Binder1saturday, march 7, 2015 by Newtelegraphonline

A media partner of

SATURDAY Saturday, March 7, 2015 Vol. 2 No. 381

Sanctity of Truth

/newtelegraph

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

N150

Nollywood actress Shirley Igwe on why marriage } 22 shouldn’t be trifled with

dollar agony

...tumbling naira gives Nigerians nightmare lNow N226 to $1

Isioma Madike

F Lagos

or the Nigerian economy, it has been a storm of some sort. The official devaluation of the country’s currency, the naira, against other major currencies, especially the

United States of America dollar, has caused an increase in cost of living and made socio-economic conditions in the country a very harsh one. Incidentally, the huge increase in the dollar index has coincided with the drop in oil prices, which has also made revenue

inflow into the nation’s reserves to decline rapidly. This, however, has ignited fears among stakeholders in the Organised Private Sector, some of whom believe that the unfolding drama could snowball into a major economic crisis, if steps are not taken urgently to stem the tide.

After a ‘couple of weeks’ break, Buhari returns to country } 5

Indeed, the situation staring Nigerians in the face is a pathetic one. The folly of depending on wholesome importation of consumer goods as well as other items that helps to stimulate the economy, makes things deteriorate in the country.

peter king: I performed for soldiers on both sides of the civil war } 13

OBI ASIKA } 20 I wasn’t appointed to frustrate Reno Omokri

SEE FULL STORY ON PAGES 48, 49

Court to TB Joshua: You can’t stop }8 Coroner’s inquest

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Contents | 07.03.15 INSTYLE

The Monks It is said that the most noticeable item on a man can be found on his feet. So keep the attention on your feet with a double monk strap shoe

}16

THE ARTS

Merchant of Art A solo exhibition of works by Emmanuel Eni opens today at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos. The exhibition is titled Art Merchants

}18

SHOWBIZ

Fortune Favours the Bold Aisha Abimbola was just a student when a rare opportunity to actualise her acting ambition beckoned. She had to rise above long held stereotype to grab it

}19

INVESTIGATIONS

Pains of Insurgency It’s hope deferred as the insurgency in Nigeria’s north-east has led to cessation of oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin

}24

SPORT

The Glass House Debate Former Super Eagles striker, Victor Agali, says the national team’s failure to qualify for the last Africa Nations Cup was a reflection of the decay in the system

}30

DESTINATION

Beyond the Rhetoric Akwa Ibom sure holds a lot of promises with regard to tourism, but much still needs to be done to make it thrive

}42 Plus: Street Diary 10 | Love&Living 35 | Voices 12

SATURDAY

Comment

Keeping the navy white as snow

fficers of the navy are known for their immaculate white uniform, which makes them stand out from the other forces. From head to toe, all is white, although they also have alternate gear, which comes in either navy blue on black, or camouflage. The main duty of the navy, is to protect and patrol our territorial waters, that is why they are more at home in the ocean. However, they are not at sea when it comes to military matters. Therefore, we find it absurd when officers and ratings engage in tasks that ordinarily, should be left to the police. There is a sharp distinction between civil and military matters. Recently, a freight agent at the Apapa, Lagos Wharf, Victor Ndubuisi, was made to go through torture by men of the Navy, following a business deal gone awry, with one Alhaji Ali Kalamo. According to Ndubuisi, he was abducted by two ratings and taken to Navy Town, Ojo (a suburb on the outskirts of Lagos) where hell was visited on him. Ndubuisi’s brother, Tony, was paid money to clear some goods for Kalamo and when expectations were not met, instead of taking proper legal channels to address his grievance, the Alhaji invited the Navy. Unable to locate Tony, Ndubuisi was forced to take the place of his brother. At the barracks, the ratings used electric shock to punish the latter while they waited for the former to show up. Beyond that, he received severe cuts all over his feet. In a related case, commercial motor cyclist, Anthony Nwankwo ended up in the dungeon of the seamen, following inability to pay a 300 Naira levy as demanded by the chairman of the Alakija Park Motorbike operators. Nwankwo’s story also came with the torture angle. He alleged that the ratings even went to the extent of ask-

ing him to sign that he stole his own motor cycle. The bike had been seized by the so called chairman, who insisted that the owner had to part with 5,000 Naira before it could be released. It took the intervention of a human rights group, Know Your Rights Initiative (Knowrights) to highlight the plight of these two Nigerians. And the group is planning to take up the case. The excesses of these men in white go contrary to the admonition of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, who warned of dire consequences awaiting overzealous officers and ratings.” Any personnel whose action leads to the death of a civilian would be court-martialled and handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution,” he had warned. At the moment, Felix Olanrewaju Odunlami (NN 2121), is serving life sentence for shooting dead a motorcyclist, Peter Edeh, in Lagos, on July 25, 2005. The rider, who hit the lieutenant’s car, was down on his knees pleading, before the officer drew his pistol. July is not good in the record book of the Navy. On July 30, 1973 Rivers State governor, Commander Alfred Diette-Spiff, made the headlines when his police aide-de-camp, ASP Iwowari, ordered RSM Frank Dorgu to shave the hair of journalist, Minere Amachree of The Observer for his “offensive” stories. Perhaps, some of these wild ratings should learn from the mistake of SubLt. William Alders Oyazimo, who was executed for armed robbery in 1971 because he got himself involved in a case involving a woman and one Alhaja Opene. We condemn the actions of men who use force to enforce settlement, when such cases are purely out of their field of operation. It is illegal to use the Navy against civilians when there are proper corridors to seek justice.

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

Eric Osagie

Editor n Yemi Ajayi

Managing Editor n Suleiman Uba Gaya

Editor, Saturday n Laurence Ani

Editor, Sunday n Emeka Madunagu

Deputy Editor, Saturday n Waheed Bakare

Bureau Chief, Brussels n Leo Cendrowicz

Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins

Editorial Coordinator, Europe n Sam Amsterdam

Ag. Bureau Chief, Abuja n Onwuka Nzeshi News Editor, Saturday n Ndubuisi Ugah Business Development Manager n Taiwo Ahmed

Sales/Circulation Manager n Oyebanji Abiodun

Head, Graphics n Timothy Akinleye

Head, Admin. n Robinson Ezeh

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015

Adam Eve

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH, 2015

Anuoluwapo

Melvin Weight: 68

Height: 5.9ft

Mobile: 0802 745 2137

Bust: 35 Waist: 35 Hips: 26 Mobile: 0814 416 0493

Telegraph Adam&Eve is a page for the young, lively, sexy, cute and daring male and female. If you fit the bill, send your profile, snazziest high resolution image, phone number and email to: ireto007@ yahoo.com; julietbumah@gmail.com; editor.body-soul@newtelegraphonline.com, Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja or our corporate head office, No 1A, Ajumobi Close, Off ACME Road, Ikeja. Enquiries: +234 (0)813-116-1840; +234 (0)811-675-9770.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Buhari returns from UK, declares self fully fit l APC resumes campaigns in Anambra, Lagos today Ndubuisi Ugah, Johnchuks Onuanyim and Steve Uzoechi Abuja/Owerri

l PDP backs Patience Jonathan

he Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom after a 10-day rest, declaring that he was physically and mentally fit. Buhari's declarations, however, put paid to claims by the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan and President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign spokesman, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, that he is ‘brain dead.’ Prior to this, the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) had fired back at the first lady, saying she is incredibly crude. There were widespread claims that the APC presidential candidate, who left the country on February 19 had secretly gone for a medical treatment in the UK. His only known public campaign activity was his appearance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (popularly called Chatham House) London on February 26, where he delivered a lecture. But in a veiled reaction to Buhari’s claims yesterday,

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) said it was backing the first lady in her claim that Buhari is ‘brain dead.’ Mrs. Jonathan on Wednesday at the PDP Women Presidential Campaign Rally in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, had alleged that Buhari’s brain was dead. Upon his arrival about 5:40 a.m. yesterday aboard a British Airways flight, Buhari, who was clad in a black flowing gown with a flash of white shirt on the collar, alongside APCPCO Deputy Director-General, Senator Olurunimbe Mamora, was ushered into the hands of waiting journalists who had been keeping vigil at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Asked whether he went abroad to seek medical attention, Buhari said he took some time off the campaigns to get some rest. “I just went off for a couple of weeks to rest. That’s all I did,” he said. Pressed further by journalists on whether he ever visited any hospital while holidaying in UK, he said:

“What is wrong for me to go the hospital? Am I not here now? Aren’t you seeing me? Are you seeing a sick man?” Also, on his appearance at the Chatham House, the APC presidential candidate said, “I went to Chatham House. I read an address and there was a question and answer session. That’s all.” Buhari who was accompanied by Senator Mamora was as well welcomed by a horde of other APC chieftains and supporters at the airport. In another development, the APC has said it will resume its presidential campaign today with a town hall meeting in Onitsha, Anambra State and a one-millionman match in Lagos State. Since Buhari left Nigeria on February 19 for the UK after the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Elec-

toral Commission (INEC), APC had suspended its presidential campaign. According to the Director of Media and Publicity of APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Malam Garba Shehu, the campaign organisation will roll out the timetable for the last lap of the presidential campaign after a meeting with the presidential candidate, Buhari today. The party also said it would kick-start zonal presidential campaigns from next week. However, Fani-Kayode in a response to the APCPCO yesterday in Abuja, said: “The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was absolutely right. To say that General Buhari is “brain dead” is an understatement and to suggest that he is suffering from dementia is nothing new.

“The First Lady has spoken in a courageous and forthright manner and, most important of all, she has spoken the bitter truth. Instead of crying like spoilt little brats and complaining, the APC and the Buhari Campaign Organisation should live with that bitter truth and leave her alone. “She has every right to express herself in any way that she deems fit and she is entitled to her opinion. This is especially so given the fact that her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, is in the presidential race. Fani-Kayode said Buhari’s general disdain for women and their opinion was well known, adding: “This is a man that said that he would scrap the office of the First Lady if he is elected President.” He stated further: “If he is not ready to face public

scrutiny and criticism for his often irresponsible, retrogressive, nonsensical and asinine views, he should quit the presidential race and consider retiring from politics. “Our counsel to the APC is as follows: leave the first lady alone or prepare yourselves for a relentless verbal blitzkrieg, the likes of which you have never seen before.” Meanwhile, Mrs. Jonathan has dismissed Buhari as incapable of leading 21st Century Nigeria, inferring that the antecedents and perceptions of the former military head of state were largely analogue and inconsistent with present day realities in Nigeria. According to her, “at such a time as this when Nigeria is moving out of the analogue and typewriter era, to a digital era, we do not need a leader whose orientations are by far, primitive – who will be talking about building prisons, while Jonathan is talking about building capacity in people.”

S’Court dismisses Sylva’s suit against Dickson Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an appeal brought by a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, seeking to be declared the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2012 election held in the state. The former governor had contended that he ought to represent the party in the last governorship election in the state and not the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson. However, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court consisting of five Justices, resolved the two issues raised for determination against the appellant, Sylva. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the lead judgement, came down hard on the former governor for wasting the time of the court. He awarded N500, 000 costs against Sylva to be paid to Dickson (3rd respondent). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP, who were listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, are to bear their costs. Sylva (then a serving governor) had won the

primary election conducted by the party in January 2011 in anticipation that the governorship election would hold later that year. Before the election for which he (Sylva) was to stand as the party's candidate, could be held, Sylva got a judgement of a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, extending his tenure. The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment and held that Sylva's tenure would end on January 28, 2012. In view of the development, INEC rescheduled the governorship election for February 2012. The PDP was prompted to conduct a fresh primary, for which Sylva bought form, got screened along with other candidates, but was dropped by the party. The primary was won by Dickson. Sylva challenged the party's decision to drop him. The case got to the Supreme Court, which held that Sylva, having participated in the process leading to the conduct of the fresh primary (by buying form and submitting himself for screening), was deemed to have abandoned his earlier nomination for the 2011 planned election that was cancelled.

L-R: Deputy Director-General, All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Senator Olurunimbe Mamora; APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and party chieftains, after Buhari's arrival from the UK in Abuja…yesterday

PHOTO: PREMIUM TIMES

FG arraigns Ogwuche, others over Nyanya bomb blast Tunde Oyesina Abuja

he Federal Government yesterday finally arraigned the alleged mastermind of the April 14, 2014 Nyanya bomb blast, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, and five others before a Federal High Court in Abuja. The accused pleaded not guilty to the eight counts bordering on terrorism slammed against them by the Department of State Security (DSS), when it was read and interpreted to them. After pleading not guilty to the charges by the accused, the prosecution, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), M.

S Diri, asked the court for a date to commence trial and that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of the DSS, adding that the prosecution was ready with its witnesses in the matter. Ogwuche’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), in his submission urged the court to order that the accused persons be remanded at the Kuje prison since the prosecution had concluded investigation into the offences for which the accused persons are charged. Counsel to other accused persons in the suit adopted the submission of the SAN on the remand of the accused persons at the Kuje prison; a request the trial

Judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, turned down and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of the DSS until the next adjourned date. Ogwuche was charged along with seven others for allegedly bombing a popular motor park in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in April last year which claimed over 75 lives and left many others seriously injured. The offences for which the accused persons were charged border on terrorism and are punishable under the Terrorism Prevention and Amendment Act, 2013. It will be recalled that Ogwuche had earlier asked the

court to compel DSS to pay him N100 million as compensation for his unlawful arrest and detention without trial. Ogwuche, in an application brought pursuant to Order 2, Rule (1), (2), (3) of the Fundamental Enforcement Procedure Rule and sections 34,35,36,37 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution is seeking for the enforcement of his fundamental human right. Arguing his application, Raji said it was based on the request of the Federal Government that the Interpol placed a red alert on the applicant contrary to the impression that it was the Interpol that, on its own placed the red alert.

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

SOKOTO JOS Electoral Act: Police FRSC to curb speeding, chief advises politicians overloading soon

N EWS I N BRIEF

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 10, Sokoto State, Mr. Bala Hassan, has advised politicians to adhere strictly to the Electoral Act to ensure peaceful conduct of the general elections. Hassan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Sokoto yesterday that effective security measures had been put in place to ensure peaceful conduct of the general elections. He said the Commissioners of Police in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States had been briefed on security measures to be adopted in their respective states during the elections.

315.4m

“The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said it will soon commence a special operation to clampdown on vectra drivers found over speeding and overloading on the highways. The Corp Marshal and Chief Executive of the commission, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said this in Jos yesterday while on an assessment visit to the zonal command, which comprise Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa States. Oyeyemi explained that commercial drivers driving vectra vehicles would always engage in over speeding and overloading, especially around Keffi-Akwanga road, Abuja-Jos road and Jos Bauchi. “By next week we shall commence a special operation to clampdown heavily on some of the erring commercial drivers, especially those driving vectra related vehicles,” he said.

The estimated total population of Northern America in 2000. Source: Un.org

1,254m

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of the world in 2007. Source: Itu.int

JOS Afenifere decries slow distribution PVCs in the North

Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group in the 19 Northern states has lamented the non-collection of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) by their members. It therefore appealled to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite action in issuing the cards so that the members are not disenfranchised. In a statement issued yesterday in Jos, and jointly signed by its Chairman, Chief Toye Ogunshuyi and Secretary, Mr. Tunde Oladapo, the duo stated that the Afenifere in the northern states had sensitised its members to remain calm. The duo also reiterated the group's support for the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

$11m

The total amount of endorsements of Gareth Bale (Football) for 2014. Source: Forbes.com

FG lays foundation for reconstruction of GSS Chibok AT LAST

President Jonathan redeems his pledge to reconstruct Chibok school. Isa Abdulwahab, Johnchuks Onuanyim and Ahmed Miringa

Abuja/maiduguri

he Federal Government yesterday laid the foundation stone for the rebuilding of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, which was destroyed by the outlawed Boko Haram sect in the wake of the kidnapped 200 schoolgirls of the college. Also, members of the Chibok community under the umbrella of the Kibaku Area Development Association has denied the Federal Government's claims that it had a meeting with parents of the abducted schoolgirls. President Goodluck

l Chibok community denies FG’s meeting l APC chides PDP over rescue plans

Jonathan, who was represented at the event by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said his administration was determined to root out insurgency in the North-East region in order for residents of the area return to normal life. “We sympathise with the Chibok community. We know what you are going through. But I want to assure you that we are working day and night to make sure that life returns to normal both in your community and all others affected by terrorism. “This administration promised to rebuild the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, which was destroyed by terrorists. Today, I am laying the foundation for the remodelling and reconstruction of this school," the president said.

Earlier, Principal of the school, Hajiya Asabe Ali Kwambula, who said: “This is the happiest day of my life”, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture to the community. However, the association in a statement issued by its Director of Publicity, Dr. Allen Manasseh and made available to journalists in Maiduguri, said the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, was never in any meeting with any Chibok parents of the abducted girls. Manasseh said he met with some displaced people from his local government, Daboa and some PDP women that are staying with their relations in Maiduguri. The statement said: “Chibok people are even very angry with Mohammed Wakil, ever since our people kept suffering and are still languishing under the effects of terrorism, he

never came near us, he never showed sympathy with the situation we found ourselves.” Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) yesterday told President Jonathan to rescue the girls rather than promising that they will be rescued. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APCCO, Mallam Garba Shehu, said it was getting to almost a year since the girls went missing. According to him, “The government began by claiming that some of the girls were rescued, to doubting that the girls were missing, to declaring that they had been sighted in Sambisa Forest, to alleging that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement had been reached with Boko Haram.”

L-R: Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar; Executive Secretary, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo AwolowoDosunmu; award recipient of the 2014 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership/former South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki; his wife, Zanele; Chief of Staff to the President, Brig. Gen Jones Arogbofa (rtd) and former Secretary of Commonwealth/Chairman, Selection Committee, Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award 2014, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, at the presentation of award to Mbeki in Lagos…yesterday PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

'APGA died with Ojukwu'

Ndubuisi Ugah he Director, Publicity Committee of President Jonathan Campaign Organisation in Anambra State, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, has said the demise of the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signaled the death knell of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as a political party. Uzodike, who also decried the campaign of calumny against the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said the attack was a veiled attack on President Goodluck Jonathan. He also said the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano and National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, were not working for the re-election of President Jonathan.

The former commissioner for information and culture, who was the Director of Willie Obiano Campaign Organisation and the immediate past special adviser, politics to Obiano, said this in Awka yesterday while addressing youths and traders rooting for the re-election of President Jonathan. Uzodike, who said he was sacked by Obiano for supporting Jonathan, regretted the death of Ojukwu, who he described as a clearing house that everybody ran to in times of conflict in APGA. “I maintain that APGA died with the death of Ojukwu because Ojukwu was a clearing house. Any person who had any problem would run to Ojukwu and he would call whoever to order. Today, there is no other person to run to. Victor Umeh is a personification of everything," he said.

I'm not funding anti-election suits —AGF

he Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has denied funding antielection lawsuits. The AGF, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Peter Akper (SAN), faulted an article published in an online medium that he was secretly funding anti-election suits through his cronies. The statement said the article sought to portray the attorney-general as the person actively using other people (named and unnamed) to scuttle the forthcoming elections through the filing of frivolous suits. It stated: “What is even more preposterous was the assertion that the Attorney

General had received and was solely managing the disbursement of a war chest of N2 billion provided by President Jonathan to enable him to recruit a retinue of groups to file law suits aimed at further postponement of the elections, their termination, or the disqualification of Muhammadu Buhari, the main opposition candidate.” The AGF’s aide said after reading the article, he initially dismissed it as a mere tale emanating from the fertile imagination. He stated, “Upon deep reflection and the unfortunate trust deficit that pervades the polity, I decided to confront the Attorney General who incidentally is my boss, colleague and confidant.”

Security beefed up as Jonathan visits Osun today Adeolu Adeyemo osogbo

combined team of mobile and regular policemen including undercover security and Civil Defence Corps members have been dispatched to some towns to be visited by President Goodluck Jonathan in Osun State today. Saturday Telegraph investigations revealed that all necessary arrangement had been concluded by the security agents in the state to make the visit a heroic one as informed authorities stated that all is set to discourage untoward act during the visit. Heavy security presence was noticed along Akure/ Ilesha-Ife Expressway as those seen were stationed at different strategic areas. The three towns expect-

ed to be visited by President Jonathan are Ile-Ife, Osogbo and Ilesha and security men are said to be on the ground to ensure peace before, during and after the visit. At Ife, President Jonathan will pay homage to the Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuade in his palace while at Ilesha, he will visit Owa of Ijesa land, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran. Speaking on the visit, the state police commissioner, Abubakar Marafa, said all his men were on ground in the state to maintain peace and orderliness. Also, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, said preparation had been made by his members to give President Jonathan a heroic reception during his visit.

7 MARCH 2015

PDP alleges plan by APC to announce fake results Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted the nation of the plan by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to use the social media to announce fake results of the elections even while they were yet to be collated. This, the party said, was to give the impression that it was robbed of victory when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) later authentic and declares the final results. PDP National Chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu'azu, at a meeting with PDP state campaign coordinators in Abuja yesterday charged them to remain steadfast despite the propaganda by the APC. "It is sacrosanct for the party to ensure that Presi-

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

dent Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo are duly re-elected. This is a cardinal point that all coordinators must bear in mind and work towards its realisation", Mu'azu told them. The meeting, which was attended by the Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Ahmadu Ali and Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isah Yuguda, was to review the nationwide activities of the presidential campaign team as well as plan for the weeks ahead before the March 28 presidential election. Mu'azu who is the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council also encouraged the state coordinators to increase their work rate to ensure success, noting that PDP had to produce the majority in the National Assembly.

MARINA CBN to issue N995.5bn in Treasury bills in Q2

NEWS IN BRIE F

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said it would issue new treasury bills worth of N 995.5 billion ($5billion) as from March 19. The CBN, on its debt issuance calendar in Lagos, said the bills would have tenors of between three months and one year maturities. According to CBN, a total of N202.25 billion of the threemonth and a total of N236.81 billion worth of the six-month maturities will be issued during the period. “A total of N556.46 billion worth of the one-year paper will also be sold during the period,” the bank said.

€549.5m

FCT SURE-P to spend N5bn on eight projects

The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) will spend N5 billion on eight critical projects in the FCT this year, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has said. A statement signed in Abuja, by the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Mr. Mohammad Sule, said Mohammed made this known in his proposals for this year’s SURE-P National Budget during his interaction with the Joint Special Ad-Hoc Committee on SUREP (Senate and House of Representatives). It stated that N1 billion would be spent on the Abuja Rail Mass Transit project (Lots 1 and 3) while the design and construction of dam treatment plants, tanks and other bulk water supply infrastructure to Karshi Satellite Town would gulp N750 million.

The total revenue of Real Madrid in the 2013-2014 season. Source: Goal.com

FCT Polls: Nigerians tasked on peaceful conduct

Director-General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Prof. Oshita Oshita, has urged Nigerians to conduct themselves peacefully during the forthcoming general elections. Oshita, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, reminded the youth that only the living could enjoy the dividends of democracy. He said as part of the institute’s efforts to promote peaceful elections, IPCR would be hosting SELMA, a movie on non-violence, on Monday at 3 p.m. “With the 2015 elections, Nigeria is at the climax of an epoch with monumental implications for peace and national integration. Some of the political events and campaign narratives could break or make our democratic journey embarked upon in May 1999,” he said.

531m

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

10%

The crude birth rate of Southern Europe in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org

Ahmed denies begging for campaign fund through Facebook Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

wara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has disowned a fake Facebook account, which is being used by unauthorised persons to solicit for campaigns contributions in his name. In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, the governor dissociated himself from the fake Facebook page (www.facebook.com/abdulfatah.ahmed.754?fref=ts) and warned the public not to engage with the account under any guise, as it is fraudulent. Akorede said: “Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is not soliciting campaign funding through Face-

book or any other social media platform. Neither is he promising gifts or anything else in exchange for votes. "He is campaigning only on his laudable performance and what he plans to do in his second term by the grace of God. We hereby advise the public not to deal with the fake account, which we have referred to security agencies for investigation and possible prosecution. “Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s official Facebook pages arewww.facebook.com/ Saimaigida and www.facebook.com/pages/AbdulfatahAhmed. We hereby disown and disclaim any other Facebook page(s) purporting to represent or masquerading as Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed as unauthorised and fraudulent."

Alibaba takes comedy to Glosponsored CNN African Voices

he guest on this week’s edition of Glo-sponsored African Voices on the Cable Network News (CNN) International is one more proof that African comedy has indeed come of age. The celebrity guest is Nigeria’s Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere popularly known as “Alibaba” and generally referred to as the God Father of Nigerian Comedy. The decision by CNN to feature him on African Voices which showcases international newsmakers from the continent that are making impact in Africa and on the global stage is a tribute to the rising profile of African comedy. Viewers of the pro-

gramme will hear Alibaba talk about his journey in comedy and his role in transforming a trade for school dropouts into a well respected profession. In between jokes and wisecracks, the comedian takes viewers into “the jokes factory” in his house filled with Readers Digest magazines and Shakespeare works. These works, he says, inspire his standup routines. African Voices will be on CNN International at 4.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. today and at 12.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. tomorrow. Viewers could also watch the show during the repeat broadcasts on Monday at 11:30 a.m. and on Tuesday at 5.30 a.m.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina and National Programme Officer, UN Women, Mrs. Adekemi Ndieli, at a news conference on this year’s International Women's Day in Abuja…yesterday PHOTo: NAN

Oba of Benin: I’ve no preferred candidate for presidency POLITICS

The Benin monarch and his chiefs declare neutrality in the raging battle for endorsement. Cajetan Mmuta

O BENIN

ba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, and the council of chiefs yesterday made their position known over the support or otherwise by the palace for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. Erediauwa and the chiefs insisted that they had no preferred candidate for the position but rather “believes that all citizens participating in political activities or are in one political party or the other, are his subjects; and while loving all, as well as the non politicians.” He pledged his fatherly role to always “pray to the Almighty God and the ancestors to give our great

country (and Edo State politicians) who “accord the traditional institution nationwide its pride of place in our constitution, including role for traditional rulers in the administrative dispensation of the country.” Besides, the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Ambassador Eheneden Erediauwa, who is the Edaiken N’Uselu, yesterday frowned at the use of his visit to President Jonathan last year as political jingles to campaign for party votes ahead of the general elections. The Benin traditional council also harped on a government that would “respect the traditional institutions generally, and empower and give employment to the teeming unemployed citizens and improve the country’s (and Edo state’s economy to the extent that every citizen (or the common man) gets the proverbial three square meals a day.” The monarch said: “Once a politician has been elected by the people, it is

the responsibility of the traditional institution to help him or her government succeeds” and, therefore, urged “all and sundry including politicians to take as firmly the stand of the Oba palace.” The position of the Oba and his council of chiefs were contained in a communiqué signed by six first class chiefs at the end their deliberations in Benin, which was read during a press briefing at the palace yesterday. The chiefs who signed the communiqué were Chiefs Sam Igbe (Iyase of Benin), Edionwe Oliha (Oliha of Benin), E. Oviasogie (Eribo of Benin), Stanley O. Obamwonyi (Esere of Benin), E. Uzamere (Ine of Benin) and Osemwota Obamwonyi (Eguezigbon of Benin). On the claims and counter-claims by some of the palace chiefs concerning some politicians seeking political offices during the elections, the council said: “Oba of Benin has never mandated any of his chiefs to speak or make

any political statement(s) on his behalf, especially, as to the choice of political leader to favour in the forthcoming election.” It said: “Worrisome to the Oba is the political campaign strategy which some electronic media in the state have been running since the past few days, to boost support for a particular political party,” on the visit of the heir apparent, “His Royal Highness the Edaiken N’Uselu (the Crown Prince) to the Presidency several months ago. “Surprisingly, the visit of the Edaiken N’Uselu to the presidency several months ago, which was meant to express/pledge the support and loyalty of the Benin monarch and his people for/to the President’s government, is thus being unscrupulously used by overzealous politicians to whip up sentiments and boost support of the people for their party in Edo South Senatorial District in particular and Edo State in general.”

