre-season.”

Swans trip too soon for injured West Brom trio

28 SPORT NEW TELEGRAP 30 AUGU

LA Liga Saturday Bilbao v Levante Córdoba v Celta Atlético v Eibar Espanyol v Sevilla Sunday Villarreal v Barcelona Deportivo v Rayo Real v Madrid Elche v Granada

D

sternest examination of Mauricio Pochettino’s managerial talents since his arrival in north London, and the Reds will be out to claim victory after losing to Manchester City last Monday.

F ormer Crystal Palace winger John Salako has welcomed the appointment of Neil Warnock.

Salako now expects new signings to soon arrive.

“I think it will be a bit of a shock to Neil as he enjoyed doing his media work and seeing the family, but he’s probably kept an eye on the market and kept in touch with people,” said Salako to the Croydon Advertiser.

“Now he’s got to go straight into it.

He has a few days to wheel and deal.

“If Neil can bring in one or two before Monday’s transfer deadline I am sure he will.”

“Steve Parish, I’m sure, will be there backing him. Tony Pulis wanted certain players that he didn’t get and I know the club doesn’t want to break a wage structure and go too mad.

“Neil will hope to bring in faces he’s familiar with.”

Salako thumbs up Warnock for Palace return

is on the pitch.

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a stylish first home win of the season as they routed Harry Redknapp’s QPR in a largely one-sided affair that finished 4-0 at White Hart Lane.

B

urnley boss Sean Dyche isn’t paying attention to Manchester United’s doubters ahead of Saturday’s clash at Turf Moor.

United have taken one point from their first two Premier League games, and suffered a 4-0 reverse in the Capital One Cup at MK Dons on Tuesday night as Louis Van Gaal looks for his first competitive win as boss at Old Trafford.

Burnley are also seeking a first

Klitschko Undisputed heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO belts against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on Nov. 15, the Ukrainian said Wednesday.

Klitschko had to pull out of the original Sept. 6 date due to an injured bicep.

But now the eagerly-awaited clash will take place in Hamburg a couple of months later.

“I hope to recover from my injury quickly to get back into training in a couple of weeks. Thanks a lot for your support. I’ll keep you updated,” said the 38-year-old, who has reigned for eight years.

Mercedes will wait unit the end of the season before continuing contract talks with Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes opened contract talks with Hamilton last month shortly after Nico Rosberg signed a new long-term deal with the team, but negotiations have been put on hold to allow the Briton concentrate on his world championship title.

Despite putting contract negotiations on hold, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff insists the team are not looking to replace Hamilton.

“Despite what people are questioning about it, at the end of the day I saw them play Sunderland and they’ve still got van Persie and Rooney up front, still got Mata that’s three who aren’t bad just off the top of my head, so you’re looking through the team and I’m not thinking they’re going to come here and by some miracle not be a strong side, because I think they’ll certainly be strong.”

Hamilton

win of the campaign, and Dyche is in no doubt how difficult it will be to emulate the result the last time United came to Turf Moor in 2009, when Robbie Blake stunned the champions with the Clarets’ first Premier League goal.

Dyche said: “We know the challenge that is in front of us in the Premier League in general, never more so than when the big guns come to town.

Dyche wary of Man United threat

on the road.

The hosts have won four of the last five league meetings between the sides at Goodison Park, including a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Steven Naismith goal last season. And, in contrast to their visitors, Everton received a boost to their attacking ranks this week.

Having already secured the services of Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis for a fee of £28million during the close-season, Roberto Martinez snapped up another Chelsea old boy in the form of Samuel Eto’o on Tuesday.

And the Everton manager has hinted that the Cameroonian, who retired from international duty on Wednesday, could be thrown straight into his starting XI.

SPORT BRIEFLY

iego Costa’s potential absence could hamper Chelsea’s chances of maintaining a winning Premier League start at Everton on Saturday.

Chelsea have kicked off their campaign with wins against newly promoted duo Burnley and Leicester City, with Costa - who arrived from Atletico Madrid for a reported £32million fee in July - finding the net in both games.

However, the London club confirmed on Thursday that the Spain international striker is suffering from a “minor muscular injury” and faces a race against time to be fit for the trip to Merseyside.

And Costa could prove a big miss as Chelsea try to improve on a poor record against Everton

Chelsea battle Costa’s injury, as Everton unleash Eto’O

Tiger woods has explained his decision to withdraw from the Ryder Cup, saying that he would not have been ready to compete at Gleneagles next month.

Woods, 38, took himself out of the running by withdrawing from the competition due to continued back trouble.

“Physically I just couldn’t do it,” he told Sky Sports. “I wouldn’t be ready and not being ready for my teammates, for the captain, assistant captains and everyone who’s involved in the event, I just wouldn’t be ready and I just couldn’t help the team.”

Tiger Woods

Bundesliga Leverkusen v Hertha Hamburger v Paderborn Bremen v Hoffenheim Stuttgart v Köln Wolfsburg v Frankfurt Schalke v Bayern Munich Mainz v Hannover Freiburg v M’gladbach

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

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

J

uventus begin their Serie A title defence under new coach Massimiliano Allegri at Chievo on Saturday.

A tumultuous close-season saw adored head coach Antonio Conte surprisingly leave the Turin club, having guided Juve to three successive Scudetti.

Conte has since taken the Italy job, paving the way for Allegri - whose fouryear spell at Milan ended in January - to take the reins.

Allegri’s Juve’s era starts at Chievo

FIXTURES

NO TEAM P PTS 1 Tottenham 2 6 2 Chelsea 2 6 3 Man City 2 6 4 Swansea 2 6 5 Arsenal 2 4 6 Hull 2 4 7 Aston Villa 2 4 8 West Ham 2 3 9 Liverpool 2 3 10 Everton 2 2 11 Sunderland 2 2 12 West Brom 2 2 13 Man Utd 2 1 14 Southampton 2 1 15 Stoke 2 1 16 Leicester 2 1 17 Newcastle 2 1 18 Crystal Palace 2 0 19 Burnley 2 0 20 QPR 2 0

PREMIER LEAGUE

only way Liverpool would forge an opening.

With thirty-one Premier League goals and 13 Premier League assists Suarez is virtually irreplaceable. However, one player who has the potential to

Battle of the Blues

former club Manchester City later that day and he is in contention for selection for this one.

Liverpool suffered a 3-1 defeat by a clinical Manchester City on Monday evening, subjecting Rodgers’ charges to a first loss

ami - AC MilanAdil Rami confirmed that he will not move to Monaco, as he feels no need to leave AC Milan.

Monaco were keen on signing the 28-year-old, but will now have to look at other options.

Then, the rumours came that Monaco were looking at the centreback, but the man himself cleared air by tweeting that he will stay.

‘Thank you all for your messages, I appreciate it,” he said. “However, I play for Milan so I will not

R

Rami rejects Monaco move

move. Forza Milan, with all due respect to Monaco.”

The Frenchman came from Spanish side Valencia, as he was allowed to leave on loan after criticising his head coach, Miroslav Djukic, and his teammates. Rami spent the second half of last season in Italy, making a total of 18 appearances last Serie A season.

dinson Cavani’s entourage expect the striker to stay with PSG. The Uruguay international has been linked with a £50 million move to Arsenal, while Manchester United and Chelsea are also being linked.

But Cavani’s camp doesn’t believe PSG will allow him to leave.

“Arsenal has not contacted PSG,” a confidant told RMC. “Anyway, Paris has told us repeatedly that the player is not transferable.”

E

PSG won’t sell Cavani

rsenal are being linked with AS Roma midfielder Adem Ljajic.

C a l c i o m e rc a t o . c o m says Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is maintaining an interest in Ljajic.

The 22-year-old saw a move to Manchester United collapse back in 2010 over work permit issues but the player would relish a second crack at the Premier League.

Arsenal could use Lukas Podolski as a makeweight in any deal despite Wenger’s insistence the German won’t be sold in this window.

A

Arsenal linked with Ljajic

TRANSFERS

PH ON SATURDAY UST 2014

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30 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Table Tennis prodigy, Onaolapo, reaching for the stars

O

Ajibade Olusesan

jo Onaolapo has not disappointed since he was identified as the future of Nigerian table tennis when he reached the quarterfinal of the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.

That was his first major international competition outside Africa, but he wowed everyone with his playing style and despite losing to eventual gold medallist, Japanese Kiniwa Ko, in the round of eight of the boys’ singles, he was still considered one of the best performers at the tournament.

This precocious talent has been a force in Africa in the junior category since then, but he alerted the whole world to his worth when he helped Nigeria to win bronze medal in the team’s event of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

He came up against world’s number 44, Sharah Kamal Achanta, in the bronze medal clash at the games and as a 19-yearold and ranked outside of top 400, he defeated the more illustrious Indian.

His footwork was excellent, his composure belied his age, the calculation and technique he exhibited attracted to him a lot of admiration. He was the star man for Nigeria.

He has been tipped as the next big thing in Nigerian table tennis and many still wonder how rapidly the Sunshine Star Table Tennis Club player has developed in the game.

“I think I inherited the talent from my father. Although I did not grow up to know him well, the little I can remember about him is that he was a talented table tennis player, although he did not play it professionally as my mum told me. I was also fortunate to meet a coach who is also like a father to me, he picked me up when I had lost hope in life and I thank God that I am where I am today,” he said.

Many African p l a y e r s Onaolapo always

battle with self-belief when they come up against players from other continents, especially Asia. They tend to think that their opponents are better and would beat them.

Onaolapo concedes that he battled with such complex when he was a younger player but had outgrown that.

“When I want to play now, I don’t fear anyone. I will go there with self-belief that whoever I’m playing against is just a human being and a player like me. I always tell myself that I will beat this one.

So I played against the Indian not minding the fact that he was one of the highest ranked players in the world and I am happy today that I beat him,” he said.

Onaolapo is a youngster with a great vision. Although no Nigerian table tennis player has broken into the world’s top 20, Onaolapo said he had a vision that was greater than just breaking into that bracket; he wants to reach the very top of the game.

“I believe in the talent that God has given me. I know that if I remain focussed, the sky will be my limit. I am not one of those who think that no African can be the world number one. My dream is to become the best not only in Africa but in the whole world,” he said.

Despite dominating headlines both at home and abroad, stars like Segun Toriola, Atanda Musa, Yomi Bankole, Babatunde Obisanya, Nosiru Kasali never won an Olympics medal. Although Toriola and Musa won the Commonwealth Games gold medals, none of them made it beyond the quarterfinal stages of the Olympics.

But Onaolapo is determined to excel where others failed.

He said: “Of course I can win Olympics medals. In this life, nothing is impossible if one works hard. Winning the Olympics medals is not a child’s play because all the best table tennis players in the world

will be there; it will be tough even for the world’s number one to win, so if you have to win, then you have to be in good form, prepare very well and hope for luck.

“You may be playing against the highest ranked player as someone who is not even in the top 100, and you can beat the best if you are determined and you are in good form and you also have your good day. I proved that at the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

Although he is not categorical about realising his dream of winning Olympics medal in his first attempt when Rio 2016 Games take centre stage, he is determined to make a major impact in the tournament.

“I am looking forward to attending the Olympics Games for the first time. It is my dream to represent my country in the Olympics although I cannot promise that I will win something, I will do my best and perform well,” he said.

Despite the progress he has made in his career in the past six years, the teenager said he would have achieved a lot more if the atmosphere were conducive for the development of young talents. He said that there were inadequate competitions at home and he relies on international tournaments to upgrade his game. He said in other countries, players enjoy corporate sponsorships and government support but things were not the same in Nigeria.

“It is true that we don’t have enough support, the players in the country are good but there are no competitions in Nigeria so I have to rely on international tournaments to improve,” he said.

He however said things were changing positively now since Enitan Oshodi took over as the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.

“We thank God that things are changing now because of our new president.

We are getting more competitions; we even had international competitions here in the country. I am very happy and grateful to him. He supports all the players, we are like his sons and daughters and I believe things can only get better,” he said.

Although he holds Toriola, Monday Merountohun and Aruna Quadri in high esteem, he does not pick his role model from among them. He said that he adores the playing style of Ovtcharov Dimitrij of Germany. “He is my role model, because my playing style is similar to his and he is a fantastic player,” he added.

Onaolapo at the last NTTF Lagos Open

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

A lot of people out there know about Colonel Ahmedu, the retired military officer and proprietor of the Dodan Warriors Basketball Programme, but few know that you are also a lawyer. How did that happen?

I graduated from the Nigeria Military School in 1977 and proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University to study law under military scholarship. Upon graduation, I went to the Nigeria Law School, Lagos, where I was called to bar in 1983. I became a certified judge-advocate in 1988 before retiring from the army in 2005 after 32 years of service. Since then I have been in sports management, particularly basketball, which remains my number one sport.

Regardless of your age, you continue to exhibit a high level of fitness uncommon among your peers. What has been your secret?

First, it’s God. We thank God for the opportunity that He has given to us. When you also do sport, it enhances your health, and we thank God for the privilege of good health. What you do from your youth is what you would carry into your old age.

So, I didn’t come into sport by accident. It started for me as a young boy in the barracks. Sport was a way of life. I played basketball, which is what I am now known for, but I was also the Kaduna and Niger state champion in triple jump, and jumped with people like Babatunde Coker and Joshua Kio. I was even in the junior national athletics team. I also played volleyball competitively, and still get to play with the young ones whenever I see them playing at the National Stadium. I played polo and hockey as well because as a young boy we were restless. But our restlessness was in a positive way, not for bad things. And I guess sports took us away from the vices we would have fallen into.

So, it is because of that that I decided to form the Dodan Warriors. The aim was first to get children involved in sports; to keep them away from the vices.

You see, I grew up in Obalende, and the civil war had just ended. A lot of soldiers had returned from the warfront, a n d drugs were prev-

Ahmedu

Basketball is my life – Colonel Ahmedu

President of FIBA Africa Zone Three and proprietor of Dodan Warriors Basketball Programme, Colonel Samuel Ahmedu (rtd), in this interview with Ifeanyi Ibeh, reveals the reasons behind his unwavering passion for basketball, as well as why Nigeria continues to find it hard to beat Angola on the continent. alent. Some of the soldiers would send us to go and buy Indian hemp for them, but I thank God that I never got to smoke it. May be if I did I could have liked it and become an addict. I was exposed but I didn’t toe that line because of the sports I was into, and that was why I decided to set up the Dodan Warriors as a way to help kids back in 1994. And we have grown and continue to grow, because right now, we are no longer just a club, but a brand; a very attractive brand.

So basketball is my life, and without basketball I don’t know where I would be today.

Nigeria won’t be at the FIBA World Cup, and is gradually losing its grip on African basketball.

What do you think can be done to make sure Nigeria reclaims it’s place in Africa?

First, the NBBF needs to be restructured because we have charlatans claiming to be members of the federation. If the right people are in the federation, things will go well. I am happy you said ‘claim our rightful position’, so who were the members of the federation when we were at the top? What did they do right then and what is it that the people there right now are not doing right, or that they have devi-

ated from that i s now costing us?

Those are the things that they need to look at.

This is not a personal attack on the federation, but it is something that hurts me deep inside because I consider myself a stakeholder in this game. I started playing basketball as far back as 1967 when I was nine years old, and I continue to play to date 47 years after.

There are some pretenders who

were not there when things were not going well but who, following the successes recorded by the federation, and because they know one or two influential people in government, felt a need to get into the federation because they felt there was money to be made. And the people in authority, in the Sports Ministry, who should make things work the way it should work, don’t like to deal with people who would tell them the right thing. They want people that would just follow them and carry out their own agenda. I don’t want to go into all that, but at times it boils down to monetary considerations; who can help ensure that when we get funds for certain things that it is not used for that purpose, and they would not talk.

Look at the league that we have in the country. I keep saying that it is not properly run. For instance, the floor brought by the sponsors of the league (DStv), at the advice of the federation, is a wrong floor.

They brought an outdoor floor for an indoor facility. It doesn’t have ramped edges, and doesn’t have the required two-meter space that is supposed to be between the end line and the technical area.

So, if there is a federation that i s going to use such a floor for its national league then who is there that cannot give the right advice?

The rules of the game are very clear; so it means we have people who cannot read the rules and yet they are running the game. That is why our game will fall from its rightful place to its current state, like you said.

A second reason has to be in the area of selection of our national players and coaches. We failed to qualify for the World Cup because of the coach that was chosen (Ayo Bakare).

With all due respect, he is not a bad coach; but his team finished last in the Atlantic Conference (in the 2012/2013 season). How do you make a coach whose team finished last in the Atlantic Confer-

The NBBF needs to be restructured because we have charlatans claiming to be members of the federation

SPORT

31

ence the national team coach?

There were other coaches that could have been used but because politics had come to be the mainstay, and some people in the federation felt these coaches were acquaintances to certain people wrongly perceived as enemies of the federation, they weren’t picked. They probably felt they were dealing with these individuals by not selecting these coaches, but by doing that they were dealing with the country and dealing with themselves.

It’s a sad development, and that’s why I said earlier that if the right people are in the federation things will go according to plan. When the foundation is right you can build on it, but when the foundation is faulty, you cannot build on it.

Do you agree that we depend so much on foreign players when it comes to international assignments?

There is too much overdependence on foreign players. I am not saying that the foreign players are bad, but the time to get a foreign player and prepare him is too short because those players have club commitments as well.

Now, you can only have those players for two weeks, and that time is too short to build a team. That is why the Angolan federation, even though they have foreign players, use their home-based players to prosecute most tournaments. They play the league for three months, and then take a few weeks break for the national team to camp and embark on a training tour, before returning to continue the league for another two to three months. So their national team is ready at all times.

But in our case, we see a player on television, who plays his basketball in France, and we call him up to play for us at the Nations Cup forgetting that the system in the country he is coming from is different from ours. We forget that it took the player we are bringing from overseas several years to get used to that system, and then we want him to now get used to the system being deployed by our coach within two weeks.

The coaches also base their selection on sentiments; they only want to pick players they feel are loyal to them, so they put personal interest ahead of national interest. They want to showcase players they feel foreign scouts are interested in.

Our local players, when they play at African club championships, always beat the Angolans. Kano Pillars beat Angola’s Primero at the last African Club Championships only to falter later on, while the Angolans went on to win the championship.

The truth, they say, is bitter, but it will save you lots of sleepless nights. But unfortunately, the federation only want people who would sing their praises and say they are good guys. Good guys don’t win championships, good guys don’t win wildcards.

Are you referring to the federation’s failed attempt at securing a ticket to the FIBA World Cup? Yes. We only went there to waste our time and money. We were not qualified in the first instance to seek a wildcard. We came seventh at the Nations Cup and we want FIBA to give us a wildcard to the World Cup. I don’t know the kind of brains that we have in the federation. We were seventh! FIBA would probably ask ‘where was fourth, fifth and sixth?’ And the requirements are there, which we weren’t able to meet. Rather, we were saying we were the only team from Africa seeking a wildcard.

That was not part of the requirements.

Part of the requirements was the quality of your league. Just look at the quality of our league where they are bringing floors not fit for the game. We have not even bothered to bid to stage a FIBA event, and this was one of the requirements.

32 Sport

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Bolt enjoys night out in London U

sain Bolt was in fine fettle out and about in London on Wednesday night.

Beaming for the cameras after dining with his friends at trendy London restaurant Nozomi, Bolt was wearing a floral shirt and donned a baseball cap and sunglasses.

The world’s fastest man was also showing off on Instagram, posting a video of himself performing a bizarre rap.

Still wearing the baseball cap, it seems as if the Jamaican superstar is better at sprinting than he is at flowing lyrics.

Bolt was due to run in the Diamond League meeting in Zurich this week, but pulled out due to injury bringing his season to an early end as a result.

The six-time Olympic champion, who will resume training in October, will be looking to retain his world 100m and 200m crowns at the World Championships in Beijing next year.

Bolt with friends

Lifestyle Sanchez hits town after Arsenal show lexis Sanchez was of Olivier Giroud.

A The Frenchman is afforded a welldeserved night out af- set to miss the next four ter firing Arsenal into the Champions League group stages.

The Chile star notched on the stroke of half-time during a nervy one-goal win against Beskitas at the Emirates.

And Sanchez, who cost Arsenal £30million from Barcelona in the summer, celebrated his first goal for the Gunners at London nightclub Chinawhite.

The 25-year-old’s role in the Arsenal side – whether he plays wide or centrally - has been up for debate over the last week.

But Sanchez indicated to manager Arsene Wenger that he is able to operate through the middle in the absence

Amir Khan relaxes with wife on the beach

months after surgery on a broken tibia but Wenger isn’t unduly worried.

Sanchez Beckham

T

Balotelli up to Beatles’ antics

he match-up boxing fans want to see is Amir Khan and Kell Brook, or even better a superfight against Floyd Mayweather, but for now the light welterweight star is looking fit and relaxed in Florida.

Khan was spotted with wife Faryal in Miami on Tuesday afternoon as the pair appeared to enjoy some quality time together in the sunshine on a Miami beach.

Khan has a fight scheduled for later in the year but no opponent confirmed, even with widespread calls for an all-English match-up with Brook that bout is more conceivable for 2015.

Mayweather, the five division world champion, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a long-awaited meeting with Khan but a rematch with Marcos Maidana has superseded that hope.

‘He (Amir Khan) knows that the fight between us can still happen,’ Mayweather said recently.

