Binder1 march 8, 2015 by Newtelegraphonline

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SUNDAY Sunday, March 8, 2015 Vol. 2 No. 382

Sanctity of Truth

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I was never involved in secret wedding, says Nollywood actress, Grace Amah } 17

MY DRUG ABUSE STORY }6

l By 17-year-old

Nigerian jailed in America 60 FEARED DEAD AS MULTIPLE BLASTS HIT MAIDUGURI Nigeria votes

2015

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days to go...

ISIS: Prominent } 5 Northernersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; children under security watch

Tinubu, Aregbesola, others march for Buhari/Osinbajo

lEx-leader visits Shagari in Sokoto }4, 14

Mock election holds in 12 states as INEC, others insist on }5, 9 polls Jonathan, }4 Sambo lead physical fitness walk in Abuja

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Contents | 08.03.15 BODY & SOUL

Re-inventing style at 66 At 66, Goke Omisore launches a legacy fashion brand exclusively for the urban

}18

POLITICS

Aspirants’ medical fitness Growing concern over public office holders’ state of health has increased debate for the inclusion of medical fitness certificate in aspirants’ requirements

}31

BUSINESS

Confusion trail auto policy Consistent postponement of the commencement of 70 per cent tariff on imported vehicles, delayed take-off of the vehicle acquisition scheme create doubts about on the ability of government to drive the new auto policy

}23

FAITH

For the home front Methodist Bishop of Lagos North Diocese, Rt. Rev. Joel Akinola, speaks on how he keeps the home front running in spite of his tight schedule

}51

SPORT

Ekpo blasts Keshi Former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, blasts former teammate, Stephen Keshi, over the national team job

}59

SUNDAY

Editorial

Another precious life wasted

nation under siege goes through a lot of uncommon activities. Human judgement is beclouded by the situation and the result is that the beast in man begins to manifest. Bauchi is getting accustomed to terror attacks, so the people, apparently overwhelmed by the insurgency that has kept them awake while others go to bed, took the law into their hands on March 1. If they apprehended a terrorist, that would have passed the rule of self defence, although jungle justice has no place in the law code. And it did not even matter who was involved, male or female. Tabitha Haruna was not in any way part of the insurgency that has tormented the North-East. On that terrible day, she was burnt to death, by an angry mob at the Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi. Those who descended on her, believed she was a female suicide bomber. But she was not. The truth came, out almost immediately after she had been burnt to ashes. Tabitha was a normal woman until she began to manifest some mental traits. She was harmless even if she threatened people. The 32-year-old from Bagoro, Bauchi was killed in error. “My daughter has been wasted. I leave everything to God. Let him judge whosoever has a hand in her death”, her mom said. The family thinks their daughter was simply murdered. It is sad that someone would be punished for an offence not committed. Tabitha was not even given the opportunity to defend herself. The young woman was found guilty by the mob, there was no room for appeal. Death was the penalty and she got it instantly. The law states that an accused so stands until proven guilty, be-

yond reasonable doubt. Tabatha was wrongfully accused, found guilty ,with no proof. The mob felt she was a suicide bomber, which she was not. Sadly, our people have not learnt any lessons. On October 5,2012, four youngmen, all undergraduates of the University of Port-Harcourt, were sent to their early grave in similar fashion. They were accused of armed robbery. It turned out that Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa and Tekenah Erikena were innocent of the offence. The Umuokiri Aluu community cannot ever rub off the stain of their action. In July 2013, another undergraduate, Ifechukwude Nwaikpor, of the Delta State University, was lynched, with his friend Kazeem in the Agamathen, Ajara area of Badagry. They were accused of robbery. Again, they died for a crime they did not commit. Beyond our shores, there was an incident in June 2014, when five US soldiers were killed in error. They were part of a Special Operations unit that called for airstrike, to save them from a Taliban ambush, in Southern Aghanistan. For Daron Tappen,19, it was another family tragedy. The father had died a month earlier in Mokena, Illinois. Justin Helton,25, from Beaver, Ohio was getting set to marry before he was consumed by friendly fire from the air, in what was meant to save him from Afgan terrorists. Unfortunately, the families of people who were killed for crimes they did not commit ,or in error, will continue to feel the pain. Most of the time, they do not get justice. We condemn the brutal murder of Tabitha Haruna. People must not take the law into their hands. Even a criminal, when apprehended, deserves fair hearing. An innocent person, deserves even more.

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Adam Eve SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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News

Anule Emmanuel resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday led Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark, and other dignitaries on a long distance fitness walk in Abuja. The event, which was put together by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Desire for Greatness Foundation, saw the President walking from the Presidential Villa to the Eagle Square, where a solidarity rally was held in his honour by past and current athletes. As early as 6:45am, dignitaries and personal aides of the President had gathered at the gate of his residence from where they took off to the Eagle Square to meet prominent athletes like Mary Onyal;, former Super Eagles national players, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai and Joseph Yobo and members of the Paralympic team among others. An excited President Jonathan, who was dressed in a white track suit crested with his name and the logo of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, jogged round the Eagle Square before addressing the cheering crowd. Jonathan expressed his love for sports and its capac-

SUNDAY 8 MARCH, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Jonathan, Sambo lead fitness walk in Abuja

ity to promote peace in the country. He promised that if re-elected, he would establish a special fund to take care of the special needs of athletes and officials. “I’m passionate about sports because it is a key thing that brings unity to this country. Whenever our teams are playing whether the Super Eagles or the Falcons, we don’t discriminate, we no longer recognise our states or tribes and languages but we believe in Nigeria,” he said. The President pledged that the special fund would serve as stop gap for the training of the nation’s sportsmen and women. According to him, the fund would also be used to bring succour to sportsmen who have brought glory to the nation but suddenly found themselves in need. He said, “Within this period, we have performed wonderfully well in several areas of sports, including soccer, athletics and so on. Most of you have reached the peak, we have own gold at all levels, including the Olympics. “Our disabled athletes and others made us proud at the continental and international levels. But I identify that to strengthen sports in the

L-R: Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; Senate President, David Mark; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka and others, during a solidarity walk/jogging rally in support of Jonathan and Sambo by some sportsmen and women in Nigeria, in Abuja…yesterday.

country further, there are some areas that we need to improve upon. I promise that when we come back, we are going to set up a special fund that will handle these special areas. “I have identified about six areas that we must look at. Sometimes, when we have major tournaments, because of government budgeting, file movements, training periods are delayed. And we want to stop that by setting a spe-

cial fund that can serve as a stop gap. “One thing I also realised from my interaction with sportsmen and women from my days as deputy governor in Bayelsa was that some sports men and women want to have some special trainings and programmes and their federations cannot have funds to do that. Some would want to improve on their educational career, maybe they were so committed at a

Tinubu, Aregbesola, others march for Buhari, Osinbajo

Mammoth crowd of All Progressives Congress supporters during the One Million March for Buhari/Osinbajo in Lagos, yesterday

Photo: suleiman husaini

Temitope Ogunbanke and Muritala Ayinla

agos literally stood still yesterday as thousands of All Progressives Congress faithful held a solidarity march in support of the party’s presidential candidate,

Gen. Muhammada Buhari, and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Tagged: ‘One Million March for Change,’ the solidarity walk kicked off at Maryland bus-stop on Ikorodu Road and ended at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere. It was led by the

party’s National Leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. Also on the walk were the party’s senatorial candi-

dates in the state: Remi Tinubu, Gbenga Ashafa and Solomon Adeola, among others. As early as 7:30 am, all the roads leading to the Teslim Balogun Staidium were agog with thousands of party stalwarts who dressed in different sport

young age. We must have funds for that. “Another thing is that sometimes, some get injured and can no longer participate. In some cases, they are just left on their own. We use get some funds to take care of such people.” Also speaking, Mark described the President as a sports lover and a pillar of sports as evident in the successes recorded by Nigeria in several sports events. He commended the ath-

letes for endorsing Jonathan for a second term and gave the assurance that the Peoples Democratic Party would continue to implement positive policies geared at promoting sports. Eguaveon, who spoke on behalf of former national players, said they were at the Eagle Square in solidarity with Jonathan. He said with Jonathan as President, sports would bring more development to the country.

wears to stage the peaceful march, which they said was to psychologically prepare the minds of voters for the imminent defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party. Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “March for Buhari 2015;” “No more shifting of election;” “May 29 handover date is sacrosanct;” “Nigerians want Change;” “I’m ready for Change;” “We are ready for Change;” among others. Officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Rapid Response Squad and other emergency agencies were on hand to take control of the situation. Motorists were diverted to alternative routes. Speaking at the stadium, where the party faithful converged after the walk, Tinubu urged Nigerians to voting President Goodluck Jonathan out in the presidential election. He said an APC government would provide job opportunities for Nigerian youths and make life more comfortable for all. He therefore pleaded with Lagosians to vote for all APC candidates in the March 28 and April 11 elections. Also speaking, Osinbajo prayed for the people and implored them to vote out PDP at all levels. Aregbesola said the story of Jonathan was like the Biblical Jonah, who was

thrown into the river as a result of disobedience to God. He said Jonathan’s failure to perform to Nigerians’ expectation was a clear indication that he had failed to do what God entrusted in his hands. He said that therefore, the electorate should vote Jonathan and the PDP out. APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said Lagosians would vote massively for Buhari and all APC candidates in the forthcoming elections. He therefore declared a 21-day fast and prayers ahead of the presidential election for Buhari’s victory at the poll. However, the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in a statement said, “The fact that what the APC boasted would be a one-million-man march could only attract about 10,000 persons is a reflection of the pitiful state of delusion that they are suffering from. “They have lost touch with reality and with the people of the state over whom they have maintained a wicked and ungodly economic and political stranglehold for all of 16 years. But the people of Lagos have now seen through their deception and have decided to reject them at the polls this time round.”

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 8 MARCH, 2015

ISIS: Prominent Northerners’ kids under watch Onwuka Nzeshi, Emmanuel Onani, Isa Abdulwahab, Yekeen Nurudeen and Yusuf Shuaib

ecurity agencies have placed the children of prominent Northerners under watch following news that Ibrahim Uwais, the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammadu Uwais, had joined the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria. Uwais’ son reportedly joined the deraded terrorist group along with his two wives and children some weeks ago. The development has raised apprehension among prominent Northern Muslims, as none could tell if any of their children had been in contact with the terrorist group. Although the development is still being discussed in hushed tones, especially as the ex-CJN had not responded to reports of his son’s involvement. Contacts in top Northern circles indicated that prominent families were disturbed at the probabil-

ity of their children being lured into the group. References are being made to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the son of prominent ex-First Bank Chairman, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, was lured into Al-Qaeda while schooling in the United Kingdom and Yemen. The youngster unsuccessfully attempted to bomb an American airliner on Christmas Day 2009 as it was landing in Detroit, United States. He was convicted by an American court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Sunday Telegraph learnt that security agencies were not taking chances on the matter in order to prevent fresh embarrassment to the country, especially given the menace of the Boko Haram sect. ISIS agents are said to be secretly recruiting young Muslim men and women to join in its horrendous activities in Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. ISIS fighters have been waging a war against the government of President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria since 2011 and have also made incursions into Iraq

60 feared dead in multiple Borno blasts Ahmed Miringa and Emmanuel Onani

t was a tragic Saturday for residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as over 60 people were feared dead and 38 injured in multiple suicide bomb blasts at the Monday Market, Baga Road Fish market and Borno

Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

oubts that the rescheduled elections scheduled to hold on March 28 and April 11 might be postponed again were cleared yesterday as former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, met with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega; Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, as well as the leadership of the Peoples Democratic

Express Motor Park. An eyewitness at the Maiduguri Monday Market, Bukar Iliya, said a male suicide bomber detonated an Improvised Explosive Device, killing many people while several others were injured. He said, “The young male suicide bomber with IEDs on his body came around

and Libya. In all their areas of operation, they have killed and maimed thousands of people and destroyed precious ancient artifacts. Our correspondents gathered that the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security were working in collaboration with the Nigeria Intelli-

gence Agency and the Nigeria Immigration Service in tracking persons whose movements within Nigeria were being considered suspicious. They have also intensified immigration scrutiny on young Nigerians traveling overseas to destinations such as Dubai, Turkey, Yemen

and some other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, who acknowledged the emerging threats posed by ISIS and other terrorist groups, assured that the police were already on red alert. “Our own is internal se-

curity. Our intelligence officers are on their trail to frustrate their criminal enterprise,” Ojukwu told Sunday Telegraph in a text message. DSS spokesperson, Ms. Marilyn Ogah, could not be reached despite calls and text messages to her phone.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio (right), presenting a souvenir to Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, Yenegoa, Air Vice Marshall Nyokoko, during a courtesy call to the governor in Uyo recently.

11:30am and shook hands with some members of the Civilian JTF and sat down with them. After some minutes, he detonated the bomb, killing five members of the Civilian JTF and several other people. Many were also injured and rushed to the State Specialist Hospital for treatment.” Another suicide bomber detonated an IED at the main entrance of the busy Baga road Fish Market, killing scores of people, while several others injured. A trader at the market, Mallam Abdullahi Garba, said the bomb was set off by a little boy around 10:30am. He said, “The main entrance of the market is a busy area, so many people were killed in the explosion. When I heard the sound of the blast, I fell down. When

I regained my senses, I saw six corpses on the ground.” At the motor park, a male suicide bomber with a praying mat and a bucket detonated an IED around Tashan Kano junction, killing 12 persons and leaving several others injured. Chief Medical Director, Borno State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Salihu Kwaya-Bura, told newsmen at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri that 60 corpses and 36 injured persons were brought to the hospital. Upon hearing news of the blasts, Governor Kashim Shettima ended his campaign in Southern Borno and condemned the attacks in strong terms, his media aide, Isa Gusau, said in a statement. He said Shettima, who was

in Hawul Local Government Area, stopped All Progressives Congress candidates from making campaign speeches and instead led prayers for the repose of the victims. He immediately directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan to visit all affected areas and ensure the speedy evacuation of victims to hospitals. He directed him to mobilise medical doctors for emergency treatment to be borne by the state government. Meanwhile, major streets and roads in Maiduguri metropolis were blocked, while security operatives and members of the civilian JTF were seen checking motorists and tricycles. In a separate development, the Acting Director

of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement yesterday that the armed forces had recovered Mafa and Marte local government areas of Borno State, after troops flushed Boko Haram out of these areas. The army said this took place in separate operations on Wednesday and Friday. He noted that the troops did not suffer any casualty, adding that sophisticated weapons, including antiaircraft guns, were recovered from the fighters. The statement further noted that with the development, coupled with the presence of Chadian soldiers in Dikwa, the international route from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic, had been fully secured.

Elections: Jega, service chiefs, others reaffirm dates party and All progressives Congress to review preparations for the polls. The three-hour meeting held under the auspices of the National Peace Committee on the 2015 Elections took place behind closed doors. Abubakar is the chairman of the committee which was put together to foster peace and harmony before, during and after the elections. It was attended by eminent personalities such as the Sultan of Sokoto, His

Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah; former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe; Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Relations, Senator Ben Obi, as well as the representatives of PDP and APC. At the end of the first phase of the meeting, Jega and the security chiefs left the parley but refused to

disclose to reporters what transpired behind closed doors. When the meeting came to a final close, Abubakar also refused to address the media as he had done at previous meetings. Former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Retired Justice Rose Ukeje, who briefed journalists on behalf of the committee said INEC and the security agencies reaffirmed their commitment to holding the presidential and National Assembly

elections on March 28 while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections would hold on April 11. According to Ukeje, they gave the assurance that the elections would be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere in order to enhance transparency and credibility of its outcome. “All of them said there will be elections on the agreed dates and there was no cause for alarm. They have given us their words on this and the general

impression we got while they were briefing us was that all will be well. INEC still insisted that it was ready to conduct the elections all along but is now more ready because the postponement has helped the commission to address some of the issues it had with preparations.” Ukeje said the meeting also discussed the contentious issues of PVC distribution, card readers as well as the deployment of troops during elections.

SUNDAY

The Sunday Magazine SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015

Olusegun

Gift of burns on Valentine’s day

e is 32 and ekes out a living as a commercial bus driver in his hometown, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Abimbola Olusegun, who had hoped to one day save enough money to buy his own bus and use it to improve the lot of his family and take good care of his wife, Bukola. Though they were married a couple of years ago, like every other marriage, they have had their own challenges too. A number of times, Bukola had reported her husband to his family over alleged infidelity. To her, Abimbola could be having an affair and she decided to be on the lookout for telltale signs. While people were preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day last month, Bukola also expected a special show of love from her husband. She had hoped that he would take her out to mark the day. However, Abimbola went to work on the said day and was not able to return home until late in the evening. A furious Bukola had waited endlessly for her husband at their Idolofin Quarter, Ado-Ekiti residence. Signs that all was not well with the couple started showing with a hot exchange of words shortly after Abimbola got home. Neighbours said they heard the couple exchanging hot words before tragedy struck. A neighbour, who craved anonymity, said: “It was midnight that the husband suddenly ran out from his apartment and cried for help, raising the alarm that his wife had set him ablaze. He was burning and was battling with the fire his wife had put on him. We had to rush out to

February 14 every year is regarded as Lovers’ Day or Valentine’s Day by many people around the world. But for a couple, this year’s Valentine’s Day ended in a tragedy over disagreement on not being able to go out together to have fun. ADESINA WAHAB reports

The victim’s mother, Madam Folake Olusegun, who said that all her son could say before passing out at the hospital was that his wife was angry that he did not take her out on Valentine’s Day rescue him by quickly getting water and pouring it on him. But for the prompt intervention of some of us, he would have been burnt to ashes. He was thereafter rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital where he is still being treated. We also reported the incident at the Ado Central Divisional Police Station from where policemen promptly came to arrest his wife.” At the Ado Central Divisional Police Station, Bukola was detained briefly and interrogated and she confessed to the crime. She blamed her action on anger and the devil. She was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters, AdoEkiti. By the time Abimbola was taken to the

hospital, he was close to death. He suffered serious injuries to most parts of his body, especially his private part which was the target of his assailant. One of the hospital staff attending to him said the primary target of Abimbola’s assailant might have been his penis as the organ was badly burnt. The victim’s mother, Madam Folake Olusegun, who said that all her son could say before passing out at the hospital was that his wife was angry that he did not take her out on Valentine’s Day. She said that this caused a serious misunderstanding which made his wife threatened that she would set him ablaze. “My son said he dared his wife, saying she could not do that. Suddenly, she poured petrol on him and also threw the fire at him,” she said. On what could have led to the extreme action taken by her daughter-inlaw, the woman said his son’s wife had been accusing him of cheating on her and that she had been reporting this to his family for sometime. One of Bukola’s relatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bukola could not have set her husband ablaze. Defending the suspect, she said: “I know her very well. She might be upset for not being treated well by her husband on that day, but she couldn’t have gone to the level of setting her husband ablaze. May be it was just some kind of

an accident in the house. Bukola isn’t really capable of committing such terrible act.” For the police, the matter cannot be treated as a family affair. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Albert Adeyemi, said Bukola had confessed to committing the crime and that the police would do their job. He said Bukola said he set her husband ablaze because she was angry that her husband did not celebrate the Valentine’s Day with her. “According to the Divisional Crime Officer, Ado Central Divisional Police Station, the woman set her husband ablaze because he didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with her or take her out for fun during the celebration,” the PPRO said. Bukola is now cooling her feet at the police headquarters. The police have refused to let her go despite pleas by her relatives that the matter should be amicably settled. For Abimbola’s relatives, the only condition that could guarantee freedom for Bukola is full recovery for her husband. It is even after Abimbola recovers that the issue of whether his union with Bukola will continue can be given a thought. For now, Bukola and her relatives are praying and hoping for Abimbola’s recovery, s o that even if her marriage does not continue, she will not end up on death-row or in jail.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Magazine

Ebere Ameh or 17-year-old Precious Elem, life has been rough and full of experiences. in spite of his relatively young age, Precious has gone on a bumpy voyage of addiction to hard drugs. It all started as a casual fling: Like most impressionable teenagers, the handsome young man from an affluent Nigerian home bowed to peer pressure at 14 and began playing with hard drugs. “My venture into drugs was as a result of curiosity. I was a victim of peer pressure. I wanted to know why so many people around me, many of my friends were into drugs. Many of my friends were smoking marijuana. In trying to know how it felt, I got trapped. My school was in a highbrow area of New York and my parents are comfortable and caring. So it wasn’t poverty but pure peer pressure that leads most people to drugs,” Precious told Sunday Telegraph in an interview in Lagos. He added, “I was 14 when I started. I was in JS 2. I t affected my studies. it is a factor also when you go on drugs. I had to lose one year.” From breaking school rules, skipping classes, to absconding from home to live on the street, his case worsened so much that not even the authorities, the school or the prayers of the parents could save him. “I left home and was on the street and being on the street entails committing crimes - stealing and engaging in petty and unnecessary delinquent behaviours. I know that if I had continued, I would have graduated to a serious criminal. I got arrested three times and was jailed.” Formerly a student of Harry S. Truman high school, New York, United States, Precious got addicted to drugs, living on the streets and expectedly, taking to criminality. Though his parents did their best to bring him back on track, it was not until he took to the streets, abandoning school and absconding from the family he once loved dearly that it dawned on them that there was “fire on the mountain.” Asked about his first experience, he told our correspondent, “It’s hard to describe. You are high. you seem to have a higher visual, acoustic and mental acuity. You see clearer and look finer; the colours are brighter and you are just happy. You laugh for no reason. “You are just happy, in a happy mood. You just laugh. You think you see much more clearly. But now that I am off it, I know who really sees clearer. Theirs is an illusion.” “They don’t see people like rats, as many think, but what I want is what I want. I didn’t care about other people’s feelings and emotions. Nothing moves you – you fear nobody, respect nobody.” Pressed for more details, he said, “I was abusing marijuana. I was too young but I saw that my friends who were my age in my former school were doing it so I joined them to get high and ‘see clearly’ too.” His parents found out when his behaviour changed and he left home. “My parents discovered when it had deteriorated. Like two years after, I was taking like six to seven wraps a day already. They felt disappointed. They tried to stop me but the system could not allow them. “They couldn’t beat me as they would have easily done in Nigeria because it would have been a case of child abuse. I was already on the streets. They resorted to prayers but found out that the best option would be to bring me back home and help me here. I bought drugs through my friends and the money they made from the criminal activities they got involved in while on the streets.” Though the school authorities identified the ugly behaviours of some of its pupils, Precious said their hands were tied. He said, “They do not have the right to expel or discipline us enough to effect a change.” “The school couldn’t do anything about

My drug abuse story, by 17-year-old ex-addict

Elem

it. I was an excellent student. I moved from excellent to average, and then to below average, and from there to no school at all. But they didn’t have the right to expel us. And my parents didn’t have any right to beat me. Besides; I had left home and I was already on the streets.” When asked about the American government’s role in curtailing such antisocial tendencies among children, he said, “Their government allows so much freedom. Too much freedom, I have come to know, spoils children. They will begin to do and undo, claiming and exhibiting rights and authority that they are too young to manage. There is too much freedom in America. Children don’t need all that freedom.” His parents soon realised that they needed to bring him back to Nigeria when neither they, the school nor the government could help their son. “Coming back separated me from those rough friends of mine in the U.S. I can also expect some level of discipline from my parents and there is no 911 to call,” he declared. Upon returning home, he said he was surprised to see that most of his friends were also seriously into drugs. “The difference is that Nigeria has a better atmosphere for discipline,” he observed. Precious was taken to the Federal Psychiatric Hospital Annex, Oshodi in Lagos, where he received treatment. It was during his period of treatment that he gained insight into the real state of Nigeria’s healthcare system. “They wanted to admit me but you can’t even keep your dog in such a place, let alone your child. My parents refused. It is part of my aim to raise money for the establishment of a modern and affordable rehabilitation centre for youths caught in the web of drug addiction. “The public rehabilitation centre has good personnel but little or no facilities. The facilities they have are for adult patients who are already going psycho. In short, it is really a psychiatric hospital, not a rehab for teenagers struggling with drugs.”

I was abusing marijuana. I was too young but I saw that my friends who were my age in my former school were doing it so I joined them to get high and ‘see clearly’ too Sunday Telegraph took him back to his comment about Nigerian teenagers abusing drugs. He said he put it down to “peer pressure and freedom - poor monitoring of children by busy parents. There is a kind of freedom here too. Parents go to work in the morning and come back at night. They don’t have any idea what the children are up to in the day. When children are given freedom, there is a tendency for them to abuse it.” He went on: “You may have a househelp, somebody you don’t know his or background and what he or she is capable of teaching your child when you are away. In order to forestall such ugly circumstances, parents should be more involved in the upbringing of their children to notice the signs and give them help. “It was my parents’ help that got me to this stage. Drug users should not be punished but helped. They have a problem. When your child is sick, you don’t beat him, you help him. It’s a health problem that needs to be addresed. Parents should not punish their children, else they push them further into drugs. They should seek professional help. They need counselling too.” Upon recovering from the addiction, he set up an NGO, Second Chance Outreach and Empowerment Initiative. He told Sunday Telegraph that it has three goals. “The goals of the NGO are threefold. First, it is to raise public awareness and foster commitment. We want people to actually know that there is drug addiction and that it is a problem in the society. “Second, we want to raise funds for the establishment of a rehabilitation facility

with the sole purpose of helping teenagers, because the process of my own rehabilitation was a terrible experience. The few private rehabs are way too expensive and cannot meet the demands of needy youths. “The third goal is to give fact-based information about the dangers of drug abuse. Those who have not been there don’t know how it feels. I have been there and I will be in a better position to offer them help. They should know the consequences of drugs, including marijuana.” He plans to achieve the goals through awareness creation, adding that most adults now involved in substance abuse started before the age of 14. Precious is, therefore, targeting secondary schools and universities to nip the menace in the bud. Comparing life in New York and Nigeria with particular emphasis on substance abuse and reasons people indulge in it, Elem said, “I have talked about the freedom that children in America enjoy, which is leading some of them into all kinds of criminality. But the fact you don’t know is that there is a kind of freedom that children in Nigeria have too.” Precious was not happy about the Nigerian government’s handling of the menace. “My opinion and the fact is that they are not really addressing the issue the way it ought to be addressed. They are not catching them at the stage when it is easy to manage - the adolescent stage. When they become adults and you arrest them as criminals, you are not addressing the issue.” The young counsellor, who is now an SS2 student of Estaport Schools, Gbagada, Lagos and works in his NGO office on weekends, advised parents to bring their children to him if they see signs of substance abuse. He called on the government and corporate organisations to assist the initiative and salvage Nigerian youths. Precious said he made up his mind to establish an NGO when he came out clean from drugs. “God gave me a second chance and there is no better way of thanking Him for my sight than to help those in the dark,” he stated. Asked about the funding of the NGO, he said he does so through the support of his parents and family friends who believe in the cause. “With the help of my parents, we established the NGO. I thank God they bought the idea and have been of tremendous help. I know that when the youths who find themselves in that quagmire are counselled by not just a fellow youth but one who has been there, it will make more impact.” Does he not fear that he may return to drugs? With an emphatic wshaking of his head, Precious declares: “Yes, I have overcome. That is why I want to help others who are still in it. Most adults now involved in substance abuse started before the age of 14. So, we are targeting secondary schools and universities because we noticed that nine out of 10 adults involved in substance abuse started before the age of 18.” On his education, he said, “I’m in SS2. At this stage, I’m in full control of my mental faculties. I’m not doing it alone. I have the support of my parents and family friends. i work on weekends. Mondays to Fridays is for school.”

News Adesina Wahab

Ado-Ekiti

uropean Union Election observers, prospective voters and a cross section of politicians on Saturday hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission over the introduction of card reader machine to the electoral process. INEC, which tested the machines in Ward Nine, Ado Local Government Area of the state, also expressed its readiness to redress any lapse observed in its preparations for the general elections. The ward chosen for the exercise is the biggest in Ado-Ekiti and has over 60,000 registered voters, with over 41,000 voters said to have collected their permanent voter cards as at last Monday. At Unit Nine, EU observers, Rumiana Decheva and Uros Urstja, said they were their only to monitor the

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

INEC’s Mock Election

EU observers, voters hail exercise situation and not to make their findings public. “We are two monitors here and we are impressed with the conduct of the exercise. The use of the machines will provide the legitimacy of the voters. From our observation, it takes an average of five seconds to a minute to accredit a voter. It is our mission in Abuja that will decide whether to speak on it or not,” Urstja said. Decheva, in her remarks, said credible, free and fair poll was vital to the sustenance of democracy in the country. At the polling unit in front of Christ’s School, AdoEkiti, the Presiding Officer, Aderoju Taofeek, said there were two voting centres and that it took less than five seconds to accredit some voters. At the voting unit by State

Hospital Road, the PO, Mrs Omotayo Olufunke, said INEC officials got there before 7am and described the exercise a huge success. The Head, Electoral Operations, Ekiti INEC, Alani Oduntan, blamed the poor turnout of prospective voters on the fact that it was not real election. “This is not an election per se, It is a test run exercise and it is voluntary on the part of the voters. We still have more hours for the exercise. The time is 9.15am and it will end by 1pm,” he said. Two voters, Mrs. Taiwo Ojo and Mr. Olanrewaju Peters, who spoke to our correspondent at Dallimore Unit Two, lauded the exercise, saying it would make elections more credible. Commenting on the exercise, the Resident Electoral

Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, said the outing was a good one for the commission. “We have had a good outing. The turnout could have been better and we would have appreciated that. But we have achieved our aim of seeing how workable the machine is. We are going to take a median of how people were accredited. Some had accreditation for less than three seconds. Nobody is going to be disenfranchised in the long run. “If there is anybody who cannot be accredited for some reasons., like some people might have sustained injuries on their fingers after registration and the machine not been able to capture that, such a person will be identified from the manual register and will be given a form to fill

on election day and allowed to vote,” he added. A former Commissioner for Tourism in the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu and ex-Chairman, Ado Local Government, Mr. Sunday Ibitoye, described the exercise as a

huge success. However, the turnout of prospective voters was poor. In most of the polling units visited, less than 60 voters showed up. The highest turnout was at Dallimore Voting Unit One where 57 people took part in the exercise.

Mixed reactions in Anambra T here were mixed reactions in Anambra State yesterday over the efficacy of the card readers introduced by INEC for this year’s polls. The card readers were put to test at Igboukwu Ward 1, Aguata Local Government of Anambra State. Officials of the commission who arrived the 22 polling units of the ward as early as 7am were disappointed that the electorate did not come to the polling centers until about 8:30am, but some electorate who spoke with our correspondent said they were not told early enough of the test. The efficacy of the card readers were, however, contested following the duration of time it took to accredit a voter. Though the time varied, but it took average of 10 seconds and 20 minutes for a voter to re-

ceive accreditation. In most cases, the card reader rejected the finger prints of the electorate, reading, ‘verification failed’, this is after identifying the permanent voters card of the electorate as being authentic. Speaking with journalists, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC), Engr. Edwin Offor Nwatarali declared that the card readers were in good shape and would work smoothly. He said that the problem of not capturing finger prints on time was fault of the electorate resulting from greasy or dirty fingers. “We, however, overcame that by making the voters to wash their hands and cleaning them properly before coming to thumbprint. We believe that on the whole, the card will help us to have a good election,” he said.

Hitches in Ebonyi Uchenna Inya Abakaliki

P A woman being accredited with the card reader machine at Ward 9, Ado-Ekiti, by State Hospital Road…yesterday

PDP, APC fault slow process in Niger Dan Atori MINNA

he Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in Niger State have faulted the slow process of the card reader machine in the mock election organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Speaking after the exercise in Minna, the party leaders, however, commended INEC for the exercise, expressing satisfaction over the ability of the card reader to reject any card brought in from another polling units. Chairman of the PDP in the state, Umar Musa Maali said that “the time

spent to accredit one voter is too much. If it can take a minute per voter to be accredited, and polling unit like this place that has over 1,000 voters, it is going to take over 1,000 minutes which is about 16 hours to accredit all the voters. You know 16 hours is more than the accredited time of 5 hours. I do not know how INEC is going to handle this and improve on it.” He however said the PDP is satisfied with the exercise except the time frame for accreditation which is longer than the specified time. Also, the APC Publicity Officer, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa, while speaking on his party’s concerns over the inter-

net connection, said the service was very poor but that the APC will ensure INEC’s attention is drawn to it so that all polling units are covered and captured. Speaking to newsmen, INEC National Commissioner supervising Kaduna, Kwara, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Dr. Chris Iyimoga said the process of demonstration to the public has been smooth except for few hitches with some card readers. He said “We are trying to find out if it is the technique by the officer or the level of cleanliness of the card reader. Because, as soon as the card is swiped and it says “cleared,” it then means it is your card

and you are identified as an eligible voter whether the voters’ finger prints are verified or not. The card reader kept saying ‘Verification failed’ and over 70 per cent of eligible voters in Gwada ward failed the verification but were said to be eligible since the data in the PVC corresponded with official list and also as the machine identified them as owners of the PVCs. Iyimoga also said that if the information given by the electorates are correct, the voter will still be allowed to vote, adding that the Commission has backup to the card reader in case there are cases of malfunctioning.

rospective voters in Ebonyi State have expressed divergent views on the planned use of card readers by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the forthcoming general elections. The prospective voters made their feelings known to Sunday Telegraph in Nkaliki Unuhu Ward during the field test of the card readers conducted in 24 voting units of the ward. At Nkaliki Echara Unuhu Primary School 1 which has six polling units, Victor Chidi Nwoke who was among those accredited, described the exercise as smooth and simple, except the fact that the card reader machine could not authenticate his thumb print. He said the INEC officials cross-checked the electronic register used for the registration of voters and saw his particulars correct, leading to his clearance after filling a form provided for him by the officials. Nwoke said ‘’the process is good and simple and it will help to checkmate rigging in the election. So the card reader should be used for the general elections’’ . He said it took about two minutes for

him to be accredited. Also speaking on the exercise, Stephen Abarike of Nkaliki said the card reader failed to authenticate his fingerprint .‘’I went for verification of my thumb print and the machine said verification failed. My voter card was verified but the thumb print was not and it is a big problem. From my experience, Nigeria is too young to use this system of voting in an election, reason being that it takes a lot of time and processes. Our women in the rural areas may not endure the time the machine will waste. So I suggest we use the initial method of voting’’, he said. A prospective voter in Edukwu Inyimagu Hall polling unit, Nwaonumara Edwin noted that said the exercise started at exactly 8:am and the electorate came out en mass only to see the machine not functioning well.

CHANGE OF NAME OLADIMEJI I, formerly known as Jogbodo Tolulope Olawale now wish to be known as Oladimeji Toluwalope Olawale Nathaniel. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

INEC’s Mock Election

No going back on elections, T card readers - INEC

Hitches vindicate us - PDP

Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

Onwuka Nzeshi and Onyekachi Eze

T ABUJA

he Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to the conducting the March 28 and April 11 polls as scheduled to avoid running into a constitutional crisis The Commission said yesterday that contrary to insinuations that the recent court ruling would lead to another shift in the dates for the elections, INEC remained focused on its preparations, particularly the testing of the card readers across the six geo- political zones to ensure they were in good condition ahead of the polls.

Director, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi told Sunday Telegraph yesterday that the Commission was yet to meet to take a stand on the court order regarding the Young Democratic Party and was not in a position to determine if polls would be shifted on account of it. “The commission is yet to meet to study the order. I don’t know if the Chairman has been given the papers. I don’t know how soon that would be, but may be after the field testing of the card readers. We are concerned with the testing of the card readers,” he said. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had last Wednesday ordered the Independent National Elec-

toral Commission, to issue Young Democratic Party registration certificate and accommodate its participation in the general election scheduled for March 28 and April 11. The party had in October, 2014 approached the court after the electoral body ignored its application for registration. Delivering judgement, the trial judge, Justice A.R Mohammed held that YDP was deemed registered to participate in all elections organised when INEC failed to inform the then political association of its decision not to register it as a political party within 30 days of receiving its application, as required under Section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

Over the weekend, there were insinuations in some quarters that the new party may be the latest attempt by some interest groups in the polity to scuttle the general elections. Elements within the All Progressives Congress have been pointing accusing fingers at the Peoples Democratic Party and alleging that the ruling party was using the new party as a tool of destabilization. However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh and his APC counterpart, Alhaji Lai Mohammed declined to comment on the issue. Both men neither picked their calls nor did they respond to the inquiries put across to them via short message service.

he Peoples Democratic Party has said it was vindicated by the reported hitches and complaints that trailed yesterday’s field testing of Smart card readers in some states. The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh yesterday, however, said it awaits official response from the Independent National Electoral Commission on how to address the issue. PDP noted that the worrisome fall-out from the test “vindicates earlier widespread calls by stakeholders that the card readers should be thoroughly tested to ascertain their workability for free, fair and credible elections before being deployed for the actual polls”. It expressed worry over the reported lapses which

DPP tasks INEC on card readers

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he Democratic Peoples Party yesterday challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be realistic with results of its test-run of the card reader machines, warning that the device should be set aside if hitches are likely to result from its use. It also appealed to stakeholders in the election process to ensure that dates of the forthcoming elections on March 28 and April 11 are sacrosanct. Also, the party reaffirmed its adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan, as its presidential candidate, as it noted that last year Decem-

ber they had successfully persuaded their candidate, Otunba Owolabi Odebudo to forgo his ambition. In his press statement yesterday, Odebudo, said: “We appeal to all key players in the election process to ensure that the March 28 presidential election date is sacrosanct. “We particularly urge INEC to be realistic in dealing with the outcome of its test run of the card readers for PVC and not press ahead with its use if glitches are likely to result from the use. The commission must also assure Nigerians that the process of accrediting voters with the card reader would be completed in shorter time than the manual method to justify its use.”

Fingers’ verification poses challenge Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA

he inability of card readers to verify finger print of voters at yesterday’s mock election, held in Garaku Ward in Kokon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, posed a serious challenge as many voters, who turned out for the exercise complained of delay in the capturing their finger print by the machine. At Garaku Primary School Polling Unit, out of the 10 registered voters accredited, four people were successfully captured, but it took between three and 10 minutes for the card reader to capture the finger prints of other accredited

voters. The situation was similar at Otutu Primary School, Fegen Angwa, Agwan Gimba, Agwan Takwa, Kurmi Shinkafa, Kubere, Kofar Magaji Alade and Agaba polling units. Meanwhile, some of the voters interviewed during the exercise, including Dangoje Mohammed, Gaya Umar Rico and John Dangana complained spending more time than necessary during the accreditation. The voters appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to do away with the use of the card reader, or reconfigure the machine in order to speed up its performance.

include but not limited to non-verification of voters’ fingerprints even after authenticating their Permanent Voter’s Cards, slow accreditation process as a result of poor internet server operations in some locations, and apparent inadequate knowledge of the card readers by both INEC officials and voters. “Our response to the emerging problems and challenges from Saturday’s testing of the card reader is ‘res ipsa loquitor’- the fact speak for itself. The PDP and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians await INEC’s official response and/or its final decision after such defining challenges,” the party said. The PDP restated that INEC must realize that Nigerians expect nothing short of error free and transparent process for credible elections come March 28 and April 11, 2015.

Card readers okay in Lagos Wale Elegbede

A female potential voter being accredited with the card reader machine in Minna…yesterday

News

t Onigbongbo ward, in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State where the use of the card readers was tested, the exercise, which started as early as 7am, was hitch free across the 50 polling points. The polling units which were mostly deserted except for Unit 11 situated at Onigbongbo Bus-stop which recorded over 50 accreditations, some of the polling units on Adekunle Fajuyi road had few voters who presenting themselves for accreditation. The process, which was literarily seamless, had a combined force of the Police and Civil Defence providing security for each of the polling units. At unit 012, Adekunle Fajuyi, the battery life of the card reader as at 12 noon was on 95 per cent, thereby dousing fears about the longevity of the device’s battery life.

However, the timing of accreditation and verification using the card readers defer. While some voters were accreditated within 10 seconds, others took up to five minutes depending on the the time taken to capture the voters’ index finger on the card reader. Speaking with newsmen after the exercise, the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Tunde Orebiyi said the demonstration of the workings of the card reader is a new technology aimed at improving the accreditation and electoral process. “The smart card reader is able to recognise INECs PVC there is none that has been presented today that was not genuine, that is the first measure. After identifying, the next step is to put his index finger on the card reader and the machine will detect if the person is the owner of the card and the verification will indicate the details of the person.