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

YOLA APC financially ready to match any party

N EWS I N BRIEF

Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted reports that the party was running out of funds to finance the activities of the state party due to lack of financial support from former VicePresident, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. One of the party’s chieftains and also a publicity official of the campaign organisation, Alhaji Uba Dan Arewa, who spoke to journalists on the speculation, said the story making the rounds was falsehood being perpetrated by enemies of the party. “Let me tell the whole world that we are financially ready to face any opposition party in the state. In Adamawa it is clear that the people at the grassroots are with are APC and have not been demanding money from the party during the campaign as is the case with other parties.

24.26

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Argentina in 2006. Source: Itu.int

OJO WARRI Global Link Travels to Arrears: LASU's SSANU gives authorities ultimatum host Ije

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, yesterday gave the institution’s authorities a March 15 ultimatum to pay outstanding salary increment to its members. The union’s Chairman, Mr. Saheed Oseni, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the university authorities had promised to complete the payment by September 2014. He, however, said the institution’s authorities had not fulfilled its promise to the union members till now. Oseni said the decision to give the authorities an ultimatum was taken at the union’s congress on February 27.

22%

The penetration level of active mobile social users of the world in August 2014. Source: Wearesocial.net

Plans have reached advanced stage for the hosting of a travel trade expo, tagged: ‘Ije – Journeys around the world.’ The one-day expo organised by a Warri–based travel company, Global Link Travels, is a platform dedicated to exposing the best of Nigeria’s travel industry and forum for networking and sealing travel deals. It is scheduled to hold on March 14 at Ishaka Hotel on Refinery Road by 11a.m. Operators expected at the event include travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, tour guides, tourism boards, administrators and experts in the industry.

6.613m

The total surface area (in sq. km) of Middle Africa in 2012. Source: Un.org

Synagogue: TB Joshua loses bid to stay proceedings Akeem Nafiu

ounder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B Joshua, has lost out in his bid to stall his appearance at the Coroner's inquest probing the collapse of a six-storey building on the premises of his church. This was sequel to the affirmation of the witness summons issued on him by the Coroner handling the inquest, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, by Justice Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court yesterday. Justice Okunnu, while dismissing the application held that the Coroner, Komolafe, had the power to inquire into the cause of the building collapse in his mandate to determine the direct cause and manner of the victims' death. The judge further held that the allegation of bias levelled against the Coroner by the Pastor was unsubstantiated and mere conjectures which lacked any evidential weight. “Having read the tran-

scripts from the proceedings, I regret that I do not share the applicants' point of view that the respondent has been biased or unfair and has breached the principle of natural justice,” Okunnu held. The judge also struck out the coroner’s court as a respondent in the suit, on the ground that it was not a juristic person that could be sued. The judge further held that it was up to the coroner to determine what types of material evidence and witnesses that would be relevant to his findings. “It is the Coroner himself that largely hunts for the evidence that he considers to be useful to him,” Okunnu held, stressing that the Coroner “is a master of his own proceedings.” The judge added that by virtue of Sections 26 and 27 of the Coroner System Laws of Lagos State, 2007, the coroner was empowered to compel the attendance of any witness he considered to be useful to his inquisitions, including Joshua.

Deliver yourselves from bondage, PDP tells Lagosians Onyekachbyi Eze

T ABUJA

L-R: Commissioner of Police, Plateau State, Mr. Nasiru Oki; Police Area Commander Jos, Mr. Charles Ezeala and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 4, Mr. Adenrele Shinaba, during Shinaba 's visit to the state’s command in Jos …yesterday PHOTo: NAN

Ijaws kick against rescheduled groundbreaking of $16bn EPZ CONTENTION

The much expected multi-million gas projects launch my not hold as the host communities kick. Gabriel Choba

T Ughelli

he Ijaw in Delta State yesterday vowed to frustrate the proposed March 15 ground breaking ceremony of the controversial $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ), at Ogidigben, by President Goodluck Jonathan. Speaking through the Bolou-wei of Ogulagha kingdom, Chief Williams Igere, the people said the purported resolution by the Itsekiri of Ugborodo

and Gbaramatu on the new naming of the EPZ project by President Godluck Jonathan and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was null and void. It would be recalled that President Jonathan had during his two-day visit to the state, held separate meetings with the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, who led the Itsekiri delegation and Ijaw leaders before finally meeting with two Ijaw leaders- Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) and Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayiri Emami. At the peace meeting with Tompolo and Ayiri, which was brokered by Uduaghan, it was agreed that the groundbreaking be held on March 15 and the ethnic groups should abide by the names proposed by the Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC), for the projects. While the main project, Delta Gas City, which many refer to as EPZ, is located at Ogidigben, an Itsekiri town, the other one was located at Gbaramatu Sea Port, which is an Ijaw territory. Igere said Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area had 50 per cent of the land hosting the EPZ project and wondered why President Jonathan, Uduaghan and NNPC never considered the Ogulagha before taking the decision on the renaming of the project. He warned that the people of Ogulagha would disrupt the operations of Chevron, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Agip and BritianiU in the area should the

Federal Government and NNPC refuse to acknowledge them as host to the project. “Interestingly, the peace committee set up by Uduaghan, which was led by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, recognised Ogulagha as a major stakeholder and co-host to the project. “The meeting held by President Jonathan with only the Itsekiri of Ugborodo and Ijaw of Gbaramatu at Asaba, was a clear indication to neglect Ogulagha. We shall resist the injustice and we are very much ready to truncate the project “We shall not allow the state government concedes Ogulagha land in Burutu to Warri South-West, we have vowed to fight against it. We rather die to secure our God given land,” Igere said.

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the people of Lagos State to use the opportunity of the forthcoming general elections to put an end to the reign of politicians and their leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who have appropriated the commonwealth of Lagos to service their selfish political and economic agenda to the detriment of the people. But in a swift reaction, Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday advised Lagosians to treat any news and information from the African Independent Television (AIT) as false and desperate propaganda by the PDP to remain in power. Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, described the planned march today in Lagos to drum support for Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “preposterous, and a deliberate attempt by the APC to try to shore up the sagging image and reputation of Tinubu in the light of the mind-boggling revelations, in a TV documentary.” He said instead of marching in support of the APC leader, the rally in La-

gos should be a spontaneous protest against the will of one man to perpetually subjugate the people to an ungodly economic and political control. “We make bold to say that if there should be any rally or protest in Lagos, such should be directed against the exposed fake lion of Bourdillion. The people should use the rally to demand to know how he acquired the humongous items of property listed against his name in the squalid documentary." Meanwhile, APC in statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, said the desperation of the AIT to lie, slander and fabricate for the PDP is becoming worrisome to Nigerians who know AIT’s shady background and its legendary antics to corruptly gain from the ravaging corruption the PDP has promoted for 16 years. “It would be recalled that lately, AIT has been airing series of wicked, malicious, dangerous and provocative documentaries allegedly sponsored by spurious, unnamed individuals, all aimed at tarnishing the image of the members and leaders of the APC. "The station is doing this nefarious activity irrespective of the dangerous consequences these hate propaganda bode for the Nigerian state even after the election."

7 MARCH 2015

Nigerians tired of PDP’s excuses —Oshiomhole Chiazor Uduh

with agency reports

do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has upbraided the Federal Government for the excuses it has been giving for its failures, stressing that Nigerians have given up on any expectation that the ruling party will get its acts right. He said they were now yearning for change that would return the nation to the path of glory. The governor, who expressed his views yesterday when over 3,000 members of the state welders association paid him a thank-you visit at the Government

House, Benin, said in spite of the media hype from the Peoples Democratic Partyled (PDP) Federal Government about revolution in the agriculture sector, he was surprised to read in the newspapers that the country still imports rice. “They say we are doing well in agriculture but we are importing rice. What happened to the agricultural revolution we are celebrating? Can you be importing what you are producing? “Everywhere you turn to, it’s always excuses and that is why in Edo State we have said it is about ‘eye-mark’, not ‘I shall’, but ‘I have’ and you can see it,” he said.

Jega: Don’t heat up the polity, Group tells APC Chiazor Uduh

group, Move on Nigeria, yesterday expressed surprise that the All Progressives Congress (APC) that is campaigning on the mantra of ‘change’ is more interested in ‘overheating’ the polity over insinuations that President Goodluck Jonathan plans to sack the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Mr. Clem Aguiyi, in Abuja, the group stated that rather than busy itself on whether Jega would be sacked or not, the APC should rather involve itself on how to achieve a credible electoral process. “Why is APC not concerned about the plight of

over 29 million registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs? Why are they not worried about the card readers malfunctioning? Why is the APC the least concerned about the complaints of voters in Lagos and Kano States, who are non-natives? “We call on the INEC chairman to untie himself from every unholy alliance with APC, redeem himself of allegations of complicity and ensure that the March 28 election and other elections are free, fair and credible,” the group noted. The group also alerted Nigerians on the negative consequences of a move by the APC to introduce foreign mercenaries like one David Axelrod, a President Barack Obama’s strategist into what ought to be a local Nigerian affair.

B’Faso orders Thomas Sankara’s remains exhumed

he Government of Burkina Faso has ordered the exhumation of the remains of Thomas Sankara, the former president, who was killed in a 1987 coup. The move means the remains can be formally identified – a long-standing demand of Sankara’s supporters, who wanted proof that the remains were his, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Sankara, a Marxist revo-

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

lutionary, became president in 1983 after an internal power struggle. He led his country for four years until his death at the age of 37. Sankara, who is seen as Africa’s Che Guevara, was hastily buried in a coup led by his successor, Blaise Compaore, who quit the presidency amid massive street protests last October. While he was in office, a Burkina Faso court blocked a request by Sankara’s family for his remains to be exhumed.

AWKA MAKURDI INEC to test-run card readers PDP begins grass roots The Independent National Electoral campaign for Jonathan

NEWS IN BRIE F

Commission (INEC) will today test-run its voter card reader technology at IgboUkwu ward 1 in Aguata Local Council Area of Anambra State. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Edwin Nwatarali, who announced this at a news conference in Awka, however, said the exercise was not a mock election. “We are not conducting mock elections, it is just to test our card readers which will be used for accreditation,” Nwatarali emphasised. According to him, prospective voters will come out with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation using the card readers.

Barely 22 days to the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, has taken its presidential rallies to the villages. The Coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign in the state, Mr. Sam Odeh, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Makurdi yesterday. Odey said the essence of the grass roots campaign was to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the election. Odeh, a former Minister of State for the Niger Delta, said the party had concluded arrangement for the commencement of its campaign in Katsina-ala, in Benue North-East Senatorial district yesterday.

FCT Board promises better hajj operations

The Federal Capital Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (FCTMPWB) yesterday said arrangement had been concluded for better hajj operations this year. Director of the board, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, expressed gratitude to God for a successful 2014 Hajj operations. “We succeeded in taking the pilgrims to the holy land and back to the country safely without any hitches. We are also happy that there were no cases of missing luggage or theft of anything of that nature throughout the exercise,” he said.

345,736

N89.45m

1.027m

The total population of Bahamas rep. 0.005% of world’s population) in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

The total capital importation value of the Oil & Gas sector in 2010. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

The total number of connected Fixed Wired/Wireless lines in 2004. Source: Ncc.gov.ng

Nigeria must not break up, Mark cautions politicians ASSURANCE

Despite the current challenges of the country, senate president assured of the country's unity. Chukwu David

P Abuja

resident of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has cautioned politiciansagainst unguided and provocative utterances capable of instigating violence or creating disaffection in the country. Addressing the pilgrims, who are embarking on pilgrimage to Israel at the St. Mulumba’s Catholic Chaplaincy, Apo, Abuja, yesterday, Mark said Nigerians should at all times be guided by national interest and unity, stressing that the nation must not break up. He warned those fanning the embers of war on account

l Anambra pilgrims pray for Nigeria’s unity at Sea of Galilee of their political ambitions not to unwittingly do anything that would undermine national unity and cohesion. “We must put Nigeria first in all we do. Whatever you do, you must carry the image of Nigeria. We should be mindful and indeed be guided by what keeps Nigeria as one,” he said. The Senate president said the country was currently passing through tough times, considering the insecurity, kidnapping and economic challenges facing the nation. He therefore urged all citizens to be more dedicated and patriotic so as to salvage the situation. Mark also urged both Christians and Muslims to always put Nigeria and Nigerians in prayers for a peaceful and successful conduct of the March 28 and April 11 elections. He said pilgrimage was

a spiritual and holy activity just as he reminded the pilgrims to project and promote the image of the country in the Holy Land. “As we embark on this spiritual journey, pray against all forms of terrorism and kidnapping, especially to end the reign of Boko Haram in our land,” he said. The Senate president advised that they should go as a team and return as a team, urging Nigerians to remain resolute in the face of recent challenges. “Pilgrimage is a spiritual and holy activity, not an opportunity for jamboree or embarking on commercial ventures. Nigeria belongs to God and He will deliver us,” he said. In his homily, Rev. Fr. Innocent Jooji, commended Mark for the yearly gesture of sponsoring Christians to the Holy Land, noting that Mark’s stride to draw Nige-

rians to God is exemplary. Meanwhile, Anambra State Christian Welfare Pilgrims Board (ASCWPB) yesterday said it prayed for the unity of Nigeria at the State of Sea of Galilee. The Chairman of the board, Dr. Levi Muonanu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Galilee, that the 188 pilgrims from the state prayed for the country. Muonanu said the prayer became necessary because the country was faced with electoral challenges that needed God’s urgent intervention. “We do not want war, crisis or breakaway as such we must dedicate time to pray for Nigeria as we had never done. The unity of Nigerian is non- negotiable. We are faced with lots of challenges in the upcoming elections and if the process was not handled carefully it will lead to crisis and we do not want crisis.

change of nameS

BADMUS

I formerly known as Miss. Ajao Habibat Titilayo now wish to be known as Mrs. Badmus Habibat Titilayo. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

IMANUELLA

I formerly known as Ajishafe Imani Olamide Diepreye now wish to be known as Ajishafe Imanuella Olamide Diepreye. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

NWANKWO I formerly known as Nwakor Charles now wish to be known as Nwankwo Clement Chidi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

SOWEMIMO

I formerly known as Miss Adesunmibola Fasakin now wish to be known as Mrs. Adesunmibola O. Sowemimo. All former documents remain valid. Iree Polytechnic School Authority, Osun State and Airline Service EPZE and general public take note.

Director General, Goodluck/Sambo Presidential campaign, Alhaji Hussaini Jallo (left), with state’s Chairman, SURE-P, Alhaji Aliyu Ramin-Kura, at a news conference by the campaign organisation’s achievements in Kaduna…yesterday PHOTO-NAN

SATURDAY

Voices What would you do when you discover a week to your wedding that your spouse has a terminal disease? p.12

Street Diary SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015

How the Stevens rescue 72 twins from death

Many Nigerians will remember Mary Slessor, the European missionary who put a stop to the killing of twins in Calabar, Cross River State. But not many would believe that the branding of twins as evil children and killing them is still with us in Nigeria decades after Slessor confronted the barbaric and inhuman practice. In this report, COMFORT CHUKWU, explores some interior villages in the Federal Capital Territory and tells the story of the Stevens, who have taken after Slessor, to save an endangered species of Homo sapiens

ing, the belief by the people would be that the child is evil and responsible for his mother’s death. In extreme cases, the child will be buried along with the mother. But, in some instances, such a child is left unattended to in the village because he or she is tagged evil and no one wants to identify with him or her. “We are also aware that one out of 50 children is likely to grow the upper teeth first. However, when this happens it is considered a bad omen and such a child would be killed. So, when we hear such cases, we go there to rescue the children. But this also depends on whether or not they want to release them. If they agree, we take such children away from the village,” Chinwe said with a sense of fulfilment. Chinwe said she resigned from her job to take up the challenge and she is being helped by some missionaries working in about 40 new villages around the FCT. One of such workers is Esther, a 25-yearold Ordinary National Diploma (OND) graduate. She takes care of the children who are below one year. To Esther, “the children are gift from God. I feel satisfied when I take care of them.” She said her job was to change their diapers every 30 minutes, feed them and tidy the dormitory. Kaida Sabo, a village in Gwagwalada area council, is another of such community where the barbaric practices are still ongoing. Others are remote parts of Kuje, Kwali and Abaji area councils. Although the villagers hardly admit that such a practice is still continuing, findings, nevertheless, have shown otherwise. “No. We don’t do it, rather we perceive them as stubborn children,” said a man who identified himself as Suleiman Ismail. “They (villagers) fear them. If they need anything, the parents must provide it, because they have spiritual powers. Their parents give them total attention because they see them as special children,” he added. In hundreds of years, the Gwari community, dominated by the Gbagyi tongue, has only dipped a toe in modern Nigeria. The hurried development that turned the nation’s capital into a growing jungle has rubbed on Gwagwalada but eludes Kaida Sabo.

Some of the Stevens twins

“O

ur lives have never been the same. In the place of their birth, they are called evil children. We take them in and call them Stevens.” The above summarises the work of new “Mary Slessor”, known as the Stevens family. They are Nigeria’s Good Samaritans, who are working hard to preserve the lives of twins, often considered abominable children in some communities of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Though, hard to believe, the killing of twins in these neighbourhoods has become a way of life of a people that are still century’s back in civilisation. Today, Olusola and Chinwe Stevens have 72 children to cater for. They try to give them the best of parental care, love, and quality education. Those above the age of two are taken to school daily. The family has two 18-seater Toyota Hiace buses they use to convey the kids from Kiyi village in Kuje Area Council Abuja to Gwagwalada where the schools are located. Like every father, Olusola has made it his daily routine to take them on a one hour drive from Kiyi to their school at Gwagwalada at 7 am and bring them back home at 4pm. “It is a time I look forward to because it is always exciting and I love doing it. When they see me drive into their school, the atmosphere changes; it makes me feel like a proud father.” About 45 of them are at present in primary and secondary schools. The oldest is 19 in SS1, while the youngest are fourmonth-old set of twins, Mary and Matilda. Chinwe nurtures them with breast milk supplement. There are other six newborns. Only one, out of the 72 Stevens’ children sucked his mother's breasts. The Stevens’ story and experiences show that the Slessor's mission in Nigeria was only “halted” and not “stopped.” While preaching the gospel in interior

Stevens

communities of the FCT, the Stevens heard about the killing of twins. Olusola said, “We can’t close our eyes to the fact that children are dying so that is how we came about keeping the children and started the Vine Heritage Home. “We discovered that lives of some twins are endangered in some of these rural areas in the FCT due to traditional beliefs that they

One set of twins

are not proper children. So, when they are given birth to they are either killed by poisoning or are abandoned without being cared for or fed. In most cases, their mothers do not breastfeed them,” Olusola said. Like Olusola, Chinwe, who has now gone with the tag, “mother of all” said, “If a mother dies immediately after the birth of a child or while still breastfeed-

Ashiru gets award of excellence A

media company, Text Philia Media and Communications Limited, has presented an award of excellence to the President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Mr. George Ashiru. The former All-Africa Games Silver winner in Taekwndo, George Ashiru, was honoured in recognition of his sterling performances as a role model to millions of people in Nigeria and abroad as well as in recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of Tawkwondo in Africa.

In his acceptance speech, Ashiru thanked the organisers of the award for the recognition and honour. While promising never to let them down, he said, “I am indeed very grateful and honoured to receive this award which is being given to me in recognition of my long-standing love and support for Taekwondo and for the selfless service I have rendered for the Sport in over three decades.” He added, “in March 1996, I received the Vanguard Newspapers Leader of the Future Award, where I was listed as one

of the future leaders of Nigeria. Also in 1998, I received the Comet Newspapers Young Leader Award in driving innovation in business. Every award I have received I treasure! This latest one is not an exception. It is a manifestation of the trust, belief and confidence invested in me by a diverse section of the economy, business, sports, social, educational and entrepreneurial class of the society. I am grateful to God for being my major source of inspiration and to Him alone, I return all the glory.”

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

SaturdayLetters You have a right to be heard. Send your letters and photographs to saturdayletters@ newtelegraphonline.com. Letters should not be more than 150 words and must have the name and address of the sender.

Q uotes of the week

‘I just went off for a couple of weeks to rest, that’s all I did. What is wrong for me to go to the hospital? Am I not here now? Aren’t you seeing me? Are you seeing a sick man? I went to Chatham House. I read an address and there was a question and answer session. That’s all.’ - General Muhammadu Buhari (upon returning from the UK after the Chatham House lecture). ‘Our people want safety when they go out to vote and the soldiers would be deployed to guarantee that.’ - Chief Edwin Clark.

GRIM SITUATION…Youths taking a nap on the rough kerb of the busy Orile Bus stop, in Lagos.

Dear Editor, I would like the federal government to institute a probe into the activities of INEC and its chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega concerning the issuance of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Why was it that before the postponement of the elections that INEC had achieved over 70 percent distribution of PVCs in some Northern states and had recorded far less in the South? Could it be said that Jega is truly biased or is actually conspiring with the APC to rig the elections? Government would do well to institute a probe to unravel the mystery. Hilary Nnamdi, Lagos.

Political Choreography and the Endgame Dear Editor,

Dear Editor, I wonder why PDP politicians keep trying to give all Nigerians the impression that President Goodluck Jonathan has transformed the life of the average Nigerian in such an amazing way, according to his so-called Trans-

Dear Editor, In a recent study conducted by some Western scholars it was revealed that the frequent use of paracetamol can cause heart attack, stroke and even kidney failure. However, in a country like Nigeria where so many people, especially workers, experience body pains and headaches daily as a result of the stress they go through either at work or in traffic to and from the office, many people rely on daily intake of paracetamol and other pain killers to assuage the pain and keep themselves fit for work. Therefore, it would be needful for the federal government to embark on a public enlightenment Programme in order to educate and enlighten Nigerians on the negative health consequences of the frequent use of such drugs. In so doing, government would help save lives. Martins Emmanuel, Ibadan.

An atavistic fear of power erosion has visibly gripped the ruling party. Its internal feuds do more damage to the party, than the combined onslaught of the opposition parties. The visit of the APC presidential candidate, Buhari, to Chatham House, London, produced a joint resolution on peaceful change. It also revealed the extent of financial profligacy in Nigeria. British interest in good governance in Nigeria is enormous. They have an insurable interest in Nigeria’s stability. The disclosures of mind-boggling missing funds may explain the desperation, evinced in the (election) postponement and virulence of the political campaign methods. Today, the nation is worse off as barely literate politicians sit in high office. Who will rescue us from the razor of neocolonial manipulations and control? That Nigeria is still at the level of political puberty will remain an evanescent mystique. Until intellectual rigour dominates our national affairs we shall continue to grope in the dark wilderness.

All the noise about Transformation

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

The need for public enlightenment on the proper use of paracetamol and other pain killers

Possible Conspiracy between INEC and the APC

By Emmanuel Esiemokhai, Edo.

The misuse of the media for political campaigns Dear Editor, I wish to comment on the misuse of the media for political campaigns by politicians. Political campaigns concerning the coming presidential election ought to be based on issues, but I am disgusted to see that the campaigns, especially that of the PDP is full of attacks on Buhari and Tinubu. However, I am more disappointed in some print and broadcast media organizations who broadcast such personal attacks without first editing the materials. Journalism should be based on facts and professionalism, but when facts are deliberately distorted to serve a particular purpose, the a media organization has a responsibility not to succumb to such pressure to broadcast or print such falsehood for the sake of professionalism. Omo Iroh, Lagos.

formation Agenda. To me, they are simply telling cheap lies. If Jonathan has really done all his fans, including paid ones, say he has, then they won’t need to dissipate so much energy trying to convince us. It should be glaring for all to see! Kunle Lani, Ijebu Ode.

“With due respect to Buhari, who I know to be a very nice man, he is not the person to take over from Jonathan. People are getting it wrong. Firstly, Buhari cannot rule this country because he is too weak. Forget the fact that he was once a soldier. Age is not on his side to do that. Secondly, it is a conglomerate of interests that have brought him up to be the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was not his wish to be the candidate.” - Chief Christopher Alao-Akala. “The Oba of Benin is a non-partisan traditional ruler who treats all politicians equally and always pray for all those who are into partisan politics and other ventures.” - Prince Eheneden Erediauwa. ‘The government began by claiming that some of the girls were rescued, to doubting that the girls were missing, to declaring that they had been sighted in Sambisa Forest, to alleging that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement had been reached with Boko Haram. It has been one long, roller-coaster emotional ride for the parents and families of the girls and Nigerians’ - Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Campaign Organisation. “Even though we know that what they have done was based on political reasons because they truly know that if election would be held that time they will definitely lose, we want to tell them that no matter the number of times they shift the election we will definitely win these elections.” - Alhaji Ibrahim Jalo Dasuki, National Youth Leader of the APC. “I have gone through the process filed by the applicants. If indeed INEC was furnished with the applicants’ name and yet the commission did not enlist their names for the general elections, then it is proper for rule of fair hearing to allow INEC to come and explain why the names of the applicants were not listed as alleged.” - Justice Okon Abang (Judge in the case of the Unity Party of Nigeria versus INEC).

SATURDAY

Voices SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

What would you do when you discover a week to your wedding that your spouse has a terminal disease? Going ahead will put my family at risk

It's betrayal of trust

That will be a very difficult pill to swallow but in my own opinion I will never go on with the wedding plans because she has betrayed my trust already for not telling me before now.