M

ario Balotelli has wasted no time in endearing himself to Liverpool fans, by posting a picture of himself as all four members of The Beatles.

The Italian striker took to Instagram to share the picture of his head replacing those of four of Liverpool’s favourite sons.

New signing Balotelli has always been known to enjoy himself off the pitch, and he shared the cheeky picture with the caption, ‘we were five!!!’.

Liverpool’s new signing had already amused supporters when he struggled to put a bib on in Wednesday’s training session, after famously suffering the same misfortune while at Manchester City.

Balotelli will likely get the chance to show off his prowess on the field on Sunday, when he is in line to make his debut against table-topping Tottenham.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers told the club’s official website that he expects Balotelli to play at White Hart Lane.

DiCaprio wants a physique like Beckham’s

H

Khan and wife Faryal

ollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly wants to flaunt a physique like that of former soccer star David Beckham.

The 39-year-old ‘The Wolf of the Wall Street’ star is apparently worried about the weight gain, reported Daily Star.

“Leo has decided now would be a good time to get back in shape.

He’s had a big summer of partying and it’s showing around his waist. Leo will turn 40 in November and knows that if he doesn’t start looking after himself, it’ll only get harder as he grows older.

“He’s told his celebrity trainer he’s got until November to get a body resembling David’s (Beckham). Leo’s already started his regime which involves early morning paddle boarding followed by two-hour sessions at a gym,” a source said. Stories courtesy Dailymail

StartUps NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

30 AUGUST 2014

33

‘Focus, passion and mastery of codes are essential traits in website design’ Arinze Okafor, ICT consultant and Internet website builder otherwise known as webmaster, is a manager at Arid Valok Continental Ltd., a computer services firm. He tells SEGUN EDWARDS, that web designing requires unparalleled focus from a would-be entrepreneur because it is practised on coded terms.

As an information communication technology engineer, what area or areas is your specialty?

We are a something of a web designing company, but that is not the only branch of ICT where we render services. We are also a consultancy outfit and render services in a wide range of ICT areas. Of course, we also render service to prospective clients or customers wishing to have us build their websites for them. In other words, we are a full ICT service provider with a proficient background in internet website designing.

What does it require for you to build an internet website for a potential client or customer? What are the inputs you need?

If we have a request for internet website design from a client, first, we engage the customer in a discussion, we ask questions like: this site you want us to build, what do you want to achieve because different clients want to achieve different purposes with their websites, because some may want to look out for improvement for their clientele? Some may want to build their brands online; there are usually different projections. So, we get to know their focus or problems then we now tailor our solution on how to assist the customers achieve the purpose for wanting to build the website. Thereafter, we will then ascertain the best way to put the right website in place for them.

If you are going to build a website for a customer, what are the requirements from the client?

When a customer approaches us for the purpose of having a website built for him like I said earlier, we request data from such person. These include the company’s profile, the company’s detail, contact or corporate address or correspondence and products. But if the client doesn’t have these details, we request them to tell us the area of business or service the customer wishes to provide for its target public. For instance, a business that focuses on providing services on computer products and services, all the client has to do is to provide us with the models, everything within the computer market, from there we can source the information for the client while we host the website for the client.

How long does it take to build an internet website for a customer?

It does not take much time. As a web designing outfit we advertise our ser-

vices in the media and on the internet for interested clients, who contact us for the purpose of building their internet websites. It does not take much time the moment the client indicates his readiness to have a website constructed and all issues relating to financial commitments are settled. It could take a period of one, two, three months to conclude the building of the website.

What is the duration of training for a person wishing to become a website engineer or builder in the future?

The period of training for a person wishing to establish business in web designing with a proficient ICT knowledge would require at most three months for the person to know what it takes to hoist a website for a prospective client. But in the case of a person without basic computer knowledge, it could require at least one year or more, that is the realistic situation. The duration of training is also determined by the type of website the designer is required to build. The web building comprises two major areas, namely web core web designing, which is referred to as the static site, while the other is called the web development, where the data is required to be hoisted with the site. The core website training would require three months while the database driven website would require six months or a year for the knowledge to be acquired.

working static website, the cost would be between N20, 000 and N50 000, but for the data based driven site, depending on the features on such site, it could range from N80, 000 to N1m.

Can you list some features of a data base?

It depends on what the client wants to use the site to achieve. Like I said earlier, the client would be required to provide all the data for the engineer to use for the construction of the site by the web master. It is only when the client provides the needed data, that the engineer or web master would be able to put a good website in place.

How would you advise a new website designer or builder?

First, when you have gone through web design training, you have to be focused and have passion because it is a business where you write codes and can easily get confused while writing the code; there may be a mix-up. So you have to be focussed to be successful in the business.

Where does the word web emanated from and what does it mean?

The word web has been in existence for quite a while, it means dissemination of information through the internet connection globally. It is something synonymous with the spider’s web, which tangles from one location to another, that is why it is referred to as World Wide Web (www).

How much would it cost to get a website built for a customer, either the static or the data based driven website?

For a good

For a good working static website, the cost would be between N20, 000 and N50, 000, but for the data based driven site, depending on the features on such site

Okafor

34 FEATURE

Cemeteries are regarded as sacred places by most people. This explains why such places are surrounded by a lot of mysteries.

Our correspondent, WAHEED BAKARE, who visited some cemeteries in Lagos writes that working in a cemetery is just as normal as any other job.

M

atori, an area in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos, is one of the places that make Lagos the commercial hub of Nigeria. It is home to one of the largest motor spare parts markets in Nigeria where millions of naira businesses are transacted on a daily basis. The ambience often depicts an atmosphere of excitement as some people, especially high net worth merchants, laugh all the way to the bank.

Although spare parts dealers predominate the area, their preponderance has not deterred industries, companies and even banks from registering their presence in Matori.

But in the midst of the merchandise that makes Matori popular, there is a sacred place where people who have embarked on a journey of no return are laid to rest. A first-time visitor to Unity Close off Ladipo Street, where Matori Cemetery is located will from afar probably think that the big gate at the dead end of the close is the entrance to a big mechanic workshop. Such presumption can be excused because of the clusters of vehicles carefully parked beside the gate of the cemetery. A team of auto-mechanics was seen working on a vehicle while some customers were waiting their turn when our correspondent visited the area. Whenever a vehicle approached the gate of the cemetery and the driver honked the horn, the mechanics would raise their heads and look in the direction of such vehicle. They know it is either such vehicle is part of a funeral convoy or a would-be customer.

On the premises of the cemetery, there were a handful of vehicles competing with a narrow road that leads to some tombs. The colour of some of the vehicles shows that they have been beaten by harsh weather indicating how long they have been on the premises.

A man who declined to give his name was weeding grasses that have almost covered some tombs that were either haphazardly built or not properly maintained. The dexterity with which the man was cleaning up showed that he’s not a green horn at what he was doing. And he later confirmed this when he said his own beat was to weed the grasses and clear the bush path in the cemetery. He is one of the six attendants that work in the cemetery.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

It’s fun working in

As he weeded the grasses, he paused momentarily, raised his head and used the back of his left palm to wipe the sweat on his forehead. After exchanging pleasantry with our correspondent, he asked: “Did you bring somebody (corpse)?” When our correspondent told him his mission, he said he was not in a position to speak with the press as he’s not a top management staff of the facility. Although he had no wristwatch with him, he relied on the receding sun to know that his closing time was approaching and urged our correspondent to direct his inquiry to a man “in our office because the weather shows that my closing time is approaching.”

The “office” is a two-room bungalow by the left side of the cemetery. There are some tombs in front of the office. The building looks unkempt. The unkemptness is even more as one got inside one of the rooms which serves as the administrative office of the cemetery. The other, it was learnt, is where the workers change their clothes and get set for the day’s job.

There is also a woman under a big tree who sells cigarettes, drinks, biscuits among some other groceries on the premises. Although she is not one of the attendants that gets paid from burying the dead and taking care of their final homes, her presence at the cemetery is equally important as she supplies the needs of the workers and the bereaved when the need arises.

As one of the workers put it, “Whenever people come to bury their dead ones and they feel like entertaining themselves, she is there to supply them drinks.”

Such drinks as displayed by the woman on her counter include local gin soaked with herbs and roots in bottles of different sizes and shapes. Different brands of ‘bitter drinks’ also found generous space on her counter.

At the administrative office, a young

The man said he had transacted ‘businesses’ with those who had worked in the cemetery in the past. We played along with him but unknown to him, we had informed the police

man apparently in his late 30s or early 40s sat on a wooden chair and placed his head on a large table in his front. He was apparently taking his siesta. But as soon as he heard footsteps, he jerked back to life, raised his head and asked our correspondent to seat on one of the two chairs in front of his table. Beside the table, there was a flat screen 21-inch television on the floor. From all indications, the television has no life left in it and you’re welcomed by a pair of trousers hung on the wall.

After listening to our correspondent’s mission, the man declined to speak further. Rather, he advised that all enquiries should be directed to “honourable,” the man who is in charge of the cemetery.

But “honourable was not around. When “honourable” was called on the phone, he agreed to speak with our correspondent, but advised that he should be met at the local government’s headquarters since he was closer to the place than the cemetery. He advised our correspondent to wait for him in the office of the coun-

cil’s information officer.

After waiting for about 30 minutes, a young man who wore a jean shirt and trousers breezed into the office decked in trainers’ footwear and a face cap.

He introduced himself as “Honourable Monday Lawrence.” He was a former councillor in the local government , a position, which according to him, gave him the appellation “honourable,” and that is how most people in the vicinity address him.

He became a contractor in charge of the cemetery nine years ago. Lawrence said the contract was a political compensation for his loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the local government “and because the area is also my jurisdiction.”

When asked why he chose to accept such contract when he could have asked for other juicier ones as a loyal member of the APC, Lawrence said that may be fate had a role to play in his accepting such contract, adding that, “but you

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

FEATURE

35

Matori and Agege central mosque cemeteries PHOTO: INIOLUWA EKEOLERE AND BOLA KAREEM

a cemetery – Attendants should also know that it is not everybody that can do this kind of job.”

He recalled that as a young boy, he often heard people say people who work in the cemetery did not live normal lives and usually severe nightmares. He however dismissed such claim with a wave of the hand, saying he had no cause to be bothered about ghosts.

He said, “When we were so young, we often heard such claim. But in my nine years at the cemetery, neither I nor my workers have had any nightmare that can be traced to the work we do.

As far as I am concerned, such mythological belief is esoteric and they signify nothing. It is like any other job and we enjoy doing it.

“You don’t have to make charms and amulets before you can work there. It is part of the myths meant to scare people away. We are now in the jet age. Look at the undertakers that we have now, most of them are young guys. But in those days, it was only old men that got

Ikoyi Cemetery

PHOTO: www.cwgc.org

involved in things like that. Although we don’t sleep at the cemetery, I don’t believe it is true that ghosts chase people working in the cemetery. We resume around 8am and close by 5pm. So, how can the dead frighten us? What we do is that we ask for the local government’s permit and doctor’s report from whoever brings a corpse before we attend to such person. We ensure that the two papers are genuine before some people even come to make enquiry before bringing their corpse. The Christians do bring their corpses in caskets while the Muslims wrap theirs with mats. I will say fate brought me to work in the cemetery. It was not something I prepared to do from the outset. I got the job as a result of my influence in the local government and because of the political role I had played in the past.”

Rules and regulations Lawrence said working in the cemetery has rules and regulations. He said like any organisations, whoever violates the rules would be fired.

“We don’t allow any of the workers to sleep at the cemetery. The cemetery is located where there are other companies in the close. It was part of the agreement with the local government that nobody should sleep on the premises. As part of the rule, none of the workers is allowed to bring in a bag when they resume. So, if you don’t bring in a bag, you can’t leave the premises carrying bag. We resume by 7.30am and close by 6pm. This idea of selling human parts cannot work at our cemetery. This is why nobody is allowed to sleep there. Once it is 6pm, we don’t allow anybody to bring corpse there.

He added that the cemetery in collaboration with other companies in the area employed the service of private security guards whose duty is to ensure safety of all properties at Unity Close.

Charges, remunerations and job satisfaction To bury a corpse at Matori requires N8, 000 administrative charges, but if the family decided to buy the land in which the deceased is to be buried, it will cost N30, 000.

“However, if the deceased is a youth and was active in politics, we don’t collect any money from the family,” Lawrence added.

He denied that attendants still bury corpses on land bought by some fami-

If you bring the corpse of a day old baby here, we won’t bury it until you provide death certificate and doctor’s report lies contrary to the agreement that no corpse should be buried on such land apart from the deceased whose family had paid for same.

Although he did not disclose what each of the attendant receives as monthly salary, he admitted that “we are not doing badly at all. This is what we do to feed our families and we thank God that we still meet our responsibilities from time to time. Of the six attendants, I pay the salaries of four of them while the local government takes care of the salaries of the remaining two,” he said.

An encounter with human parts buyer Lawrence, an Igbo but speaks Yoruba fluently, said contrary to insinuation, those who work in cemetery do not sell human parts. He however admitted that he has had an encounter with a human parts dealer that once approached the cemetery for “business.”

The man said he had transacted ‘businesses’ with those who had worked in the cemetery in the past. We played along with him but unknown to him, we had informed the police and the man was arrested and taken to Olosan Police Division, “Some people do approach us that they want to pluck leaves or uproot herbs but we usually turn them back. We don’t sell human parts and whoever indulges in such practice among my workers knows the implication,” he added.

Jafojo Hausa Muslim Community burial ground As the name suggests, this burial ground located in Jafojo area of Agege is being operated by the Hausa Muslim community. The burial ground, which has a mosque, is specifically meant for only the Muslims. As a result, there is no erection of tombs or monuments on the premises.

A man, who identified himself simply as Usman, said contrary to wide-held belief, one does need to possess supernatural powers to work in a cemetery.

Usman, who spoke through an in-

terpreter, said, “There is nothing like nightmarish dreams. Some will even say one has to wield magical power so that ghosts will not be disturbing one.

All these are like intricate traps meant to scare people away especially the youth.

Ghosts do not chase anybody.”

He however declined to answer other questions referring our correspondent to the Seriki Hausawa of Agege, saying, “It is only the head of the Hausa community that can speak elaborately about how we work here.”

Central Mosque Agege Cemetery At the main entrance of the cemetery, the big gate that ushers in people to the premises is painted in Nigeria’s greenwhite-green national colours. It also the inscription 7am-6pm on the gate, which is the time the cemetery is opened and closed.

There is nothing to suggest that the place is a cemetery. The compound houses a big Ose tree, specie of tree that reputedly has medicinal values according to the Yoruba tradition and belief.

The specie of flowers and their floral arrangement gave makes the facility a peaceful scenery. Except for the chirping of the birds on the Ose tree, no voice could be heard on the premises. Only one of the workers was around when our correspondent visited the cemetery around 8am on Thursday.

The man, an octogenarian, who sat in a shed, the only structure on the premises, declined to grant interview. He said, “All enquiries should be directed to the elders’ committee of the central mosque who put us here.”

When prodded, he said, “The only thing I can tell you is that we do our work with utmost sincerity. We don’t do any rubbish here. We don’t allow money to tempt us. Even if you bring the corpse of a day old baby here, we won’t bury it until you provide death certificate and doctor’s report. That is the instruction we were given by those who put us here and to the glory of God, we have not violated the rule. As for ghosts, there is nothing like that. I came to work here after I had retired. Working in a cemetery is not a big deal as people think. It is like any other work. It is fun.”

The man who later took our correspondent to some spots at the cemetery said although the place was being managed by the central mosque, people of other faiths do bury their dead on the premises provided they would not erect any tomb.

Ideas&Brands ON SATURDAY

With KINGSLEY OGBONNA kingchudy@yahoo.com; 09091809827

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

30 AUGUST 2014

36

Political branding and 2015 general elections Kingsley Ogbonna writes that as the Nigerian electorate is fast becoming brand conscious, chances are that the next elections may be won and lost on the strength of political brand perception, value and deliverables.

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ecent outcomes of elections, in terms of voting patterns, in some states in Nigeria is clearly pointing to the fact that the Nigerian electorate is fast seeing politics, political gladiators and indeed political parties as brands that must deliver on their values and proposition. All brands have their own lives and qualities that dictate how the target publics perceive and relate with them and this is not by anyway different with politics.

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers”. This definition will aptly come to play as the 2015 general elections approaches.

Generally speaking, the Nigerian political scene is becoming charged as usual. There has been a lot of cross-carpeting by politicians who want to continue to be relevant on the political scene. But then, inasmuch as political ideology is yet to take its root in the country, 2015 may be an albatross for many of them. This is because the Nigerian electorate is becoming brand conscious.

Politicians, government policies, political associations/affiliations/ parties, political ideologies, and the likes are now being perceived as brands by the electorate and to a great extent, whichever gives the best satisfaction or delivers on promises, gets their backings.

Political branding is all about how a political organization or individual is perceived overall by the public. A political brand is the overarching feeling, impression, association or image the public has towards a politician, political organization or nation. Political branding helps the party or candidate to change or maintain reputation and support create a feeling of identity with the party or its candidates and create trusting relationship between political elites and consumers. It helps political consumers understand more quickly what a party or candidate is about; and distinguishes a candidate or party from the competition.

The build up to the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria gave a semblance of how marketing communications experts

could build political office aspirants into a brand. Many Nigerians were appreciative of the political marketing strategy adopted by the late Chief M.K.O Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party as the communications experts that worked on his political jingles, commercials and adverts, tried to build him as a brand that is quite different from the opposition. Memories of the sing-song advert adopted by the communications expert still lingers: “Nigeria on the march again, on the march again, looking for Mr. President, on the march again, M.K.O is our man oo.” And despite the Muslim-Muslim joint ticket, he was acclaimed to have won majority of the votes but the election was adjudged inconclusive by the national electoral body and subsequently annulled by the then Military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the build up to the last election, tried to present a brand that is compassionate and that feels the pulse of the masses.

Muyiwa Akintunde, the chief executive officer of Leap Communications Limited and the current general secretary of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) said PR consultants will exploit the peculiarities of each political parties and their candidates to seek the most understanding between the candidates and their political parties on one hand and their various stakeholder groups on the other hand. “What would win eventually would not be a one-solutionfits-all strategy,” he said.

The 15 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria and the political under-current has no doubt also helped to shape the perception of the electoral process in Nigeria.

With 2015 general elections around the corner, certain qualities will determine the voting patterns in the country.

The first is consistency. A brand needs to be consistent. Not many politicians are consistent in Nigeria.

In recent time, many have jumped ship just to align themselves with

What would win eventually would not be a one-solution-fitsall strategy

the political parties that can provide them the cover they need to be “relevant”. This is aside the fact that before now, they had made pronouncements that condemned in totality the new parties that they now aligned with. Just like the saying goes in the marketing world that an inconsistent brand will soon be confined to the dustbin, many of these politicians too may not likely achieve their political ambitions if they continue to be inconsistent.

Another is being customer-centric. It is only when a brand knows its customers and their needs well, that it can deliver exceptional purchase and usage experience. Same goes for political branding. Also, current political office holders and the political parties would earn the electorate’s trust only when they deliver the so called “democracy dividends”. These dividends must pass the test of time unlike what has been the case in recent time where there is mere policy reversal in a bid to lure the electorate to support them as elections approach. An example includes the reversal of the Lagos State University school fees earlier increased by the Lagos State government.

One thing that is scarce in the Nigerian polity is trust. As the saying goes, politicians are not to be trusted. But then, being trustworthy is one key quality of a winning brand.

If politicians and political parties are desirous of winning the support of the electorate, they must be trustworthy, honest, authentic, consistent, predictable, reliable, dependable, and always delivering on their promises. This may count greatly as we count down to 2015. Although a few have actually performed to some extent, many political office holders yet to measure up to their campaign promise, let alone delivering on the parties manifestoes.

Differentiation is to stand out among competitive alternatives.

An average Nigerian electorate believes that the two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress are not by an inch different except by their names and logos.

But then, some few politicians on the different political platforms have really made a lot of difference discharging their mandates.

Trust is scarce, and only those who truly value the worth of trust can be entrusted with such in the coming elections.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Access Bank ,Intel, others partner on e-classrooms solutions

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s part of efforts to increase elearning capabilities and transform education in Nigerian institutions, Access Bank in collaboration with Intel and Chips, Bits & Bytes Limited has declared support for elearning by providing e-education solutions for pupils and teachers of Command Children’s School, Yaba, Lagos.

On the initiative, Intel’s country manager, Mr. Olubunmi Ekundare, said: “Intel’s unrelenting commitment to innovation and education empowers billions of people every day. We are pleased to be part of this initiative by providing the eeducation solutions hence Intel will be training the first set of teachers at no cost. This platform allows teachers the opportunity to create a virtual classroom and assists to deliver lectures without hassle.”

Similarly, Executive Director, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu speaking at the alliance meeting at Yaba Command Children School highlighted that “Access bank having recognized that access to information is no longer a luxury but a necessary tool for development and growth of future leaders have collaborated with Chips, Bits & Bytes Limited and Intel Nigeria to provide e-education solutions at the most critical time.”

Etuokwu further explained that children do not have to be confined to physical spaces for effective learning. With the increase in internet availability and affordable computer/mobile devices, students and teachers can now enjoy qualitative education and interact more meaningfully, he said.