Hiccups in Rivers Emman Masha Portharcourt

here were some challenges in the use of card readers in yesterday’s mock election in Rivers State as some of the voters who turned up for the exercise could not fully participate in the exercise. Despite the large turn-out of voters at INEC’s designated centres in Port Harcourt, some voters were not captured by the card readers after several attempts by INEC officials who directed the process. At a centre which has three units located at No 10 Ohiamini/Wonodi Street, off Olu-Obasanjo Road, more than 30 voters were not

captured by the card readers after placing their index fingers on the machine. As at 11a.m when the state’s Electoral Commissioner, Dame Gesila Khan arrived the centre with other top INEC officials, the card reader did not capture the data of 17 voters out of 108 that had participated. She and other INEC staff moved round the centre, taking notes and briefs from other INEC staff directly handling the election, and quickly left to check proceedings at other centres. Voting started around quarter after 8:00am, under the watch of police officers, who stayed away from the three units, but monitoring the movement of people.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

OPINION We challenge Buhari to a debate

Reuben Abati

he last time Nigerians enjoyed something really close to an exciting Presidential debate was during the 1993 Presidential elections. I recall the colourful and memorable encounter between the late Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party and Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. At the end of that debate, it was clear who among the duo was better experienced, much more intellectually capable and more endearing to the electorate in terms of readiness for the job being applied for. That is what a debate, under these circumstances, is: it is a job interview. The entire country is the panel and whereas actual measurement of impact may be tentative, especially in a developing country where there are challenges of illiteracy and access to mass media, the performance of the candidates ordinarily reshapes the conversation and can significantly influence voters’ choice. Unfortunately, in the lead up to this year’s Presidential elections, it seems certain that voters will be denied this opportunity for comparison, assessment, interaction, not to talk of the excitement and drama. The man to blame for this denial is General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Getting him to debate the incumbent, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been an uphill task. To say that the man is scared, practically running away from an opportunity to debate his ideas against the incumbent’s, is to be charitable. He doesn’t want it. Every effort to get him to the podium has been rebuffed by him and his handlers. President Jonathan received, ahead of the INEC rescheduling of the dates for the 2015 elections, two requests for a Presidential debate. The President enthusiastically accepted and looked forward to both debates. But General Buhari was not interested. There is no gainsaying the fact that President Jonathan and General Buhari are the main contenders in this election. Every Nigerian would love to see the two of them debate. That would be good for our democracy. The first group that approached President Jonathan was represented by John Momoh of Channels TV; Emeka Izeze of The Guardian, and Nduka Obaigbena of

ThisDay, Arise TV and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria. They said they were in talks with the APC. They needed us to agree to a debate. We checked our campaign schedule, and since Sundays were left free for review meetings and further consultations, we suggested that a Sunday date would be most convenient for us. That was when the drama began. The would-be organisers soon informed us that General Buhari did not want a debate on a Sunday, because according to him “he does not work on Sundays.” I thought that was rather odd. President Jonathan works every day. The job of a President is a round-the-clock, all-yearround engagement. If a Sunday date would be inconvenient, may be a Monday then. Feedback from the Buhari camp: Monday was not okay either. Eventually, the contact persons reported that a Tuesday date had been agreed upon. This coincided with a day when we were supposed to have rallies in two states of the North. Nonetheless, President Jonathan directed that he will keep the date, and that rallies for the day should be fast-tracked. We adjusted our schedule and intensified preparations for the Jonathan encounter with Buhari. Two days to this debate that would have been, I received non-stop frantic calls from the troika of Momoh, Izeze and Obaigbena. There had been a development, they said. The fresh development was that they had met that same evening with General Buhari and he did not agree anymore to a debate with President Jonathan. Rather, he wanted a town hall meeting, in which he would be the sole participant. Another town hall meeting could be organized the same day for President Jonathan and both could be aired back to back. That was his request and wish. Momoh and Co wanted the President to agree to this. They’d rather have the two candidates say something on whatever platform than say nothing at all. The President’s response was that a town hall meeting is not the same as a debate. He wanted a face-to-face debate with General Buhari. He also told Messrs Momoh, Izeze and Obaigbena that if he wanted a town hall meeting, he could always ask his Presidential Campaign Organization to arrange it. And General Buhari was in a position to organize his own town hall meeting as well. Should there be a change

of mind and an opportunity for a proper debate, he, Jonathan, would be available at the shortest notice. We haven’t heard from the trio since then. One of Buhari’s spokesmen later announced that he was pulling out of that particular debate because the organisers had been “compromised” by government and the integrity of the debate platform they were offering was therefore doubtful! Questions: The same media houses that grant APC disproportionate amount of attention, and which they patronize to push their propaganda? And who are the media managers on the APC side questioning the integrity of their old-time comrades, and one-time fellow hunters just so they could be seen to be committed? I leave these posers to the well-known parties involved to sort out among themselves, as they surely will when all of this is over. The second group that invited us to a debate was the Nigeria Elections Debate Group, anchored by veteran journalist Taiwo Alimi in conjunction with a few media houses. The NEDG has been organizing election debates since 1999, and has been so successful that it has been invited to do the same thing in other West African countries. The Buhari camp again rejected this invitation on the grounds that the media houses involved were pro-government and therefore partisan. But of course, the puerile protestations of Buhari’s handlers are meaningless. A debate is what it is: an intellectual duel requiring skills, knowledge, comportment and the ability to persuade the listener. The medium may even be far less important than the message and the messenger. I have no doubt that Buhari’s handlers have enough sound knowledge of this elementary truth, but they are insecure. Each time they are asked to produce their candidate for a debate, they invent a ridiculous reason. Obviously, General Buhari seems to be afraid of engaging every other Presidential candidate. He needs to be reminded that a Presidential debate will not require him to work out on a treadmill, or jog the distance, or recite the national pledge, or spell his running mate’s name. President Jonathan was and is ready. With Buhari fleeing the arena with his tails between his legs, there were suggestions that the President could end up debating other candidates from

“smaller parties”, but he waved this aside, insisting that every candidate is important. As it then turned out, INEC rescheduled the election dates just the night before and the NEDG group on their own, postponed the debate. It is worrisome that any Presidential candidate will shy away from a debate out of timidity and fear of inadequacy. And yet a President’s work is one of perpetual debate. He will have to chair meetings, where ideas will be expressed and he must understand what works and may not. He will attend international meetings where he is expected to contribute to discussions, often in the format of a debate. Without that ability to assimilate, process and discuss ideas, nobody should be trusted with even the management of a local council not to talk of the whole of Nigeria. A debate also provides a candidate at this level, an opportunity to communicate his vision of leadership, and to explain to the electorate in his own voice, why he deserves their vote. General Buhari needs to come out of his comfort zone and undertake this test. He has been campaigning on the issues of security yet his supporters preach hate and violence. He talks about the economy yet he couldn’t at a town hall meeting differentiate between the excess crude account and the foreign reserve. He projects himself as an anticorruption angel yet he is surrounded by a large crowd of morally conflicted persons; to worsen it all, he doesn’t even know the name of his own running mate. When he grants interviews, his responses are cryptic and elliptic, demonstrating such shallowness that confuses an informed audience. His deliberate avoidance of a Presidential debate is akin to an act of examination malpractice. It is not good enough for a man who wants to be President of our country. He is short-changing the Nigerian electorate by denying them the opportunity of assessing him properly in an open debate. While a Presidential debate is not a constitutional requirement, it is an established convention that deepens and enriches the democratic process. President Jonathan is ready to meet him in an open debate, any day, any hour, and at any venue of his choice. We invite General Buhari to take up the challenge. •Abati is President Jonathan’s official spokesman and media adviser.

Nigeria: Time for a national rethink (2) Mba Kalu

nder this mesmeric hoo-hah mantra of change, many begin to see a lot of nonextant flaws in the Jonathan administration, flaws that aren’t even there at all. We seem stuck between a rock and a hard place in our choice between a ‘weak’ Jonathan and a ‘strong’ Buhari, merely because it is a supposition self-serving interests have generated and propergated. Let us not be ungracious and take away the incumbent’s good works from his score sheets. Let us compare relative tangible positive achievements by Buhari first then Jonathan in his own tenure at the helm of our national affairs. We who claim Buhari a financial saint should well ask what those 53suitcases contained, travelling baggage of just one man! But of course we must not forget his forte was the Gestapo style he threatens yet to bring back. Many of his adherents today are too young to know what that was. There are many more ways of killing a rat than stuffing it full of gunpowder and using its tail for a fuse. The best way we may fight our monster of corrupting cannot be by corrupting democracy via

the return of a bloodthirsty Genghis Khan into our wobbly democracy. That would take us back half a century; and violations of civic and human rights we had endured with the gun to our heads shall return through our votes. Yet Buhari claqueur (oti mkpu in Igbo) Soyinka has not advanced beyond that change mantra in support of clue-filled Buhari! All that notwithstanding, there undoubtedly needs to be some change at state and local levels. Where I come from for instance, the change bug is with us. We at least think we have a strong need for a change. T. A. Orji is seen to intently and callously foist a dynastic continuum of patented misrule. Abians see him as having achieved mighty little in eight years and yet wants to impose his protégée on us. His son, Son Excellency you might call him now, is thought to prance around as if he owns the state. He is said to be earmarked for Speaker of the House of Assembly as a prelude to his eventual takeover as governor of the state. This sort of hegemony is not admissible in the homogeneity that is Abia State. We are becoming subjects of enslavement to the TA clan. So we want a change, period. In my senatorial district of Abia North the

PDP Comrade that time and again stood in our representation has done woefully bad we feel no ounce of amusement whatsoever. His party is handing over to one whose integrity, measurable in the dishonourable insincerity of his earlier performance and our dealings with him in the past, leaves us no choice but to give our full plume of support to another whose track record we can at least comfortably vouch for. That is the sort of volte-face change, the sort that is not earth shattering, that one may deem admissible. “I, Ibrahim Babangida….” knocked out Shagari and democracy, installing Buhari and the army. Then “I, Sani Abacha….” knocked out Buhari and the army, installing Babangida and the army. Can someone please tell us what were those excuses Babangida and his fellow sympathizers gave for ousting this man Buhari? Now we are in fact hearing “I, Olusegun Obasanjo….” for the installation of (the same) Buhari on his second trip around, same as Obasanjo. Babangida ran this country so very well that after he had sapped it to its marrows with SAP and ‘settlement’, he declared his surprise that this country under

him had not collapsed. That is how resilient Nigeria is. Nothing will happen that has not happened before, should either Buhari or Jonathan lose this presidential election. Neither may be our best bet to lead but we are clearly better off a democracy under Jonathan than a ‘dictatorcracy’ under Buhari. At some point in time, when perhaps we have had enough of our travails, we might work toward the changes we in actual fact need, and those preparations might include a four-year-plan, starting now, to wipe out these old tainted sacking-andlooting-and-sacking political operators that have taken us nowhere but chasing our tails in ephemeral effectiveness. We must have a rethink and I believe our younger generation must spearhead this. History is replete with instances to learn by. The French Revolution 1789-1793 is an example. The Russians having first failed in 1905 enacted their liberation from their oppressors with the Germans at their front door 1917. Nothing unifies as the universal common language of anger, and anger is born of hunger, and that is a language we must avoid. •Mba Kalu writes from Ohafia, Abia State

Sunday Mail MARCH 8, 2015

You have a right to be heard! Send your letters and photographs to sundayletters@newtelegraphonline.com. Letters should not be more than 150 words and must have the name and address of the sender. Appeal to Jonathan, Mimiko

Dear Editor, I wish to draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Olusegun Mimiko to the plight of some youths of the country who acquired furniture making skills through government’s Entrepreneur shipTraining Programme in 2007. During the programme was carried out by the National Directorate of Employment in collaboration with the Ondo State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, we we asked to take apprentices free of charge after the completion of our training. After the programme, many of us had our industrial attachment and moved to various parts of the country. I had mine at the Royal Wood Furniture, Minna, Niger State. While some of us who participated in the programme have been assisted by the Ondo State government to practise their vocation, because they are based there, the rest are not so lucky. They are roaming the streets whereas we some that sought the assistance of some of us in the Association of Better Artisans are disappointed, because we alone cannot do much to them. Today, I have over 11 apprentices and interns from colleges of education and government technical colleges being trained by me free of charge. Even though some of them that are interested in accommodating more, we are constrained by room in our workshop to accommodate many of them in our establishment in Minna, Niger State. Because of our inability to accept more apprentices, many parents are unhappy with us. I therefore appeal to President Jonathan and Governor Mimiko to assist us and compensate us for offering free training so as to be able to accommodate more trainees who are leaders of tomorrow to acquire skill for a better future. Adeniji Adegoroye Nngwan Company, Minna

This is not democracy

Dear Editor, The constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria gave it citizen’s right to vote and be voted for at an eligible age, we the electorates! We the voters! We the people are the integral component of democracy but, it’s sad that we don’t make use of that power which the constitution bestowed on us. Most Nigerian’s would greatly desire to see a credible election and their votes counted for the candidate of their choice. This would really be the start of our democratic process where we the people decide who governs us and not a few godfathers who have hijacked the process in the past through rigging. The last 15 years has been more of a civilian regime rather than a democratic dispensation. We have shown our commitment by going out en masse to participate in voting and protecting our votes. But is it only credible elections we need or should we also focus on credible candidates? Ajuma Christiana, Oshodi, Lagos

Restore our light Dear Editor, Please Editor, we would like Sunday Telegraph to help us appeal to the government and Eko Distribution Company of Lagos (DISCO), to restore our light. For the past three weeks, the residents of 5th Avenue, FESTAC town have not seen light. FESTAC Town is situated in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. We have done virtually everything to get them to restore our light but the DISCO kept telling us that few things were badly destroyed in the region and i don’t know when it would be rectified. Also, due to lack of power supply, there is no water anywhere and there has been noise pollution from private power generating sets. We see light in the neighborhoods but we don’t have access to it. We thought that with the increase in the tariff system, the power supply would have improved but there was nothing like that. Please, editor use your medium to extenuate our plights. Joseph Okoh from Festac

Royal blessings for President Goodluck Jonathan

So many questions

Dear Editor, This election will definitely prove our existence as a Nation. As PDP,APC rounding up campaigns in a matter of days, I keep wondering that we are growing deep into ethnic and religious division. The North are saying is their turn, the South South are saying their son must complete his tenure. I keep wondering if the Northerners are kicking against Jonathan because he cannot deliver on his promises or because he is just from a minority South South. Watching Buhari campaign in the North, you can see clearly that, the road built by GEJ, schools built by GEJ and rails revived by GEJ does not concern them. Watching Jonathan campaign in the South South clearly shows that, his domain love and like him. The question is, do we still go into this election base on the North and South dichotomy? Do we allow our sense of judgment to be swayed by ethnicity and Religious sentiment? What has Jonathan place of birth or Religious got to do with the rails going from Lagos to Kano? How has that affected the idealization going on from Kano to Maiduguri? We must stop all the past leaders who have eaten up their future from taking part in ours. Today we now have an economy that is the first in Africa, fourth in the world under GEJ. We now have an Agric sector that is been envied by the multinational, we now have an industrial revolution, where NISAN, KIA and even an indigenous company of INNOSSON produce car in Nigeria. Do we allow sentiment to take away glory of all the work done under GEJ? I don’t think Nigeria need a change of Jonathan, what we need is a support for him like never before, am very sure that in the next four years all his policies and actions will speak volume that the next President will have an easy ride to do wonders. Vote wisely, vote your conscience. Unubi Blackie from Abuja

Still on insurgency

Dear Editor So many businesses were shut down, even some schools had to change their calendar to meet up with this February 14th when they were going about their campaigns holding Rallies here and there, they was enough security right? Now it’s time to hold elections it has been postponed for security reasons, Insurgency that lasted for almost 6years will be taken care of within 6weeks. I won’t be surprised if they wake up tomorrow and say we can never hold elections because of insecurity. I am tired of this country called Nigeria. Zully Mawedo Suleiman from Lokoja

Credible elections Dear Editor, I feel we should be concerned that we may have gotten our goal for our democratic process misplaced. The main purpose of a democratic process is to enable us put into elective offices people we believe are of great vision, courage, character and ambition, to entrust them with the apparatus of government for the development of our nation. If the person we put there does not live up to expectations, we seek another and put him or her in office through elections. The focus is always on having the right person in office and though credible election is a means to achieving the goal it is not the goal itself. In our case, we have rightly emphasized the need to register and vote on the election days but we have ignored the bigger issue which is the candidates. If the quality of candidates is not excellent, we could have credible elections but people lacking in vision, courage, character and ambition in elective offices, you and I know that such people in elective offices cannot deliver the development which we are longing for, despite being voted into office through credible elections. Rabiu Habib, Lokoja

Difference between attraction and interest

Dear editor My advice to singles is to date someone who is interested in you I don’t mean someone who thinks you are cute or funny. I mean someone who wants to know every insignificant detail about you, someone who wants to read every word you write. Someone who wants to hear every note of your favorite song, watch every scene of your favorite movie. Someone who wants to find out every scar on your body and learn where each one came from, someone who wants to know your favorite brand of toothpaste and which quotes resonate deep inside your bones when you hear them. There is a difference between attraction/interest. Find d person who wants to learn every aspect of who you are, and hold unto them. Marry Ann Ahmed from Anyigba

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Moments

L-R: Secretary to the Osun State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Chief of Staff to the Governor (COS), Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; Member, Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemo Adedibu; former Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Elder Adelowo Adebiyi and others, during the COS and SSG’s inauguration in Osogbo…on Wednesday

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on special duties, Hon. Karibo Nadu; Permanent Secretary, State House, Engr. Nebolisa Emodi and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties, Hon Bello Kaoje, at the National Assembly Abuja…on Wednesday PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

L-R: Country Focal Person, West African Women Association/Founder, Women Care Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Beatrice Ubeke; National Information Officer, United Nations’ Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, Mr. Oluseyi Soremekun; Director, Women in Politics and Government/Keynote speaker, Mr. Obiageli Obi and Team Leader, Nigeria, Media Awareness Information for All Network, Mr. Aboyade Oluwole, after an interactive seminar entitled: 2015 Elections: Mother Speaks Against Violence in Lagos… on Thursday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Senators Andy Uba; Nkechi Nwaogu; Ministerial Nominee, Col. Augustine Akobundu; Hope Uzodinma and Enyinnaya Abaribe, after screening by the senate in Abuja

L-R: Acting Director, Finance and Admin, Federal Airport Authority of Nigerian [FAAN], Mr. Chibuzor Nwachukwu; Managing Director, FAAN, Engr. Sale Dunoma; Airport Manager, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed; Regional General Manager, Engr. Wale Osituyo and General Manager Procurement, Mr. Niger Temlong, during the inspecting tour of the newly constructed Pilot Lounge, at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja..on Thursday

District Head of Yola, Alhaji Sa’adu Bawuro (left), presenting a certificate to a graduate of Solar Energy training, Abubakar Adamu, during the graduation at the special works department, National Directorate of Employment in Yola…on Wednesday. PHOTO-NAN

L-R: His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano; Commissioner for Information Anambra State, Chief Tony Onyima; MD/CEO of ABS, Uche Nworah; and House Committe Chairman on Information, Hon. Paully Onyeka, during Anambra Broadcasting Service 30th anniversary lecture...on Wednesday

L-R: Anambra state Commissioner for Youth & Sports, Ogbuefi Tony Nnacheta; Guest speaker at the ABS 30th anniversary lecture, Prof. Pat Utomi; Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Greg Obi; and MD/CEO of ABS Uche Nworah

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

News

Oyo police trail student over murder Sola Adeyemo

Ibadan

etectives from the Oyo State Police Command have launched a manhunt for a student of Moslem Grammar School, Odinjo, Ibadan, (names unknown), who allegedly stabbed his colleague to death on Friday. Taoheed Aresa, a Senior Secondary two (SS2) student in the same school located along Ibadan/Lagos Express way in the Odinjo area was said to have engaged in an argument with the fleeing colleague when he was stabbed in the stomach with his intestines gushed out. The incident, which caused a pandemonium in the school over the weekend, took the police from ‘Sanyo’ area of

Ibadan some time to restore normalcy Eyewitnesses said that the suspect took to his heels upon sighting the police, while his colleagues upon seeing Toheeb’s intestines gushed out reportedly disappeared in fear thereby attracting the attention of their teachers to the incident. “We tried all we could to safe the boy’s life, but he gave up the ghost as the intestines have already gushed out, while there was nothing we could do than to invite the police”, one of the school teachers who pleaded anonymity, said. Efforts to get confirmation and details of investigation from the Police Public Relations Officer as at press time was not successful as an aide of his who picked the call said that his boss was then busy at a function.

Buhari visits Shagari

residential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, MajGen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday visited former Presient Shehu Shagari in Sokoto to feleicitate with him on his 90th birthday. Buhari was in the United Kingdom on some personal and party engagements when Shagari celebrated his 90th birthday on February 25. The event was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan and other surviving former heads of state and presidents. “Your Excellency, my coming today is to felicitate with you over your 90th birthday anniversary. I have personally sent a letter to you informing you that I was in London and I hope the letter was delivered to you. “I would have loved to come with some of our colleagues who were here earlier but for my trip to London where I went to have some rest after

campaigning in all the 36 states of the federation in addition to several town hall meetings. “I pray Allah to grant you good health and more fruitful years ahead,” Buhari said. The presidential candidate described Shagari as a great nationalist, lauding him for his commitment to Nigeria’s peace and unity. Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who accompanied Buhari to Shagari’s Sama Road residence alongside other Sokoto APC members, also praised Shagari’s virtues of discipline, humility and nationalism. Shagari, who was full of smiles and gratitude to Buhari and his entourage, called for prayers for the peace and stability of the country. He wished Buhari success in his quest. Buhari headed the military junta that overthrew Shagari in a coup on December 31, 1983.

Sarki Hausa declares support for Buhari

he followership base of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhamadu Buhari, may have received yet another boost as the head of one of the Hausa communities in Lagos, Sarkin Hausawa of Ijora, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, has thrown his weight behind his candidacy for the next presidential election. At the open declaration of support which took place recently in Lagos, Sarkin Hausawa of Ijora, Apapa Local Government, Al-

haji Mustapha said it was high time Nigerian voted the right candidate in the person of General Buhari. He further said his support for Buhari was borne out of the way and manner his people are dying daily in the hands of Boko Haram.. He said President Goodluck Jonathan has failed Nigerians and he is not ready to lend his support to a failed government. Accordingly, he said has directed his subjects to vote for Buhari who can secure lives and property of the nation as a man of integrity.

Chibok girls: PDP, APC in fresh war of words Onyekachi Eze and Deborah Makoji

he Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress yesterday engaged in a fresh war of words over President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement during a recent TV interview that the Chibok girls were still alive. APC had in a statement by its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, noted described as “callous, morbid and insensitive” the comments made by Jonathan, that the Chibok girls were still alive because Boko Haram would have displayed their bodies if they had been killed.

The party said it finds the comment deeply offensive to human sensibilities rather than providing hope and succour for the traumatised parents of the girls. It said a key role of presidents everywhere in times of tribulations and tragedies is to offer hope and be the Consolers-in-Chief and not to make statements that will deepen the suffering and sorrow of victims. APC said it would have expected Jonathan to speak on the basis of actionable intelligence, “not some twisted, melancholic and offensive logic.” APC advised Jonathan to borrow a leaf from his Chadian counterpart, who came across as being very

presidential in his advice to Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, to surrender or face death. “‘The Shekau that President Deby was referring to is the same Shekau that the Jonathan-led Administration claimed to have killed at least twice, and the same Shekau the same administration is now seeking to capture alive. ‘’Mr. President (Jonathan), how many Shekaus do you want to kill or capture? Or is there a Shekau that is known only to the your administration?’’ APC queried. However, Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi

Fani-Kayode, fired back in a statement yesterday, saying Nigerians should hold APC and its leaders responsible if the Chibok school girls were not rescued alive. Fani-Kayode said while many Nigerians were happy at Jonathan’s statement, the APC and its leaders were not. “The truth is that they do not want those girls to be found and neither do they care about their welfare or their safety. Let it be clearly understood that if anything happens to those girls and if they are not produced at the soonest we will hold Lai Mohammed, Buhari and the APC responsible,” Fani-Kayode stated.

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun (middle), with All Progressives Congress supporters at Sango Ward 1, during his ward-to-ward re-election campaign rally in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area...yesterday.

Moro, Odeh seek Jonathan’s re-election Cephas Iorhemen

Makurdi

he campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in the re-scheduled March 28 general elections has been taken to the hinterlands of Benue State with stakeholders vowing to put in serious efforts for the realization of the project. Already, the grassroots campaign is achieving huge success as thousands of supporters of the People’s Democratic Party thronged out at each of the areas visited chanting “Sai Jonathan, No to Buhari” apparently signifying the President’s acceptability in the state.

Addressing stakeholders at a town hall meeting in Katsina-Ala yesterday, venue of the Benue North East Senatorial district, Coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo re-election campaign, Mr. Sam Odeh, acknowledged the giant strides of the President before the people of the state which he said has direct bearing on their lives, and commended them for keeping faith with the PDP. Odeh, a former Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, noted that the party in the state deemed it fit to move the campaign to the remote areas to make the people see reasons for the president’s re-election, and expressed optimism that the

party will win land slide. In his remark, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, appreciated the president’s efforts at reconstructing the country in the last couple of years, noting that with such visible efforts, Nigerians cannot afford to entrust the leadership of the country during the March 28 election in the hands of a senile minded person, as doing so would be tantamount to putting the nation on the path of retrogression. Moro commended the president for awarding contracts for the dredging of River Benue, construction of a bridge across River Benue at Buruku crossing point, the construction

of the Otukpo-Oweto road as well as the establishment of a River Port in Makurdi, the state capital and lauded the transformation initiative of the president which he said was on course. The Interior Minister who regretted the defection of some PDP members in the country to the APC including governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto) as well as Senator Barnabas Gemade and Dr. Samuel Ortom among others, described their actions as unfortunate and referred to them as people who are not true progressive and change agents.

SUNDAY

Fashion

Unwanted hair? Get rid of it fast 44

Bed, Work & Life

Two can play the game 20

Body Soul SUNDAY, MARCH 08, 2015

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SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Contents 08.03.2015 COVER

Do your thing, it’s by how excellent you make yours and before you know it, you’d find people imitating you everywhere. You have the class and the label people want

-Goke Omisore

FASHION Sequins are really hot and never go out of style. It is an instant glam approach any day and time

T h e Te a m Juliet Bumah (Editor)

Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) Wole Adepoju

} 22&43

Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent)

} 18-19

BEAUTY Bangs are on point in expressing a chic and coy side of any woman since you get to peek from under the hair

} 21

Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics)

MY PASSION I had a boyfriend who approached my parents for my hand in marriage and while we were courting and preparing for the marriage, I got pregnant

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

Associates

} 17

GLAM DUDES It is important for every male to learn how to get good hair maintenance

} 44

BED, WORK & LIFE “He has really changed. He’s a better person now,” Kathryn says. Alice’s mind b e c o m e s aler t. Kiki pleading for James? What’s happening here? “Coming from you Kiki, I believe you. But how come

you’re pleading for a man that doesn’t like you at all?

} 20

Helen Paul

Eyitayo Aloh

i By ee

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Body&Soul

Grace Amah: I’m not married

Since 1999, Nollywood actress, Grace Amah, has been dazzling fans with the amazing ways she interprets her roles. In this interview with VANESSA OKWARA, she talk about her absence from the movie industry, being a single mom and sundry issues

You celebrated your birthday recently with the less privileged. How does it feel marking another milestone? Over the years it has been my desire to serve the public especially the less privileged. So, having been in the industry for more than a decade, I realised that the best way to celebrate God daily and when one adds a new year to his life is to thank Him in the life of those who cannot say thank you for doing something for them. Those children you see abandoned by their parents or due to one problem or the other are being taken care of by public spirited persons is like the Biblical message “I was hungry you gave me to eat”, I was naked you clothed me”… “Now enter the kingdom of my Father”. There is no better way to praise God than celebrating the life of children who are in no position to appreciate you back. So, I felt so honoured to have celebrated with the orphanage home and by God’s grace all my birthdays henceforth will be celebrated with the less privileged ones in our society. You have been away from the main stream movies in a while now. Can you tell us the reason and what other things you have been doing to occupy your time? If you have been following my interactions with the press for some time now, you would have noticed that I have stated severally that there is need once in a while for people who live on public watch to find time and look into their primary constituencies which is the family. You may be young today, but every day we get older. So if you are not able to prepare for your old age when you are young, it becomes difficult to cope when you are outside the screen. My absence was to fulfill this natural obligation of building a home and respecting the Biblical injunction of going to multiply. I have had my son and now I have come back. While out of the screen, I developed other businesses for the family. But I have come back fully to the industry to begin to do what my fans loved of me. What are the current things fans should be expecting from you? What my fans know about me is the fact that I never disappointed in the interpretation of my roles in all my movies. I intend to keep to that excellence. Perhaps with more years and experience, they will see more of action and a better role model in me. What was it like growing up? My growing up was like any other child from a good Christian background. My parents are elders in the church and they never allowed us their children to stray. We have kept the faith till today. Mention some of the pranks you played as a teenager What could be my pranks except may be the things I would love to do and my parents would oppose it. Then I could devise a means of doing them without their knowledge. But in all growing up was fun.

Did you have the support of your parents starting out as an actress? My parents had expected me to be a Medical Doctor or a Lawyer. The question of Actress was not in their dictionary. In fact, because I wanted to satisfy them, I enrolled for Law at the University of Ibadan after I had started acting, but the demand of the acting stuff did not allow me concentrate and I had to leave the programme in Ibadan and came to University of Lagos to enroll for Creative Arts. Have you always wanted to be an actress and what motivated you to go into acting as a career? My acting career started as a divine vocation because it was my teachers in the Nursery School who observed my actions during School debates and extracurricular activities and informed my parents in writing that their daughter was gifted in acting. Like I mentioned elsewhere, my parents never even opened the letter until my siblings and I saw it many years after I had started acting. So my acting profession is a gift from God and that is why it has not been easy to leave the profession for anything different no matter the urge. When did you join the movie industry and what motivated you? I joined in August 1999 and motivation was attraction to those in the profession such as Aunty Liz Benson, Aunty Joke Silva, My daddy, Richard Mofe Damijo, Aunty Kate Henshaw, Genevive Nnaji and several others in the industry. Mention some of the movies that brought you to limelight Super Story (One Bad Apple), I need to Know, Chains, Atlanta, Fishers of Men, One plus One, Elastic Limit and so many others. Any awards to your credit? If so mention them? I have several awards including best bed hoping award. Afro Hollywood Award, Dynamix Award, Trek African women Award...... You are very attractive, how do you manage advances from the opposite sex? I do not understand being attractive as being target for sex. It is natural that opposite sex admire each other; it is not only those in the movie industry. It is just that because most times we appear on the screen and exposed to more viewers, if not, there is nothing different with every other person out there. The issue of relationship depends on what one thinks of himself or herself. For me there is no big deal in relating with people as man is born a social animal. What do you consider your best body part? God created human beings with components like machines. The moment any component is not working, the person or

machine will not work well. One cannot consider any part of the body as more precious than others because the body cannot be complete without all the parts. All parts of my body are precious to me. What beauty routine do you practice to keep your beauty looks? I was naturally created with a shape that does not require much stress to be in tune. All I do is to eat normal and avoid junk foods. I take some exercises when necessary. I am not a fashion freak and so have no need for beauty practice. God created me great already. Describe your fashion style? I choose what fits me to occasions according to the nature of such ceremonies. I prefer Nigeria prints for clothes. What are your favourite perfums and wristwatches? I love Tom Ford and Gucci. What fashion item is your favorite? Shoes, Bags and Jewellery. If we take a peek into your wardrobe, what kind of clothes are we likely to see? You will see mostly Nigerian and African Prints. If going on a red carpet event, how long does it take you to dress up? It depends on the kind of ceremony or occasion. What is your life passion? I am passionate about the welfare of the less privileged because those of us who have the privilege of travelling outside this country see how other countries take

care of their citizens. That is why we always call on our leaders to come up with policies that touch on the welfare of the people in the society. How do you juggle being a mother and your career? It is a natural combination. To be a mother is ordained by God. To work to feed the family is God’s design. Both complement each other for a peaceful home. How does motherhood feel like? It makes one responsible and responsive. Is it true you married your baby’s father secretly? If not, can you enlighten us on the true state of affairs? How does one marry secretly? Marriage is one of the things you cannot do secretly especially if your profession is like ours which faces public scrutiny every day. The truth is that I had a boyfriend who approached my parents for my hand in marriage and while we were courting and preparing for the marriage, I got pregnant for him and I didn’t want to abort my child. My son is growing and I am happy I had him that time. He is my bundle of joy and source of happiness. So, there was no secret marriage and I AM NOT MARRIED. When it is time to marry, it will not be a secret. What qualities in a man best appeal to you? Tolerance, ability to appreciate the nature of what I do and respect for each other. What is your life’s philosophy? Love my neighbor as I love myself.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Goke Omisore: His impeccable mien, considerably nice gait and vivacity, will endear you to Prince Goke Omisore who clocked 66 penultimate Sunday. And the occasion was a convergence of captains of industry and policy makers who joined him at the launch of his latest fashion collection, Legacy N8ive, in commemoration of his birthday. He spoke to LANRE ODUKOYA about his trail-blazing enterprises, style and growing up as a prince Your gait at 66 is impressive and launching ‘Legacy N8ive’, a fresh line of your fashion brand, Crown Prince, makes it the more gracious. How did you achieve this? To God be the glory. With one pedigree and degrees, it couldn’t have been otherwise. At 22, I was in New York and you know that’s the fashion centre of the world. Paris is claiming it but we have it. And there’s something about New York that fires my imagination. I’ve always been a lover of one thing. For me, nothing is more important than a good name. Money, no matter how much, won’t take that place. Whatever you do is not as important as how you do it. You must excel with class and panache. There’s no exclusivity to progress in life and that’s the same across all fields. It may take long, but you have to prove yourself to earn it. Is Legacy N8ive designed to coincide with your birthday or a mere coincidence? I look at today as my 24th birthday. I had my first degree in Advertising Design and my second degree in Communication Studies. It’s a world of creation and I’ve always been involved in the fashion aspect designing, but I want to leave a legacy. I look at what to wear - ‘Agbada, Kaftan’ and they are too noisy for my liking. So what I’m doing with Legacy N8ive is to remove all the noise and put extreme detailing to the craft. Why the Italians? What’s the monopoly in their productions? It’s because they take time to do what they do. Yes, you charge for it and there’s nothing wrong with that. You create a niche for it and that’s the idea. So, there’s nothing you do ordinarily that cannot be done extraordinarily. And I believe that if you’re going into a field, you must have something unique to offer. Even if it’s an ordinary cap, you package it in such a way that you send it to someone at Christmas as a gift, and when he opens it, he’s wowed. Is that all the revolution in your new collection? Like I say, let’s leave the native to the natives and step up to N8ive because it’s a digital world now. You just can’t keep doing and hanging it the missionary way. Do you know you could carry lots of Kaftans in a little space as this beautiful case and nobody will know what’s in there? You’d send it to a drycleaner and when

he’s done, he folds it back. We are touching every aspect of what we think is wrong with the mundane styles. Since you started out at 22 in Manhattan, what’s life in fashion been like? When you’re in a society that is extremely fashionable like Manhattan and New York, something unique about these places is that they touch all aspects of entertainment. If you live in that society, it’s not that I was in actual fact into fashion enterprise, but you get influenced one way or the other. If you have known me since the past 30 years, you’d realise that I’m producing in Nigeria. I was making the best furniture in Nigeria, but when they lifted the ban, it became a mad house. You could bring in anything from anywhere. When we opened our first shop in 1986 on Allen Avenue, people were coming even to sightseeing. You know at that time there was no competition. And I can tell you confidently that at that time, my showroom was as glamorous as Omisson Emporium (his ultra modern mall in Lekki, Lagos) both in the finishing of the interiors and the pieces of the furniture. People were begging to buy from us because we became a signature item. What was the name of the outlet? It was called Higher Ground Furniture. How successful would you say these enterprises have made you? This building you see (Omisson Emporium) I designed and built it. You don’t count grace by money. Every aspect of whatever I do, you will see the instinctive designs in it. And the most pronounced part of it is the legacy to leave behind for the generation coming after you. At any age, the emphasis should be on excellence. My manager taunts me with a remark often; anytime anyone comes here and they ask, ‘who owns this place?’ when he says, it’s Goke Omisore, they’d say, yes, that must be him. That’s good name and I can’t ask for more. At 66 when many would say fashion is vain, that’s when you’re reinventing. How does this sincerely make you feel? I don’t belong to that school of thought. To me, age is but a number. I had one of the most elegant boutiques in Ikeja 30 years ago

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Body&Soul

No winding down on style at 66 and it was called ‘Status.’ And we were mainly importing exquisite apparels from the best designers around the world, but the economy dwindled so badly that you’d be feeling guilty selling a suit for N500,000. And the way things are going now, it’s getting back to that. Fashion, furniture and food industries flow with the rise and fall of the economy. We’re now looking inwards to do things that will be much more competitive and unique. I started from furniture and whatever you see now is just an icing on the cake. It’s actually been a progression and not a transition from one business line to another. I opened my first store in 1986. And we started Headmaster Salon on Allen Avenue, Ikeja. I went to a place and they’d introduce me as Prince Omisore yet it wouldn’t move many. But when they said, “meet the owner of Headmaster,” heads turned. We started Headmaster in 1990. We could have had a thousand branches but we didn’t have the infrastructure to support it. We couldn’t continue to complain about the fumes from generators every time. So, we’re at Ikeja and in this complex here in Lekki. What was the nickname you were known with as a young man? They called me Omison, Arole, Crown Prince because I’m from Ife. So, if you’re a Yoruba man, you’re my subject. I have six boys and no girl. How was life like growing up as a prince? Less emphasis on being a prince but as someone from a blessed family, in our time, people were travelling only to England. We were the first that broke the jinx and started travelling to America. It was a big deal. To get an American visa in those days was quite a feat. If you made it to America then, you were like an ambassador of your country. Where did you get this taste for superior things from? I got it from my mom and my dad. Ile Ife was the richest town in Nigeria and I’m not bragging. We were controlling the entire cocoa of the Western Region as the source. My father had a Phantom Rolls Royce, a limited edition; only five of it was made. That’s a fact. As a young man, I’d sit in my mother’s shop and she was selling damask, lace and gold. So, I grew in these things. If in those days you wore Agbada and didn’t mind the details of carrying yourself in it, he’d call you back and remind you who you are, a prince from Ife. He’d quickly school you on how royalty should reflect in your carriage. In a previous encounter, your younger brother, Iyiola Omisore, said as a wrist watch collector, after about two decades of buying one at a paltry sum, he later sold it for a whopping one million pounds. Are you a sucker for wristwatches too? At certain stages in life, when you’re blessed, few things are collectible. Don’t judge a man by his clothing, judge him by his little accessories, even women, because it speaks volume of who you are. It could be one or two of these items. This is what we call accent on good living and not noisy living. You could see a man with a sparkling wristwatch, but we’re not talking of ‘blings’ here. We’re talking about Piaget, Patek Philipee, Constantinople. I collect these ones. Dr. Clarkson Majomi lived first class when it came to style. Before the noise started, he was the best style person by all standards. Right now, anything you see a Nigerian do,

you’d later see 10 of it. But at that time you barely could count two of whatever Majomi used. In fashion, he was king. Every Sunday, he would park his customised Rolls Royce with the finest lady in town and be doing his pedicure and manicure. And you know in those days in Lagos, you could hardly count three good salons. There are beautiful ones now anyway. He had style, may his soul rest in peace. Majomi was the most respected society journalist. He made social coverage. He was the hottest then but later veered into advertising. What’s your succession plan in these enterprises? I have six boys and two grandsons. My third boy is an accountant and he might come in and push Legacy N8ive to where I want it to be. But the good thing about fashion is that you can achieve great things from your comfort zone. And you can handle many things at a time unlike furniture where you have to go to the factory and painstakingly treat issues. You trained as an advert executive in New York. Did you also do any crash course in fashion? No, I’m a graduate of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York and it’s one of the best schools of architecture and designs in America. The beauty of the school is that you can borrow courses from other departments like packaging, architecture, industrial and so on. At age 14, I’d been designing Christmas caps in my hometown and I was selling it. The passion grew when I was in New York because you’d see someone design a car and other things, and you’d be astonished. It’s a very practical school. What won’t you ever do for fashion’s sake? Years back when I was going to open the Headmaster Salon, I was there with Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese. We went to a barber’s shop, though it looked nice, coming from New York, I just felt a barber’s shop shouldn’t be like this when there’s someone like me in town, R a y Ekpu and the

other owner of The Lords, Biyi. When you start something like this, you have created a revolution and don’t worry yourself about the fakes. Do your thing, it’s by how excellent you make yours and before you know it, you’d find people imitating you everywhere. You have the class and the label people want. Even my furniture pieces were copied but people would go all out to buy from us. That’s because when you’re the owner of the concept, you’re expected to excel rather than fake here and there. Is this revolution embracing the use of Aso-oke, Damask and other native fabrics? Yes, we may consider that direction. Let me tell you a secret, once you’re wearing a shirt made in the West, it’s not made for you. That’s why

you’ll see bulging stomachs inside the shirt. Aso-Oke may be too big, French suit is compact and neat and we give you something like a French suit running into Aso-Oke. We’re trying to achieve the finishing of the French and Italian people. We’ll be playing with other fabrics soon. This is because we’re targeting the upper-crust. We look forward to giving you something extremely comfortable that you can wear to weddings and all kinds of occasions. Through it all, what major lessons have you learnt in life? Life has taught me to always be nice to people.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

julietbumah@gmail.com

Two can play the game

ears stream down Alice’s cheeks. As human beings, we are at times faced with choices that are not palatable. She looks around her. She has everything that makes a woman happy. She hasn’t fared badly. Many women are envious of her success. She smiles. But are riches all to life? She looks around her again. Something is definitely missing...a real man! She is sure about that. She recalls the meeting she had with Dave the previous day. They had a business meeting with some clients in a hotel room. The clients left almost immediately for the airport and they decided to wait a bit as the traffic was crazy. They are still very much in love with each other. There’s no pretending about that. Dave loves his wife, Kathryn, also. He told her so and it makes her happy. She doesn’t want anything that will make Kathryn sad. But that doesn’t stop the passion. “What happened between us wasn’t predetermined, Alice. If it were, we would have said we set out to hurt the people that mean so much to us. I love you Alice. My last year on the campus would have been the worst but you made it the best. My family was going through a trying time financially but I didn’t feel it because you were feeding me. I’m sure I never bothered to ask how you got the money then.” Dave smiled and continued, “But like you said, we must rein in our feelings now. Let’s go back to our spouses. Let’s kiss and say goodbye to this passion unbridled...” He had grabbed Alice who struggled a little and gave in. They kissed and kissed and...as Dave’s tongue prodded her mouth. She put her expertise into use and didn’t resist when Dave’s fingers fiddled with the rear zip of her long red gown. He bared her creamy shoulders and kissed one, then the other. He inched the cloth down a little more, exposing her beautiful boobs encased in a lacy red brassiere. “Lady in red,” he murmured against her silky skin. He kissed her throat and she shivered. Then, he kissed her lower, inching the gown lower as he kissed until he got to her now very swollen tummy. As he kissed here and there on her tummy, he murmured something that wasn’t audible to Alice. She closed her eyes as she felt waves of passion envelop her and her baby moved. That movement seemed to excite Dave who kissed and traced invincible lines on her tummy. He unhooked her brassiere, releasing the boobs that are nearly twice their size. She moaned and that sort of settled it for Dave who stood up, divested himself of his clothes. Immediately he pulled his briefs off his peen, it swung forcefully up like a spring. He pulled Alice up gently from the chair and guided her to the bed. Alice knew that what they were doing was wrong but she lacked the will to stop him. She wanted it too!