– Solomon Adedeji

It requires absolute faith in God No, since there is no disease that God cannot cure for those that have faith, but if you don’t have faith to carry it you will end up dumping the girl. Also you should do your best in terms of taking good care of her by taking her to good hospital and people. – Bakare Abiodun, businessman

I will not even give it a second thought. I will not allow the love I have for her affect my decision. Because going on to marry her with such a deadly ailment is putting my family at risk. – Rahaman Rotimi

I will seek advice from the men of God

I must confess that I will be heartbroken especially when the love is really there. If it happens to me I will seek advice from the men of God and elderly people before taking any decision. – Ojewuyi Roseline

I will put a stop to the marriage

I can’t because such a person can kill I will call off the wedding because it will be difficult for me to trust such a person anymore. Someone that I have been with for a while and about to get wedded to only to find out such a thing a week to our wedding then such person can kill. So, I wouldn't go on with marrying a person like that. – Feyikemi Morenike, businesswoman

We can’t go ahead with the wedding Why did he not tell me all these while? But if he is just discovering it, it is a different thing. I don’t think we can go ahead with the wedding. If he has a short time to live I think it would be better not to get into the stress of getting married but try to make the best of our lives. – Akingbongbe Precious, student

I will stay by her

Well, to be candid, I will stick to her and also try to make her see that we can fight whatever obstacle together. Calling off the wedding is not the right thing because it could just make matter worse for her and her illness. – Abdul Bakaar, civil servant

That is a capital no. I would immediately let him know we can’t go further. I would not even let my love for him affect my sense of reasoning because I can’t afford to put my marriage in danger. – Jackson Ibukun

It might be a test of my faith

I will have to seek the face of God first to know my next move because it might be just a test of faith for me. But if it happens to be real and true then I will have no choice than to call it quits because on such issue it is the lady that faces the repercussion if she does not make a wise choice from the start. – Adegbite Olubukola, businesswoman

We will call off the wedding but I won't abandon him If I discover my spouse has a terminal disease, I think it will be in our best interest to call off the wedding. If he has been keeping it from me, I will not think twice about my decision but if it is something we found out at the same time, we will still call of the wedding, but I will not abandon him. – Esho Temilola, PR personnel

compiled by

JOHN EDU, AYILARA DAYO and chiazor uduh

If it's cancer I will not go ahead with it I will call off the wedding if it’s cancer that kills quickly. But if it’s sickness like AIDS, I will go ahead and marry her and believe God can do a miracle. – Adeniji Odigwe, businessman

I will call off the wedding immediately I will call off the wedding with immediate effect because if I don’t it will fall back to me as the woman if he happens to suffer untimely death, and I will be left to start all over again because of his ignorant attitude. – Kehinde Babatunde, businesswoman

I will put the story on hold to seek God’s face I wouldn’t call off the wedding rather I will just put the wedding on hold for some time just to find a solution to the problem and if we are able to conquer it then we will go for the wedding proper. But if not, I will have to call off the wedding. – Opawumi Olugbenga, businessman

Seek God’s guidance As a human being, I am bound to be heartbroken. If my spouse is diagnosed with a terminal disease there is nothing I can do but pray about it. Whether I call off the wedding or continue with it will have to be in God’s hand. But I sincerely might want to leave him. But the guy may be opened to greater danger if he feels the lady he loves dumped him. – Gentle Blessing, student

I won’t call off the wedding except she insists It depends on the person. Some ladies believe that it will be a burden to their spouse. But I think if she loves me she will not want to burden me. She may even be the one to call off the wedding. But I will not call off the wedding. – Akerele Oluranti, journalist

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015

SATURDAY

WeekendDelight 13

C o n v e r s at i o n

Instyle Flatter that body with a bodycon dress p.15

PETER

TV & Radio

KING

Getting prepped the Classic way p.34

Love & Living ‘I fell in love with my parish priest’ p.35

Hospitality A taste of nature at Jerome Garden and Suites p.39

Entertaining war-weary soldiers was quite an adventure On July 24, one of Nigeria’s foremost musicians, Peter King, would be 78 years old. He’s reputed to be the Nigerian with the most in depth mastery of diverse musical instruments. Although down with stroke, his passion for music has not waned. He still manages to make it daily to his music academy, Peter King Music School, located in a pristine neighbourhood in Badagry, Lagos. It was here that Saturday Telegraph’s LANRE ODUKOYA caught up with him How did your journey into music begin? My father was a civil servant, I was actually born in Enugu and at the age of two my father was transferred to Lokoja. So, that was where I started school. From St. Mary school in Lokoja, then we later moved to Lagos and I schooled in St. Paul primary school, Ebutte Meta. I finished in Port Harcourt, St. Mary Primary School because of my father’s incessant transfer as a civil servant. I’ve always attended Roman Catholic schools. My father He hailed from Ijagba, then also known as Ika Marun division of Western Region in those days but now it’s in Ondo State. It’s 24 miles to Owo. When I left secondary school, I had to go and stay with my brother (now late) who was living in Sapele. But he won a scholarship to study civil engineering in England, so I had to relocate to Ibadan where two of my brothers were living and working. I actually wanted to be an automobile engineer because I was fascinated by the sight of those Bedford lorries which seemed like a mobile house those days. It was my brother’s friend who used to visit us that took me to a night club. Then we lived in Mokola, Ibadan, and it was very close to Central Hotel. One day, my brother’s friend encouraged me to come with him to see what was happening at the club. He paid the gate fee and I went in with him. In those days, I was drinking just orange juice while he drank beer. While we were in the hotel, it was the late Roy Chicago that played at Central Hotel. I knew him, but I’d not been to the hotel before that fateful day. We sat down and I noticed that the Maraca and the Konga drums were there but no one was playing them. I told my brother that I played music too in Lagos and in Port Harcourt because we used to have a family band. In those days, they called it Kokoma. I told him I could play most of the instruments in the band and that the only one I couldn’t play was the trumpet, the saxophone and the jazz drum. Kokoma was just like brass band. There were four people playing side drums

PE TER KING

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Weekend Delight

| Conversation

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

‘Many Nigerian star artistes are mere entertainers, not musicians’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 3

and base drums but there would only be just one man playing the jazz drum. He’d sit down and be playing all the drums that make up the jazz drum. So, he forced me to go on stage to show them that I could play music too. When I saw that the cheering was getting really rowdy, I went on stage. I knew Roy Chicago only from afar, we had yet to bond then. He didn’t even know me. I went there and played with them. We had a break and during the break, I told the drummer (because seeing only one man play all the associated drums on the jazz drum really fascinated me then) that I would like to know more about the drum. That was in 1957. He was okay with the idea. In those days, most of the people playing music were amateurs, they had other jobs. Even Roy Chicago was a primary school teacher. The drummer by name Sam promised to teach me after which he said I would be able to practise on my own. That was how I learned to play the jazz drum. How did your brothers feel about that choice? That was even my biggest fear because one of my brothers had taken me to a friend of his at the Public Works Department. He didn’t want me to be a roadside auto engineer, he felt it was better to study at PWD. I was there working, learning and earning two pounds monthly. So, I was afraid to tell our eldest brother. I had to tell the closest one to me in age, Paul, who suggested we found a smart way to tell our brother because he went through hell to secure a place for me at PWD. That was how I went into music. How did you survive after you quit the PWD job? I had learnt the drum and begun to play well. So, I was with Roy Chicago’s band. Every month when the band members received their salaries, some would give me five shillings, others would give 10 and 20. That was how I was able to make about 4 pounds or more from the stipends they gave to me. While in Roy Chicago’s band, I was also learning how to play the fiddle, double base or fiddle base. So, at the end of a particular month, Roy Chicago called me and said from now on, I would be giving you six pounds. That was after six months. I was doing that when another band approached me. It was called Easy Life Band. While I was there, I learnt from the base player who was my age group; Sunny was his name. Do you mean bass guitar? In those days, there was nothing like a bass guitar yet. It was double base, everybody used fiddle base or double base. It was very big that you could only stand and play it. After a while, the proprietor of Easy Life club just had an urge to go to the north. I left Roy Chicago because in those days, you just looked at who paid more money and that would be your place. So, they started paying me 8 pounds instead of 6 pounds that I was earning. When we got to the north, things didn’t go as planned in Gombe where we were. Gombe was hot and was like a desert. After about six months in Gombe, I went to Mr. Olukotun, the proprietor, and told him that I was returning to Ibadan. He agreed that a young man like me shouldn’t be roaming about. He was very good to me. He paid me good money because I was earning 8

pounds which he doubled. So, the man bought the band and instruments from Mr. Nwosu. It was in G o m b e while we were idle that I started learning how to play trumpet because I couldn’t get saxophone. Where were your parents at that time? My father had returned home after retirement, my mother was in Ibadan with my

siblings. Olukotun paid and dashed me extra bucks. I took off and that was in 1958. When I got to Ibadan, I didn’t return to Central Hotel, I went to Paradise Hotel instead. And there was somebody called Charles Nwokoma from Rivers State of today, I think. I told him what I wanted to do. They didn’t really need me because there was a Konga player in the band but they had to get rid of him for me. They were paying me 8 pounds a month. So, I made him know that I would love to be playing the saxophone, every night, I would take the saxophone to his house to rehearse while he would go to his girlfriend’s place. In the morning, I’d start practising again. Whenever I was hungry, I would go to eat in my brother’s place because Charles would normally return at 12pm or 1pm. He would meet me rehearsing and at 6pm, I would take the saxophone to the club. I learned pretty fast. He was already seeing my improvement and there was a man who used to visit him at the club. I didn’t know what they were always saying to each other. I didn’t know that Charles’ friend was already renovat-

ing an old family house. He was one of those gentlemen who visited Paradise Hotel where Charles played. He wanted that kind of band in Ife instead of coming all the way to Ibadan. An argument ensued between them and it started getting fierce. I spied and overheard them talking. Eventually, Charles told him that he could take me to Ife instead of him. The once depressed man suddenly cheered up. Well, I told the man that to head a band in Ife, I would have to go to Lagos to round up the boys, even better musicians than me. The man agreed. He brought some money and I got to Lagos to get the boys ready. There was no luxury automobiles like we now have today. We hired a Bedford lorry, everyone went in and most of them insisted on going with their girlfriends. Somehow the proprietor agreed to accommodate the boys and their girlfriends. Charles advised me to take the deal on contract. He paid me 240 pounds and I would settle the guys from that and the rest was mine. And the Peter King Band was born. But when we got to Ife, it was terrible because the girls who went with us were club girls and were very rude. In those days, we didn’t have prostitutes really. This caused a big problem in Ife. Men believed they could take the girls away. But after exhausting the men’s drinks, they would start disappearing. So, there was always a fight. Who were the musicians that reigned then? Roy Chicago was reigning. Eddie Okonta, Victor Olaiya, E.C. Arinze and Agwu Norris were in the limelight. All of them just got to a point and stopped there. Imagine someone playing instruments for 15 to 20 years and he didn’t read music. He didn’t even know what a note means. They just knew music enough up to a point to earn a living. In those days, people loved musicians so much, they could get away with nearly everything. If they love music, they must love musicians. I kept every kobo, my father was retired and his earning was to only keep himself going. You won’t believe that I didn’t smoke or drink. I was just keeping my money till 1959 when I reassured myself that it was just a year for me to go to England for my studies. I checked my savings and saw I had over 500 pounds. I was buying music books and reading in preparation for the programme in England. It used to be very rigorous to get a passport to go to England. I was able to gain admission into Central School of Dance Music in London. At what point did you establish your music school? I came to Nigeria first of all to represent the Black Londoners. They brought my band, Sango, to perform at the FESTAC ’77. That really encouraged me because Sango Band was very big then in England. My band represented the British contingent at FESTAC. People came from Cuba, West Indies, Jamaica, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago. It was after 1977 that I got a commercial job that fetched me good money. It was the money I made from a deal with a German band that got me to be their arranger in a tour that I used to set up Peter King Music School. It was first at a three-bedroom rented apartment at Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos. And that was after FESTAC ’77. How did you fare in London? I stayed only one year in Central School of Dance Music and decided to go into classical music. So, I went to

Guildhall School of Music and Drama for another one year after which I went to London College of Music before I returned to Nigeria. I was even at the war front because I was contracted by the federal government to entertain the wounded soldiers. That was about 1969 just before the end of the war. The band that I formed in Nigeria before I left was the one I took to the war front. The men, both the Nigerian Army and the Biafrans were already getting tired of the war. They flew us to Port Harcourt from where we did the tour across the east. When we got to the airport, I saw that it was a cargo plane with generals on board. We were sitting on the floor, when the plane swerved in the air, we all rolled from one point to the other. I was only sure that I couldn’t fall from the plane because it was well shut. At Port Harcourt, we toured Aba, then Elele and other parts. The war was already ending and the Biafrans would be exchanging pleasantries with the Nigerian Army, they’d say: “my brother, good morning.” In Aba, only a small stream divided them. The Nigerian Army officers would answer, “we’re very good, brother.” What year did you marry your Jamaican wife? It was in late 1970 in England. We have two kids, a male and a female. Asa is said to be an alumnus of your school. Are there other illustrious names you can recall? That’s correct. Asa attended one of our courses for some time. They (illustrious alumni of his school) are many and deep into jazz music so you can’t even know them. How about Lagbaja? Bisade Ologunde who is popularly known as Lagbaja is like a son. He didn’t school here really. He just comes around for counselling because I helped him a lot. I give him good advice that would have cost him a lot. He has even been here twice during my sickness. How is the school run now that your health condition has slowed you down? I retain some of my old students who are good enough. I did a lot of research before founding the school and so much has gone into it. That’s why people come from far and near. The quality is still here. We have classes from Monday to Friday, then Saturday is for part-time studies. We have male and female hostels. Friday and Sunday classes are free of charge for the less privileged. Did you encounter the likes of King Sunny Ade, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Onyeka Onwenu and the likes? These are people who are too full of themselves and they hide their ignorance from people. They’re merely entertainers and I cannot call them musicians. Even a comedian is an entertainer. How challenging was it for your Jamaican wife? Amala and ewedu is my favourite. Jamaicans eat almost the same thing just that they may prepare them differently. Jamaica is tropical country; they’ve got all our vegetables and almost everything we eat here. Is your real name Peter King? My real name is Peter Oba, the translation of Oba to English is King.

Instyle

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Flatter that body with bodycon dress

Angela Davies bodycon dress is a one-piece figure hugging outfit that clings tightly to the body from the bust to the lower hem. The name of the dress comes from the contraction of the phrase "body conscious". Wearing a bodycon dress is a bold statement of selfesteem and body confidence. Bodycon dresses are usually made of lycra and polyester blend to give enough elasticity to hug the wearer silhouette tightly thus leaving little to the imagination. The tight fitting nature of this dress indicates that you have to wear the right underwear to avoid visible panty lines so that you don’t feel uncomfortable. Fashionistas wear different styles, colours and length of bodycon dresses to evening events properly accessorised with clutch, pumps, ankle strap sandals, long chain purse and jewelry. Some ladies also rock the dress during the day and ingeniously accessorise to help create a look that will enhance the dress as well as suit the occasion. Although the bodycon dress come in different lengths, the short ones are most likely to turn heads at any event. The dress also comes in an array of styles, necklines and sleeves. You can pair this tremendously flattering dress with pumps and stiletto shoes especially for an evening event. You can also wear lovely low heel shoes of complementing colour when you want to dress down a bodycon dress as a daywear. If you are not used to wearing extremely clinging dresses, then, play it safe with black colour which flatters all body shapes to give that slim and amazing look. It takes a confident woman to wear this tight clinging dress as it would definitely emphasise your silhouette. Bodycon dresses can be worn by both the slim and curvaceous, depending on how you are able to pull it off. For women who need some extra body confidence before wearing a bodycon dress, you can put on a body shaper to slightly reduce your body size. Bodycon dress is not for the faint-hearted, so rock it in confidence and style.

fashion etiquette How to properly wear socks

ocks offer small detail that can either pull your outfit together or serve as an unwelcome distraction. It doesn’t matter if you put together an awesome outfit; if you don’t wear the right socks, you will spoil your whole look. The rule when it comes to how to properly wear socks is to match your socks with your trousers, not your shoes. You should always match socks with trousers because when you sit down and your socks are exposed, you want a solid line of colour from your pants to your shoes. When socks do not match your trouser colour, it creates a strident break in your outfit. However once you have a sense of personal style, you should feel free to break this rule by introducing a wide range of patterned and perhaps even lively coloured socks that conventional dressers would avoid. Most importantly, under no situation should you wear white socks with dark colour trousers.

Instyle

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Accessories to live for

Double monk strap shoe The double monk strap shoe is trendy and unique. The shoe which easily draws attention can be worn with formal and casual outfits, ANGELA DAVIES writes.

t is said that the most noticeable item on a man can be found on his feet. This implies your shoes are as important as your outfit. One popular shoe in menswear that sets stylish men apart due to its details is the double monk strap shoe. The most noticeable feature of the monk double strap shoe is that it has a distinct combination of a dual strap and enclosing buckle that secures the feet within. The double strap gives the shoe a trendy and timeless look. The shoe comes in form of cap toe as well as wingtip style. The double monk strap which comes in a variety of exciting colours is made with leather and suede materials. However, many men opt for black or brown colours because of their versatility. Both colours are ideal for formal occasions. And although both leather and suede shoes are durable, the leather is easier to maintain. The leather double monk strap shoe is ideal for formal events while the suede is more appropriate for semi casual and casual events. You can wear a leather double monk strap shoes to the office with dress trousers and shirt with or without tie and you will look great. You can also wear t-shirt, blazer and blue jeans combination at the weekend with suede double monk straps that complements your outfit and you will standout. When harmonizing shoes, ensure the colour of the clasp which is typically silver, brass or gold matches your belt buckle or wrist watch. Well, gone are the days when you have to be a monk to wear this statement making shoes. So, just wear it with style.

Instyle

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

MY STYLE

Crazy, sexy and cool For actress and on-air personality, Destiny Amaka, the desire to stand out is a major consideration that determines her choice of outfits, writes ANGELA DAVIES. How would you define your style? My style is defined in three words: crazy, sexy and cool. What determines the kind of outfit you wear? The event and my mood determine what I wear. Which outfits take up the most space in your wardrobe? That will be jeans in different styles for comfort. You can never have too many pair of jeans. What is your favourite piece of clothing? A fitted jacket makes any outfit look good and decent. Can you recall the most expensive fashion piece you have ever bought? I spend quite a lot on shoes. I don’t think you can put a price on comfort.

Is there any outfit you will never be caught wearing? There is nothing I wouldn’t wear, unless it does not complement my body type. I love to experiment especially with clothes and things people wouldn’t dare go near. Fashion item you cannot do without I cannot do without eye brow pencil and mascara. What kind of jewelry appeals to you? I like subtle jewelries. But I would go for bold ones only if my outfit or look requires it. Signature perfume I love the smell of classic Coco Chanel No 5. How do you like your makeup? I like subtle makeup nothing too dramatic.

How do you like your hair? I like to fix but it has to be neatly done. Favourite designer For now, I don’t have a best designer but I do enjoy a lot of Karen Millen pieces. Best colour When it comes to accessories I love anything pink. But I like beige, brown, gold and subtle colours when it comes to clothes. What kinds of shoes hold a special appeal to you? I love to be comfortable so definitely a nice pair of pretty sandals. If you were a fashion item, what would you want to be? I will be a neck piece, a bold statement necklace that will standout.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

White sheer blouse

Facts

Clan fashion label is owned by three sisters, Tiwa, Teni and Aba Sagoe. Their love for fashion cannot be far-fetched. They are daughters of prominent fashion designer Deola Sagoe. The label was launched in August 2011 with a collection in the “Ramp-age” fashion show which took place at the Deola Sagoe Flagship store in Lagos. Garrick

American fashion designer Ralph Lauren started his fashion business by making very wide ties in bold and very flamboyant colours.

Sandals originated in warm climates where the soles of the feet needed protection but the top of the foot needed to be cool.

Diane Von Furstenberg created her now famous jersey wrap dress in 1974. It is so iconic to the world of fashion, that it is featured at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

he fashion showdown this week is between two beautiful music artistes, Tiwa Savage and Tonye Garrick. Both ladies rocked the same piece from Nigerian designer Bridget Awosika’s spring 2014 collection. Mavin Record's first lady, Tiwa Savage, wore the short version of the white sheer blouse with large butterfly sleeves to Classic FM Valentine’s event in February 2014. She styled the sheer

Savage

blouse with a pair of skinny blue distressed jeans. She accessorized her look with silver earrings, gold Rolex wrist watch, silver peep-toe sandals and a light blue Balenciaga bag. She completed her look with nude lipstick and long straight brown locks. Tonye Garrick rocked the longer version of the white sheer blouse just as it was modeled on the runway with a pair of slimfitted white pants. She wore the outfit to the Genevieve Magazine

Website Launch Party held on February 26. She accessorised her outfit with a four-toned clutch, gold hoop earrings, bracelet, wristwatch and a pair of pink ankle strap sandal. She spotted her signature pixie hairstyle, grey eye shadow and wore pink lipstick for her beauty look. So who in your opinion rocked the white sheer top better? Is it Savage or Garrick even though they wore different versions?

SATURDAY

The Arts SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

Parables of the Art Merchant

Reflection with

Tim Akinleye 08098668480

An exhibition that highlights the existential state of African art opens in Lagos, writes TONY OKUYEME

timwriteswell@gmail.com

LIPSTICKS

bout two decades after his last show, Parables, at National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, maverick artist, poet, Emmanuel Eni, returns to the exhibition space with a solo exhibition which opens today at the National Museum Onikan, Lagos. The exhibition titled "Art Merchants" will be a visual feast as it offers collectors as well as art aficionados a rare glimpse of the artist latest works. On display in this exhibition are over 20 specially selected sculptures and paintings which give insights into the artist’s thematic engagement. The Igbanke, Edo State-born artist, who has performed extensively in Europe, the United States, the Benelux countries of Europe, Scandinavia and Canada, said Art Merchant, is aimed at telling story of artists whose future have been mortgaged and commercialised. It will be a thrilling outing for art collectors with a new body of works aimed at raising awareness on the challenges and implications of African art current market. He noted: “At a time in history, a trader becomes a merchant, creating a chain to wholesalers, retailers, as well as consumers. Art merchant, the growing art market, is a new splendour being realised. Art merchant is the coming out from a shell, or on a more positive way, from the rigid. Art merchant is letting the cat out of the bag to show art works reciprocating the art merchant’s emergence bringing art to the people." According to him, the exhibition will also feature a panel discussion on "Arts and Merchants" that will be moderated by seasoned art experts, collectors. The artist, who is also a published poet, further stated that, “Art Merchant exhibition is the fulfilling aspects of the selected light paintings. The viewer easily experiences physical and deep emotion in works evocation. Sculptures showing in Art Merchant exhibitions are uniquely modeled forms and kinds that retain the deepest of their true evocation. My exponent’s pieces have attributes and feeling of sculptures bringing gifts. Fifteen sculptures and materials that include bronze, fibre glass, and terra cotta will be on display.” Eni, who had a remarkable performance in Lagos, entitled, “Blackman in European Kitchen” at Goethe Institut, in 2006, and Character Lagostica, in 2007, disclosed that he is using the show to further pursue his already known identity as an artist who invests his creativity, heavily, in digging deep into the contemporary African problems for the Nigerian audience. This show will equally showcase his recent highlyacclaimed light paintings. “Light-paintings selected for exhibition is a new way I created to accentuate and present the inner light projecting from paintings. I created a dual light scope that gives the works double position to reflect and evocate contained themes. I have painted in a way that the pictures become illuminated. Painting you can see in the dark. One exponent is Sitting Woman. It is a peer-shaped woman sitting and facing the horizon. The revitalised chiaroscuro sense and the striking interplay of light and shade

If lipsticks hemlock be? Most men will be gone in hours; In the confines of those wet lips of her’s Will menfolks be resting in peace. For ruby, red, purple and pink, Are the shades of lipsticks That adorn ravishing lips of chic Ladies around the world I think.

Eni

inside intricate contour plains vibrant, radiating picture with clear definition of transition of light of colours. Ten large scale paintings in oil, acrylic and mixed media will be on this show,” he said. He added that Art Merchant would draw a lot of people when it opens, and equally raise fund for his charity works, a base for his discovery in 2009 of an acclaimed art style and genre called Contemporary Baroque Art, an art form that draws a line to connect the rich and the poor, bringing art more directly to the people. Eni is well-loved artist; in Berlin, Germany, his studio base is known for staging diverse art exhibitions. He took the art world by storm in countless Biennials including, Dakar, Lyon, Guoangu, a stitch-parallel to “Documenta 12” in Kassel Germany, to iconise the cry for resolution of the Middle East crisis in his world famous installation of Israel and Palestine. A phenomenon built from an installation through performance. An installation of a wall of 200 explosive bombs made from petrol canisters – materials recycled from the German army. In the end, he always wrapped the flags of Israel and Palestine together, hinting at a dreamed brotherly co-habitation for the dueling neighbours. He has also undertaken extensive travels teaching. He was visiting professor in Rhode Island School of Arts and Design RISD, in New Hampshire, in the United States. He was also Prof. of Sculpture and New Media, in Berlin Wiesensee University. He is performing and presenting art through public, private, institutional, and governmental initiatives. Eni, who has used his “Blackman in European Kitchen”, to popularise performance art in Nigeria, is bringing only sculptures and paintings to the Nigerian public and art lovers this time. “I am very happy that I will showcase my sculptures and paintings to the Nigeria public. This is a wonderful opportunity. That is why I am inviting all lovers of arts to be at the event,” he said. He is a sculptor and painter;he studied fine art at the University of Benin Nigeria and obtained a Masters degree in Sculpture at the royal academy of arts London. Eni is a great symbol of artistic expression, this time in “Art Merchant”, Africa receives yet another blessing from one of her young great masters.

In lovely hues they grace wetly lips; Sweet hotly fire men love to dare That burns not skins but manly desire When emotion ignites its lids. Smokeless inferno on feminine lips, Thin, thick, narrow or wide None leaves home or hide In nakedness without the sticks. Timelessly and gracefully, every belle, Flaunts her luscious lips and buys Attention from men whistling bye, To steal harmless glances and a smile. When on her his roving gaze is fixed, A smile across her lips she spreads, Guiding hungry eyes to her curvy breasts, To date, perhaps to feast! Sweet are the taste of your vanilla lips, When on mine gently they nestle. Strawberries, adventurous tongue needles The nectar of your juicy lips. So when next a damsel you see, To know where lies the hotter fire: On her heart or lips? Quizzically inquire. ‘Somewhere in between,’she might say. All rights reserved. © Copyright Tim March, 2015

SATURDAY

Shirley Igwe My life as Governor Okorocha's protocol officer

p.22

ShowBiz

Obi Asika I wasn’t appointed to frustrate Reno Omokri

p.20

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

Aisha Abimbola

Meeting Antar Laniyan changed my life Aisha Abimbola is one of the popular faces that feature regularly in Nollywood's Yoruba genre movies. The affable actor shares her professional life, romance and family with LANRE ODUKOYA. Are you producing any film this year? Definitely I should and I have to produce my film this year. It is long overdue and so this year must not pass by without me producing a film. When was the last time you produced one? I have never produced because I never believed we all can be producers. I used to think all of us cannot be producers but right now, I am ready for it. I have been in this industry for over 12 years. I have written my script, it is just that I have never summoned the courage to produce them. My friends in the industry are encouraging me to produce my film. I have seen younger colleagues come in and make good movies, so the time is now for me to produce my movie. I have decided to let go of my fears and do something. It has been screen played, my scripts and my cast, were also ready but I chickened out because I was scared.

to imbibe bad values. Can you give us a glimpse into your background? My parents were very practical and disciplined. So I grew up tough. We were only allowed to watch news and cartoons then. Bedtime was 9pm. My children now know bedtime is 9pm and there is no going back on that.

Why were you scared? I have seen producers cry and I am very scared of the market. Every marketer you talk to have a story to tell, but I am going to take the risk, after all business is all about risks.

How did you get into the film industry? I have always wanted to act since my primary school days and I was a member of cultural and theater groups. As an undergraduate at Lagos State Polytechnic where I studied catering and hotel management, Wale Adenuga group came to my department to shoot. Before then I told the theatre coordinator that I would love to act, but he gave me excuses. When they came, the coordinator was not around and Antar Laniyan was sitting down obviously waiting for a particular actress. Though I never liked him because of the role he played in Hostages, here he was sitting down and it was one thin line between me and destiny. So I let go of whatever I had in mind about him. I greeted him and he replied with that husky voice of his. I told him I wanted to act, he looked up at me and asked if I have been acting. I am sure when he looked at me, he wanted to see if my physique matched the artiste they were waiting for. That was how I walked into my destiny. I was auditioned, he was impressed and that marked the beginning of my career as a professional actress. I am still thanking God for that great opportunity and I am still thanking Antar Laniyan for giving me that role.

What is your budget for the movie? It is going to be single digit millions. The movie will dwell on family and I am working on a movie that children can sit and watch because I have banned my children from watching some of our films. I am a professional but I am speaking as a mother now; there are some movies I don’t want my children to watch because I categorise such films as adult films. We have roles to play as mothers and guardians, don’t be too busy to watch the kind of movies your children watch. They are our future and I can’t destroy my future just because I want to get them entertained. I am careful with what I expose them to because I don’t want them

How is your relationship with Antar Laniyan now since you said you never liked him before you met? There comes a time when you separate the character from the real person. When I came of age I told him I use to hate him and we both laughed over it. We have worked together severally and he is a mentor. I have had people almost stoning me because of a particular role I played. I smile and I see such act more of a compliment because if I had not acted convincingly, they wouldn’t have gone that far. Definitely they were convinced that I was what I was not. There was a time armed robbers came to our camp when I was working with Tunji Bamishigbin. One of the robbers said he liked me so much because of the way I handle guns in movies. At the end of

the day, they only went away with some items without harming anybody. What is the most challenging role you have played? I have not seen any movie that is not challenging but one of the most challenging will be the lead roles I acted when I was still a novice. Then I had to come face to face with top actors and actresses, I had to confront them because of the nasty roles I have to play. I confronted and insulted elders in the industry like Antar Laniyan, Jide Kosoko and for others. I didn’t like that role I has to slap Odunlade Adekola because he is a grown man, he is someone’s father and a top star. Even after the scene we were still searching for his glasses and there was one I had to throw a glass cup at someone and he actually had a very deep bad cut. When I play such roles I get tensed and even after the scene, I still want to go on. I am naturally a very soft person. Aside acting, what else do you do? I'm an event manager and since I studied catering and hotel management, I offer catering services at events. I also do some buying and selling. Somebody once described you as being very secretive especially when it has to do with your private life. I am and I will always be. I am a role model to many people and it will be out of place if I start discussing something that may discourage them. Don’t you think this will create room for rumours? Even if you talk, people will still spread falsehood. I don’t really care what they say but at the right time, I will speak out. Is there a secret behind your radiance? Thanks, but I radiate what is inside of me because I have God. I want more but I am a very contented person. I want more but not desperately. Laugh if you can but before anybody criticize me, I pray to God to make them go through what I have gone through in life. Are you in any relationship now? Yes, I am. I am a woman and so I am in love. Would you like to talk about it? I have good people like my children, siblings, friends and colleagues around me. I am in love with them all.