IDEAS & BRANDS

MTN Nigeria launches Android phones

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fter the successful unveiling of its music streaming and download portal, the MTN Music+, which has recorded a very high rate of traffic on its site in recent weeks, MTN Nigeria has taken another bold step in breaking new grounds in the smartphone business in Nigeria as it launches two new android smartphones: MTN Sm@rt Mini 620 and MTN Sm@rt 720i.

This is part of its continuous effort to create a bold new digital world and establish its leadership position in the ICT and telecommunications sectors.

MTN’s general manager in charge of consumer marketing, Kola Oyeyemi explained that the strategic focus for the launch of the smartphones which sells for as low as N8000, is to afford Nigerians the opportunity to own a state of the art android smartphone at the most affordable price.

“We are committed to the total satisfaction of our customers and Nigerians in general, as we continuously bring the bold new digital world closer to them. This we shall continue to do by breaking the barrier of entry to smartphones that deliver internet access and value

Views of the smartphones recently launched by MTN

to Nigerians”, he said.

Oyeyemi further stated that, “the new affordable MTN Sm@ rt Mini 620 smartphone has a 3.5” screen and runs on android 4.2 OS with preloaded applications including BBM, Whatsapp, Music+, Facebook, Jumia etc, plus free MTN SIM card. It has a processor speed of 1GHz, a 4Gig in-built memory up-scalable to 32GB and a dual SIM slot. For more advanced customers seeking wider display screen and

higher p r o cessing p o w e r, the MTN Sm@rt 720i offers a 4.0” display and 1.3GHz processor.

With the launch of these smartphones it will afford Nigerians the opportunity to chat with friends and family using several instant messaging and communication platforms including BBM, Whatsapp, Skype, LinkedIn, Facebook Messenger, Tango, Badoo, as well as enjoy up to 1 million apps and games.

“There is no doubt that this smartphone is a game changer and a long-awaited revolution in Nigerian market. Most importantly, it is one of the various ways we are keeping to our vision of taking the lead in the delivery of a Bold New Digital World and making our customers lives a whole lot better, while making efforts in eradicating substandard phones in the country,” Oyeyemi enthused.

13 families arrive Lagos for Maltina Dance All 8 Academy

M

altina Dance All (MDA), the consumer engagement platform of Maltina, has entered a crucial stage following the arrival of the successful families that made it to the final screening of the competition and entry into the MDA academy. Of the 28 families that participated in the highly competitive screening process, only 13 made it to the final stage.

Tagged “Rhythm of Happiness,” MDA 8 is expected to feature the new dance style “Rhythm of Happiness Dance”.

The families, who came from different locations across the country, were in high spirits as they touched down at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja Lagos for the academy. A breakdown of the families that made it as released by the brand showed that, Unaka, Odigie, Ezekiel, Maisamari, Williams, Utere, Dide, Uzodinma, Leornard, Nwaeze, Oladapo, Abunwa and Awokoya families having passed the necessary medical and other screening procedures made it into the academy and were deemed fit to compete.

A further screening will reduce the number from 13 families to 10, who will eventually qualify for the entry into the academy after going through the rigours of another screening at the ‘’Pre Ground Audition Evaluation’’. The academy commences on September 7 2014.

37

Williams Family from Port-Harcourt on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, for the Maltina Dance All 8 Academy

The MDA auditions were held in three regions - Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt where 28 regional family representatives emerged defeating other contestants during the regional auditions. The family representatives performed as individual contestants and were later visited by the Maltina team at home where they performed alongside their families to see how well they can perform as united families.

The sum of N10 million is at

stake in this season’s competition.

The first and second runners-up will take home N3 million and N1 million, respectively.

Preparation for the MDA8 kicked off with an electrifying performance by the Maltina all-stars’ team which comprised past participants of the show, while host Osas Ighodaro alongside popular comedians, Gbenga Adeyinka and Laffup introduced the “Rhythm of Happiness Dance” (RODH) to the

audience that were held spellbound by the vitality and creativity which have set the show apart from others.

The show, which will hit the airwaves on September 7, will be shown on AIT, Silverbird TV and Ebony Live TV, while the grand finale would be aired live on AIT and Africa Magic channels on DSTV. Viewers who miss any edition can still catch all the action on YouTube, Facebook and the Maltina Website.

Aganga

Minister commends Etisalat for promoting entrepreneurship drive

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he minister of trade and investment, Dr. Oluseguin Aganga, has commended Etisalat Nigeria, Pan Atlantic University and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) for consistently promoting initiatives aimed at the growth of small and medium enterprises in the country. This commendation was made in a keynote address delivered at the Abuja leg of the Etisalat sponsored Market Access recently held at Ibeto Hotel.

He noted that the one-day business networking and knowledge sharing session will afford small and growing businesses the opportunity to key into the value chain of large enterprises and help drive entrepreneurship spirit in Nigeria. According to him, Small and Medium Size Enterprises remain the backbone of the development for most economies around the world adding that the sector is currently has abundant growth opportunities.

“I must commend the partnership of Etisalat Nigeria, Pan African University and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDAN) for being consistent with the initiative.

SMEs are the most economic sector in the country and it is my day to day goal to bring massive growth to this sector of the country. I am always inspired to attend events like this where stakeholders in the SME sector converge.” He said.

Addressing participants at the seminar, Head, Business Segment Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Bidemi Ladipo, expressed delight at the turnout of participants at the session, noting that the attendance and testimonies of the impact of the seminar is encouraging.

“At Etisalat, we are passionate about the growth of growing businesses and entrepreneurs. We remain committed to providing them with every necessary support they need to thrive in their various industries. We recently awarded N2 million each to 10 entrepreneurs in our Easybusiness Millionaires Hunt scheme and I am delighted that some of them are present here in Abuja to share their experiences and how far they have gone in their businesses.” He stated.

The Market Access platform, now in its third year, is a quarterly networking event that has recorded tremendous success in the SME segment. The initiative has held in different cities across the country in a bid to empower small and medium scales enterprises across the country. Before the Abuja leg, the event has held in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar and Uyo. It has recorded a combined total audience of over 2,000 people.

My Weekend

38

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

30 AUGUST 2014

I derive joy from listening to Jazz music –Adeleke From a humble background, Hakeem Adeleke, CEO Hambak Ltd., a multidimensional digital printing outfit, lives his dream through visionary pursuit. He reveals to SEGUN EDWARDS that he seeks relaxation with his family through the many holiday trips to different parts of the world.

I

n a down to earth fashion, Hakeem Adeleke, openly confesses that he cherishes value as the most humble part of him which he consciously strives to bequeath to his children as a legacy.

He also says he strives always to give comfort to his children as a way of relieving himself of the mental burden of his impoverished childhood. “I was born by a lower cadre civil servant father and a petty trader mother. I grew up with my siblings and as our parents guided us religiously, they told us that the world was not all about money and material wealth; that if one strove well enough one would achieve abundantly,” he recalls And in making sure there is a complete departure from his past, he says he always gives priority to getting the best of luxury for himself and his family. One way he does this, he says, is his regular overseas trips which serve as a way of relaxation from his busy business schedule. ‘’Yes, we do travel outside the country often, it’s a good thing, it exposes the kids, myself and the family to new things. It usually provides the opportunity for us to know where the world is heading, it makes you relax as well and you get away from the bustle of the everyday activities in the county. So it is a very good thing when you are out of the country. It educates you, it makes you look at the world in a different way.

“We have been to most parts of the globe. We have been to Ghuanzhu in China, Chigger in United Arab Emirates, we’ve been to Florida in America, we’ve been to Berlin and Frankfurt both in Germany, we’ve been to England, we’ve been to Prague in Czech Republic, and we’ve been to Pretoria in South Africa. The next time we will see whether we can go to the East Africa, we want to visit Seychelles and others.”

Adeleke who describes his cutting edge advantage in the ever dynamic and expanding printing business to his training at the prestigious German printing training institute, Heidelberg, through self-sponsorship more than two decades ago, says he is always ahead of his industry competition through his business philosophy of delivering quality service to the client promptly.

He says: “Our cutting edge is the quality service, the edge in modern printing quality and prompt service delivery.”

He reveals his love for Jazz music which is also one of the ways he relaxes away from his hectic schedules as a CEO. He prefers contemporary jazz of the 1970s and 80s. “I derive a lot of joy from listening to Jazz music, as this genre of music gives me a lot of opportunity to reflect on

issues pertaining to business as well as eases the burden clumsiness. Honestly, I love Jazz music, particularly, old jazz tunes composed by artists like Grover Washington Jnr., George Benson, Eric Gale, Spirogyra and lots more. I listen to the various Jazz tunes done by these musicians I have mentioned, this keeps me going as I reflect on the goings-on within my family.”

He says he equally devotes valuable time to unwinding with his family with regular visits to the Ikoyi Club, where they are members. “We go to club on occasions and when we do I take my time to swim, but I sleep at home anytime I don’t have any need to go out.”

Swimming appears to be the only recreation Adeleke indulges in to keep fit whenever he visits the club, but he has unalloyed passion for football which he says he spends time watching on the cable TV at weekends.

He says: “Apart from taking time to get sufficient sleep and reflect on immediate itinerary, I watch sporting events on TV, particularly I watch soccer games during the football season; I attach a lot of interest to this, although I still make sure I get enough sleep so as to be refreshed.

Asked whether he does aerobics, he quips: “No, I don’t do aerobics, if I have the time I go swimming, which to me is a way to derive a lot of relaxation. I like doing that a lot when the opportunity presents itself,” adding, “I take a lot of interest in watching football particularly the English Premier League and I admire Arsenal Football Club of England. I support the club as I follow it with a lot of passion.”

He says he has had the opportunity of watching the club live in England as a jersey-wearing fan. “I have had the opportunities of watching Arsenal play live at Highbury, the old playing ground of the club. I have also been to the Emirates Stadium to watch them play live and I have a lot of the club jerseys because I’m as a passionate fan of the club and the experience has been fascinating.”

Narrating the experience of watching his favourite team live he says: “It was

We go to club on occasions and when we do I take my time to swim but I sleep at home anytime I don’t have any need to go out

Adeleke

eye-opening for me, you need to be there to see to see how fascinating it is, how people exhibit their love for their club, there is no barrier whatsoever, there is no class difference, no age barrier, no categorisation, every fan exhibits their love, passion for the club. You will feel proud to be part of the great club and on those occasions, I always felt I was part of history, those were great moments that can hardly be forgotten.

“There is a balance among the fans, there is no segregation, there is no old or young, it is something one needs to experience to understand because no word can describe really the experience. You are in another world entirely in that kind of atmosphere. It is worth anybody’s while.”

He says if he were not an Arsenal fan, he would have pitched his tent with Tottenham Hotspur also of England as he recalls his childhood affiliation with the club.

“As a child I was a fan of Tottenham, but I switched to Arsenal because of their free-flowing playing pattern. If not for this, I probably would still be a fan of Tottenham.” Apart from his ardent love for football, the entrepreneur of modern printing technology says he is also fascinated with tennis “I am a great fan of Roger Federer for his longevity, relevance and skill whenever he takes to the courts. I’m also fascinated by his sportsmanship. For instance he and Rafael Nadal are best of friends, but both would always ignite their rivalry on the courts as if no friendship existed between them. To me that is great sportsmanship.’’

He expresses his love for the Yoruba delicacy, Amala and Ewedu and the bean sauce soup, generally referred to ‘Abula.’

These are his special menus if he has to settle for special menus particular at the weekend.

On his dress code, he says: “I am always comfortable in the clothes that make feel free, caftan and other native attires made smartly for me. So, I’m always keen on dressing in native attires that give me comfort. I’m not always comfortable in English attires.”

He equally loves wearing simple leather sandals or slippers to match his fitting caftans. “I have refused to allow myself to go through unwarranted inconveniences all in the name of wearing designer shoes; of course I don’t want to promote any designer products in the name of wearing footwear.”

Adeleke points out that despite his very busy official engagements, he socialises with friends and extended family members when the occasion is worth his time because according to him, he honours his friends who are dear to him as well as family members whose invitations he considers worth it.

“I do honour important engagements by family members, that is my extended family but frankly, the time I spend attending social engagements are very limited. In other words, I attend social functions when I need to,” he enthuses.

He says he cherishes bonding with the family at weekends, as it provides a platform of sharing thoughts as well as provides opportunity to discuss issues of importance they may have overlooked or missed earlier.

On the importance of regular holiday trips abroad with his family members, he says: “These are usually journeys aimed at giving the best to my children and the entire family. I didn’t have the opportunity, so I endeavour to give them such opportunities. The trips not only expose them but are also forms of relaxations, and honestly it has been a most benefitting experience.’’

Travel&Tourism ON SATURDAY

Destination

Travel Personality Osun Osogbo Festival: Oladipo Soyode: In three ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA EDITOR, TRAVEL AND TOURISM iroandy@ymail.com Braving the anxiety of years, tourism will be Osun’s NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY major source of revenue p.41 Ebola p.42 30 AUGUST 2014 ,

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HOSPITALITY Marblefield Hotel, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA offers comfort and luxury with a touch that kindles guests' memories of home.

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t is not your usual highbrow hospitality outfit with a masterpiece architectural frill, but Marblefield Hotel and Events Centre, is a residential hotel offering a blend of comfort with a homely feel and luxury that is unforced, rising over the years to be the social melting pot for residents and visitors to the suburbs of Oshodi, where the hotel is located.

The hotel, according to the management, offers luxury and comfort matched with premium quality services and luxury facilities with a team of professionals at the beck and call of guests. Its services are tailored-made to meet the needs of discerning executives, government officials, and business travellers.

The hotel also caters to the needs of event planners.

A serene and inviting atmosphere, the hotel boasts 41 rooms of different categories, all fittingly furnished and decorated with amenities. The room types include standard, classic, superior, deluxe, executive and VIP suite with each category featuring creature comforts consistent with the standard and class it promotes.

Its cozy restaurant offers a blend of African and continental dishes and is open to the walk-in guests apart from the in-house guests who are treated specially with weekend treats and chef’s signature dishes.

The bar end also offers inviting scenery for relaxation and sampling of various wines and cocktails and beverages.

Mablefield Hotel is also home to corporate business and social

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A blend of unforced luxury and homey comfort at Marblefield Hotel

Attention to detail...A standard room in the hotel

events of different kinds with its banquet hall and purpose-built meeting rooms offering the best sceneries and equipment for business meetings and social gatherings of all sorts ranging from birthdays and weddings to religious retreats, workshops and seminars, dinner and luncheons.

As one of the hospitality landmarks in the Oshodi suburb, it is a highly treasured by residents as it offers a range of leisure facilities dedicated to giving the best available options in entertainment and wellness to the guests.

The list include a modern gymnasium; a swimming pool

where you can relax and enjoy a cool swim and dip if you are the adventurous type with a little measure of adrenalin to pump while its club beckons at weekend and festive periods. It is actually an ideal attraction for people seeking to harvest fun and excitement.

With easy accessibility from most locations in the city and just about five minutes drive to the international airport, it is a desirable place for anyone seeking to have a treat with trappings of the home-front. Other services on offer include laundry and 24 hours service, high speed internet.

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Abuja Sheraton associates head for Dubai

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n pursuit of its policy to expose its associates to opportunities within the Starwood Worldwide hotels, Abuja Sheraton has endorsed six of its top personnel to the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Dubai.

Abuja Sheraton general manager, Mr. Boris Bornman, in his congratulatory message to the associates, implore them to see themselves as worth ambassadors from Nigeria and should therefore, do the country and the hotel pride in their conduct and professional delivery of their services in their new posting in Dubai.

“We consider you ambassadors of your country as you will relocate and work abroad for the first time, this will add great

value to your resume and your skill and knowledge base in the industry. I am certain that you will all keep being super stars as you were here, we will miss you and we wish you the best,’’ said the South African born Bornman.

The six Dubai bound associates are - Joshua Oliver Ndirmbita, Victor Izuwa and Christian Ugwu, all waiters with the food and beverage department of the hotel while the others are Clement Isaac, Abubakar Musbau and Anyanwu Uchenna, all room attendants.

Besides, the general manager revealed that the hotel is also sending two Nigerian Italiantrained chefs to Italy to further

hone their culinary skill in such cuisine as Bruschetta, Bresaola, Capicola, Carbonara, Cotoletta and Ribollita. The two chefs are Olufunke Victor and Timothy Amadi.

On their return, the duo are expected to impact greatly the gastronomy experiences of the hotel's guests. Bornman avowed that the new development is part of the hotel’s vision of building world class professional associated who can function at the highest level anywhere in the world. “At Sheraton Abuja we intend to build our associates to a level that they can outperform their global counterparts and put our great country Nigeria on the map,” he said.

LAGOS

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

40 TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

CHEF’S CORNER

The making of Nigerian soups:

Good, old pepper soup ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA concludes the series on Nigerian soups with simmering pepper soup which has become the somewhat rave of every Nigerian.

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he Nigerian pepper soup is quite distinct among the endless list of Nigerian soups and comes with a unique taste and feel hence it is enjoyed by virtually every Nigerian despite the background or colouration of the individual or groups.

It has a long and rich history. Pepper soup is highly medicinal and it is not an everyday soup as it is prepared with special ingredients and served at special occasions.

It is not also what any cook or individual can pick up and run with as it requires some level of expertise and technique to make it nourishing and appealing.

Back in the days, as a medicinal delicacy with spicy aromatic appeal it was specially prepared with certain herbs and spices for therapeutic and curative purposes for the sick. Even the traditional medicine man records it as part of the healing process. Same for the local midwife and birth attendants who insist it should form part of the menu for women who have newly given birth as it aids quick recovery for them.

It is believed to serve as a quick recuperative elixir and a refreshing salvo for the body and soul hence it is a very popular soup with special care taken in its preparation.

In most traditional settings and culture, every woman or household have a special earthen ware or pots where some of the special materials for its preparation are warehoused for easy access whenever the occasion demands.

But over time, this special traditional delicacy has been given a most popular status by the people. No one is sure exactly how this transformation came about but it is some-

Fish pepper soup

Beef pepper soup

how traceable to modern influences and the acquisition of new social taste and lifestyle.

Therefore, pepper soup has moved from its traditional Assorted beef usage to a more social treat that it has become today. The pepper soup increasing number of eateries and relaxation spots eager to entice customers with indigenous meals has no doubt fuelled this new crave for pepper soup among Nigerians Nigerians would regard the menu as incomplete. and visitors to the country.

But for the eateries which have made it a popular item With its new status came a new and diverse ways of on the menu, it is a main soup. preparing it. The familiar medicinal or herbal ingredients Besides the change in the ingredients, there is also an have long been abandoned for a new set of ingredients. It increasing diversity: you may now have pepper soup with is only occasionally, particularly in the rural communities fish, chicken, cow leg, beef, goat and turkey. that you are mostly served with the good, old pepper soup.

As an exclusive treat it can be accompanied by wine, Otherwise, what we now have is the modern pepper soup beer, palm wine, depending on the preference of the diner. that is more or less a staple for socializing.

It is actually difficult to prescribe ingredients for its From the local eateries to the highbrow eateries as preparation as this is determined by the type of pepper well as hotels and the diverse leisure and relaxation spots soup the cook is inclined to prepare or the occasion for across the country, pepper soups have become a must have which it is meant. menu. In some high brow hotels it comes as appetizer However, pay a visit to any of the eateries around your and the absence of it is not usually contemplated as many street corner and you are sure to have treat.

TRAVEL BEATS

Zambia 1.2 million international tourist arrivals target on course

Hotel Innovations to headline Hospitality Day at Akwaaba

AS the Ebola Virus Disease continues to take its toll on Africa, Zambia tourism authorities have remained optimistic of its projected 1.2 million international tourist arrivals by the end of the year.

According to the chairperson of the Tourism Council of Zambia, Felix Mulenga, Ebola outbreak would not derail its expectations as it impact on the growth of the country’s tourism sector would be negative.

This optimism was also reiterated by the country’s permanent secretary of tourism and arts ministry, Steven Mwansa, who said that despite the Ebola outbreak in Africa, Zambia is on course to attaining its projection for the year as it has put in place different marketing measures towards attracting tourists to the Southern Africa country.

An outbreak of the Ebola disease began in Guinea in December 2013, leading to the spread of the epidemic in West Africa. The outbreak has now spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Speaking recently in Lusaka, Mwansa said despite the outbreak being a public health emergency of international concern, Zambia was not on the ladder of the hit affected countries. The country recorded an increase in the number of international arrivals by 6.7 percent, from 859,088 in 2012 to 912,576 in 2013.

Its contributory tourism products include holiday category, Meeting Incentive Conferences and Events while its

African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) who are the organizers of the yearly Akwaaba, Africa Travel Market, a travel trade exhibition platform devoted to showcasing African tourism to the world has announced that a number of hotel innovations would be on showcase during the Hospitality Day of the expo scheduled to hold between October 26 – 28 the Expo hall of Eko Hotels and Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos. ‘‘One of the biggest challenges faced by the

key markets are South Africa, China, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, India, Tanzania, United States of America, Kenya, Germany and Zimbabwe.

On his part, Mulenga said: ‘‘the Ebola virus is a challenge to the tourism sector in Africa as a whole just by the random spreading of the virus. If you have seen a number of conferences and workshops which were supposed

to be held in Africa have being cancelled or postponed. This will definitely impact on the numbers of international arrivals for Africa as well as Zambia."

He however insisted that the country’s projection would be met, adding that there was need to increase the level of awareness about Zambia as a tourist destination in the key markets.