Her protruding tummy stood in the way but they circumvented it as much as they could as they pleasured each other on the bed. Her cave of wonder had been moist since they talked. Now it released all the sweet, slippery fluid it could and as Dave thrust in and out carefully, he could feel a sugary sensation all over him. He couldn’t remember having it better. Alice mumbled gibberish as they crested the height together. As he exploded inside her, he almost screamed but suppressed it at the last minute. After the spasms had left them, Alice’s tummy twitched and twitched. The baby was a bit restless. Dave observed the movement a moment and then, gently rubbed her stomach and the baby therein calmed down. He rubbed on dreamily. “I wish he will call me daddy,” he said dreamily. “Who?” Alice asked. “My son,” he replied. “Your son? Who told you it is a boy?” Alice asked, sitting up. “He’s a boy. I see him in my dream. He’s always coming to me. We dis-

cuss a lot as adults,” he said. “Adults? What are you talking about, Dave?” Alice asked, perplexed. “Alice, Junior is grown in my dream. Please all I ask is that you allow him call me daddy instead of uncle...please.” Dave looked so serious. Junior? Alice thought about it a moment and nodded. When they get to that river, they’d know how best to cross it. She was sure a girl was growing in her womb. She also didn’t want to go for sex scan. She would be satisfied with whichever sex God blessed her with. Her phone startles her. It’s ringing. “Sis, how are you doing?” It’s Kathryn! “I’m good dear. How your end?” Alice replies. “Cool. Er...er...Sis, there’s something I really want us to talk about,” Kathryn says hesitantly. Alice’s heart does a flip flop! What could it be? Has Dave given their secret away?

“What is it,” she asks quietly. “Sis, it’s about your husband, James,” she says. “What about him?” Alice asks, her heart in her mouth. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive him?” Oh! That? She relaxes a bit. “I’ve forgiven him,” Alice says. “Serious?” Kathryn asks. “Serious! I can’t say no to you my sister,” Alice says and she means it. “He has really changed. He’s a better person now,” Kathryn says. Alice’s mind becomes alert. Kiki pleading for James? What’s happening here? “Coming from you Kiki, I believe you. But how come you’re pleading for a man that doesn’t like you at all? Do you think James will do that for you? Definitely not,” she says. “James has not been as antagonistic as he used to be. He has accepted me, I think,” Kathryn says, a little hesitantly. Alice notices that. “Oh, how did you know he has accepted you? He told you and asked you to talk to me?” Alice asks. “Er...er...No...yes...I mean, he wants me to talk to you,” Kathryn wavers. “And you believe he’s sincere? When did you people discuss this?” Alice asks, listening hard. “We spoke on the phone a few days ago,” she replies. “It’s alright,” Alice says, adding, “I’ll take him back.” But it’s not really alright. “Are you at home,” Alice asks and she takes a moment before answering. “Yes...yes,” she replies. “No problem. I really do not have any problem with James,” Alice says. “Oh thank you, sis,”Kathryn gushes. “What are sisters for...” Alice begins and then, a phone rings in Kathryn’s background and stops. The ringtone is a very familiar one to Alice. She smiles. Alice exchanges more pleasantries with Kiki and cuts the line. Almost immediately, she dials another number and it rings busy. She smiles some more. She redials Kiki’s line. “Sis, I’m coming over to your house now. There’s something we have to discuss,” she says immediately Kiki picks. “Oh no, I’m not at home. I mean, I’m just going out now,” Kiki says breathlessly. “Oh, no problem. Next time then,” Alice says and ends the call. She has confirmed her fears. Kathryn is not at home. Going by the background noise, she’s in a public place. So why lie to her? Unless... She goes in and dresses up. Picks her bag, car keys and is out of the house. ******** Where’s Alice off to? Who is with Kathryn? Let’s find out next week! •Send your observations to the email above.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Body&Soul

Fringe benefits

Biwom Iklaki

ew hairstyles are as versatile as the fringe hairdo. It is also fondly referred to as bangs. Bangs are on point in expressing a chic and coy side of any woman since you get to peek from under the hair. While the hair frames your face beautifully, you could also play on your sexy by peeking through the bangs. There are different ways to wear your bangs, most common and flattering of which are the full fringe and the side-swept bangs. This hairstyle works for different face shapes but you can choose the most flat-

tering wear for your specific face shape. Full bangs are best on long and oval faces; they could also work well with heart shaped and round faces. However, the side-swept bangs are the real deal. They wear well on absolutely all faces, even the square-shaped faces. If ever in doubt, reflect on most red carpet hairdos as well as bridal hairstyles. You know how they say in fashion, you can never go wrong in a tried and tested look, well, in beauty, the side-swept and full-fringe bangs are the tried and tested coolest looks ever. Do yourself a favour and go get your bangs on.

Body&Soul

irls just love to sparkle and sequins are the fabrics that bring the magic on! They can take a lady from simple to sexy in just one swoop. Sequins are really hot always and never go out of style. It is an instant glam approach any day and time. What is

Vanessa Okwara

wardrobe in new and exciting ways from jackets to skirts, tops and trousers. Not only is it a good thing to mix and match, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something you should do. Mixing sequins with simpler articles of clothing that do not have embellishments will almost always look good. You can dress up something old or something plain without fear of going overboard. Remem-

with a peplum blouse or a sequin top with a skirt. Let the sequins be the show and pair with a simple shirt or tee. Pump up the look a bit more with statement jewelry and shoes. For some occasions like evening, cocktail, clubbing and wedding parties sparkly dresses will help you to bring such an adorable look on your appearance. Now is the time for ladies to sparkle

Hot in sparkly attires

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

SundayBusiness SUNDAY

SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015

News

Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire to improve bilateral trade p.24

Brands NB Plc battles Guinness’ Orijin with Ace roots p.28

Media

Unveiling Nigeria’s ‘Most Powerful Under 40’ media personalities p.25

Paul Ogbuokiri Head, Business paulogbuokiri@newtelegraph online.com

Fear, confusion trail new auto policy

Paul Ogbuokiri

tatistics gathered by Sunday Telegraph from the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, show that the total of 400,000 vehicles (300,000 used and 100,000 new) valued at N600 billion were imported in 2013 alone. This figure shows Nigeria as a major market for most cars manufactured in Asia, Europe and America. Aside food, imported vehicles according to analysts at the Financial Derivatives Company constitute Nigeria’s second largest single import item. In announcing the introduction of the new auto policy, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had said that government was looking at curbing that source of capital flight by ensuring that Nigeria reintroduces the abandoned auto policy. NAC Director General of National Automotive Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal, explained that to achieve the target of government, the agency is looking at converting the used vehicles market to Made-in-Nigeria vehicles market. “To achieve this we are looking at producing cheaper vehicles and ensuring that we have a scheme in place that will make acquisition of new vehicles less burdensome that used ve- Aganga hicles,” he said. The new auto policy under the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan was supposed to take off on January 10, 2014 before “Government should rather government shifted it to July 1, 2014. The comregulate properly the influx of mencement was later extended to January 1, 2015, and later to July 1, 2015 fairly used cars in Nigeria,” he Jalal said used car dealers would soon begin to noted sell made-in-Nigeria vehicles as part of measures to incorporate them into the new automotive policy. Already, the used car dealers are holding talks and Agriculture, Sanusi Maijama’a, said the Federal with NAC on the modalities of their participa- Government needs to put the primary things in place, tion in the policy. especially the existing assembling plants, before implePresident, Motor Dealers Association of Nige- menting the policy. ria, Mr. Benjamin Oghumu, told journalists after Maijama’a said, “There are a lot of issues surrounding a meeting with NAC in Lagos. the automobile industry in Nigeria, especially the lack Although Jalal said the government had no of an effective transport system. Therefore, the timing intention of banning the sale of used vehicles, is wrong,” he said. he noted that by the time the new auto policy He said inflation is not the issue but how many Nimust have taken shape, many Nigerians would gerians can afford new cars. not have anything to do with imported used cars “Government should rather regulate properly the and that could throw the dealers out of business, influx of fairly used cars in Nigeria,” he noted. stressing the need for them to key into the new At the popular Berger Automobile market in Apapa, policy. Lagos, the 35 per cent duty hike has taken it a toll on “We will not ban Tokunbo cars, but we’ll give the price of vehicles. Nigerians alternatives; we’ll give them good fi- Some of the car dealers in the market, who spoke to nance arrangements that will make new cars our correspondent, said the 35 per cent duty forced affordable. And Nigerians will prefer new cars,” them to raise the price of their vehicles by about 20 he said. per cent across board, adding that the price has further Oghumu said the association was initially op- gone up because of the rapid depreciation of the value posed to the auto policy because its members felt of the Naira this year. They are no longer sure of the it would drive them out of business. right price tag to place on their vehicles as they could But he added that the group was happy with not be able to place a finger on what would be the the new development of incorporating them into exchange rate of the naira the next time they would the new scheme. want to go to market. Oghumu also urged the government to assist Uzondu Ajuzie, a car dealer at the Berger auto mardealers who were willing to come together to ket, said they are not in a hurry to sell the cars they have establish vehicle assembly plants. in stock to avoid running themselves out of business. But the chairman, Conference of Northern He said the prices of new imported cars cannot be fixed States Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines now until the economy stabilises.

Jalal

Ajuzie noted that most of the importers in Festac Town, Lagos are not willing to dispose of their vehicles because they want to maximise profit. However some of the traders that are willing to sell despite the confusion told Sunday Telegraph that for such used vehicles, there is N200,000 additional cost; which further indicates that prices of used vehicles are on the rise. Giving a vivid example on such vehicles, he said a car that is newly imported, “which was selling for N1 million before the introduction of the 35 per cent duty, now goes for N1.4 million. It would have sold for about N1.2 million but we added N200,000 to cushion for whatever would be the difference between the exchange rate we bought and what would be the exchange rate when we return to the market,” he said. The new tariff policy is in two parts, for auto dealers who are at whatever stage of manufacturing their vehicles in Nigeria, they are allowed to a specific number of vehicles they can import 35 per cent duty, but for importers who have no intension of opening a plant in Nigeria, they are free to import as many as the wish but at 35 per cent duty and 35 per cent levy. The 35 per cent duty for all imported vehicles has taken off while the 35 per cent levy will come into force in July 2015. Some Customs agents at the popular Car Park ‘C,’ at the Tin Can Island Port, confirmed that majority of vehicles imported two months ago since the implementation of the 35 per cent duty collection began, have been abandoned inside the car park. Meanwhile, the chairman of Abuja Car Dealers Association, Mr. Auwal Rilwan, has appealed to the Federal Government to suspend the new vehicle import tariff till local vehicle manufacturers C ON TI N UE D ON PAGE 23

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Business/ News

Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire to improve bilateral trade

Stanley ihedigbo igerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has expressed confidence in the effort by the business community of Cote D’Ivoire to partner with its Nigerian counterparts. The 2nd Deputy National President of the Association, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, said this during a courtesy visit to NACCIMA by the Cote D’Ivoire Ambassador to Nigeria and Benin Republic, Mrs. Toure Kone Maman . Lawson, who commended Cote D’Ivoire for its great strides in agriculture, explained that the Nigerian business environment, like any other developing economy in the world, has tremendously improved with numerous opportunities in agriculture, oil & gas, telecommunication and Power.She called on the Ambassador to encourage her country’s businessmen and women through the Chamber of Commerce platform to visit Nigeria in order to explore areas of partnership and possible investment. Also speaking, the Cote D’Ivoire Ambassador to Nigeria and Benin Republic, Mrs. Toure Kone Maman said Cote D’Ivoire is committed to building partnership with Nigeria as a big brother especially in the area of agriculture and trading between the two countries.

L-R: Head EHSSQ, Oando Marketing, Dr. Oyet Gogomary; Community Development Administrator, Marine Beach, Apapa, Mr. Abiodun Da Costa; Lisa of Ijora Kingdom, Chief Akeem Ojora; Chief Operating Officer, Oando Marketing, Mrs. Olaposi Williams and Head, Operations, Temidayo Adeboye, at the commissioning of the upgraded Oando Ijora Service Station in Lagos

The Ambassador, who recalled the state visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Cote D’Ivoire in 2013, said that

a Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Commission and Seven Agreements were signed by the two countries

Fear, confusion trail new auto policy CO NT INU ED F R O M PAGE 23

begin full operations. Rilwan made the appeal in a telephone interview with Sunday Telegraph on Wednesday. He said implementing the policy now would lead to shortage of affordable cars for low income earners and loss of jobs. According to him, government should first put the necessary infrastructure in place for local manufacturers to produce enough cars to meet demand before discouraging importation. Meanwhile the Public Relations Officer of NAC, Mr. Rasheed Bello, said a recent meeting with WesBank of South Africa, was centered on the proposed roll-out of Madein-Nigeria Vehicle Finance Scheme scheduled for later this year. “At the end of the meeting, the WesBank team also had interactive meetings with potential partners, including selected vehicle dealers in Abuja to obtain first-hand information and get acquainted with certain dealership practices peculiar to Nigeria. The NAC Scheme has been designed around a network of vehicle dealers and manufacturers distributors from whose floor the purchase process will begin,” he said. He noted that NAC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FirstRand Bank in Johannesburg, South Africa last October mandating WesBank to manage consumer vehicle financing for Nigerian assembled vehicles. He explained that the MoU would allow WesBank to work closely with NAC to develop vehicle financing solutions specifically for those vehicles built in Nigeria with the aim of making them readily affordable for the average Nigerian car user. Bello added that the Vehicle Financing Scheme would make Nigerian assembled vehicles easily affordable on convenient payment terms spread over a period of about four years at affordable interest rate. The scheme is also intended to assist vehicle assembly plants in Nigeria to gain high volume within a very short time so as to facilitate local components

development. WesBank, a division of FirstRand Bank, is South Africa’s market leader in automotive asset finance. The bank is already successfully represented in other African markets including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zambia. This position has been achieved through successful partnerships with leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), offering finance to consumers for both locally-manufactured and imported models. A car dealer at Mazamaza area of Lagos and Managing Director, Elobiz Motors, Chief Elochukwu Njemanje, warned that allowing the 70 per cent fee on imported vehicles would rob Nigerians of the opportunity of owning their own cars, saying government must be sure that the enabling environment is in place before the tariff barrier is put in place. “If you add the cost of ancillary services like transportation, loading and off-loading, among others, very soon Nigerians will stop buying used cars due to their high price. “Government should wait for the investors that are coming to start producing affordable vehicles to meet local demands before limiting importation,’’ he said. But a source at one of the manufacturers’ representatives in Lagos, said on condition of anonymity that “unless the hike in tariff starts, no company is ready to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in setting up assembly plants in the country. “I know people will say let them come, set up their plants and produce before the new tariff kicks off. But the truth is that they will not do it because no businessman will do a thing like that. They would want to see an environment that will guarantee the sale of their vehicles and profit before they will consider coming to invest. “Except the new tariff starts, the auto policy is just another government promise and no investor will take action on a promise because it will mean we are not serious. They want an enabling law as well as an assured market. They are not really scared of the security challenges in the country or delay in the elections because they have a lot of

confidence in this economy and their eyes are focused on the profit,” he said. Sunday Telegraph learnt that not less than 12 firms had indicated their intention to set up assembly plants in Nigeria but only about five are really serious. But members of the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association seem excited by the new auto policy and have been taking advantage of the situation. Though they were initially angry that one of their members, Stallion Group, had privileged information about the impending hike in import duty of vehicles to 35 per cent, consequent upon which it ordered for over $200 million cars before the commencement of the policy, the car manufacturers are gearing up for a keen competition for market share in Made-in –Nigeria cars. Sunday Telegraph further learnt that the manufacturers are beginning to compete among themselves, for the first made-inNigeria car to hit the African auto market. Nigerians are currently being lured with choices, just as local production among auto manufacturers is increasing, with prices expected to reduce as competition brews. This gesture, according to the chairman of the Nigerian Automotive Technicians Association, Lagos chapter, Asiwaju Jacob Fayenu, has surpassed the expectation of critics of the auto policy. He said since last year when the policy was initiated by the Federal Government, auto manufacturers have continued to take advantage of the opportunities created by the policy, through the construction of auto plants for the immediate manufacture and assembly of different ranges of vehicles in the country. T he new thrust is on maintaining low prices, targeting medium and low income earners and discouraging car importation, with the expected growth projection of 2.1 million vehicles over the next six years, from 1.5 million in 2013. He said the reality is that the Nigerian cars are here, and huge opportunities have been created around the value chain for all forms of investment.

during the visit. Maman said she was in the NACCIMA Secretariat to share her country’s progress in the area of cocoa, cashew and coffee production as well as enlist NACCIMA’s support and participation in their forthcoming ‘SARA’ Agriculture Exhibition scheduled for April 2015 in Abidjan. She said, apart from participating in the exhibition, there will be a platform for Nigerian businessmen and women to have B2B meeting with their Ivorian counterparts. Maman noted that her country has equally created a single window for registration of businesses and reduced tax from 35 per cent to 25 per cent.

Botched NLC election: Lagos council alleges ethnic politics

he Lagos State Council of Nigerian Labour Congress has alleged that ethnic sentiments were introduced in the Unions recent botched election. Lagos State Council Secretary, Comrade John Odigie, said this in a statement in Lagos. He said, “It was observed with utter dismay that the lopsided selection of delegates by some unions to the NLC 11th National Conference in Abuja, were brazenly carried out on tribal lines, by some unions whose presidents hailed from the Northern part of the country, a system very alien to the practice of trade unionism even by our founding fathers during the colonial rule. He said the Lagos State Council of NLC, having witnessed this abuse of electoral process and victimisation of unions members from Medical and Health /Workers Union of Nigeria and the National Civil service Union, vehemently condemns in strong term, the ethnic colourations foisted on democratic process which NLC is not known for. The union further condemned the attempt to disfranchise Lagos State members.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Media

Unveiling Nigeria’s ‘Most Powerful Under 40’ media personalities The #YNaijaPowerList profiles the most influential young Nigerians under 40 who are challenging the norms and excelling in the media space; from a blogging titan showing no signs of slowing down, to a television anchor with four shows to his name and a Forbes magazine reporter. Ayeni Adekunle

Adekunle is the founder of the popular netng.com, an influential entertainment portal that on its very good days, could be likened to the Variety of the Nigerian media space. As a PR practitioner and CEO of the Black House Media group, Adekunle has leveraged on his journalism background to create vitalised ad campaigns for some high-profile clients. BHM last year created the first Nigerian PR mobile and desktop application.

Linda Ikeji

Everyone and their mother visits the Linda Ikeji blogspot and there is no longer any reason to lie about it. What started out as a random gossip column has become the most important online medium for breaking news, exclusives and human behaviour profiling. When Ikeji’s blogspot was taken down by Google last year due to copyright infringement complaints, not a few persons wondered what to do with their lives. Ikeji rebounded in spectacular style and managed to come out of the debacle even more popular. And powerful. All hail the queen

Mfonobong Nsehe

When you write for Forbes, the world’s unimpeachable authority on all things rich and wealthy, you instantly have some clout. When you cover the African region and your brief is to profile the lifestyles of the continent’s rich and famous, then said clout is multiplied fourfold. Nsehe boasts of access to Africa’s movers and grinders, the kind that many journalists can only dream about and when the fiscal year is done, he submits the definitive rich list.

Chamberlain Usoh, Maupe Ogun and Suleiman Aledeh

Also known as television’s formidable trio, Usoh, Ogun and Aledeh are, undoubtedly, the biggest attraction of morning television. Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily is the most influential breakfast show and the chemistry and professionalism that this trio of presenters brings to the screen is a major factor responsible for the show’s continuous appeal and endurance. Usoh’s quiet forcefulness, Ogun’s probing determination and Aledeh’s smooth but hard hitting style are a match made in TV heaven.

Seun Okinbaloye

Thanks to Seun Okinbaloye’s impeccable grasp of his onions and sterling performance as host of Channels Television’s Politics Today, the weekend show has become popular among both politically inclined Nigerians and the politicians in the news. Okin’s bullish but professional methods have attracted the biggest names in today’s politics- from federal ministers to state governors. Everyone talks to Seun Okin.

Tolu Ogunlesi

Currently serving as West African Editor of the Africa Report, Ogunlesi has written for every publication that matters. From Forbes to FAB, The Huffington Post to PUNCH, the graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Ibadan is indeed one of the most influential and prolific journalists working out of Africa. His investigative work is always stellar and his opinion pieces can be trusted to start a conversation online, especially on Twitter, where he engages his over 100,000 followers.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

Redefining his career as host of Rubbin’ Minds, the number one youth -centred television programme in the country, Obi-Uchendu has easily become king of daytime television. That is a long way from his days as pin up boy and reality television star. Obi-Uchendu sits with the biggest stars and trendiest newsmakers and is able to get them to dish as much as he wants them too. He is also a regular feature on Ebony Life Television where he co-hosts the magazine show, The Spot, as well as the political show, Naija Politics. He was recently signed on as brand ambassador for telecoms giant, Etisalat.

Toyosi Ogunseye

Ogunseye became one of the youngest editors of a major newspaper when she was promoted to editor of the Sunday Punch. She may be tasked with preparing the weekly but she still finds time to churn out powerful features like her three-part piece on the impact of gases released by a steel company on an upscale estate in Lagos State, which won her a second CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of The Year trophy, this time in the Environment category.

Ik Osakioduwa

IK Osakioduwa has become synonymous with Big Brother Africa, the reality television show he has been hosting since 2009 when he replaced South Africa’s Kabelo. Received in over 40 million homes as BBA host, it is no surprise that Osakioduwa’s asking price as events compere quickly skyrocketed such that only major gigs like the AMVCAs and Lagos Countdown can afford his services. When he isn’t in South Africa, this former Wildchild works as an OAP on Radio’s Rhythm 93.7 and his recently commissioned talk show, Highlites with IK, on Africa Magic.

Uzodinma Iweala

Uzodinma Iweala, editor of Ventures magazine is the product of the union between a Harvard trained Economist and a prominent neurosurgeon so it is comes as no surprise that he has emerged a high flyer in his own right. A critically acclaimed author and physician, he makes this list because of his work with Ventures magazine which has become an influential voice in African reportage. Ventures has uncovered millionaires in places Forbes wouldn’t dare to look and challenges the global leader for authority on the African market space.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Market sustains bullish trend

espite the heightened political tension and uncertainties as we near the 2015 general elections coupled with the depreciating value of naira, the equities market returned 3.14% week on week (WoW) to further trim year to date (YtD) return to -10.41%. Volume and value of transactions advanced by 27.38% and 14.41% respectively even as 41 stocks appreciated against 31 decliners ( 1.32x). ZENITHBANK appreciated by 18.98%, following the release of an impressive FY2014 result, to champion outperformers for the week. UBA, UBN, NAHCO and IKEJAHOTEL also closed the week higher by 17.29%, 16.87%, 16.01% and 16% respectively. On the flip side, AIRSERVICE led the loser’s table shedding 13.81%, followed by UACN (-12.01%), CONTINSURE (-10.87%), SEPLAT (-8.51%) and MAYBAKER (-7.88%) in that order. The equities market, which has recorded gains on 13 out of 15 trading days in the last 3 weeks, continues to defy analyst expectations. We imagine that this performance may not be unconnected to the recent climb in global oil prices, averaging USDS60pb in the past 3 weeks. We also posit that the advent of the earning season may have contributed to the current trend in the stock market following position taking by investors, in anticipation of possible dividend payments and capital appreciation. In this report, we review events in the economy, laying emphasis on performance of different segments of the financial market while presenting our expectations for the week ahead.

Economic Round up: Oil Benchmark Price targeted at USD54pb

Against the backdrop of falling global oil prices, which contributes c.15% to Nigerians GDP and more than 80% of external revenue, the Nigerian house of representative have backed up a proposal to further reduce the oil benchmark price from initial USD65pb to UDS54pb. However, global crude oil prices have rallied to the USD60pb range over the past 3 weeks. The OPEC president, Mrs. Allison Madueke suggested in the previous week that an emergency meeting of OPEC members might be called if crude oil prices continues to plummet, due to increased crude oil supply glut. Despite the closure of the RDAS market by the CBN, the foreign reserves have continued to plummet. External reserve declined further by 4.81% from USD32.43bn when the closure was announced, to USD30.87bn currently. We note that the present level of reserve is sufficient for about six months of import cover, which is only 3 months above the advised International benchmark of 3 months. This implies that the government needs to put in place initiative measures and fiscal buffers for the foreign reserves, in order not to discourage foreign investment. The Nigerian troops in conjunction with Chadian and Cameroonian military are gradually winning the war against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-Eastern region. We expect business activities to gradually commence in the region with the return of peace and security. This bodes well especially for consumer goods companies that have huge investments located in those regions.

Fixed Income Brief: Domestic Debt on the Rise

Market rates trended up during the week, with average change on both OBB and OVN recorded at +2.17%, as both rates settled at 11.67% and 12.04% in that order. Average NIBOR also inched up by 0.51% WoW. We expect rates may advance in the coming week due to the Bond auction scheduled for the 11th of March. T-Bills worth NGN254.969bn matured during the week, while the CBN auctioned the same amount at the T-Bills Primary Market Auction (PMA) held on Wednesday the 4thof March. Also, the apex authority issued T-Bills worth NGN182.4bn as part of its Open Market Operations (OMO). T-Bills yields increased at the secondary market towards the close of the week, with the 12M Bill closing at 18.08% (+2.11%). The 1M, 2M, 3M, 6M, and 9M Bills closed the week with yields at 14.65%, 14.94%, 15.41%, 15.92%, and 16.07% correspondingly. Overall activity in the bond markets was fairly bearish as yields increased by an average of 0.03% across securities. Our Meri-Bond Index, which reflects the mood in the market, pared by 0.16%. We believe this was due to availability of higher yield at the long end of the T-Bills curve which most investors took advantage of. The Naira appreciated by 1.75%, to close midquote at NGN199.13 for the week. The relative stability can be accounted for by the recently introduced Order Based Two-Way Quote (OB2WQ) where dealing members come in with bid

…As banking stocks release impressive scorecards change as earnings releases flow into the market in the coming weeks, however, until then we expect this generally lackluster performance to persist.

Industrial Goods: Sector Manages 0.36% Gain.

and offer quotes at which they are willing to buy and sell, with the CBN supplying or moping-up excess legitimate requests at the end of each day’s transaction. In our opinion, this stability may persist in the coming weeks, as we do not expect any major policy change.

Agric Sector: OKOMUOIL Sole Gainer, with 0.59% Return

The Sector index declined by -2.36% for the week, despite the rally in the general market. OKOMUOIL emerged as the only advancer with a 0.59% gain with PRESCO (-4.97%) leading the decliners, followed by LIVESTOCK (-1.35%). FTNCOCOA and ELLAHLAKES both traded flat. We expect that in the absence of any positive news flows, probably in the form of encouraging earnings releases, the sector may remain downbeat in the coming week.

Banking Sector: GUARANTY and ZENITHBNK Release Impressive FY2014 Results

The sector performed strongly during the week sequel to the recent market resurgence and attractive earnings releases from GUARANTY and ZENITHBANK. There were 12 advancers, 1 decliner (STERLNBNK), while UNITYBNK traded flat, to bring the sector’s YtD return to +2.39%. GUARANTY recorded impressive Gross earnings and Earnings-After-Tax growth of 14.78% and 9.63% respectively, while also declaring a dividend of NGN1.50/share. ZENTHBANK’s result was also quite impressive, as the bank recorded top and bottom-line growths of 14.76% and 8.59% respectively, whilst proposing a FY2014 dividend of NGN1.75. Both banks positive result belied the tough regulatory environment, instilling confidence in investors as the sector gained 9.00% on the day after earnings releases. We expect this positivity to be carried into next week as we expect investors to take position in anticipation of attractive corporate actions. We advise investors looking to do same to be wary of the CBN’s policy of discretionary disbursements, whilst also noting that these banks were only able to give such attractive payments due to their ranking in the moderateto-low category with regards to Composite Risk Rating (CRR).

Consumer Goods: Heavyweights Depress Sector Performance

Despite the rally in the market during the ear-

lier part of the week, the sector’s breadth (1.14x) and performance (1.97%), as measured by the NSEFB10, was not as notable due to the underperformance of heavyweights. INTBREW led the gainers’ chart with a 7.95% return, joined by DANGSUGAR, NASCON, UNILEVER, GUINNESS, NB, CHAMPION and AGLEVENT which recorded respective gains of 7.23%, 5.82%, 1.90%, 3.77%, 3.68%, 1.37% and 4.20%. UACN, 7UP, DANGFLOUR, HONYFLOUR, FLOURMILL, VITAFOAM, and PZ ended the week with negative WoW returns of -12.01%, 2.78%, 5.38%, 2.68%, 1.88%, 1.39%, and 3.45%, while NESTLE, CADBURY, PREMBREW, VONO and NNFM remained flat. A great deal of the recent news flows about the sector has centered on the flour millers, and their current predicament. In our opinion, flour millers are looking inwards to increase efficiency, and reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) in a bid to adjust to their new economic realities, with Flour Mills Plc already giving indications of their intention to reduce CAPEX. Also, Honeywell flour mills have revealed plans to invest NGN150 billion over the next 2-3 years to fund growth, as well as list some of its subsidiaries on the exchange. We expect restructuring within the space as the companies impacted by recent economic challenges seek to adjust their structures and strategies to aid preservation of attractive margins.

Healthcare Sector: Lacklustre Performance May Persist

The Pharma-sector’s performance was downtrodden in the week, as 3 stocks declined in value, whilst all others stayed flat. This depressed performance resulted in the sector’s index paring by -4.66% to bring YtD return -15.73%. FIDSON, was the only stock that posted gains for the week, returning 1.00% to settle at NGN3.03. Conversely, MAYBAKER led the loser’s chart, reversing the previous week’s gains to post a loss of 7.88%. NEIMETH compounded previous week’s loss (-4.05%), dipping further by 1.41% to peg price at NGN0.70. GLAXOSMITH also declined by 4.76%. We believe that the sector’s performance has been depressed in recent times, despite the recent market resurgence. We envisage this outcome is likely due to a dearth of positive sector-specific news flows to drive performance. This, might

The industrial goods sector recorded marginal gains during the week, as positive investors’ sentiments continued to moderate. The sector index (Meri-industrial goods) appreciated by 0.36%, even as three stocks grew their share prices while five stocks diminished in value. CCNN emerged as the highest gainer for the week closing the week 7.10% up at NGN11.46, on the back of strong positive activities on the last trading day of the week. WAPCO and DANGCEM were the other advancers for the week with WoW returns of 4.71% and 0.01% respectively. All other stocks traded flat save for CUTIX, BERGER, CAP, ASHAKACEM, PORTPAINT which recorded price changes of -6.67%, -5.00% ,-3.97%, -2.53% and -0.26% accordingly. We attribute the continued slowdown in trading activities to the general mood in the market, triggered by the prevailing uncertainties in the nation’s economic and political space. We however expect a mild uplift in sector mood as investors take positions ahead of earnings releases by the major tickers in the industry (DANGCEM, CAP, WAPCO) in anticipation of dividend declarations and possible capital appreciation.

Insurance Sector: YtD return Slides to -2.90%

The insurance sector pared by -0.54% during the week to further pressure YtD return to -2.90%, just as 3 stocks advanced and declined apiece. AIICO championed the gainers chart appreciating by 13.33%, trailed by WAPIC with 6.00% accordingly. CONTINSURE led the losers’ table shedding 10.87% to close at NGN0.82 (vs. NGN0.92 in previous week). NEM and MANSARD followed suit waning 1.16% and 1.00% respectively, while all other counters traded flat during the week. In view of more innovative insurance products to boost activities in the industry, NAICOM gave a joint approval to Anchor insurance and Universal Risk Management and Actuarial Services (URMAAS) to introduce a new product for workers called Loss of Employment Insurance Scheme (LoEIS). The product is expected to cover workers that lose their job, through no fault of theirs, pending when they secure another job.

Oil & Gas Sector: Oando Drives Sector Gains

Activities on the sector became bullish in the last two days of the week, resulting in gains for four stocks. Two stocks declined in value while others closed flat. OANDO, MOBIL, CONOIL, and TOTAL closed 9.44%, 7.33%, 3.39%, and 3.21% higher, while changes on FO, and SEPLAT were -4.87% and -8.51% respectively. Global oil price decreased by 2.51% in the week to close at USD61.01 even as long queues emerged on Nigerian roads signaling the scarcity of fuel. Major oil marketers decried the owing of arrears on subsidy funds by the FG as higher cost of transactions on the back of naira depreciation, pump price reduction, as well as import allocation issues continued to threaten profitability. Also, hedging strategies put in place by OANDO Energy Resources Plc. resulted in its ability to effect a pre-payment of USD238mn from its acquisition loan on ConocoPhillips, bringing the balance on the loan facility to about USD514mn and total debt to about USD615mn. The news we believe should spur activity on the company stock in the short term, just as it did during the week. We however expect investor’s bias on the sector to be inclined towards earnings performances.

Services Sector: NAHCO Reverses Previous Week’s Loss

The services sector witnessed a positive level of growth during the week, in line with the general optimism in the equities market in the last 13 days, to drive the MERISER INDEX to a 6.41% WoW return. Sector breadth (1.67x) tilted in favour of advancers, as 5 stocks advanced against 3 decliners. NAHCO shrugged off previous week’s loss (-8.30%) as it led the gainers’ chart with a return of +16.01%. IKEJAHOTEL sustained its 3-weeks gaining streak to close 16% up at NGN4.35. Other gainers were REDSTAREX (13.06%) ACADEMY (4.95%), and UPL (4.76%). On the other hand, AIRSERVICE (-13.81%), CAVERTON (-4.75%), and LEARNAFRICA (-0.83%) declined in value while all other stocks traded flat.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

My perception of poverty (4) Success Nuggets Victor Okwudiri 08037674300 (SMS only)

o far, we have identified the following as poverty: 1. lack of knowledge;

• lack of skills; • Lack of meaningful relationships; and • Lack of ideas. One more before we round up, • A Mentality of Lack Poverty is not just a thing of the pocket. It is also a thing of the mind. In fact, poverty is more of a thing of the mind than a thing of the pocket. More often than not, it is the poverty of the mind that relocates to the pocket. The other day, in Abuja, I met two men who should be fathers. Guess what they were doing - striving over a chicken change of thirty or 30 naira. None of them would let go. They wasted their time there until I intervened. I had to pay the money to remedy their folly. What these men did not imagine was that time is money and with the time they wasted there over a ‘chicken change’, they could make far more money than that. Now, you understand what I meant when I said that poverty is a thing of the mind. One of the differentiating factors

between the poor and the rich is how they think. A few instances below: •While the poor would waste time arguing over a meager sum, the rich see time as ‘unlimited money’. Yes! The reason time is more valuable than cash is that any sum of money is defined (limited), but time is an unlimited variable. Mr. A could use one month to work for a thirty thousand naira salary, while Mr. B could generate three million naira within the same one month. • While the poor would rather trek and save the one hundred naira transportation fare, the rich would spend the money and save time, which could generate far more than a hundred naira. •While the rich would secure their health by getting drugs from a licenced pharmacy, the poor would rather purchase drugs from a hawker in a ‘Molue’ bus in Lagos, and risk being admitted to a hospital on a life-threatening emergency. • While the poor see money as everything, the rich see money as a means. Another way to state this is that while the poor work just to make money (which they will never make enough, anyway), the rich make money work for them. • While the poor, even when the money is available, would opt for accommodation in a slum, where they will slug it out with malariainfesting mosquitoes, so they don’t get to spend so much on rent and utilities, the rich go for more decent accommodation, because they believe that ‘your location can influence your allocation’. What the poor

Poverty is not just a thing of the pocket. It is also a thing of the mind do not know is that most successful people will never transact business with people who live in certain areas known for dehumanising standards of living. • While the poor see a dark lining in every silver cloud, the rich see a silver lining in every dark cloud. • While the poor would see every glass with water half way in it as ‘halfempty’, the rich will see it as ‘HALFfull’. It is a matter of perception. • While the poor see a hopeless end, the rich see an endless hope. • While the poor see a problem in every opportunity, the rich see an opportunity in every problem. For instance, while some people want to kill themselves because of the fear of Ebola, some people saw the epidemic as an opportunity to make money through the sale of hand sanitizers. The truth is: “every man’s trouble is another man’s opportunity to make his money double.” I said so. Friend, the way you think matters. I challenge you today to quit stinking thinking (negative thinking). Start seeing things from a positive perspective. This is because; we are products of our thoughts. As a man thinks, so is he. If you change the way you see things, before long, the things you see will begin to change. So, it is up to you to begin to see things like a rich person. You will succeed.

Business opportunities The Big Picture Julian Atufunwa 08032810713 (SMS only)

usiness opportunities abound everywhere, most times they come dressed in overalls. They are often disguised as ‘hard work;’ therefore only few recognise these opportunities. The fact is, you can never stroll to success. You must make up your mind to pay the necessary price to achieve your goals. Furthermore, excelling in life entails: 1.The capacity to spot opportunities. 2. Ability to create opportunities if they fail to come. Spotting opportunities • Problem solving: Opportunities are embedded in problems and the quickest route to success is solving a problem. “In the middle of difficulties lies opportunity,” says Albert Ginstern. I had a class teacher in secondary school who today has built a big company. How did he start? One day as he was heading to school, he came across a crowd of commuters waiting for buses to convey them to their respective destinations. Many of them complained of the government’s inability or refusal to provide buses for the masses. Amidst all the complaints, my teacher saw an opportunity to go into the transport business. From that day he nursed the idea and saved some money with which he bought a bus. He gave it to a diligent neighbour

to deliver a certain amount every day. Again, he was hired by the West African Examinations Council to mark answer scripts. This job opened his eyes to the failure rate of secondary school pupils in the country. He compiled past WAEC questions and answers into a book and it sold many copies. At a point, he was unable to meet demand due to the inability of the printers to get his work done on time. He then established his own printing press and this afforded him the opportunity to print for other clients. One morning, he wanted to have toast bread for breakfast but was told that eggs were scarce in the neighbourhood. He said to his wife, “Honey, let’s supply them eggs.” “How?” she asked. He bought plots of land at Mowe in Ogun State and built a poultry farm. Today, he and his wife make millions of naira supplying eggs to retailers in Lagos. Would you like to know his network? GUESS!!! To be successful in life, you must be able to spot opportunities where others see problems. •Opportunities come from within: Everyone has got abilities, talents and skills. Discover yours and use them to better your lot and improve the world around you. Everyone has a place where they can add the greatest value. You don’t need to become a musician if you are not gifted in that area. Find your niche. Let me give you a clue: There were things you loved to do as a child; you did those things for the fun of it. For example: I never knew I would be addressing a global audience every Sunday through my column when I began writing as a child. I wrote on walls, on the ground; I wrote poems and songs. I wrote on blank

You don’t need to become a musician if you are not gifted in that area sheets of paper. Today, see where it has led me! You have yours too. Discover it. • Opportunities come from the blues: It is amazing the level of success that will pop up from the blues if you take time to prepare yourself adequately. Make learning a lifestyle; acquire knowledge; build on your character and opportunities will come to you somehow. Success happens when opportunity meet preparation. No opportunity is too small for rehearsals. Learn on the job you have right now. • Opportunity comes when you keep an open mind. Nobody knows it all. Keeping an open mind will help you learn from others and this in turn opens you up to new possibilities and ideas. Keeping an open mind exposes you to greater values and pushes you out of your comfort zone. It will make you see the world in a new perspective. Holding rigidly onto your beliefs blinds you to opportunities but openmindedness helps you connect with people. It helps you see beyond what people are now to what they can be. Opportunities come through networking, so do not destroy the relationships you have now. Maximise every opportunity you have with people. Be honest and sincere in your dealings with them. In the long run, someone may recommend you for that contract, job or leadership position.

SundayBusiness/News

Nigeria has world’s worst living conditions – Report

igeria has the worst living condition in the world, a recent report by Bloomberg has said. In the report titled ‘The Most Stressed-Out Countries,’ Nigeria was rated number one, while Norway is the least stressed nation in the world. Countries were ranked based on the stressfulness of their living environments. The estimates were based on information obtained from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Monetary Fund, Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, Transparency International and World Health Organisation. Seven equally weighted variables were considered: homicide rates, GDP per capita on a purchasingpower-parity basis, income inequality, corruption perception, unemployment, urban air pollution and life expectancy. Coming tops with a score of 70.1, the survey showed that Nigeria has a homicide rate of 12.1 while life expectancy is 53. Income inequality was measured by the Gini Index, where a score of 0 represents perfect equality and 100 perfect inequality. Corruption perception refers to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, which scores countries on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being the most corrupt. Urban outdoor air pollution is the annual mean concentration of fine particles smaller than 10 microns, measured in micrograms per cubic meter. Countries were allotted points for each variable based on their relative position in that category’s ranking. The country with the least-stressful measure for each variable received 0 points, while the country with the highest stress level received 100 points. All other countries were scored on a percentile basis depending on their position between the two extremes. Points for the seven variables were averaged for a final score from 0 to 100, a higher score indicating a more stressful living environment. All data were the latest available. Only countries with data available for all seven variables were included.

U.S government supports national food safety workshop

nited State International Agency for Development Mission Director in Nigeria, Michael T. Harvey said the U.S government has a long-term effort to support the National Food Safety Management Committee as it puts in place a strong food safety regime to boost Nigeria’s export market, as well as the agriculture sector. He said this during a four-day national training workshop on food safety supported by the United States government. “We are pleased to have USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture work together with Nigerian counterparts to hold this workshop,” he stated The training, which was organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation involved a series of case studies on topics such as quality management systems, risk analysis, food safety modernization act, and monitoring and evaluation procedures. The workshop’s participants represented all of Nigeria’s geo-political zones. Sunday Telegraph learnt that since 2013, the U.S. government, through USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has worked with Nigerian food industry stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and with development partners to revise the national food policy and develop an implementation strategy. These efforts have laid the foundation for the work of the recently inaugurated committees that are charged with ensuring that food safety systems in Nigeria are on par with international best practices. Interventions supported by the U.S. government will improve food safety, thereby helping Nigerians avoid food-borne and food-related illnesses.