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Obi Asika: I wasn’t appointed Entertainment entrepreneur, Obi Asika, was recently appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Media. The founder and CEO of Storm 360, an indigenous music label that spotlighted successful acts like Naeto C, Sasha, Ikechukwu, Tosin Martins, General Pype, among others, speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA, the first since his appointment. You were appointed a few weeks back as the senior special adviser to the president on social media; to what do you attribute this especially because it came towards the very end of an administration? First of all, as a Nigerian, it’s a privilege to be appointed by my president and I’m humbled. I think as a Nigerian and someone who has spent my entire life representing my country unpaid, that’s one of the highest honours I could possibly have. How exactly have you been representing Nigeria unpaid? In my personal company, I’ve promoted Nigeria all my life. You can check

my record. This isn’t an idea anyone can impose or sell to me. I’ve sold Nigeria since I was born and will do the same till I die whether you give me a public position or not. I’ve done this across many sectors and touched the lives of people who had nothing to do with me personally. I don’t have to be paid to represent my country, neither do I have to play for the Super Eagles to support this country. Barely one month in office, what have you been doing differently? The first is that I must appreciate the cabinet level recognition of the social media and it points to innovation of Mr. President. Remember that he declared his candidacy in 2011 on Facebook, he

had always used the new media and social media for engagement. In terms of policy, yes I’m in a position where I have control of certain government policies and how to approach the social media from the Federal Government of Nigeria perspective. The primary tools of social media are to be utilised through some form of engagement for public information and for people to gain access to government services and information easily from time to time. It’s also to validate those information and to know how to go somewhere, how to know something and how to do something; the government social media handle should be able to help you to do that. The second thing is to begin to do some internal trainings and set social media guidelines for public sector agencies and the presidency to communicate with their audiences who are all Nigerians. It’s an opportunity for you to interact with your own focus groups whether you’re from the ministry of health where they happen to own teaching hospitals, media organisations, the ministry of aviation and the rest of other bodies. If you use these tools properly, you’d be able to explain to the people what you do to those who require your services and be able to get feedbacks. That’s primary objective of the social media and it’s what we will be driving across all levels of governance starting from the federal government down. Last Sunday, President Goodluck Jonathan had a 45-minute interactive session with the youths from various work communities and majority of the social media practitioners complained they never got invitation to the forum. How does this make you feel? For people who think they’ve been working and missed that privilege, first of all, I apologise. The second thing is that the event wasn’t one that I produced and I didn’t even produce the guest list and wasn’t part of the team that organised the event. All that happened was that the organisers are people that I know professionally and because I know them, I highlighted the need to engage some of these people to interact with the president. They already have their own guests and we just gave them a list of about 50 people. The room for the session accommodated 200 people. It’s a pity because some of the aggrieved practitioners haven’t been engaged over a period of time. For me, media is media; the print, broadcast, outdoor, mobile and the rest. That I work with the president as the SSA on social media

doesn’t negate that fact. That the social media is a breaking point for the media doesn’t mean that’s where that the media ends. The reason you find the biggest followers on the social media; the print, broadcast and other media organisations have their audiences and it’s symbiotic, people want to follow them online. However, in the process of governance, a person from the print media works at media adviser office of the president. There are hundreds of thousands of people on the social media space and I’m calling on all of them - the creative writers, photographers, graphic artists, cartoonists and the rest of us that anybody who has any positive content on Nigeria should please reach the nation’s social media handle. We must promote Nigeria till we die because we have nowhere else to promote. Beyond any election cycle, we are all Nigerians. That’s what we promote and that’s our agenda. In terms of the electoral cycle, they use the new media technology tools that aggregate the works of these platforms to one place and deploy it back across through Messenger, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and several others so that you can discuss it. Of course, we didn’t do the work, we create an access to the people to validate their claims. Didn’t you feel that it was too late to bring you on board given the sensitivity of the time? As a human being, you study everything happening in your environment and you have to determine for yourself what you believe is real. I’m privileged to have had access to all the works that this government had done over a period of time and I know they’re real. I’m also aware of a lot of works done which haven’t been communicated to the people of Nigeria. I therefore accepted that position not just for electoral process but for what I can do to help to open up governance between the government and her citizens because the reality is this government signed the Freedom of Information act which allows everybody to be able to access all the information and be able to criticize policies in all kinds of ways. We’re all old enough to know that it has never been so in this country. That to me is something that should be significantly understood as a major point of strength. This gives me confidence to stand and represent my country under his government because it’s easy quite easy to point accusing fingers but to stand and take these challenges require a great deal of bravery. I may disagree with you politically but you don’t have more rights to be more Nigerian than me. So, you cannot say that I’m taking a negative choice by representing my country. Personalisation of these issues doesn’t help anybody. There are two options: either to be an observer on the side lines or to be a part of history.

We must promote Nigeria till we die because we have nowhere else to promote

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Showbiz

to frustrate Reno Omokri The social media looks like a no-man’s-land where truths, half truths and falsehoods congregate and this is the community you’re engaged to interface with. How do you hope to deal with this? Well, the social media can be a no man’s land in the sense that if you’re a professional journalist, it’s easy to be disrupted by someone who calls him or herself a blogger if you don’t make your works go through a considerable amount of research, education and all those things. Social media had just disrupted so many industries. Technology has also disrupted a lot of thing yet it has become a significant tool in modern humanity. And that’s the reality of life. There are many different spaces and different spaces. The same way you have people who do purely politics on the social media, entertainment, health, finance, academic and so on social media platforms. We’re all Nigerians and just because what you do every day is politics does make it more important that what the other man does. They’re aspects of the complex Nigerian characters and identities. The important thing for me is to give a faithful representation of what Nigeria is talking about. In some place one would have to appeal to all Nigerians to tone down their language because of the access to the space. Sometimes when you have total freedom, you take it for granted. I think a lot of people just hit the space to say anything because nobody is afraid of anything. In the old days, you’d use fake names, addresses and so on because you knew that there were consequences for these things. We’re connected by the social networks everywhere around the world and we should use this to do the right thing. There’s actually nothing some Nigerians would agree with you; they’d talk it to death and I’m glad about that. Let’s increase the conversation without marooning the facts. Let’s talk about the contents because it’s not a one-time document, it’s an interactive digital archive of contents across platforms to bring to you on your phone, TV, radios and wherever we can bring it. Considering the work volume coming with your new place in the government, will your personal businesses not suffer for lack of adequate attention? That’s one of the challenges we have. But I’m very happy and comfortable with the team I work with. I’m in the process of removing myself from the personal businesses I have. For example, I didn’t participate in the Social Media Week this year. I did that because I felt this thing should be open and connected in case you’re not on the same page with Mr. President, you should also have a platform to discuss your position. If you’re in support of him, it’s the same thing. I’m not the one who’d say talk or don’t talk. That’s the job of someone else. Away from your new appointment, you’d practically scam-

Asika

pered off the entertainment radar to function perhaps only from the background. What exactly was your role in making Tuface Idibia the first Nigerian artiste to perform on Channel O, a feat mostly credited to Kennis Music? Kennis Music had done a great job. It was well over 10 years ago and so I can’t remember everything at the moment. At a time, I was lobbying MTV heavily to launch in Nigeria when they were launching MTV Africa programme because I’ve had some network with them from London and New York. This is what we’re saying; there is change in Nigeria. Because of the reputation Nigeria had at a time, no funding coming from any company and we just spoke to the Nigerian Breweries. MTV actually didn’t have anyone from Nigeria when they were birthing the programme. So, we resolved to have an event in Lagos, but it didn’t work. Let’s do a small one in Abuja, that didn’t see the light of day as well. It was supposed to be at the Nicon Hilton. I went mad and insisted that they got to do something in Nigeria. So, when they went live, I said even if it’s for the sake of the feelings we Nigerians have, the first time your show goes on air on Tuesday, March 1, 2004, you must pick a Nigerian artiste. In 2004 Nigerians actually broke a record with multiple rotations, not only because of energy, but because of our creativity, attitude and all that makes Nigerians unique as we have taken entertainment global not just in music, comedy, fashion, lifestyle, blogs and the rest intertwined. We ended up choosing Tuface because I sat with two other people and played 10 Nigerian music videos we could find. There was quite a few you could find then and Tu-

face Idibia’s African Queen caught the most attention. And you’d also find it quite interesting that Tuface is one of the most humble humans I’ve ever met and about the biggest star to hail from this clime. I think he’s a great inspiration to Nigerians. His songs continue to inspire me because when you watch people come from nothing to something and retain the same level of humility and decency, they earn your admiration. I didn’t know Tuface personally then and Jimmy Jatt was the one in the public eye. And Dare Art Alade didn’t have a video yet, maybe if he did, I would have pushed his work. What was your relationship with Reno Omokri before you were appointed? I met him professionally once or twice. I didn’t know him beyond that time.

I’ve spent my life unlocking many opportunities from sports to reality shows, music, digital, social media...

Is true that he was sacked? What’s the true story? He was neither sacked nor demoted. He doesn’t report to me in any form. That impression was shaped by other media. As a matter of fact, he works in the office of Mr. Oronto Douglas, the Special Adviser to the President on Research, Documentation and Strategy and he’s a Special Assistant in that office. My office is a totally new office. Is it true that you now have a fresh entertainment outfit after Storm Records was rested? People don’t know the name yet because it hasn’t been launched. At the end of the day, it would just be a private enterprise which I don’t want to talk about now as a public official. I have a team that would handle all of that and will be like a

non-executive director and I won’t be interfering in what they do. What’s your earliest influence into communications? Honestly, for me, talking about oneself isn’t so easy. I’ve spent my life unlocking many opportunities from sports to reality shows, music, digital, social media and I tend to be one of the guys who pioneered the force in the beginning of these things. What I’m trying to perfect now is to get the money as well because the fact that you blaze the trail doesn’t mean you end up being the one with the money. I’m into collaboration and I’ve always been and I’ve shown respect to everybody because at the end of the day, nothing is permanent. Do I just say that I can no longer receive phone calls of people I’ve always talked to my whole life because I got an appointment? Public appointment means I’m in service to anybody who is in the social media space. The communication part of me must have evolved because my parents made us read every single day of our lives. I’ve always loved literature, strategy and I’ve always been a strong communicator. So I’ve always understood the intrigues where advertising, PR and strategies come to use. Funny enough, because of the kinds of work I’ve done, you find me garnering experiences from all of them. I represented FIFA Marketing 15 years ago; that’s what we did with the global best practice which wasn’t just theoretical. I ran the Black Stars in 1990 and 2002 during the nation's Under-21 Cup and that’s still one of the biggest events in this country. It had over two million spectators. We delivered it, we did it across the country. All these experiences add up to a ground swelling knowledge received over the years.

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Shirley Igwe: My life as Governor Okorocha's protocol officer Ghana sometime in 2009. The name of the movie was I Broke My Heart and it was my first. After the strike, I returned to school.

Shirley Igwe came into limelight after she became the face of Delta Soap. The actress and blogger is now the principal protocol officer to the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, whom she speaks glowingly about in this interview with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS.

Which movie gave you prominence? I would say Facebook Babes. You are also a blogger; why did you venture into that? I studied mass communication and online reporting is a field in journalism. I only decided to start something I know I would appreciate in the future. I felt I should do a bit of what I studied in school. It also helps me to stay updated. I get to know what’s in the news first because I report it.

How did your showbiz journey begin? As a mass communication student at the Imo State University, we had a club for journalists. We went for lots of competitions and one was like a movie festival in 2007. We met a lot of people who were in the movie industry and from there I developed an interest in entertainment. After school, when I got back to Lagos, I started meeting people and that was it.

How did you cope with men at the early stages of your career? First of all, I wasn’t exposed. So I was still like the regular girl, except that you could see my face on TV and billboards. Nobody had my number, so no one could call me. I just live my normal life. In school, people respected me. How is the experience now? God has been faithful to me. So far, he has given me the wisdom to handle men and issues well.

Could you recall your first job? One of the people then I met was Otega Obaseki, though I’m not sure he is still in the entertainment industry. He told me that if I wanted to do movies I would have to take pictures so I could forward to producers. So, I went for a photo shoot at Shola Creative Studios. After the shoot Shola told me my face was good for Delta Soap advert and that he would update me about it. At that point too my father didn’t want me to act because I was still in school. I had to forget about acting and started modelling. I later got a call from Shola a week later to come for the advert audition. I got my first contract as the Face of Delta. I also did some advert for Multilinks, Oceanic Bank, Skye Bank, among others. So, would you agree that being the face of Delta Soap was the defining moment? Yes, it was a breakthrough for me. I think my looks, carriage and personality gave me the job. There were a lot of people at the audition who were more experienced than me. I didn’t even know I would be picked. It was rewarding and it opened a lot of doors for me. It was a breakthrough and I gained more trust from my family. Though I had the looks, I didn’t even know I would be picked and I was shy too. How has it been working in government? I now know a lot about politics and governance. It has really opened my eyes to a lot of things that most of my peers don’t know about. It is a big privilege and I thank God. Some people in government are doing their best, while some are just there to waste resources. I’m not just talking about Imo State, this is a general thing. But sometimes, it appears their best is not good enough and no matter how hard they try it is hard to please everybody. My governor is doing his best and I’m not saying this because I’m from Imo State or

How do you view marriage? I won’t want to get married and then divorce. I believe in getting married and staying in marriage. But why is divorce rate high in Nollywood? People get married for wrong reasons. Some got married because everyone they knew were getting married, while some got married because they needed comfort, support or a backbone. If one gets married for the right reasons, it would be difficult to break up.

SOLUTIONS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE L A N L A T E E

Igwe

because I have an appointment with the government. Also, some states are lucky to have good governors, while some are not. Imo State has been fortunate in that regard, though the people of the state might not appreciate it now. What does your job entail as the principal protocol officer to the Imo State governor? There’s not much explanation to it because the word defines itself. My job as a protocol officer to the Imo State governor is not different from any other protocol officer found anywhere in the world. How were you selected for the job? I got the job the same way people

B I B

B Y S

N I

L E

I G

At what point did you start acting? I started acting during the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in 2009. While in Lagos I went for an acting audition and I came out tops. When you have the looks and the personality, people will want to see what you can offer. I think they were impressed with me and that was how acting started for me.

A C N

S H A M

DOWN 1. LEBANON 2. NIBBLE 3. ALAS 4. ENGAGE 5. OGRE 6. ODD

A G E D

A S

ACROSS 1. LANLATE 5. OYO 7. NAG 8. BIB 9. AIG

L E E S C

What was the feeling like when you got your first acting job? It was exciting. I acted alongside Mike Ezuruonye, Yvonne Nelson and Yvonne Okoro. The movie was shot in

N A G

O G

normally get jobs in offices. I applied for the job with my CV; I didn’t get that job as an actress.

F U R

O Y O

B O B

E D E E

A I

L I

M E N O

T O R O N T O 10. AGED 11. NILE 12. OG 16. AS 17. BOIL

18. SHAM 22. EDE 23. MEN 24. ACN 25. FUR 26. TORONTO

13. JALINGO 14. LAMENT 15. COMMON 19. HEAR 20. BEER 21. NAF

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

of people used to see me as jobless because I was always moving around with guitar alongside my group, The Bridges. Then, someone told a friend that these boys were just wasting their time when all their mates were in school. He said we had no life. We would go to events, churches to sing and four of us will be paid N4, 000. There was even a time they gave us N400 after a performance, which means the sharing formula was N100 each. But before I left the show, words filtered in that I had become famous in my area. It was fun after the show; there was attention and when one goes to clubs or events, all eyes will be on one. What I didn’t do was to get carried away. After the competition, I didn’t get any car, as I went back to restructure my career. At home too I was treated like a king for about two months or so; I wasn’t doing anything at home. Though I became conscious of what I do because I felt people knew me, it was only a matter of time before I came back to my real self. I had to go learn how to sing fuji very well.

Oyinkansade

Oyinkansade: How Project Fame redefined my music career When Akande Oyinkansade told his father he was shortlisted for Project Fame Season 5, the man thought it was one of his tricks to leave their Ibadan home. He reluctantly gave him N5, 000 and that was enough for Oyinkansade to prove himself. The Project Fame runner-up speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS on his experience on the show and recent singles. Were you disappointed you didn’t win Project Fame season 5? Since I was among the popular contestants and I got to the top five it was only normal to feel bad. I felt bad then, but I don’t see it as anything serious now. I don’t think I did anything wrong; I just didn’t get enough votes. My set was unique and almost everyone was talented. But at the show I discovered I could sing fuji, which is a great development to my music. Why did you apply for the reality show? Sincerely, I applied for the fun of it and I had my audition in Ibadan. Though I got there late, immediately I sang, the judges gave me a pass mark. To what extent has the experience helped you? The platform is huge, but what really matter is life after the competition. With Project Fame, people knew my name and I had more opportunities. But If you don’t work on yourself people will forget you soon because new faces emerge every year. What have you been doing since your left Project Fame? Immediately I dropped a single, Jekasere, which was produced by TeeY Mix for free. The song went as far

as Ghana; I got calls that it was being aired on their radio stations. It was rated number one in the whole of Ibadan where I grew up and had my education. I later gave myself a break and the reason was that I wanted to rebrand myself. In the music industry you have to sound unique to go far. In the middle of the break, I got a call from Tee-Y Mix that he wanted to start a label and he would like me to be on it. How did you feel when you got the call? It was a nice thing that a foremost music producer called and wanted me on his label. Late last year, I dropped my first single under the label-Adura. In the remix I featured Olamide and the video now has over 140,000 views. We did another song titled As E Dey Go and I recently dropped Sweet Love too. Are you the only one into showbiz in your family? I am the only one who is doing music in my family of seven. The first time I told my father I wanted to do music he said I was stupid. My mother was like out of all the professions in this world it was only music that appealed to me. Since secondary school she said they thought I would be best among their children because I finished very early. She said the first shock was that I went to social science and now music. What

made them to let me be was that immediately I got admitted into the Obafemi Awolowo University I got a scholarship and I didn’t have any reason to struggle to do music. How did your father react when he knew about Project Fame? He didn’t take me seriously the day I told him that I was picked for Project Fame and I was asked to come to Lagos for the show. He asked: “how did they choose you?” Though he knew I sing and he has seen me performing in the church too, he said I had come up with all those lies I was used to telling. He just gave me N5, 000, expecting me to come back home soon or so. He didn’t know it would take him three months to see his son again. He was unable to reach me because as soon as we got to Lagos they collected all our phones. It was until we made it to the final we were all allowed to make calls. So, I decided to call my dad. The moment he recognised I was the caller the next thing he told me was “my son, I am proud of you.” He said they were all voting for me at home. I was just laughing. At the final my dad was right in front with my mother. When I was performing I had to move closer to them in appreciation. One way or the other they only wanted the best for their son, not that they were not in support of my dream. For parents, education is more reliable than any other thing because if things get rough you can get a job with your certificate. You will be the one to prove them wrong that this is what you want and you could make a living of it. How was the reception when you returned home after Project Fame? Before featuring on the show, a lot

What then influenced your decision to do music? While I was growing up I was not impressed with some songs and I felt I could sing better. I am not trying to disrespect anyone. I used to be the type who only sang behind the bathroom and disturbed the peace of the house, but quick to criticise bad songs or singers. My elder sister was the first person to buy the Project Fame form for me when I was 18 years old. I went there and passed the first stage, but at the second day Shola Allyson told me that they needed me to take my time because I was too young. The season was the second edition. So, what made me do music is that I felt I could do better than the songs I was hearing at a time and the form my sister got for me meant a lot to me. But right now I am studying political science at the University of Abuja. Did you abandon the music degree at OAU? The music I studied at OAU was like a diploma course. I like politics too and I will likely go into active politics in the near future. I have passion for music as well as politics and I don’t think music can stop politics. What are you bringing to the industry that is different? I infused fuji with RnB. Like I said earlier I never knew I could sing fuji until I got to Project Fame. We called it 'Traditional Week' and I was given Adewale Ayuba to perform. For a guy who loved to play his guitar and sing, performing Ayuba with no keyboards or any other instrument was a big deal for me. Though I was more or less the Ibadan boy in the competition, nothing prepared me for fuji. However, I did it well and it also dawned on me that I can actually do fuji. Since I love to sound different and unique, I then thought of infusing fuji with my RnB. I do music for two things. The first is that I want to have a positive impact on our generation. I want them to know that one could sing something sensible and people will dance to it in the club. I was able to achieve this with Adura. The song talks about me, before and after the reality show and the fact that everything was prayer. The second thing is money because it keeps everything going. Do you really think you have what it takes? Of course I do. The competition is on already. Adura is out there and it is doing well.

Investigations SATURDAY TELEGRAPH 7 MARCH, 2015

Captain of the Canoe getting set for the trip

ith no safety briefing and life jacket, a journey of four and half hours on the watercourse across the Lake Chad Basin began. A middle– age man, who later turned out to be the captain of the rickety canoe-turned speed-boat for the expedition, only emerged after 49 passengers had been packed. He took off from the popular Marte jetty, about 45 minutes’ drive through desert from the headquarters of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. It was a trip into the heart of two islands: Jibrilaram and Sabo-ntubum. This was in 2006. Today, these sleepy settlements, partly under the supervision of the Lake Chad Basin Authority, have been annexed by the Boko Haram terrorists ravaging the North-east region of Nigeria. The Islands, incidentally, have been turned into battle fields between the insurgents and the multi-national military force, attempting to repel them. “You will follow this anya (road in Hausa language) if you dey go site,” a copassenger who identified himself simply as Kachala showed the direction of Chad basin exploration site to this writer as the boat maneuvered through cloak of weeds that sheathed the waterways. Kachala is one of the local security officers at the Lake Chad exploration site. A three-hour-plus chat with him revealed his high level of enthusiasm in the oil project. This was expected. The Federal Government had, based on survey tips then, announced the 2014 target for oil discovery in commercial quantity from the site. Unfortunately, that was not to

Isioma madike

Editor, INVESTIGATIONS isioma.madike@newtelegraphonline.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

How insurgency obstructs oil exploration in the North Religious-related violence and killings may not have been a new phenomenon in Nigeria. But, sustained Boko Haram attacks in the North-eastern part of the country in recent times has become a somewhat threat to the corporate existence of the country as an entity. This is even as the hope of oil discovery in the North continues to suffer a setback, Adeola Yusuf, reports

be. The target has now been missed even as exploration on the site has temporarily been suspended. The halt, however, has endangered the N2.7 billion oil search venture by the government in that part of the country. Meanwhile, fighting around the Lake Chad Basin is escalating by the day. Though, hundreds of militants were reportedly killed by Nigerian fighter jets that have continued to bomb the insurgents base in the area, this has not been able to put the situation under control. This on-going offensive is the reason the government does not want to put the lives of site engineers and other field workers at risk. In line with the government safety guidelines, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has also evacuated geologists and other support staff from the project area secretly to possibly ward off heavy civilian casualties. Saturday Telegraph exclusively gathered at the weekend that the N2.7 billion Lake Chad Basin oil explorations had, since the crisis in the area, been moving at a snail speed.

A staff of NNPC, who operates with a pseudonym, Simeon Odafe, told this reporter that the corporation acted on an advice by the security agents to evacuate its staff from the Chad basin, “because the area has been annexed as one of the battlefields.” The security agents, he said, “notified our management of the planned clamp down of Boko Haram and part of what our internal security unit advised us to do was to evacuate staff from site. As I speak with you now works on the site have been suspended for the remaining weeks, which the assault is expected to last.” The Federal Government had, in 2012, estimated that expenditure on exploration at the Basin would hit N2.7 billion in 2013. It would be recalled that investors, who usually provide support services for exploration activities, shun the region, in the wake of the crises while geologists in the NNPC employ also evaded posting to the troubled spots in Borno State for fear of losing their lives. The government, in a bid to douse the insurgency, had temporary deployed

soldiers on the site even after declaring a state of emergency in the region. But these measures were, according to Kachala, not enough to guarantee the needed security of lives and property. “Boko Haram don kill three NNPC staff sometimes ago,” he said in Pidgin English adding “me I be contract staff and I no fit die because permanent staff sef no want to die.” Odafe added: “The Joint Task Force (JTF) is having a clamp down on the Boko Haram guys while those terrorists too have retreated to launch guerrilla warfare on the military. In all of these, do you think as a geologist one will be able to think straight? Even those on site are not finding it funny. It is true that some of us do not want to be anywhere near that place. Do not forget that we lost three of our staff to the insurgency in 2012,” he added. Aside from the oil exploration, which has been suspended, the devastating socio-economic effects of the sect’s serial killings and bombings, especially in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau states have destroyed economic and commercial activities with many people relocating to other places. Borno State Commissioner of Information, Inuwa Bwala, who bemoaned this economic loss to the insurgency, said that it would take the state more than 20 years to recover from the current predicament. This is because many people have fled the zone, according to Nwala, due to the security situation. “It is only natural that when you have such a situation as we have now in the region, it will affect the economic fortunes, especially where people go out to do business under the atmosphere of fear. So, there is no doubt that the crisis has taken its toll on our resources, businesses and our economy. It will take us a very long time, not less than 20 years to recover and get to the position we were before the crisis started. “It is our prayers that those, who were scared away from Borno State out of fear, those who closed shops out of fear, those who fled in the height of the crisis and the general apathy among business men

Passenger at Mar

Kano motor park insurgents

Passenger on th

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

SATURDAY

FREE

Sport Splash 25

FA Cup

Yakubu, Ideye eye semis spots p.27

La Liga

Madrid defend lead against Bilbao p.28

Interview

Something is wrong with Nigerian football -Agali p.30

Lifestyle

Fellaini dumped by porn star p.31

Eagles need solid league to regain pride – Kpakor M Vincent Eboigbe

The Team Vincent Eboigbe l Assistant Editor Ajibade Olusesan l Correspondent Charles Ogundiya l Correspondent © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

oses Kpakor has stated that the Super Eagles will not return to the summit of football if there is no shift in emphasis back to the domestic league. Kpakor who made this assertion in the midst of the unending bickering in the football house, noted that at the time the Eagles were rated as the fifth best team in the world after the World Cup in the United States in 1994, several of the players were home-based. He pointed out as well that some of the players from the ’94 set were also part of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic side. He specifically mentioned goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, who was still based at home at that time. The former Eagles midfielder argued that a conscious effort must be made to develop the league to such a level that it could throw up a regular supply of players for the national team. “It will be difficult for us to get back to that level, there is no need to shy away from that; it

is a statement of fact,” said Kpakor. “It will take many years of consciously seeking to develop our domestic league to get back to that point. Depending almost exclusively on foreign-based professionals will not achieve results especially on a consistent level.” The 1990 African Nations Cup silver medal winner said that another crucial component in the mix that is also related to the foregoing was the element of surprise that having players from the domestic scene brings to bear in major championships. He said because such players are not known stars, they tend to be able to more freely express themselves with the attendant positive impact that could generate. “When you import all your players from Europe there is no surprise anymore because they are all so well known in terms of how they play and their strengths,” said the former BCC Lions star midfielder. “We must have an appreciable number of home-based players in our team to bring back

the element of surprise. Look at Sunday Mba at the Nations Cup in South Africa in 2013 for instance, he practically won the cup for us. “When we were in the national team, players like Christopher Ohenhen, Dimeji Lawal, Phillip Osondu just to name a few, were already coming through. That is the way it should be.” Kpakor however added that the home-based players must not be made to feel inferior or that they are just training materials to be discarded once the foreign pros arrive camp. This he said would dampen their enthusiasm and send the wrong signal that the team was not transparent and open to all. He also said that the coach of the senior team must at all times liaise with club coaches to release their players for national duty for a certain period. The impact of this is that the players will return to their various clubs better. Kpakor said such situation was beneficial to all and the clubs must see it in that regard and not be difficult with regard to releasing their players for national duty.