From left, front row: Abubakar Musbau, Anyanwu Uchenna, Chef Olufunke Victor and Chef Timothy Amadi.

hotel business in West Africa is competition and so the 10th edition of Hospitality Day at Akwaaba will be dedicated to showing hotel managers how they can stay ahead of competition, using the latest technology to drive sales and retain clients,’’ said Mrs. Rite Ikechi Uko. ‘‘With rapidly growing economies, foreign direct investments and an increasing number of Africans who are having more disposable incomes and moving into the middle class income group, the hospitality industry in Africa is full of opportunities,’’ she said, adding that ‘‘however, with more interest shown by the international and regional chains in expanding in Africa especially in Nigeria with about 49 hotels (7,470 rooms) scheduled to open by 2017 coupled with the existing hotels and a number of smaller hotels and guest houses opening every now and then, the challenge for hotels to stay in business will be high.’’

She explained that as a result, a workshop on hotels with the theme, “Hotel Innovation: Being One Step Ahead” is schedule to hold with key speakers from Israel, Dubai, UK, Germany and Nigeria and a panel made up of GM’s top international and regional hotel chains in Nigeria.

The workshop is aimed at raising the hotel standards in West Africa and will have in attendance over 100 hotel managers, hotel management companies in Nigeria and Africa as well as hotel investors and other stakeholders.

The issues that would be addressed include, use of social media, software for hotels hardware/amenities, services, data mining (big data) and the latest hotel apps.

TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

41

TRAVEL PERSONALITY

OLADIPO SOYODE: In three years, tourism will be Osun’s major source of revenue Osun Osogbo Festival is the bedrock of reviving our culture What the government, the administration of Raul Aregbesola is doing regarding it, not only Osun Osogbo Festival on its own but regarding all festivals and matters relating to culture in Osun, is actually what I will call reviving it. It is part of a larger Yoruba renaissance and it is something that we believe that if it is not done, the sense of identity of our people will not be made clear.

Osun has been re-christened Ipinle Omoluabi, and the purpose of reviving all cultural matters is so that we can have a rebirth here. So, the festival is just a part of the celebration of the culture and what we have been doing with it since we came here is to put it in its rightful place.

It comes with dance, it comes with poetry and it comes with a lot of glamour and what the government has been doing is to encourage this, to let our young people feel free to identify with it. Because Christianity and Islam tell you in not so many words but the way they have been interpreted that everything African is fetish and evil.

That is what is being revived and the festival itself just stands in symbolic relations to this general cultural revival about what is good about our people.

We are in collaboration with NTDC to elevate Osun to a pilgrimage destination We have certain collaborations and agreements that we have entered into in the last one year. We have collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Soyode (NTDC) and the main thing is that Osun has something unique.

And what is unique here? One, we have the World Heritage Site (WHS) but more importantly we have Ile Ife, which to the Yoruba is the cradle of mankind, where man came to the earth, it is our own ‘Garden of Eden.’

The Yoruba are not restricted to Nigeria because the Yoruba nation extends to Togo, Benin and certain part of Ghana and beyond that we have a large people of Yoruba heritage in Brazil, in Trinidad Tobago and in Cuba. They hold on to the Yoruba religion stronger than we here.

Many of them are not Christians at all and they even wonder why we are Christians? They want to come in, they want to be part of us, they want to relate with their real identities, so in this regard we have this programme that is called the ‘back to Africa pilgrimage,’ it is based on religious tourism.

What we are doing with NTDC is to get air route approved for us because we have travelled to Antigua, we have travelled to Trinidad and Tobago and we have met with so many people but the main constraint is that we don’t even have direct flight coming from these places. You have to use the so-called triangular slave route, which is going through Europe or the Americas to reach the Caribbean or the South America whereas if direct flight was to be available it will be cheaper and

Oladipo Soyode, the special adviser to the governor of Osun State on culture and tourism, is a man of many parts with a devotion to the art. Soyode, a performing poet, speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on developments with the state tourism scene. it will just be seven hours flight to Lagos.

So we are collaborating with NTDC on this, we intend having people come here the way government spend money to send pilgrims to Mecca or Jerusalem. So, we are going to have chartered flights bringing pilgrims to the ancient shrines and they are many in Osun.

In Ede, you have the Sango shrine, the Oranmiyan grove in Ile Ife, the Osun grove in Osogbo and others that I have not mentioned. So, basically it is closing that bridge of people that have been separated by distance, time and slavery.

BACKGROUND I am a lawyer by training, I practiced law for so many years. I am poet by passion and I write. I still write and I perform my poetry. I love art. Basically, I just like to be around the art and the job of a poet is to string words that are beautiful together. The job of the art connoisseur is to just admire beautiful things and I think that is relaxing enough.

This will be a continuous thing because it is not something that we just do and stop. We are working on restoring some of the ancient shrines to the way they were before so that when they come they have a total experience of what being a Yoruba is like. This will be a total religious experience for them.

We have created a tourism enterprise zone for mega projects In addition to that, we have a place that we have designated as tourism enterprise zone and we have a team of foreign investors who are putting an investment of about $100,000 to develop it. We are talking about hotels, yacht, gaming, it is a total package around a man-made lake and it

will be the first of its kind in this country or perhaps in West Africa.

The investors are ready and we are ready too. We are going to take off with that very soon because by the time we start accommodating so many international visitors we need a place where they would be entertained not for a day or two and then they get bored.

But it will be a total entertainment tied to our traditional festivals because we have them all year round; the Olojo Festival, the Ogiyan Festival, the Iwude Festival in Ilesa and the Osun Osogbo Festival.

....creating other tourism products We have also concluded plans with both foreign and local partners to upgrade the Ayenagbi waterfalls. Major investment is going into that place in the next six months. We have another proposal but this is not yet finalised and it might be done more with the state funds rather than foreign partners. It is the new Ife project. It is the pet project of the governor, which is establishing the new Ife by the adjoining land to Ile Ife but the main theme is the celebration of our people, our heroes, from Oduduwa to Sango to Moremi.

With Yoruba arts and culture and it is a whole town that is going to be devoted to this. So that when you come you will see the real religious shrines, you will see the ones that are more entertaining for the people that are not into Orisa.

But it will teach you history, it will teach you the culture of the people and it will make you know who we are and where we came from. So, these are the things in a nutshell that are in the pipeline.

We are developing the economy for the people You need to look at it in two phases

because eventually this will reflect on the government coffers but the immediate and contingent thing that we need to do now is to put structures in place and these structures as we are constructing them would immediately benefit the local artisans, transporters, the hoteliers and restaurateurs.

Because they will get bigger patronage in their businesses and for us, that is okay for now. One of the points in the six-point action plans of the government is to reduce poverty and to generate employment. So if people find some kind of employment either temporary or permanently and they generate more incomes during all these ceremonies that is good for us because our people are making more money.

But once all the structures are in place and the business is booming for everyone they can then come into the government’s tax net and they would pay their taxes regularly, which eventually increases the internally generated revenue of the government.

So, it is not a short term plan to grab them and take the money out immediately. Like I tell people tourism is like drilling for oil because for many years you drill, you spend millions and millions before you hit oil and there is uncertainty that you might not.

However, in this (tourism) we would hit the oil because all the indications are there but we need to put in all the necessary investments and eventually it will come back to us.

Our modest achievements We have made the waterfall in Olomiri accessible because before now people just sit down except those that are brave enough to be mountain climbers who go up the mountain but now we have put a staircase to climb into the mountain. We have worked at the palace museum in Ila Orangum, which is preserving ancient artefacts.

We have worked on setting a totally tourism enterprise zone. We have done all the planning, all the drawings have been done and even the funding has been concluded, it is just for us to take-off.

If you go to Oduduwa grove we have like a 13 foot image of Oduduwa, which we erected within the grove. If you go to the Oranmiyan grove in Ile Ife also we did a lot of restoration work there, at the world ifa temple we have restored the ancient shrines there.

We made some modest achievements and apart from these we have let the world see the potential of Osun in tourism and right now we have the biggest local festival and it is an international festival also, Osun Osogbo Festival.

My vision is to create a tourism economy in three years My dream for tourism is that within the next two, three years tourism will be the main source of revenue for Osun State not waiting for allocations from Abuja but generating money within the state through tourism.

42 TRAVEL&TOURISM DESTINATION Despite suggestions that the number of visitors to this year's Osun Osogbo festival's grand finale be kept low or cancelled outright to stave off the possible spread of Ebola, the annual culture festival still held with as much enthusiasm, even if not on the grand scale tourists were accustomed to, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

Osun Osogbo Festival:

T

The journey to Osogbo he about three-hour trip from Lagos to Osogbo this Thursday afternoon stretched for almost eternity. No thanks to the ongoing reconstruction of Lagos – Ibadan road. It was a smooth ride from the Lagos end until we got to the Ibadan end when the driver of the commercial vehicle I travelled with noticed the heavy traffic ahead and had to make a detour via the Ode Remo – Iperu axis of Ogun State.

The respite was short lived because of the terrible state of the road too. It was almost like riding on a tiger’s tail with the driver precariously meandering through the potholes.

It was relieving though when you think of the pains of getting holed up for unending hours in the gridlock if the driver had continued on the normal route. As one endured the rigours of the journey, one’s contemplation was on what Osogbo held. One was headed to the ancient town to witness the grand finale of this year’s celebration of the Osun Osogbo festival.

One was overwhelmed by a feeling of trepidation as one was not too sure of what awaits one at the town given the prevailing mood in the country and the near state of anxiety following the federal government's call for cancellation of the event a day earlier even though the state government had restricted movement from other parts of the country, especially the South-west to the state with an order that only the devotees of Osun goddess, the Ataoja and his people would be allowed to celebrate the event.

But despite this uncertainty, the reporter’s instinct prodded one on. One had actually expected to see restriction of movement into the city by heavily armed men but apart from the usually busy scene occasioned by the sellers of various food items and their patrons at the intersection at Gbogon town where travellers branch off from the Ibadan – Ife end to Osogbo, it was an all clear signal as there was no sign of a security cordon.

The only thing we had to contend with was the bad road, as a stretch of the road was under construction. Otherwise it was a smooth ride into town where there was a surprising calmness. It was only around the state secretariat at Abere along Gbogon road that a few banners announcing the festival were observed. Besids these, there was nothing in the air or in the countenance of locals suggesting that Osogbo

Scores of celebrants at the riverside

Revellers dancing at the grove

Union Street

A trader sits alone, awaiting tourists

Jubilant crowd at the grove

was at the verge of hosting a grand celebration the next day.

Celebrative night The feelers at Heritage Hotel where one checked in for the night indicated that all was well and that the festival would hold as planned though the mood and tempo here was not on the high note as expected.

By the way, the hotel is a melting pot of sort for people as it normally plays host to many visitors to the festival and some of the events.

Later that night, some guests made it to the palace of the Ataoja for the children’s

It's very amazing It is very, very interesting, I have never been to any Nigerian cultural event and this is so amazing. There are so many aspects of it and there are so many things I am asking questions about and I am learning by the second and by the minutes. It is very exciting from the traffic coming and the excitement of the people of the town, from the sculptures on the way, the whole thing starts from the road and it is very amazing.

NTDC is keying in to this event from the perspective of domestic tourism; that is what this is all about. NTDC is using this to demonstrate the importance of domestic tourism and the reason why Nigerians are the best people to market Nigeria. If we market and enjoy the culture that we have, foreigners would be excited and would want to emulate us and that is the essence of us being a part of this event today. *Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, DG, NTDC

fiesta hosted by the traditional ruler, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye 11.

While the environs maintained a quiet appeal, the palace was agog with celebration with the children putting on beautiful performances from dance, music and recitations. The event was sponsored by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation with the director general of the tourism body, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, and a few of her staff in attendance.

For the visitors, especially the youth that made it to town for the festival, the night

The festival has come to stay This festival is one that has come to stay because it is a festival that we have been celebrating since 1370 AD and this year’s event is no exception. Despite the fear of Ebola, they all came out in their numbers to pay their respect to their Kabiyesi and celebrate their festival. This is more or less their Christmas or Ilaye and it is done once in a year. It is their own right to have this festival and it is their prayers that Ebola will become extinct with the celebration of this festival.

Well, I am not so impressed about the fact that we don’t have the glamour of having international visitors around. The announcement by the state government that people from outside the state should not come for the festival also took away its shine. But I am consoled by the fact that despite all, that we have a lot of in-

ternational media men who have been around in the last two weeks. Also, I am encouraged by the fact that the turnout of journalists from all over Nigeria is unprecedented.

In terms of the economy, I can authoritatively say that there is going to be a downward trend because most people that always come here buy goods, edible things, especially the OPC people, they buy lots of yams that they take home along with them.

Most of our international tourists always come down to buy a lot of our beads and artefacts as souvenirs. So there is going to be downward trend and unfortunately too our hotels are not full to capacity as they used to be. *Ayo Olumoko, MD/CEO of Infogem Nigeria, consultant and marketer of Osun Osogbo Festival

was a splendid one with different social events staged at various spots and hospitality homes within the city.

Perhaps the focal points for many visitors were Heritage Hotel where the Sisi Osun beauty pageant was staged, Star night ground on Gbogon road and Mandela (Freedom) Park.

One had to crisscross these different spots occasionally that night to catch some glimpses of the events. Guinness was the sponsor of the music show at the Freedom park with local artistes holding sway while It is good, it is beautiful, I love it The festival is good, it is peaceful and orderly and it is in obedience to the advice of the federal government because the federal government didn’t even want it to hold at all. But because it has to be, that is why it has been on a low key.

Even when people are a million times what we have today, the same blessings would be from Osun. The same efficacy would be in the water, the same wonders would happen and I am sure that after people have left here today, days after, people would still be coming here to fetch some water.

So, there is no disappointment at all; it is good, it is beautiful. In fact, I love it.

Ifayemi Elebuibon Oyeleke Omileye Atunda

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

TRAVEL&TOURISM

Braving the anxiety of Ebola Arugba Osun (votary maiden) leading the procession to the grove

Ataoja of Osogbo flanked by his wives at the grove

43

We are not disappointed We have been sponsoring Osun Osogbo Festival for more than eight years now and each year is different. This year is not anything different and as expected a large crowd, the community and sons and daughters of Osogbo community coming around and that is why we are here as MTN to identify and connect with their passion also.

Sponsoring the festival is also our way of saying thank you to the community. We are not disappointed because this is the kind of crowd that we normally have and we have that kind of crowd again this year.

I actually thought that it would just be us and the chiefs but I was surprised to see a lot of people. It means they are passionate about it and no matter what is going on in the country or what they said about Ebola they are still here. *Olalekan Fakeye, Regional Trade Marketing Manager, South-West, MTN

It is my most joyous day Today is one of my most joyous days.

Some people decided not to come, well they are missing out but I wasn’t happy because about 40 of my visitors registered to come but had to stay away because of Ebola.

I want Nigerians to know that this is their culture; they should always carry their culture along because this is our heritage and we all have to value it because it is our future. *Chief Nike Okundaye, renowned artist Hutchesons - A fantastic place to eat in Glasgow Mrs. Nike Okundaye, NTDC DG, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo (middle) and some drummers

Some of the contestants during Sisi Osun beauty pageant

Nigerian Breweries through its Goldberg beer brand gave the people at the Star Night ground something to cherish with Saint Janet and her husband known for lurid lyrics and performances got the ecstatic audience on their feet.

The grand finale Friday August 22 was the much expected grand finale, a day the people of the town, Osun devotees and worshippers and visitors head to the Osun grove to witness the final celebration of the almost a monthlong festivities. Besides, it was a day when the people, amid cultural celebration and feasting, pay obeisance to the Osun goddess and their forebears.

As always, the locals never disappoint in this regard. While the main city was getting into its familiar rhythm, the palace of the Ataoja and the ancient abode of Osogboland were already in a fit of celebration with the palace grounds taken over by an expectant crowd.

The palace road leading to the grove was also alive with many of the celebrants and residents stationed on the route awaiting the signal for the commencement of the yearly feast. Drummers, cultural troupes, singers and artistes of all shades as well as vendors of various food items were not left out of the scene.

The people didn’t have to wait too long this year for the procession to the grove to get under way as the Arugba (votary maiden) got into her rhythm and grooved quite early under the prodding of her spiritual minders. Thus the long procession from the

Saint Janet entertaining guests at Star night grounds

NTDC DG, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo trying her hands on the bata drum

palace to the grove began with dancing, gyrations and deafening chants of "Osun Oro Oye" filling the air as people everywhere took up the refrain in a rhapsodic manner.

Entertaining and cultural piece Even before the long procession made its way to the grove, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Site had long turned into a theatre of entertainment and cultural performances with many of the Osun devotees, worshippers, residents and visitors already settled in.

A first time visitor would be taken by the heavy celebration of the day; the excitement, the various cultural and artistic shows that were put on display and even those adept at magical art, spiritualism and all sorts as well as those of the comic arts taking positions at different locations and just thrilling the milling crowd in a boisterous mood.

The various religious and sacred groves and points to the river side were taken over by the devotees and worshippers of Osun and others seeking to pay obeisance and worship the river goddess to unburden their pains and requests to the goddess.

While others came simply to offer thanks for answered requests, there were yet others who came to access the reputed curative and therapeutic powers of the goddess. This is one reason the waterside is a major attraction as people after the offering of prayers gingerly fetch water from the river in white jerry cans of different sizes. It is always a day of brisk business for vendors of jerry

cans and plastic products of different types.

Aside the festive mood of the celebration, it is this religious appeal of the yearly event that makes it a must attend occasion not just for Osun acolytes and devotees, but for many visitors from across Nigeria and even beyond, particularly foreign tourists because of the legendary powers of the goddess to bequeath fecundity and protection.

Absence of tourists, government Even though the celebration was meant to be a low key one due to the fear of the spread of Ebola Virus Disease, it however met the expectation of the people many of who expressed joy at the hosting event which have held annually since the 1370 AD. To the locals, not holding the festival is inconceivable given the belief that it is important to the spiritual and physical balance in the community.

There is no denying the fact that the absence of a large pool of visitors - particularly among the foreign tourists - was apparent.

However, there was a team of Ifa devotees from Brazil who came to experience the festival for the first time and also to explore their African root. The absence of the members of the Odua People's Congress led by Gani Adams who yearly formed a large part of the congregation was also noticed.

But perhaps the most disturbing development was the absence of the state governor and the minister of culture, tourism and national orientation from the event.

Over the years, it has always been the tradition of the state governor and minister of

It is well attended Well, we partner with this festival simply because it is a royal festival and people recognise it worldwide and we believe that being a partner in this cultural event, our products would be showcased.

No regrets, because even with all the things that people had said about not wanting to mingle with people; but you can still see a sizeable crowd here and that shows the significance of this festival and that people have come to this festival.

Joseph Bodunrin, regional business manager, West, Nigerian Breweries tourism or their representatives to share the podium with the Ataoja. But this time none of them showed up.

To many observers, the fact that Osun State government which promotes the festival as its flagship tourism event stayed on the sideline at such a challenging moment, is a low point. In fact, the state government had from the outset received flak for its poor handling of the matter as its stance did not quite help the cause of the festival which many believed would had failed barring the tenacity of the people and their strong belief.

Sporting her trade mark outfit accentuated by the white and green national colours, NTDC's director-general Sally Mbanefo was perhaps the only noticeable government figure. She was the cynosure of all eyes as she shared the podium with the Ataoja.

Low economic activities Over the years, the economy of the state, particularly of the Osogbo people have always received a boost through the festival which typically draws many visitors to the state. But this year, there was a downward trend in the commercial activities in the city and within the ancient town.

Many businesses in the city lamented poor earnings, citing low patronage. Several vendors of foods and other items who normally carry on brisk businesses by the roadside and the route to the grove said it was a lean day for them as most of the items on display were not sold.

Hotels, leisure spots and eateries also were not left out of the tales of woe. The hoteliers in particularly recorded low occupancy whereas the period of the festival is usually the highest season for them. This fact was acknowledged by the special adviser to the governor on culture and tourism, Mr. Ladi Soyede, and the festival marketer and consultant, Mr. Ayo Olumoko of Infogem Nigeria.

Cutting Edge NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

30 AUGUST 2014

Charles Ajiboye: Why I’m bringing job fair to the youth Charles Ajiboye, a youth activist and lawyer is the head of Penthouse Chambers and President of IC-Cube, a youthoriented organization. He speaks with INIOLUWA EKEOLERE and TOSIN ADEWALE about his career and activism and forthcoming job fair he’s introducing.

What's the story behind Penthouse Chambers The Penthouse Chambers is a multi-service law firm. We particularly focus on cooperate practice, narrow down to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. We deal a lot with people that are starting up businesses and trying to help them to perfect their legacy. We are also involved in a lot of litigation as well as regular soliciting work. We have done a whole lot of recovery matters also, landed properties and so on.

Most young lawyers tend to spend time serving with bigger chambers; why did you start yours at an early age?

It all depends on what you mean by very early. To some people very early may mean five, seven, 10 years, but for me it didn't start too early. What is important in starting anything at all is whether or not you are good to go, that is, you have what it takes to do the job. What it takes to do the job is a function of how much opportunity has come your way and how much of exposure you have allowed yourself to those opportunities. It's really not very early, but maybe earlier than a lot of people would have done it, but not that it's not been done before. It's just that we've had a lot of exposure, we've learnt under some of the finest hands, people like Wale Babalakin and Co. Personally, I was with Babalakin at some point very briefly, and also Idowu Sofola and Co. who was the chairman of Body of Benchers. There were 12 senior advocates in the firm and I was also with Olomolawa and Co. So it's not really early except you are looking at my size and some other things I don't know.