SUNDAY

BRANDS SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015

NB Plc battles Guinness’ Orijin with Ace roots F

Dele Alao or the entire players in the country’s burgeoning bitter drinks market, this is the time to go back to the drawing board. It is also the time to have a rethink on the marketing strategies. The bitter drinks market for many years was dominated by the likes of Alomo bitters, Osomo, Kerewa and about 15 other brands, which play at the national and regional levels. Origin In 2013, the market was however, disrupted. Brewery giant, Guinness Nigeria Plc, against expectations veered into the bitter drinks market with the launch of Orijin herbal drinks. Orijin is described as an alcoholic blend with the flavours of African herbs and fruits, combined to give a refreshing bittersweet taste. Speaking at the Port Harcourt leg launch of Orijin, the immediate past managing director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Seni Adetu, described Orijin as a drink that would appeal to the modern African who wants to enjoy the best things of life while still holding on to their African roots. “Guinness Nigeria has a tradition of continuously delivering great brands to our consumers and Orijin is a quality brand that will not only bring excitement to consumers but also give them the opportunity to connect with their heritage. It is a vibrant yet rooted brand - a celebration of modern African culture, which embodies all that is alive and exciting in Africa today. With a refreshingly unique taste, Orijin is the flavoured alcoholic drink our consumers deserve,” Adetu said. By all standards, Orijin, is a success in the market. “The herbal drink (Orijin) instantly became a hit. Perhaps, due to years of yearnings for change on the part of consumers of bitters drinks,” Charles Omorege, who said he preferred taking herbal drinks because of what he perceived as its health benefits noted. Ace Roots In another surprise move and against all expectations, brewery giant, Nigerian Brewery Plc, recently introduced its own version of herbal drink into the market. The latest addition is called Ace roots. The launch of the herbal drink by NB Plc, according to some observers, might not be unconnected with the high volume of demand for such drink especially among the teeming youths. “Orijin, no doubt, by now should be one of the cash cows of Guinness. I think this is what the NB realised and the brewery company just decided to plug in. Hence, the launch of Ace roots. NB also wants to make more money in that market,” Taiwo Ola, a marketing specialist said. On the launch of Ace roots, the Sales Director, NB Plc, Mr. Herbert Eze, said that the new drink, which is made from African herbal extracts, fruits and spices was the first of its kind low sugar herbal drink. “Ace roots’ symbolises a call to action for

L-R: Zonal Business Manager NB Opeyemi Oluwalusi; Sales Director, Hubert Eze; Snr. Brand Manager, CSD, ACE, Nnenna Ifebigh-Hemeson; and Regional Business Manager, Moses Ogbodo at the launch in Lagos.

everyone; customers and consumers to go back to their roots of true African herbs, fruits and spice extracts with low sugar. It is a great innovation, one that we at Nigerian Breweries are very proud of, and we are confident our young and vibrant consumers will appreciate this game changing brand,” Eze said. He added: “The product has been created for health conscious Nigerians who want to embrace their rich cultural heritage and celebrate life, success and companionship with an uncontrolled cheerful and colourful African spirit. Blending good health and high spirits with the unmistakable strong taste of 14 African herbs and spices.” On his part, the Corporate Affairs Adviser, NB Plc, Kufre Ekanem said: “We are a company of firsts. No other company knows Nigeria and Nigerians like Nigerian Breweries. Today, with the introduction of this fantastic, rich drink Ace roots, we further show that deep understanding of not just our people, but of our roots, of who we are and where we are.” With over 12 brands including market leaders such as Star, Gulder, Maltina, Amstel Malta and Heineken on its shelve already, the brewery giant said that Ace roots is an addition Nigerians will love to love. “As a consistent player and leader in innovation, NB is doing well with great brands, strong infrastructure, 11 breweries spread across the country with sound people as it continues to change the game with innovations such as introduction of cans, neck foils, and malt drink in PET bottle among others,” Kufre said.

The herbal drink (Orijin) instantly became a hit. Perhaps, due to years of yearnings for change on the part of consumers of bitters drinks

The Issues However, the entry into the market of Ace roots has brought up some issues. First, some observers wonder why NB is under the shadow of Guinness. The launch of Ace roots into the market category in which Guinness had already established itself as a player with Orijin, is seen by them as NB adopting “follow, follow” style of marketing or “Me too” approach. This, the observers argued, is not good enough for the company that prides itself as a leading foremost brewery. Also, the name Ace roots does not really fit in into the category of the market in which the new bitters has come to play. Most consumers in that category according to observers, are younger people who would easily flow along with the name that suits their lifestyles. To these observ-

ers, the name Ace roots “looks elevated.” And “most expected consumers may not find it easy to connect unlike the names of other existing brands in the market. No doubt, NB has launched an onslaught in the bitter drinks market especially against Orijin, market analysis show that Orijin will still enjoy the benefit of an early player or first mover advantage so to say. “It will take a lot of efforts on the part of Nigerian Breweries for Ace roots to catch up with Orijin. Look at Legend Extra Stout against Guinness Stout. Though, NB Plc will rely on its solid financial base, extensive distribution networks among others, however, it may not be an easy task competing with Orijin,” a self-employed Yemi Salako said. Price war Meanwhile, checks have showed that NB Plc is offering Ace roots at N200 retail price as against Orijin of the same size, which in most cases goes for N250. This price penetration strategy on the part of Nigerian Breweries, have been described as added advantage for the new product. What becomes the fate of Orijin? Will Guinness respond to this latest attack from Nigerian Breweries? Will the exit of Adetu from Guinness Nigeria affect the performance of Orijin in the market? These are some of the multi-million questions of the lips of market watchers. Orijin is one of the brands Adetu launched into the market. The bitter drinks market will therefore, no more remain the same with the launch of Ace roots.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

asapreko Company Limited has launched a new hologram seal cap to help consumers differentiate the authentic Alomo Bitters

easily. This new initiative, the company said, among others, was to protect consumers’ health and follow through on its corporate objectives and philosophy of providing consumers with authentic African herbal bitters. It was also to help consumers differentiate the authentic Alomo Bitters easily. The hologram seal is a silver-like shining cover, which is similar to that found on the non-polymer Nigerian naira notes, and has been strategically positioned on the cap of every bottle of Alomo Bitters for easy identification of the authentic bitters brand as against the imitation. Speaking at the unveiling in Lagos, Managing Director, Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kojo Nunoo, noted that activities of counterfeiters of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in the country have been a major source of concern to manufacturers and government regulatory agencies. “Apart from the loss of income and other problems counterfeiters create for manufacturers, the health implication of consuming these fake products on a nation is best imagined than felt. The increasing prospects and exponential growth of the alcoholic bitters market has made products in this category susceptible to activities of counterfeiters who illegally benefit from the growth of the market, which is largely fueled by the huge annual adverting, marketing and promotions (AMP) budget of manufacturers,” the managing director said. He added that the introduction of hologram seal on the caps was one of the initiatives by the company to checkmate criminal faking of Alomo Bitters by unscrupulous profiteers and to protect consumers against the consumption of substandard bitters products, which endanger human life. “This initiative is a security standard for global brands, and essentially it is meant to ensure clear brand differentiation and to highlight the unique features that distinguish Alomo Bitters from the imitated version and other substandard bitters products in the market,” Nunoo said. He added, ‘‘Criminal faking of the original Alomo Bitters has been a major challenge we face in Nigeria. As a company that places priority on the wellbeing of our consumers, this bothers us a lot. Hence, the launch of the new hologram is aimed at helping the consumers identify the authentic Alomo Bitters when making purchase.’’ Buttressing the process involved in having the hologram security features on the caps of Alomo Bitters bottles, Nunoo said the company went as far as Germany and the United States to get reputable hologram seal companies to create the unique hologram for

IABC members get waivers

he International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has offered waivers to members attending this month’s programmes by reducing registration fee. IABC is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organisational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves members in more than 70 countries for networking, career development and personal growth. IABC Director of Membership Services, Melannie Dark, said the offer also applies to members whose membership had lapsed. Both renewing members and fresh applicants would benefit from the waiver. The membership month promotion comes against the backdrop of preparations for the annual IABC World Conference scheduled for San Francisco in June 2015.

SundayBusiness/Brands

Kasapreko re-launches Alomo bitters with hologram the brand. “This is how much we value the wellbeing of our consumers,” he stressed. Head, Consumer Prospection Council (CPC), Lagos office, Mr. Tam Tamunokombia, commended Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited for rising up to the challenge of protecting consumers of their product, Alomo Bitters. “CPC is charged by the federal government with the responsibility of attending to consumers complain and also protecting consumers from activities of importers and manufacturing of substandard products and counterfeiters of existing ones”. He said: “We congratulate Kasapreko for this effort because apart from protecting consumers, this gesture would also check activities of counterfeiters, which is definitely affecting the market share of the brand.”

Special Guest and Special Adviser (Commerce and Industry) to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Seye Oladejo, commended Kasapreko for taking another bold step in consumer protection, saying that the dangers of consuming counterfeit and substandard products were numerous among, which were ill health and loss of life. “Since Alomo Bitters has a big market share in Nigeria, it is important to also start manufacturing the brand here in Nigeria. The Lagos State Government is developing large Agro – Industrial Parks in Imota Ikorodu and Ilara, Igbo-nla Epe to provide the much needed support for companies like Kasapreko to manufacture here in Lagos. “With the hologram seal now on the caps of Alomo Bitters, I am confident to state that consumers will not only continue to enjoy

their favourite medicinal Alomo Bitters, but they will also remain healthy and safe,” he said. Speaking on the rationale for the new Hologram seal, the Marketing Manager, Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Peter Adegor, said the need to protect Alomo Bitters brand equity and to continue to guarantee consumer safety were paramount to the management of the company. “We need to exterminate this fear and reassure consumers that they can still enjoy their favourite Alomo Bitters. The launch of the hologram seal, therefore, speaks to our determination to make our consumers continue to live healthy and active lives by having access to genuine and authentic herbal drink they have always stayed with, which is Alomo Bitters,” Adegor said.

L-R: Head, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Lagos Office, Mr. Tam Tamunokombia; Technical Director, Kasapreko Company Limited, Ghana, Mr. Kwame Dickson; Special Adviser to The Lagos State Governor on Commerce and Industry, Mr. Seye Oladejo; Member, Board of Directors, Kasapreko Company Limited, Dr. Shija Terhemb and Managing Director, Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kojo Nunoo at the launch of the new hologram seal of Alomo Bitters.

FG inaugurates APCON council Deborah Olayode

he Federal Government has inaugurated new Governing Council of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). The Hon. Minister of Tourism and culture, Mr. Edem Duke, called on the new chairman, Udeme Ufot and other appointed council members to brace up for the challenges ahead of them. The minister, who is also the supervising minister, Federal Ministry of Information, spoke at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Media Centre, Iganmu, Lagos. He said: “There are challenges ahead of you, similarly great expectations are required as you take this new appointment to serve.” He added that those who use advertising must commit themselves to socially responsible conducts and also must be conscious of the need to safeguard the integrity of advertising communications and the well being of those who are exposed to these communications.

Hon. Duke urged them to discharge their responsibilities as required of them in other to improve the standard of advertising practice in Nigeria and accord the profession the level of respectability it deserves. Duke, who noted that the government expects to see more involvement of advertising practitioners in its social and economic developmental programmes, said that the new council members have been appointed to make impacts and bring about profitability of brands. Besides, he said they are also expected to bring about development of the Nigerian brand. Also, the Registrar, APCON, Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi expressed his gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces , Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his kind intervention on the side of APCON Law, which ensured the appointment of an ideal chairman for the council. Kankarofi thanked the Federal Government for the recent reinstatement of full funding for APCON. He commended the out-going chairman, Mr.Lolu Akinwumi and members of the

council for their disposition to follow extant rules and their engagement and relationship with the management as well as the supervising ministry. The incoming chairman, Ufot promised to strengthen enforcement capacity through adequate legal backing for the Advertising Practitioners Investigation Panel (APIP) and Advertising Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (APDC). “This will enable the removal of some of the prosecution hiccups,” he explained. Ufot urged the honourable minister to ensure that in the development of government communications, round pegs are placed in round holes. “Government cannot have at its disposal some of the finest marketing communicators within the registered membership of APCON, yet choose to appoint foreign consultants or quacks to handle its communication. If Government fails to commit to the growth of advertising industry in Nigeria, we would then be diminishing the capacity of our own market whilst boosting the capacity of others,” Ufot said.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Feb 14: APC blows hot

lDSS' story on hacking senseless, says Lai Mohammed Temitope Ogunbanke

he All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday faulted the re-

port of the Department of State Services (DSS) that it planned to inflate its membership data as well as hack into the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC) database through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC's

voters register across the country. Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Editorial

Managing a depressing economy }19 Female suicide bombers kill five in Yobe }7

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Politics SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

The Sunday Interview

Galadima: Treasury looters behind clamour for Buhari’s certificates p.32-33

Interview

Blame Jega for polls crisis –Nwosu p.35 Elechi and his choking albatross p.37 Crisis hits PVC distribution in Plateau p.39

Jonathan

Debate over aspirants’ medical fitness A

Biyi Adegoroye biyi.fire@yahoo.com

Jega

s the nation moves towards the general elections, one issue that has gained public attention is the state of health of candidates vying for key elective positions. Interestingly, while the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is emphatic about age and level of education of aspirants for respective positions, it is silent on their medical and mental fitness. For instance, Section 65 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, stipulates that “ a person shall be qualified for election as a member of the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 35 years; and the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 30 years; and has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent; “ it fails to make provisions for a mandatory certificate of health for such aspirants. As regards the office of President, Section 131 of the same Constitution says that a person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President: “If (a) he/she is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; (d) and must have also been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. Ironically, in the private sector, a medical report from a reliable hospital is a necessity as the prospective staff undergoes cardio-vascular and HIV tests. Up till today, neither Electoral Act nor the Constitution requires a mandatory medical report

The continued debate on the state of health of political office holders and the imperativeness of the inclusion of certificate of medical fitness in the requirements for public office seekers are the crux of this write-up by CHIJIOKE IREMEKA from presidential aspirants, their deputies, governorship candidates and legislators. Interesting enough, not too long ago, as close as 2011, our political landscape was engulfed by the succession crises which greeted the death in office of then President Umaru Yar’Adua. Less than two years into office, he was terribly ill and his death in office created a lacuna which was only resolved at the invocation of the doctrine of necessity. His close associates, even while serving as the governor of Katsina State knew he was not in good state of health, but goaded by the kingmakers in the Peoples Democratic Party, he waddled through the rigorous presidential campaigns, avoided some and eventually got elected. Another instance was last year’s Constitutional Conference which drew membership from various segments and interests in the country. Tragic enough, midway into the confabulation, at least two delegates died, while a number of others merely warmed their seats, or worst still turned

the conference to their bedrooms. The state of health of aspirants came into front burner again recently, when after a nationwide campaign, the 72 year old presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress flew into London, for what was perceived as a medical trip, before addressing an audience at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, otherwise known as Chatham House. Observers believe that the absence of this major requirement may further create a major problem for the nation in the current democratic experience. In a bid to forestall wastage of resources and man-hour, which has been considered a cog in the wheels of the country’s political and socioeconomic development, some Nigerians said this requires legislative attention. Some stakeholders strongly believe that the absence of this clause in our statute books have made many public officeholders to utilize public funds for their personal medical trips abroad, CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

The Sun

Galadima: Treasury l clamour for Buhari’s Former Secretary-General of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Alhaji Buba Galadima, is one of the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress. He was a delegate from the North-East at the 2014 National Conference. In this interview with ONWUKA NZESHI,he speaks on the shift of the 2015 elections, the clamour for the implementation of the National Confab report and other issues What is your view about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s decision to postpone the elections by six weeks? Well, my personal opinion is that it was not the decision of INEC to shift the elections. It is on record that INEC had told Nigerians that it was ready and that it could conduct the elections as earlier scheduled. So if INEC was ready and the elections were shifted it means that there must be some powers beyond INEC that forced it to shift the dates of the elections. The truth of the matter is that the government of the day, the Peoples Democratic Party and Jonathan felt threatened that if the presidential election had been held on February 14, they would not only have lost woefully. All opinion polls conducted internally and outside Nigeria, those conducted by security agencies in Nigeria and even those conducted by foreign missions using some subterranean ways, revealed that Jonathan could not have polled more than 23.7 per cent of the total votes of Nigerians. So, they came with this joker by telling the security people to say they were not ready. Unfortunately, Jega and INEC caved in ignorantly. Jega may be a professor of Political Science but he is not a practical politician. That was a gimmick used to arm-twist him. Were Jega a practical politician, he should have gone to the laws of the country. Is there anywhere in the Nigerian Constitution, is there anything in the Electoral Act of 2010 that suggests that the Army and the police have any role to play in electoral matters? If they have not been mentioned in any law, it means they are inconsequential; they cannot threaten anybody because they have no legal or locus standi to dictate to anybody on electoral matters. Looking at the challenges the electoral body had with the distribution of PVCs, would you say that INEC was really ready as Jega told the world? I am not INEC but there is no law that says that everybody in Nigeria that has been registered must vote. If there is any law to that effect, I would want to see it and learn. Do you have any problem with security agencies assisting INEC to maintain law and order during the elections given the kind of chaos we usually witness during such periods? Everything, even life has a beginning. God created Adam, then Eve before coming to us in

Galadima

the present generation. That is the evolution of life. In Nigeria, when we start talking, we talk of best practices as being found in Europe, America and other parts of the world. Has anybody witnessed any election in those so-called advanced countries where he saw any policeman or any military man in uniform participating in the electoral process? Why should Nigeria be different? Even in Ghana and Niger here, our neighbours, soldiers or policemen don’t participate in elections. It is the militarisation of the electoral process in Nigeria that makes it possible for armed groups to thrive because those in authority use the military under their control and their hired thugs to intimidate others. If the other side attempts to do anything, they are arrested but the official thugs are free to kill, maim, snatch ballot boxes and thumb-print as many ballot papers as they can get. It is in order. So there is no role for the military; they should get out! We don’t need them. If they are anything to go by let them go and fight Boko Haram. We don’t need Chadian,

Nigerien and Cameroonian forces to assist us if they are that brave. If we do away with the military, as you have just suggested, don’t you think we might be inviting anarchy? Won’t politicians deploy armed thugs or private militia on election day? There is always a settlement period for everything. God said that for there to be good, there must be hiccups. That is the price we have to pay for stabilising the system. We ourselves will sit down and find a way round the problem. But that is not even the issue. We have already finished with that aspect now. I was the first Nigerian to start canvassing for the use of technology for registration and accreditation during elections. That means INEC has adopted the position which I have been canvassing for in the last five years on the issue of the use of technology for elections. The card reader is more or less a direct data capture machine that is being used for registration and accreditation.

Jonathan is playing with fire and he should know. Nobody has contemplated or done what he is trying to do and survived on the throne We have areas in Nigeria like the South-East and South-South where voting does not take place; where people do not vote but rather they do community voting. That is why these two areas are the most vociferous agents against the use of card readers. Why are they afraid if they have the population to vote? They accuse other people of using goats and camels to vote, so let’s now use the card reader. If they had been honest

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

nday Interview

looters behind s certificates with the accusations they had been leveling on other people, let us use the card readers so that we have a level playing field. We have card readers. If you don’t vote, it will not be recorded. We are even aware that the government intends to scramble the network on the day of the election to use it as a condition or excuse for postponing the March 28 election. I have spoken openly about it. I told the BBC; it was aired and no agent of government has denied my accusation. As it stands now, you are for the use of technology during the elections and you don’t think we need the military.... (Cuts in) Including the police. We don’t need all of them. What is their role? The police can abdicate if they like. All the policemen, including the Inspector-General can resign. Do they need to be there? We don’t need them. If they were relevant why should crimes continue? Why has theft, corruption, burglary, armed robbery, abduction and kidnapping so prevalent in our society? Have they been able to stop all these things? Is it only electoral violence and rigging that they want to stop? Earlier, you cited examples of advanced democracies where they hold elections and there are no soldiers and policemen on the streets. Do you think that our democracy has attained that high level of political development and maturity? Why do you denigrate your country? Why do you run your country down? Why do you look down upon your people? We claim to be the best that Africa has but we are not ready to walk the talk. If the Republic of Niger with less than 11 per cent literacy; if Ghana here with less than 51 per cent literacy can do it, why not us? Why can’t we for once do what is right? Why are we running away from Buhari? Is it because he is coming to force us to do what is right? Or because some people have stolen our money and they will be asked to bring back the money that is why they are doing all the kinds of negative things they are doing against him? The PDP tells us that they are the biggest party in Africa; they tell us that they are democrats, but why are they afraid of elections? If they are the largest, it implies that they have the numbers, but why are they running away from elections? It means all the things they were telling us are false. Now that you have brought Gen. Muhammadu Buhari into the discussion, let me take you up on it. There are so many issues raised by the ruling party against Buhari which he and his party have not sufficiently addressed. For instance, the issue of his school certificate. Why do you think the presidential candidate of the APC has so far failed to tender this vital document? As I sit before you here, I have been to a university but I don’t know where my certificate is. Yes, to verify that, you can go to the institution to find out whether I had gone through that school or not. This is what these people have done in the case of Buhari and they found out that he went to school. There were other schools he attended which not only made him a general but raised his educational qualification to the level of a master’s degree. He attended the National War College in the United States. I was in that institution. It was a master’s

degree programme for security officers across the world. It is the world’s number one institution in that category. Let Nigerians choose an illiterate to run the affairs of their country if they so wish. Which school did Goodluck Jonathan attend? I challenge him to bring his certificates up to PhD and let’s see. Why should they accuse other people of not having certificates? They should be accusing their man who claims to have a PhD. Why are you not asking Fani-Kayode, Doyin Okupe or Reuben Abati where their certificates are? Ask them too where their boss (Jonathan) kept his own certificates? After all Sambo also doesn’t have his certificates. But I know he went to school. He was one year behind me at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Sambo tendered an affidavit and a clearance from ABU that he graduated from there but lost his certificates to a fire. So the clearance Sambo submitted is acceptable but Buhari’s own should be discarded because he is Buhari? He is not wanted. He is not liked. He is hated. Didn’t Buhari swear to an affidavit? Didn’t his school clear him? Didn’t tbe Ministry of Education in Katsina State which is PDP-controlled clear him? Is it because the man is hated or because it is feared that he will jail all those who have stolen public funds? (Laughter)

Shameful for them or for us? What do you mean? They are brave guys who came to take over territories that we ran away from. If I were them, I could have put my flag there. Is it not shameful that the Nigerian government blocked the Chadian television channel on the internet because they showed how they were capturing Nigerian towns? You cannot watch Chadian television now in Nigeria. Why did they have to close it? Is it not shameful? These guys cannot be bamboozling us. If they want to do ‘open eye’ (strong arm tactics), they should go and fight Boko Haram. They should not come here to intimidate innocent civilians who are not armed.

Now, let’s turn to security matters. One of the reasons for the postponement of the elections was to give the military the opportunity to fight the insurgents and liberate the NorthEast. What is your impression of the achievements recorded by the military, particularly in the liberation of Mubi and Baga? I don’t believe them. They didn’t liberate anything. I know Chadian forces took over Gamboru-Ngala. Some days ago, they were in Dikwa. I also know that the Chadian and Nigerien forces took over Baga and the Nigerian military forces were able to push up to Monguno. There is a buffer zone. Where did the Nigerian military cross to Baga when they have not taken over Kukawa, Kroskawa, Alagarno and other places? Look, they make people look like fools. These are areas that we have on our palms.

When this war started, you would recall that there were arguments from some prominent Northern leaders that the insurgents were our own people and that the Nigerian Army does not have to rain bombs on them or use excessive force. Don’t you think that this was what accounted for the defensive posture of the Nigeria military? I want to tell you that over half a million (500,000) Nigerians were killed by our own people. The case is in the International Criminal Court. They know that it was innocent civilians that they were killing in Maiduguri. That was why they had to chase away Murtala Nyako because they thought he collected evidence against them. And that was why they blocked the judgment of his case. There is no legal basis for what they did. It was simply because they didn’t want Nyako to come back as governor of Adamawa State.

Does it mean you doubt the authenticity of the reports being dished out by the Nigerian military? Was there any independent journalist there to assess their claims? But the President was in Baga after its liberation. Of course, the Chadian forces and some Nigerian officers could have hosted him. After all, those that captured the place are called multilateral forces. But Idris Debby was also there. Do you know the two shameful things that occurred there? The Nigerien Minister of Defence came to Abadam and hailed his troops. He told them that he appreciates their courage and that they were not cowards like the Nigerian soldiers. Has any Nigerian replied him? Yes. The Defence Headquarters responded to that report. Is that not a shame? It is shameful for them to talk about our soldiers in that way.

Can you recall what happened in Niger, the day after Boko Haram attacked that country? Yes. Their soldiers rose up and wiped out all those that attacked them. No single soul came back. Did you also notice how the entire country including government officials marched to their parliament in support of their military? Why are we not seeing such massive support for our military? (Cuts in) Because their military performed. Did your own perform? They were all the way on the defensive. Have they ever conducted any offensive operation to take over any place? Two days ago, Konduga, 40 kilometers away from Maiduguri, was attacked by Boko Haram; Dama, 60 kilometres away has been under the control of Boko Haram for nearly one year. Why should we be defensive?

We have barely three weeks to the elections and what the military promised was that they would be able to liberate enough grounds in the areas occupied by Boko Haram so that the people could return to their homes and vote. Do you see this happening? No. No. Even if the places are liberated, they would not be safe enough for the populace to go back because clean-up operations, removal of buried mines, removal of corpses, burying of corpses, rebuilding of the areas will take years. So, they have to vote at the IDP camps. They can’t go back even if they want to. The clean-up operations will take ages. We know that they won’t to do that in order to rig the elections. About a year ago, some 500 Nigerians, including yourself, were at the National Conference where you produced a report and submitted to the Federal Government. Recently, the National Assembly also produced its own report on the review of the Nigerian Constitution which is much like what you had done at the confab. Nigerians are a bit confused about which one to take. What is the way forward for the country? Nigerians are a confused group of people and

you journalists are not good students of history. The confab organised by Jonathan was only a talkshop for people to go and vent their anger and hatred against other people in certain sections of the country. It was also for Jonathan to create an impression that he was supporting what the South-West had stood for for ages in order to blindfold them and get their votes. All that has backfired. The confab has no legal standing whatsoever and the President should not be under any illusion or confusion, if it is not deliberate, that what has been discussed by the National Assembly and arrived at, is what should be considered. The confab itself was not representative and not backed by any law, therefore it cannot stand the test of time. The National Assembly comprises the representatives of the people; any decision they take, they take on behalf of the people of Nigeria. Not us who went to make some quick money. I had not seen N1 million for a long time until I went to the confab. So the report of the confab should remain there. Nobody is going to use it to do anything. I have seen the hype in the South-South, South-East and renegades from the South-West will come to nothing. They are renegades. Who knows them in the South-West? If there was an election to come to the confab would any of them have been there? So, they are just wasting their time and their hatred for certain sections of the country is noted. They will be paid back in their own coin at the appropriate time. There are new concerns about the elections. Some persons still believe that it might not hold again on the rescheduled dates and that the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, might be relieved of his appointment soon. Do you share these fears? These are fears anybody can share when he sees things not going well. But legally, Jonathan, Nigerians, the civil service, you and I cannot sack Jega. Section 157 is clear as to how Jega could be removed. His term will finish in June but I also share the fear and I have told you one of my fears: that on the day of the election, the government is working on a satellite to demobilise all networks such that the card readers will not work. That is a technical way of postponing the election. If they start by 8am and by 9am, there are no signals on the card readers or there are feeble signals then it means the election has been postponed. But what I want to say which many Nigerians cannot say: Jonathan is playing with fire and he should know. Nobody has contemplated or done what he is trying to do and survived on the throne. If he leaves the throne, he wouldn’t know which person would occupy it. It is even better for him to have a Buhari to whom he can talk to and reason with than some idiots that will come and shoot all of us. Me, I am not prepared to die now. I have very small kids. On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal ruled on the eligibility suit filed against President Jonathan and said he was eligible to stand for re-election and a second term. This is contrary to your opinion some months back that Jonathan would be seeking a third term if he contests the 2015 presidential elections. What is your reaction to this judgment? If he contests in 2015, he is going for a third term or an over-term and I still stand by that position. If you can go back to your archives, I had also told you that Jonathan can get judgment in the High Court and also at the Appeal Court. But he cannot get judgment at the Supreme Court except the Supreme Court decides to reverse itself from its earlier pronouncements on a tenure of eight years for presidents and governors. What would you like to say to Nigerians? I fear for Nigeria. I fear for my life. I fear for Jonathan’s life. I fear for the sustenance of democracy and I want to advise President Jonathan that those around him who make a noise, he should check their backgrounds. Some of them have been under the bridge for two years and were rehabilitated in other countries of the world. This kind of people can’t be advisers on the way forward for a new Nigeria. Thank you very much.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

Deepening democracy through Obanikoro saga From the

Red Chamber chukwudavid68@yahoo.com

Chukwu David

emocracy is a very interesting system of government. Although some people have refused to accept that the worst democracy is better than the best military dictatorship because of the way it is abused, particularly in most African countries and other third world nations, the system has many interesting advantages over other forms of government. One of the greatest advantages of democracy is the inherent checks and balances amongst the three arms of government. Freedom of speech and press is also an outstanding feature of democracy. However, our democracy is still incubating and the managers of the system have not totally embraced its fundamentals. Certain things are yet being done with fiat and utter disregard to the rule of law. But it is only in a democratic society for instance, that somebody or a group of persons

can stand firmly to oppose and resist the wishes of the President and Commanderin-Chief of the country and nothing drastic happens. This makes democracy more beautiful and noble. This is one of the reasons why, irrespective of so many observable shortcomings of the system, it tends to receive local, national and international acceptance more than other patterns of government that encroach on and erode fundamental freedom of humanity, What is happening in the Senate in the last two weeks over the nomination of the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Mohammed Musiliu Obanikoro, is a pointer to the fact that democracy is in action, and obviously the parliament is essentially the bridge between dictatorship and democracy or people’s government. President Goodluck Jonathan had on February 16, 2014, forwarded the name of Obanikoro and seven others to the Senate for confirmation as ministers to fill the vacancies created by those who resigned their appointments to contest for the governorship of their various states. Obanikoro served as a Senator of the Federal Republic, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District from 2003 to 2007. He resigned his appointment as the Minister of State for Defence last year to contest for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party, in Lagos State. He, however, lost the primary election to Jimi Agbaje. But immediately Obanikoro’s name was mentioned in the nomination, all those whom he must have stepped on their toes one way or another rose in opposition to the decision of President Jonathan to reappoint him, and began to employ all strategies and weapons available to them, including legal and legislative instruments, to stop him from being confirmed by the Senate. The members of the APC in the Senate, who constitute the strongest opposition to the nominee have petitioned the President of the Senate, David Mark, to frustrate his confirmation by the Upper Chamber. The Spokesman of the APC in the Senate, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, last week had told journalists in Abuja, that the President of the Senate had received two petitions from them seeking to stop the confirmation of Obanikoro as a minister. According to Senator Ojudu, Obanikoro is currently being confronted with some allegations of ingloriously participating in the alleged rigging of the Ekiti State governorship election last year. The election was won by PDP’s candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who defeated the incumbent APC governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Ojudu also pointed out that there was a suit against Obanikoro in a Lagos court, No: ID/433GCN/14. The legis-

lator therefore, argued that it would be subjudice for the Senate to screen and confirm Obanikoro with other ministerial nominees, when the case was still pending in court. As a result of this opposition, the Senate shelved the screening exercise earlier scheduled for penultimate Wednesday, February 25, 2015. The opposition had threatened to cause commotion if the Senate leadership ignored their protest to screen Obanikoro. So, David Mark, not wanting anything that would ridicule the nation’s highest lawmaking chamber, decided to suspend the exercise. Last Wednesday, the Senate actually started the screening exercise but stopped at four nominees. Obanikoro was one of the other four yet to be screened. At a closed door session that the senators held before screening the nominees, they resolved to leave Obanikoro out with three others, to allow for more negotiations and persuasion for Obanikoro to be confirmed without causing disquiet in the chamber. This is indeed democracy in action; and it makes the system interesting and attractive. It is a reality that the minority will have their say and majority, their way in the matter at the end of the day, but the whole episode had demonstrated that everybody’s views count in a democracy. This cannot be the case in any dictatorship, where the selfish interest of one man reigns supreme.

Debate over aspirants’ medical fitness C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

thereby constituting both financial wastage and man-hour wastage to the country. Laying more emphasis on the need for medical fitness tests for the public officeholders, the stakeholders including professors of medicine, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Scientists, politicians, academicians, clerics, civil society organisation and legislators among others said the essence of the call is to ensure that no public officeholder abandons his official assignment for medical trips again. One of them, the Technical Chairman, National Committee on Research and Application of Stem Cell Transportation Technology in Nigeria, of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Perry Iloagbunam, said the task of leading over 170 million Nigerians is a herculean one and therefore, requires people with the right condition of health. He said: “Anybody who is to be saddled with such responsibility of ruling the country has to be medically, physically and mentally fit, not for the country alone but for himself too. There is nothing wrong in issuing a medical fitness report of any leader, who wants to rule Nigeria or govern a state. It’s not against any ethics.” He noted that absence in office is a huge distraction to the business of administering in the country, adding, “Though anybody could be physically challenged but he has to be mentally alert and sound to enable him rule the country. He needs to strategise and rule well.” Also, the President, Nigerian Thoracic Society and a professor of Medicine at Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Gregory Erhabor, said everybody vying for any public office in the country must be tested of TB and other contagious diseases as in the case of every other job seeker. Asked whether the process violates the medical practice of medical privacy of any person, he said: “It does not violate anything. It’s a normal requirement. It’s done abroad. So, why will it violate anybody’s right? This is a job and we need to be sure you are fit. We need to know if you suffer loss of memory, if you can’t remember anything, it will be difficult for you to remember the problem of the people you are leading. So, it’s necessary at a time like this.” Clearing the air, an Astronautics and Prin-

cipal Investigator, National Aeronautic and Space Administration, USA, who is also the Chairman, Chidicon Medical Center, International Institute of Advanced Research and Training, and UNESCO brain researcher, Dr. Philip Njemanze said it’s necessary for the constitution to address the issues of mental fitness of the persons, who want to occupy any public office. “The person should be mentally sound. What we are saying is that the criteria should be that the mental state of the person will not be in doubt at anytime in the recent past and in the present. He has to have all the psychiatric tests by a psychiatrist and a psychologist so that we will establish the fact that he doesn’t have psychosis or any mental illness that would impair his functions. “On the physical side, the person can be physically challenged, after all, President Franklin Roosevelt of America, at the most challenging time, ruled America from a wheelchair. He had polio. So, it’s not going to be the first time. The person can be physically challenged but should not have any mental disability because that would mar his ability to make crucial decisions. “This is not the first time this has been said in Nigeria. Almost in all the presidential elections, doctors have been talking about it but the populace wouldn’t listen. Even what is happening to Buhari is not criteria to disqualify him. What should be the situation is, if he has mental capacity to make decisions for the whole nation, then he should move on. “He might be healthy and jumping about but if he is not mentally sound, he would make decisions that will kill the country. Then, there is no need bringing him into the picture. The problem with the society is that they confuse mental health with physical health. “Constitution cannot debar people, who have one form of physical health challenge or the other, which does not impair their ability to make good decisions. But you can ban people, who are psychopaths because they are not qualified for the job but that shouldn’t be a constitutional provision” he said. Also, a constitutional lawyer and former Dean Faculty of Law, University of Benin Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said he is not in support of any legislation that would subject people to any form of medical fitness test as it would

Mark

be too subjective. He said: “Honestly, I will not support it because it’s going to be subjective and one doctor will say one thing, another will say a different thing. The issue of medical fitness should be left in the hands of the political parties. The insistence on medical fitness legislation will do the country more harm than good. “Like I said, if a party chooses to bring a sick person as its candidate, the party stands the risk of being replaced if the person is found incapacitated. So, let’s leave it to the parties to do the medical fitness test for their candidates and not to be enacted in Nigerian Constitution or any Electoral Act.” Responding to mental fitness of the public office holders, he said: “This is a more serious and problematic issue, especially when you see them speak and talk anyhow. I even know about two of them but I won’t mention names. Again, I leave that to the party. If the party wants to bring somebody who is mentally challenged, it will only work against it. So, it’s in their best interest not to do that.” Corroborating with Sagay’s position, an ex-leader of Peoples Democratic Party, SouthEast, Chief Anselm Njoku, said it would be ambiguous to put health barrier in Nigerian Constitution as a requirement for contesting for political and other public offices in the

country. He said, “There are people who are medically challenged but can live for the next 20 years. To pass a legislation that bars sick people from contesting is an insult to God and humanity. It’s a breach of fundamental human rights. “Internationally, we are looking at bringing physically challenged people to be part of governance. Yes, there are other diseases that should be considered though, but we need to understand that there are medically and physically sound people, who die in accidents. So, are we going to put a legislation that will control those who will die in accidents? I’m not for it. “This shouldn’t be anticipated. It’s a way of life and it will be a waste of time trying to stop them. Age and educational requirements are to be taken seriously because you don’t want a situation where a 90-year old man will aspire for a public office or bring an illiterate to represent us at the international scene. We need sound people.” The Principal Partner, J. Odion Esezoobo & Co., Mr. Johnson Odion Esezoobo said he is not aware of any legislation or section of the constitution that says medical fitness certification is a prerequisite for contesting an election. The case of Yar’adua, he said, was debated because he was sick and went for treatment abroad secretly, which gave room for manipulations in such a way that when his remains were brought into the country, nobody could actually ascertain when he died. He said, “In the civilised world, I don’t think such will happen. Regarding Buhari’s health condition, I don’t think it’s a matter that anybody can go into since the constitution has not provided for that. At that level, he should have his health scrutinised but not disqualified. “All I can say is that there are speculations here and there about his health status. Even, I read in the papers that Akinwunmi Ambode had a mental problem too and there was a disclaimer from his associates that it was a propaganda that shouldn’t be taken seriously. A number of prominent politicians whose viewpoints were sought on the issue decline comments on why that has not been considered in the on-going review of the Constitution, hence the issue is one that will continue to generate debates in the years ahead.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

Politics

Blame Jega for polls crisis –Nwosu Former Minister of Health, Prof. ABC Nwosu recently spoke with some newsmen in Lagos on the rescheduled elections and other national issues. BIYI ADEGOROYE brings the report The rescheduled elections are weeks away. If not for the postponement, Nigerians would have, by now, known the winners. In general terms, how do you appraise the situation? Thank God for the postponement. To me, those who were against the postponement are like the woman who was not bothered whether the child lived or died in the case before King Solomon when one of the women said ‘divide it, let each one take her half’. But the real mother of the child said ‘no, let it go’. We, that Nigeria means something to, are happy for the postponement. We, that Nigeria means something to, are begging the opportunists in the South-East, the South-South, the North and in the West not to divide this country with their opportunism. We should do the right thing that will enable this country to develop, have stability and peace. Grabbing power at all costs and dishing out patronage, left, right and center, and accumulating obscene wealth by whoever, is not the purpose God created this country. On the elections, it is for the people to choose who they want to lead them. That’s why, centuries ago, it was said that the basic tenet of democracy is that nobody is good enough to lead another person without that person’s consent. People should look for our consent and we should be allowed to give that consent to who we want. We cannot be bullied into giving the consent by threat of force, or threat of incumbency or insecurity. We should give that consent to whoever we want. Many Nigerians believe that two major issues still bedeviling the country are insecurity and corruption. Do you share that view? The insecurity problem worries me because I am a victim and it has left a mark on my psyche. If it hadn’t been for insecurity, I would have graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1968. I was a scholarship student. I had to run to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I had to leave Nsukka with many of my colleagues to join the Biafran Army. Many were killed. And then, when we came back to Nsukka, we were not allowed to graduate in 1970. We graduated in 1971. So, insecurity frightens me and I hate those promoting insecurity in Nigeria. If you realize how insecurity arose in 1966, it is not different from what is happening now. And all those promoting insecurity, may they pay with their lives and the lives of their children. This is sectional insecurity. You cannot threaten anybody because he is not from your ethnic group. The killings then had been ethnic based. This is the first time I would be speaking out strongly on such a matter because people don’t know how I

feel. You cannot come and attack me doing my legitimate business because I am Igbo. I am not Igbo only. I am also a Nigerian. I am an African. I am a human being created by God. So, when insecurity comes like that, it is offensive to me. And now, you see people threaten others that they will cut their throats if the elections do not go their way; and all Nigeria is worried about is Boko Haram. What of the insecurity that comes with a person living outside his ethnic enclave, taking his children, some belongings and filing on the road? What kind of a country is that? And it is alright for some people? Well, it is not alright with me. The Boko Haram issue, Nigeria allowed it to fester. Nigeria got ready to fight it and you can see recent successes. What I felt about it when we were in the National Conference, we always urged the president and the armed forces to do something to control it. I am happy that the National Assembly is now congratulating them for doing something. I will like all Nigerians to unite when it concerns security and the armed forces. Certain things are beyond politics. The armed forces of a country are number one. I also expect that they should be able to deal with this matter of Boko Haram just like they dealt with the matter of MEND. One wonders what you mean by “sectional insecurity”. Well, I am a Nigerian but I am also Igbo. We held a meeting in Abuja recently. You would have seen the communique. It is the Igbo coming from all the 19 states of northern Nigeria worried about their security. Why should the Igbo be worried about their security? Have you heard of all 19 states in the North worried about their insecurity in Enugu or talking about insecurity? Or are there no northerners in other parts of Nigeria? So, it is a sectional thing. We have seen it. I am old enough to know the incidents. In 1966, I was already an undergraduate at Ibadan, in third year, getting to graduation. I was in senior secondary school when Nigeria got independence in 1960. So, I know it is a sectional thing. Why should anybody, either for ethnicity or religion, fear for his life in any part of this country? If we can’t address it, then we cannot progress as a nation. So, insecurity is a sectional thing in Nigeria and it should stop. If you have read the reason for the coup in 1966, corruption was one. The second time there was a coup, corruption was there. Another was a revenge coup. There was a coup based on corruption - the Ifeajuna coup which many call Kaduna Nzeogwu coup. Ifeajuna’s manuscript is clear on it. Wole Adegboyega