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Nigerian League Rendezvous Clubs unhappy about abridged NNL season

ome of the clubs campaigning in the Nigeria National League have expressed reservations after it was revealed that the 2015 league season would be an abridged one. With the new directive, only the top club will be promoted to the premier league at the end of the season. In the past, the clubs were split into two groups, Group A and B, with the top two in each group gaining promotion, but with the new format, the clubs will be split into four groups, with only the top team in each group gaining promotion. Speaking with League Rendezvous, a coach with one of the southwest clubs, who asked not to be identified said it would be tough to gain promotion unlike when two teams were promoted from each group. "We can’t afford to start on a bad note because a mistake may be difficult to correct, so we must start with victory," he said. A coach with one of the relegated teams during the 2014 league season was also skeptical about the arrangement, arguing that it will be difficult for teams that usually struggle to peak at the beginning of a new season.

Bayelsa United in action against Sunshine Stars in a league match

Kickoff finally here Stories by Charles Ogundiya

League action between Rangers and Kano Pillars recently

Kano Pillars look to create new record efending champions, Kano Pil- since the league format changed D lars, will be looking forward to to Professional League," Malikawa start the defence of their title with said. a victory over Heartland as the 2015 Nigeria Professional Football League season resumes today across various centres in the country. However, the match between Pillars and Heartland has been postponed due to the armed robbery attack on the team on their way to honour the tie. Kano Pillars made mincemeat of their CAF Champions League opponents Al Malakia of South Sudan, and will now turn their attention to the battle in the league. Speaking with our correspondent, the media officer of the club, Idris Malikawa, said the club target was ready to create new record in the Nigerian league. "We want to win the league again to be the first club to achieve that

"We were able to retain the bulk of our players while also adding some good hands to beef up the team in the areas that we were lacking. "A victory on Saturday against Heartland will send a big signal to other teams that we are ready for business." Popularly called Masu Gida, Kano Pillars have won the league in the last three seasons and will become the first club to win it four times consecutively if they can retain the title, since the format was changed in 1990 to Professional League. Iwuanyanwu Nationale remain the only team to have won four titles consecutively between 1987 and 1990.

he much-anticipated kickoff of the 2015 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League is finally here with clubs looking forward to an exciting time. The aim of some of the clubs will be to snatch the league title from current holders, Kano Pillars, while others will be looking forward to retaining their top flight status at the end of the season. On match day one, defending champions, Kano Pillars, will be

taking on Heartland FC of Owerri in one of the star matches of the day. Last season’s runners up and Federation Cup champion, Enyimba, will be home to rival, Akwa United. In Kano, it will be a battle of two Northern teams: El-Kanemi Warriors will be home to Nasarawa United. For the four promoted sides - Gabros, Shooting Stars, Kwara United and Wikki Tourists their main target will be to make an impact in the league at the end of the season. Shooting Stars of Ibadan will be away to Wikki Tourist in

battle of promoted sides while Kwara will start their return to the Premier League with a trip to Port Harcourt to face Dolphins. Gabros will be home to Warri Wolves while Sharks trade tackles with Sunshine Stars in Port Harcourt. Giwa FC will be home to Abia Warriors in Jos, while Rangers will travel to Taraba to keep a date with FC Taraba. Bayelsa escaped relegation on the final day of last season and will fancy another run in the elite division starting with a home game against Lobi Stars.

Obi, Baba Ganaru reunite at Nasarawa

ormer Kano Pillars midfielder, Eugene Obi, has reunited with his former boss at Kano Pillars, Baba Ganaru, after signing a one-year contract with Nasarawa United. The mercurial midfielder departed Kano Pillars in the same season as Baba Ganaru to team up with El-Kanemi Warriors, but he has now terminated the contract after a season to continue his relationship with Ganaru. Obi won the NPFL title twice with Kano Pillars, and fans of the Nasarawa will be counting on his

experience as they seek their first league title. Speaking with League Rendezvous, Obi said he decided to team up with Nasarawa United because of his coach, Baba Ganaru, who had contributed immensely to his career. “When the opportunity came for me to move to Nasarawa, I couldn’t just resist it because of my relationship with their coach,” Obi said. “I won the league under him in the past and I am looking forward to achieving the same feat

with him this season. “Baba Ganaru is like a father figure to me and I am ready to work with him again, and hopefully win my third league title under him.” Obi expressed his belief in the team’s ability to achieve great things this season after failing to qualify for the continent last term. Nasarawa United finished 5th on the league table last time and will be starting the new season with a trip to Kano to confront ElKanemi Warriors, Obi’s last club.

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Why we’re involved in GOtv Boxing Night – Ademeso

FA Cup:

Yakubu, Ideye eye semis

anaging director of Custodian Life Assurance Limited, Mr. Larry Ademeso, has explained the reason his organisation has again teamed up with pay-TV company, GOtv, for the second edition of GOtv Boxing Night taking place on March 15, at the Indoor Sports of the National Stadium, Lagos. Custodian Life Assurance, which insured boxers for the first edition, is again lending its weight to the attempt to bring about a revival in boxing in Nigeria. The competition, sanctioned by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control, is sponsored by GOtv, Custodian Life Assurance Limited, MultiChoice, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Paragonis Multimedia Limited and supported by Complete Sports as well as newsbreak.ng. Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, Ademeso, whose organisation is insuring the 12 boxers billed for the event at N2 million each, said GOtv's effort aimed at reviving boxing in the country through the GOtv Boxing Night is one that deserves the support of all Nigerians, especially corporate organisations. He opined that the country had a large pool of boxing talents, which will reach their full potential with the kind of encouragement and exposure that GOtv Boxing Night offered. "We were glad that the first edition of the GOtv Boxing Night delivered on its promise last November. "It is the reason we have been encouraged to be part of another edition of the competition, which we believe will deliver a lot more," Ademeso said.

Ajibade Olusesan eading’s Yakubu Aiyegbeni and West Brom’s Brown Ideye will be looking to help their clubs to the semifinals of the FA Cup this weekend. Aiyegbeni came from the bench to score for Reading as they beat Derby County in the fifth round last month and he is likely going to play a role as the club heads to Valley Parade for a date with Bradford. Bradford are the giant-killers after edging Millwall, Chelsea and Sunderland out of this competition, and coach Steve Clarke may count on the experience of his 32-year-old as they attempt to stop the impressive run of their hosts. Similarly, Ideye is expected to lead the line for West Brom as they travel to Villa Park to confront Aston Villa. Ideye has enjoyed an excellent 2015 for the Baggies, including scoring two goals in a 4-0 win over West Ham United in the previous round, and will be expected to lead the line for Tony Pulis’ team Saturday evening. In Spain, Ike Uche will be searching for his second La Liga goal this year when his Villarreal host Celta Vigo tomorrow (Sunday). The Nigerian last scored a league goal in Villarreal’s 2-2 draw at Eibar January 3 and he will fancy his chances of increasing his five goal tally and also help the Yellow Submarine to another victory. Cologne have been without victory in their last five matches in the Bundesliga and their Nigerian import, Anthony Ujah, should be worried that his impressive scoring run has not translated into success for his club. The Super Eagles striker has scored eight goals in 22 matches for the club but he will be happier to see his side return to winning ways as they host Frankfurt today.

Akanni tips F’Eagles for AYC title

s the Flying Eagles begin their campaign in the African Youth Championship which begins today, a former Eagles midfielder, Waidi Akanni, has cautioned the team against being over-confident. Although Akanni expects nothing but the trophy from the Manu Garba-led side given their pedigree, he still made allowance for the unpredictability of the game. The Flying Eagles start their quest to win the title and a place in the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand later in the year, tomorrow (Sunday)

against hosts Senegal. Cote D’Ivoire and Congo complete the group. “The team has been together for a while now following their exploits from the U-17 level and several of the players from the World Cup winning Golden Eaglets are part of this side, so I expect them to be contenders for the trophy,” said Akanni. “However, we need to be careful especially against the hosts. We will need to take each game at a time and not to be overconfident. I believe we can go very far if we are mindful of the little details."

Taiwo Awoniyi in action for the F'Eagles

Ideye

Your place not guaranteed, Pellegrini warns Kompany M

anuel Pellegrini has warned his club captain Vincent Kompany that he is not assured of regaining his place in Manchester City's starting line-up after he was left out of the side's 2-0 victory over Leicester City. The Belgian World Cup central defender was the most high-profile victim of sweeping changes made by Pellegrini in the wake of successive and costly defeats to Barcelona and Liverpool. Kompany's poor form cost him his place for a victory that City laboured to record, through goals late in each half from David Silva and James Milner, and Pellegrini insisted that the defender is not assured of returning in City's next game, at Burnley, in eight days. "It was the same reason with Pablo Zabaleta, Kompany, Fernandinho, Samir

Nasri, Edin Dzeko - it was important to refresh the team, mentally and physically, after two difficult games when we didn't have the results we wanted," said Pellegrini. "It was not a difficult decision because we needed to refresh the team and I decided, thinking about a lot of things. We will see what happens in the next game. We have the weekend free but on Monday we will start thinking about the next game. "Always when you don't have the result you need, the next game is very difficult and that is why the most important thing was to win the three points (at Leicester). After that we played a normal game, we dominated, had good possession of the ball and it was important for the team to keep a clean sheet and try to dominate the game from the beginning."

Golfers sign-up for Concierge Sports’ Corporate Challenge Ifeanyi Ibeh

bout 100 golfers have confirmed their readiness to take part in the maiden edition of the Concierge Sports Corporate Golf Challenge taking place at the Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate on Saturday. “We have quite a number of interests among the local golf fraternity,” said Kayode Oguntayo, an executive of Concierge Sports Limited. He added that his company’s aim was to use the event to strengthen the ties the game of golf had with corporate Nigeria. “With the support of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, as a headline sponsor and hospitality host, the event is essentially created as a platform for the corporate world to latch on to and tap into the huge potential that the game of golf and its immediate commu-

nity presents,” he said. The one-day event will see teams, each comprising four golfers, representing various corporate organisations in the hope of emerging victorious at the end of the day. “We have 20 teams duly confirmed for the event so far but we are expecting more teams to confirm their entry before it closes,” noted Oguntayo. He added: “Lakowe Lakes Golf Club is the newest addition to the Lagos golf scene and based on its championship course design, it’s one of the most challenging golf facilities in the country.” The Corporate Challenge is scheduled to tee-off at 8:30am and some of the companies that have entered teams as at Friday include First Bank, Old Mutual, Total E&P Deepwater, Stanbic IBTC, Mandilas, Tata, and Huawei.

s Roma look to keep the pressure on Serie A leaders Juventus, Filippo Inzaghi faces the sack if Milan fail to win at home to Hellas Verona on Saturday. Inzaghi will reportedly lose his job if Milan, battling in 10th in the league, are unable to win at San Siro. The club's board had been patient with the former striker, who was appointed at the helm in June after Clarence Seedorf's sacking. But that is running out as the season approaches its decisive stages, and Milan are desperately trying to secure European football. Inzaghi's side is eight points adrift of fifth-placed Fiorentina and a further three off Lazio, who sit in the final UEFA Champions League spot. Second-placed Roma are nine points adrift of league leaders Juventus ahead of a trip to Chievo on Sunday. Rudi Garcia's men held Juve in their most recent league outing, but could close the gap to six points - at least until Monday - with a win over Chievo. After two losses in three matches, Napoli are looking to get back on track when they host Inter in a key clash on Sunday.

Inzaghi under pressure, Roma eye win

www.newtelegraphonline.com

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

nly a few days after reaching the Copa del Rey final, Athletic will host Real Madrid and Portugal winger, Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday in the Spanish league. Ronaldo has scored 39 goals in 36 games this season, including the team's lone goal in a 1-1 draw against Villarreal last weekend. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti

juries, Ronaldo will be accompanied up front by Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, making up Madrid's most powerful attacking lineup. Bale arrived at Real Madrid for a world-record fee of $132 million, but the Wales midfielder hasn't found the back of the net in five matches. The former Tottenham player has scored 14 goals in 35 games this season.

a single point from their last eight league clashes with Real, while Ernesto Valverde's men have struggled at home of late, winning only one of their previous six Liga games at San Mames. Ancelotti could also be set to welcome back several players from injury, with Sami Khedira, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric all in contention to return, though James Rodriguez remains sidelined.

"The team is improving - we've dropped two points [against Villarreal], but La Liga will be decided in the final match," Ancelotti told Real's official website. "We have to focus on the twopoint lead we've got, which isn't much, but is a lead we must make the most of. "Now we have to carry on [against Athletic Bilbao] which will be difficult. [We will] try to produce a good reaction."

Madrid defend lead against Bilbao

Global Football Special

iego Simeone is backing Fernando Torres to inspire an improvement in Atletico Madrid's recent form, starting with Sunday's trip to fellow highflyers Valencia. The Spain international began his second Atletico spell in fine fashion, scoring twice in a 2-2 Copa del Rey draw at Real Madrid in only his third match, before also netting against Barcelona in the same competition. Since then, however, the 30-year-old has seemingly suffered due to the impressive form of Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann, making only two La Liga starts so far. Atletico themselves have been somewhat erratic in 2015, winning just five of their previous 13 outings across all competitions, leaving them seven points behind pacesetters Real Madrid. Defeat at Valencia on Sunday will see the champions slip behind Nuno Espirito Santo's men in the top four and Simeone is hopeful that Torres can build upon an eye-catching cameo against Sevilla. "His entering [against Sevilla] boosted our counter-attacks and offensive connections," the coach told reporters. ""You could see that we could be dangerous in some counter-attacks. The introduction of Torres to the team makes me very happy.â&#x20AC;? Luis Enrique's Barcelona host Rayo Vallecano in Sunday's early kick-off, a team they have scored 31 times against in their last seven meetings and they will be big favourites once again, with Paco Jemez's side on a run of three successive away defeats in La Liga.

Simeone looks to Torres, Barca host Rayo D

28 Sport SATURDAY N 7 MAR

Veteran promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotion said that though Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the favorite among bettors, the majority of boxing fans see Manny Pacquiao as the hero and the unbeaten American as the villain when the two preeminent boxers clash on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. In Las Vegas sports book when the mega fight was confirmed, Mayweather (47-0 win-loss record with 26 knockouts) opened as a 2 1/2 to 1 favorite but lately more and more boxing fans are placing their bets on the underdog Pacquiao (57-5-2 record with 38 knockouts). “The people love Manny ever since for his generosity and for a being a gentleman while Floyd on the other hand, you know is…” Arum told The Manila Times on Thursday during a phone interview. “Manny is the hero and Floyd is the villain in this fight. Everybody loves Manny.”

Manny Pacquiao

Rory McIlroy and Tom Brady will reportedly tee it up at Augusta National next week for a recreational round of golf. I don't know who I'm more jealous of in this particular situation. Brady is good at golf (and everything, apparently) and has played in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am before. He's a single-digit handicap.

Rory McIlroy

Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed his delight at being praised by legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble, who he regards as a hero. Kumble recently remarked that he has seen a lot of himself in off-spinner Ashwin, who has impressed in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. And, asked about Kumble’s praise Ashwin said “There have been times where I’ve really mucked around with my action and tried to be a Harbhajan Singh, tried to be an Anil Kumble, tried and bowled leg-spin in between. “Skill-wise, there are a lot of people that you can admire all throughout your career, but I’ve always maintained that Anil Kumble is one of my big heroes for the fact that, every time he’s been put in a corner, he’s come out really successful. That is one aspect I really admire about him.

Ashwin

SPORT BRIEFLY

Inzaghi

Serie A

P PTS 25 58 25 49 25 45 25 43 25 42 25 39 24 36 25 36 25 35 25 34 25 34 25 29 25 28 24 28 25 28 25 25 25 23 25 20 25 19 23 10

NO TEAM 1 Bayern 2 Wolfsburg 3 Borussia 4 Leverkusen 5 Schalke 04 6 Augsburg 7 Hoffenheim 8 Frankfurt 9 Bremen 10 Dortmund 11 Hannover 12 Mainz 05 13 FC Cologne 14 H. Berlin 15 Hamburger 16 Paderborn 17 Freiburg 18 Stuttgart

P 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23

PTS 58 50 40 36 35 35 33 31 30 28 27 25 25 24 24 23 22 19

Bundesliga

NO TEAM 1 Juventus 2 Roma 3 SSC Napoli 4 Lazio 5 Fiorentina 6 Sampdoria 7 Genoa 8 Torino 9 Inter Milan 10 AC Milan 11 Palermo 12 Sassuolo 13 Empoli 14 Udinese 15 Verona 16 Chievo 17 Atalanta 18 Cagliari 19 Cesena 20 Parma

Immobile

P 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25

La Liga

NO TEAM 1 Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 3 Atletico 4 Valencia 5 Sevilla 6 Villarreal 7 Malaga 8 Celta Vigo 9 Espanyol 10 Bilbao 11 Vallecano 12 Sociedad 13 Eibar 14 Getafe 15 La Coruna 16 Almeria 17 Elche 18 Levante 19 Granada 20 Cordoba

PTS 61 59 54 53 46 45 41 32 32 30 29 27 27 26 25 24 24 22 19 18

P PTS 27 63 28 58 28 54 28 53 28 51 28 49 27 47 28 42 28 40 28 39 28 35 28 30 28 30 28 28 28 27 28 26 28 25 27 22 28 22 27 18

PREMIER LEAGUE

his season tally to 10 in all competitions and his team-mates recognised the significance. "I'm delighted to have been able to help the team. After I scored the second goal Mats Hummels came over to me and said I'm really happy for you. Those words did me a lot of good," he told the club's official website. Marco Reus also picked up what Klopp feared was a serious injury in that match before it was diagnosed as a dead leg, and he could yet be available for Saturday.

Lacazette

ond half [against Lille] and prepare for our trip to Montpellier. We need to be more consistent and less fragile at the back." PSG, meanwhile, could be leading Ligue 1 by the time Lyon kick off. They host relegation-threatened Lens at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, where they have yet to taste defeat in any competition this season. Even though coach Laurent Blanc could be without Yohan Cabaye and Lucas Moura (both groin), Thiago Motta (calf), and Serge Aurier (thigh), the champions will be confident of putting themselves two points clear at the top by the time Lyon play.

put in front of them - they just go about their business. “The good Liverpool teams of the past have all been about good passing and good movement and this team’s passing is accurate, the movement is fantastic, and they are giving anybody that is put in front of them a headache. If they keep playing the way they are, who is going to beat them?”

s the race for the Ligue 1 title hots up, Lyon travel to Montpellier aiming to get their championship challenge back on track. The leaders were well in control against Lille last week after taking the lead in the third minute at Stade Pierre Mauroy but two second-half goals ended their 11-match unbeaten league run. Next up is a Montpellier side still with serious ambitions of a European place, and coach Hubert Fournier has challenged his team to be more solid defensively. He told Lyon's official website: "We have to have a good look at what went wrong in that sec-

Lyon aim to bounce back, PSG ready to pounce

Torres

iverpool will beat Manchester United to a Champions League qualification place, Steve Nicol has told talkSPORT. Brendan Rodgers' side has bounced back from a dreadful start to the season to be the Premier League's form team since Christmas, taking 29 points from their last 11 games. United, themselves on a decent run of form, are cur-

rently keeping them out of the top four, but Nicol insists it is only a matter of time before Liverpool leapfrog their long-time rivals. The Anfield great said: “Man United got themselves into a great position but at this stage of the season it is all about momentum. "You can't argue that Man United are picking up points. But Liverpool at the moment don’t care who is

Sport

Sturridge

marooned in the bottom three, with boss Ramsey admitting his side can ill afford a fourth consecutive home league loss. "The last thing we want to do is start getting detached," he said. "So it's imperative that doesn't happen. "Everything is in cup-final mode now."

Ramsey

La Liga Premier League Saturday Saturday Deportivo v Sevilla 4pm QPR v Tottenham 4pm Bilbao v R' Madrid 6pm FA Cup Elche v Almería 8pm Saturday Granada v Málaga 10pm Bradford v Reading 1:45pm Sunday Barcelona v Rayo 12pm Villa v West Brom 6:30pm Sunday Sociedad v Espanyol 5pm Villarreal v Vigo 7pm Liverpool v Blackburn 5pm Monday Atletico v Valencia 9pm Man Utd v Arsenal 8:45pm Serie A Serie A Saturday Saturday Sampdoria v Cagliari 6pm Milan v Verona 8:45pm Augsburg v Wolfsburg 3:30pm Schalke v Hoffenheim 3:30pm Sunday Hamburge v Dortmund 3:30pm Cesena v Palermo 3pm Hannover v Bayern 3:30pm Chievo v Roma 3pm Freiburg v Bremen 3:30pm Empoli v Genoa 3pm Mainz v M’gladbach 6:30pm Parma v Atalanta 3pm Sunday Udinese v Torino 3pm Köln v Frankfurt 3:30pm Napoli v Inter 8:45pm Paderborn v Leverkusen 5:30pm

aturday's game in hand against Totteham is vital according to QPR boss Chris Ramsey who does not want the side to be cut adrift. Tuesday night's defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League has led to Ramsey admitting it is "imperative" that the Hoops keep pace with their relegation rivals, after losing ground on Aston Villa across the midweek fixtures. Rangers host Tottenham at Loftus Road on Saturday

QPR boss charges wards against Spurs

Liverpool will beat Man United to CL place - Nicol

verton are looking to bring Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto to Goodison Park in the summer, according to The Mirror. The 23-year-old has made just seven La Liga starts for Luis Enrique’s side this term and Toffees’ boss Roberto Martinez is thought to lead the way in the chase for his signature. It is understood that Barca have given Roberto the green light to depart the Camp Nou at the end of this season as he seeks regular first-team football, although Enrique would be reluctant to see him leave given the club’s transfer ban until next January. However, Roberto is unhappy with his place in the pecking order with the Blaugrana and is seeking a fresh start, despite having a contract that runs until June 2019. Stoke City are also keen on the Spain Under-21 international and had an unsuccessful bid for him turned down in January, but Everton have emerged as firm favourites to land the player.

Everton target Barca midfielder

orussia Dortmund aim to continue their recent Bundesliga revival at Hamburg on Saturday with Ciro Immobile back among the goals. Jurgen Klopp's side has climbed from the foot of the table to 10th in recent weeks following four straight league wins. Italian striker Immobile has continued to draw criticism, but scored both goals in Tuesday's 2-0 DFB-Pokal win against third-tier Dynamo Dresden. It marked the first time that Immobile has found the net in 2015, taking

Immobile out to impress as Dortmund target top half

However, Athletic have taken just

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

has said that, barring unforeseen inNEW TELEGRAPH RCH 2015

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Something is wrong with Nigerian football -Agali zIt z needs to be addressed before the game can grow

Ajibade Olusesan ormer Super Eagles striker Victor Agali’s relatively short stay in the national team remains indelible in the minds of football fans in Nigeria. The former Hansa Rostock of Germany forward is one of the many ex-internationals who still command respect in football circles in the country. His exploits between 2000 and 2004 for Nigeria and the way he has comported himself since he hung his boots due to a nagging injury have made him a household name. Although he is neither working with any club in the Glo Premier League at the moment, nor on the payroll of the Nigeria Football Federation like many of his colleagues, his love for the country remains unwavering. The former NITEL FC hit man demonstrated that undying love when he expressed deep displeasure over the state of Nigerian football in a recent chat with our correspondent. His discontent over recent happenings in the football circle is profound as he challenged stakeholders to rid the sport of the mess. He said Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the last Africa Nations Cup was a true reflection of the decay in the system. He said there was a fundamental problem with Nigerian football that always precludes building on successes recorded. He said it was so unreasonable to entirely blame Coach Stephen Keshi for the AFCON miss, saying no coach will do well with the intractable problems bedeviling the game in the country. He said the NFF’s dilly-dally over a new contract for Keshi shows that the federation identifies the coach as the only problem, saying that can’t bode well for the football body. “We don’t have to blow the issue of Keshi out of proportion because I think the right decision is to allow him continue. The problem with the team is not about the coach, there is something fundamentally wrong with Nigerian football and that is what we need to address. If we hire a foreign coach, are we going to bring Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to play for us? I can tell you if you bring these players and we don’t solve our problems the results will be the same,” Agali said. Apart from the coach, many pundits have also blamed the players in the Nations Cup debacle. There has been a big question mark over the commitment and attitude of the players. But Agali countered the insinuation. He is of the opinion that the

players would not go into a game with a mind to lose. He said there were a lot of variables that were at play in the success of a team apart from the performance of the players, adding that if those things are not present, the players’ efforts may be fruitless. “I don’t see a player who will go into a match with a mind set to lose; and I don’t see a coach going into a match to lose. It just did not work out day for us and like I said, what this means is that there is something wrong with our football given that we can concede three goals against Congo in Calabar and went two goals down against South Africa also at home before fighting back late in the game to get a draw. It has nothing much to do with the players’ attitude because are you going to give them $1million if they win those games? Do you know how much they receive in their clubs every week? “That brings us back to the fact that there is something wrong with our football. As a Nigerian, I am distraught that we were not at the Nations Cup but that is a lesson for us, to always strive to do the right things. I am just sorry for the young ones who would have used the tournament to showcase their talent and improve their careers. The lesson is that we are not there yet, we need to do a lot more,” Agali added. When reminded that one of the many sins of Keshi was his decision to leave out some senior players who were doing well at their clubs, notably Ike Uche and Obafemi Martins, who has since announced his retirement from international football, Agali said that although as human beings the players should feel bad when excluded from the team especially when they feel they still have something to contribute, the coach should not be crucified for choosing players who suit his playing style. He said: “I don’t think the players should be mad about that. A coach can come and say ‘look Victor, you don’t fit into my plans. I will say 'ok, no hard feelings.’ Although as a human being you feel the pain but you just have to move on. I think Keshi made Obafemi to understand that he had other players he felt comfortable working with and I don’t think he (Martins) is sad about it. “Obafemi has said that he is no longer playing for the country and he has a reason for taking that decision. He has played a lot of matches, he has served the country well and if he feels there are some certain things going on that won’t allow him to move on we have to accept that. I don’t think the young man was really angry because Keshi was not using him. He is a pro-

If we hire a foreign coach, are we going to bring Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to play for us?

fessional player and he has to accept the decision of the coach.” Agali suffered the same fate when he was dropped from the squad to the 2002 FIFA World Cup despite playing a key role in the qualifiers. In fact he was the star man as Nigeria bounced back from the ignominy of almost not qualifying for the tournament, but despite his contributions he still did not make the cut. But he said that his own situation was different, saying that he opted out of the tournament to correct certain anomaly in the system at that time.

“I was not dropped, really. Something happened that made me decide not to go. I was invited without my flight ticket and they did not even send invitation letter to my club. I felt bad about this because something like that had happened before when I spent my money to go to the Olympics in Sydney and nobody refunded my money despite the fact that I asked. We just need to do something about this kind of thing,” he added. Our correspondent also spoke with the former Schalke 04 player on some of the controversies that trailed his career. Two of them dented his personality: his ejection from the camp of the Super Eagles at the 2004 Nations after breaking camp curfew and the fake passport issue at the Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He had since been cleared of wrongdoings in the passport saga and the player clarified: “That was the worst moment of my life. It was a challenging moment for me and my family, it was just like a movie when they said I was under arrest for possessing a fake passport, it was terrible and it is something that we don’t like to remember. We thank God, it had been resolved, we have moved on from that anyway.”

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Fellaini

dumped by porn star

elgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini will be reaching for the tissues after the ending of the Old Trafford star’s relationship with adult TV star Roxanne Jeffers according to the Metro. The 26-year-old Man United midfielder has been dating Jeffers for around a year, though for a large portion of that time the

Fellaini

pair have only been able to communicate via the aid of sexting and Facetiming. No doubt Fellaini is still crushed by the recent developments. Jeffers is said to have been, and possibly still is, a big fan of Fellaini’s ‘cute hair’ though this is seemingly insufficient a reason for her to continue the relationship.

Sport

Lifestyle Its hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but it's harder to give up when you know it's everything you want. - Unknown

Jeffers

Ronaldinho shows off £40,000 watch gift from LeBron James R

onaldinho seems to have been given the perfect gift by NBA star LeBron James, a dazzling watch thought to be worth around £40,000. The Brazilian footballer, now plying his trade with Queretaro in Mexico after stints with Barcelona and AC Milan, said thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers small forward on Instagram while posing with the Audemars Piguet watch.