Why did you choose to study law?

Why not law? I don't know why law, but there's a quote I normally like to cite: “your heart always knows the way, so it's better you just follow it". I think that worked for me, because my heart wanted law and I just followed it. Although, it works well with the kind of things I have been called to do and with the kind of person I have grown to become. I realise that I can help people a lot as a lawyer, directly in my capacity as a lawyer.

So far, the law firm has been able to stand for a lot of young people in criminal matters.

Normally we don't focus on criminal matters but we've been able to help a lot of young people in criminal matters. People who were to be cheated, who were to be oppressed, we've been able to stand for a quite number of them and at little or no cost to them. So all that gives you joy, it's encouraging, it leads to excitement. So it’s a profession that has to do with life but that's not to say other professions don't have to do with life, but law is just directly so connected to your wellbeing and your life. If you will never need a lawyer, probably you will never know how important it is to get one. It’s just like medicine, it's so fundamental. You get so excited when you solve a person's problem.

Who are your earliest influences?

I don't have many. Mine was a function of what my heart wanted and I followed it.

But talking about earliest influence, Dr. Wale Babalakin was very instrumental to my conviction to be a lawyer. Late Gani Fawehinmi was also very instrumental, so it was a blend of success and relevance; success in the sense that Babalakin is a good lawyer, he is successful, he knows how to manage his business and his practice together. Also, Fawehinmi was relevant to the lives of people. So, my own definition of law or life is that you should be successful as an individual in whatever you are doing and you also are relevant to your neighbour, the person next to you should be able to benefit from whatever you are doing. So success and relevance, Babalakin and late Gani Fawehinmi. Over time, I have come across a whole lot of icons, people I look up to in the profession and they are quite many now.

What was your goal for setting up the foun-

44 dation IC-Cube?

IC-Cube is a teenage and youth capacity building organization. It runs as social enterprise. When we started, it was just a function of wanting to help young people and teenagers become great. A whole lot of people are there in the society who lacks parental figure in their life, they really don't have people they can confide in, there are a lot of things they can't discuss with their parents or their older siblings, and many times they just need people who can encourage and counsel them from time to time, who can stand by them. That was what we wanted to do with IC-Cube, we wanted to be the shoulder they can rest on, we wanted to be the voice they can listen to, we wanted to give direction to as many people that are missing it in life, that was what we set out to do. We focus on the areas of finances, we understood that an average young person was seriously hampered and obstructed by poor financial provisions, they lack a lot.

What is your next project all about?

The next big project happens to be this year and we are doing the same thing. It will take place in October between the 16th and 18th. We are going to alter it a bit; it's going to be more of a specialized panel discussion. We are going to have six panels in all, one panel is going to be on law and politics, another panel is going to be on business and finance, another is going to discuss non-governmental organizations, social work, and another will talk on sport, art and fashion, among others. We will also have one on ICT and media. That will be six panels in all. Two of them will concurrently hold, so participants can attend at least two. Two will be holding at a time, so participants can attend 3 in all. so we expect that you choose the area of your interest, and we are bringing cognizance in that field that will speak and encourage you in that particular area you want to go in. We have being talking already with Chief Michael Ade Ojo who is the founder of Elizade Nigeria. We are also talking to Wale Oyedeji, an executive director with GTBank, and in entertainment, we've talked to Saint Obi. For law and politics, we've being discussing with Jimmy Agbaje, among others. These are few of the names we intend to bring. We are looking at gathering over 3000 young people this year across the county. We have a networking company as well; we will have a job fair. We are working with at least 100 companies to be at the job fair so that we can at least provide 500 jobs or thereabout, people that can recruit on ground. The enterprise companies will be there to advertise their product and services, so many of them can decide to reach us and get a stand at the conference, so that's all for the conference for now.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I swim, I play table tennis and I also read.

Some count reading as work, but to me it's leisure, because it depends on the kind of book you are reading. Once in a while, we move around the bushes in the country.

Are you a designer freak or how exactly do you like to assemble what you wear?

I just like looking good, everything good catches my fancy. I like clothes that are fitting and that are of good quality. I'm not particular about any designer.

As a young man what do you find striking in a woman?

The first thing is intelligence. Somebody may say 'can you really see the brain from the outside?' And I will be like 'once a woman opens her mouth you can see the whole brain there'. So the IQ is very fundamental to me. Beauty is also very important; I also like a neat, well organized woman. Most importantly, a woman that fears God, even much more than her husband, because such a woman is very easy to relate with and also to live with. So those are the things that strike me in a woman.

FACEOFF Abia State Government has pushed workers to the wall, says NULGE boss p.48 ‘We have resolved our differences with workers’ – Egbeogu p.49

POLITICS ON SATURDAY

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30 AUGUST 2014

45

I have the experience and goodwill to govern Kano in 2015 – Sen. Gaya As a member of the APC, react to the just-concluded Osun State gubernatorial election which your Party won overwhelmingly?

The election was a bit free and fair. You know there were a lot of irregularities, unlike the Ekiti election, it was a clear victory for APC. You saw people carrying bags of rice and lining up, but constitutionally, this breached the provisions of the Electoral Act which clearly states that no voter should be induced. But in this case, the voter was not only induced but also blackmailed by giving him something to go with; do not forget that if he didn’t vote for the person, (who induced him), he had to return the bag of rice.

We thank God it was not so in Osun.

There was no PDP take-over. We are trying to maintain the status quo; we are also trying to improve on it and be able to have a majority of supporters in a number of state legislatures, the House of Representatives and the Senate. We are working in that direction and I want to assure you that, by the grace of God, we will achieve that.

Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, representing Kano South Senatorial District, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC. He speaks with CHUKWU DAVID in Abuja, on national issues, including the last gubernatorial election in Osun State; alleged militarisation of democracy; dynamics of Kano politics and his governorship ambition in 2015.

The Osun election took place without violence, contrary to expectations. Why was this so?

You see, in any place where there is violence, there is armed facilities for whoever is doing it. Those who believe they can rig and win create violence. But when you see that it is a landslide victory; when you see the governor performing and everyone can see it, it becomes a clear testimony. So, there will be no violence because you realise that you that wants to create violence, that you are in the minority; the mainstream people that you see, you cannot engage them in a fight, that is why there was no violence. But ultimately, God took control and we ascribe everything to God. Do you subscribe to the general opinion that the heavy presence of security operatives in Osun was responsible for the peaceful and successful conduct of the poll?

Yes, the governor and the people of the state have said, severally, that security operatives tried as well as the government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC which also tried. I just hope that the INEC would improve and stop playing politics and stop being one-sided, as if it is an arm of one party.

It should continue to be a good umpire.

The security should also be good. We say, in Hausa, that good Friday starts on Wednesday, and we can see that the good Friday actually started on Wednesday. We only pray that it will continue to be bright, brilliant and good for our country. The new Inspector-General of Police, as appointed, is a good man. He is honest and sincere and, I believe, he is a young man. He thinks more of his tomorrow than today and he would like to leave a good name and a good legacy behind.

He is someone I have known for many years. He is somebody w h o h a s lived a l l his life

trying to be a nice man. So, I expect him to continue being nice; he should continue to be honest, he should continue to be fair.

For him to succeed as the police boss, he should continue to be honest and I wish him well.

Is it true that you are contesting the 2015 governorship election in Kano and if yes, what are your chances of victory?

As I said earlier, all positions people want to occupy or vie for, they will, first of all, pray to God to guide them and make people vote for them in that position. Talking about the Senate, I never wanted to be a senator. But I was forced by my people and now I love being a senator. I appreciate the job and I am proud being a senator.

I have made my contributions and I am still making my contributions to get everything that I could for my people. And I am happy that my people appreciate my contributions. I agreed to be a senator and God made me to be one. Now that they are asking me to come and be governor because I was there before for two years before we were booted out by the military, I will not say no to them because when they asked me to be senator, I said no for the first time. The second time they asked me, I refused. It was when they asked me the third time that I agreed to be a senator and I agreed and God made me to become one. Now that they have asked me again, I think I will not say no to them. So, we are working together with the people. We are trying hard to make sure that by God’s grace, I will contest for the governorship.

And by God’s grace, I will be governor of the state come 2015. And I think that why they are insisting on me is because of my wealth of experience. When I was a governor, I had experience being a governor. Now that I am a full nationalist, I have experienced how the national operates. And that was what happened to Governor Kwankwaso when people were asking him to come back for the second term. The performance of Governor Kwankwaso, this time, is 1000% better than what he did in the first four years.

Which means, he did the best he could in the first four years. Then, he was off the track for several years. And when he came back, he continued with the good job he started. So, I believe that by 20I5, when he would have expended his second term, I will step into the governorship position and be able to complete the good legacies of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso

and, most likely, improve on any area where he is unable to improve the lot of the people. So, I have no fear within my party. If we are able to reconcile, fine and good. If we are not able to reconcile, we go for primaries and if we go for primaries, we are having a direct primaries. And if we go for direct primaries, it means that in every ward, people will come out to vote for Senator Kabiru Gaya for two reasons: one, I have done so many projects in my senatorial district. Virtually every ward in my local government in Kano South has a project; be it borehole, solarpowered borehole, hospital, I have done 28 health centres, I have done over 300 classroom blocks, I have built over 18 skill acquisition centres, well -equipped.

I have supplied more than 500 computers and gave jobs to more than 700 people at the federal level including the Police, Customs and so on. We have done a lot of poverty alleviation within the last two tenures. I spent N196 million in the last Senate and N200 million in this Senate on poverty alleviation. We have also given a lot of scholarships to people and supplied drugs to the hospitals we have in 20 local governments in my senatorial district last year and so on and so forth. We have also given tricycles, motor vehicles and motor cycles that are over I,500 in number. I believe we can do more.

Are you talking of projects captured in the previous budget or what you used your personal funds to do?

I am talking of projects that we were able to capture in the national budget, not my personal funds. With my personal funds, I did some projects of about 50 to 70 million naira in some places. In other areas, they are mostly what we captured in the national budget.

Even with your party alleging militarization of democracy by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, don’t you think that without soldiers to maintain law and order, the elections in Ekiti and Osun would have been marred, considering the pre-election verbal violence?

You see, that is the problem people have. We have the police- are you saying that the Police can no longer do their job or not capable of maintaining law and order at elections?. You see, the military is the last resort. If you now make a military officer to do the job of a policeman, if there is a bigger crisis, who will you invite? It is like putting your cards in one basket at the same time or bringing out all your ammunitions out at once. If the police can do their job, why not allow them to do their job? The problem we have is just corruption; and that is what spoils every good thing the government or that Nigerians CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

46 THE SATURDAY INTERVIEW

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

‘Aminu Kano taught people how to fight injustice’ C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 4 5

are doing. If we are less corrupt, without even a policeman, we can conduct election.

But when you involve a policeman, he is already corrupted. You can see that even the military officers are now collecting money at the tollgates. If not for corruption, ordinary corporal can oversee the conduct of an election and there will be no need for the military. But now, you see that even some military officers are talking money at the checkpoints. This is wrong. I think there is no need to use the military to monitor elections. Let’s encourage the police and allow them to do their job.

We observed that when Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau was the Governor of Kano State, the people of Kano hailed him. Then Kwankwaso came in under PDP and also enjoyed the people’s support. Now, you are going for the office on the platform of APC and you also seem to have swayed the electorate to your side. Does it mean that anybody who gets there automatically enjoys people’s goodwill irrespective of party affiliation?

You asked a very important question and I want you to understand the politics of Kano. The people of Kano State are well-advanced in politics; they are highlyenlightened in politics. Now, I will tell you a brief history of Kano. We were students of late Mallam Aminu Kano.The reverred Aminu Kano taught people to say no at the right time; taught people to assist and help the oppressed party or person. He taught people how to fight against injustice. He taught people how to stand for their rights and many other things. Kano people were students of late Aminu Kano. I will also give you a history of how Kano people vote for their governors during elections. I think it was only the late Abubarkar Rimi who became governor directly under the umbrella of the late Aminu Kano. And why people voted for the defunct Peoples Redemption Party, PRP (during the second republic), was because the defunct National Party

of Nigeria, NPN, was oppressing the PRP. And they believe that Aminu Kano was the best president Nigeria never had. So, when NPN decided to go against Aminu Kano using Abubakar Rimi, people decided to vote against Abubakar Rimi. They said they would vote for the candidate of Aminu Kano. And so, any candidate put forward

by Aminu Kano as governor won election because of what I have just told you we learnt from him. When Sabo Barkin Zuwo wanted to contest against the incumbent governor, Abubakar Rimi, people decided to vote for Sabo Barkin Zuwo. You know why? It was because Abubakar Rimi betrayed Aminu Kano by leaving his own party, the PRP to join the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP). So, the people of Kano sympathised with the late Aminu Kano and then supported Sabo Barkin Zuwo because it was a betrayal. So, they went to fight for their right, they went to fight against injustice and all that I told you earlier. The vote for Barkin Zuwo was, more or less, a protest vote (as it happened between late Professor Femi Agbalajobi and Sir Michael Otedola in Lagos State). When I came in because I was the next civilian governor after Barkin Zuwo, I was in the defunct NRC and the majority party in Kano State then was SDP; we had 34 local governments, NRC had 11 and SDP had 23, more than twice the number of NRC. But SDP had three candidates. One was Abubakar Rimi, the other one from the NPN and the third one was a government candidate. So government put its candidate against the other two candidates. They had primaries three times and twice, the government candidate lost. But the government decided to impose its candidate irrespective

of what the will of the people was. Then the people said, let’s do what we did during the time of Barkin Zuwo; this young man, Kabiru Gaya, looks honest, sincere, he doesn’t fight with anybody, let’s vote for him. And in about 48 hours, the table turned and I had a landslide victory over my opponent.

The third stage was when Kwankwaso came on board and contested under APP to become governor, I lost the primaries. Then Kwankwaso became the candidate of PDP. They didn’t want me to come so they made sure that I lost at the primaries. If I had won the primaries, I would have been the governor in 1999. So, people decided not to vote for Magaji because Magaji did not ask for my assistance so he lost. So, it was a protest vote that they used to elect Kwankwaso.

But now, you see that even some military officers are talking money at the checkpoints

MILESTONES

Leigh turns 75 L eigh, Olubode Abisogun (OFR), Professor of Quantitative Genetics and Animal Breeding is a former ViceChancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU). An astute administrator, frontline politician, notable community leader, renowned and international scholar turns 75 years old on Thursday 4th September, 2014.

Born on Lagos Island (Isale Eko) on September 4, 1939, to Samuel Onipinla Leigh and Madam Rachael Mobolaji Leigh, Prof.

Leigh attended Baptist Academy, Lagos (1955 to 1959); University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) between 1962 and 1966, where he obtained his B.Sc in Animal Science.

He obtained his M.Sc in Animal Breeding with Minor in Genetics and Statistics at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa State, U.S.A (1966-1968); while his PhD in Animal Breeding and Post-Doctorate Fellow was obtained at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada (1969-1973).

Leigh joined the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), IleIfe, as Lecturer II (1973-1976); Lecturer I (1976-1980) and was promoted to Senior

Lecturer in 1980.

He returned to the Lagos State University as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fisheries and Zoology in 1986, and was appointed Associate Professor of Quantitative Genetics in 1995. Prof.

Leigh was appointed Professor in 2000, and became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university in 2000, and the Vice-Chancellor in 2001 to 2005, when he retired.

A frontline politician and astute administrator in his public career, Leigh served as Civil Commissioner and member, Lagos State Executive Council (1975-1979); Chairman, Special Technical Committee on the

Establishment of LASU in 1982; Chairman, Lagos State Civil Service Commission (1983-1986); Elected member of the Constituent Assembly and Leader of Lagos State Delegate to the Assembly from 1998 to 1999; Chairman, Governing Council of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) between 2000 and 2006.

As a philanthropist, Prof.

Leigh is sponsoring a number of academic and sports championships among youth, especially Chess, among others.

Leigh, the former running mate to Lagos State governorship aspirant, Professor Femi Agbalajobi ( late) under the Social Democratic Party (1991 - 1993), also served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Education during which the Lagos State Polytechnic was established.

Prof. Leigh was conferred with the prestigious National Award of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration on December 20, 2005.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of Lagos State, particularly in the education sector, Prof. Leigh was honoured with the chieftaincy title ofBaajiki of Lagos, conferred on him by the late Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II, the Oba of Lagos.

Prof. Leigh is a Fellow of Royal Statistical Society, United Kingdom; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management; Member, Biometric Society of U.S.A; American Society of Animal Science; Nigerian Institute of Animal Science; The Genetics Society of Nigeria; and member of International Society for Society and Statistical Modeling.

Prof. Leigh, a devout and devoted Christian and socialite is a member of Eko Foundation; Eko Club Brazilian; Olusun Social Club; Lagos Country Club; Waka Club 1945; Lagos State Senior Staff Club.

As a thorough-bred Anglican, Prof. Leigh was a member of choir that took part in the Cantata rendered for Princess Elizabeth of England at the Christ Church Cathedral during the Royal visit to Nigeria in 1956 and presently, a member of the Choir of St. Peter’s Church, Faji, Lagos. He is a member and past President of Christian Companion; Patron, Good Hope Society and Life Patron, Christian League of St. Peter’s Church, Faji, Lagos.

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe, is among elders pushing for consensus in the 2015 governorship election in Rivers State. The Kula, Akuku Toru Local Government Area high chief, who served in the administration of former Governor Peter Odili, tells EMMANUEL MASHA in Port Harcourt why he opposes the choice of the minister of state for education, Barr. Nyesom Wike as governor.

Rivers governorship is not for sale, says Sara-Igbe the state. Is it possible for the APC to be defeated in Rivers?

That is a small problem. In this state, we are all PDP members. Those you see as APC members are members of the PDP who were aggrieved. I can confidently tell you that when the right candidate emerges, those calling themselves APC members will retrace their steps.

For sometime now, the crisis in Rivers has been blamed on the politics of acrimony by political elites. What are elders like you doing to ensure peace?

We have gathered the governorship aspirants, and are meeting with them and agreeing to work together on the agreement that whoever emerges as the candidate, the other aspirants will step down for him. But only on one condition: that it will not be an Ikwerre candidate, because Ikwerre have had their fair share.

The leadership of the PDP accused you; Hon. Elemchukwu Ogboewu, who allegedly wants to contest in 2015 and others of disloyalty and consequently expelled you from the party. Has anything changed since then?

Well, everybody is entitled to their view, which they can express anyway they like.

But you must realize that some of them are neophytes in politics – mostly in Rivers State politics. As an elder, who as a young man actively participated in the politics of this state, I think what we did was the right thing to open up the political space. The state was sliding dangerously. Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi left the PDP for the APC and was taking the state from its traditional to a dangerous path. And right in the PDP, as if everybody was caged. Some persons even tried to make the PDP a family programme, making it appear as if the party is owned by one person. But as elders who brought the party to the state and who have been working for the success of the party, we felt it was not right. And I think our action has paid off, opening up the state and showing that we are making progress.

Some members of the party say that when Chief Godspower Ake led the PDP in the state, people like you were nowhere to be found, and that you resurfaced for relevance after the minister of state for Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike, wrestled the party from Ake. React to this?

Nobody hijacked the party. The party has a process, and when those processes are fulfilled, whether you like it or not, you must comply. There was a convention that elected Chief G.U. Ake, and from nowhere, because there was a problem between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Mr. President, some people capitalized on it, importing stories and going to court. Fortunately, the court gave the judgement and if you have a court judgement, it is not the beginning or the end of the road. What they ought to have done was to protect the party, which was not the case. They were trying to lord it over others, which is very wrong. And I think that the PDP, as a national party, the biggest in Africa, I know for sure that it is not a party that one or two persons can hijack.

When they tried to hijack it, they thought it would be easy, but when we came out, it became too hot for them to hold. And I know that sooner or later, the party will take its course. But for anybody to say that because we fought one fight – and that fight is what has caused problem today, because the PD was peaceful before the fight- that they now own the party, I don’t think it is right. For instance, before we had APC in Rivers, before it gained ground and you say

47

Sara-Igbe

you fought a war. What war did you fight?

Today, the Rivers State House of Assembly is a rubberstamp. There is no objectivity because it has been seized and coerced because you fought a war. A lot of things have gone wrong in the state because you fought a war. I want to make it clear that if you fight for your people, it is not compulsory that you become a leader. Those who liberated Rivers during the civil war never governed. The likes of Isaac Adaka Boro, who started the 12 Day Rebellion, never became governor. Dappa Biriye, who fought for the creation of Rivers State never became governor likewise Chief Igbulia, Dr. Alabo Graham-Douglas, Dr. M. Akogbo, Owenike Briggs among others never became governor. What of Ken Saro Wiwa, who took all the risk as the administrator of Bonny – he never became governor. If you talk about fight, is it fighting with public resources or your own resources? Then what about myself Sara-Igbe, who took risk and fought and left government in the interest of the state and who is still fighting? Did I become governor?

The power to make anybody governor is in the hands of God. Some people will be wondering why Sara-Igbe is not contesting election, after all he is popular. But is governorship the best? And for those who know governance, it is not the best thing for anyone to wish himself to be a governor.