Nwosu

For Jega, a professor, to be saying that he was ready when Lagos had 38 per ent collection of the PVCs, where you have the highest number of registered voters, falls short of my rating of an academic and Ifeajuna, two of them were the masterminds of the coup. We have evidence. The coup of Murtala Muhammed was again to stop corruption. The coup against Shehu Shagari which brought Mohammadu Buhari to power was against corruption. Subsequent coups were triggered by corruption. So, corruption didn’t start today. But I read a publication on Transparency International Corruption Index; it is like when we were in government, the index was even worse than now. I think that corruption is corruption. Anybody found abusing his office, stealing public money should go to jail. That’s the law. You don’t need a coup. All we need is to strengthen the anti-corruption agencies. If need be, set up special courts so that corruption cases will be tried speedily and those found guilty sent to jail. But I am not hearing anything like that. All I am hearing is ‘I will stop corruption’. You don’t stop corruption by suspecting somebody and getting him out and shooting or flogging him publicly. One of the things Obasanjo did for which I will always give him that credit was that on May 29, 1999 when he appointed me, he was intent on setting up an anti-corruption agency. That was ICPC. Later on, EFCC was established. You already have the police. The three should be reinforced. In case of the police, they should have a special arm. It is not bad having three of them checking each other and making sure that there is no action by anyone in favour of anybody. To complement that, set up a special court. We don’t have one now. If what other contending parties struggling for the presidency are saying is that ‘we will do this for the EFCC, that for ICPC or the police’, or send a bill to the National Assembly or set up special courts that when people are caught, the onus will be on them to prove that they are

not corrupt, then we are discussing specifics. What we see is where a person comes up and says ‘I will stop corruption’ and my question is how? All he says is ‘trust me’. No, I won’t trust anybody. But many people believe that the present administration is not fighting corruption head on. Many even say the EFCC has gone docile even as allegations of corruption and financial embezzlement fly around NNPC and all that. ..? People can as say anything they like about the judiciary. At a stage, people were saying that our military do not act; that our military were running away from Boko Haram; that they were not equipped. These are people who have never seen soldiers, let alone fighting war. So, these days when something is said, I look at the person talking and where he is coming from. Where I come from, they say when your enemy kills a lion, you say ‘how can?’ That it is a pussy cat that he killed; that he didn’t kill a lion So, I don’t respond to that type of thing. If there are specific cases of anti-corruption…. this government, as far as I know, when the NNPC one came, they hired people to audit and they have audited. There must be due process. All the noise about EFCC; the governors in the opposition shouting corruption now have files in EFCC. You knew how wealthy some were in 1998, you can see how wealthy they are now. What moral right have they to stand up where I am standing and talk of corruption? We have two major candidates in the forthcoming presidential election: incumbent President Jonathan and former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari. In the light of the foregoing, how do you assess these two men vi-a-vis their chances in the election? I will give a short answer. I am supporting President Goodluck Jonathan completely. And if you remember, in 2011, I didn’t. So, why now? I want the stability of this country. Even in the hospital, doctors know that when a patient comes in, you stabilize that patient before you begin treatment. I was not supporting President Jonathan in 2011 and I was noisy about that because of zoning. But in 2015, I am supporting the President 100 per cent because we need to maintain the stability of this country. You cannot just come and snatch the presidency for contrived reasons without thinking about the effect on the rest of the country. That CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

The wisdom in retaining Jega Villa Notes emmyanule@yahoo.com

Anule Emmanuel

he turn of events in Nigeria’s democratic journey in the past 16 years cannot be adjudged as a waste. Several lessons have been learnt with most stakeholders yet believing that the country was in a learning process. Every election within this period since 1999 has come with changes, innovation and an improvement on past experiences. In recent years, the country’s albatross is the inability to conduct free and credible elections

Obaze

as it is often characterised by electoral frauds. Many Nigerians before now had been of the view that a free and fair election is a mirage in the country since corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation and the do-or-die mentality of some politicians who can go to any length to win elections. One of the such processes which is presently perceived with an attribute and capacity of making a positive impact in the system is the Permanent Voter Cards and the card readers introduced by Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the general elections. As it appears presently, those against the use of the PVC including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party are demanding for the sack of the INEC boss. On his part, Jega has repeat-

edly drummed it into the ears of Nigerians that he is not only determined to conduct free and fair elections but also violent- free polls. Considering the many calls for his sack and the fact that the PDP is neck deep in this agitation, there is fear that President Goodluck Jonathan as leader of the ruling party may have been on the same page with his umbrella. Unfortunately, aside the doubt on the potency of the PVC and allegations of romance with the opposition, Jega’s sins have yet to be thrown open clearly by any one group. It is believed that some power brokers within the ranks of the PDP are, however, already compiling what they described as his ‘sins’ to ensure that Jega proceeds on terminal leave before the elections. Among his alleged “sins” are that the INEC

boss spearheaded the transfer of some INEC officials considered close to the PDP out of their departments where their input might not be useful in the conduct of the elections. Jega, according to the PDP power brokers, gave a defence of the shift in the elections from February 14 in such a manner that has negatively affected the credibility of the presidency and the party itself. Notwithstanding, President Jonathan has assured Nigerians and the international community that he has not at anytime contemplated the sack of the INEC boss. During the last session of the presidential media chart, Jonathan explained that those raising issues on the possibility of sacking Jega were doing so, to cause unnecessary confusion in the polity ahead of the general elections. “And if you ask Jega, he will tell you. I appointed all the commissioners and resident electoral commissioners in INEC. They are my appointees. So, if I feel that Jega is not good enough for obvious reasons, then I can, by that provision of the constitution that gives the person who appoint him the power to remove him. I have not told anybody that I am going to remove Jega. The President noted during the nearly two hours programme. There is need to hold the President by his words and trust him for once too. Beyond the desperation by either of the dominant political parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress to win the forth-coming elections, what must be understood is the fact that Jega also has his integrity and reputation to protect. In 2011, the present INEC chairman conducted an election which both the international community and the administration of President Jonathan adjudged to have been the most freest in the history of the country’s democratic dispensation. After that election, President Jonathan introduced a new concept which he christened “one man, one vote.” With this new concept in mind, the President himself has often emphasized on the need for free, fair and credible elections where votes counts. It is not in doubt that Nigerians before the controversy that has now been thrown up had confidence in the elections which is one of the greatest achievements of President Jonathan. This is because before this time, Nigerians often approached elections without enthusiasm most believing that their votes do not count as politicians would have decided the results before the elections are held. Interestingly, President Jonathan has proven in his recent remarks that he desires a level playing field for all parties in these elections. “I will pack my things and leave to Otueke if I lose” he said in an interview on Al-Jazeera last weekend. There is wisdom in the President’s commitment and non in the call for the sack of the INEC boss who after all, may have by the introduction of the PVC only attempted to establish an administrative electoral procedure that would clean up an existing fraudulent system.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

Politics

Elechi

Nwazunku

Umahi

Elechi and his choking albatross I

Biyi Adegoroye f feelers from Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, are of any significance, the recent intervention of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the political logjam in the state, might be a ruse after all. The peace process designed to save Governor Martins Elechi from being impeached by the state House of Assembly, may have suffered a setback after the governor obtained an injection restraining the lawmakers from carrying out the move. Highlights of the peace meeting which had many governors of the PDP in attendance, was that Elechi should dissolve all the local government caretaker committees and the local development centres which were constituted without recourse to the legislators and revert to status quo ante. Elechi is also expected to collapse the current Labour Party structures into the PDP and promote the interest of the party on whose platform he was elected. But the governor has allegdly given his conditions, topmost of which is that the PDP should concede a senatorial slot to one of his sons who has secured the ticket of the LP for the Senate. But that seemed to have vapourised last week when Justice John Igboji of Abakaliki High Court granted an injunction restraining the Ebonyi State House of Assembly from proceeding with any impeachment processes against Chief Elechi. The order which was at the instance of a motion ex-parte brought by Governor Elechi against the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, the Chief Whip, Hon Kingsley Ikoro on behalf of 14 other members of the Assembly and five others. Justice Igboji also restrained the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Alloy Nwankwo from constituting a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegation of improprieties leveled against Chief Elechi pending the determination of the substantive Another seeming impediment to the peace process was the protest in Abakaliki by scores of women who carried placards full of name calling capable of fanning embers of discord. They include “Burning of Ebonyi Assembly will not make (Dave) Umahi a governor,” “Ebonyi women condemn our governor’s impeachment,” “Ebonyi women say no to political violence” and “Peace is our watchword, say no to violence.”

Impeachment notice Since January this year, the lawmakers appended their signatures to the document on the “Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct against Governor Elechi,” it was not until penultimate week they made their intention public knowledge. They anchored their action on Section 188 of the Constitution, which they said was roundly violated by the governor. The eight-point grounds of impeachment and allegations for which the governor is to defend himself are:

ing the necessary consent of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, with due payment to be completed in May, 2015.

Unlawful appointments That contrary to and in a breach of the express provisions of Sections 7 and 8 of the Ebonyi State Local Government Councils and Development Centres (Amendment) Law No. 001^ of 2007, Governor Martin N. Elechi appointed and inaugurated 28 persons as Coordinators of 28 Development Centres without prior screening and confirmation of each of the appointment by a simple majority of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

Ebonyi Oil and gas shares That the Ebonyi State Government spent N6million in incorporating the Ebonyi Oil & Gas Development Co, Ltd with two hundred million ordinary shares in the year 2013 surprisingly giving 100,000,000 controlling shares to Edon (Nig) Ltd, represented by Edward Nkwcgu, 25,000,000 shares to the governor’s son, Elechi Elechi, 25,000,000 shares to Best Southern Global, while surprisingly giving the financier, the Ebonyi State Government a minority shareholding of 50,000,000. Save the Ebonyi State Government, neither Edon nor Elechi Elechi paid for their shares and are yet directors thereof. The Ebonyi State Govt, though being a minority shareholder, paid N30 million for technical evaluation for the acquisition of OPL 911

Unapproved appointees That contrary to and in violation of the express provisions of Section 7 of the Constitution and without reference to the Ebonyi State House of Assemby Governor Martin N. Elechi appointed and inaugurated a caretaker chairman for each of the 13 local government councils of Ebonyi State. Unapproved Board composition That contrary to and in violation of the express provisions of Sections 197 and 198 of the Constitution, Governor Martin N. Elechi appointed the chairmen and or members and directors of certain statutory bodies and companies, to wit the Ebonyi State Local Government Service Commission , Secondary Education Board , Universal Basic Education Board, State Civil Service Commission, Ebonyi Cement Company Ltd and Ebonyi Oil and Gas Development Co. Ltd, who assumed office and have since been functioning without confirmation by a resolution of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. N3 billion loan That contrary to and in violation of the express provisions of the Constitution, Governor Martin N. Elechi took a N3bn loan in August 2014 from First Bank of Nigeria Plc repayable within 11 months on behalf of the Ebonyi State Government without obtain-

N6 billion loan That contrary to and in violation of the express provisions of the Constitution , Governor Martin N. Elechi took a N6 billion loan in 2013 from United Bank for Africa Plc on behalf of the Ebonyi State Government without obtaining the necessary consent of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly

Contract inflation That Edon Nig. Ltd abandoned the Ebonyi International Trade Centre, which Governor Elechi had approved its over-inflation to N2.4 billion and the sum of N790,221,833.25 was nevertheless paid to Edon between 2008 and 2012. Notwithstanding the said abandonment, Governor Elechi went ahead to award the construction of the International Market contract to Edon Nig. Ltd at a whopping sum of N3.6billion and approved the increase of the contract sum by an additional N 1,940,599,575.25 (about 50% increase). The following month, July 2013, Governor Elechi surreptitiously further increased the contract sum by a further additional sum of N391,204,441.00. From November 2007 to August 2012, Edon received a whopping sum of N3,934,891,025.63, yet the contract remains abysmally performed and is far from completion. Ebonyi Cement shares That the Ebonyi State Government spent over N86million and another N18.3million

incorporating the Ebonyi Cement Co. Ltd with 250 million ordinary shares in February, 2009 surprisingly giving 175,000,000 controlling shares to Edon (Nig) Ltd, represented by Edward Nkwegu, Chief Linus Nwamba 25,000,000 shares, while surprisingly giving the financier, the Ebonyi State Government a minority shareholding of 50,000,000. Neither Edon nor Chief Nwamba paid for their shares and are yet directors thereof. To the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Elechi, Dr. Onyekachi Eni, the whole allegations were politically motivated to embarrass the governor less than 100 days to the end of his tenure. He said government was surprised that the same lawmakers who had been with the governor all this while just woke up to level such allegations against him, adding that that informed government’s resort to a court action. Eni stated that “the whole issue was a power tussle in which some of our peoples here in connivance with some of our illustrious sons in Abuja took the party structure from Governor Elechi, who is on the last lap of his two-year term, forcing him to move his followers to another party.” Reacting to the demonstration in Abakaliki, Director of Media of Chief Umahi, Chief Abia Oyike, urged the governor to face his problems with the House of Assembly and desist from dragging the governorship candidate of the PDP into the current impeachment saga. He said last week’s rally was a ruse, having been carried out “by a rented crowd of illiterate women who were totally oblivious of the issues before the state assembly. “ Oyike said Elechi does not have any mass followership as currently portrayed in the state, because “the governor does not have a proletariat background and spirit.” Oyike said the governor’s policies over the years have been anti-workers. “He is one of the governors who have failed to implement the Basic Minimum Wage in the country. Instead, he imposed a wage regime on the people. He closed down sporting activities and banned Ebonyi Club. So he does not have that followership. He should rather go and defend himself before the House.” As both parties move to court on Tuesday, it remains to be seen whether the court will vacate the order, leaving the governor to respond to the allegations, or the issues which have engendered a rancorous political climate in the state will be resolved by party leaders to put an end to the current dance of shame.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

Ambode’s flag project excites students, teachers

Stanley Ihedigbo e may be busy with campaigns all over Lagos State, espousing the message of continuity, but the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, is also creatively creating time for other humanitarian projects that reveal his patriotic disposition and showcases his passion for excellence. One of such programmes is the Flags Project, which he is executing through his non-governmental organisation - the La Roche Leadership Foundation. It is a unique initiative that started two years ago but which has reverberated throughout Lagos in the past one month as a statewide project that seeks to commission the Lagos State Flag and the Nigerian Flag in all public primary and secondary schools in the state. This is aimed at imbibing the culture of patriotism, unity and responsibility in the students towards their state and country as a whole according to Ambode, who since his retirement as the Accountant General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in 2012, has ran a successful Public Finance company, Brandsmith Consulting before venturing into politics. Since the inception of the project, the focus has been to “catch them young” by instilling patriotic zeal in students, particularly in public schools “so that they can develop a good appreciation for the values of unity and peaceful coexistence in their fatherland.” For someone who is a son of a school teacher and

Ambode

disciplinarian and who has developed himself educationally with a master’s degree in Accounting as well as qualifying as a chartered accountant at 24, the values that education brings are non-negotiable. And this is the reason why Ambode says he is passionate about anything that will put education and patriotic values on the front burner. And he finds time to be directly involved in this laudable project. As at last week, the foun-

dation had commissioned flags in 18 schools spread across five local government areas in the state. According to the coordinator of the project, Mrs. Marina Osoba, the Flags Project has previously been through two stages where a total of 11 schools were covered. Now in its third stage, it has reached additional seven schools, some of which include Surulere Secondary School, Surulere and Wahab Folawiyo Senior High School, Ikoyi; Kiniun-Ifa Nurs-

Ogun needs financial re-engineering, says Paseda Prince Rotimi Paseda, the governorship candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria in Ogun State in this interview with KUNLE OLAYENI, speaks on his vision and programmes for the state if elected in the April 11 governorship election Your entry into the governorship race in Ogun State seems to have altered the political equations. What is the driving force behind your campaign? This, for me, is a lot more than politics; it is very personal. I am determined to influence a change in Ogun State and indeed Nigeria; God willing. I really can’t do everything for everybody but I believe that they deserve that little assistance and the only way to do it is to get in there. As a non-politician, I was looking for somebody to sponsor to run for the governorship position. That was what I asked the party to do. And they looked and told me that the person could get there and decide to do otherwise. I believe so much in Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s legacies. I can’t even see myself doing anything else. If it wasn’t UPN and Awolowo, I would not be in politics. I have friends who were in politics and I never even thought of joining them. Two of my friends were ministers, and I even assisted them financially but I would never have joined them because I don’t believe in their ideology. I can never see myself sitting down with them in the same political party because I believe it’s too much elitist and too much of self. We need to make less of us and more of the people we are governing. If you look at the stability that we are seeing in UPN today, it’s because the elite think less of themselves and more of the people. If we have social security in Nigeria, 90 per cent of people that are com-

plaining that politicians are stealing money won’t complain. Because the man that can eat three square meals; the man that has housing that is not paying rent will be happy; he will not look elsewhere. The driving force for me is that this UPN legacy must stay and survive and I would give my right arm to see UPN as the only party of the future. The UPN has four cardinal programmes, including free education at all levels. How effective would you manage this with the somewhat limited income portfolio of the state? It doesn’t take brain surgery. When I first started, I promised free education. I was taking a very giant leap of faith believing that where there is a will, there is a way. However, everybody – the SDP, PDP, and APC – said I’m being deceptive; that free education impossible. I beg to differ because our late sage whom I refer to as my mentor was also told that free education was not possible. Yet, with the meagre income of cocoa, he made it possible. Weeks into my campaign, the same free health that they said it’s not possible, APC introduced it but with a little twist. They called it contributory health insurance and they pay N4,000 per citizen; it’s semi-free. But they said it wasn’t possible. Two weeks ago, Gbenga Nasiru Isiaka of the PDP categorically stated in a newspaper interview that free education is possible with good management. That’s a change; they said it wasn’t possible and that we can’t afford it. Now they are saying it’s possible. By all standards, if I were to talk in Naira, I run a multi-billion Naira businesses outside Nigeria and I didn’t get there without taking risks; you take calculated risks of course. You do your risk assessment, then you take your leap of confidence and faith. I took a look at governance in Nigeria, and Ogun State especially, and I compared it with my own private business and I see a lot of complete avoidable waste! First of all, the cost of governing a state is too much. Secondly, what we have here is a government that concentrates too much on infrastructural develop-

ment. Though infrastructural development is a good thing, but at what cost? If we are spending N116billion on infrastructural development overall in the budget, education will cost us hypothetically N1.4billion per year. It does not take a genius to do the arithmetic; you cut down 50 percent on infrastructural development and you will be able to fund your education. What I’m looking at is financial reengineering, government re-engineering. We are not where UK and US are yet, so the aesthetics that we are looking at should not be our priority now. Lagos can be saying that being a major business hub and cosmopolitan city. But Ogun State, we are far from it. We shouldn’t be spending so much at the expense of our people. What I’m saying is that I’m going to move some of those spending from where it is now to education. CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

Paseda

ery and Primary school, Gbagada, Agidingbi Nursery and Primary School, Expressway Nursery and Primary School, and Rauf Aregbesola Nursery and Primary School. In each school visited, the La Roche team was received by enthusiastic teachers and students who expressed gratitude and commendation for this initiative that is hoisting the Nigerian and Lagos flags in strategic locations at places of learning. In each of the school visits, the children are put through the process of hoisting the flags by an expert volunteer, after which an interactive session is held to further intimate them with the needed details. The foundation has also taken the project to the Special Correctional Centre for Boys (SCCB) in Oregun, going a step further to donate household items and accouterments to the boys. Thankfully, some members of the organised private sector have keyed into the morale of the project, and have shown tremendous support by taking practical steps to partner with the La Roche foundation in commissioning the flags in some of the schools. Toyota Nigeria Limited, CuroTen organisation and Laser Pointe Limited, are some of the notable partners in the course of the project. Asides hoisting the flags in these schools, Osoba explained that the project includes the distribution of instructional fliers that contain descriptive and pictorial information about the flags and other national emblems, which are intended to further teach patriotism, give identity and preach nationhood to the young ones. Osoba explained that the project would add value to the lives of the pupils and make them grow into better adults with requisite understanding of their roles in nation building. She stated this while also underlining the importance of targeting these individuals in their formative years. “We looked at our public schools and found out that there is this paucity, more or less, a lack of relevant information amongst most of these pupils, especially about the world around them and also about values of unity, patriotism and leadership. This project seeks to address that situation by taking a practical step to reverse the ignorant trend.” She added that Ambode, “initiated the project to explore the inquisitive nature of these kids who are still in their formative years, and make them identify with core nationalistic values that will eventually make them outstanding adults in the future.” It was James E. Faust that said: “Among the other values children should be taught are respect for others, beginning with the child’s own parents and family; respect for patriotic beliefs and the symbols of faith; respect for law and order; respect for the property of others; respect for authority”, it is with this wise counsel in mind, according to Osoba, that the Flags project has received enthusiastic reception with Lagos public schools. One of the volunteers for the project stated that the enthusiasm of the pupils they had met so far in the schools already visited, reveals their eagerness to learn new and relevant things. The volunteer said such attitude would keep fueling the foundation’s resolve to continue with the project and cover all Lagos schools.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

Politics

Crisis hits PVC distribution in Plateau Musa Pam

I have gone to court to seek the permission to use temporary voter cards, INEC should allow this because they cannot deprive my people of the right to vote

I Jos

n spite of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s attainment of 80 per cent permanent voter card distribution in the country as the new extension ends today, it seems many states are lagging dangerously behind in the exercise. The distribution in Lagos, Edo, Abia, Ebonyi, Ogun and Plateau states has been far from impressive. In Plateau in particular, it has continued to generate a lot of controversies as many voters including Governor Jonah Jang are yet to receive their PVCs. Jang sues INEC Just last week, Governor Jang picked holes in the claims of 80 per cent distribution and instituted a law suit against INEC for its failure to provide the rest of the PVCs belonging to the state. Jang is not only embittered by his inability to get a permanent voters card, he said that the lopsided distribution of the PVCs in the state and some parts of the country can destroy Nigeria’s democracy. Speaking in Jos, he expressed disappointment over the distribution which he said has started generating controversies among political parties, especially between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the main opposition All Progressives Congress. He said: “If this election was held on February 14, could we sincerely have said that INEC was ready for it? We have many areas in Plateau State that have not received their PVCs, not that these PVCs are in Abuja but I am told they have not been printed at all. “What is the guarantee that these PVCs will get to Nigeria before the March 8 deadline? Honestly, we appreciated Professor Attahiru Jega when he conducted the 2011 elections, but whether some people are sabotaging his efforts or he himself is not aware of this, only God knows. But when these PVCs came to Jos North, one section got their own and the other did not. It is the same thing in Jos South and other places.” He said the political parties should put more pressure on INEC to do the right thing and expedite actions on the provision of the cards instead of seeing it as an opportunity to play politics and to make insinuations. Jang stated that “It is wrong for us to argue on this on the basis of political affiliations. It is not healthy for our nation; we are behaving as if the PVCs that had been collected were for a particular party. Citizens of Nigeria register

Jang

to vote; no one knows who they would vote for. So I thought all political parties should have put pressure on INEC to ensure that everything is done to have a credible election in this country rather than playing on sentiment that PDP wants to sack Jega” On his resort to court action, Jang said he is in court to get an order to allow use of temporary cards if the Commission is unable to provide the PVCs. He threatened to announce to the people of Plateau to go to their respective voting centres with their temporary voters’ slips if INEC did not provide the permanent ones by the end of today. “I have gone to court to seek the permission to use temporary voter cards, INEC should allow this because they cannot deprive my people of the right to vote because it is not their fault. We used this temporary voter card in the 2011 elections; we have used them for local government election here in Plateau State without any problem, “So I am advocating if by March 8 my people have not received their PVC, I am going to make an announcement that anybody who has the temporary voter card should go to the polling units and vote.

“I want to assure my people that they would vote, no electoral officer will stop my people if they go to vote with their temporary voters cards. Their names are in the register; they did not steal the temporary voter cards. So as far as I am concerned, they are legal tender except they are exchanged for permanent voter cards. Accusations A group in the state, Plateau Youth Vanguard, which supports the decision of the governor, has also accused INEC of actions capable of depriving residents of the state, especially areas dominated by the PDP of their PVCs ahead of the elections. The group alleged that INEC seemed to be playing a script of the APC in the state. Chairman of the group Mr. Joseph Goyit lamented that the “skewed distribution of the PVCs by INEC in some local government areas in the state favours the APC.” Goyit pointed out that some communities that are presumably APC dominated have since received the PVCs even before the postponement of the elections, while some of the communities which support the PDP have not. He said: “Over 527 polling units in Plateau State were described as zero polling units after the 2011 general election. By implication, their names were deleted from the voter’s register and the affected areas which are predominantly PDP, participated actively in the continuous voters registration exercise in November, 2014 but they are yet to have their PVCs.

‘Ogun needs financial re-engineering’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 8

Did you intend to concentrate the finances of the state into education sector? We are committed. Government is a continuum. I must finish every single project that this government has embarked on. But I have to look for the money to do it. I’m talking specifically on education here. When we are doing our budget, we are going to lay more emphasis on funding education and health, rather than this so-called infrastructural development. We need to integrate our rural communities with our towns. But do we need a four-lane road? I don’t think so. Even in the UK that we talk about, there are single lane roads and they have potholes and they patch them and they are still usable. Go to highbrow areas like Swiss Cottage, there are two lanes and they are not as big as what we have here. In some other places like Notitnghill Gate, you have single lanes. Those ones have been there for ages and they maintain there. These are civilised countries. They are not going to turn around and say let’s knock all those buildings down and make the roads wider. It’s wrong, it’s misplaced priority. We need to change that.

Education is doable in every single way that you can look at it. I don’t want to go into the full details and intricacies of how it’s going to happen. But I can assure you and I’ve always being saying to the people: if they count the votes today and I win, they should stop paying fees at public schools. They don’t even have to wait till I’m sworn in. What is your take on the Olokola project, described as the future fountain of the state but which appears to have been neglected by the present administration in the state? Government is a continuum. When an incoming governor thinks he owns the state, then we have a problem. Otunba Gbenga Daniel started the project but his successor does not like the face of Gbenga Daniel and he goes the opposite way just to undo Gbenga. It is nonsensical really. In an ideal world, there should be a law to prevent them from wasteful spending of public funds. My own personal opinion is that I would not neglect it because it’s going to help the development of the state. Whether it is Gbenga Daniel that initiated it or Ibikunle Amosun, it matters not. What matters is: it is good for the state and therefore, I’m

going to revisit that exactly as I am going to finish what Amosun has started. It’s not about me or Amosun, it’s about the state. We cannot terminate a project that has been started in the name of the good people of Ogun State. There is due diligence and probity. The issue here is that a project has been started, is it worth so much? The job that has been done, does it justify the amount that has been paid? Are you invariably saying you are going to probe the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun if elected? I’m not interested in witch-hunting anybody. There are so many things that need to be done. All I’m saying is that if 100 contracts have been awarded to 100 companies – I don’t want to know who the companies are – my interest is that if they’ve taken N100,000 of the state money and they’ve spent it on the project, that’s all that I need to know. But if they have not spent what they have received from the state, I will compel them to come and do the job. There will be a period that would be given for them to source the funds from wherever they want to source it and come back and finish the job.

Reacting to accusations by the PDP in the state that only the APC dominated areas have so far received their PVC, APC Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Festus Fuanter, said the accusation was fallacious. He added that the distribution of the voter cards was done through the local government councilors, 90 per cent of whom are PDP members Fuanter said: “The statement by the PDP is not correct because we have on record that INEC had disqualified 600,000 voters in the state for their involvement in double registration. These persons so disqualified can be supporters of APC and PDP. We at the APC are very concerned by the situation because such a number is very high and I think that is why people have been complaining about the distribution in the state.” He alleged that PDP councilors in the state have been manipulating the distribution of the PVC and not the APC. Senator Gyang Pwajok, PDP’s governorship candidate in the state, has also expressed serious concerns over INEC’S inability to distribute over the PVCs in state. He said the development was a sad and worrisome one. “A situation where up to 800, 000 people are yet to collect their PVCs is worrisome. It is also a possible reflection of the apathy building up ahead of the general elections” On the extension of the dates of collection to February 8, Pwajok said it is a step in the right direction “Plateau people must get out of that fear of being disenfranchised, and begin to wake up to their civic responsibilities and collect their PVCs and ensure that, at the end, even if they are found in the rural areas or the cities that this odd should not be against the state”. INEC, CAN react Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria in the state, Reverend Soja Bewarang and other senior clergymen have led some members of the association to INEC office to protest the unequal distribution of PVC in the state. Bewarang, while speaking with the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Godwin Kwanga, along with other principal staff of the commission, said that the visit was designed to underscore the conviction that if the anomaly in the distribution was not corrected forthwith, the entire process stands the risk of worldwide condemnation. According to him, the situation required urgent attention to enable people exercise their franchise in the forthcoming elections. “We are worried to say the least, and we can even smell a rat over the distribution pattern.” The CAN chairman, therefore, appealed to the leadership of INEC at the state and national levels to expedite action on the supply and distribution of PVCs at all the designated collection centers. Dr. Kwanga, in his response said the commission was making concerted efforts to address the situation, adding that the association’s apprehension was genuine and understandable. According to him, the Commission was yet to receive the PVC supply of Jos North, Langtang North local government areas and Naraguta B ward, adding that in some areas, the commission has refused to release their PVCs to avoid confusion. He said such areas will receive the cards as soon as they were all ready, because the commission would not distribute them in batches. He said that out of the 2,003,046 registered voters in the state, only 1,427,227 PVCs have been distributed. The Commission’s Head of Voter Education/Publicity, Osaretin Imahiyereobo said out of the total registered voters, INEC has so far received the total of 1,671,038 cards and has also distributed 1,427,227 to potential electorate across the 17 local governments of the state. He called on those who have not collected their PVC to exercise patience as the commission was working hard to ensure that all the voters’ cards in the state are distributed before the March 28 presidential election.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

‘Criminals now lead campaign rallies’ Comrade Jackson Ojo, a chieftain of the People Democratic Party and the National Coordinator of Yoruba Youth Alliance in this interview with ADEOLU ADEYEMO, warns politicians against hate speech, expressing worries that people of questionable character have taken over political rallies in the country After the forthcoming elections, do you see the nation remaining as one indivisible entity as allegedly negatively predicted by the US? Anyway, Nigeria will not breakup after the elections, although there may be little crises but by His grace, they are going to be controlled because a lot of people are seriously praying for the country to remain an indivisible entity. The future of the country is very bright except for bad leaders that are in the saddle now. Some of our men of God in this country appear not to be helping the situation. They appear as people that have been bought over to cause disunity among the religions in the country. Some of them instead of coming together as fathers to all; they are doing Naira and Dollar predictions. All that we hear now from them is predictions and counter predictions. The coming elections will not break the country but make us to be stronger as a nation. My advice is that the military and other security agents should not allowed them to be used as tools in truncating the current democracy. What is your assessment of the approach adopted by the political parties despite the peace accord signed by President Goodluck Jonathan and the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari? The approaches adopted by the parties in the country have shown that our style of politics is still crude and undeveloped in the last 16 years of democracy. Our approaches to campaigns are not issue-based. It is because there are no clear cut manifestos by our parties. All the manifestos by the parties are only on the papers. Some members, or rather those contesting on the platform the parties do not

Ojo

even know what the symbol of his or her political party stands for. It is as bad as that. Though, there is relatively peace all over, but the current politicians have continued to heat up the polity with the utterances and action. Their approach to campaign cannot woo new members to their party and a few disgruntled elements from both major parties are causing lot of damage to the polity. My belief is that this set of people were recruited for a purpose by their parties and my advice to both

President Jonathan, General Buhari and their parties is that they should find a way of controlling those working for them in the interest of the generality and growth of our democracy. There is need for the leaders to embark on issue-based campaigns and not campaign of bitterness and calumny that we are witnessing at the rallies. All these unnecessary petty talks and pull him down syndrome must stop. What we want to hear from them is how President Jonathan will improve on his style of governance, what he plans to do when he gets reelected. What we want to hear from APC and Buhari is how he plans to surpass the present achievements of Jonathan and move the nation forward. This is the only thing that can make the peace accord to work and achieve its aims. We want to appreciate those that fashioned it. It is good for our democracy. But some people appear to be beating drum of war should a particular candidate win or lose. What is your take on this? It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this lawlessness situation. How on earth these few disgruntled elements would be beating the drum of war through their actions and utterances and our security agen-

cies have not done anything to check it? The nation’s security apparatus appeared not working on intelligence gathering again until an unfortunate incidence happened that you now see them moving all about as if it is sudden development. It is only in Nigeria that such lawlessness occurs, it is only in Nigeria that corrupt persons and government officials would be behaving as if he or she is God sent, it is only in Nigeria where if pays to be corrupt than to be decent, it is only in Nigeria where people commits treasonable felony and will be celebrated because he or she is close to the corridor of power and money bag politicians. It is only in Nigeria where people are not allowed to vote during party primaries but candidates of the godfathers are crowned as standard bearers of parties. It is only here where bravado is taken for bravery, where criminality is taken for smartness and where rascality is taken for radicalism. For instance, how many people that have committed treasonable felony have been made to face the full wrath of the law in the country in recent time? How many corrupt officers have been adequately sanctioned in the recent time? What we are seeing today is that criminals and corrupt officials are the one leading our political campaign rallies. What is your reaction to threat of peace by some individuals or groups? Aside from army, the nation security operatives have disappointed Nigerians in numerous ways that we cannot continue to mention. They have reneged on their constitutional oaths to Nigerians. How on earth can the likes of Asari Dokubo and Government Tombolo be threatening the peace of the land and nothing happens? Should such threats come from the opposition, you will see what have happen. This is not the way and manner the nation can grow. We are not helping the future of our children. We are trying to create problems for them and posterity will not speak well about the current leadership if something urgent is not done. These are the kind of people that supposed to be in jail by now.

Obasanjo’s exit from PDP is painful –Nwosu C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

was what led to the civil war and the instability. And it should not be allowed. Due process must go on. If he is not returned by due process, so be it. But you cannot simply make up your mind and snatch it and that’s why I have been pleading that the presidential election must not be fought on the North/South divide. If you fight this on the North/South divide, any northerner who supports a southerner will be seen as a traitor and a southerner who supports a northerner will also be seen as a traitor and his children will be seen as traitors. In Igbo land, we call them saboteurs. So, let’s remove the North/South divide. If that is the only thing we achieve, I will be at ease. We must run this as an election. We must retain our friendship whether people are northerners or minorities or majorities. But where you think that you have the number and power and you can sit down and snatch it, it portends danger for this country. As a national figure and eminent Igbo man, where do you find the Igbo in the whole of these political calculations? It is a shame that the Igbo people are where they have placed themselves. The Igbo people have been seen as cannon fodder. When there is problem in the country, it is the people that are killed. When brothers quarrel with brothers and there is riot, it is Igbo shops that get looted. When soldiers kill themselves, it is the Igbo civilians that get killed and the Igbo have not sat down to decide, but they are deciding now.

In 2011, my concern was to factor in the Igbo in the zoning. It didn’t go that way because a lot of Igbo didn’t see it our way. This particular one, I am not even thinking of Igbo because we say that if you want to sleep, you will first of all struggle and get the sleeping space before you start looking for the mat and mattress to lie on. The Igbo are Nigerians. The Igbo are found in all the troubled states in Nigeria including Chibok. It is in the interest of the Igbo for us to continue to be Nigerians. Nigeria took it for granted once in 1966 and Igbo went back. It should not be taken for granted. The Igbo, sooner or later, they will find out that life does not begin and end with Rolls Royce and private jets but that life begins and ends with getting your rightful due in a country that you call your own. Against the background of post-election crisis in 2011 which claimed many lives, what would be your recommendations to achieving violence-free elections? I won’t answer that question directly. I would tell you that each time a list is published like the Madalla Christmas bombings; the Igbo took the list of those that died and noted that 80 something per cent of them were Ndigbo; and it didn’t make any Igbo happy at all. Whether it was Boko Haram or whatever, it didn’t make anybody happy. In the 2011 postelection violence, Igbo people also calculated their losses and it didn’t make them happy. This time, the advice we are giving the Igbo is ‘you have suffered it before, don’t run’. We

had a poem that helped us to survive the civil war called “If We Must Die.” I recommend that to Ndigbo. ‘If you have lived anywhere and made your living and the others have made your own place their living, don’t run’. But it is the duty of the President to guarantee lives and property and, no matter how anybody may shriek that he should not deploy soldiers and security agencies, he should not listen. It is his duty to deploy security agencies in order to protect lives and property and we expect him to do it this time. You cannot go anywhere and see Igbo gathered and then you start breaking their shops and killing them. Security agencies should shoot such people on sight wherever they are. That’s why when somebody says ‘don’t deploy soldiers’, I say better watch those people. What are they planning? We that want to be protected are not saying don’t deploy, it is those that want to attack us that are saying don’t deploy. And that is dangerous. Many people are calling for Professor Attahiru Jega’s removal before the elections. Where do you stand on that? Whatever has a beginning always has an end. Jega had a beginning and all Nigerians hailed, Jega will also have an end whether it is now or in the future. I am not interested in that. But Jega should make sure he ends well. The postponement is all Jega’s fault. It is not security agencies. For Jega, a professor, to be saying that he was ready when Lagos had 38 percent collection of the PVCs, where you have the highest number of registered

voters, falls short of my rating of an academic. Second, the figures that Jega submitted to the Council of State, Yobe State had less than 1.1 million. It had collected over 800,000 PVCs while Enugu had 1.45 million and collected only 700,000, less than Yobe and there is no insurgency in Enugu. Again, it defies logic and logic is what defines an academic. Jega must be thanking God for the postponement and the time it gives him to make up for these selfevident lapses and then correct what needs to be corrected and build confidence in Nigerians that he can do the job. But whether he is there or not to do the job, it is not my concern. This country is bigger than a human being whether President or presidential aspirant or whatever. Your former principal, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo recently tore his PDP membership card and exited from the party. How do you see that? To most of us who know President Obasanjo, it was the most painful action to watch because he benefited immensely more than any other human on earth from our effort to form the PDP, starting from the All Politicians Summit and that upset many of us. I don’t think he should have done that. To do it publicly is unheard of, unthinkable. It could not have been done by anybody while he was President because he was a very strong President and the basic law is: don’t do what you will not have others do. I will stop there. But it was a terrible thing to behold.

Life SUNDAY

SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015

Bearing witness – Why we need records I

Toyin Saraki

n a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, data collection is fraught with difficulty. Nonetheless, whether this is in elections, censuses, or health surveys, data-based evidence is a vital component that must be committed to by the country as a whole. As demonstrated during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) process, coherent data that can be used to set targets and benchmark efforts is crucial for success. Moving into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era will require accurate data for setting accurate goals and measuring progress. Data and records may not be the most newsworthy election topic. It may not even seem like the most newsworthy topic with regard to the SDGs, but there is an unassailable human aspect to record keeping. After all, at a time when Nigerians are striving to secure their right to vote in free, fair and transparent elections, the right to bear witness is increasingly important. Bearing witness to the lives of Nigerians is important because it directly correlates to evidence-based action in policy, and plays a crucial role in human dignity, especially with respect to domestic violence and population indices. Domestic violence is a global epidemic with statistics estimating that just under a third of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their partner. The numbers are even starker in Nigeria. One in two Nigerian women are routinely abused by their husband, and more than two thirds of women are believed to have experienced physical, sexual and psychological abuse. This number may be even higher as our woefully weak reporting structures mean that many domestic violence crimes are unrecorded. Consequently, too many victims suffer in silence. This can be resolved through comprehensive legislation that enables victims to report their abusers within a safe and supportive environment. As a board member of the Global Foundation for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (GFEDV) and a member of the Nigerian Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women (LACVAW), I have frequently called for Nigeria’s National Assembly to pass the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill. The bill was developed 13 years ago to put in place the legislative structures for reporting and recording domestic violence crimes, as well as enacting prevention strategies and justice mechanisms. On March 14, 2013, I was overjoyed that the Nigerian House of Representatives had finally passed the bill. This joy dissolved into disappointment as almost two years later, the VAPP bill has yet to be approved by the Senate.