It is part of a limited edition of 600 designed by James, and is said to be a popular model with Premier League footballers. Mark Blowers of Ian Blowers Jewellers in Hull, said: ‘If you can find one, these have sold above retail in excess of £40,000 due to demand, It is a popular model amongst the Premier League football fraternity where Lebron James has a strong following’.

Ronaldinho

Bikini-Clad Wozniacki features on Impressive Magazine cover C

aroline Wozniacki celebrates her latest success by posting a copy of her magazine cover on Instagram.

Romani

Stunning female referee, Romani, sunbathes topless

laudia Romani would be a great referee. One seductive glance would have footballers eating out the palm of her hand. The Italian stunner is currently in Miami, where she has been flashing her banging bod to wild-eyed passersby near the pool.

Having began her career as a model, the 32-year-old is hoping to embark on a career as a referee, having qualified to take charge of professional games. It’s safe to say there will be a few more well behaved teams with her around. Stories courtesy Dailymail

Wozniacki

The female tennis star Wozniacki found herself on the front cover of Sports Illustrated this week, and she’s posted a copy on

her Instagram page. The 24-year-old looks stunning in her revealing swimsuit, as shown in the snapshot below!

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

to invest in the state, should do a rethink and come back because the atmosphere is peaceful now,” Nwala said. In Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, where the sect originated from, the frequent bombings and clashes between Boko Haram and security agents have weighed down seriously on commercial activities in the city even as many businesses have reportedly crumbled. The popular Monday Market in Maiduguri, which is the biggest market in the city has been seriously affected as hundreds of shop owners, especially Southerners have closed their businesses and left the troubled city. About half of the 10, 000 shops and stalls in the market have been abandoned by traders, who have fled the city. Banks and their customers are also said to be operating under difficult situation and have reduced their business hours to guard against being attacked by members of the sect. Incidentally, the North-east is not the only area under attack of the terrorist. The city of Kano, reveled as the commercial hub of the North, has also had its dose of the bombardment from the terror group in recent times. Since January 20, 2012, when the militant sect launched its onslaught on the ancient city, life has not been the same again. The security challenges have impacted negatively on both the private and public sectors of the economy as many business men and traders have relocated their businesses from the city. Indeed, the attacks on Kano have been very devastating. The city before now has enjoyed a relative peace. Its commercial relevance has been recorgnised even before the evolution of the neighbouring

JTF on the street of Maiduguri

countries like Niger Republic, Chad and northern Cameroun. But today, the story is different as business and commercial activities have taken a turn for the worse in the city. Investors, who have been doing business in the city, have also been relocating their businesses to other relatively peaceful states. The city, no doubt, is gradually losing steam. About 80 per cent of the industries in Kano are said to have closed shops, due to power failure and the daunting security challenges. However, about 35 per cent of the over three million Igbo businessmen and traders in the city, who engaged in both small and medium scale businesses, are reported to have fled to Abuja and the South-east.

rte LG Jetty, Lake Chad

k in ruins after one of the bombings by

he shore of Lake Chad

Lake Chad Basin mega dam project

Exploration workers fled site because of ongoing offensive

The indigenous business communities in the city, especially the textile merchants, are not faring better either as they equally count their losses on a daily basis. The Durbar Festival in Kano, which used to attract local and international tourists, was canceled recently because of security issues. The Kano State government lost huge revenue from this singular decision. Yet, the story is not different in Damaturu and Potiskum, two major cities in Yobe State, as well as in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Jos, though, has always been in the news before the advent of Boko Haram as a result of the persistent ethnic and religious crisis that has continued to engulf the state. This situation, perhaps, may have prompted the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) recent statistics of what Nigeria is losing to the insurgency. It noted in its startling disclosure that the country’s economy has dipped as it had, according to the report, lost over $6 billion (N1.3 trillion) as a result of attacks by the sect in the North-east. Though, other sources have put the figure at over N2 trillion. The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, recently admitted that the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists had overstretched

Investigations

the nation’s security and adversely affected her economic growth. According to Jonathan, “the frequency of drought in the northern part of the country has enhanced constant nomad movements towards the southern parts of the country in search of greener pastures. The movement has exposed pastoralists to a lot of challenges and loss of herds due to rustling, diseases and associated conflicts. “The intensity and diversity of conflicts over the last few years has reached an alarming proportion with the attendant loss of lives and property. This has, unfortunately, been more predominant in Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, and Taraba states. Other northern states are also not free from these security challenges,” he said. Before the President’s remark, the Minister and Deputy Chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, had cried out, saying that the activities of the dreaded sect have created a lot of distortions in the economic activities in the region. Usman stated this in Abuja, while inaugurating the Central Working Group (CWG), on the review of the First National Implementation Plan (NIP), 2010-2013, of the Vision 20:2020. The CWG is an independent panel set up to conduct the review. The oil workers, under the auspices of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), had also warned of possible abandonment of the northern part of the country over the increasing activities of the sect. In a statement entitled: “The road to Yugoslavia,” PENGASSAN said the Boko Haram insurgency represents a dangerous descent into anomie, reminiscent of the horrific inter-ethnic and religious war that marked the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia.” It did not stop there but stated that it would not hesitate to call out its members, starting from its Kaduna zone, if government does not arrest the violence against innocent Nigerians in the northern part of the country. In another statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Deji Kolawole, PENGASSAN said: “Nigeria cannot afford to take this road to self-destruction, for when the rich make war, it is the poor that suffer. We, therefore, appeal to Nigerians to exercise great restraint in the face of the constant provocation and violence perpetrated on other innocent Nigerians by terrorists under the hood of religionists whose aim is, obviously, to precipitate an ethnic cum religious war in the country. We must note that an eye for an eye would only make us all blind. “PENGASSAN expresses grave concern on the deteriorating security situation in the country resulting in the loss of innocent lives. This was why a 24-hour curfew in northeastern states with the attendant impact on the socio-economic lives of the citizens of those states and other neighbouring states was declared in the region lately. We, therefore, call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, which has all the coercive powers of state to wake up to its primary responsibility as enunciated in Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution,” Kolawole said. But, the people of the northern part of Nigeria are no strangers to bloodletting instigated by the Boko Haram terrorists and allied fiery religious fundamentalists. In the past, there had been religious uprisings and riots in different parts of the North. Though, it has taken a new, deadlier dimension in recent times. The widespread of the membership and its militant nature is said to have been responsible for its spontaneous strikes across the North. In Maiduguri, where their headquarters is sited, the gun battles have been terrific and fierce over the years. The militants often engage the police and military for hours, sometimes with reinforcements from neighbouring states.

TV & Radio with Angela Davies

SATURDAY, 7 MARCH, 2015

This weekend TELEVISION

GALAXY TV LAGOS

MiTv

4:00 Nollywood English 5:00 Destiny River 6.00 Real woman 6:30 Tropical Paradise 7.00 News 7.30 Squatterz 8:00 House 22 8:30 Nollywood English 10:00 News 11.00 Primetime Africa Sunday 8.30 Movie 10.00 Naija Rave 10.30 Celebrity Zone 11.00 Reel Nollywood 11.30 Woman 2 Woman 12.00 Galaxy Party Time 1:00 NTFS 1:30 Solid Entertainment 2.00 Hour of salvation 2:30 Dawn in the Creeks 3:00 Democracy and the rule of law 4:00 Ogun standard 4:30 Tropical Paradise 6:00 Destiny River 7.00 News 7.30 Beyond Doubt 8.00 Inspire Dot All 8:30 Nollywood English 10.00 News 11:10 Movie

11:15 The Storm 12:00 News 12:30 Dabira L’eto 1:00 Nollywood English 2:30 Monster Muziq 3:00 Let the nations hear 4:30 Covenant Discovery ½ hour 5:00 Movie 5:30 People and Places 6:00 Tax Talk 6:30 Hour of Salvation 7:40 Stand Up Nigeria 8:00 WWTBM 9:00 News Special

Saturday 8:30 Movie 10:00 Sport Edge 11:00 Lab Rats 12:00 Empowerment Zone 1:00 Galaxy Party Time 1:30 Editors Forum 2:30 Campus 360 3:00 Ile Alayo 3:30 X-Men Cartoon

Getting prepped the Classic way

any people wake up as early as 4 or 5 am everyday just to get ready for work and this can be quite stressful and tiring especially if you returned home very late the previous day. Nevertheless you can shake off that tiredness the next morning listening to ‘The Morning Show’ on Classic FM 97.3 especially if you are driving as it will keep you awake and entertained. The soothing voices of hosts Sly and Bukola will make your morning worthwhile on the show. The show comprises a unique blend of music genres ranging from Jazz, R&B, Soul down to hip hop and more with key elements on information, health and entertainment which provides a whirlwind ride for listeners as they transit to work. The five-hour show features different segments to make the programme interesting, entertaining, informative and educative to get listeners not only stay glued to the show but likewise learn something new and interesting from the different guests on the show. The mid-week edition of the show as usual begins with the ‘front page news and analysis’ hosted by Jimi Disu who presents a deep rooted analysis of all the news and information making different newspaper headlines everyday. The ‘sports express’ segment hosted by the Sport Vision crew takes a look at the various trending issues in the world of sports internationally and locally. This segment commences with the sports news. In the ‘Today in history in a flash’ segment, the hosts highlight some interesting historical facts and events that took place on the day in history, as well as touching sensitive stories making global headlines. In the ‘Doctors on air’ segment, doctors with different specialities

One trending issue that has brought different guests to the show is the postponement of the general elections are invited on a daily basis to discuss various health issues. In the mid-week segment, the health topic discussed was, ‘Your urine and your health’. The doctors invited on the show stated clearly that urine colour is a product of many things people consume. However, it is important for people to check the clarity of their urine whenever they urinate to help detect problems such as hepatitis B early. They also added that urine contain a lot of waste products that are useless to the body. That is why it is unhealthy to drink your urine. Hence, they advised those

who had formed the habit to desist from such unhealthy practice. On a final note, Nigerians were encouraged to check the health status of their liver and kidney to ensure a healthy living. In the ‘Morning talks’ segment topics are carefully selected and discussed ranging from socio-economic, political issues to human angle stories. One trending issue that has brought different guests to the show is the postponement of the general elections. Friday is dedicated to ‘Feel Good and Faaji Friday’ where it is all about playing African songs that will make listeners dance on the spot. One observation however is that as much as listeners want to listen to their favourite requested songs on the show, it should not take up too much time on the show. Music break should be short and played at intervals in the different segments. So for the best of information, music and entertainment start your day listening to ‘The Classic Morning Show’ Mondays through Fridays between 6 and 11am.

FACE BEHIND THE VOICE

Jeffrey

effrey Isaacs, who is also nicknamed Prince Peace, is one of the top 10 Liberty Radio on-air personalities. He studied mass communication at the University of Jos and has 17 years of broadcast experience. He is a threetime award winner of Best Presenter of the Year 2005 by Polo Club. Jeffrey also won Gangariya award’s Best Musi-

Jeffrey

cal programme in 2013. He is a member of the United Nations Organisation for Peace and manages Liberty Radio’s events and promotions. Jeffrey is currently the presenter of Party Time every Friday night and Talent Gazing on Wednesdays at 1:30pm. The Plateau Stateborn presenter always preaches peace while creativity is his hobby.

Programme summary

Tales of Eve AIT

Destiny River Galaxy

It is a drama series that portrays the life and experiences of African women as they live through the trials and triumphs of womanhood on a daily basis.

Sunday @ 9:00 pm

Mon-Fri 6:00 pm

Safe Wheels Driving Tips Inspiration 92.3 FM Mon to Fri 6:30pm

Safe Wheels Driving Tips is a call in programme where listeners call in to give traffic reports. It is presented with lots of humour and sass.

City 105.1 FM

Saturday 6:00 Saturday Breakfast Show 8:30 Growing Up Matters 9:00 City Talks 12:15 The City Kids Show 2:00 Fan Zone 3:30 Soccer Wrap 7:00 Encounter With Grace 8:00 Round Table 11:00 Elisha Baza Show

Radio Lagos

Saturday 06:00 World News 07:15 Asayan iroyin 11:05 Eyi ara Ajide Olayinka 1:00 Oyin momo 2:30 E da wa lohun 4:00 Oba Orin 6:00 State News 7:00 Lagbo Regal 8:30 Ohun enu Yoruba 9:30 Mito Heme 10:15 Music 11:00 Iroyin ni soki

Saturday 8:00 Yoruba Nollywood 9:30 D’gallery 10:00 Salvation ½ hour 10:30 Sports World 11:30 Blissful Saturday 12:00 News 12:30 Monster Muziq 1:00 Train To Win 2:00 New Testament Voice 2:30 ABC 3:00 The Apostolic Church 3:30 Prestige TV 4:00 Little Miss Jocelyn 4:30 Bad Brilliance 5:00 FAB 5:35 Arrested Development 6:00 Nollywood English 7:00 Wetin Dey 7:30 Monster Hit Banger 8:00 Sparkle 8:30 Awotunwo 9:00 Yetkem 9:30 World News 10:00 The Clone 10:30 Wrestling 11:30 Nollywood Yoruba Sunday 7:00 What The Bible Says 9:00 Asiri Ihinrere 10:00 Woleola 10:30 The Clone

Sunday 5:00 Praise In The City 5:30 Christ Embassy 6:00 Sunday Praise Show 3:00 Music Culture 6:00 Singspiration 8:00 Only the hits 9:00 Once Upon A Time 10:00 Refresh

Sunday 06:00 World News 7:30 Music 11:05 Mukulumuke 12:00 World News 1:00 Music 2:00 Orita Aje 3:00 Iroyin ni soki 6:55 Irun pipe Magrib - sp 7:45 Music 9:30 Igbalaye 10:00 National News 11 :00 Ironyin ni soki

SATURDAY

Dear Love Doctor,

Life Experience

p.37

p.36

'He only wants to have sex with me, but I want more than that'

'I stopped wearing a bra to prove a feminist point'

L ve&Lv ng SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I fell in love with my parish priest' Confession It is said that love is a beautiful thing, but falling in love with the wrong person is like getting lost on a journey to paradise. In this story, a young lady falls in love with a very handsome priest, but she soon finds that her romantic feelings for the man of God are more of a liability than an asset. As narrated to Michael Uchebuaku

y name is Louisa and I live in Jos. This story I am about to tell you took place when I was in my late teens and still living with my parents in Delta State. The eighteenth year of my life was a very good year. Not only were my hormones raging hot more than ever before, but my pimples had decided to leave me. My eyes looked more seductive, my hair shone and my body began to blossom into that of a young woman. I had just finished secondary school and there was a suggestion I began to look for some part-time work during the holidays. My father had tried to persuade me to get some type of job in the church during the break. Father Paul had also promised to help. He told us there would be some paid work available in the church for young secondary school leavers. As I was in need of some spare cash, I decided to phone Father Paul and ask him about the position. Father Paul had been the parish Priest at the local Catholic Church for seven years and had seen me through my schooling for some of those years. For a priest, he was very handsome and we often wondered why someone as gorgeous as him would want to give up a regular life to enter the priesthood. Besides being gorgeous, he was very nice, kind and gentle and always had time for you. It was two weeks after I had left school and I decided to phone Father Paul. He suggested I came down to the church so he could speak to me personally about the position. Fortunately for me, none of the other girls that had just finished secondary school had made any enquiries and it looked as though

I stood a good chance. Dad didn't mind if I didn't dress appropriately to the Church as it wasn't a formal interview. I wore jeans and a t-shirt and had my hair pulled back. When I got there, Father Paul was sitting in his office listening to the radio. It seemed odd that a Priest would listen to the radio. I always envisaged a priest reading his Bible or saying long prayers. But here he was, sitting back in his big office chair and reading the newspaper while the radio blared. His relaxed state helped me feel very comfortable. He asked me to sit down. While he explained the job to me, my thoughts began racing. I don't believe I heard a single word he said, my eyes were too busy fixed on his perfect face and I could just see the form of his well-structured body through his white shirt. At one point, he stopped and asked if I was okay and if I had heard what he had just asked. "Oh, sorry," I replied. "I guess I am just tired." He explained that I would be helping him in the office with his own personal library, rearranging some books. It seemed simple and paid well. I began work the following Monday. It wasn't easy at first. We had to carry about 100 books from the storeroom into his office and sit on the ground and rearrange them in alphabetical order. As we sat, we had a chance to talk. He opened up to me about

Some of my friends had heard that I was helping him and warned me about falling in love with someone I couldn't have

his life as a young boy growing up and how he felt led by God to enter the priesthood. For six weeks, I helped Father Paul and in those six weeks I found myself incredibly drawn to him. We often laughed and shared stories and even spoke about God. We spent breakfast and lunch together and one day, he drove me into the town for a treat. Every moment with him was precious. It was more than just physical attraction. I was drawn to his faith in God and the stories he shared about his family and life back in his hometown. Some of my friends had heard that I was helping him and warned me about falling in love with someone I couldn't have. It didn't seem to matter. I know he loved God and the church more than me, but somehow, I sensed he too was falling in love with me! One day I decided to buy him a

gift with some of the money I had earned, just as a way of thanking him for the job position he gave me in the church. What do you buy a priest? I asked mum and dad for their suggestions. Two of my friends suggested I buy him a couple of designer shirts, socks and a tie. I found myself at the department store pacing up and down the aisles trying to work out what to get him. As I was entering one of the aisles, I suddenly saw Father Paul there too shopping. My heart began to race. My palms suddenly became sweaty. Soon he also saw me and came walking towards me. His face glowed, his eyes lit up like holy candles. He looked so handsome and so casual. Father Paul was never nervous. I found this incredibly sexy. If anyone knew the fantasies I had towards a priest, I am sure they would say I was doomed for hell. "Good day," Father Paul said, casually. "What are you shopping for?" "Oh, nothing much," came my reply. "Do you want a lift," he asked. Wow, he was actually going to drive me home! I accepted and we walked back to his car. The only regret I had at the time was that I didn't buy him a gift. We walked back to the car chatting. I felt special as I sat next to him in the front seat. His car was simple yet comfortable and he drove like a real man and even cursed under

his breath at an irritating driver. He was so human! It was such a turn-on! I found myself constantly glaring at him and smiling and was surprised to find he was returning the same, interested smiles. He dropped me off at home and gently asked through the open window if I was coming to work tomorrow. Of course I would come! I found myself dressing in a way that would attract him. Not immoral, but just pretty. I knew what he would like. I wore a pretty dress and made my hair and dabbed on a bit of lip gloss. I am sure my mum knew what was going on. As I dashed out the door she remarked, "My, you're looking very pretty these days young lady!" I just smiled, "Okay mum." During the next few weeks, Father Paul and I got a lot of work done. We managed to get the library into good order and clean out his entire office. It was fun being with him and I sensed the feelings were very mutual. Then one day it happened. On this particular day, we had to clear a whole row of church hymn books. There was so much dust and dirt on our arms and we both found ourselves scratching and laughing at the same time. As we both knelt down on the ground with our dirty rags in our hands, we couldn't help but glance at each other and smile. I guess some things just hapcontinued on page 37

Love&Living

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Woman defends her decision to send N308m to lover in Africa, says 'We are in love' Love News

woman has defended her decision to sent $1.4 million (N308million+) to her online lover in Africa – who she has never met. Twice-divorced Sarah met Chris Olsen online 18 months ago. Though the mysterious man’s accent has changed over time, and he keeps asking for money to be wired to various different countries, Sarah insists she is ’95 per cent certain’ that he is telling her the truth. Despite his numerous attempts to come home so they can be together, she says, he keeps getting arrested on false charges. In an interview with Dr Phil, Sarah explained that they speak for hours on the phone each day. She described the moment they met on the internet: ‘An attractive person came on there and said “wow you look like you wouldn’t hurt a fly”. I said “wow this guy’s really handsome, I can’t believe he’s talking to me!”‘ He told her he was called Chris Olsen, who hailed from Milan but moved

to the U.S. 18 years ago. Currently, she says, he is based in Africa on business, and has been for more than a year and a half. When they met he said he was in South Africa. After a brief stint in Nigeria, he relocated to Benin, Sarah explained. Within seven weeks of meeting, he professed his love in a gushing email that referred to her as ‘Mrs Olsen’. And days later, he sent the first of many requests for money. She has now sent him $1.4 million in total for hotel bills, calling cards, lawyers, an expired visa, stolen credit cards, and bail. Last June, she even had to sell an apartment she owned to wire him $550,000 bail. However, she believes he is trying his utmost to make it home. Sarah concedes that there are suspicious elements to his story: ‘When I first started talking to him,’ she told Dr Phil, ‘He sounded Italian now his accent’s kind of changed I don’t know if he’s adapted to where he’s at… in Benin.’ But, she concludes: ‘I still believe in love.’

'Forever and For Always' In your arms I can still feel the way you want me when you hold me I can still hear the words you whispered when you told me I can stay right here forever in your arms

[Chorus:] 'Cause I'm keeping you forever and for always We will be together all of our days Wanna wake up every morning to your sweet face--always Mmmm, baby In your heart--I can still hear a beat for every time you kiss me And when we're apart, I know how much you miss me I can feel your love for me in your heart And there ain't no way-I'm lettin' you go now And there ain't now way-and there ain't no how I'll never see that day.... [Repeat Chorus] (I wanna wake up every morning)

Courtesy: Daily Mail.

Life Experience

her knees. My “curvy” shape all but disappeared, and there was serious unwanted cleavage showing through the gap in the buttons of my shirts. Tank tops were out of the question. Over time however, I came to embrace these changes. I felt free, even when the skin under my boobs was a little sweaty at the end of the day. Just because I worked in a physical environment, that didn’t stop me from clocking in without a bra, at least not at first. However, I didn’t realize the effect my bralessness had on my co-workers until my sister, whom I worked with, brought it up to me. “It’s like everybody in here is staring at your boobs,” she said, sounding more than disturbed. Some people seemed to think I just wanted attention by having my boobs flopping everywhere, even when I actually tried to wear clothes that were both comfortable and conservative. Men hit on me left and right, their eyes all darting from my face to my chest seemingly without their control. I kept my arms crossed over my chest when talking to a few in particular,

Shania Twain

And there ain't no way-I'm lettin' you go now And there ain't no way-and there ain't no how I'll never see that day....

'I stopped wearing a bra for a year to prove a feminist point' s a woman, my boobs are probably the one thing on my body I’m most proud of. My decision to go bra-less wasn’t about catching the eyes of more men (although that kind of happened). It wasn’t to be cool. I made the decision to fold up my Victoria’s Secret lovelies because of a comment an 18-year-old boy made while sitting at a table of young women in my college cafeteria. He said one of our friends had “gross, saggy boobs.” By my take, she had the best boobs out of any of us, a great shape in general. But because she liked her bras without padding, suddenly they were gross. And saggy, of all things. The girl wasn’t even 21. “Bras serve no actual purpose,” I snapped at him. The rest of the women glared at him, like a pack of angry dogs looking at a cat that has tripped off a ledge and fallen in the yard. “They lift up and squish together our tits just so that men will like them more.” My closest friend at school urged me to do it. “For all of us,” she had scoffed, but I felt it was my calling, so I did. My time without a bra started that fall, and ended roughly a year later, after I left school to take a job refurbishing cable boxes in a warehouse back in Dallas. The first few times I stepped out without support, I felt vindicated. I almost hoped someone would stop me to ask: “Are you wearing a bra?” just so I could exclaim, “Hell no! And neither should you, my friend.” Of course no one did, but I’m sure they were thinking it. I started to notice the issue when it came to fashion. My favorite formfitting V-necks and button downs were all but un-wearable. They made me look like the stereotype of a really old woman with boobs down to

Love Songs

“It’s like everybody in here is staring at your boobs,” she said, sounding more than disturbed

which didn’t seem to help matters. I started wearing an ugly little jacket every day just to keep things in check. A guy friend of mine, who is now my boyfriend, joked, “Who knew how many guys were sitting in the break room staring at you out of the corner of their eyes?” The idea both disgusted and terrified me. The last thing I wanted was to become the object of some weird guy’s private lust. Then there were the rumors. By this point, it was “pretty obvious” to everyone in the building that my guy friend and I had something going on, and when people weren’t congratulating him on the score, they were suggesting that he only wanted me because I was obviously a slut. No grown woman would walk around like that and not want men to notice her. I had become something of a joke. Men and women both giggled about how they’d caught a glimpse of some side boob when I set something up on a shelf, or how my nipples got hard when the break room was cold. I put all the “sticks and stones” advice I’d ever learned to good use, and let them talk. I had a higher purpose, right? As women, we wear bras for several reasons, many of which are probably unconscious. They are an exciting symbol of womanhood. They’re soft and feminine. Frankly, they’re pretty. And they make us feel pretty. Not to mention they enhance our assets, regardless of size. Sometimes we wear them for the illusion, or for the support. I stopped wearing a bra to prove a feminist point. Unfortunately, we still live in a world where women like me need a bra to protect ourselves from harassment and sexism. Courtesy: Cosmo

In your eyes--(I can still see the look of the one) I can still see the look of the one who really loves me (I can still feel the way that you want) The one who wouldn't put anything else in the world above me (I can still see love for me) I can still see love for me in your eyes (I still see the love)

Love Poem

Danielle

My Own Heaven Sit for a minute and hold my hand. Let's dig our feet into the sand. Listen to the waves crash on the shore. Let's want a little and then yearn for more. Let's feel the sun upon our faces. Let's travel to new exotic places. Let's appreciate the things we've got, Even if it's not a lot. Let's feel the wind flow through our hair. Let's feel heaven as if we were there. Because my love you are next to me And there's no other place I would rather be.

*Send your love poems along with your name and number to ireto007@yahoo.com

Romantic Joke

Doctor’s Office

There was a girl that came into the doctor’s office. Then awed by her beauty all his professionalism goes right out the window. He tells her to take her pants off , then he starts to rub her thighs, he asked her "Do you know what I am doing?" She replied "Yes your checking for abnorbilities." Then he tell her to take of her bra and shirt and he rubs her boobs and asks her "Do you know what I am doing?" She says yes checking for cancer. Then he takes off her panties and starts having sex with her . Then he asks "Do you know what i am doing?" She said "Yep getting HIV that's why I came here.

7 MARCH 2015

Relationships & Love Advice

'He only wants to have sex with me, but I want more than that' Dear Love Doctor, I’m 19 and he’s 30 years older than me. We both work for a superstore. He’s sexy and fun to be with but he’s married with two little kids. It all started off with us having lunch together and a bit of harmless flirting, then it got serious. One night we had to stay back late and ended up having sex inside the store. I knew I’d get fired if anyone knew what we were up to but he said he loved me and made me feel I was special to him. It seemed worth the risk at the time. Even so, I was almost relieved when he got transferred to another branch. He didn’t call for a week but then sent a text to say he wants what he called goodbye sex with me. I know that he wants only to be having sex with me but I want so much more. I want him to want me for keeps, to leave his wife and his home and go steady with me, but he says that can’t happen because of his kids. He’s demanding that I meet him in a hotel for sex every weekend or he’ll tell my boss what we did and that my boss would recommend termination of my appointment. I told him that I’d tell his wife but he said that she wouldn’t believe me. I’m so scared of losing my job.

I cry myself to sleep at night and I can’t concentrate on my work in the day. I can’t talk to anyone at work because they’d go straight to the boss and report. Love Doctor’s Advice: There is a lot you can do to start to feel better. Start by telling that irresponsible man “No deal”, and no more sex. Don’t worry, he won’t tell your boss he’s got too much to lose. Thank goodness he’s been moved to another branch. He won’t leave his wife either, and it’s lucky for you that he won’t. Could you really trust a man who could cheat on his family like this? Next time, don’t sell yourself so cheaply and don’t let anyone use you. Don’t get drawn into having sex unless you feel cherished and loved by someone who’s giving their all to the relationship. That is the best way to find the right partner for you.