So, why must you die because you want to serve? So, I think they are novices who don’t know what is going on. But in a nutshell, there are moves for reconciliation. We have started, and I believe that everyone will soon come onboard.

If you talk about fight, is it fighting with public resources or your own resources?

You talk about reconciliation, but the crisis within Rivers PDP is deep, with factions fighting for their interests. Do you see members burying their differences to work for the party, considering that elections are around the corner?

The leadership of Rivers – the elders have decided to speak with one voice, and our people will toe that line. We are working towards the unity of the party for the governorship of Rivers state in 2015 and for Mr. President to win his second term in office. It is something that God has taken control of – it is not an individual thing. God is merciful.

If you see what is happening today in the country, you won’t find any Rivers man supporting Boko Haram. We cannot in any way support Boko Haram or any government that does not see us as part of government, but sees it as its birthright to rule us just like that. Don’t forget that for more than 50 years, we, from the South-South, supported the North, and today, the North that we have served, cannot tell us that we cannot rule, that it is their birthright to rule.

But as a Rivers son, you say we should go that way, it is not possible. We have asked for presidency and we have gotten president and we are supporting President Goodluck Jonathan. People must calculate political mathematics. You don’t say because you are in power or because you have money and decide and decide to base your actions around it. Those who have ruled Rivers never had money; it is the wish of the people that play out. Therefore, because you want to be governor, because you have money, you are therefore sure of the governorship, it is a lie, because the governorship of Rivers State is not for the highest bidder. It is only God that ordains people to rule, and the people will support President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

The APC is waxing strong, with Governor Amaechi firmly in control and with the support of other political office holders in

You were in the government of Dr. Peter Odili where you served, briefly though, and Governor Amaechi was also an integral part of that government. What happened between you and Amaechi? At what point did you two fall apart?

I never fell out with Amaechi. We are still friends. But I am somebody that will tell it to you the way I see it. Most of the things that are happening to Amaechi today are things I told him in the past. When I talk to somebody and he refuse to listen, the best thing for me is to withdraw. I could recall that when terrorism started in Nigeria, I was among the first to do an analysis on terrorism on what should be done as a way forward. When we spoke and spoke and people refused to listen, we backed out and today those things we said are manifesting.

If you are with somebody, your son, daughter, wife or friend and you advised and they don’t take your advice, you don’t need to fight with them. You simply allow them to see things for themselves. Experience they say is the best teacher.

I think my friend Amaechi has come to realize some of my advice, because those things I told him have started manifesting. That was exactly how I advised Sir Dr. Peter Odili before I resigned. In the case of Amaechi, I was neither in government nor was I occupying any elective position. All I needed to do was to face my business, which is feeding my family. Politics is not about hanging around government and looking for ways to get money from politicians. If you are a professional and know what you are doing, you don’t hang around. There are a lot of legitimate things to do in Nigeria and live well. The only difference between us is that Amaechi is in APC, while I am in the PDP. But that is not a difference because most of the people in APC are my friends.

I have friends that cut across the political parties. Politics is just a temporary thing.

What is important is interest, and in this case the interest is who becomes the governor of Rivers in 2015.

When Amaechi was quarrelling with Jonathan, I always came on air and called for peace and reconciliation, and for them to see reason that they were elected for a purpose. And when they refused to listen, today we know what is happening. As elders, our role is to advise, and our advice is inspirational.

Under what platform are the leaders and elders in Rivers meeting?

In the past, we had RDM, which spoke for Rivers State. Today, it is the Mainstream Coalition, which has stepped into the shoes of RDM, not as opposition, but as a body of elders and prominent Rivers sons and daughters who came together and said we must follow the path of equity, we must follow the path of peace, and we must follow then path of God. That is why we decided to come together. When several aspirants showed interest in the governorship, because we don’t want bloodbath in the state, we decided to invite them to come together because we are one, and there will only be one governor. So, if there will only be one governor, it means that at last, only one person among the candidates will be chosen, and when that person is chosen, let us work together to ensure that we deliver that person.

FaceOff

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Going on strike if your demands were not met formed part of the resolutions of the executive council meeting of your union.

What, exactly, are the issues?

On the 1st of August, we had a meeting of all stakeholders in the local government system met where we x- rayed problems in the last tier of government, including the issue of non-payment of salaries. In fact, as I am talking to you now, the salaries of June and July 2014 have not been paid to local government workers. NULGE, as a responsible, union met, the state executive council, and x-rayed all the problems in the local government system and came up with a resolution, giving the state government seven days to clear June and July salaries as well as other pockets of arrears, including the minimum wage arrears, owed to workers, as well as leave allowance for 2012. And also to address other issues that pertain to promotion. The (local government service), commission told us that government had to suspend our 2012 promotion exercise as well as the one for 2013 and we asked what we did to merit all these. A worker in the local government system, or even elsewhere, promotion is the only thing that gives him or her joy and enhances productivity. If you deny the worker that promotion, he will give you the other side of himself. And that’s why the union has been pushed to the wall. They have subjected our people to living a beggarly life. Workers are owed at random, pockets of arrears here and there.

These salaries that we are talking about is not a new thing, government should know that it is in the first charge. Every government in the world today has salaries under the first-line charge because the worker deserves his pay. The Bible condemns the practice of owing the worker his dues. That is why we are giving the government the ultimatum; we don’t want to be accused of going into the streets in protest yet. We will explore all avenues of dialogue, including going on warning strike to tell the government that we are hungry, our people are dying and it’s affecting productivity.

Can you remember specifically when this problem started?

Before I came into office in July last year, we had sorted out everything about salaries during the previous administration. The salaries were coming early and as when due, but this one emanated from April when salaries were not paid. We received our April salary in June. May salary was paid just about a week or so ago, even there are local governments that have not finished paying the May salaries of their workers. Now June and July are hanging. We now ask: is it that the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), has not received the allocation or they don’t want to pay? We have been discussing with the relevant authorities but all to no avail. They don’t want to give us concrete reasons, that’s why I said instead of going to the streets, my workers have lost patience, let us use what the union is known for- going on strike to press home our demand.

You said you met with relevant authorities regarding this problem. Who did you discuss with and what did you agree upon?

In the local government system, we have a system where the whole resources are pulled together as the salaries are disbursed from the Ministry of local government and chieftaincy Affairs and the man at the helm of affairs there, who is the commissioner for local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, is the man in charge. I have met with him several times. All the officers have been meeting with him over this issue. I have put up calls to him, but no concrete reason for this. That is why we said instead of going to the streets let us use the proper way of doing things by the

Abia State Government has pushed workers to the wall, says NULGE boss President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Abia State Chapter, Comrade Onyenaucheyaijioma, tells Igbeaku Orji why the union is angry with the Abia State government

that he will be on a better pedestal when they bring the salaries from the local governments. It is not his job to prepare salaries, but why they left him to do that is so that he will be able to analyse these things, have a data, whereby if the local governments bring their old salaries he will be able to reconcile it with what he has. That is what we expected him to do, but instead he keeps issuing instructions here and there.

There is no staff that can pad salaries now.

If you pad salary, you are on your own; the union will not support you. We make sure that anyone that pads salary will go from there. The issue of salary padding is a thing of the past. As long as the local government system is concerned, it’s no longer there. In fact that was the essence of having that verification team touring the local governments to determine the actual number of staff. Since that time things started moving well. The problem started immediately the auditor general returned the pay rolling to the local government system. I don’t know whether he has other interest why he should be payrolling. We call on him to follow what the civil service says.

Onyenaucheyaijioma Normally it is supposed to be post payment audit, that’s what auditors do because we have our auditors in the local government system. But because they labeled us all corrupt including their own auditors in the local government system and we allowed such things to happen. It doesn’t happen anywhere. They should look at what other states are doing.

The governor used that to times other local governments and said that means we have a large quantum of money, only for us to find out that the salary in Osisioma then was N2.1million.

union.

We also met the chairman local government service commission, the Auditor General of local Governments, who is the person causing all these confusion in the system, we have also met him on this salary, they seem not to have any concrete reason why our salaries should be delayed.

You said the Auditor General for Local Governments is the one causing the problem, how?

One, our salaries have to be taken to the Auditor generals office for pre payment audit. But you find out that if you take your salary there he will, instead of auditing your salary, start reworking the salaries which is not part of his functions, thereby helping to cause unnecessary delay. He will come up with this issue today, next time he will come up with another. We were baffled, we have seen people who have been auditors general before now, that’s not the style. As auditor general you cannot be the one doing the salaries as well as auditing it. Someone will prepare the salaries, yours is just to audit and any irregularity you discover you marshal it out on paper and submit to the authority, not to start reworking the salaries already done. He was the one that raised an alarm to the governor that the commission over -promoted people

only for us to find out that they didn’t even reach up to 50% of what was provided in the estimate. These are the areas he has brought confusion in the system, trying to curry favour from the government. He even raised alarm that the salary arrears was padded in February, that he discovered N7million in Osisioma. The governor used that to times other local governments and said that means we have a large quantum of money, only for us to find out that the salary in Osisioma then was N2.1million. How do you reconcile that?

Don’t you think that has to do with the allegations of salary padding, unauthorized deductions and corruption by the local government accounts staff?

Precisely, in November/December 2012, there was a verification exercise constituted by the Governor to verify all the staff in the local government system, NULGE was a member of the verification team led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor. They toured the 17 local government areas with the auditor general. After verifying the council staff they now came up with a figure that this is the actual number of staff and within that period they left the auditor general to payroll staff salaries. From that point till almost eight months, for him to determine the actual staff strength and the salaries so

You said Bende local government, particularly, is owed about four months. Why is Bende’s case different?

Earlier, before my coming into office in 2012, there was this issue of biometric exercise then in the local government system and the report of this biometric exercise goes to the ministry. In the local government system you find out that there is a way the local government is fashioned.

We have those who work at the local government headquarters as well those in the field because local government is not only about headquarters; we reach out to the communities where you have health centers, markets and all that. We reach out to the people at the grass root, so we have our staff who are posted to those health centers and revenue centers who are working there. Now when these people came they didn’t capture them. The then chairman, one Ikerionwu Okarimea, hurriedly packaged a report that the only staff he sees in the local government is those working at the headquarters. He submitted the report to the ministry and the ministry now captured that one and used it to send their salary for the four months May, June, July August of that year. Bende local government has a salary bill of about thirty something million and they were sending a little more than four million which will only take care of those at the headquarters, leaving out those in the field. Even in the local government service commission, we have our staff posted there from Bende, local government pensions board, even in the ministry, all those people within those four months their salaries were not paid until the union made a case and they now saw with us redressed those issues and started paying all of them again. But the months are still left hanging till now. You know government is a continuum, I inherited it, I am championing the fight for their payment.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

FACEOFF | POLITICS

49

‘We have resolved our differences with workers’ – Egbeogu Chief Dan Egbeogu, chairman, Local Government Pensions Board and Local Government Service Commission, tells Igbeaku Orji in Umuahia that there is no reason for workers to grieve.

Why are workers in the state vibrating; what are the issues in contention?

Well, there is no problem as such. The local governments are being owed partly due to their own fault. You see basically, the reason for the late payment is as a result of their inability to prepare their wage bills and let it reach their auditor general in time enough for him to vet and pass it on to the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs for payment. That is the short answer to why there has been some kind of delay in the release of salaries for June.

Specifically, they alleged that Bende is owed four months; why is Bende’s case peculiar?

There was actually no problem other than that during the commencement of biometrics, the people who were in outstations were not captured in the biometrics and because they were not captured, the salaries for those period were based on those that were captured, inadvertently, leaving out those that were in out-stations.

And when that mistake was detected, efforts were made to correct it, so that is what gave room for the delay. But after that time, the whole payment was done as when due. That is, payment started flowing again, when this was corrected. But apparently, because there was no follow up on those who were left behind, initially that was what resulted in some kind of delay and you know the civil service, so now that is being worked out anywhere, because at a stage when they were asking for this payment for those who were not captured initially, the commission or the ministry asked them to bring the list of those that were affected by this non payment. Apparently, the delay by them in getting the list led to the delay also now we are experiencing, but all that are being addressed now.

They also raised the issue of promotion; that their promotion was put on hold and that they had met with some of you but nothing is forthcoming in that direction.

What’s your take on that?

Now, about the 2002 promotion was to be conducted by the local government service commission, but apparently they did not follow complete due process in the promotion exercise because cognizance was not taken on existing vacancies, budgetary provision and personnel cost.

These were discovered after the exercise and because nobody was too sure now of the financial implication of the promotion which was done so we had to put it on hold, to crosscheck and make sure that the promotion done was in line with available vacancies, budgetary provision and personnel cost. We had to set up a committee to look into it but apparently the workers became impatient and said it appeared that it was taking too long but thank God we’ve been able to conclude that exercise and right now we’ve had a meeting with labour and all the issues raised in their demand have all been sorted out.

This other issue of pensioners in the local government being owed; what is being done to capture and settle, once and for,

Egbeogu

pensions and gratuity?

It is very funny for you to suggest that pensioners will be settled once and for all.

Even at the federal government, it’s a very thorny issue. You remember that the issue of pension administration in this country as a whole has been a very burning issue that the Federal Government has to step in, the Pension Commission has to step in and all sorts of allegations were made about pension administrators. But we thank God that in Abia State, there is no accusation that somebody misused funds meant for pensioners. It’s only that they were being owed apparently because of the paucity of funds in the system. After paying salaries and running other government expenditures, it was not easy to pay them their gratuities. So that is what happened, but nobody misused it, unlike in the federal system, where even some officials were taken to court for embezzling or fraudulently compromising or misappropriating pension funds. That is not the case in Abia. The Abia thing is that we own up that we are owing them and as soon as our finances improve, pensioners will be paid. And as a matter of fact,

since I came on board as the chairman of the pension board, the Governor has been very magnanimous in releasing funds to me and we have been making sure that we started paying pensions in fact starting from 1999. As at today we have been able to pay up to 2004 chronologically because we want to be sure that as you retire so you are going to be paid. We didn’t want to jump any queue so that is what happened. As long as the pension thing is concerned, Abia State pension board has been administering the pension funds very, very prudently and as the money is being made available to us. As a matter of fact, every month the Governor releases the sum of N10million to help in offsetting the gratuities. But as far as pension is con-

It is very funny for you to suggest that pensioners will be settled once and for all

cerned, we are paying pension up to date because there is a difference between pension and gratuity. Pension is being paid as and when due and nobody is being owed pension arrears but as far as gratuity is concerned that is where he has concentrated the amount of N10million per month, which we are now disbursing and judiciously so. If you ask around among the pensioners among those we pay in chronological order and those whom we pay based on compassion, that is what we call intervention fund, the government I can tell you is doing its best to ensure that our pensioners and retirees are happy.

Sir, they have also raised the issue of minimum wage arrears, leave allowance, etc. What is the problem with these?

As a matter of fact, all these issues that have been raised by them, it is true, that was their grouse, but all have been addressed during our negotiation. Incidentally, it might please you to know that they have called off the intending strike as a result of our negotiation with NULGE and the understanding we have reached.

50 SOCIETY

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

Igbere Day Celebration is platform for marketing culture, says Uche What is the inspiration behind the Igbere Welfare Union Lagos branch.

Thank you very much, the inspiration is basically to propagate and restore Igbere Cultural tradition, heritage, values and attitude among our people living in Lagos and by extension other parts of the world. We believe in age grade system, we celebrate it every three years. In this situation, we retire the aged in the community, precisely, 67-70 years and admit another age from 28-32 years. Here in Lagos, we have not forgotten that culture . hence, we organise Igbere day celebration in lagos too as a prelude to the bigger anniversary at home which offers opportunity to those who cannot travel to know what we do.

The once-agrarian people of Igbere,. Abia State have grown into robust business men and women , outstanding politicians and erudite academicians , yet uppermost in their mind is the need to protect their cultural heritage. Chairman Local Organising Committee, Igbere Day Celebration 2014, Chief Chinasa Uche tells CAMILLUS NNAJI in this Interview.

What is your take on the successes achieved by establishing Igbere Welfare Union and what is the history of the Union like?

Igbere Welfare Union started a long time ago, precisely 1937 at home in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia North senatorial district. The Union has been very essential in terms of networking with each other here in lagos, it provides an opportunity for assessing what our people in Lagos are doing economically, socially and politically and essentially, it helps us remember our root, our cultural heritage, values, attitude and beliefs . It is the meting point of unity among our people. It provides another opportunity to help our youths especially those born in Lagos by teaching them the basics of Igbere Culture.

Igbere has produced notable Personalities in Nigeria in the field of Politics, Academics Commerce and Sports , how does the town honour these eminent people?

Yes Indeed, Igbere town is known for producing eminent personalities successful in these fields you have mentioned event cutting across other careers in human endeavour. We want to use this opportunity of Igbere day Celebration 2014 to honour two notable persons from our town in Chief Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu(MON) former Governor of Abia State, and Barrister Ngozi Ekeoma an Oil and gas entrepreneur for their immense contribution towards the development of Igbere . Dr. Orji Kalu in particular has shown leadership by practice, he has encouraged, empowered and educated uncountable number of people in Igbere till today. He is bringing laughter into many homes, building future capacity for our youths in any field of life any one fits into. He has employed many of our people in his business organisations and by so doing he has raised the standard of living of an average Igbere man. By so doing, many people have followed his path. Barrister Ngozi Ekeoma , owner of one of the biggest oil firms in this country, has contributed a lot to our development, she has employed a lot of people from Igbere who are working in her firm. Our decision this year is to present them award in honour of these contributions.

We also have other notable and highly place Nigerians from Igbere, Former Military Governor of Imo State Commodore Amadi Ikwecheghe , Commodore Emmanuel Ukaegbu who was governor of Anambara State also. we have two Vice –Chancellors , Professor Ugwu. E. Ugwu , former VC Abia State University(ABSU) and Professor Amanduka former VC of Federal University of Technology Owerri(FUTO) and many Deputy viceChancellors from here. In football, we have Super Eagles Players, Ikechukwu Uche, his brother Kalu Uche and Uche Kalu all from here doing well in their foreign Clubs and the National team.

How do you cope or cooperate with those

Uche

people from your town who present themselves as opponents of Cultural and Traditional beliefs.

This situation is peculiar to every culture , not Igbere alone, but in our context too we have dissidents to our cultural practices and heritage. Sincerely speaking, if you don’t practice culture, it means you want to erase your way of life. We beckon to many people on this opposite side to belong, at least to their age grade. The parlance we use to refer those who decided not to cooperate with us is ‘brethren’.

Can You outline some of the significances of ‘retirement’ called ‘Igboto Mma ‘ as practiced in Igbere.

‘Igboto mma’ is peculiar to Igbere people and Bende people at large. ‘Igboto mma’ is an igbo parlance meaning ‘to lay down cutlass’. In this case, we use the term symbolically to refer the occasion when our Old people between 67 to 70 years of age retire from community activities and levy. On a day like this which is done every 3 years, these old men are officially disengaged from community

services and levies and given certificates to that effect. Their children use the occasion to present gifts of different types to them like cars, houses, cloths, farmland and money. Our belief stems from our tradition of celebrating life instead of death. This regard will make them even live longer On the same occasion, we adopt another age grade into the age grade system. Those between 28 to 32 years. They participate actively in the ceremony and on the same day will promise the town one monumental thing they will do , like street lights, building markets, boreholes , community civic centres .

Igbere welfare Union is sustaining their Cultural heritage in it’s obvious usage, How worried are you generally concerning the collapse of Igbo language Even if I am worried, like wise every other Igbo man, it is basically because our children attend schools where the primary means of communication is English Language. Along the line , we need to encourage our children concerning Igbo, their

Igbere welfare Union Lagos branch endoresing this year’ Celebration in Lagos

own mother tongue and especially Igbere dialect. I think , parents should inculcate the habit of teaching and speaking Igbo to their children at home and also expose them to Igbo cultural heritage.

Many sons and daughters of Igbere are doing well in different walks of life, business, sports and academics, what do you attribute behind this successes.

Every family in Igbere wants to produce the best. We have quite a number of Governors and ex-Governors, academicians, footballers. I have mentioned some of them earlier, there are still many others. Somebody may confuse our career as business men and think we love and cherish money so much. The truth behind the it is that money is secondary, while personality and integrity come first. Check somebody like Chief. Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, our son and ex-governor of Abia State.

Besides, Business, Political and Financial successes, he commands personality and integrity the younger people want to emulate . He is so humble, you will not even know he is the billionaire we are talking of, He believes in empowering people to achieve career success. Because many sons of Igbere look up to him , they have no option than to succeed .

Is there uniformity across the world when celebrating Igbere day as you are doing this year.

No, not likely, in other parts of the world, they select a convenient year.

Here in Lagos, we involve people from Togo, Benin, . In the United States, they did their own two years ago. In Aba, they also do their own, Hence , we celebrate Igbere day on different calendar subject to choice of the area. Don’t forget that Igbere ‘Ezumezu’ anniversary comes up this December at Igbere town, that is why here in Lagos, we are doing a prelude to the bigger anniversary at home.

Lets talk about the cognitive aspect of the celebration this year, what shall participants take home from attending the lecture.

Thank you very much, on that day come sept. 6 at Lagos university Teaching hospital Idi-Araba, all participants will learn the history, truth and fallacy of Igbere people. It will afford our sons and daughters, especially those born outside the town an opportunity to know more of out cultural heritage, our values, attitude, dialect and marriage system. In our place , there are villages that cannot marry each other, we have to let our sons know on that day. It will provide another opportunity for our neighbours and friends to know us culturally, our dance pattern, fanfare and technique.