Ado Ekiti

Passing the VAPP Bill, and signing it into law will enable Nigeria to improve reporting structures and criminalise abuse. Improved reporting structures will allow the definition of domestic abuse to be expanded and the stigmas facing survivors to be reduced. In the upcoming election, I urge politicians to commit to passing the VAPP Bill to empower victims, break down stigmas, and end cycles of domestic abuse that can destroy families for generations. Bearing witness to the lives of domestic violence survivors will provide them with the dignity and agency to take control of their futures. The human dignity afforded by bearing witness to the lives of domestic violence survivors is echoed in how we register births and deaths in Nigeria. Birth registration is the very first act in recognising a child’s inalienable rights as a human being. It is this inalienable right that is similarly recognised in death registration. Bearing witness at the beginning and end of each life provides that person with human dignity because it emphasises that their life matters, that their death was counted, and that their rights are officially recognised by their government. Despite existing legal provisions for birth and death registration, registration numbers are exceptionally low in Nigeria, with only a third of all newborns registered at birth. Death registration figures are even lower, with just under 12% of households surveyed registering deaths in the last 10 years. The importance of registering births and deaths cannot be overstated. Without a birth certificate, children

Despite existing legal provisions for birth and death registration, registration numbers are exceptionally low in Nigeria, with only a third of all newborns registered at birth do not legally exist and consequently, their right to an identity, nationality, and basic government provisions could be threatened. Birth registration lays the foundation for school and health records, as well as effectively countering the problem of child marriage, as official birth certificates can definitively prove age. Similarly, death registration provides records related to causes of death, mortality rates, and accurate data for population estimates. Tackling the barriers to birth and death registrations must be a priority in this pivotal year for development. Without accurate records, we cannot accelerate national progress towards the MDGs or have a meaningful understanding of how to efficiently implement the SDGs when they are set. In order to overcome the barriers to registration, we must urgently increase the number of registration centres, implement a nationwide sensitivity programme on the importance of birth and death registration, and strengthen institutional capacity for

measuring our health and population indices. Without this urgent action, our country’s diligent work towards improving our social, economic and health indices will remain mired in darkness. We cannot improve our social indices without accurate data on domestic violence. We cannot improve our economic indices without accurate data on population growth. We cannot improve our health indices without accurate data on health records. Data may seem unnecessary but there are human lives, and human dignity at stake. This is why I led the global call to bring back our girls following the kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in Chibok. For too long, a lack of records would have meant these girls would have been forgotten but standing up and bearing witness to the crime that had been committed gave these girls a global voice. It gave these girls dignity. It showed that they mattered. We must follow this through in our policies by standing up and bearing witness to every single Nigerian life – at the beginning, middle, and end. We must show our children that they matter and that they have inalienable rights. We must show our fellow brothers and sisters that they need not suffer violence in silence. We must show our friends and families that there is dignity in reporting death. When we can do this, we will truly succeed in improving our social, economic, and health indices. •Mrs. Toyin Saraki is a former first lady of Kwara State

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Life

How tide turned against Boko Haram

Emmanuel Onani oko Haram, Nigeria’s local terror group, began its ideological campaign to foist an Islamic Caliphate on Nigeria in 2009. It was the same year the sect’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Arguably, his death added much impetus to the group’s activities, as successive leaders and commanders elevated the culture of violence to a dangerous height, leading to the current theatre of the absurd in the North East. This is a spectacle that has continued to leave in its trail suffering, sorrow, death and destruction. As at the last count, the Boko Haram insurgency has claimed over 12,000 lives and has left about one million people displaced. To be sure, an estimated 1663 residents of Baga, Borno State, according to the National Emergency Management Agency, fled their homes in January, in the aftermath of what Amnesty International described as Boko Haram’s deadliest attack, since the sect began its bloody campaign. “The attack on Baga and surrounding towns looks as if it could be Boko Haram’s deadliest act in a catalogue of increasingly heinous attacks carried out by the group. If reports that the town was largely razed to the ground and that hundreds or even as many as 2000 civilians were killed are true, this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram’s ongoing onslaught against the civilian population,” AI’s Researcher, Daniel Eyre, was quoted as saying. The course of history - as it relates to Boko Haram and its orgy of violence - has, however, changed in recent times, as Nigerian troops, buoyed by the acquisition of military equipment and hardware, have turned the tide against the insurgents. Reports from the battlefield indicate that the terrorists have been thrown into disarray, what with the unrelenting bombardment of their camps by Nigerian Air Force jets and relentless assault by ground troops. The reversal of fortunes against Boko Haram is attributable to the growing rapprochement between Nigeria and France on one hand, and Nigeria and China, on the other. It is no longer news that shortly after the United States rallied its Western allies, to embargo the sale of arms to Nigeria on allegations of human rights abuses by the military, the Federal Government found ready markets in France and China. Hardware from France are said to be the ones largely neutralising the capacity of Boko Haram. Since November 2014,when this success story began with the recapture of Mubi (the second largest town in Adamawa State) and Vintim (the ancestral home of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh), there seems to be no let-up in the renewed counter-insurgency operation, as can be seen in the continuous liberation of territories, which were hitherto subdued and humiliated by the fighters. Official figures put the total number of liberated towns at 38 (as at the time of writing this report); this being the total summation of the figure released by the Coordinator of the National Information Centre and Director General of National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri, and that presented by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), MajGen. Chris Olukolade. Omeri had at the February 26 NIC briefing in Abuja, announced that troops had so far

Nigerian soldiers clustered atop a tracked Steyr 4K 7FA Armoured Personnel Carrier

This success includes the stiff resistance against insurgent incursion into the country at several locations and the recapture of several towns and settlements recaptured 30 territories from Boko Haram, even as he said the renewed strides include resistance to any form of insurgents’ incursion into the country. His words: “Since our last briefing... some remarkable success has been recorded by the Nigerian military forces in the ongoing war against terror in the North Eastern part of the country. “This success includes the stiff resistance against insurgent incursion into the country at several locations and the recapture of several towns and settlements which had Boko Haram presence earlier. “These include Gabchari, Abba Jabari, Gajigana, Gajiram, Damakar, Kumaliwa, Bosso, Wanti, Jeram and Karisungul which are currently under the firm control of our gallant troops... “These are in addition to Hong, Mubi North/South, Maiha, Michika, Shuwa, Wuro Gyambi, Gombi, Vimtim, Uba and Bazza (Adamawa); Mafa, Gamboru-Ngala, Malam-Fatori, Abadam, Marte, Monguno and Baga (Borno); Gujba and Gulani (Yobe) which had earlier been liberated.” A day after Omeri’s declaration, Olukolade had, in a statement, said troops had liberated eight additional communities. The February 27 statement reads: “Troops have finally routed terrorists from Bara, the headquarters of Gulani Local Government Area of Yobe State and Gulak, the headquar-

ters of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State in the early hours of today, Friday. “The fierce fighting that preceded the clearing of towns and other communities resulted in appreciable casualties on the terrorists, the capture of some of them, the recovery and destruction of arms, thousands of assorted rounds ammunition as well as vehicles and other equipment including; Anti-Aircraft Guns, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Grenades, Multi-barrel bombs, Multibarrel Grenade Launchers, rifles and mortar guns. “Other locations also cleared in the course of the two days operation include, Shikah, Fikayel, Tetebah, Buza, Kamla and Bumsa.” Also last Monday, the DDI, in a tweet, announced that Kukawa Geri, a town in Yobe State, had been successfully cleared of insurgent elements. Announcing the recapture of Kukawa Geri, the DDI had said: “Troops are dominating operations in KukawaGeri, Gujba in Yobe. Rid of terrorists on Sunday. Cordon and search ongoing there now.” Aside from the liberation of territories by troops, other interesting dimensions that deserve passionate accentuation are the killing and arrests of some of the fighters, as well as the capture, in some cases, and destruction in others, of sophisticated weapons. Some of these equipment include AntiAircraft Guns, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Rock Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and Hilux vehicles. Regional alliance against Boko Haram The decision by Chad, Cameroon and Niger to rally their armies against the rampaging sect, was widely applauded by Nigerians, especially the military high command. The neighbouring countries’ individual and collective efforts came as a huge relief, against the backdrop of the known fact that most of the insurgents, before the new arrangement,

Source: beegeagle.wordpress.com

launched attacks from there and ran back once their missions were accomplished. The situation was rather frustrating for the Nigerian military, as troops could not pursue the fighters beyond Nigerian borders, in line with international laws and conventions. Prior to the latest development, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, had held a couple of separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Cameroon and Chad. For instance, in early February, Badeh met his Chadian counterpart, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Mahamat, in Abuja, where both harmonised operational strategies to deal with Boko Haram. At the strategy meeting, Badeh and Mahamat signed an addendum to an existing Memorandum of Understanding. Giving a brief insight into the MoU, the CDS had said: “As I said earlier... what we have is just an addition to the MoU we signed in Chad on the 18th of January, 2015. “We are aware you are already working around Fotokol and Gamboru Ngala, while we are working from the southern part, so that we can meet somewhere in the middle and finish this thing once and for all. We have been working together since, and they came in now to clear some grey areas, that is what we have done and we have just made an addendum to the MoU. “And, you are aware that because of the failure of the multilateral or the inadequacies of the multilateral agreement...myself and the Chief of Army Staff flew to N’Djamena and held talks with you.” Though, a meeting to formally establish a regional force against Boko Haram is scheduled to hold in one of the countries under the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) before the end of March, Chad and Cameroon will continue to battle the insurgents around their respective borders, while Nigerian troops intensify their assaults internally, backed by intensive air strikes.

lovely about these staples is their glittering look that makes them so special. They are a hot outfit to rock at the red carpet, special occasions and for looking expensive and classy. But sequins are not just for adorning as fancy frocks. You can incorporate sequins into your

ber that less can be more. Sure, you want to shine, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that there are plenty of subtle ways to do it. Styling can also bring new life to your sequin pieces. You can pair sequins with a chambray shirt for a fun, edgy look. Style sequin trousers

and shine in sequins. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a party, a night in the town with friends, date night with the hubby or just everyday casual chic, sequins are in. Every fab girl needs to own at least one sparkly piece.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Unwanted hair? Get rid of it fast

Vanessa Okwara

here’s nothing sexy about a man with hair sticking out of his ear and nose. So also the dude with bushy unkempt beard or stubble. It is important, therefore, for every male to learn how to get good hair maintenance and keep your looks neat and polished. Hair on the male grows majorly in areas such as the head, chin, ears, nose, chest and genitals. A very hairy guy also grows bushy hair on shoulders and neck. Care should be taken to ensure hair in these areas do not become bushy and unsightly. Have a routine schedule when you address these issues such as daily for stubble trimming, weekly for nose hair trimming, bi-weekly perhaps for the back of the neck hair. Have quality tools at home that can help you keep your hair in check. The right tool for the job is critical. It saves you time and money in the long-run. Here are a few tips to

keep the hair on your body neat as well as groomed.

your whole handsome face.

Unkempt Beards and Mustaches There is nothing wrong with wearing beards if your work place accepts it but you must make sure it’s properly taken care of. For proper maintenance, trim the edges of beards and mustaches into shape on a daily basis. You don’t need to do anything fancy. Just go lightly over the edges of your facial hair with a trimmer and the appropriate guide comb, cutting everything back to a uniform length and making sure the outline where the hair ends and naked skin begins is nice and crisp.

Ear Hair Like nose hair, never allow the hair in your ears to grow out. The general rule of thumb for both nose and ear hair is straightforward: the ends shouldn’t be visible. Trim them back until they’re not. That means trimming the hairs off inside the rim of the relevant opening, but you don’t have to go any deeper than that.

Nose Hair Long hair sticking out from a guy’s nose is definitely unsightly This is particularly noticeable in tall guys as shorter people look up when dealing with them. Trim them back with short scissors so no one’s staring at those weird, scraggly danglers when they should be admiring

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Body&Soul

Bad traits in prospective husbands

s a little girl grows into womanhood, she constantly dreams of meeting a man who will come into her life, sweep her off her feet and make her a princess forever. Growing older, this day dream gradually slips into a nightmare as she gets her heart broken severally by men who she initially thought were her prince charming. You might as well wake up from your day dream and face reality. In choosing the man of your dreams, please look beyond the “tall, dark, rich and handsome dude” syndrome. In a bid to marry a man that fits these criteria, some ladies have fallen into messy relationships and marriages they regret later in life. In Last week’s edition, we talked about the qualities a man should look out for in a woman he is considering for marriage. For the ladies, Instead of bringing out qualities of the kind of man that will make a good husband; I would rather we beamed our searchlight on the kind of man that will NOT make a good husband. That way, we can easily weed out the chaff from the grain. By the time we separate the bad from the good, the man that will make a good husband will surely pop out like a well toasted bread. The first one is marrying a lazy man. He is the type who refuses to wake up until its 10 o’ clock in the morning. He is never able to hold a job for long. He believes money grows on trees and that he’ll surely make it big without working hard for it. The lazy man is the type that believes “I don’t need to hustle to bubble”. He goes to Baba Ijebu to play the last money he has on a bet game with the hope of hitting the jackpot. He

CONNECT NG vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com is forever at the cyber cafe laying bait for the ‘Mugu’ he will swindle millions of dollars from. Such a man should never be considered as a potential husband. An irresponsible man is also a deal breaker for a woman looking for a good husband. I’m not talking about finding a man who is independently wealthy or a top-level executive. I’m talking about finding a man who takes pride in providing for his family. He’s self-motivated, has a healthy degree of ambition, and has an idea how to go about providing for a family. It’s rational to look for such traits and if it is not found, such a man will definitely ruin your future. Another type of man a woman must not even consider as prospective husband is the man that puts her down before others or makes her his punching bag. Ladies, please have some selfdignity! Never allow a man make you feel he’s doing you a favour just because he has proposed marriage to you. You are a precious jewel in his hands and he must treat you as one. A man who does not recognise your worth when he is dating you but embarrasses you before friends and family will definitely make you miserable and treat you like a

worthless piece of furniture in his home if you end up marrying him. Another poor quality to look out for is marrying a controlling man. Many women complain about their controlling husbands. She can’t speak with other men. He wants to shut her off from friends and family. He doesn’t want her to pursue any career, hobbies

The first one is marrying a lazy man. He is the type who refuses to wake up until its 10 o’ clock in the morning. He is never able to hold a job for long. He believes money grows on trees and that he’ll surely make it big without working hard for it. The lazy man is the type that believes “I don’t need to hustle to bubble

or pastimes. She’s afraid to do or say anything of which he might disapprove, therefore ends up living life in a box. A controlling man ensures you’ll never be happy with yourself. Ladies, be wary of a womanizer! A man who cheats on you severally while in a relationship will not stop just because he has put a ring on your finger. Such men tell lies with such impunity that even Satan, the father of liars bows to their smoothness! If you don’t want to lay sleepless on your bed wondering which woman your husband is having an affair with; be on the lookout for such men with roving eyes who are never satisfied with only one woman at a time and stay clear off their path. Finally ladies, Just as it is bad for a man to marry a self-centered woman like I wrote in last week’s article where we dealt on the characteristics of a wife material; it is equally important for a woman not to marry a man who has not made her a priority in his life. A man that loves you will always be on the lookout how he will make you a better person. He is willing to do everything that will impact positively to your growth in life. Your welfare and everything about you becomes his concern. He will even buy the moon for you if he could afford it. But if he is the type that takes decisions without considering you or your feelings, please RUN! There are more bad traits to look out for but this is to help you to be on the lookout and not get carried away by emotions and overtures of love when choosing a life partner. •Send your views to the email above!

Age, ageism, ageists and aggregated arguments

t is one thing to have culture, it is another to be cultured. This is the conclusion I have reached, judging by recent events in Nigeria’s heated political field. It becomes even more disturbing when the unculture habit persists even if it is hurting not just an individual, but a demography that is already considered vulnerable and at risk. I know the fast pace of our current existence has fostered a self centred and highly individualistic approach to life. It also means that only the strong can survive in such a climate and as such, we think less and less of those who have bowed to the physical pressure of an aging body. However, what I don’t get is how we have now elevated our disgust for the aged and by extension the pensioners in our midst, supported by paid adverts, to a state policy. It is no longer news that under the guise of political campaign, a sitting governor mocked the age of a forerunner in the 2015 presidential election. He even predicted his death; an insinuation that all the old ones amongst us are ‘walking deads’ with no value to the society. Strangely, the said governor is not that young himself with a balding head as a clear and visible sign of his catching up with the man he is mocking. I don’t even intend to get personal here, I am just wondering what the old age pensioners in his state can expect with his attitude, I mean have they even been paid their pension? I will not be surprised if they haven’t as his actions reflect the disdain with which he treats

older citizens. However, this is just a public display of the value that we as a community and as a nation place on the aged citizens. While the United Nations Convention on Human Rights forbid all forms of discrimination including discrimination based on age, Nigeria remains one of the very few countries in the world that puts age restriction on employment. Our so called responsible corporate bodies will advertise an opening in their organisation and ask that only those under a certain age, usually 25 or 30 need apply; such brazen effrontery to a document we are supposed to be a signatory to. So how are the youths suppose to gain the experience needed for life when the first half of their youth

is spent looking for work and the next half spent being rejected. We need a new national psyche that is devoid of any discrimination. It is strange that the culture of most tribes in Nigeria places a high premium on age and the wisdom that comes with it. It is not a coincidence that there is age in sage. Our older ones are a valued member of the society and can still contribute immensely to the development of the society. Certain structure in our politics even alludes to this fact. See the structure of the Council of State, for instance; there is a reason why former presidents and heads of state are incorporated into the structure. As the Yoruba proverb states, you can only buy wisdom from the market of the

Our so called responsible corporate bodies will advertise an opening in their organisation and ask that only those under a certain age, usually 25 or 30 need apply...So how are the youths suppose to gain the experience needed for life when the first half of their youth is spent looking for work and the next half spent being rejected

aged, that is why these men have been co-opted into the council to share their ideas. The youths are a valuable member of the society, but we still need the older ones to function well. It is not one or the other, it can be both as they are all complimentary stages of life. In order to move forward then, we must expunge all the ideology of ageism from our community. The old men and women that we see around us were once young, active and agile. The young will be that way in due course. Then what will we expect from those who are young then? I ask, do we really want the vision of our elderly to be that of endless queue for a never coming pension? Do we want old age, the period of life once referred to as golden and restful, to now be synonymous with dejection and penury? I ask these questions because our elderly are suffering the pangs of the downturn in the economy more than most and no one seems to care. Only last week in my hometown, Ilesha, I was informed of the death of a close friend. At 89 and having worked for most of his life in Lagos, his children brought him home to die, except not with dignity. Abandoned to his fate, my old friend committed suicide. We lack statistics in Nigeria, but I know for a fact that a certain percentage of death in advanced age is suicide. We need to re-examine our perception of age and perhaps see the need to embrace the old ways for one thing is certain, we are all aging and will be aged one day. How do we want to spend those days? Hmmmmm!

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul with

Wole Adepoju 07037763410

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Iyabo Obasanjo takes back seat

I Rasak Okoya changes style

he name Chief Razak Akanni Okoya means different things to different people. While some readily come up with his steadfastness in Islam which made him a highly respected and revered individual in the religion, some point at his exploits in the business world which have brought him fortunes and placed him among the richest industrialists in Nigeria. Others simply talk about his social status. Based on his status and for reasons best known to this money bag, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been able to establish that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a man who does his things in little measures. A celebration of any kind for him is not excluded. It is still very fresh in the minds of many how much funds Okoya has expended on past celebrations which radiated glamour and opulence. His landmark birthdays and other celebrations in his household are reference points. In the established way which has made it a tradition for the Okoyas to throw elaborate parties, the same way many had expected the money bag to roll out drums for all and sundry to come and rejoice with him when he recently clocked 75. But the influential man decided to change style as he opted for a low key celebration which had only close associates and family members at the prayer session that was held at his expansive Lagos home. The high society which perhaps had anticipated what the birthday was going to look like was not totally shut out after all as an avenue was created by Centre for Values in Leadership for the rich and powerful to felicitate and share in the joy of the day. With a long list of successful men as well as women of substance and standard in attendance, Okoya was recognised at the 20th Centre for Values in Leadership lecture in Lagos.

Attah Atama mills around square one

yabo Obasanjo seems to be the most popular daughter of any president Nigeria has ever had. Her popularity hit an all-time high when she got elected into the Senate. Based on her training as a veterinary doctor, Iyabo was considered for a commissionership post under former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State before she eventually got elected into the Senate. She had her fair share of controversies, most prominent of which were a faceoff with Daniel and missing funds linked to her position as the chairman, Senate Committee on Health.After she failed to gain reelection in 2007, little or nothing has been heard from Iyabo except the infamous letter she reportedly wrote her father some years ago. However, Celeb Lounge can reveal Iyabo has relocated to Canada, where sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said to have returned to school. People close to her claim that she has vowed never to have anything to do with partisan politics.

eing an offspring of a money bag who was well connected during his days, Tundun, who is the daughter of late businessman cum politician, Chief MKO Abiola, like her siblings attracts attention wherever she goes. But being the most popular one on the social radar, Tundun was the cynosure of all eyes. With her background, educational level and social status, it was only natural for people to want to know every detail of how Tundun was going to quit spinsterhood. When it was time, a young man whom many ladies would wish for in the person of Benue-born business man, Attah Atama, swept Tundun off her feet. The consummation of the affair between beautiful Tundun and gangling, light skinned handsome Atta was nothing short of a classy and society shindig as the venue was moved to faraway United Kingdom. It is needless to say that opulence and glamour were the hallmarks of the memorable wedding. Like the marriages of numerous children of the rich, after two kids to show for the marriage, the couple who were hitherto the toast of many parted ways. For reasons best known to her, Tundun reportedly converted from Islam to Christianity and changed her name to Victoria. Atta, who was said to have

had a child with a white lady back in the days while he was living abroad, could not cope with hassles of returning to bachelorhood. Hence, he cast his net into the ocean again and caught yet another big fish in the person of a Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Job Creation, Josephine. They became acquainted and proceeded to get married. Ironically, the marriage did not stand the test of time as Attah and Josephine have since parted ways on account of irreconcilable differences. Meanwhile, although unconfirmed but what the birds who should know are singing to the hearing of Celeb Lounge is that Atta may have started milling around his square one, which is Tundun. Whatever that means, keep a date with Celeb Lounge and follow events as they unfold.

Don Obaseki downs tools for Jonathan

onald Obaseki, who is mostly referred to as Don, might not ring a bell across the society but certainly not within the social circle and business world. Lights skinned and tall Edo prince, Don belongs in the league of socialites who have very deep pockets and are influential as well. His promi-

nence in the business world emanated from his position as the founder and sole owner of thriving business concern, Guaranty Properties. Don is also one man who is regularly in the news. One of the stories about him that made headlines was his alleged faceoff with former governor of Ogun state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, over pretty actress, Bukky Wright. His name was also in the news sometime ago when he was said to have been broke. But he came out to prove his detractors wrong by rolling out a number of exotic automobiles. In recent times, this son of a policeman has been off his usual terrain and left many wondering where he has been. A brief chat between him and Celeb Lounge revealed w h a t he has been up to. D o n t o l d Celeb Lounge that he has been preoccupied with

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Body&Soul

Thinking

est in the things that have to do with humanity. So, it was not surprising when the lady in question who is now married to Kaleijaye years back decided to take on rape cases. Not many paid attention initially but with her consistency and impressive results, many have eventually come to identify with her cause. Four years after she has started an initiative tagged, ‘Walk Against Rape,’ the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs has endorsed the walk and is working with her on the fifth edition of the yearly event. The next edition of the event which comes up on March 10 and is expected to be attended by top government officials, actors, activists, faith-based organisations, NGO s, student delegates to mention a few. Esther says the goal of the walk is to encourage victims to speak out and reduce the stigmatisation attached to the menace and sexual abuse. She further said Walk Against Rape is being used as a tool to inform the society about the scourge of sexual abuse, especially as it relates to young girls and women.

Esther Ijewere makes a mark

Bisi Ilaka holds his own

President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. It was discovered Obaseki had defied his usual routine to serve in one of Jonathan’s re-election committees.

Dare Best ups his game hen it comes to talking about independent presenters on radio, especially in the entertainment world, the name Dare Alabi Best cannot be shoved aside. This is because the dark skinned radio presenter has since secured a place for himself in the league of those that matter in the industry where he plies his trade. What has arguably given an edge to the man in question among her peers is his versatility which makes him a qualified video director with a number of mind blowing jobs to his credit. Information at our disposal has it that the graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has perfected plans to raise his game as he’s said to be planning to berth with a new thing in the next few weeks. Best is packaging a programme which will be aired on Africa Magic and Comsat. The programme, Achievers, is targeted at celebrating successful individuals.

lim built and beautiful Esther Ijewere got into public consciousness about a decade ago when she was an undergraduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University. Her mother, Doyinsola Rosiji, was in a battle with the then boss of the Red Cross, Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere, over Esther ’s paternity, which Ijewere had declined. While the case lasted, it generated so much interest and noise before it was eventually laid to rest. Esther had all along shown inter-

andsome, brilliant and dynamic Lujidi of Oyo Kingdom, Chief Bisi Ilaka, had a towering image back in the United Kingdom where he was practising as a property lawyer before he decided to return home over a decade ago. On account of his status and fat bank account, many wanted to identify with him. In no time, Bisi had become influential in his own right. Perhaps because of where he was coming from and his quest to see things done differently, he decided to give public office a shot. The Senate was his target. Counting on the support of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Ilaka thought he had got it all but he was wrong as he could not secure the ticket. He gave it another shot but failed as well. Bisi did not give up, even as he has taken his destiny in his own hands. Ilaka has indirectly pitched his tent against Oba Adeyemi. While Ilaka is seeking to represent Oyo Senatorial District on the platform of Accord Party, the person who is seeking to represent the same district, speaker Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Monsurat Sumonu of the All Progressives Congress, is believed to have the backing of Oba Adeyemi.

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with Helen Paul

The power of money

eries of definitions have been given to money. It has been described as the root of all evil. It has also been said that money answereth all things. We can go on and on to eulogise money, but that is not the purpose of this piece. I have studied the several influences that money has on our society, and it is quite overwhelming. The love for money keeps increasing at an alarming rate. On the surface, many Nigerians will claim that they love God more than money, but that is absolutely far from the truth. Why is it that rich men and women are more respected in churches and mosques more than those poor members who are dedicated. Ironically, it is the poor people who are more useful when it comes to general chores in the church or mosque. Who are those that sweep and and ensure that churches and mosques are clean? How many wealthy people do that? It is the poor members who run the day-to-day activities. I wouldn’t blame the wealthy class for not doing such chores. At least, if they provide the money that the church or mosque operates with, the poor people, who also want to be relevant, or better still, be ‘useful’ for God, will be left with no option than to take the domestic chores. It is called division of labour. I really don’t have any problem with that. Where I feel things go wrong is that irrespective of how a poor worshipper sweeps or washes the Pastor or Imam’s clothes, he will still earn less respect from the religious leader. When a poor man is ill, or absent in church for sometime, the pastor may send maybe ushers to pay him a visit. But if it is a rich man, the pastor or Imam would be very willing to pay the visit himself. We are all equal before God, irrespective of our financial status or whatever, but without mincing words, we are not equal before Pastors and Imams. They respect the rich more than the poor. That is the truth. There is a viral joke about a man whose dog died, and he intended to have a big funeral for the pet. Though a joke, we can gain some sense from it, and of course relate it with many things happening around us in the religious settings. After the dog died, the owner went to a church down the street

and told the Pastor that he would love to have a funeral service for his dead pet at the church. After looking at the man with a strange facial expression, apparently trying to examine if he is ‘normal’, the pastor said such services couldn’t be held in his church. He therefore suggested that the dog owner should try his luck at another church. As he was about to walk out of the pastor, the dog owner said “cool, that means it is the church I will give the sum of 1million dollars to, because I want the service to be great.” The Pastor heard this and quickly changed his mind. Hear him: “Oh, you didn’t tell me your dog was a Christian. Of course, we can do the service here. Bring the money.” This is funny, but it is an imagery of things that happen around us. The pregnant daughter of a prominent Nigerian got married sometimes ago. It was quite obvious that she was pregnant before the wedding, yet, it was a nuptial that was attended by a league of popular Pastors. They didn’t just attend, they gave the couple their blessing. While I watched the ceremony on TV, I wept inside of me because some of the pastors had refused to join some of their church members together because pregnancy had come first. Such is life. But the same Pastors don’t see anything wrong with that when the daughter of a rich man gets pregnant before marriage. So, who says the rich and poor are equal before pastors? I really have a lot to talk about, but time will not really permit me this week. Have a lovely Sunday readers. See you next week.

Why is it that rich men and women are more respected in churches and mosques more than those poor members who are dedicated. Ironically, it is the poor people who are more useful when it comes to general chores in the church or mosque

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Miscellany Alley

Life is rich sometimes and painful at other times, but it is mostly full. Let’s share our experiences on this page, after all, everyday is an opportunity to learn...send yours to julietbumah@gmail.com

To school o r not to sc Nigeria is no longer a hool? you can go p to the univ lace where assured of ersity and be a job when y More and more peop ou graduate. le into the ar tisanal, SM are tapping Es ideas. It better to be is y even be an our own employer an employer o d f o wait for a d th esk job. If it ers than to country’s g is true that ro a tivities of th wth can be tied to the ac eir SMEs, w hy do we hav so many g ra e the desk jo duates still waiting fo bs from th r e governm Many of thes ent? e skills but ar people have talents an d e not quite these jobs because th qualified for ey lack exp ence. How erid without firs oes one get experien ce t getting a jo people shou ld invest in b? So, more their talents put your m … on The govern ey where your heart is. ment too sh age confiden ou ce in handw ld encourby investi ng in the ork and skills Technical crafts curr and icu ary schools lum in Junior Secon dso that when they can ac one finishes tually be in , dep their acquir ed skills. T endent with here could an explosi on be this develo of entrepreneurs wit pment as w h ell as creati employmen ng t fo Johnson A r more people. tta 30yrs Delta State

Am I alone in a relat ionship or engaged to myself ? Ev er yo ne on fa ce bo ok is em pl oy ed , I w on w e st ill ta lk ab de r w hy ou ployment. Go th t un em rough their profiles they ar e ei of one company ther CEO or the other, th e ne w Tren d no w is th e one that ladies now get ‘enga ge d’ m ay be fo of it or m ay be r th e Fu n be ca us e of the comments I don’t Know why. A lot of pe op too well, who ar le I know e single are engaged on fa cebook. Why should my rela tio tus be ‘in a rela nship statio ‘e ng ag ed ’ w he nship’ or n fr ie nd is ‘s in gl m y bo ye’ ‘o pe n re la tio ns or in an hi al on e in a re la p’ ? A m I tio engaged to mys ns hi p or elf? Obioma Nkiruka , Anambra

jealously eople ur mind p Guard yo ow much time ming h o c g e in h z a T . It is am phones any disadir e th n een attraction spend o media has so m dvantages. Difference betw l ia c o s st res disa re f te o and in as it do lationships, ma , s e g ta n e ly r a d v e r r a r a h ito Dear ed ected d re n gles is to date Most aff d studies. Chil what with My advice to sin te re st ed in s n is in riages a for their studie pplications so m eo ne w ho me ea who ti ne th e , eo v ll m a so a n h h ea stagram p wit you I don’t m eping u F a c e b o o k , in a n d s o or fu nn y. I e te k cu e ar u yo g hat th in ks w ho w an ts to in c lu d in p , iC h a t, w e C , the qualm ea n so m eo ne p ly il g A ta n de ts ti t a s an h e nific w ter these know every insig more. In n available on best. ants y w n ho a w ne m eo o m able at about you, so formati ity of in ons is question fo r m a ti o n ord yo u w rit e. to re ad ev er y w ts to hear evin ti a f c o the ces appli an way or n e s e p ie Someone who w o o , if th er you in one vo rit e so ng , S fa e ur m yo ti of te er y no ot bett aste so much vorfa n ur o od yo o d of e g en yw ent is watch every sc ther, wh all entertainm uld be eswho wants o ne eo m So . ie ot ho ite mov them. N ment. Parents s ir children y sc ar on yo ur e in to fin d ou t ev er th e ta t on r a ch te h ea n am re w e whe reful a what I w c body and learn y w ll ts o an n ia w k c ho e I o w p n . ne eo k to m a ls o sed came from, so rs. re e x p o o u t b e c a u s e I e brand of e a rit e vo p fa ur y yo to know in g a b e s s a m o n g m device, ot es qu lk ch ta hi w d w it n ild a to ot hp as te an w h a t I u hand your ch what they side your bones r o o y resonate deep in it a n n is e e o m Wh necthem. Ther ssible to abling most un to when you hear o p in n/ is io ct it tra n at g dis eeded difference betwee includin cations. I just n p a re n ts ants w o ho d w on rs pe ppli g to terest. Find d essary a t th is wa r n in pect of who you u . o e r to learn every as them. e d n th u so s out to uardian y, are, and hold un g d n a , ed gsle Marry Ann Ahm Rose Kinourt c r a h Anyigba t Por

Health Wellness Natasha Ellah

a d a u k uon s und ay@gm ai l . co m

hile catching up over breakfast with a friend at her house, I had some green tea and she made some coffee for herself. At the table, she added some condensed milk and two teaspoons of sugar; my eyebrow went up after the second teaspoon. While she proceeded to fill me in on what she had gotten up to at the weekend, I watched her absentmindedly add in two more spoons, my other eyebrow went up and my eyes popped. She was telling me about a new restaurant she’d found with a mutual friend of ours and added one more teaspoon and my jaw dropped. I had to stop her before she added one more spoon, “You’ve just added FIVE TEASPOONS of sugar in a tiny cup of coffee!” She looked at me and shrugged it off. “Oh, it’s only a little bit!” To me, it was several days’ worth of sugar in one cup; to her it was ‘only a little bit’. So, how much is too much? The World Health Organisation recently halved its sugar intake recommendations from 10 per cent to five per cent of ones daily calorie intake. An adult of a normal body mass index (BMI), should therefore consume about six teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar per day. If the WHO is reducing sugar recommendations, what would be the reason behind this? Let’s go on a brief history and biological background of sugar. In the 15th Century, sugar was considered a spice, a rarity only consumed by the European nobility due to limits brought about

by trading, transport and its cultivation. As cultivation and processing were difficult, slaves were required to do the backbreaking work in order for the West to continue to consume the sweet substance. It is interesting to note that until the slave trade was banned in Britain in 1807, more than 11 million Africans were shipped to the New World with more than half ending up on sugar plantations to meet the burgeoned demand for sugar. With the benefits of mechanised farming and efficient global trade systems, sugar is now no longer rare but ubiquitous, present overtly or covertly in drinks, foods and snacks. Today, the average American consumes 77 pounds of added sugar annually, or more than 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day. The temporal high obtained from eating sugar can now be constantly sustained due to its relatively cheap price and easy access. It is a ‘high’ because scientists showed that an injection of sugar into the bloodstream stimulates the same pleasure centres of the brain that respond to heroin and cocaine - which are highly addictive and banned class A drugs. However, sugar with its addictive effects, is added in large quantities to food by manufacturers. “Excessive sugar isn’t just empty calories; it’s toxic”. Endocrinologist, Robert Lustig of the University of California, San Francisco, says, “Sugar is a poison by itself when consumed at high doses.” As most Nigerians tend to follow the taste of the West in entertainment, clothing, cul-

Sugar: Not as sweet as it looks! ture and food, I had hoped that we would not have emulated their alarming diabetes and obesity figures, some side effects of consuming too much sugar. I thought of the sophisticated hospitals of America and Europe. Nigeria’s health infrastructure is positively skeletal in comparison and lacks the necessary muscle to cope with developed countries’ diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Insulin injections run into millions of naira. Sadly, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) already shows that Nigeria has the highest number of people with diabetes in Africa with over two million people affected. The African Health Policy Network indicates Africans are five times more likely to have diabetes than other populations as a result of limited access to adequate medical healthcare, poor diet and other socio-economic factors such as education on a healthy diet. Studies show, however, that once Africans have access to these, the risks drop. This buttresses the point on arming ourselves and our friends with knowledge of its effects. So, biologically, why is sugar so bad? In the National Geographic exposé on sugar, Rich Cohen posits the same question to Dr Richard Johnson, a nephrologist at the University of Colorado Denver. Dr Johnson explains that the liver breaks down high amounts of consumed fructose from sweets and soft drinks into fats called triglyceride. These fats can be stored in the liver but also are pushed out into the blood. Overtime, this build up of fats causes blood pressure to rise and tissues to become more resistant to insulin. The pancreas then tries to regulate this insulin resistance by pouring out more insulin into the body. “Eventually a condition known as metabolic syndrome kicks in,

characterized by obesity, especially around the waist; high blood pressure and other metabolic changes that, if not checked, can lead to type 2 diabetes, with a heightened danger of heart attack thrown in for good measure.” Heart attacks, diabetes and obesity, but that’s not all! Excessive sugar is also linked to changes in metabolism, increased blood pressure, liver damage and interference with hormone signalling, which may cause diseases such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (POS) a cause of infertility in women. Sugar has also been linked to cancer of the pancreas, skin, uterus, urinary tract and breast. In today’s world it is extremely difficult to avoid sugar, but, with all these risks in mind, we can take some positive action now. Look more closely at how much sugar we are consuming in drinks, snacks and foods. Let’s try to go back to the days when it was considered a rarity in diets and try to sweeten things using other methods. Instead of adding sugar to oats, add some chopped banana, cinnamon or raisins. Add some organic honey to tea; eat dark chocolate instead of white chocolate. Look closely at labels on packets and try to reduce or eliminate soft drinks, sweets, jam, sugar, cakes, puddings, biscuits, pastries, ice-cream, fruit canned in syrup from your diet. Instead of eating fatfree yoghurt, eat full-fat yoghurt but watch the quantity that you consume. Exercise, exercise, exercise! Burn off these excessive sugars by working out for a minimum of 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular activity. Remember that for a chocolate bar of about 300 calories, it will take an hour of dancing to Azonto to burn it off. Remember the expression: “I’m sweet enough as it is.”

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Wine & Dine

Body&Soul

Hosting a party Ibukunoluwa Kayode

aving a get-together with refreshing alcoholic drinks can’t be whisked aside. Alcoholic drinks is a major item at parties hosted by those who consume it. As refreshing as alcoholic drinks could be, it’s also good not to take chances with it. Reduce the risks of alcohol-related problems when entertaining and help ensure guests arrive home safely by following these 10 tips for responsible hosting:

• Don’t plan physical activities when you serve alcohol. People are generally more prone to injury or mishap after drinking. • Always provide low-alcohol and alcohol-free beverages, such as non-alcoholic punch, pop, bottled water, tea and coffee. • Serve snacks with drinks and always have food available throughout the party to avoid drinking on an empty stomach. • Avoid serving salty, sweet or greasy snack foods as guests will become thirstier. High-starch and protein foods such

as meat, veggies, cheeses, light dips and breads are great choices. • Designate someone to serve the drinks or use a bartender instead of having an open bar, as guests usually drink more when they serve themselves. • Avoid serving doubles and keep a shot glass or jigger next to the bottles - good measurement makes all the difference. • Have a plan to deal with the situation if any guest drinks too much. Before the party, ask someone reliable to help you

keep things under control. • Stop serving alcoholic beverages at least an hour before the party is over. Bring out more alcohol-free drinks (bottled water, juice, coffee and tea) and food. Remember that having coffee after drinking doesn’t make you sober. The number one party tip is... • Don’t drink too much yourself. As the host, you can stay on top of situations and avoid potential problems when you can think more clearly and act more quickly.

Garden egg sauce with yam or plantain Biwom Iklaki

ne of the most popular wonder vegetables in Nigeria is garden egg, also known as eggplant. It is filling, packed with mega nutrients and it is cheap. It is credited with helping with heart disease, lowering cholesterol, aiding weight loss, antioxidants and great source of brain food. When eaten as a sauce with boiled yam, rice, potatoes or plantain, it is a delicacy you would be sorry to miss. An added advantage to this sauce is that you can adapt the ingredients to your personal tastes. You may include prawns, shredded chicken, smoked fish, dried baby fish, and many more. I often season and grill a few slices and incorporate with a salad or slice thinly and use as a wrap for Parmesan cheese or salsa. Here is how you may serve as a lunch idea: INGREDIENTS 7 medium garden eggs 1 smoked fish Red bonnet pepper (blend desired quantity) I medium onion (chopped) 3 tbs olive oil Salt (to taste) Stock cube (to taste) Veg (ugwu, efo or spinach, chopped) PREPARATION Boil garden eggs till tender then mash with mortar and pestle. In a wok, heat oil and add onions, pepper, salt and smoked fish. Stir properly and add veg and garden egg mash. Stir and leave for 1 min. stir again, taste for seasoning. Add more if necessary. Serve with boiled yam or plantain.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

The proud red rose (2)

he rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like: ‘This plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neighbour’. The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying, “God did not create any form of life without a purpose.” Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. “Does

My Cook Corner

Tasty honey bread B read is one staple food that most kids and adults like to eat. Sometimes, you can enlist the help of your parents to make the bread for breakfast on Saturday morning. This honey bread recipe will be a hit because it has no sugar content so the adults will love it too. The ingredients are few so the preparation is equally straightforward. Here is how to bond with your parent or guardian in the kitchen over bread.

it not hurt when they make holes?” asked the rose. “Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer,” replied the pine. The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, “The cactus has water? “Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help.” The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behaviour to ask for water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose’s roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again. kidsworldfun.com

Cross word puzzle

Ingredients 1 package of active dry yeast 1 1/4 cup of warm milk (110 to 115 degrees) 1/4 cup of honey 1/8 cup of melted butter 1 teaspoon of salt 4 cups of all-purpose flour

about 10 minutes. Here is a job for the kids: get them punching, pulling and squeezing the dough. When you are done kneading, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Place the bowl in a warm place so it can rise and double. This will take about an hour. Next, punch down the dough and place it in a greased loaf pan. Cover the dough and place in a warm place for another 30 minutes until it rises and doubles. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. It should start browning at about 20 minutes so you could placed some foil over the pan for the remainder of the cooking time. Remove from pan when done and allow to cool.

Preparation Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dissolve one package of yeast into a bowl of the warmed milk. Next add the honey, melted butter, and salt. Mix to combine. Add 3 cups of flour and mix with hands until a soft dough forms. We saved the last cup of flour for dusting and kneading. Place the dough on a floured surface and begin kneading for

Gags What are prehistoric monsters called when they sleep? Ans: A dinosnore! Why did the stupid racing driver make ten pit stops during the race? Ans: He was asking for directions! What is a myth? Ans: A female moth!

What is the fruitiest lesson? Ans: History, because it’s full of dates! What language do they speak in Cuba? Ans: Cubic! What animals are on legal documents? Ans: Seals!