H♥♥K UP...find your heart’s desire Women SEEKING relationship/ marriage ♥ Favour, 40, Igbo, in Asaba, a graduate looking for job, needs a slim man of 40-50 years, preferably a civil servant, widower or divorcee based in Delta, Rivers or Bayelsa state only. 08125106352. ♥ Divine wants a loving, working or business, widower (not a divorcee) of 35 years for marriage. He must be a graduate, tall, and a sincere pentecostal Christian man. 08169279907.

pen so quickly that you don't really remember how they happened. As we worked our way through the shelves, we found ourselves gradually getting closer and closer to each other. There were a few glances and smiles and then ... it happened. His hand seemed to wander and he placed it on mine. It was like a scene from a movie. I just stood there, motionless, frozen actually. I didn't know what to do. He smiled. I smiled and then suddenly our faces drew closer together. We began kissing. I think it lasted about 10 seconds and then he drew away quickly, blushed and ashamed. After it happened we just sat there stunned. He was more shocked than me and nervously he apologised for what just happened. I smiled, "It's okay, I won't tell anyone." He got up, walked back into his office and fell into his big of-

fice chair. He sighed, "How did this happen?" Nervously I walked into his room and sat down on the chair in front of him. "It was meant to happen, I guess," I said. We sat there for about three minutes in total silence. His eyes darted around the room. He seemed as though he had committed an unpardonable sin. One week followed and Father Paul suggested that I didn't return back to the church to work. I was heartbroken. Crushed. I had to keep this a secret, especially from Mum and Dad. Six months later, he left our parish and I learned to move on with my life. I don't feel dirty or sinful at all. It was only a kiss, nothing more, and yes, I did fall in love with him. I still love him but in a different way and I still think of him fondly, especially when I attend mass every Sunday.

♥ Ade, 34, Christian, Yoruba, working in the banking sector, desires a beautiful and working class lady between 25 to 31 years for marriage. She must be serious minded, mature and willing to settle down. 09050735557. ♥ Chidera, 40, from Ebonyi, in PH, civil servant, needs a very busty lady of 23-31 years for marriage. 08037317375. ♥ Edwin, 37, a writer/businessman, needs a fresh graduate lady with vision, from the Southern or Northern part of the country. 09031502399, 07080473788.

♥ Grace, 35, chocolate, 6ft tall, single mother of one, needs a loving and caring man from 50 years and above for a serious courtship. 08098957792.

♥ Kennedy, 6ft, businessman, needs a godly working of 30-45 years for marriage. 08105266854, 08021495049.

♥ Becky, 31, chocolate, 5.7ft, public servant, HIV positive, needs a loving and caring responsible man of 38-40 years for marriage. 07012444576.

♥ A life and relationship coach needs a kindhearted or generous person in any part of the country to invest in his ministry. 07032944123, 08023700641.

Lovers’ Answers Game: The rule: Ask the opposite sex one question about love, and choose your lover from the top 3 answers.

*Send your comments/stories to Love Doctor. E-mail: ireto007@yahoo. com. For free marriage/relationships counseling, call Love Doctor Mike 07031028714, 08131161840. Visit lovedrmike.blogspot.com

‘I fell in love with my parish priest'

MEN LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIP/ MARRIAGE

♥ Bola, 28, pretty, romantic and good looking, needs a graduate, reliable and working man for marriage. 08037604915.

A girl via 07031139789, is asking all men:

continued FROM page 35

Love&Living

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

Odd News

t's an age-old worry for the men the world over. Now, however, scientists have revealed what's considered 'normal' for penis size and length. The average length of an erect penis is 5.2 inches (13.12 cm), they found. Meanwhile, the average length of a flaccid penis is 3.6 inches (9.16 cm) and 5.2 inches (13.24 cm) when flaccid but stretched. And when it comes to girth, the average erect circumference was 4.6 inches (11.66 cm) and 3.7 inches (9.31 cm) when flaccid. The British research also found there was a small correlation between the erect length of a penis and a man's height. Researchers say the graphs they have plotted, which show the size distributions of a penis, will help clinicians dealing with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a serious anxiety disorder relating to body image. The study could help to counsel men worried about their size, or with investigations into how condom failure relates to penis size and girth. Some men are concerned about their penis size, and those who are preoccupied and severely distressed may even be diagnosed with BDD. The researchers created a graph (or a nomogram) depicting the size distributions of penis' among men of all ages and many races.

"Why do some men prefer to date a married woman even while she is still living with her husband?" *Call Mike: 07031028714 to send questions or issues.

Blackberry Connection Omolola, 34, single mother, wants a man of 35-45 years, preferably a Yoruba man. BB pin: 2A9E3EAA. 09033643433.

• Connect with Mike on WhatsApp or BlackBerry Pin: 7ab29e22 or 21978F71 for details on how to send your BlackBerry or Smartphone Connect request. • Call Mike on 07031028714, 08131161840 to link up and for direct hookup.

Study reveals 'normal' manhood is 5.2 inches when erect The research included 17 studies of 15,521 men who underwent penis size measurements by health professionals using a standard procedure. Before this research, there had been no formal systematic reviews of these measurements, and no attempt to create a nomogram showing the distribution of size. Lead author Dr David Veale from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, told MailOnline: 'Men compare themselves in locker rooms and with pornography on the internet and believe they are inferior. 'Some men have been teased by sexual partners about their

length. 'There are lots of men who might be worried - and we think reassuring men they are in the normal range will help. 'We will also use the graphs to examine the discrepancy between what a man believes to be their position on the graph and their actual position, or what they think they should be. 'We have a specialist Body Dysmophic Clinic and some men are very worried and distressed about their size. 'They are unlikely to be helped just by looking at a size distribution graph, they will need more formal treatment like Cognitive Behaviourhal Therapy or medication too.' Courtesy: Daily Mail

Love&Living

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Love Education

True Story

'I stalked my best friend'

ophie and I had been friends since primary school, so when I found out through a mutual friend that she slept with my boyfriend, I was devastated. I wasn't interested in her apologies or pleas for forgiveness. I was incredibly hurt and just wanted her, and my newly-ex-boyfriend out of my life. After I recovered from the initial shock, it didn't take long for hurt to turn to anger, and a desire for revenge. I wanted to hurt Sophie the way she hurt me. Sophie had always been a bit of a scaredy cat. She slept with a light on and couldn't stand scary movies, so with that in mind, I thought I'd give her something to really be afraid of. I started by calling her house, twice, maybe three times a week, always at night, not saying anything, just playing classical music down the phone. This went on for a few weeks until I decided to take it a bit further. I set up an email account and began sending her emails from it. In the emails I talked about how I'd been watching her. I described her house and where she worked in detail. I told her that we were meant to be together and would be one day soon and always signed them from 'Mr. X'. Once I even took a photo of her in the street without her realising and emailed it to her. I began hearing through the grapevine that Sophie had a stalker and she was getting really scared.

I started by calling her house, twice, maybe three times a week, always at night, not saying anything

Admittedly I was a little nervous that she might go to the police, but I was enjoying myself to much to stop, and in any case, I didn't see how anything could be traced back to me. Soon I also began to send little packages. A dead rose, a container with dirt in it, even a chicken bone, anything that would freak her out. I even stuck a few notes on the windscreen of her car. As much as I tried to avoid seeing Sophie, our paths soon crossed at a mutual friend's wedding. I did my best to ignore her at the reception, but after consuming a few to many

Wedding Traditions

The Wedding Wish Tree: The Netherlands

wonderful Dutch custom that can be substituted for the guest book is to create a wedding "wish tree." At the reception a beautiful tree branch is placed next to the bride and groom's table, and paper leaves attached to pieces of colorful ribbon are placed at each guest's place setting. Guests write their special wish for the happy couple on their leaves, which the bride and groom can then read and hang on the tree. The bridal shower tradition actually originated in Holland where if a Dutch bride's father disapproves of her choice of a husband he would not offer her a dowry. When this occurs, the bride's friends would "shower" her with gifts of household items typically included in her dowry. If the family approves,

the bride would receive a trousseau (dowry) from her parents and her future father-in-law would give her a "chatelaine," which consists of a chain or rope made of silver or leather that contained various items such as a pair of scissors, a pincushion, a needle case, a small knife, and a mirror. Before the ceremony, the bridesmaids would fill the bride's basket with green garlands and flowers as well as decorate the groom's pipe with garlands and ribbons. The bride's house was painted green and the families would host a party where the couple would sit on a throne beneath pine trees as their guests came to bless them and wish them happiness. Courtesy: Irish Central.

Champagnes I decided to go and chat with her. It didn't take long for her to start pouring her heart out about her 'stalker'. As I listened I realised that I had definitely taken things way to far and I knew it was time to stop. Sophie and I ended up talking a lot that night. I forgave her for what she had done to me, and we began rebuilding our friendship. I was worried if I stopped 'stalking' her straight away she'd guess it had been me all along, so I gradually slowed down the emails and phone calls, stopping all together after about a month. One year on, Sophie and I are great friends again. She still talks about her stalker and sometimes I wonder if I should own up, but then, if I did, she might decide to take revenge on me! Courtesy: nine.com

What is Cunilingus? C unnilingus is the act of using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female genitals. Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina. The clitoris is the most sexually sensitive erogenous zone for most women, the stimulation of which may result in the production of erotic sensations or sexual excitement. A female may receive cunnilingus as part of foreplay to produce sexual arousal. Sufficient oral clitoral stimulation can result in an orgasm. Though the person receiving cunnilingus must be female, her sex partner may be of either gender. Oral sex when the receiving partner is male is called fellatio. Laws of some jurisdictions regard cunnilingus as penetrative sex for sexual offense purposes, but no laws ban the practice itself, as in the case of anal sex or extramarital sex. Most people do not regard cunnilingus as affecting the virginity of either partner.

Technique Author Shere Hite notes in The Hite Report that most women achieve orgasm easily from clitoral stimulation as part of cunnilingus or some other form of direct clitoral stimulation.[1] The receiving female's partner may use fingers to open the vagina lips to enable the tongue to better stimulate the clitoris, or the female may separate the vagina lips for her partner. Separating the legs wide would also usually open the vagina sufficiently for the partner to orally reach the clitoris. Some sex manuals recommend beginning with a gentler, less focused stimulation of the labia and the whole genital area. The tip, blade, or underside of the tongue may be used, as can the nose, chin, teeth and lips. Movements can be slow or fast, regular or erratic, firm or soft, according to the participants' preferences. The tongue can be inserted into the vagina, either stiffened or moving. The performing partner may also hum to produce vibration. Source: en.wikipedia.org.

SATURDAY

Travel &Tourism SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015

Chef's Corner

Give yourself a treat with Asa Akpakpa porridge p.40

Travel Personality Bolaji Mustapha: We are focusing on city tour p.41

Destination

Akwa Ibom: Land of promise with simmering tourism p.42

HOSPITALITY

A taste of nature at Jerome Garden and Suites UDUH PEACE CHIAZOR was at the newly opened Ikeja, Lagos– based Jerome Garden and Suites, and writes on its upscale appeal.

ne of the things that stand out Jerome Garden and Suites, which recently opened for business in the Opebi axis of Ikeja, Lagos, is its appealing natural attraction. This, the owners know too well as they have succeeded in playing up some of its idyllic features - valley and undulating landscape on which the hotel is situated. This, coupled with the upscale facilities and the fact of its lavish outlook have combined to make the hotel quite a colourful and interesting place to experience. And this for many visitors to the hotel is quite amazing as the hotel operates in what appears to be a different world. It is for these reasons that the acting managing director of the hotel, Mr. Adewale Ajibade, an estate surveyor turned hotelier, believes the hotel is not comparable to any hotel in Lagos. He's convinced it would continue to play on these factors in order to give its numerous guests a memorable experience. The hotel, he said, is out to charm its guests with its enchanting environment and facilities. Accommodation The luxury hotel with an outlook and feature of a resort has 15 lavishly-furnished rooms with well apportioned amenities for the benefit of the guests. The classes of rooms include Deluxe, Double Deluxe, Executive and Presidential Suite, all brightly coloured with art works and exuding a homely feel. A number of the amenities include well laid

Fittingly laid out bed: Inset Hotel's garden and frontview

out and comfy bed, flat screen TV, work desk and chair, leather cushion and refrigerator. Dining/wining Dining and wining at the hotel are delightsome affair with it restaurant serving delicious local and international delicacies while the bar/lounge with its exclusive setting offers vintage wine and champagne, cocktail and beverages. Leisure The hotel also calls out to

leisure and fun seekers with its number of leisure facilities which include an indoor swimming pool with a pool bar. Outdoors you enjoy the beauty of nature in the pleasantly nurtured garden. Fitness The hotel’s gymnasium offers guests the opportunity to use its different fitness facilities in an inviting and colourful atmosphere. Conference Jerome Garden and Suites is

also conducive for conferences and events. It offers a posh conference hall that is furnished with a number of conference and event facilities. The garden also hosts different events, from weddings to private parties. Other facilities Other facilities include internet service, airport pick-up, car hire, laundry and dry cleaning as well as concierge, 24-hour power supply, ample car park for its guests.

NEW TELEGRAPH PARTNER HOTELS B E N E F I TS

FESTAC, LAGOS

ABA LAGOS

ABA

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

Travel & Tourism

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

CHEF'S CORNER

sa Akpakpa porridge is one of the local delicacies largely indigenous to the people of Akwa Ibom State as it is a common meal in every home. Besides the ease of preparation, it is highly nutritious. This explains why it is a staple in most homes.

Give yourself a treat with Asa Akpakpa porridge ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA writes that anyone who has tasted asa akpakpa (corn) porridge would understand why Akwa Ibom indigenes can't seem to have enough of this meal.

Ingredients • Fresh/dry corn • Pumpkin leaf • Dry fish • Prawns • Crayfish • Snail • Bush meat (optional) Health value The meal has a high protein value and is also rich in carbohydrates, a reason why it's often used in most communities as part of the meals served in the fattening room (Mbopo) rites. It is also recommended for nursing mothers to boost their immunity. It is also believed to aid the recovery process after child birth because of its level of carbohydrate and vitamin A. Many homes in the rural communities serve the meal especially during the rainy season when fresh corn is mostly available. However, it is served in a number of restaurants and eateries but usually on request (a la carte) as it is not part of the daily menu. The meal could be eaten with hands, which most locals tend to prefer especially if served at home. People gather round the tray in groups while scooping tiny morsels. But it could also be served in plate and eaten with spoon, which is when served at a restaurant. Some popular cuisines Other savoury and popular meals in Akwa Ibom include edikang ikong, afang, abak, afia efere, ekpang nkukwo, afia efere ebot, ekpang, oto ebre (water yam porridge), asa iwa (cassava porridge), edesi isip (coconut rice), and otong afere atike as well as efere ikon.

TRAVEL BEATS

Mayaewo Tours releases Easter packages With Easter festivities beckoning, Mayaewo Tours Limited, a Lagos–based tour outfit, has released its tour packages for the season with tours to Osun and Ekiti States as well as to Europe. Osogbo: Four-night stay N65, 000 per person two people sharing N105, 000 per couple N180, 000 family of four Ekiti: Four-night stay N75, 000.00 per person two people sharing N165, 000 per couple N320, 000 family of four (All package cost covers, return transportation, accommodation, meals and tour) Rome and France – March 31 to April 4 cost - 450,000 per person Canada - June 10 to 20 - cost - N750, 000 USA - August 26 to 31- cost - N650, 000 European tour and cruise – August 25 to 30th – cost - N850, 000 (Packages cover visa, return ticket, accommodation, transfers, meals and tour) Contact: www.facebook.com/pages/ mayaewotourslimited mayaewotours@gmail.com

Asa Akpakpa

Ethiopian Airlines wins regional airline award Ethiopian Airlines has been named the best regional airline of the year at the 41st ATW Industry Achievement Awards recently held at Washington DC, USA. Receiving the award at the event attended by major operators from across the world, the chief executive officer of the airline, Tewolde GebreMariam, described the award as recognition of the wonderful performance of the airline despite the challenging environment under which it

operates, adding that it is a huge leap and big boost for its operations. ‘‘I would like to thank Air Transport World for recognizing our efforts in one of the most difficult operating environments in the continent of Africa. It’s a great pleasure and a special honor for me to stand before you this evening and to be among you this evening, very prominent individuals and prominent companies aviation professionals,” he said.

Doriane Kundwa, Miss Rwanda 2015 (middle) flanked by one of the contestants and official

Miss Rwanda 2015 winner emerges

CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, receiving the award while flanked by the airline's cabin crew

Doriane Kundwa has claimed the Miss Rwanda 2015 crown and also that of Miss Popularity at a colourful event held at Serena Hotel in Kigali. The Kundwa’s beauty is not the only feature that won her the much coveted crown as Miss Rwanda contest is tagged RBBC meaning Rwanda, Brains, Beauty and Culture. Therefore, the new queen is expected to use her crown to promote the country and position it as a country where female stereotypes are gradually being destroyed while women are now emerging as forces to be reckoned with in all spheres of life in the country. Kundwa, 19, is a student of the Old Northern Province. Vanessa Raissa Uwase emerged the first runner up while Lynca Akacu clinched the second runner-up slot.

Sheraton Abuja Associates offer succour to orphans Associates of Sheraton Abuja Hotel and Towers recently offered succour to widows and orphans in Abuja as they visited the Kubwa–based Divine Orphanage Home where they distributed various items to the residents. The items donated included bags of rice,

hampers, provisions and toiletries. This gesture, which is part of the corporate social responsibility of the hotel’s personnel, is said to have been ignited by one of the hotel’s employees, Patricia Okafor, who devotes her time going round the various departments solicit-

ing donations either in kind and cash. Today, that gesture has blossomed into a corporate affair. The Matron of the orphanage, Mrs. Francisca Uwakwe, who received the visitors, expressed delight and gratitude over the donations while commending them

for the humble sacrifice. She called on others o emulate the kind gesture. The public relations manager of the hotel, Nanji Tyem, remarked that, “it is a worthy exercise when an individual or a group engages in a selfless act and gives to a child, neighbour or even stranger in need.”

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Travel & Tourism

TRAVEL PERSONALITY

Bolaji Mustapha: We are focusing on city tour all out there to see what can really interest the people. That is why a tour operator has to painstakingly identify what is available and what can be put together to make the tour interesting.’’

Mrs. Bolaji Mustapha is an official of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) and the managing director of the newly-opened Grand Express Tour Centre (GETCentre) in Opebi, Lagos. She speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA of her sojourn in the travel world and her passion for tour business in Nigeria.

Entering the travel world olaji Mustapha has risen like a meteor in the travel world, in that, within a decade into the travel business she has become a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Her commitment to the industry and passion for the tour business stand her out as one of the tourism amazons to watch out for. She started with Touchdown Travels Limited (TTL) one of the top rated travel agencies in Nigeria, as a marketer where she learnt the rudiments of the business of packaging tours. She moved on to the operation end of the business and set up a tour department, which metamorphosed into TTL Tours, a subsidiary of Touchdown Travels Limited. In no distant time, Mustapha grew and nurtured TTL Tours into one of the reputable tour companies in Nigeria noted for both outbound and inbound tours. The company also gained recognition as one of the trade partners of South Africa Tourism (SAT) while Mustapha rose to become the national treasurer of NATOP. “I packaged tours for individuals of various categories, families, corporate organisations, government agencies, schools and others. I am so happy doing this” she says, “That is how the whole story started and we created a separate subsidiary for tours, which I headed and ran for about eight years until we rebranded and created a separate company in January 2014.” Focus of Grand Express Tour (GET Centre) Having paid her dues at TTL Tours, she established Grand Express Tour Centre (GET Centre), which formally opened for business in January with a magnificent office complex at Opebi, Lagos. “It is a tourism company, we are into travels and tours, we package tours to different destination both inbound and outbound,” she says of her new outfit. She also reveals that “we have created a website (www.getcentre. com) where people can book their flights, hotels, tours and create their packages to different destinations,” adding that, “ we want to make it very flexible for any individual to use and it is a friendly website for both agents and the general public. Our online portal is going to be rated as one of the top search engines because we are working on it to make it user friendly.” Besides this innovative portal, which she says is one of a kind in the country, the major focus of the new company, she informs, is that of promoting domestic tourism. This is one area she says she wants the company to be noted for.

“I want people to know GET Centre as a one-stop shop for local and international tours packaging in the country.’’ To this end, the firm is experimenting with city tours starting with Lagos. Therefore, she reveals that they have embarked on extensive research and visits to all the tourism sites in Lagos with a view to ascertaining their present state and understanding their nature, as well as striking the required partnership with the owners and allied operators in order to put together sellable packages for the various sites. She further reveals, “we are looking at doing educational tours in Lagos and even bringing people from other parts of Nigeria. People can go online and see the places to visit in Lagos and the prices.” I want to be a top-rated tour operator in Africa Mustapha is also very clear on her dream as a tour operator. Her dream, she says, is to be an A-listed tour operator in Africa. Her passion and love for what she is doing, she says will get her there. “I enjoy it; it is something I love to do every day by putting smiles on every customer’s face. If you really have passion for tour business you go

Mustapha

It is profitable and fulfilling ‘‘Tour business is profitable, I must say. It has been fun, fulfilling, a successful one and growing one. I am really happy about what I am doing and I will do this over and over again. So far, it has been an adventurous journey and I give glory to God for it. Our dream is to be well known in the industry and to be the best tour company in Africa.”

If you really have passion for tour business you go all out there to see what can really interest the people

Reasons for Nigerian operators’ penchant for outbound tours It is interesting to note that Mustapha has discovered a new zest for domestic tours as nearly all Nigerian tour operators are into outbound rather than inbound tours. “When I started, the first thing I looked at was to actually promote inbound tours. I started visiting hotels and other tour sites where I can package tours in Nigeria,” she says of her beginning. But as she got to understand the industry more, the desire for inbound tours took a back seat, a situation which she blames on some basic factors, which includes the poor state of the tourism industry, security, logistics and poor transportation system of the country. “I was going to promote Badagry as a tour site, I visited Badagry and I find the road very deplorable and it wasn’t convenient for travellers. So, I said to myself, how do I put people on this journey? You have

to actually experience the product that you want to sell before you start selling it to others,” she says of her practical experience before moving on to outbound where she has over the years made a comfortable and decent living for herself and her company. Government needs to come to tour operators’ aid “That got me a bit discouraged and that was when I started focusing on the outbound. That was because there are a lot of challenges that we face but the government is not helping the tour operators,” says Mustapha. To get out of this quagmire and get many of the tour operators to focus more on promoting domestic tours, the government, she says, must come to the aid of the tour operators. “The government and tour operators are supposed to be partners in progress, just the way the South Africa Tourism is partnering its ground operators to market and promote its tourism,” she reveals, explaining that “they give all the support to boost their businesses and by so doing they are promoting the country’s destination. But our government here is not giving the same support to the tour operators.” Specifically, she is advocating a synergy between the government and NATOP, noting that, “they are supposed to work with NATOP to see how they can assist the operators in promoting Nigeria. That is really one of the problems because if the government really partners the tour operators in that way you are helping in the promotion of the Nigerian destination.”

42 Travel & Tourism

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

The e-library

Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo

DESTINATION

Akwa Ibom Land of promise with simmering tourism

A scintillating cultural showpiece

ous tourist to explore sun, sand and sea, water-related sports and picnic. While begging for development along those lines of activities and structures to make it a true haven for tourists, visitors can still enjoy such activities as surfing, swimming and boat cruise as well as picnic. Other coastal land or beaches in the state include Eket, Ikot Abasi, Adadia, Nwaniba, Uta Ewa and Oron. Besides the beautiful Ibeno beach, the town also presents other alluring scenes for people to explore and one of such is the first Qua lboe Church building, said to have been constructed around 1912 at the point where the first missionary and the founder of the Qua lboe Church landed in 1887.

Akwa Ibom State sure holds a lot of promises with regard to tourism, but much more still needs to be done to make it thrive beyond the rhetoric and window-dressing, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

Background reated in 1987, Akwa Ibom State is one of the richest oil states in the country. It is also blessed with numerous natural resources and a rich ecosystem as well as a people of diverse sociological and cultural affinities hence the sobriquet, "Land of Promise". But how well the promise of turning the biblical flowing well of "milk and honey" into reality remains in the realm of conjecture for many. However, no visitor after exploring the state would deny the many promises held by the state. With Uyo as the capital, the state located in the Niger Delta covers a landmass of 7,081 square kilometres and shares boundaries with Cross River State to the east; Abia to the north; and Rivers and Abia states to its west while the Atlantic Ocean, which is to its south gives it an alluring aquatic experience. As a result, the state with the exception of its neighhour, Rivers State, has one of the most effervescent and largest coastlines in the country, spanning 129 kilometres from Ikot Abasi in the west to Oron in the east. Thus the state presents a colourful blend of coastal, mangrove forest and attractive sandy beach.

It has 31 local government areas with some of the popular areas including Abak, Eket, Etinan, Ibeno, IkotAbasi, Ikot-Ekpene, Itu, Onna, Oron, oruk-Anam, Ukanafun, Uruan, Urue and offong/Oruk; each of which has rich historical, cultural and natural elements, setting them apart. The state like most states in the country comprises people of different culture and dialects even though there may be a distinct strand binding the people together. Some of the notable groups include the Ibibio, which is regarded as the largest group; there is the Anang group; Eket and Ibeno are also distinct groups. Tourist attractions Your discovery is that given its rich and abundant natural resources, people and cultural heritage, the state boasts a rich bouquet of tourist attractions, which are scattered across its different localities. Many of these attractions are naturally appealing and point to the

Ibom Plaza Roundabout, Uyo

bliss that tourist could derive from exploring them. However, a number of these attractions and resources are in a state of arrested development while some are threatened by extinction. In spite of this development, they still exude an attractive pull, particularly those with natural flavours. Over the years, attempts have also been made by the state government, especially during this democratic dispensation to resuscitate a number of these attractions while also creating new attractions and activities to meet with the present reality and trend in the tourism industry. Here are a few: Ibeno Beach This signposts the state's strength in the area of water-related tourism as it has the largest and one of the most beautiful coastal lines in the country. Ibeno beach in Ibeno Local Government Area is the best representation of this. It offers opportunity for any adventur-

Oron Museum Located in Oron, the museum warehouses a rich blend of art and craft resources of the people, from fine and applied arts, ornaments and traditional arts. These include carvings, artifacts, masquerades, costumes, traditional instruments and pottery. National Museum, Uyo The national museum in Uyo is also another historical place to visit to feast on the rich art pieces of the people. It is home to a number of relics, craft, artifacts, carvings and other tangible cultural materials of the people. Amalgamation House This building bears rich historical symbols given that it was the building used by the former colonial governor of Nigeria, Lord Lugard, during the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914. The iconic and historical building was also where the ceasefire was declared in 1970 to end the Nigeria Civil War.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

One of the flyovers in Uyo

Travel & Tourism 43

Lord Lugard House

Teeing off at Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort

Lord Lugard Residence This is a one-storey cottage where Lord Lugard lived during the amalgamation period and it is located opposite the Amalgamation House. This site is reputedly the first administrative headquarters of the region before it was relocated to Calabar. Mbo Forest Game Reserve The forest reserve is rich in wildlife and offers rich Safari experience. Itu This is one of the rural communities in the state that any tourist would be interested in visiting for many reasons. Perhaps one of its most appealing attractions is its rustic nature as nowhere else is the communal existence and the beauty of it more poignant and visible. With calm and peaceful scenery you see some of the unfolding extant colonial elements for which the community is famed. It was once a home to the colonialist and boasts a thriving commercial centre with the presence of the river and jetty. For a government and people with a tourism vision, this laidback community should have over the years been developed into a thriving destination with activities developed round its historicity to attract tourists. On one's last visit, it was surprising to see the neglect the community has suffered. Most of the structures and elements were fast fading away and there are fears the community may lost its natural allure and beauty. Some of these attractions include: Slave Masters Lodge, Okopedi, Itu Itu River was one of the ports across the country that were used for the shipment of slaves. So the community then

hosted a thriving slave trade and till date many of the structures used for the trade still stand. One of them is the Slave Masters Lodge, which was used by the slave merchants. Presbyterian Church, Itu The Presbyterian Church built by the famous missionary Mary Slessor, known for her advocacy against the killing of twins, remains one of the symbolisms of the colonial era in the community. Mary Slessor House Tomb Not many people know for a fact that Mary Slessor actually started her missionary work in Itu before moving over to Calabar where she is celebrated. Her root is documented in Itu by the people and the church is one of her legacies while the tomb where she was believed to have been buried has been preserved. Warehouse/Itu Jetty Other monuments in the town include the warehouse and the jetty. The warehouse is a dilapidated and long abandoned structure. It was once used for holding slaves before they were ferried through the jetty which is close

Ibom Tropicana

by. Not much activity is going on around the place now but few people and fishermen still make use of the jetty.

has about six screens and already in operation; a shopping mall, convention centre, hotel, theme park and food court.