Above all, we shall use the platform to market Igbere town, people and culture to the whole world

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 august 2014

SHOWBIZ EXTRA

51

‘I had difficulty making the everyday Nigerian beat' Paul Obata Gambit's name may not be known to a large audience, but his reputation resonate in his works as a music video director. Gambit, who is also the chief executive officer of Bad Dog Entertainment, tells OLUSHOLA RICKETTS how it all started.

HUMBLE BEGINNING I started directing videos probably some five years ago. I used to be an artiste before. From an artiste I became a producer and I went into video editing. I edited television programmes for LTV, NTA etc.

I later concentrated on photography and that is where I began to get my recognition. I had worked with the likes of the late Goldie, YQ, Tizzle, Shasha, Cynthia Morgan, Yemi Alade and a host of others.

Though at that point I was already into video directing, I was shooting one or two videos, it was not a full-time job. For me video directing came naturally, as I have always liked motion pictures. I am crazy when it comes too visual effects.

DUMPING SINGING FOR DIRECTING Then, the kind of music I wanted to do was not really accepted.

I was more into rap and it was similar to Jay Z's and Nigerians were not really open to the style. When I started producing also, the kind of beats I was producing were mostly hip-hop and rap. When I do beats for people they say it

doesn't sound Nigerian. I had difficulty making the everyday Nigerian beats. So I stopped since I was already looking into video editing. I used basically YouTube to learn and I think it is the best teacher. All you need is the ideas and YouTube will take care of the rest.

INFLUENCE OF BACKGROUND IN FORMATIVE YEARS I grew up in a family where my mother and father were into entertainment. My dad owned a record label, Elfrida Records, and he was also a disc jockey. Then, I watched more musical videos than audios. The kind of music I listened to also affected my thinking. I listened to the likes of Marvin Gaye. And my brother too is a sound engineer and producer. He does jingles.

MAKING OF THE BRAND GAMBIT Funny enough my brother bears Gambit too and it is not our surname.

Our surname is Obata, but people call me Paul Gambit and my brother, Victor Gambit. My brother used to be crazy about Gambit, a character in X-Men. Though I started out with a different name, at some points my brother and I decided to come together to form Audio Visual Gambit ( AV G ) .

H e later

got a job at the beat FM 99.9 and left me alone with the company. I was more into photography, but every time I do photos and write AVG, people would asked me the meaning. They started calling me for audios too and I had stopped doing it since my brother left. The deal was for him to handle audios and I do visuals. Doing audios is too much of a work for and there is no way one can do the two together. Once I realised it was causing issue for me and I was tired of answering questions, I had a meeting with my brother.

I told him I needed to change it to Gambit pictures and he was positive about it. I then registered my business name as Gambit Production. Along the way, I met with the late Goldie and we became good friends.

She had an habit of always calling Paul Gambit and everybody started calling me the name. Some still do not even know I'm a Nigerian, but I am a Nigerian from Delta State.

DIRECTING IS A GIFT Some of us are just born with that gift and I would say I am one of those people. I am a kind of person that listen to details a lot; I rather see behind the scene of a movie than the actual movie. So, when I see the way they do things there, I can always learn and improve on it. It started from seeing other directors doing their stuffs. It was more like an hubby, but it became a business when my sister with her family visited from the United Kingdom. I did a photo shoot for them and they took it back and people started calling me from there that they want me to do the same thing for them. The thought just came that I could make money from it.

But it was a friend who is also a producer that actually made me to go into video directing and grading. He was crazy about my pictures, so he said if I can do pictures well I should be able to do video too. I cannot really say what makes mine unique, but most of my clients always tell me that when it comes to clarity, lightening, grading and colour correction, they like my jobs. And I think that is my signature.

When people see my video they can easily tell that it is me. Though I do videos well now, photography was the bedrock. A lot of people do not know about the aspect of my work. Many would have seen my works, but might not know I was the one behind them. I did the recent Cynthia Morgan's photos, but it wasn't until I posted some on Instagram that people started asking questions.

EARNING A DEGREE TO PROVE A POINT Being a lawyer or doctor never crossed my mind. I had always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I was surrounded by it and grew up around it. But I went to school to study accountancy, not music. I did it based on the fact that entertainment was seen as a pro-

fession for misfits or layabouts.

So I said to myself that in order to avoid that I should pick up a degree. I am glad how things are actually turning out now in the country where parents are encouraging their children to go into the studio to record or become video directors etc.

PLIGHT OF AN AVERAGE DIRECTOR The truth is that we are probably 10 you will always see our jobs here and there.

Other directors are doing good jobs, but we live in a country where people tag your skill to who you had worked for. We don't celebrate quality again. If we actually take our time to appreciate people's works regardless of who they are shooting the video for, I think we would probably get to see more directors. People also condemn videos sometimes because it is not the directors they know. Things are changing now though because the economy seems hard. People are now looking for alternative, instead of paying through their nose. As a client, you have the right to work with whoever you like, but work with who you feel can deliver on the job.

It should not be because everyone is going there you should go there too.

WORKING IN AN UNFRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE The challenges for me I would say is the normal infrastructure issues such as poor public power supply. Finding professionals to work with is another issue. I want a situation where I am on set and I don't have to think for everybody; my duty is to supervise what is going on. People are just after money here. You will ask someone to handle a job for you and all he could think of is billing you without even knowing the job.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE I see my works going places internationally which we are gradually achieving. We just shot a couple of videos for musicians based in Kenya and Gambia.

The videos are going to be out very soon.

I would say we are gradually working towards that and our five years is gradually ticking. We are working and trying to expand the business in terms of how we relate with clients. Also we intend to venture into other areas such as film making.

RUNNING A RECORD LABEL BY THE SIDE Due to my background in music, I still do not want to live it. I still wanted to do music one way or the other, but I don't want to sing or produce anymore.

I recall that my dad used to have a label, so I said I can as well start a label too.

At that time I called it Gambit Music and we signed our first artiste Mz Kiss.

We shot a video for her Figure 8, but afterwards we did a bit of restructuring in the house. We changed the name from Gambit Music to Bad Dog Entertainment because we didn't want to draw so much attention to the Gambit brand.

52 PERSPECTIVES

H

Where is the agric revolution the FG is talking about?

ow do you rate the nation’s number one “agropreneur “in person of Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina? Good looking, well spoken, knows his onions and could do a lot to revolutionize the current state of agriculture in Nigeria. I read somewhere that Dr. Adeshina wants to raise 750,000 agropreneurs in Nigeria and he also wants to drastically reduce Nigeria’s over dependence on food importation through food production policies that would move Nigeria towards becoming a self reliant nation. These are great goals. So far we have seen the agriculture ministry under Adeshina do some wonderful things: make fertilizer available to registered farmers; create grazing ranges for nomadic cattle rearing; seek a boost in cassava production; encourage processing of Nigerian grown rice; seek the equipping of farmers in a bid to transform from manual tool wielding to mechanized farming. Adeshina works with policy implementation and measures with statistics. So far he has evidence to show that food importation has reduced drastically. But there are still massive food production and processing related problems in Nigeria.

There is a gross over reliance on imported sugar, vegetable oil, rice and processed wheat. Ask any child what his favourite food is in Nigeria today the answer you would get is either imported rice or Indomie noodles! Adeshina instituted a policy that should replace the over reliance on wheat with Cassava meal. His policy added 20 percent to the cost of wheat importation with a view to using the proceeds to create a fund for boosting cassava production. Nigerians have wheat bread as a staple food and the objective was to introduce Cassava bread which is really as good as the wheat version. Eventually, perhaps the policy would replace wheat with Cassava in many of the wheat based foods consumed by Nigerians: biscuits, bread,

G

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 2014

BUSINESS SENSE ALEX OGUNDADEGBE alexogundadegbe@gmail.com

The Cassava bread costs the same as the wheat bread. So this policy succeeded in making bread more expensive for Nigerians pies and pastries of various kinds, and noodles that have taken over the palate of younger Nigerians.

There is even a relatively new meal kid on the block called wheat which is made from wheat meal and is prepared through the same culinary process as Amala, poundo yam and semovita. The meal powders in our national menu are numerous. There are those made from corn- tuwo, semovita, cornvita-all corn meal with various additives. There are also those made from yam and cassava.

Of the lot, wheat seems to have attained the notorious position of creeping and eating deeper into our national palate than any other food substance. The policy that sought to boost cassava production by levying wheat powder importation has only made bread more expensive.

Master bakers simply added twenty per cent to the price of each bread per

unit and the staple food became more expensive! The Cassava bread costs the same as the wheat bread. So this policy succeeded in making bread more expensive for Nigerians. Food production may have increased in Nigeria going by Dr. Adeshina’s statistics, but a sundry check of the micro indicators tells a completely different story. We still have hundreds of thousands of units of wheat, sugar, vegetable oil and rice being brought into the country on a massive rate through both legal and illegal channels. Adeshina’s statistics are mostly based on the legal channels.

The customs records at the ports and borders are a great source of information. But massive smuggling still goes on at many of the nation’s entry points.

Aside from lorry loads of spaghetti, rice, noodles and biscuits that are brought in through the various borders, there is still a legal preponderance of food importation that is wheat-based, since the country still does not have the capacity to replace wheat with cassava. Aside from the challenge of reducing food based imports to the barest minimum, there is the more pronounced challenge of storing and processing perishable food items. This has been the bane of agriculture in Nigeria for decades and we still have not been able to find a solution to it. The middle belt and parts of northern Nigeria grow a lot of food

items that rot after a short period because buyers are not found on time and there are no adequate storage and processing facilities. Canning factories are very few that purchase and process products grown in Nigeria. Baskets of tomatoes, mangoes, pepper and green vegetables are known to rot on the roads when they do not get to the market on time. Food items hardly have staple prices and go up more than down. There is a huge number of foreign food processing factories that import their basic raw materials and still compete favorably with those that are in the country and source their raw materials in Nigeria. The rivalry becomes more heightened when the industries that are owned by Nigerians find it difficult to compete.

It would be difficult to make Nigeria self sufficient in a food market that is not regulated and in an agricultural sector that is not subsidized. Consumers are allowed to have foreign tastes, but they ought to pay for it with out necessarily subverting the general progress of the nation. Adeshina and colleague agropreneurs have to make sure that food production is highly subsidized so that the finished products’ prices can be controlled. If food does not become cheaper and food production is not regularized as well as subsidized, agriculture would still be the same in Nigeria: bumper harvest with cheaper prices, two weeks later the prices begin to sky rocket because there is a glut in the market.

Unfortunately, we cannot rate the amiable Minister by the statistics he reels off on national television. From Adeshina’s side of the farm, things might look green and healthy. But from the side of the rural farmer and final consumer, there is till a lot to do. The final analysis is the food and fruit on our tables. If it gets expensive and hard to come by soon after a harvest season, then the consumer is likely to ask the significant question: Where is the agricultural revolution the federal government is talking about?

Open letter to Chief Tom Ikimi

ood morning, chief, my name is Joe and I live in Shomolu. I saw your long letter the other day in the papers. It was too long so I could not read everything. Hunger would not let me. I scanned through it but did not get the import of the message you were trying to pass. So I will not be able to comment word for word or to even analyse the letter in the way a professor of political science would.

At the vendors’ stand where we gather to read free papers, the place was agog with comments on your latest tears. We all discussed your gray beards, your coat of arms and the fact that we all did not know you were still in the country. Surprisingly, nobody was really concerned about your issues with the APC. We could not care less. We have all stopped caring. You wanna know the reason?

I’ll tell you. When the going was good, did you bother to reach out to us to explain why you were being so unfairly treated. The private jets, the vintage wines and spirits, the exquisite clothes, we did not hear one whimper from you. You chopped all that alone.

Now that Tinubu has used your goatee to wipe the floor you now write three full pages to complain to us for what purpose I am yet to decipher. The man has formed his party, put all his family members in

EDGAR’S WORLD JOSEPH EDGAR josephsamsponedgar@gmail.com different positions, I even hear that to win an election primary or not within the APC you must trace your lineage to his housemaids’ family. This you failed to do, so how do you expect to emerge chairman of his party. You sef no try. You used the money you would have donated to the fight against Ebola to pay for newspaper advert.

Someone from your state asked what difference you would have made if you had emerged. I quickly put on my Ebola face mask. I didn’t want to contract Ebola defending you. I told him you would have taught all the henchmen in APC Queen’s English, that you would have bought sanitizers for all of us and you would have made sure military government did not return.

He started weeping because the sanitizer tale touched him. He had been using kai kai as his sanitizer.

You see, truth be told, poverty, disenfranchisement and general lack of respect for the masses has made that letter of yours a waste of time You see, truth be told, poverty, disenfranchisement and general lack of respect for the masses has made that letter of yours a waste of time. APC, PDP, Oyegun, Ikimi, Tinubu, Charly Boy, D’banj, all na the same.

My advise next time is for you to master the art of deception like your other colleagues, play it well and make

sure you win instead of playing like a knock-kneed footballer and weeping when you lose. We are too bothered with the search for school fees, food, clothes and shelter to be bothered in an ego fight between you and your overfed cohorts.

By the way, were you not chairman of the NRC at some point and was that not a conservative party?

What were you now doing in APC with a totally different ideology.

You see even you sef are confused; how can you lead? Let’s be principled and play like true professionals.

Well sha, Sorry. It must have really pained you for you to have gone that far to write that long letter, although I suspect you must have asked your driver to write it for you. You see that is life. As you go into PDP, I wish you luck. It is really easier there. You can bounce back.

Ask Fayose. You will be redeemed and you will be in the same camp with people that have your kind of ideology.

Me, I am a strong member of both PDP and APC and, depending on the issue, I choose which party to stay with. Anything concerning Buhari I am for PDP, anything concerning Boko Haram I am PDP; but if it is Owambe party I am APC; support for the First Lady of Lagos I am APC and finally for Ebola I hide my head.

NAFDAC raids Kano markets, confiscates fake products Appolonia Adeyemi

T

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed seven shops and confiscated contraband and fake food products worth millions of Naira in Kano.

A statement from NAFDAC’s public Relations Unit and signed by Mr. Anslem Okonkwor, stated that in the special raid carried out by the Enforcement Directorate of the Agency under tight security and accompanied by journalists, six of the affected shops were located at the popular Singer Market while the other shop was situated at Galadima area in Sabon Gari.

Assistant Director (En-

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forcement), Mr. Shaba Mohammed, who led the operation, stated that the essence of the operation which was to measure the level of compliance to regulation particularly on food products.

“The items of interest in today’s operation are mainly sugar, flour, vegetable oil and macaroni or spaghetti which is a contraband. In fact we don’t want to see any of these products imported into Nigerian markets because they are contraband products,” he said.

He lamented that the environment where the seized palm oil was being repackaged at one of the affected shops was completely unhygienic and as such unacceptable to the agency.

FCT FCT pledges to protect Abuja master plan

NEWS IN BRIE F

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has renewed the commitment of the FCT administration to maintain the Abuja master plan by intensifying demolition of illegal structures.

This is contained in a statement signed by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Mohammed Sule, in Abuja yesterday.

The statement said the minister made the commitment, while meeting with some officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Abuja.

“The Abuja Master Plan is sacrosanct and all hands must be on deck to protect its principles.

Abuja remains the window through which the world sees Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

926,600

The total number of internet users in Azerbaijan in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

IGBOSERE Nurse arraigned over alleged N8m fraud

A 52-year-old nurse with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Abiodun Majekodunmi, has appeared before an Igbosere Magistrates' Court in Lagos over an alleged N8 million fraud.

Majekodunmi, a resident of No. 4, Shomolu Close, Alakuko, Lagos, is facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, possession of fraudulent documents, forgery, obtaining by false pretences and impersonation.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Edet Akadu, told the court that Majekodunmi committed the offences in conspiracy with others still at large at 10a.m on April 25, 2013, at Ren Money Limited., located at No. 85, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

115

The sex ratio of women to 100 men in Belarus in 2012.

Source: Un.org

53

ABEOKUTA Amosun receives National Conference delegates

Delegates from Ogun State at the just concluded National Conference have paid a courtesy call on the state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, where they shared their experiences with him.

A report by Channels Television reported that 12 out of the 23 delegates had paid a courtesy call on the state governor where they listed state creation, state constitution, state policing as part of the recommendations and resolutions reached at the conference that would better the lot of Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee that midwifed the conference and a member, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, led his kinsmen on the experience sharing visit to Amosun.

20.4%

The percentage of households with internet access at home in Asia & Pacific region in 2010 Source: Itu.int

British lawmaker salutes Ogun LP aspirants Temitope Ogunbanke

A

Nigerian-born British legislator, Mr. Olatunde Biyi Adesola, has saluted the courage of Ogun State Labour Party (LP) aspirants for choosing the political platform to contest elections.

He said the LP was for the people and the greatest and most rewarding service one can render was to serve the people by giving them quality representation at all levels of governance.

Adesola, who represents Witham South Ward Constituency in the United Kingdom (UK), stated this while addressing a cross section of the aspirants at a meeting held at the Asoludero Court residence of the former governor of Ogun State and

leader of the LP in the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

“You are on the right path having agreed to run on the ticket of the Labour Party. It is all about service and the ultimate service is to contribute to the development of all facets of the lives of your constituents. The Labour Party all over the world has the same ideology and that of Nigeria and Ogun State is not an exception.

“Considering the array of personalities in Ogun Labour Party jostling for various posts in the forth coming elections in the state, I am convinced that the state is blessed with enough human and material resources to place it on the world map.

If people like you don't offer yourselves for service, who will?” he asked.

Police arrest suspected fraudsters operating taxi Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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hree suspected fraudsters who specialised in hynotising their victims before duping them have been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command.

The suspects, who include Olabode Toyese,41, Abayomi Odeleye, 42, and Kezeem Adeyemo, 29, hail from Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun States respectively.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrest yesterday in a statement issued in Abeokuta, said the suspects were arrested with a commercial taxi cab.

Adejobi said the fraudsters usually operated with the taxi branded with Ogun State colour, by looking for passengers and luring them into discussions on dubious business.

The suspects, who were said to have confessed to the crime, allegedly hypno-

tised a woman at Ibara area of Abeokuta on Tuesday.

The PPRO said: “The detectives attached to Ibara Division of the command apprehended the suspects when a woman, one of their victims, reported her ordeals in the hands of the suspects to the police after they had collected some amount of money and valuables from her and many others.

“The suspects operate in commercial taxis or cabs branded with Ogun State colour belonging to the suspects and their friends. They look for passengers and lured the passengers into discussions on dirty or attractive dubious business which will eventually compel any 'careless' passengers into the discussion and dupe them.

“They have been on the business for a very long time. The kingpin confessed that he used to operate in Lagos before he moved down to Abeokuta Ogun State for his operations.”

L-R: Wife of the former Anambra State former Governor, Margret Obi; Dr. Chris Ngige, newly consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Dr. Jonas Benson Okoye and the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, after Okoye's consecration, at St. Patrick Cathedral, Awka...yesterday

Port Harcourt Disco loses 150 transformers to vandals in Akwa Ibom RIP-OFF Firm laments the activities of vandals on power installations Tony Anichebe

T uyo

he Eket Business Unit of the Port Harcourt Distribution Company (PHEDC) in Akwa Ibom State, yesterday said the company lost over 150 transformers to vandals, while seven distribution transformers ranging from 200-500KVA were vandalised in Eket business unit alone.

The Manager, Public Affairs of PHEDC, Mr. John Onyi, who stated this during an interactive session with Eket community, at the Eket Council Hall Eket, said the company did not have the power to deter-

…laments assault of staff on duty mine the tariff at any particular time.

He added that the downward review of tariff and fixed charges were done by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

In the same vein, he warned youths in the area to desist from harassing or assaulting the company’s staff, while meeting indebted customers in the performance of their legitimate duty.

"PHEDC does not have power to determine the tariff at any particular time, adding that downward review of tariff and fixed charges are done by NERC," he said.

Onyi, who explained that the issue of vandalism was an unfortunate development, which had eaten deep into the coffers of the company, lamented that the company had recorded

great loss since its inception on Nov 2013 to energy theft.

“There is an intentional act by some people to take, tap, by pass energy without paying for it. The new PHEDC frowns seriously at this,” Onyi said.

He said youths in Eket community had denied their staff access to distribute bills, read meters and also asks indebted customers of their bills.

“Community hostilities are another area where the company has not found funny at all. Many communities have constantly harassed, intimidated and physically assaulted staff of PHEDC in the course of identifying indebted customers and distributing bills,” he added.

He urged customers to pay their electricity bills promptly to enable PHEDC serve them better.

“We are not at war with any of our customers including Eket. We are in the business of energy distribution. We are in business to sell our energy so that we can maintain our network and other accessories in order to forge ahead in business,” he said.

He said Eket business unit has two sources of supply, which include the national grid and Ibom Power Plant, adding that Eket was blessed in terms of power supply.

The business manager said the load demand within Eket Business Unit stood at 50 megawatts, stressing that Eket was getting 4045.5 megawatts from the national grid and Ibom power plant.

Onyi said the company was faced with the challenge of inability to account for energy given out, saying that no business thrive on such circumstance.

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Pwajok urges Northerners to vote for Jonathan N EWS I N BRIEF

The Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Senator Gyang Nyam Pwajok, has urged northerners to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan, in his second term bid in 2015.