MOYIN & FRIENDS

LITTLE LINDER

By Ayo Oyerinde

08034407393

By eei

SUNDAY

Faith 51

SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015

News Cleric imports water harvesters to provide jobs p.53

Sermon Divine inspection

p.56

I sweep my home to assist my wife, says Methodist Bishop Methodist Bishop of Lagos north diocese, Rt. Rev. Joel Akinola, speaks on the church’s national convention held recently, family life and other related issues with Stanley Ihedigbo Sir, people talk about you as a humble bishop, what is responsible for this, even as you occupy an exalted position? I don’t know if I am humble but I know that while growing up, I was taught the virtues of being humble. We must be humble no matter the positions we are occupying because we met the position here in earth. Nobody came to this world with any position the more reason we should humble ourselves before the Lord.

Sermon Struggles stop when grace arises p.57

What are the challenges of being Bishop of a Diocese? The Diocese belongs to God and it is not a business organisation, so God is in control. He is the one that has been leading us rightly. I want to say that we have a lot of people who supports the ministry. When you have your friends as officers and members you will find things easy as a man of God. Again, God has been making things easy for us through them and I don’t see myself as a strange person to them. When you are among your friends, you can be sure of progress. Secondly, I want to say that because it is a project of God, God Himself led the people to ask of this Diocese and He granted it for them. So, in all ramifications, call it spiritually progress, financial progress and many other good things of the Lord, I can say glory be to God. Looking at the hierarchy of leadership in the body of Methodist Church of Nigeria, you have leaders like the Prelate, the Archbishop. What has been the relationship between you and your leaders? I am fortunate because the Archbishop of Lagos, when I was the Minister-in- Charge of Evangelism of the Dioceses of Kwara and Ibadan, the present Archbishop was the coordinator of the Methodist Church of Nigeria’s Evangelism Department. So, there is no way I cannot relate with him even before he became a bishop. We are evangelists and ministers under him, working together in the department of the evangelism throughout the nation. When he became Bishop, we were all happy and resolved to be very close to him. For the Prelate, he has been our father for a long time; he is one of the leaders of the Evangelism movement too. When he was in the northern region of the country, anytime he comes for meeting we meet him as our leader. Later he became our Bishop, Archbishop and he continue rising until he became the Prelate. I want to even say that because of his closeness and love he has for people like us, he was preacher at the wedding ceremony of my daughter before I became a Bishop. He came to my consecration and my enthronement as Bishop from Enugu state. You will see that we are so close. We are all supposed to be close to the Prelate because are we work towards the same goal. Sir, you were commissioned evangelists in the Diocese, what do you as a Bishop expect from the evangelists? I expect the evangelists to abide by God spiritually, because that is the most important thing. Anybody who want to lead others must be ready to have extra spiritually inclination to be able to lead the people according to the word of God. I also expect them to show good example to other people in the church. Their

Tai Anyanwu Head, religous Desk titus.anyanwu@newtelegraph online.com

Akinola

CO NTINUED O N PAGE 52

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Faith

I sweep my home to assist my wife, says Methodist Bishop CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 51

lives and characters will be seen as different. In humility, they should be humble and generous to the church of God and they should move out to preach the gospel and bring people to the fold for the pastors to nurture. The job of the evangelists is very tedious as they have to move around the nooks and crannies of the country. The Lagos North Diocese evangelism is beyond boundary; we expect them to lead us to wherever God would ask us to plant churches. And the Church of God expects much from them and has told them that some of us started from where they did and we know what God has done through us. God can do more than that through them and I know the crop of people we have been training in this diocese, many of them are zealous for the things of the kingdom. Your guest speaker at the graduation evangelists commissioning service said that he saw the spirit of reawakening, revival and retransformation in your church. As a leader in Methodist Church, what do you have to say about such observation in your ministry? It is a pity that the Methodists do not know what they are; we are the leaders of revival and evangelism of the church which started from our father Reverend John Wesley. When the Lord brought him out to the light of God, he performed wonders. I want to say that because the guest speaker was not a Methodist, and the way people looked at Methodist outside is different. Probably, because we don’t shout too much, we humble ourselves in whatever we are doing as a church that is why people don’t know what God is doing in the Methodist ministry. They all thought that whatever the minister says in the church is what the members would say after them. These days, everyone understood the bible and we are moving together, that is why the Methodist believes in the priesthood of all believers. That is why when they come to our church and see the way things are done accordingly and at the same time, we are orderly. But I want to tell you that there is really a revival within the church of God today not only in the Methodist church. Think of the Catholic Church and the Anglican because we work handin-hand. What is important is the evangelizing of the gospel and not the church denomination because the church is one and there should be revival in all the churches. You were appointed the Commandant at the just concluded Methodist Church of Nigeria’s National Convention. What do you have to say about the programme because many of your members testified that the event was a huge success? I want to thank God that the convention ably led by His Eminence Samuel Uche, had come and gone as it was successful. This was not the first convention for Methodist Church of Nigeria; we have been having convention far back as 1994. Before the convention, the Evangelicals had their Convention as at 1987, so they are among the Congress of the evangelized Methodist members. I want to tell you that this year’s Convention was the best in terms of spirituality, attendance and organisation. Members gave support to the Convention; they gave their time, gift materials, financial and spiritually backings. I want to give kudos to the members of the Lagos North Diocese, because it is the only Diocese in the Methodist Church of Nigeria that sponsored every member that went to the National Convention free of charge. Free transportation, free registration, free feeding and free accommodation were given to the people. This has never happened before, so it is part of the fact that the church is moving. The reports we got from the witnessing committee and slips we got from those who gave their lives to God for the first time, was quite encouraging. As the

Akinola

Camp Commandant, I want to thank God for using me in that position and if there is another opportunity in future, I will still surrender myself to serve in various departments of the National Convention. As a Christian leader in Nigeria, what is your view on the present situation of the country, especially on the postponement of the general elections, tension in the land, insecurity and many other challenges? Nigeria is a leading country in Africa. So, elections in a country like this, you cannot expect less. Also, we have many leaders and anybody who wants to lead in Nigeria must be an extra-ordinary leader. That is why there is tension in the nation. We are one Nigeria and nobody is leaving the country for anybody. But I want to tell you that it has been the character of the politicians to run down one another and after the elections, they become friends again. So the church cannot join anybody against another because they are all our children. Even those who are Muslims are also our children. I will not ask Christians to go and kill Muslims. It is not possible, especially the western region where we have experienced many things and we all know that we cannot be killing ourselves just because of elections. That is what we are telling our brothers in the northern east part of Nigeria to sheath their swords and let us elect people that we know are good for us. We are praying to God to choose for us a good leader to lead this country. I am very sure that there will not be any problem, in just a few weeks to go, we will see that every tension in the country would come down. I told my congregation last year December that there will be tension in the first two or three months of the year. But as soon as we finish the elections, there will be peace. All these Boko Karan issues; Nigeria would see them no more. There will be peace in the country and I declare that this year is the year of peace and joy. Nigeria will celebrate and give glory to God. I want every Nigerian to go out

there and cast their vote on the day of the elections for the candidates of their choice. There was an allegation of N7billion bribe given to the Christian leaders in the country to support a candidate. As a leader, how do you feel about this development? I am not disturbed about it because anybody can say anything. When they know very well that the Christians themselves are not united as one body. That is why they are saying anything they want about the Christians. How many of them can pin point the ministers that collected the N7 billion, How much would a minister of God get from the N7billion bribe. Assuming N7 million each was actually given to ministers of God, that cannot make their lives better. A member of a church can give his or her minister N7 million. Ministers have received vehicles more than N7 million from their members and how can we wait for a political party to give us N7 billion for our member to vote for them. For me N7 million is nothing to ministers, it is not even enough for denomination, so how can you say you gave N7 billion to Christian leaders. For me, we have nothing to quarrel about because all of them are our people. When you accuse men of God with such grievous allegations, you can easily go away free from it because if he curses you, his labour in the vineyard of God will not be in vain. I have not seen anybody to prove the allegation beyond reasonable doubt. That is why I am not disturbed. This is a year of elections in Nigeria and we know how to castigate ourselves. No minister is interested in the money politics. If I want money, I ask God to give me money through my members and they will give me. I enjoined the men of God in this country to continue to do their good work and should not be bothered over mere allegations. Recently, a woman was ordained Bishop in the Anglican Church in England and some Nigerian Christian leaders were against such development. What is your position as a Bishop? I am not an Anglican Church member, but I read it in the newspaper and I know that there are female priests. We don’t use the word bishop and in the Methodist Church, in the United States, female priests are used as Bishops. By God’s grace, we have female priests, later they will become presbyters, later bishop and I don’t see anything bad in it. If God called any man or a woman, He can take the person to any position, provided the person is serving the Lord. I don’t know reason why some Christian leaders are against the development, but I know in the Anglican Church in Nigeria females are not ordained and that is the system of their own denomination. As a Methodist bishop I am praying that I will be alive to see a female ordained as a Bishop in Methodist Church of Nigeria. A Methodist priest in the United States of America resigned as a result of wedding gay couples, as Bishop in Nigeria, what is your opinion? Our problems are more than that and our culture is different from the European or American cultures. One, you said that you are an African, you have a culture and if you believe in the Bible marched it with your culture and see if it’s acceptable to you. If I go to America or Europe, if it is knickers they wear there and I want to live in the place peacefully, I will go and buy short knickers and wear it. When I went to the UK with my colleagues in 2013 and the people were very happy to see me dress the way I did in the church on Sunday. The people were very happy. If you cannot project your culture, then there is a problem. I don’t blame them in the UK, but as far as Africa is concerned with the bible I read every day, we won’t accept gay marriages; it is a taboo and abomination to hear it and evil for anybody to say it. It is also against the scripture. Methodist priests in the USA may be priests to themselves and not for the Lord. It has been observed that most of the ministers met their wives in the line of the ministry. Where and how did you meet your wife? I got married before I became a minister and to be sincere when I was in a model school, my wife was my senior. Again, we attended the same secondary school but we were not close, although we knew each other then. It was not until we got to Lagos, that we met properly at the Deeper Life Church, before we later joined the Methodist Church. Did you propose to her with a Bible or a ring? I told her that God laid something in my heart and I would like to share it with her and that I would be glad if she becomes my future wife. She told me that she would pray over it and after seven months, she came back with a yes answer. Have you ever prepared finger-licking delicacies for her? I do join her to cook sometimes in the house and I always sweep the house. Even this morning before coming to church I still swept the floor. What are your hobbies? I like playing with people around me and through this I tell them the good news of Jesus Christ.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Faith

Scenes from the third commissioning of the Methodist Church (Lagos North Diocese) evangelism graduates in Lagos recently

Acting Presbyter , Christ Church Circuit , Oshodi, The Rev. Ejim Chukwu , Ebenezer Methodist Church, Akowonjo, Evang. Godswill Uchenna Okafor , his wife (in robe) and church members .

Bishop , Lagos North Diocese, Rt. Rev. Olu Akinola, with the diocese ministers

The Registrar , Diocese school of Evangelism , The Rev Olatunde Onadipe, a minister and the newly commissioned Evangelists .

Bishop Olu Akinola, giving best graduate gift to the wife of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Akowonjo, minister, Evang. Godswill Uchenna Okafor, Evang. Ogechi.

Minister in-Charge of Ebenezer Methodist Church, Akowonjo, Evang.Godswill Uchenna Okafor, his wife Ogechi

The newly commissioned evangelists in the diocese

Cleric imports water harvesters to provide jobs Tai Anyanwu

he Mountain of Liberation, Miracle Ministries aka Liberation City has brought to Nigeria an innovative technology capable of turning moisture from air into good drinking water. According to the General Overseer of the church, Dr. Chris Okafor, the water harvesters, christened Nerios G3 and Plantawater AWG, convert wind to clean drinking water that exceeds the World Health Organisation’s standard for safe, clean drinking water. “No Co2 is released, no ground water or surface water is pumped and the environmental impact is practically nil. The machines suit numerous uses – whether civil or military – and are ideal in case of emergency. They are ecofriendly and very user friendly,” he explained. Okafor added that the machines could also be powered through solar and electrical energy and is most ideal for communal and industrial uses. His words: “No electric grid is needed. It is most suitable for most areas where the main source is natural and constant exposure to the sun and suffers from water scarcity. They can be installed anywhere and its components have been carefully selected to ensure easy maintenance.” Okafor explained that his church got involved in the water harvesters due to unavailability of good drinking water to many families in both urban and rural areas of the country. “Right now, if you go to many parts of the world especially Africa, it is difficult to get drinking water. How many people can afford

clean water to drink? For example, what is packaged in sachets is not actually clean. “This is not just another kind of business. But it is a solution making sure that each family in urban and rural areas are able to get affordable clean water. They can have access to clean water. You see at times it is reported in the media that most deaths recorded among infants are from waterborne diseases. “So, this Wind to Water machine will meet the needs of the people and quench their thirst. When God created the earth, it was recorded in the Bible that the surface of the earth was covered with water until God partitioned the

Okafor

earth and land emerged. So mankind needs water to do everything; to cook, wash, drink and so on. Medically it is even said that the body needs up to four litres of water daily to function very well. “That’s why when I wake up, I take up to 5cl of water before breakfast. When you are thirsty, your body needs water to function properly. So water is life but when we are drinking it we have to be careful so that we don’t take in polluted water that can harm our body.“So the water harvesters make water production very easy. With this technique, you can generate your own water without digging a borehole or well. The way the engine is designed enables you to get clean water with ease. Another model of it is designed like a water dispenser which can generate water that can be dispensed as hot or cold,” he said. Sunday Telegraph learnt that the wind to water machines were produced by a company based in France. “Our second reason for getting involved is that the company plans to set up a plant in Nigeria where Nigerians will be employed. This is the first time such a project is coming to Nigeria and Africa and I am very glad that Liberation City is involved. “As a church, we are looking at how we would be able to give back to the society. The function of churches should not just be to build auditoriums and collect tithes. That is why we are into this project to empower our teeming unemployed youths,” he stated. He lamented the high number of unemployed graduates in the country. “Year in year out, they are without jobs and

the best way to fight crime is to make people comfortable. If somebody is comfortable, he will not think of crime because he is busy and gainfully engaged. “So this project, asides from providing pure and clean water, it would also give job to our youths. This is church beyond the altar. That is why we are travelling from one state to the other. “Recently, we were in Kwara State where we held many crusades to free people from both physical and spiritual bondages,” the general overseer said. Okafor further explained that the Liberation City seeks to give back to society through different organs of the church. “We have Okafor Foundation through which we reach less privileged people. A lot of students are benefiting from my scholarship scheme. And we also have skill acquisition centres. The other time we empowered about 50 persons. And this year our target is 500. This year, we have trained 100 persons. After training them, we gave them money to go and start something. Once you empower one person, you have lifted an entire family whose survival depends on that breadwinner. “Government alone can’t solve all our problems. Hence, the church must come in to complement government’s effort to roll back poverty. In our own little way, we get involved to help our people. So when they brought these machines, the first question I asked was how many people can it give jobs? I said if people can’t get jobs then I won’t get involved. So we are getting involved to set the people free from poverty.”

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Faith

Lent: Good Families make Good Nations Firm Faith:

Right Reason Most Rev.

Emmanuel A. Badejo fradebadejo@yahoo.

0803 949 4219 (SMS only)

Restoration in the family and Nation Lent is a period of reconciliation, but also of restoration. Be it of relationships, structures or communities, the fact remains that Lenten renewal itself speaks of restoration (2Chron. 7:14). That is why the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, at the end of their last conference in Abuja, strongly advocated the restoration of family life. In their final communiqué entitled: ‘Good Families make Good Nations,’ the Bishops, after a rich, study session on the same theme, emphasised the importance of good families for the restoration of Nigeria. The Bishops addressed other issues like the forthcoming elections in Nigeria, the plight of internally displaced Nigerians and of Nigerians who have become refugees in Cameroon and other countries due to Boko Haram’s terrorist activities. All these were treated from the perspective of Nigeria as a family of peoples for whom God has designed a common destiny. Of that communiqué, here are some salient points: Family, faith, love and life The family is a divinely instituted community of persons made of husband, wife, children and relatives open to life

in love. In the words of Pope Saint John Paul II, “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself. His life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.” (Redemptor hominis, 10) Consequently, the first task of the family is to be the first school where fidelity to one another, love, sanctity of life, solidarity, mutual respect and values that promote human dignity are learnt. The family is at the service of love and life when parents educate their children on the essential values of human life — to love the truth, to love the good, to love and to be loved, to love God. This is in itself the ministry of the Church in which the family is able to participate when husband and wife live in fidelity, love and mutual respect. In this way, parents teach their children to love in the wider society, and good families build good nations. Family, Leadership and Nationhood, A nation is itself a family of families, a community of persons who share common core values, and the family is the nucleus of the community of persons that a nation is. Every nation needs effective institutions and leaders of intellectual, moral and technical competence to administer these institutions. The family, as a vital cell of the society, is where such leaders are born and nurtured. Hence, both the effectiveness of such institutions and the emergence of good leaders in the nation largely depends on the family. The family, as a community of persons, gives birth to and nourishes the nation and

every other institution critical to the life of that nation. Nations are built on and secured by values, and the family is the first place of acquisition of values. That is why the state of a nation is a reflection of the state of its families. Challenges facing the family In a contemporary society that promotes selfishness and individualism, the value of marital love, that is, the mutual selfgiving of husband and wife which bears fruit in good families, faces relentless attack. The promotion of the self to the detriment of the common good is reinforced by a movie industry and social media that promotes primacy of the erotic and marital infidelity; by pressure groups funded from within and without fighting to impose a redefinition of marriage, as well as abortion and contraceptive mentality on our society; by bad examples and scandals found among persons in positions of authority in homes and in offices, in politics, and even in religious communities. There is a need to rediscover, protect and promote the value of the family in our nation Nigeria. This task requires the synergy of the family, the Church and other religious bodies, and the whole society. Support for the Family On the part of the state, lawmakers and public officials are to ensure that laws and policies protect the family. They should bear in mind that marriage as a divine institution must not be subjected to arbitrary legislation. An area of concern in matters of state intervention is the education sector. Nigeria needs to move

away from an era of education policies formulated by government bureaucrats, depriving families of their right to choose the kind of education they want for their children. The ill-advised and illegitimate takeover of schools in the military era simply violated those rights. Education policies are still being formulated and implemented without the input of parents. Government still dictates what type of education our children must have, even in private schools and universities. The state is not to educate the child without the family; neither can the family educate the child without support from the state. But providing support is different from usurpation of functions. “The family and society have complementary functions in defending and fostering the good of each and every human being. But society —more specifically the State — must recognise that ‘the family is a society in its own original right and society is under a grave obligation in its relations with the family to adhere to the principle of subsidiarity.” (Familiaris Consortio, 45) Collaborating for the family The Church appreciates ongoing government initiatives that assist the Nigerian family. She remains, as always, ready and willing to collaborate with government in initiating and running programmes that promote the welfare of the Nigerian family especially in the areas of education, health care delivery and economic empowerment. We commend those who have remained faithful to their marital vows and to their responsibilities as parents. May the grace of God sustain them... and help families in crisis.

Divine inspection Insight Rev.

Femi Akinola

www.thehebrewsng.com

01-790 3163; 0808 584 5864

“T

hen God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” (Gen 1:31) When God finished the work of creation, He looked again at what He created and He saw that what He created was excellent. On the sixth day, He came back to look at (certified and endorsed) the works of creation. As you read this, I come with a prophetic word that this day God is coming back to inspect your life. Note that His return on the sixth day carried some spiritual connotation; His return is not to query or disgrace you but to do some specific work. Briefly, I will tell you why God wants to inspect your life. He is coming back to check if your life is still intact and on course; to know if the wicked have not tampered with your life; whether you are still the way He created you and to certify if your quality content has not be adulterated with satanic deposits. Whatever it is that is not pleasant in your life, God is removing them now in Jesus name. He is coming back to check if your destiny has not been diverted and if you are going according to what is written about you; if

your glory has not turned to opaque material or whether your star is still shining. This month, God will visit you and you will come out of every prison of darkness. He is coming back to ascertain if you are still intact and if His workmanship over your life is still whole. You must understand that God comes first, not the devil, to inspect your life, but the devil by his evil nature pays mankind a satanic visitation. This is what calls for God’s inspection of His work in your life. He is coming back to remove the wickedness that has been infused into your life. The reason your life has not assumed its rightful position is because the powers from your foundation are in charge. Your Maker is coming back and anything that is in disarray will be straightened back in Jesus name. God is coming back to discomfit the wickedness planted in your life (Matt 13:25). The devil has this habit of coming and whenever he comes, it is not with a good intention. That night, while you were sleeping, he came to plant problems in your life but your Maker is coming and when He comes, all that is in disarray in your life will be restored to shape. Perhaps, you are battling with a life-threatening disease and there seems to be no solution. Today is your day of visitation on His calendar and when He comes, He will discomfit the evil schemes. When the enemy visited, he planted woes and problems but as your Inspector comes, all these will be erased in Jesus name. Just as a manufacturer can correct factory defects and carry out repairs and maintenance on its product, so also, God can do same, you must realise that God is your Maker. He is not like your doctor who is susceptible to errors. When He comes back, you will not miss His visitation in Jesus name. This is a prophetic word that you must key into

and you will see His glory. Why does God pay you a visit? He does not want your life to be a reproach to His name. You are created in His image. When He created you, there was nothing like cancer, fibroid, diabetes, nervous disorder. All these are the mere handiwork of the enemy, hence, His inspection. This will be your turning point in Jesus name. At creation, nothing was missing, so where does the warfare come from? Gen 1:27. Shout this loud, “I am God’s property; I am ready for His inspection.” The Bible says He has the key of David to unlock satanic schemes inimical to your wellbeing and welfare; whatever has been swallowed in your life will be vomited in Jesus name. Sometimes, you might see yourself in the dream making appreciable progress, being congratulated or celebrated but in reality the reverse is the case. You cannot continue to be at the mercy of your friends, employers or even your landlord. When Jesus appears on the scene of your life, I see every roadblock in your life give way. What they have tampered with in your life, when He comes, He will put them back in order in Jesus name. In Zech 9:9, there is a prophecy about the colt and its future but the devil went ahead of time to hunt it down. If Christ could go for a colt, how much more you? No matter the gathering of the wicked, when God appears, their gathering will be disannulled. When He comes, that pain, tears, suffering, stagnation and disappointment will come to an end. Over the years, He has done what is considered as impossible and yours will not be an exemption. After now, your story will change. Do you think as one who is created in the image of God what you are

passing through is pleasant to Him? No! But you must first admit that something is wrong, He is coming back to check whether you have multiplied according to the mandate He gave. Going by the inventory of your life, are you fruitful or barren? God is coming back to check whether you are blessed or cursed. God is the Maker of men; who is he that troubles you? When He comes, every evil plantation will be uprooted (Matt 15:13). Never conclude that your enemy has gained the upper hand. Every miracle recorded in the Bible took place on the sixth day when the Maker of heaven and earth appeared. In Matt 3:10, the mission of the Inspector was further simplified. When He comes, He will axe out every evil tree responsible for your many years of sorrow and woes. Every long term problem in your life, from your village, will die off in Jesus name. At this juncture, your faith is crucial because this word is not just a language of communication but the expression of the power of the Living God to destroy every work of darkness in your life. It does not matter the age and the name of the problem or affliction, the Ancient of Days is coming for you and expects a total deliverance. When He came for Abraham in Gen 18:13, his long-term barrenness was terminated. According to the word of the Lord, surely He will come back to confirm His word in your life. You have a role to play if truly you tarry for His divine inspection. You must: • Surrender your life to Jesus if you must experience His visitation • Have resounding faith in His word • Be ready to receive and follow instructions • Raise an altar

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Come, ride on the waters of success Mystery ofAnxiety Bishop

John Ogbansiegbe

0803 341 6327

level is suggestive of a height, position or a station. A level can as well be seen as an exalted office. A level is a high class. A person in a high level is, therefore, a person in a respectable position with social dignity. Our world which is called planet earth is round in shape and revolves in an orbit. This is why one can categorically say that no condition is permanent. Your situation and condition will change for the better. You shall rise again to a glorious new level in the name of Jesus Christ. For you to rise to the next level you must acknowledge the deficiencies of your current position or condition and sincerely desire to rise higher than where you are now. You must begin to confess, proclaim, profess, declare and determine to enter into your new level, no matter the obstacle that may appear before you. There is an anointing for new levels that comes upon a man at the fullness of time. This was the anointing which came upon David when he made up his mind to fight Goliath. That was the anointing that came upon Peter the day he walked

upon the sea. This is the anointing that moves a man to attempt the impossible. This is the anointing that moves a man to do what he has not done before. Peter looked at our Lord Jesus Christ and said: “Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water.” Hear this: All things are possible to him that believeth. Any wonderful thing anybody did can as well be done by you. Where there is a will, there is a way. This was why St. Paul declared in Philippians 4:15: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In that scriptural story, the disciples saw our Lord Jesus Christ walking upon the sea and were very afraid, thinking that He was a ghost. “But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid. (Matt. 14:27) God’s divine presence alone is enough for any child of God in any storm of life. For you to rise to your new level, you must do away with fear, worries and anxieties; and walk in the daily consciousness of God’s divine presence. Remove your eyes from the stormy and boisterous wind. Focus your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Remove your eyes from the mountains, hindrance and obvious obstacles before you remove your eyes from the problems around you. Be blind to the impossibilities before you, look beyond these problems and begin to see the glories ahead of you and you shall see yourself triumphantly riding on your storms to your next level in the name of Jesus Christ. The word of God says concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand at the

And Jesus stood still and commended him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise he calleth thee; and he casting away his garment rose, and came to Jesus

right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrew 12:26) Fear, doubt, negative confessions and a negative mental attitude all constitute what I call the old devils of the old level. Every man aspiring to rise unto a new level must deal with the old devil. You need to break out of the old order with determination and aggression. God will give you a new position, a new circumstance, a new office, a new car, a new connection, a new testimony and new open doors in the name of Jesus Christ. Be innovative, creative and desire to receive new daily vision and revelations about your future and destiny in the name of Jesus Christ. But the devil wants you to remain in that old level. You must resist the devil and be determined to make it to the next level. Peter said to our Lord Jesus Christ: “Bid me come.” Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the uncreated creator as well as the master of the ocean, the earth and sky, the commander general of the whole

Faith

universe, was the very one who was calling Peter to come. In the same way, He is calling you that are reading this now to come. Come and ride on your storms and obstacles, come and walk on the water of success and prosperity. Come and be lifted into your new level. Come and be anointed for your resurrection, come by faith not by fear, come in boldness not in doubt and negative confession. Come in trust and confidence in God, and not confusion and discouragement. God is saying yes today to your resurrection and no man can say no. get up and begin to rise to your next level faith. And as you do so, may God prefect all that concerns you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. “And they came to Jericho and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartmaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and said, Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace; but he cried the more a great deal, thou son David, have mercy on me. “And Jesus stood still and commended him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise he calleth thee; and he casting away his garment rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, what will thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him. Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way.” (Mark10:46-52)

The original sin: Unbelief the of

Oracles God

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com

0703 362 1866

he sin of “not believing” the Word of God given at a particular time of human history is the reason for God’s anger and judgment upon a people. Nothing displeases God most, than when His command is despised and rejected. That is why the sin of unbelief is one of the deadly sins recorded in scripture. Disbelieving God’s commandment (Genesis 2:16-17) brought death to the human race. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Reading John 3:18, we have a clearer picture: “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me. (John 16:9) The believer doesn’t question the Word of God or reason it. We are not called to understand God’s Word but to believe it. That was why Jesus told Jairus at the point he was told that his daughter was dead, that he should “only believe.” The Believer believes it regardless of what it sounds like, what anybody else has got to say about it or how impossible it seems

to be. The believer believes the Word, not the creed, the Word; not the denominational interpretation of the word; not what somebody else says, but what the Word says. Abraham believed God’s promise and did not stagger because of unbelief (Romans 4:17-22). He experienced the fulfillment of something that seemed humanly impossible. True believers are the seed of Abraham, they do not stagger because of unbelief. “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28). On the other hand, the Devil visited the garden of Eden, incarnated the serpent and engaged Eve in a conversation on what God commanded. The Devil succeeded in luring Eve with his (mis)interpretation, pulling her into disobedience by subjecting her to his will instead of the will of God. He remains the god of this world who misleads people in religious institutions by getting them to believe his interpretations instead of the Word of God. I believe that the happiest of Christians and the truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God but take His Word simply as it is; believing it and asking no questions. They feel assured that if God has said it, it will be so. Why was it only Noah and seven others that entered the Ark? They believed the Word of God while the majority perished for not believing. That is how deadly the sin of unbelief is. It is regarded as the original sin. Others describe it as the mother of all other sins or the works of the flesh. It is the failure to accept God’s provided way that leads to the manifestations of the works of the flesh like fornication, adultery spoken of in Gal. 5:19-21, to name just two. The

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28). On the other hand, the Devil visited the garden of Eden, incarnated the serpent and engaged Eve in a conversation on what God commanded

scripture added that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is true because the power of God in His Word that will enable you to subdue the works of the flesh is rejected. Surely, scripture is right when it makes the sin of sins, that unbelief which is at the bottom, nothing else than a refusal to take the cup of salvation. Surely, no sharper grief can be inflicted upon the spirit of God than when we leave His gifts neglected. Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust, not in the living God but in dying men. The unbeliever, a term used to describe the one who doubts God, denies the selfsufficiency of God and usurps attributes that are not His. This dual sin dishonours God and ultimately destroys the soul of man. From Genesis to Revelation, all the accounts of men, families and nations that perished was as a result of unbelief. Achan turned deaf ears to the command of God for covetousness as Gehazi did. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah

were burnt because they rebuffed the two angels sent with the message of escape through unbelief. But look at the people of Nineveh, a Gentile nation, heathen by nature, who accepted the proclamation of Prophet Jonah of God’s judgement and national call for repentance. In all unbelief, there are these two things; a good opinion of one’s self, and a bad opinion of God and His word. THE BARRIER THAT UNBELIEF IS Unbelief is the biggest barrier between God and man. It also deprives one of receiving the rich free blessings of God. In Capernaum, the Kinsmen of Jesus Christ could not activate the abundant blessings of God in Jesus Christ because of lack of confidence. And the scripture summed it up thus “He could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief. (Mark 16:14) But when in Matt. 17:14-20, a father cried to the Lord to help his unbelief because he wanted to meet the requirements for healing, the Lord was at hand and he got his son delivered. No man is excluded from calling upon God. The gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keeps us back from entering in, save our own unbelief. Sad, isn’t it? What an awful tragedy that history again is repeating itself. As the return of Christ draws ever closer and prophetic promises are fulfilling, only very few are intent. The majority as usual are content to merely exist until they die. They don’t want to risk anything to believe God, to accept His unadulterated Word. They prefer interpretations and become hardened in their unbelief. Now they are living just to die.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Faith

The victory in kneeling Word of Life

Bishop

Moses Kattey

moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

0808 770 7486

“T

his is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased HEAR YE HIM.” (Matt. 17:5). The eternal proclamations were unending and uncountable. There was initial silence, then ovations, clapping and praises. What God had never said about an angel before was all proclaimed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He asked all in heaven and earth to worship Jesus and everybody including Lucifer did so. God said when He would call the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and as He called “Jesus,” all including Lucifer bowed and knelt down. God again said as He would call Jesus let all tongues confess and shout “Jesus is Lord” and as the name was called, every tongue confessed, “Jesus is Lord.” Lucifer also did the same thing, kneeling and bowing and shouting, “Jesus is Lord.” Almighty God then commanded all angels to worship Jesus, and right there everybody including all angels wor-

shipped Jesus Christ. (Heb. 1:6) All these happenings served as precedents: Something that had already happened and which could be used as a reason why all must do the same to Jesus and to His name forever. This was the way it happened from the beginning and in the past which therefore shows it is the correct way and must not be otherwise when Jesus’ name is mentioned. Indeed, it has become a law or case which makes it imperative for other similar cases and judgments to be decoded in the same way. This attitude towards Jesus has become a precept or rule for action or behaviour. The Lord Jesus became the basis of judgment. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believeth in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation (Judgment), that light came into the world, and men loved darkness rather light, because their deeds are evil. (Jn. 3:16, 17, 19) The Lord Jesus Christ became the basis of justification or judgment to both dwellers in heaven and earth. Lucifer’s reaction to God’s proclamation Lucifer felt humiliated that he was made to worship Jesus Christ, who was

like a servant. Lucifer felt that if God could have conducted an election, he could have won. Why was he not appointed? Psalm 2 described what later transpired in heaven and the rebellion against the proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the h Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” - Ps. 2:1-9. Lucifer convinced a third part of angels to rebel against the great proclamation and was pushed down from heaven. He came to the earth after the creation of man to win man to his side through Adam and Eve. The Lord Jesus came to redeem man to Himself. The Lord simply advised: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their

trust in him.” ( Ps. 2:10-12) Kneel to Jesus and win and confess that Jesus is lord Lucifer, now called Satan or devil, has vowed that he and his followers will not bow to the name of Jesus. He is going round convincing people not to bow their knees even in prayer. However, God has decided that the basis of victory is kneeling down to Jesus Christ. Kneel and win. Kneeling down to Jesus Christ is kneeling down to God and this signifies a lot. For the purpose of emphasis: •In kneeling down there is Lordship. •In kneeling down there is honour. •In kneeling down there is praise. •In kneeling down there is adoration. •In kneeling down there is loyalty. •In kneeling down there is supplication. •In kneeling down there is love. •In kneeling down there is mercy. •In kneeling down there is worship. •In kneeling down there is thanksgiving. •In kneeling down there is blessing. •In kneeling down there is trust. •In kneeling down there is salvation. •In kneeling down there is prayer. •In kneeling down there is service. •In kneeling down there is victory, and •In kneeling down there is great reward. Take your mind back and recall when you knelt down to God last. You may unknowingly stay without kneeling down to God for months. There is victory in kneeling down. There is joy in kneeling down. There is humility in kneeling down. Only winners kneel down. So kneel and win.

Be steadfast, live indelible mark Liberation Tidings Pastor Samuel Daniel

globalgracechurch@ymail.com

08060143296 (SMS only)

he Bible speaks about steadfastness. Being steadfast means to be steady, to be constant and to uphold what you have received. The Bible says in John 8:31, “If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed.” Today, many Christians are no more steadfast in the message they have received. That is what is causing a lot of commotion or questions about their confession of faith. When they first receive the message of salvation, there is a kind of fire and tenacity that they attach to the new life orchestrated by the message of salvation. Wherever they go, they are quick to identify with Christ, spread the gospel and conduct themselves in a befitting manner. In their residences, workplace and what have you, the new believer is mindful of his or her new life in Christ and upholds it jealously. The Bible says, “He that putteth his hand looking back is not worthy. “ If you say that you are a Christian and you are just a Christian by mouth; but you are not promoting the message of truth or you are not holding steadfastly onto the message you have received, in righteousness; you are not of God. God cannot boldly call you His child. That is why this message is coming. May be you are one of those receiving this message. Many stories have been told of some Christians caught in one vice or the other. We have also heard of some men

of God accused of duping or defrauding unsuspecting people. Hear me, there are some stories that are not supposed to be mentioned among the children of God. This is so because, Christians should know the message they have received from the author of our faith. It is the message of righteousness. That is why the Bible even says that we should not even swear; because you and I know that our no should be our no and our yes should be our yes. Anyhow others may want to go they can go, but your yes will remain your yes because you stand upon righteousness, the steadfastness of the gospel. Today, I want to encourage children of God; don’t be ashamed of the gospel. The Bible says it is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe. Don’t be ashamed of it, uphold it and continue in the message you have received. And I can assure you that at the end, people will be happy that there is someone like you. What about our political scene today? How has our polity suffered in the hands of unsteady, wavering and shifty actors? It is not strange anymore to hear that politi-

Today, many Christians are no more steadfast in the message they have received. That is what is causing a lot of commotion or questions about their confession of faith. cians jump from one political party to another. In the recent past, political campaigns used to be a contest of ideologies. And based on party ideological learning, each party presents its manifesto to the voting public. Then, one could tell the difference between Party A and Party B. But today, politicians shamelessly dump one party and cross over to two or three parties without regard to their ideological leaning. This gives the impression that today’s politicians are unstable as a rolling stone. And do you wonder why public officers perpetrate corruption, impunity, unfair-

ness and are desensitised to the sufferings of the masses of our people? A political class that has no conscience can never produce a government that is sensitive to the yearnings of the common people. Each time public officers want to ascend to power, they swear to an oath of office with the Bible or the Koran. The implication is that the officers are expected to uphold truth and righteousness in their capacities as servants of the people. But in reality today, public officers sweep the holy book under the carpet as soon as they get to power and increase corrupt practices. But hear me, if you are a public officer, no one who is good will be forgotten. Rather, he or she will be remembered for his or her good works. That is why you see today some used again and again in the service of our fatherland by successive governments. That is as a result of their steadfastness. Being steadfast in upholding the truth, serving the people with the fear of God and respect to humanity will enable you to live indelible mark as a public officer deserving of honour. God bless you.

Christian leaders appeal for calm, prayers

Stanley Iedhigbo

hristian leaders have appealed to Nigerians to be calm and prayerful as God will not allow the country to break into pieces and His children to suffer. Speaking with Sunday Telegraph in different interviews, the Christian leaders said that 2015 is a year of abundant peace and celebration. The General Overseer, Sanctuary of Grace Assembly, Prophet Noah Nnaji,

said his advice to Nigerians is that they should be calm. He added that, there would be peace and the people should not be afraid that something evil would happen. According to the man of God, the country will remain in peace and Nigerians will see the peace of God reign. Even those that travelled home due to election tension should get back to their bases, as the Lord God would maintain peace. “In all, it is time for prayer and fast-

ing, although some churches have already had their own prayer and fasting sessions at the beginning of the year, I still urge Christians to pray for this country daily,” he added. Archbishop of Okigwe Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Reverend Nelson O. Eke, said that as Christians are in the Lenten season the issue related to God’s will towards our country should be their major points of prayers. He noted that as Jesus is already in the CONTINUED F R OM PAGE 56

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Christian leaders appeal for Pastor warns youths against political thuggery calm, prayers Shola Adefuwa

igeria youths have been advised to stay away from political thuggery and rigging in the coming general elections. The chairman of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Odi-Ajaye Zonal Headquarters, Ogba, Lagos, Pastor (Dr) John Olushola Ojo, gave the counsel during an interview with Sunday telegraph in Lagos. He said that thuggery and rigging were two major vices that are inimical to the nation’s electoral process. “Thuggery and rigging are twins. They go together. They give birth to other problems which militate against the rapid advancement of our country. “In the light of this, I warn our politicians to eschew thuggery and rigging. They are against divine laws,” he said. The cleric also dismissed the allegation that some clerics received N7billion bribe from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to campaign against the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhare as unfounded. “I do not believe this story. But if it is true, it is a desecration of churches which are homes of hope, comfort, peace and holiness. It is bad. It is against the teachings of Jesus Christ as contained in the Holy Bible. “If it is true, those who got the money are inviting the wrath of God. I do not believe the story. People can say anything to destroy as a result of hatred. A true man of God will not involve himself in bribery. It is a sin

to give a bribe and it is a sin to accept it,” he said. Commenting on Boko Haram insurgency, Ojo said “I know God will continue his work and he can’t leave the people of Nigeria. I advise Nigerians is to pray, lets pray together both Christian and Muslim. “We should pray for Nigeria; we should put everything in the hand of God, and it’s God that knows and sees all. “But I know something; the God who created us won’t leave us and he will deliver us,” he added. The cleric also urged Nigerians not to fret anymore about the rescheduling of the general elections. “I know that many people are complaining about the shift of the polls. But I want people to be calm and believe that God is in control. We should pray that elections hold on the new dates.” He stressed that Nigerian youth deserve better treatment and attention. His words: “Our youths deserve special treatment because they are the future leaders. Subsequent governments must attach much importance to the welfare of youths. They must be empowered. They need jobs; they need training. They should not be left to waste.”

CO N T I N U ED O N PAGE 57

wildness, this means a sign of us preparing ourselves for holy living as a nation. “Because, if we want good things, it only comes from God by living holy lives and for our nation, we will surely come out from this challenging times and the glory of God would be praised.” He further urged the people to believe what Jesus would do for them in the Lenten period. A minister of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Lagos, Evangelist God’swill Uchenna Okafor, said that, it is a time of sober reflection for every Christian in the country. He also thanked God that the general elections were shifted to enable the children of God to pray hard for Nigeria. “The Bible says that when my people humble themselves, and pray, God will answer the people. I advise all Christians in the country to observe the period and pray because there are good things to come in Nigeria,” he said. For his part, the General Oversees of the House of Prayer Ministry, Lagos, Pastor Segun Adewunmi, said that, it is a time to be sober. The General Overseer of the Faith Revival Apostle Ministry, Apostle Paul Adenuge, said, we should fear God according to His words in the Bible,”

Faith

fear not him that can kill the flesh but cannot kill the soul. Nigerians should learn how to fear God rather than learn how to create tension for the general elections. “If we fear God, God knows how to handle the election and how to protect all His children in the country. My advice for the politicians is that they should know that it is not the will of God that people should pursue power. The people we see today are pursuing power that belongs to the Devil. “In the Bible, they don’t pursue power because if you pursue power, you have sinned against God and you disobeyed the words of God. From the book of Genesis, people that pursued power didn’t do well with the power they pursued.” Bible said that the world is full of wickedness as result of people looking for power. Genuine politicians are not desperate to be elected or to get power. “So, anybody that is desperate to be in elected office is not a real politician. There is politics in the western world and to the glory of God; you cannot see them killing people or doing anything that is against the will of God. They believe whoever God wants to be there will be in that position. We are experiencing this in our country because of the love for money which is the root all evil,” he submitted.

Global Grace night of deliverance

ll is set for the deliverance vigil of the Global Grace Church, Lagos. Over seer of the church, Prophet Samuel Daniel, explained that the programme was intended to liberate those who are

afflicted or under the bondage of evil powers. The programme organised with the theme: ‘My Goliath Must Die,’ comes up on Friday, March 13, at the church audi-

torium, at Olorunshola Street; behind Alade Market, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos. The deliverance service will commence at 10 pm and end at about 4 am.