He also added that the people of the state had resolved to support the reelection of the president in 2015.

Pwajok, who spoke through his aide, Mr. Ayuba Jagaba, when officials of Amalgamated Northern Youths for PDP, presented a certificate of trusteeship to the Senator, noted that Governor Jonah Jang as the leader of PDP in the state was the first among all the PDP governors to declare support for the president re-election.

198,500

The total area (in sq. km) of Kyrgyzstan.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

UYO

ILORIN

JOS

MTN spends N10bn on empowerment projects

A mobile telecommunication operator, MTN, yesterday said it had invested about N10 billion on various projects in Nigeria through its special arm, MTN Foundation.

Corporate Services Executive of the organisation, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, who said this in Ilorin, Kwara State, while presenting five security patrol vehicles to the state government, said the projects would cover 341 locations across the country.

One of the projects, according to him, was the provision of security vehicles explaining that so far the organisation had donated about 115 vehicles with necessary equipment to 18 states and Abuja.

20.4%

The percentage of households with internet access at home in Asia & Pacific region in 2010.

Source: Itu.int

Akwa Ibom assures residents of security of lives

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, has reiterated that Governor Godswill Akpabio is committed to providing adequate security for lives and property in the state.

Umanah stated this yesterday in Uyo, at the opening of a one-day workshop on security awareness, organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), for principals of private and public schools in the state.

The commissioner emphasised that Akpabio since his assumption of office had continued to put in place measures aimed at providing security of lives and property in the state.

153,343

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation in Central African Republic assisted by UNHCR in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

UK institute laments impact of Ebola on hospitality sector l Calls on government to introduce incentives Andrew Iro Okungbowa

A

s countries in the West Africa region continue to battle the impact of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), operators in the hospitality sector have started to count their losses, following low patronage and cut in their projections.

The Honorary Secretary for the Institute of Hospitality (IOH) in Nigeria, Dr. Wasiu Babalola, who stated this while responding to enquiries by the New Telegraph on Saturday, admitted that the disease was beginning to have its toll on business in the hospitality sector.

Babalola called for a concerted and coordinated efforts in public enlightenment just as he urged governments in the region to introduce incentives to save hospitality business from the weight of the losses that hotels and others are beginning to record due to loss of patronage.

“Information from our colleagues across the region had showed worse situation than that of Nigeria. Although Nigeria hotels are experiencing cancellations and low occupancies, hotels in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had commenced lay-offs,” Babalola said.

He added: “The economic and financial implications of Ebola on the tourism and hospitality businesses can only be imagined.”

The IOH secretary, who also canvassed a more coordinated public enlightenment effort by the government, said: “Although the effect had crippled hospitality, tourism and leisure related businesses in affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and partly that of Nigeria, there is need for concerted and coordinated efforts in public enlightenment to curtail this global threat.

This is indeed more than a West Africa problem.”

Tuition fees: Group chides Daniel over students’ protest

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Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (left), and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, during the funeral mass of late Prof. Dora Akunyili, at Madonna Catholic Church Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State...Thursday

2015: Declare your ambitions now, Oyo APC tells members GENERAL ELECTION As countdown to 2015 general elections continues, Oyo State APC urges members with political interest to notify it.

T

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has directed its members, who may wish to contest elections into various political offices ahead of the 2015 general elections to make public their interest immediately with a formal notification to the state secretariat of the party.

The directive was a fallout of the state executive meeting of the party held yesterday at the APC South-West Zonal office, Old Ife Road, Ibadan.

The party in a statement issued after the meet-

ing by its state Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, indicated its readiness to provide a level playing ground for all its bonafide members, who wish to occupy any political office in the next dispensation.

“2015 is almost here and our great party cannot afford to take chances. We are, therefore, encouraging all our qualified members who nurse individual ambitions to serve in various political offices by standing for elections next year, as slated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to come forward and obtain formal permission from the party secretariat before embarking on any form of mobilisation or campaign to avoid sanctions.

“APC is the party where constitutionality, discipline and orderliness can never be compromised.

Therefore, we appeal to all party loyalists, especially

prospective aspirants and their supporters to play the game according to the rule. The secretariat of the party in Ibadan is open to any bonafide member to register his or her interest to contest for any political office as far as 2015 general elections are concerned.

“As it stands today, we are ready to assist the cause of all aspirants who are ready to abide by the rules and regulations of the APC as well as those of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We encourage interested members to feel free to declare and pursue their interest in any of the posts available which include; president, governor, senator in each of the three senatorial districts, House of Representatives member in each of the 14 federal constituencies and state House of Assembly member in each of the 32 state constituencies as we guarantee them

justice and fairness in the conduct of primaries that would eventually produce candidates for all the listed posts,” the statement stated.

Meanwhile, the party warned all politicians, including its members, who might want to employ violence and hooliganism in the bid to occupy any political office in future to desist from such act or risk being blacklisted or sanctioned accordingly.

“We wish to remind all and sundry that Oyo State has successfully emerged from the era of impunity, lawlessness and political rascality. No right thinking individual citizen or resident of the pacesetter state is ready to experience the kind of needless political turmoil and social unrest which the successive administrations of Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala again in any part of the state."

group, Ogun In SafeHands, has berated a former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, over his comment on the recent students’ unrest that trailed the 61 per cent reduction of tuition fees by the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The administration, had in a move designed to bring succour to parents, slashed tuition fees in all its 10 tertiary institutions by between 35 and 61 per cent.

While some students hailed the government’s gesture and visited Oke-Mosan to thank the governor for the action, some students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) denounced the gesture contending that the 61 per cent was not farreaching enough and that the reduction should commence immediately and not from the next academic session as proposed by the government.

But the former governor,

at a political rally in Ota recently allegedly slammed the handling of the unrest by Amosun’s government and tried to incite the students against the government.

He claimed that there was no student unrest throughout his regime and that he ran a studentfriendly government during his eight years in power.

The group, however, berated Daniel’s comment, stating: “It is a shame that Gbenga Daniel attempted to re-write history by spewing barefaced lies. If anything, students in Ogun State endured the most torrid time in the hands of Otunba Daniel.

"The truth in this matter is that tuition and other fees rose by 500 per cent under the Daniel administration. Daniel first hiked the acceptance fees payable by students from its initial N1, 500 during the 2003/2004 academic session to N25,000."

Cassava saves Nigeria N200bn – Adesina

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inister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said the 20 per cent cassava substitution for wheat in bread making, which was a fallout of the Federal Government’s policy on importation of wheat, has saved Nigeria N200 billion yearly.

Addressing journalists in Ayede Ekiti, in Ekiti State, Adesina promised to provide N1million each to 35 small and medium enterprises for infrastructure development and to support the cassava bread bakers.

He added that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal

Government had added value to the Agriculture sector and had supported Nigerian farmers to boost productivity.

It is also expected to provide for 36 cassava bread bakers, empowering them to achieve their dreams.

The minister also advised Nigerians to eat more of cassava bread.

Adesina explained that the sum of N3.5 billion had so far been expended on the upgrading of facilities for small and medium scale enterprises to boost the economy and encourage entrepreneurs.

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55

Uzoenyi plays down Eagles exclusion

FIFA gives Nigeria Monday ultimatum to resolve crisis

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Adekunle Salami

Charles Ogundiya

ormer Rangers star, Ejike Uzoenyi, says he is not too bothered about his exclusion from Nigeria’s list of players invited for the two African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa.

Uzoenyi, who was a late addition to the Super Eagles team that crashed out in the second round of the World Cup in Brazil, believes his lack of activity in the last two months contributed to his exclusion.

He however called on Nigerians to support the players invited for the game as he bids for his time.

“Nigeria is blessed with a lot of players. Those invited to play are Nigerians, let us pray and support them to do well. I believe my chance will surely come,” the 2014 CHAN Most Valuable Player said.

Currently playing for South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Uzoenyi says South Africa is no match for Nigeria, and he expresses confidence that Nigeria will triumph against the Bafana Bafana.

“I am 100 percent sure Nigeria will win the game but we have to understand that they have better players now than before,” he added.

The Nigeria, Congo match holds on September 6 in Calabar with Coach Stephen Keshi handling the Super Eagles.

T

he world football ruling body, FIFA, on Friday gave Nigeria a fresh threeday deadline to sort out the ongoing football crisis in the country or face ban.

FIFA in a letter dated August 29, addressed to Nigeria Football Federation Secretary General, Musa Amadu, and signed

by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, stated that the election of August 26 by a factional group was null and void.

The minister of sports, Tammy Danagogo, opened the Congress where the ‘election’ was held and Chris Giwa emerged President. Danagogo has recognised Giwa and charged him to go about his duties as the NFF boss.

However, FIFA has warned that Giwa and his board members should stop parading themselves as officials of the NFF. The letter read; “We have

Uzoenyi

Europa League: Enyeama faces Everton, Wolsburg

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uper Eagles goalie, Vincent Enyeama, has a tough task on hand as his team, Lille of France, were handed a tough draw in the Europa Cup on Friday.

Lille will face Everton, Wolfsburg and FC Krasnodar in the Europa League group stages.

Enyeama on current form is a key player in the French team and he will be expected to boost his team in the competition.

English side, Everton, will begin their first European campaign since 2009-10.

Tottenham were drawn against Besiktas, Partizan Belgrade and Greek side Asteras Tripolis after beating AEL Limassol in their qualifier.

Scottish champions Celtic meet Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and Ro-

fell through, with Blues boss Jose Mourinho unwilling to strengthen a rival club without having sufficient cover.

Ba eventually made an £8 million move to Besiktas, who were narrowly beaten 1-0 over two legs by the Gunners in a Champions League play-off.

“Everybody knew that I wanted to come to Arsenal.

I could have maybe waited longer in this transfer window but I wanted to go and play for Besiktas because it’s a great club.”

US Open

B

manians FC Astra.

This season’s winners qualify for next year’s Champions League.

After qualifying for the competition by finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, Roberto Martinez’s Everton will face each of their Group H opponents for the first time.

Lille finished third in France’s Ligue 1 and Wolfsburg came fifth in Germany’s Bundesliga, while Krasnodar finished fifth in the Russian league.

Tottenham were knocked out at the quarter-final stage in 2013 and were beaten in the last 16

by Benfica last season.

They beat Group C rivals Besiktas in the UEFA Cup in 2006 but have never met either Partizan Belgrade or Asteras Tripolis.

Ba: I wanted Arsenal move F ormer Chelsea striker, Demba Ba, has revealed that he wanted to join Arsenal during this season transfer window, but all that is now in the past as he is happy at Besiktas.

The Gunners are without a proven Premier League striker following an injury to Olivier Giroud but came very close to signing the striker in the summer.

The Gunners looked set to sign the striker on loan during the January transfer window last season but the deal

Bayern Munich seal Alonso deal

learnt that the persons who claim to have been elected during the so-called ‘elective general assembly’ have come to the NFF offices claiming to be the legitimate president and members of the NFF. It also appears that the Ministry of Sports has recognised them.

“As a consequence, we will not recognise the outcome of the abovementioned elections and should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on Monday 1 September 2014, we will bring the case to the appropriate FIFA body for sanctions, which may include the suspension of the NFF. “ The soccer ruling body also tasked the NFF to confirm September 4 as the date for the elective Congeress.

“In particular, we would like you to confirm that the date of September 4, 2014 will be met because the timing seems very short, “the letter further read.

Murray

ayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid on a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old has been at Real for five years following his £30m move from Liverpool in 2009.

The Spaniard, a Champions League winner in May, only signed a new two-year deal in January.

Alonso announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday after 114 caps.

He had a medical on Thursday, and is set to give a news conference on Friday.

Alonso, who won two European Championships and a World Cup with Spain, started his career at Real Sociedad before joining Liverpool in 2004 where he won the Champions League at the end of his first season.

Enyeama

Murray beats German qualifier

A

ndy Murray made short work of German qualifier Matthias Bachinger in a windy night session at the US Open on Thursday.

The British number one had too much class for the world number 235, winning 6-3 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round.

There he will face Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov, who knocked out 31st seed Fernando Verdasco in five sets.

“It was extremely windy today,” said Murray.

“That was the hardest part about the conditions - just very, very breezy and difficult to play close to the lines.

“But I hit the ball well considering, served better, and obviously I moved a bit better today as well.”

Murray, seeded eighth, was an overwhelming favourite against the 27-year-old Bachinger, a contemporary from junior days.

GAMES/CROSS WORD PUZZLE World Capital Cities

KEY WORDS

LAGOS BEIJING SANTIAGO RANGOON SOFIA BRASILIA

LA PAZ ALGIERS BRUSSELS ABUJA DHAKA TRIPOLI MANAMA LUXEMBOURG VIENNA RABAT CANBERRA OSLO

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2

8

3

4 7

5

6

9 10

S A E B R A S I L I A

O N S F I G B E I E I

F N L A A N N E I V L

I E E L A I F O S U I

T I S G R J I N X B S

Z V S I A I T E N L A

A T U E T E M F O E R

P A R R E B N A C A B

A B B S O G A L R K R

L A J U B A M A N A M

E R R A N G O O N H N

E

I

L

O

P

I

R

T

A

N

G O

O G

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12 14 16

A I T

18 19

N A S E

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1 Start up 5 Equipment 7 Large container with tap 8 Impair 9 Coat with bitumen 10 British salon car 11 South Africa’s monetary unit 12 Out of bed

16 Russian river 17 Verbal 18 Continuous 22 Naught 23 Label 24 Adam’s wife 25 Automobile 26 Advocating fundamental change

15 17

DOWN 1

20

24

D O

13

ACROSS

23

Highest naval rank

14 Remote place

2 Oppressive ruler

15 Area around the North Pole

3 Contralto (abbr.)

19 Change direction suddenly

4 Northern continent

20 Clothed

5 Part of the leg

21 Picture (abbr.)

6 Turn hide into leather 13 Against the law

See solution on page 24

HOSPITALITY

A BLEND OF UNFORCED LUXURY AND HOMEY COMFORT AT MARBLEFIELD HOTEL

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SPORT

NFF crisis a disgrace – Ikpeba

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 30, 2014

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Jonathan, Ndigbo and the psychology of symbolic politics

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he examination of this subject is grounded in a studied and detached perspective rather than emotional instinct or clannish impulse. I doubt whether my particular vision of Nigeria, and to which I am emotionally attached, could ever be realised.

When people question, and many have done, the basis for the overwhelming support that President Goodluck Jonathan enjoys in the South East, they miss the point altogether. Firstly, what are the comparative bases for assessing the question? What has any central government since 1970 done for the South East? Secondly, the Igbo support for Jonathan is anchored on emotions enlivened by historic injustice and not on commonplace bread and butter politics. The motivations at play are driven more by symbolic gestures and not necessarily by infrastructural accomplishments.

Even if Jonathan had not commenced the second Niger Bridge or renovated the airports in Enugu and Owerri, Ndigbo would still rise for him. The dredging of the River Niger, building of a dry port in Aba and the completion of the Inland Port in Onitsha, to name but a few of the promises he made in 2011, may have suffered relegation to blank memory. But Ndigbo will still rise for Jonathan.

Ndigbo perceive a great and tragic appeasement in the making, hence their overwhelming rejection of APC. No evidence, no matter how cogent and persuasive to the contrary, can nullify in them the impression that the anti-Jonathan sentiment based on the suspicion that he is a nyamiri (Igboman), are not the primary reason for the determined and unprecedented agitation for the toppling of his administration – by fair or foul means.

Never underestimate the power of symbolism, particularly as it relates to a historically maltreated and disfavoured people. Between 1979 and 1983, citizens of Igbo extraction held the number two and number three positions in the administration of President Shehu Shagari. Yet, the sense of exclusion was quite palpable amongst the Igbo. They never fully buried the suspicion that the toppling of the Shagari administration and the humiliation of Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe sequent to that were deliberate political actions to keep them in check.

Let it be restated: existing at the heart of the expiring generation of northern military oligarchy, abetted by its civilian collaborators (Professor Ango Abdullahi, please stand up), is a clique that not only witnessed the coup d’état of January 15, 1966 but conceived, planned and executed the revenge coup, codenamed Operation Araba, and, finally, saw action in the Civil War that ensued. This clique is sworn to invoke hell on earth, if that’s what it takes, to thwart the possibility of a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in their lifetime.

That an Azikiwe, even if it’s a mere sobriquet, so became, touched a raw nerve in this clique and gave motive to the prevailing anarchy in northern Nigeria. The misidentification of Jonathan lies at the heart of this national upheaval.

When in his infamous memo to the 18 northern governors Alhaji Murtala Nyako, the impeached governor of Adamawa State, made a number of inflammatory remarks, he was drawing from a buoyant well of prejudice. Hear Nyako: “Nigerians, this is the first time we have collectively elected a citizen of this country from the former Eastern Nigeria as a President. Dear citizens of Eastern Nige-

BROADSIDE EMMANUEL ONWE agubata@aol.com

TAN rally at Ekwueme Square, Awka

Even if Jonathan had not commenced the second Niger Bridge or renovated the airports in Enugu and Owerri, Ndigbo would still rise for him rian origin please note that this Federal administration under your son is giving you a very bad name! One is quite sure that if you had condemned the cold-blooded murder of political and military leaders of Northern and Western Nigerian origins in the night of 15 January, 1966 by your sons it would not have led to the subsequent massacre of the innocent and the Nigerian Civil War.” Quite apart from the nonchalant admission of the “massacre of the innocent,” the man did not even pretend to disguise his call to arms against Ndigbo, nor his identification of Jonathan as an Igboman who had set his Igbo kinsmen on a genocidal mission against northerners.

The most important contribution that President Jonathan has made to the evolution of post-war Igbo in Nigerian politics in the past four years is the systematic shredding of the federal code of discrimination against

Ndigbo. He set about this endeavour not by physical reconstruction of a region that still bears the pockmarks of war but by psychological re-engineering. There is no question that Ndigbo were treated as the vanquished and the north wallowed in the swagger of the victor. The “no victor nor vanquished” slogan was, to borrow a phrase from Alhaji Nyako, “typical bullshit!”

One of the marvellous gestures that has captured the imagination of Igbo people in a very special way is the genuine restoration of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to his proper place in Nigerian history by President Jonathan – of course President Shehu Shagari’s credit remains undiminished. But it was Jonathan who took matters to their logical conclusion, as he granted, funded and led from the front, the grand enactment of a befitting state burial for the Igbo icon. The ceremony was complete with full military honours by the Nigerian Army. Jonathan proceeded to clear the path for the posthumous conferment on Ojukwu of the degree of Legum Doctor (LLD), honoris causa, by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Other Nigerian leaders had overruled the university authority on this matter.

I acknowledge the case of the minority of voices which allege that Jonathan has been too eager to sacrifice Igbo sons and daughters (Barth Nnaji, Festus Odimegwu, Stella Odua, Gen. Ihejirika and Admiral Ezeoba readily come to mind), and who bitterly contend

that if certain other erring ministers had been Igbo they would have since been relieved of their appointments. I submit that whilst these are emotionally compelling arguments, they, however, dwell on details rather than substance. The larger context of history trumps the mundane details of administrative/political exigencies.

Better you break a conventional taboo by hiring, for example, a Chief of Army Staff, of Igbo extraction today and firing him tomorrow than never hiring one at all. The psychological symbolism of the situation would thus shift from its deliberately fabricated taboo-nature to mere administrative manipulation. A shift from the prejudicial idea that “an Igbo can never be a Chief of Army Staff” to commonplace squabble over “why was so-so and so Igboman fired as a Chief of Army Staff” is a powerful movement in the sensitive terrain of tribal politics.

In other words, to take it for granted that an Igbo could be hired in the normal course of events into all and every administrative and political position in the land, without regard to the blighted history of the Civil War, is a positive political action that has incinerated the odious oligarchic agenda of yesterday. The taboo that they forced upon any contemplation of an Igbo occupying certain positions – which was a wicked strategy of exclusion and subjugation and the entrenchment of the psychology of the vanquished – was powerful, and had become so accepted that only few discerning citizens appreciated its potency as a punitive and exclusionary tool. Compare the Ebitu Ukiwe saga.

Ndigbo fully recognise that it is a matter of colossal disgrace that it has taken the Government of Nigeria over 40 years to even begin to pay heed to the settlement principles of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Better late than never. Jonathan has taken the first steps, no matter how tentative, in honouring the bond that has remained encrusted in hatred, exclusion, suspicion and subjugation.

Ndigbo see what they consider their 6th state nestled in the outrageously favoured North West. In the natural course of events, there would have been parity of states between the north and the south – each with 18 states. But through martial fiat they subverted the equitable order of things. The subtraction of one from the South East and the addition of one to the North West was the most blatant abuse of power and the shameless unfurling of the flag of conquest against the disinherited population of the South East.

Just a few months ago, when I last inquired into the records, the federal allocation to each region was: South-South N287 billion; North-West N157 billion; South West N127 billion; North East N109 billion; North Central N105 billion; South East N85 billion (and yet there a 3 oil-producing states in the South East). This does not include allocations to LGAs; and it’s common knowledge that the entire South East has 95 LGAs as against 105 LGAs for Old Kano State (now Kano, Katsina and Jigawa).

I have, on this page and on a different occasion, tackled the customary pedestrian argument usually deployed to justify the naked anti-Igbo prejudice that produced this inequity. I will not bother re-ploughing the same stinking manure.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

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