Struggles stop when grace arises Taming your Emotions Bishop

Lawrence Osagie 0806 325 0667 www.powerlineministriesinc.org mail:powerlineministries@mail.com

nd God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) The New English Translation Bible rendering this same passage says: “God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” This means that God in His generosity will make provision for you so that you will have in abundance such that is sufficient for you to do good works. I am always delighted whenever I tap into the true realities of the intentions of G od for His people. This scripture provides one of such numerous Rhema. When He made the sea, He made it in sufficiency for the survival of life. The air is never in short supply – no matter where you are in this world. Plants and animals are still being reproduced to meet the needs of mankind. And amazingly too, the Bible says that the grace of God abounds in all things – health, wealth, protection, direction and whatever thing you can imagine. The grace of God is sufficiently available for you to do good works.

When I think about the grace of God and how it has beautified and strengthened the lives of many heroes past and present, I say one prayer: “Oh God! Let me not struggle to achieve what others achieve by grace.” There are many people who as a result of gracelessness are struggling in areas others have gracefully received amazing testimonies. For instance, till date, interpretation of dreams is not a profession. Nobody earns a living from interpreting dreams of men, but by it, Joseph ascended the throne of Egypt as a prime minister. Gracelessness is the reason why many people are still struggling to make ends meet. So the desire of every believer should be to find the abiding grace of God manifested in their lives. When grace arises in your life, struggle stops. God is able to make all grace abound towards you. He is not only able, He is also willing. To be able is one thing and to be willing is another thing. God is not only able, He is also willing. There are some people that may be willing to extend help to you but they can be incapacitated by circumstances of life. That is why it is better to seek the favour of God than the favour of man. When you find the favour of God, He will make men to do what they never wanted to do. Jesus speaking says: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.” The gain of salvation is that it brings other things effortlessly your way. I do not have time to be analysing what sufficiency in all good things means, but I want you to use your mind and appropriate that for yourself. Whatever good you

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.” The gain of salvation is that it brings other things effortlessly your way can imagine is included in the phrase: ‘Sufficiency in all good things.’ But let us quickly settle to study some influential factors that can attract the favour of God upon you. Worshipping in the Holy Spirit: If you desire to walk in the grace and favour of God, learn to worship in the Holy Ghost, learn to adore and reverence the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit represents the third person in Trinity, the executive arm of God that is at work in the current dispensation. During creation, God was visibly in all the activities and encounters of creation. During the days of the fulfillment of the law and prophesy, our Lord Jesus, the second person in the Trinity as God the Son, was actively visible. Now, in the era of grace while we await the second coming, the Holy Ghost is also visibly here with us. Jesus speaking to His disciples said: “It is expedient that I go to the Father that I may send you the Comforter who shall teach you all things.” When Jesus finally ascended the throne of Grace in Heaven, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost descended as a fire upon the apostles as an-

ticipated. (Act 1:9; 3:1-11) The Holy Ghost is practically involved in your daily affairs. Therefore, eliminating Him from your worship is not in your spiritual interest. Therefore, remember the Holy Spirit of truth. The Holy Ghost knows the truth about every situation so if you are looking for grace and favour, the right person to go and worship – adore and glorify the Holy Ghost. He knows the father of all spirits. He knows what is going on in your mind right now that perhaps no other human knows. He knows what is going on in the spirit of your landlord that you may never know. He knows what is going on in the spirit of your boss that no employee has an idea of. The Holy Ghost is the father of all spirits. When you worship Him and He gets into your case then you can expect the unexpected. The heart of man or the spirit of man is in the hands of the Almighty God. And God moves according to the leading of His pure spirit. At creation, when everything was yet dark and the world shapeless, the Bible tells us that the spirit of God moved upon the deep before God said “let there be light.” This same spirit knows the heart of every man, including the one you are seeking to obtain favour from. Therefore, when you wake and adore the personality of the Holy Spirit, He begins to turn everything around for your good. Jesus said: “God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. (John 4:24) And such is the man God is looking for. While many are perambulating and looking for God, God is busy looking for true worshippers who are worshipping Him in truth and in spirit.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 8, 2015

Faith

Prayer: The gateway to open heaven! (2) The Voice of Dominion by

Bishop David Oyedepo

7747546-8 (SMS only)

ast week, I focused on what open heaven and heaven on earth are all about. Also, I showed you the purpose of prayer and fasting and some areas of attention, when you pray. This week, we shall continue from where we stopped in that teaching. Note that Jesus never prayed casual prayer, during His earthly Ministry. He

prayed focused prayed. As He prayed, His garment changed and was glistering. Matthew 17:2 shows a graphic picture of what happened when Jesus prayed: He was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Matthew 17: 5 says: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. He prayed to a point that a voice came from heaven! That is focused prayer! Basic Biblical Prayer Protocols: We must observe them, for effective answered prayers. Repentance and Forgiveness: There are no sins God can’t forgive, with repentance.

In 2 Samuel 11:2-4, we can read about King David’s dealings with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife! Despite al what he did, God forgave him. Hear this: There is no sin God can’t forgive, if we repent of it. For instance in Psalm 51, we see David repenting of his sins. After his repentance, he had access to prayer. The Bible says: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy (Proverbs 28:13). Also 1 John 1:8-10 says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Need I say more?

We must never assume forgiveness. Forgiveness must be carefully sought for. Remember Ehab, whose wife was a terrorist? A time came when Ehab fasted and repented. Then God turned the table after the wicked king repented (1 Kings 21:27-29). Also when God sent Jonah to go and announce the destruction of Nineveh, the king had to organize a fast for everyone. God had mercy on them after their repentance. So, we must clean up for our prayers to be answered by God (Isaiah 59:1-2; 2 Chronicles 7:14). •Exertion of pressure: This is another prayer protocol. There is a place for travailing in prayer, for answered prayer (Isaiah 66:7-8). God’s Word says: Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…(Amos 6:1). Remember Bartimaeus, the blind man? He heard how Jesus healed others. So, he positioned himself for an encounter. As Jesus was passing by, he cried louder without stopping, “Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy on me…” Jesus moved with compassion, stood still and asked what he wanted. He said he wanted to receive his sight. That was how Jesus healed him. For clarity of purpose, this account is in Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus travailed until Jesus gave him attention and healed him. Elijah was another person, who travailed in prayer. He put his head between his two knees, while praying. He prayed sweating, and asking God to open the heaven. In actual fact, Elijah prayed high-pressured prayed (James 5:15-16). It is time to exert the required pressure to destroy the issues of your life. According to Matthew 11:12: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. We have to engage some level of violence, to take delivery of our hearts’ desires. Luke 16:16 says it all: The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. So, you must exert the required pressure, to get the wicked off your life! For instance, Jesus prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:4). If Jesus, the Son of God prayed more earnestly, then you have no reason not to emulate His virtues. It was Apostle Paul who said, “I press towards the mark…(Philippians 3:15). That is a practical exertion of pressure! Friend, the grace to access these prayer protocols is for those saved. This entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are set for it, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. Forgive me of my sins.

SUNDAY

Sport 59

SUNDAY, MARCH 08, 2015

AJC 2015

Enahoro wins first medal in Nigeria colour p.62

Football

Yakubu: Feed me and I will score goals p.60

Golf

‘Ikoyi not in competition with any club’ p.61

Ekpo: Keshi is a big disappointment

Dapo Sotuminu

ormer Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, has labeled out-of-favour national team chief coach, Stephen Keshi, a very big disappointment. Ekpo, who played alongside Keshi in the national team in the 90’s noted that, the Eagles coach has acted so irresponsibly on the issue of his job with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF. He noted that, the attitude of Keshi towards the deal he has with the federation showed high level desperation and this is not a good attribute of a coach in the class of the former national team captain. “It is a shame to see Keshi descend so low as to rely solely on a link he

has in the presidency, who has been manipulating the football federation to do his bidding. What Keshi do not know is that, the national team does not belong to his family. It belongs to all Nigerians. “It is embarrassing to see Keshi who played football to the highest level hanging on to a job he is not wanted. It is clear that the NFF does not want him to handle the Super Eagles a g a i n and they h a v e t o l d him in a very clear

Keshi

Deputy Sports Editor Dapo Sotuminu

language when they refused to renew his contract after the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “Keshi, has stayed too long forcing the NFF to accept him by force at a time he failed to perform. Even when he was asked to go and his unrealistic contact in the presidency asked the football federation to take him back, his return was a disaster as the Eagles failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.” The former Calabar Rovers FC stalwart stated that, if he were Keshi he would had honourably take a walk after the expiration of his contract last June when the Eagles crashed out of the Brazil 2014 World Cup in the second round. The deal he signed was specific. He was to take the Eagles to the quarter final of the World Cup, but he failed to do that. And instead of bowing out with glowing tributes after helping Nigeria to win the Nations Cup at South Africa 2013, he decided to stay and by that singular action, he lost credibility. “Keshi, was a hero after the 2013 Nations Cup victory, but he preferred to be rubbished by Nigerian soccer fans who booed him at the Abuja National Stadium, where the NFF said they had to terminate his contract as national team c o a c h just to save him f r o m being lynched by angry soccer fans w h o called for his head. “ I t is also shameful to

Ekpo

know that, Keshi has stayed back in Nigeria since after the match against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa where the Eagles failed to book a ticket for the Nations Cup. He has been hanging on in Benin City, Edo state on instructions of his contact in the presidency. “I can’t remember the last time Keshi stayed back in the Nigeria for two weeks when the Eagles are not on assignment, but today he has stayed back for over four months. The so called ‘Big Boss’ has been reduced to nothing all because he doesn’t want to let go off the job that does not belong to his father. “The worst of it all is that Keshi kept playing on the intelligence of the NFF and Nigerians as a whole, as he kept jumping from one job interview to the other while his contract with Nigeria was not conclusive. This is absolute rubbish. Immediately he did the second job trials with Equatorial Guinea and he failed after the first one with South Africa, the NFF should have dumped him into the garbage bin. “The failure of Keshi to pick a job in any of these national teams shows clearly that he has lost the confidence in Africa. The claim that he was offered a slave contract by the NFF is also total rubbish. Nobody in his right frame of mind would leave the national team of NigeBuffon ria solely in the hands of a below average coach like Keshi,” Friday Ekpo said.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Sport

Chukwudi Chukwuma: A goal hunter full of maturity

igeria-born youth soccer star, Chukwudi Chukwuma, who plays for FK Teplice Football Club in the Gambrinus Liga, in the Czech Republic just 20 years old is full of maturity as he dazzles older players and has sent a very strong signal to the national team selectors in Nigeria. Chukwuma is the first youth graduate of an Indian football academy, Sesa Football Club to sign a deal with a foreign club. He has signed a four-year contract with Czech Republic top flight team FK Teplice. The Benin City-born youth star coached by his father and Sesa

handler, Clifford Chukwuma, has been described as a pacy striker and a goal hunter whose excellent striking process should be exploited by the Chief Coach of the national Under-23 soccer team, Samson Siasia, and even by the coaches of the Super Eagles. So many national team players from Boznia, Congo and Cape Verde and Brazil compete with the young lad yet he is able stay atop. His first league match for FK Teplice sent a message that with the departure of Bony Wifred from Sparta Prague, there remains yet another African who could fill his space. His second league match

against another Czech giant, FC Slovan Liberec, was a thriller. Because of his age, he also played for the youth team as well as the first team. He has been described as a truly talented youngster, full of maturity and has power on his foot. FK Teplice is hoping to have him replace the vacuum created by the exit of Edin Dzeko to Wolfbug. The club’s coaching crew is working seriously on him as they believe strongly that he is like a hidden diamond to them. FK Teplice is in the Northern part of The Czech Republic, bordered with Germany. One of the biggest

Yakubu: Feed me and I will score goals

fter a two-and-a-half year absence from English football, Yakubu says he is fit and ready to fire Reading to Wembley should he be given the chance. The striker grabbed the first goal of his Royals career last month, notching almost immediately after coming off the bench to seal a 2-1 win at Derby County in the fifth round, marking a dream return after a stint playing in China and Qatar. It has been over a month since the Nigerian international arrived in Berkshire, but after several further cameo appearances since his strike against the Rams, the 32-year-old says he is ready to shoot his side into the last. “I always believe, no matter where I have played, that I will always score goals. It’s just down to me to take my chance. If I can get the chance

of 90 minutes then I will take it. I always believe, I always have confidence and I know I can do it. Whenever the manager feels it is right for me to play then I will take my chances.” He continued: “I have been here over one month and I am fit now. It’s not easy coming back to England after two and a half years away, but I’m here to help the team, I am fit and ready. “Every player wants to play but you have to give credit to those that have been playing. It’s not easy (being on the bench), but whenever I have been needed I’ve been ready to give it my best. “As a player, you are always eager to play, no player is happy to sit on the bench, but we stick together as a team. “For me, I am not frustrated; I’m just ready to take my chance. I’m 100 per cent fit, so it is up to the manager, he is the

one to make the decision - but whenever he thinks I’m ready then I am ready.” When he left Blackburn Rovers in 2012 to move to Chinese side Guangzhou, many thought that would be the last they would see of Yakubu playing in England. But the forward says he never ruled out a return, and after goal-laden spells at Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City and Rovers, he is looking to realise one more dream in an already distinguished career. “I never closed the door on coming back to England. I always believe that in football you should never say never. “I left here two-and-a-half years ago and then I had to chance to come back here and I took it. For me to be here is great - England is one of the best places to play football.”

clubs in Central Europe, they appeared many times in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. The club is presently occupying the sixth position on the league table. Chukwuma was born in Nigeria, he moved to India when he was 11years old, in the year of 2006. In 2010, he joined the Sesa Football Academy in Goa, after his father Clifford was appointed as the club’s Head Coach. Chukwuma eventually made it to the first-team at the Sesa Football Academy and played for the side in the I-League Second Division and Goa Professional League. In November 2013, Chukwuma went on trial with Gambrinus Liga side, FK Teplice, where he impressed coaches with his ability and even scored a goal in a

friendly match against FK Meteor Prague VIII. Then, in December 2013, it was confirmed that Chukwuma had signed a four-year deal with FK Teplice. He then made his professional debut with the club on March 2, 2014 against Sigma Olomouc. He came on as a 79th minute substitute for Admir Ljevaković as Teplice won 4–0. The unknown Nigerian striker was among the goal scorers for Teplice as they thrashed Jiskra Domazlice 4-0 in a Czech Republic Cup game. The 20-year-old scored Teplice’s third goal of the game in the 70th minute. Chukwuma joined the Czech club last season. His compatriot Eugene Salami is also on the books of Teplice.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015

Golf Weekly Ikoyi not in competition with any club – Iwere • As Onwu emerges new Captain

Stories by Ifeanyi Ibeh ed Iwere, the previous Captain of the golf section of Nigeria’s foremost golf destination, Ikoyi club 1938, has stated that the club’s primary concern is not in increasing its membership figures but getting its facilities up to date, and consistent with what is obtainable in other parts of the world. With the recent emergence of a number of golf clubs across the country, some of which can boast of modern facilities in line with the rate of technological advancements, it has become challenging for some of the established golf clubs to retain old members, or attract new ones, which, in turn, affects their chances of raising much-needed capital to maintain and update their facilities. Iwere, whose tenure as Captain

expired at the end of last Wednesday’s Annual General Meeting, is however not in the least perturbed about this development, insisting the challenge before the club’s recently elected Executive Committee is making the club’s facilities world-class. “Our problem is not membership,” said Iwere. “If you ask me, I’d say we have too many members, and I seriously mean that because in the Golf Section alone we have over 3,000 members. So our challenge is not to get new members, our challenge is to make our facilities world-class. We have enough members to play on this course. “As it is I don’t know of any other course that is busier than this course, and I have played in many courses all over the world. I have not seen a course that is this busy. “In a day we get over 300 people teeing off, so our problem is not

membership; our challenge is how to keep our facilities in peak condition.” He added: “Apart from the course, we have the Club House, and we need to make the Club House more comfortable and more pleasurable so that people can spend quality time. That way when they get on the course and play the game of golf, they would enjoy it. That is our challenge.” Asked how Ikoyi Club 1938 is responding to this challenge, Iwere said: “We have all kinds of initiatives that are coming up but our biggest problem is getting the funding. But I am sure that in the years ahead we would, apart from looking at club funding sources, also be looking at sponsorship opportunities from the corporate community so that they can help us improve the club’s facilities.” Meanwhile, Tony Onwu, the erstwhile vice-captain of the golf

section has been named captain after he was returned un-opposed at Wednesday’s AGM. And he has promised to drive the club’s development agenda with his new team. “It is a great honour to be saddled with the leadership of the club and I make quick to say that I am aware of the how passionate members are towards the development of the section; and that is what I will pursue vigorously with my team,” he said. As the vice-captain, Onwu led the team that staged the Nigeria Cup Golf Championship in September 2014 and he feels the experience garnered from that event will come in good stead. “Although the two roles are not per se comparable, being vice-captain keeps you on the committee and tests your team building skills to run an effective executive team, which I believe is a great tradi-

tion,” he said. As the captain of the club, Onwu says his immediate challenge is to keep the golf course in perfect shape, and upgrade some aspect of the facility that has been a source of concern to members. “The AGM left us with a good feel of the concern of the members of the section, especially on specific aspects of the course. It is clear that everyone yearns for a great course and a better managed section and we will do our best to meet those demands,” continued Onwu, who got a morale-boosting endorsement from the club’s erstwhile Captain, Iwere. Iwere said: “He (Onwu) is an experienced manager and he brings a whole new perspective to the management of the club which I believe will drive the golf section to a new level. He worked with my team and I can say he is a very dedicated golfer.”

Maiden PGA Tour victory thrills Olapade

unday Olapade has expressed his delight at winning his first Nigeria PGA Tour title after emerging victorious last Sunday at the Francis Olo Pro-Am Championship on the first playoff hole at the Otukpo Golf Club, in Benue State. Olapade had tied Ghana’s Emos Korblah after 72 holes to force the game into a playoff before going on to claim his first title since turning professional in 2011. “I thank God for this victory” he said, adding that it would not have been possible if he did not get the measure of support he enjoyed. “When you have people who believe in you, it gives you a lot of courage” he added He had led the field of 97 players that teed-off the first round with a 68, four under par, and by the end of the third round Chukwudi Okoro, who was equally seeking a maiden win, rose to the top of the leaderboard. Olapade’s last day carding of 73, one over, was just enough to keep

him afloat after Korblah shot ahead with 70, two under par, to force the game to a playoff. “I think this is the moment he has been waiting for,” said Liadi Jaiyeola, who is a senior professional at Olapade’s home club, MicCom Golf Club. “This win I believe is a defining moment for his career. He has come close on several occasions and the morale booster he has gotten from this win may further launch him into the winning circle.” Third day leader, Okoro’s five over par in the closing round left him in the third place just one shot off the leaders, beating Gift Willy and Ebela Desire, who placed joint fourth with two stokes adrift. The PGA also announced that the Pa Mark Memorial Tournament earlier scheduled for this week at the Otukpo Golf Club has been put on hold. New Telegraph learnt the tournament may now likely come up in April.

SUNDAY MARCH 08, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Sport / News

Supersand Eagles lose narrowly to Senegal

Nigeria league match off after robbers attack Pillars

Nigeria league tie between Kano Pillars and Heartland is put off after robbers wounded five Pillars players on their way to the game. The League management Company (LMC) announced that the opening day league match fixed for Owerri, eastern Nigeria, on Saturday has been put off after Pillars team bus was shot at and several players were injured as a result along Abaji-Lokoja road on Thursday. Pillars star striker Gambo Mohammed, Eneji Otekpa and Reuben Obonnaya suffered bullet wounds when robbers opened fire on the team bus after they had robbed them of cash and telephones. “We are still in shock after the robbery incident. I have never witnessed such in my life,” recounted Pillars defender Isaac Loute. “They just opened fire at the bus and the bus stopped, the next thing they started asking us to bring out our money in Hausa, which we did, they collected money and our phones. After which they still shot some of our players. We thank God nobody died.”

Chidera Ezeh vows Flying Eagles will fight to win AYC

C Porto youngster, Chidera Ezeh, has vowed the Flying Eagles will fight to win the 2015 African Youth Championship in Senegal. “We will fight to win the trophy here,” said Ezeh, who at 17 is the youngest player on the final Nigeria squad to this tournament. “We’re proud to represent Nigeria and hopefully we will not let down our great country, just as we did at the U17 level. “We are humbled by the expectations back home and we now want to go all the way.” Ezeh battled a hamstring injury at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup and so had to make do with a goal and a bit role as Nigeria romped to a record fourth world championship at that level.

RESULTS

Barclays Premier League QPR 1 - 2 Tottenham English FA Cup Bradford City 0 - 0 Reading Aston Villa 2 - 0 West Bromwich Germany - Bundesliga Stuttgart 0 - 0 Hertha Berlin Augsburg 1 - 0 Wolfsburg Freiburg 0 - 1 Werder Bremen Hamburger 0 - 0 Dortmund Hannover 1 - 3 Bayern Munich Schalke 3 - 1 Hoffenheim Mainz 2 - 2 Moenchengladba Italy - Serie A Sampdoria 2 - 0 Cagliari Spain - Liga BBVA Levante 2 - 1 Eibar Deportivo 3 - 4 Sevilla A.Bilbao 1 - 0 Real Madrid France - Ligue 1 Toulouse 1 - 6 Marseille PSG 4 - 1 Lens

Harry Kane celebrates putting Tottenham ahead at QPR with his first half header

Manu Garba wants big win against Senegal at AYC

lying Eagles coach Manu Garba has said he hopes for a convincing win over hosts Senegal in Sunday’s opening match at the 2015 AYC in Dakar. “We want to win convincingly because in any tournament your opening match is very crucial. It will boost your confidence,” said Manu. “With the U17s (2013 CAF U17 Championship), we started very well by beating Ghana 6-1 before we went all the way to the final. “We also trounced Mexico 5-1 in our opening match at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup and then went on to win the tournament. “This is how we wish to start

the competition in Senegal, even though we respect and do not underrate our opponents, who will be playing at home in front of their fans.” The coach added: “We want to win all our matches and by implication it means we want to be champions in Senegal and go to the World Cup in New Zealand as African champions.” The Flying Eagles will be one of the youngest squads at this year’s tournament after promoting as many as eight players from the U-17 team who won the U17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates two years ago. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi scored four goals and provided as many assists on the way to Ni-

geria’s fourth U17 World Cup triumph. He said his personal target is to score in all the matches in Senegal 2015. “I will always play for the team but I wish to score in every match at this tournament,” said the lanky top striker. Meanwhile, the Nigeria U-20 team trained at the 45,000-capacity Leopold Sedar Senghor, the venue for Sunday’s match against the host country, 4.30pm local time on Friday. The training was for an hour. The Nigerian team rounded up their training for the match on Saturday morning at the Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar.

The Supersand Eagles put up a spirited performance but lost 5-6 to Senegal in the first semi-final of the ongoing Power Horse Invitational Beach Soccer Tournament in Durban, South Africa on Saturday. It was a keenly-contested affair as the Senegalese, who edged Mozambique 4-2 on Friday, challenged the Nigerians every inch of the beach, and the first third ended 1-1. Victor Talle scored a brace for the Supersand Eagles but then, unfortunately, scored an own goal. Warri Wolves’ ace Abu Azeez was also among the scorers for Nigeria, as bogey team Senegal ran away 6-5 winners, with a last minute winner. Nigeria had spanked Ghana 5-2 on Friday and looked quite good for a place in the final. Sunday’s final will now be between Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire, who mauled host nation South Africa 9-1 in the other semi-final. NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi praised the players for their doggedness, but said they should now imbibe a winning spirit. He charged them to go all out and claim something in today’s classification match against South Africa. In Saturday’s classification matches, Mozambique edged Ghana 2-1 while Morocco pounded Seychelles 6-0.

Adamu Sand Eagles coach

AJC 2015: Enahoro wins first Lagos FA Cup Kick-Off This Sunday with the Rookies Matches medal in Nigeria colour •As Oduduru, Peka through to 200m final Charles Ogundiya Addis Ababa

olland-based Ituah Enahoro has won his first medal for Nigeria after his silver medal finish in the Pole Vault event at the ongoing African Junior Athletics Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Competing for the first time for the country, Enahoro jumped 4.10metres which was his Personal Best to place second behind Tunisia’s Mejri Seifeddine who won the gold with a jump of 4.40metres. In other events concluded on Saturday, Divine Oduduru and Victor Peka both of Nigeria qualified for the final of the boys 200metres to be decided today. Oduduru won his semi-final in 20.86seconds, while Peka also won his semi-final in 21.70seconds. In the boys 110 hurdles, Ifeanyichukwu Atuma and Abdullahi

Basiru made it to the final, winning their heats in 13.61 seconds and 13.71seconds respectively. As at the time of going to press, Team Nigeria was topping the medal’s table with 11 medals made up of four gold, four silver and three bronze medals followed closely by Egypt with 10 medals, four gold, four silver and two bronze medals. The competition ends today in Ethiopia.

he 2014/2015 Lagos FA Cup in collaboration with Winners Golden Bet kicks off today at the Agege Stadium, Lagos with the Rookie matches. New entrant, Freetan Sports Football Club will play other new comers, Odic Wire and Cable Football Club in the first match of the day at 8:00AM. Dominion Hotsports Football Club will slug it out against Ascenders Football Club for the ticket to the round of 32 in the second of the day by 9:30AM. It will be the turn of Moses Olusegun Football Club and Goodland Rangers in the third match and this is expected to kick off at 1:30PM. The last match in the Rookie round would be the battle between Gbagada Football Club and Eko Akete Football Club at 3:30 PM. According to Dotun Coker, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Lagos FA, all matches for this year’s edition of the Winners Golden

Bet-sponsored Lagos FA Cup will hold at the ultra-modern Agege Staduim, Agege. He informed that lots of new innovations are being package for this year’s edition of the FA Cup, revealing that as stated by the chairman of the Lagos State FA, Seyi Akinwunmi, all the winners of the round of rookies games will get a cash reward of N15,000 courtesy of the FA Chairman among other packages ahead of the finals. Coker charged all the clubs taking part in this year’s Championship to maintain high level of discipline, saying the FA will not condone any act that would bring the game into disrepute. “We at Lagos FA has done our homework well by ensuring that all the clubs taking part in this Lagos FA Cup are abreast of the rules governing the competition, hence the reason for the seminar organised by the FA on the FA Cup for the clubs taking part in this year’s edition. So they should try to follow the regulations governing the championship,” he noted.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

Chatham House: British diplomacy, or dictation, is no longer as effective…

he return of APC presidential candidate to the country after his outing at the Chatham House, the previous week, provides an opportunity, to be sure, for a post-mortem on the Buhari speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, the equivalent of our own NIIA. But, for me, a more important assignment is a critical examination of this whole idea of Nigerian politicians, civil servants and business leaders constantly running to London (Chatham House or wherever) apparently to seek validation of our home-grown political processes, economic policies or business decisions, by the House of Windsor. And I say that in the context of British roles in the political and economic life of Nigeria in the past100 years, such groveling appeal for London’s approval for virtually everything we do locally has never earned and will never earn us any respect from this former colonial master. For, as is very well documented, Britain has, in the main, only worked to undermine the credibility and functionality of the Nigerian system through its invidious divide and rule policy which it has mischievously deployed over the years to play one section of the country against the other. Let’s face it, not much good has come out of our so-called special relationship with London. On the 26th of last month, HISTORY, one of these 50k-a-month-pushed-in-yourface MTN Network services, reminded me that it was on that day in 1885 that the Congress of Berlin (the infamous Berlin Conference where Europeans sat down to partition the continent of Africa among themselves) gave Congo to Belgium and what eventually became modern Nigeria to England (Britain). What that means is that from that day till the time of independence (and obviously now), Britain has directly or indirectly influenced the course of events in Nigeria. It is, to all intents and purposes, responsible for the evolution and shape of the Nigerian political economy. One of its means of administration and control of its West African jewel was the Indirect Rule system, by which it used local authorities to administer the territory. In the North where the emirs had absolute control over their subjects, indirect rule was a huge success. All the colonial administrators needed to do was give directives or orders to the emirs and Her Majesty’s bidding was done. In the West where the Obas were influential but had no absolute authority over their subjects, indirect rule was partially successful. In the East, which practised republican democracy, where there were no kings but representatives of clans who met in a public square or in the house of the eldest man in the community to take decisions on behalf of the people, indirect rule was an unmitigated failure. So, it was easy for the British to decide who their friends were. Among the three aforementioned groups, the North, needless to say, became the poster-child of the British colonial establishment in Nigeria. The other two, East and West were derided for what was described as their penchant for ‘disloyalty’ (for the West) and uppity for the East (Igbo). This would seem to be the mindset with which the British were to create Nigeria in 1914 through the fusion of Southern and Northern Protectorates. Apparently, it was time to compensate the North for its ‘loyalty’ during the Indirect Rule era. As Emefiena Ezeani noted in his highly acclaimed book ‘In Biafra Africa Died: The Diplomatic Plot’, “That Britain designed Nigeria for the purpose of securing the British interests and not those of Nigerians is no longer a matter of scholarly debate a quod erat demonstrandum. The famous British policy of Divide and Rule is made

Sunday

Felix Oguejiofor Abugu

abugufex@gmail.com 08076290498 (sms only)

Buhari

very prominent in the way it manipulated the geographical division of the country, which would ensure that one section is perpetually dominant in politics over those it perceived as potentially strong in international relations.” It was for this reason and in order to enable Britain to continue to exact its control over Nigeria, according to Ezeani, that Northern Region is “five-sixth of the whole country,” as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo put it in his 1947 publication Path to Nigerian Freedom. Similarly, in his 1962 book, Power and Stability in Nigeria, The Politics of decolonization, Henry L Bretton agonized that “the very construction of the Northern Region, in the form in which it entered the era of independence represents one of the greatest acts of gerrymandering in history.” For his part, writer Odia Ofeimun, a former Private Secretary to Chief Awolowo, was quoted by Ezeani as once saying in an interview: “And if you cast your mind back to those early years, you will understand that the British had created deliberately a society that would live in division, a society that will always be against itself and our leaders could not resolve their differences enough to see this…” In other words, the whole history of British colonial engagement in what became Nigeria is nothing but a sad tale of mental and territorial manipulations to forge a hodgepodge of disparate nationalities into a dysfunctional country, which would only exist to serve the colonial interests of imperial Britain. The allocation of a whopping 83 per cent of the entire territory of Nigeria to Northern Nigeria (the North runs from the desert country of Gamboru in the Nigeria-Chad border to the lush green rainforest belt of Oturkpa in Benue State, which shares boundary with Amala in Enugu State in the heart of Igbo country), leaving the South with only 17 per cent was a calculated attempt by the British to give the North an overwhelming advantage over the South in the quest for the political leadership of

Nigeria. And we are all witnesses to how such manipulations played out some 40 of our 55 independence years. Indeed, the political supremacy of the North in Nigeria was so total that when it became inevitable for power to shift down South, the North decided whom they wanted and felt would ‘protect’ North’s interest, not who would be better for Nigeria. Today, the principal message in the Buhari presidential campaign is simply that power must ‘return’ to the North because the South just cannot be allowed to rule for 16 years in a country where Britain had put the Desert Princes in a position to provide political leadership forever. With verifiable physical evidence and statistics to show that President Jonathan has performed very well in its official four years; with evidence to show that our military is securing our territory and lives against the hitherto rampaging insurgents and with evidence to show that the sundry accusations of corruption against the president and his team have fallen flat on their face in the light of the forensic audit by Pricewaterhouse that showed such allegations as mere hocus-pocus, the only theme on which the Buhari campaign still runs is the imperative of power returning to the North, mooted as the theme may be. That we still harbor such base sentiments more than half a century after our independence is no thanks to the machinations of Colonial Britain, which London has continued to work to sustain till date. If you read British newspapers, you would think Daily Trust was publishing an edition in London. Are they openly against President Jonathan! The recent The Economist editorial on Nigeria’s choice of presidential candidates ‘The Least Awful’ had everything nice to say about Buhari but reserved all the ‘awful’ things for Jonathan whose presidency The Economist denied even the credit of managing the economy well, even after acknowledging that the Nigerian economy is doing well. Why are they so angry?

Because under Jonathan, China, India and a few others are replacing Britain and their duplicitous western allies as the most important trading partners of Nigeria. The truth is that Britain’s influence in the economic and political life of Nigeria is on the wane because their quisling born-to-rule cousins up country are no longer in the big picture to give them the free hand as they had always done, to dictate to us and manipulate our system to serve British interests, as they used to and they don’t like it one bit. And so, Pray, who needs a British foreign policy institute to pontificate on the political process in Nigeria? What good would can come out for Nigeria from the same London where the Richards Constitution, which sowed the seed of Nigeria’s perennial ethnic and regional chauvinism and hatred, was manipulated into existence to ensure that this country never worked? What effect would whatever anybody says about the election in Nigeria in London have on the way Nigerians would vote? What, really, is the big deal about Chatham House? We just give too much respect to these people. Now back to what Buhari said at the Chatham House. What did he really say that he hadn’t said here? He said he would end Boko Haram in a short time if elected (he didn’t say two weeks or two months this time)---he had also said that here. He said our economic growth is not translating to prosperity for all—he had also said that before. But, wouldn’t it have been worse if there was no economic growth at all? The challenge for government is to find ways to get many more to share in the prosperity of economic growth. Everything he said there—from his views on democracy to why he and his team struck in 1983 to oust an elected government from power he had said here. And even if he hadn’t said them here, it would still have amounted to little because, believe you me, contemporary Nigerians have seen how Europeans are struggling to survive and are no longer enormoured of the assumed infallibility of the Whiteman in matters of economics and politics. Again, how would what Tony Blair or Gordon Brown, a failed former British Prime Minister, said at the Chatham House influence the way Nigerians think about the politics of the forthcoming elections? Very little, if you ask me. It is embarrassing to see presidential campaigners try to make something out of what, in my view, is nothing. Buhari at Chatham House? So? The question is, how would that translate to votes at home? It says a lot about our mental slavery, our colonial mentality that an otherwise sophisticated Nigerian political elite would still regard an outing for a presidential candidate in the Royal Institute of International Affairs as an event to be celebrated in the local media so unabashedly. Something just doesn’t add up here. I am afraid, the APC has lost the initiative it once seemed to have seized from the ruling PDP. With Jonathan actively on the stomps showing things he has done and saying the right things to the right groups at the right time, and with hopes of security returning sooner than later to the troubled parts of the country following renewed military onslaughts against the insurgents, it remains to be seen what the Buhari Campaign can come up with to turn the tide. The debate about whether or not the APC presidential candidate had a good outing at the Chatham House in London is completely immaterial at this point in time. London no longer dictates to us; British diplomacy is no longer as effective as it was once was.

SPORT Ekpo: Keshi is a big disappointment

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FELIX O. ABUGU

Sanctity of Truth

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

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Chatham House: British diplomacy, or dictation, is no longer as effective…

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The constitutionality or otherwise of using electronic card reader in the 2015 general elections (1) THE BACKGROUND Much cacophonous verbiage has been heard and much ink spilled on the thorny issue of whether or not the use of Electronic card reader by INEC is constitutional. For the record, INEC is a creation of Section 153 (1) (f) of the 1999 Constitution, as altered. Section 2 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as altered, gives INEC, amongst others, the power to conduct voter and Civic education, promote knowledge of sound democratic election and conduct any referendum required to be conducted under the Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly. To give it legal teeth to perform its constitutional functions of organising free, fair, credible and acceptable elections that demonstrate honour and integrity, INEC is empowered under Section 153 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, to “issue regulations, guidelines, or manuals for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act and for its administration thereof.” It was to remove accustomed primordial blatant acts of rigging, falsification fascination of sensitive electoral materials, impersonation, multiple voting, voting by proxy, ghost voting, and enthroning transparency and credibility in the electoral process that INEC introduced electronic card reader for accreditation purposes only. ARGUMENT OF THOSE AGAINST USE OF ELECTRONIC CARD READERS The opponents of the use of electronic card readers gleefully point to the provisions of Section 153(2) of the 1999 Constitution as altered. It states, most laconically: “The use of electronic voting machine for the time being is prohibited.” To such persons, ‘Electronic Voting Machine’ includes electronic card reader. But does it? Let us define ‘Electronic Card Reader’ and ‘Electronic Voting Machine,’ so as to bring out the yawning differences between them. WHAT IS ELECTRONIC VOTING? According to the Competence Center for Electronic Voting and Participation, E-voting or electronic voting means in a broader sense the use of electronic means in one of the following three processes: 1. Identification of voters 2. Casting the vote 3. Counting the vote In a narrow understanding, e-voting means the use of electronic means (ICT) in at least the casting of the vote. Wikipedia states that Electronic voting technology can include punched cards, optical scan voting systems and specialised voting kiosks (including self-contained direct-recording electronic voting systems, or DRE). It can also involve transmission of ballots and votes via telephones, private computer networks or the Internet. According to Buchsbaum, T: (E-voting: International developments and lessons learnt), Proceedings of Electronic Voting in Europe Technology, Law, Politics and Society, Lecture Notes in Informatics, Workshop of the ESF TED Programme together with GI and OCG.), and Zissis, D.; Lekkas (“Securing e-Government and e-Voting with an open cloud computing architecture”, Government Information Quarterly 28 (2): 239–251) , in general, two main types of eVoting can be identified: 1. E-voting which is physically supervised

The

Nigerian Project

MIKE OZEKHOME san, ofr mike.ozekhome@yahoo.com 08128444555 (sms only) by representatives of governmental or independent electoral authorities (e.g. electronic voting machines located at polling stations); 2. Remote e-Voting where voting is performed within the voter’s sole influence, and is not physically supervised by representatives of governmental authorities (e.g. voting from one’s personal computer, mobile phone, television via the internet (also called i-voting. WHAT IS A CARD READER? A card reader, on the other hand, is a data input device that reads data from a cardshaped storage medium. The first were punched card readers, which read the paper or cardboard punched cards that were used during the first several decades of the computer industry to store information and programmes for computer systems. Modern card readers are electronic devices that can read plastic cards embedded with either a barcode, magnetic strip, computer chip or another storage medium. A card reader can only read the PVC issued by INEC, and no other. It reads the embedded chip on the PVC, not the Barcode and it shares a secret code with the PVC. It is thus impossible to falsify cards. Furthermore, no person can vote with another’s card because the card reader authenticates the identity of the voter by crosschecking the biometrics (finger prints) with that stored on the embedded chip. Said INEC, ”The Card Reader keeps a tally of all cards read, comprising the details of all voters verified as well as those not verified, and transmits the collected information to a central INEC server via GSM data service. Information transmitted to the server will enable INEC to audit results from polling units, as well as do a range of statistical analysis of the demographics of voting. Collation officers will also be able to use information transmitted by the Card Reader to audit polling unit result sheets and determine whether accreditation figures have been altered.” It is thus clear that the Card Reader is an innovation which can imbibe the electoral pro-

Jega

cess with integrity and dignity. Thus, those politicians mass acquiring PVCs labour in vain, as same will be useless if not used by the very owner whose information is stored in the PVC chip. MEANING OF THE PHRASE “VOTING MACHINE American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, (Fifth Edition), defines a ‘voting machine’ as “an apparatus for use in polling places that mechanically records and counts votes.” The Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, defines a voting machine as “a machine at a polling station that voters operate to register their votes and that mechanically or electronically counts all votes cast.” According to Cambridge Dictionaries, Online Edition, a “voting machine” means: “a machine used to automatically record and count votes in an election.”

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SITUATING THESE DEFINITIONS WITHIN THE CANON OF STATUTORY INTERPRETATION: EXPRESSIO UNIUS PERSONATE VEL RE EST EXCUSIO ALTERIUS In the case of:- M.C.S. (NIG.) LTD./GTE V. ADEOKIN RECORDS (2007) ALL FWLR, 1624 at 1638, paras. F - G (SC), Galadima, JSC, opined that: “The legal maxim, expressio unius personae vel re est exclusio alterius, means that what is expressly mentioned excludes what is not so mentioned. See Cross Statutory Interpretation, Butterworth’s 1976 at pages 120 - 121; African Ivory Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner for Finance (1998) 1 NWLR (Pt. 532) 50’’. JCA In the case of: OLADOKUN V. THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE & ORS (1996) LPELR-2551(SC). “The ordinary meaning of the word ‘Son,’ in my respectful view, does not include grandson, great grandson, great great grandson, etc. This proposition is founded on the principle of interpretation of ‘expressio unius est exclusio alterius’ - the mentioning of the word ‘Son’ in law excludes the word grandson.” PER ONU, J.S.C. Similarly, in CHIEF S. O. AGBAREH & ANOR V. DR. ANTHONY MIMRA & ORS. (2008) LPELR-235(SC). Per Akintan JSC: “The expression of one thing is the exclusion of another. The principle is ably expressed in the Latin maxim: expressio unius est exclusio alterius or expressum facit cessare tacitum. The term means that the expression of one person or thing implies the exclusion of other persons or things of the same class but which are not mentioned. (Odger’s Construction of Deeds and Statutes), 5th Edition by G Dworkin, 1967, pages 94 and 268; Maxwell on the Interpretation of Statutes, 12th Edition by Langan, page 293; Black’s Law Dictionary, 6th Edition page 581; Steven H. Gofis Law Dictionary, 1975, page 76.” Finally, on this canon of statutory interpretation, the case of: ODUMEGWUOJUKWU v. YAR’ADUA & ORS.(2007) LPELR-9008(CA), Per FABIYI, J.C.A, is instructive. The Court held that: “Expressio unius est exclusio alterius rule which means that the express mention of one thing in a statutory provision automatically excludes any other which otherwise would have been included by implication. See PDP v. 1NEC (1999) 11 NWLR (Pt. 626) 200; Buhari v. Dikko Yusuf (2003) 14 NWLR (Pt.841) 446; Ogbunyiya v. Okudo (1979) 6-9 S.C. 32. See also Halsbury’s Law of England, 4th Edition paragraph 876.” • Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN

By Aliu Eroje

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