Royal Niger Boat Yard The boat yard is located behind Lugardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House. it is a large boat yard where merchant ships were built and repaired. There still exist some old boats and canoes of all sizes in the yard.

Little Stream Farm It is a privately run leisure spot sited in a farm land in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area on the outskirts of Uyo. It is in a forested rural community with blissful natural setting, making it a choice spot for many. It has a number of fish ponds for sport fishing and serves local delicacies.

Ikot Ekpene This is another town in the state that also enjoys some level of popularity and importance. Its people are noted for their cultural and craft heritage. It is the home of raffia, which was a thriving trade then. The business may have waned over the years but the town still retains a tinge of this heritage. Ibom Plaza, Uyo The plaza located in the centre of the city was one of the earliest structures put in place by the administration of Obong Victor Attah. It was to signal a new move and phase in developing tourism in the state as it was then quite an attraction and melting pot for the people. But the momentum was lost few years after. It was only recently that the plaza was renovated, making it once again an enlivened, bright and busy spot in the city for all sorts of businesses and people. Ibom Tropicana A recent creation of the state government, Ibom Tropicana is a tourism emporium modelled after such iconic enclaves as Sun City in South Africa and dedicated to leisure and business. Spanning a landmass of 82 hectares, some of the facilities include a Cineplex, which

Hospitality The state also boasts a number of rich and quality hospitality homes, eateries and other leisure spots in the various towns and cities. These various outlets enjoy remarkable attention all year, especially during festive periods. The endless list includes: Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort Opened in 2007 and located in Nwaniba village in Uruan, on the outskirts of Uyo, it remains the brightest spot of the state tourism offerings as this facility attracts the attention of the world, especially golf enthusiasts for its high quality and standard facilities. Four Points By Sheraton Ikot Ekpene Billed to open for business sometime this month, Four Points By Sheraton, which is located in the ancient town of Ikot Ekpene will be the second international branded hotel in the state run by Starwood. Sited in the former location of the old prison building, the hotel, which boasts a magnificent 12-storey building, is a business focused hotel with all the necessary facilities and amenities befitting such edifice.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Journalism at its best l Indepth

l UnbIased A media partner of

uth y of Tr Sanctit

Y SUNDA

N150

/new

11, 2015

. 326

Vol. 1 No

37 pson } e Thom e - Tund iling m e for ja at St of

Thomps

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

surfaces Obasanjo

Kaita

S N O I T C ELE UNDER T THREA

ead e ex-H t blam lDon’

an at Jonath s daughter’ }7 wedding s PDP storm r Ibadan fo est South-Wign }11 campa

ay, Ja nuary

N150

Jonathan warns Buhari

lCall your supporters to order, flays burning of campaign bus Onyekachi Eze and Temitope Ogunbanke

ondemnations yesterday trailed weekend attack on campaign buses of President

Goodluck Jonathan in Jos with the president calling on the All Progressives Congress (APC) presiden-

tial candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, to call his supporters to orCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

NEW TELEGRAPH

Money Line

MONDAY,

JANUARY

Stock Watch

Afromedia: Incapacitated adverse regulation by

Interview

Okonjo Iweala, a mismatch economy, says Enwegbara for Nigerian

Director mo Bassey of HOMEF, Nnimcould not , said the fishermen fisherman hope to fishing pittance was better than return in the Bodo that Shell to fered the communities creeks because rivers initially to pay of- ters hydrocarbon of the depthand with cleaner “This can. to fish. Sadly of wapollution hardly ing from a good fishing purchase Bodo pollution , although the oil spills. resultthe boat and ment necessary the Goi also damaged He equipamount expressed that the fishing making community waters to return being offered the the community business to tinue people that to languish know each conthey choose best – that the glect without in abject is if neto move remedy,” to other he said.

Civil rights tion, the organisaHealth CONTINUED Mother of Earth FounON PAGE 22 describeddation (HOMEF), agreement as ‘inadequate’ has the by oil giant, to pay a Shell, million penalty of about Pounds 55 Sterling N16 billion) (about ermen and to 15,600 Bodo extensive community fishfor 2008/2009. crude oil spills the of Although, p.36 the group scribed the development dea welcome news as Year, it, however, for the the compensationargued New that be compared could not with the damage level of to their The group environment. spokesperson, Cadmus comparedAtake, said that when companiesto what polluting The Business paid elsewhere oil their ecological Desk ayodele aminu amount crimes, for L-R: Manager, Deputy Editor brought the Inspections inadequate (Business) by Shell Bank Plc, Bayo akomolafe Janet Nnabuko, and Monitoring, for the damage severity is Monitoring, done Asst. Editor of Madiebo Consumer Executive Director,National Lottery Regulatory (Maritime) He said: Protection Lagos & at the 5th sunday Ojeme Commission, South West Council, “HOMEF the compensation draw of the Ifeyinwa Afam Ojeh, Bank, Fidelity Asst. Editor sees Fidelity Save4 Nwamuo Head, Savings, amount (Insurance) Bank Plc., and Divisional Scholarship to about which will Godson Ikoro Head, Retail Ikemefuna Mbagwu, Fidelity each of savings N600,000 Asst. Editor promo in the plaintiffs Bank, Fidelity for Manager, (Money Market) Lagos. balance Bank Plc., with the going for Dele alao Richard projects Industry & – school community Agric Editor health centres blocks and Dayo ayeyemi – as inadequate for the Property Editor done.” severity of damage adeola Yusuf Atake Kunle Azeez Energy Editor ment of maintained that Wole shadare building compensation payawfully promised igeria’s missed Aviation Editor in early ics wouldof schools and and Domain New Telegraph its 2014 would increase 2014 that System Name clintarget, not by Chris Ugwu (DNS) reduce it domain uptake The missed has learnt. the demandany means fered setback space sufCapital Market names to of gent clean-up as the regulator the auspicious target was end of that for an 250,000 by .ng last year, abdulwahabEditor on the year. vironment. of the Ogoni ur- try code number domain of Isa This means of names en- (ccTLD), Top Level the coun- registered Finance Editor that the planned .ng had a target Domain Kunle azeez to be by of 190,000 country istration Nigeria Internet names planned NiRA has the end of 2014. Senior Correspondent domain Association Reg- about reportedly by individuals, to be registered (NiRA), 60,000 domain Chuks Onuanyin sold government as at the corporate INFLATION names end Energy of 2013 agencies and RATE November and had nnamdi amadi both 2014........................7.9% Rates October 2014............................8.1% LENDING Dashbo CONTINUED Reporter RATE InterBank ard ON PAGE Johnson adebayo September Rate....................12.57% 22 2014.....................8.3% Prime Lending Asst Production EXCHANGE Editor RATE Rate...........17.93% (Parallel Maximum As at Jan. Lending Rate...26.83% USD . . . . 08) EXCHANGE . RATE Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N182 (Official As . Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Jan. 08) USD . . . . l Foreign N390 ......... . Reserves . . . . . N205.50 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – $46.5bn N168 . as at 8/01/2015 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N253.09 ......... Source: CBN . . . . . .N197.70 The Food and Organisation Agriculture Food Price (FAO)’s monthly December Index declined in stability. after three months of

2 /newte legraph

only 18,870

misses 2014

domain names

12 pages of incisive Business

ng to relocati fear n and g dow country, for outshuttin y ed er parts of thein any likely prishodd pro d by t of the othbeing caught . School ting sidering of eatene par ng thr ns on the ctoral break of fighsaid to be conweeks in bei Ele al e atio achi g over etors are also n for som prepar ndent Nation Onyek hangin of l eshi, ions tting dow Indepe sion. Also likelihood Abdu ka Nz indicat be u- shu ruary. Onwu d Ibrahim not re are Commistions is the threats, acc Feb y, the voters may chise elec ing ns by Eze an Alread s of 5 the lence, follow r-accusatio ir fran lly of nte the 201 ABUJA t million e the ause up till vio and cou ates, especiaty and tha e to exercis days to in Niges bec sations ctly 34 did abl 6 election atic Par t is exa ial electionng Valen- various can PAG E ing the ent Democr UED ON presid art from bei 14 is the the Peoples es Congress. s busi- dur TIN CON iou ria. Ap , Februaryl go to the All Progressivels and var , Kano, Day wil y, hot Abuja tine’s erians sident, who Alread ecially in , have startt en Nig Pre Jos , esp day wh elect a new y for the nex nesses , Lafia and polls to the countr Kaduna already will leadrs. are ls four yeaver, the pol Howe

Boko h states aram dilemm in Big a

TElEgRAPh invESTigATiOn

lsan s of no , others w l PD rth-East far rn on exclu P, aPC o , InEC m Feb polsl ion s speak

t of Haram ou } 5 chase Boko tions in Baga s p o o tr , Again opera , intensify Damaturu

sa Monalise tress, o Star acs New Yeesay:rInsptagram e urt Co strik

GAIDAm , Yobe Gov.

NGILAr Adama I, wa Gov .

TUND ONYE E OYES INA TEMI KACHI EZ , TOPE E OGUN and BANK E

Front row: L-R: European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker; Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu; former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy; Mali's President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita; French President, Francois Hollande; Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel; Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas and Italy's Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, at a solidarity march against terrorism in Paris...yesterday. PHOTO: ReuTeRs

TRAvEl Advisory Your guide to local and international flights 4

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

ewteleg raph

geNer al ele ctioN s

target

lPPPRA evades daily price template's review for 13 days

www.n

online.c om

Page 21

FG makes N19 per litre profit from petrol DNS: NiRA

...registers

@newte legraph 1

How N150 Brackcancer dim Yori Y et’s caree med ori } 19 r afte r

DEGRADATION

Dayo Ayeyemi

Sancti ty of Tr uth

No. 33

42-43

Bodo spill: N16 billion Group faults Shell’s compensati on

Communities in the NigerDelta have been drastically affected by activities of oil companies

p.22

Food price drops in index December

Vol. 1

Insurance

Claims: Policyholder’s Leadway conflict with deepens

What's neWs

12, 2015

Naira walks knocks CBN tight rope as ICAN

Business

Customs miss 2014 revenue target by N223bn

The Nigeria Customs (NCS) revenue Service has fallen billion or by N223 19 one year. per cent in the last

17, 20

ShE TTI Borno mA, Gov.

VCs rtainty ected P uncoll d panic, unce ls a ts over e edentia re fr sp C ats ari’s cr h re u lINE B th s’ an over s ci ti rd li o o lP ade w APC tr lPDP,

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

Kalu to pDp, apc: elections not Do-or-Die

} 32

partn er of

Saturd /newtelegraph

Vol. 1 No. 327

Monday, January 12, 2015

egra @newtel

hagari : Why Sri’s coup a t i a K Lawal ’t stop Buha couldn

ry , Janua Sunday

SATUR DAY

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

e.com

raphonlin

.newteleg ph1 www

A media

Sanctity Of Truth

r of ia partne A med

telegraph

l CreatIve

QuicK reaD

Editorial

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

the Pr be inv esidential not conalid if ele poll will cross bled ducted ctions are by Indep Elector endent leg al section of comp North-E in the tro uNatio have ex pe rts Born rising ast states (INEC al Comm nal Ad ) ch sai o and At d the Yobe amawa, sor Attah airman, ission Statorney-G Th resul that Pro en iru gard ts of for eir comme . to the Jega, with fes- of te and Senioeral of Ab me nts wa ho Nige po r Advo ia expres d by the reria, scepti s in- sta lding electi ssibility no sed a tes du of somted tha Dr. Awa Kacate few da cism t ex e to on in tho lu, ys ag o ba Speaking insecurity. se dentie states fro clusion of m ckgro al ag der the election the presiund, ainst thi s final res s will ren a for mer ults inv alid. ria CON

28 days to go

EVELLE :N guys w o tiME for Ho did waNt N’t M just tw E wHEN i Had o sHir ts }22

oZEKHo ME’s Bo MBsHE LL

...

Niger ia Nige vote s votes

2015

Read

Bird F says n lu: Lagos BuHar c o cau se foronfirms ou Milita QuaLif i Not tbrea alarm iE soldie ry to CNN k, CoNtE d to rs’ we : Your st }6 lfare s re }6 worK mack port on KaLu, witH orji s of b }7 Mu’a lackm ail aBia goV aNZu tELLs d st TINUED

ON PAG

PdP }9

atE }5

Sanctity Of Truth

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sanctity Of Truth

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspapers in politics and business

Available in all 36 states and Abuja. Ask vendors for your copies.

SATURDAY, 7 MARCH, 2015

SATURDAY

Politics 45

Politics

Nigerians should step out for radical change, says Prof Sonaiyan p.47

Politics

There’ll be no political patronage in my government, says Ikpeazu p.50

Perspectives

Understanding Nigeria’s ‘Clash of Civilisations’ p.51

Civil Servants are the worst enemies of Nigeria, says Senator Ogbuoji Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, is the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He speaks with CHUKWU DAVID about the 2015 budget, diversification of the economy and corruption in the civil service

Some of the standing Committees of the Senate held their budget defence in hotels and some that held theirs within the National Assembly complex shut out the press. As the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, what do you think is the reason for this secrecy? As a matter of fact, I am very surprised to hear that defence are going on outside the precincts of the National Assembly because this week (last week) is devoted to budget defence; interfacing with ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Republic. There is nothing fishy about budget that should lead to holding the defence in hotels. Well, I like to tell you that no matter where they have this interaction, at the end of the day, they will still bring the reports back to the Committee on Appropriations, of which I am the vice chairman. And even when we finish as the Committee on Appropriations, it will still be tabled on the floor of the Senate, debated upon before it is passed. So, I don't see anything that people stand to gain by being nocturnal in their activity concerning budget defence. Definitely, I don't see what they stand to gain. The Senate last week approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, for the 20152017 fiscal period. Some of the projections made in the document with respect to the 2015 budget are still considered unrealistic such as the N190 to a Dollar and $52 per barrel oil benchmark. What is your take on this? You are correct, we have passed the MTEF. Also, if you paid attention, you would observe when we debated a bill to establish the National Assembly Budget Research Office. Now the non existence of the office in practice; in nomenclature, yes, it does exist but it doesn't have enabling act of Parliament. So, with this, when we give it teeth you will discover that it will really do what it is established to do, which is researching into the economy; having access to all facets of the Nigerian economy and bringing back very vital information to the National Assembly that will be used in budget preparation. I'm sure you recall that it is National Assembly that has the purse and we are the ones who are entitled to distribute the resources of the federal republic. So, that is why we are going into that direction. Now having established that, I want to tell you that it doesn't really matter what the Executive brought to us, it will interest you to know that

Ogbuoji

because we are the people who have the purse, we are the people who are finally going to determine what will go out for implementation. We touch the people; we know how they feel, and we know the things that are going wrong in the system, especially in the economy. So, we are in a better position to really appreciate that it is better to have a budget that is implementable than to have a bogus budget as currently presented by the Executive. You cannot send to us a budget based on $65 per barrel of crude oil as benchmark; and maybe people were talking about $52 benchmark. That is not realistic. When you look at aggregate figures for recurrent expenditure, aggregate figures for

capital expenditure, you discover a very abysmal drop in capital expenditure. We used to have capital expenditure between 1.3 to 1.7 trillion. Today we are talking about capital budget of 700 billion. You discover that more than a trillion is lost. And this more than a trillion we are talking about was not even executed by the ministry of finance. Some times they tell you that money has been released but there is no cash backing. I think that should have been able to tell Nigerians that we are in for some rough times. So, we will try to produce an implementable budget that is based CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

Politics

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We don't have records of oil we produce in a day' CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

on available revenue. So, we will be more realistic in the budget we will be presenting to the people of Nigeria as we round off the budget preparation. The Federal Government told Nigerians to be ready to face austerity measures as a result of the dwindling revenue generation from the crash of crude oil prices in the international market. What do you think is going to be the impact of all this on the citizenry? My brother, there is nobody who will hear that hunger is coming and he will like the idea, but it is better to tell the truth than to deceive people. I think it is better we face up to reality. The mono economy we have been running in Nigeria is not in our interest and I also give credit to the current administration that inherited this decadence in the economy and is trying to diversify the economy. In the last four years, anybody who is sincere to himself will agree that there has been a lot of transformation in our agricultural sector; there is also a lot of change in the transportation system. So, we had better faced reality that there is need for us to further look inward to find out how we can make this economy a lot better. Yes, we may be the biggest economy in Africa but we have so many areas that need to be plugged for this economy to really service itself. We have the capacity to be truly the biggest economy in Africa without going into any recession. But we must also have the political will, the sincerity, the honesty required in leadership to drive it to where all Nigerians will be happy with. And I think that is the message I have for our people instead of telling them that there will be 'no belt tightening'. No, there will be belt tightening for all of us. As I talk to you now, I don't want to give you the figure but I can tell you that even the National Assembly budget will be cut, in the same way we are going to cut the budget of the Federal Republic. I'm telling you as a member of the Appropriations Committee because it is the duty of the National Assembly to give the country a realistic budget. By the time the budget is out from us you will see it for yourself that a drastic cut came all across the three arms of government. Over the years, successive governments paid lip service to the issue of diversification of the economy, when there are sectors that could generate more income to the national treasury such as the solid minerals. How do we overcome this situation now that oil is no more a lucrative source of revenue? It is very possible to overcome the situation and diversify our economy. But as I said earlier, we need the political will , the honesty, the sincerity in leadership to address issues truly the way they are. Nigeria is endowed with mineral and other natural resources but we have never really tapped these resources that are given to us. Like (former US President) Clinton once told us here; he said look, this thing has moved from the ground to the brain. We also have very good resources in the brain because there is scarcely any field of human endeavour that you do not see Nigerians excelling in globally, but we are simply not being sincere, we are not honest to ourselves, we don't really address the issues as they come. I believe that the drying up of the oil wells, with the low prices of crude oil, we will face reality. I think there is this adage which says that necessity is

the mother of invention. So, it will really be possible for us to address this issue of mono economy to diversify the economy. From the picture painted by the MDAs at the various budget defence sessions in the Senate now, you will discover that these establishments have one common problem, which is non-release of funds by the Ministry of Finance. What could be the reason for this attitude which has become a recurring decimal each fiscal year? If you have been very close to the National Assembly you will notice that we have been having this running battle with the Ministry of Finance. The Coordinating Minister has been our greatest opponent in this. We don't see reason in this. You know, many times we have to argue with the minister over the percentage performance. When we say that the budget performance is 20% and the Minister will say, no it is 65%. And when we ask, what do you mean by 65%, we budgeted twenty thousand Naira, for instance, and you only released five naira, she will start telling us that it is based on how much that she released. No, performance is based on the budget; what did we budget, what did you release? So, these arguments we have been having have not really helped the matter for us. I believe that something must be done for there to be an improvement. We heard that she does this to plug leakages. The civil servants request for certain amount of money to purchase certain number of computers, but every year, you see the same items in the budget. What do you think about this? I want to tell you that it is not just that, it is not just those areas that you mentioned; those ones are little drops in the mighty ocean. There are greater areas where there are leakages that they are not actually focusing on. You see, over the years, we have focused so much on the disbursement of funds but we have not really been interested in the genera-

Ogbuoji

tion of these funds. And it is the Ministry of Finance that is supposed to lead the way in generating revenue. So, if you are talking about plugging loopholes on expenditure, yes, what of income? Ministry of Finance should be able to tell us. You are a journalist, can you tell me the quantity of oil that Nigeria produces in a week; do you have the record of what we produce in a day or what is sold in a week? Is it not what they bring to you and say this is what we sold that you will accept. It was when the situation got so bad that we started talking of oil theft. But this thing has always been there. Can you do oil theft in those high pressure pipes without having sufficient technical expertise on how to drill those pipes and get the oil out? Is it possible that there is no collaboration; nobody is looking the other way, whether from the Ministry of Finance or other agencies including the security agencies? The issue is not in stopping somebody from buying computer of ten thousand naira. By the way, my statement does not exonerate the decay that is in the civil service. In fact, that Nigeria is not able to move fast is because of the civil service. The Civil Service of the Federation is, to say the least, the worst enemy of the country. Because they have the wherewithal, they are able to divert people's attention, and everybody is shouting that the politicians are the

In fact, that Nigeria is not able to move fast is because of the civil service

problem. I can tell you, there is no single minister or any other political appointee that has access to the treasury of Nigeria without the active connivance of a civil servant; whether the person is a director, assistant director, permanent secretary, they are the people who send the cheques. They are the people who control government funds. So, it is not possible for any politician to pick one naira from the treasury of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or state government or even the local government without the connivance of the civil servants. So, truly they are the problem Nigeria has. When you talk about the ghost workers, is it not the civil servants who know those who have retired and they take their money; know those who have died and they take their money; employ people who do not exist and they take their money. These are not political office holders but civil servants. Let's take you to your state, Ebonyi politics. You happen to be the first person from Ebonyi South Senatorial District who will be returning to the Senate since 1999. What did you do to reverse the existing tradition? I am not aware of any discussion where any meeting was held to say nobody should return. There is even no such rotational arrangement as to say this is the reason why people should not return. To the best of my knowledge, nothing like that happened. But talking particularly about my return, first and foremost I give glory to God for the opportunity that one has had; the favour that one has received from God to return. But when you are talking about the first person to return, I also have to say that there are so many other things I have done very differently that my predecessors did not do. As I speak to you now, no matter which local government that is from my senatorial zone, I have imprints in all of them, of deliverables that the office of Senate has accorded me, that one has been able to touch and attract basic infrastructure. Whether it is in the area of water, whether it is in the area of roads, whether it is in the area of education, health and others, we have done quite a lot across the five local governments that make up my senatorial zone. So, I won't really say that is the reason for the return, but I like to give all the glory to God that it is possible for me to get the ticket to run again and come back to the Senate because God just wants it to be so. But we have also done things that will make us hold our heads high and insist that we are eminently very qualified by any human standard to come back to the Senate based on performance because performance is key. I can boldly tell you in terms of performance that we have been able to attract quite a lot for our people. Right now, as I speak to you, at the end of the constitutional amendment, the people of Afikpo can now boldly write their name as Afikpo, no more Afikpo North; the people of Afikpo South can now boldly write their name as Edda Local Government, no longer Afikpo South. We have been able to clean all those misnomer that the military created in terms of nomenclature of local governments. So, I think that is one of the things one can still brandish as achievement of being in the Senate since 2011. So, even if it is for that alone that one has to come back, I should congratulate myself for being able to sponsor and ensure that the real identities of the people are restored to them.

Politics

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Nigerians should step out for radical change, says Prof Sonaiyan Comfort Remi Sonaiyan is the only female candidate contesting the presidency in the forthcoming elections in Nigeria. A professor of French, Sonaiyan, who left her lucrative job for the uncertainties of politics, tells EBERE AMEH that she represents the change and dreams sought by Nigerians.

Why did you quit your job for politics? It is because the country needs people like me to get involved. If we just leave it for the people who have been doing it all along. You can see where they have brought us? Is this where we should be as a country, with all the resources that we have had over the years? Why are too many of us trooping to Dubai, for instance. Should we not have been able to make Dubai out of Nigeria with all the money that we have had? We can’t go on like this. Everybody says politics is a dirty game, but must it stay dirty forever? That is the reason I left my job. Yes, I could be comfortable, travelling and enjoying myself. I even resigned when Nigerian professors began to earn good salaries. Some people are saying, is she crazy? I was in the university for 30 years, earning paltry sums of money. Even when I was the head of department, I had to use my own money at times to process exam papers because things were so bad. When it is time for you to do something, when it is laid on your mind, you do it. Now that you decided to do it, why Kowa Party, not the big parties where you could stand a chance to win? Are those not the same parties that brought us to where we are today? Are you happy with PDP and APC? That is the real question. They say KOWA is not well known, what are the so called ‘well known’ parties known for - delivering service to Nigerians or for corruption? PDP has been there all these years, what has been their impact on our lives? They promised us electricity since 2000. This is 2015, where is the stable electricity and you are telling me the party is well known? That I should go and join that kind of party? Does it make sense? I don’t understand the logic in being well known, even when you are not delivering any service to the people. It is the same people who are suffering that are saying that I should go and join just any party. Many swear that they have not heard about you. What are you doing to counter this challenge imposed on you by poor publicity? I have been most active on the social media because I don’t have the kind of money to jet around. Do you know that 30 seconds on television cost over N800,000? You won’t believe the kind of money they spend. When people are interested in a cause, they look for information. And that is why I have been telling the people in the media that given the situation which they know, they should do a little bit more as their own contribution to democracy, by letting Nigerians know about the other candidates or the other alternatives. Even on TV, why can’t they give even one minute to the other candidates?

am not fearful in nature. I am a Christian and my Bible tells me to fear God and then you have no one else to fear. That has been my personal story. What is there to fear in a human being? That they will kill you? Have people not been killed before? What will be so different? So I am not in a battle against men, I am in a battle for the emancipation of Nigeria. What’s your your take on the 35 per cent affirmative action and what is your own plan for the women if you win? Nigerian women are not well represented. I am looking to more than appointive roles for Nigerian women. This is because even the 35 per cent of this administration is all by appointment. And you know as appointment go. Is it by competition? Is it by the best person or by one man donating his wife or daughter? Those are the real issues. However, when it is elective, then we would push forward the best. Nigerian women have been displaying abilities in other areas, in business, in industry in entertainment. So why are they lagging behind in politics? It is time to take on politics as well and so we must encourage the women not to be afraid. The men try to make us afraid and keep us out and so they schedule meetings at night and say it is all about money. Let the voices of the Nigerian women be raised to say we must prohibit midnight meetings by politicians, let us say that nomination fees must be reasonable so that it will be affordable by all. Sonaiyan

How do you plan to succeed, bearing in mind that without money, a politician has little or no chance of winning? My strategy has been primarily social media. It is mostly free of charge, although we have run some adverts on social media that we have had to pay for. But that is relatively cheaper than doing one TV advertisement that costs almost 800,000 for 30 seconds or bill boards, which are also very expensive. But we have been able to do that which our resources have permitted, in terms of printing posters, hand bills, and we even made badges. I don’t compare myself with anybody. When people say they have not been hearing of me, I say sorry, it is because of the limitations that I have but I’m happy with what we have been able to do. We are going to travel a little bit these coming weeks, before the election. Do you think the time is ripe for your presidency, given the security and economic situation of the country? In fact, challenging times are the times that demand fundamental changes. History shows that times like this is when nations have the opportunity to make fundamental changes which will propel them forward and advance them. If we just go ahead with what we have, a government that is struggling, we may lose the opportunity of this challenging period. Many actually think that the Nigerian woman is work in progress and so is not ripe for politics. What do you say to that? Who tells them? Which research have they conducted that shows them that Nigerian women are not ripe. What makes Liberia right? Rwanda that went through

Why do we keep talking as if we are some strange specie of human beings? Are we different from the rest of the world?

a war is ripe enough to have 56 percent of women in their parliament but Nigeria is not ripe? What makes Brazil ripe? Why do we keep talking as if we are some strange specie of human beings? Are we different from the rest of the world? Do we not long for the same thing - for safety, to have a comfortable life and so on? Why do we keep talking as if we are different? Politics in Nigeria has been the preserve of men. It is only recently that women are finding their way into it. How do you plan to battle the men? I don’t see myself as battling anybody. I am offering myself for service to be Nigerian president. If my message resonates with them, let them take the bold step and vote for the change that I will represent. However, I’m not afraid of men. I have been in academics, a profession that is also dominated by men. I am used to being in a male dominated environment for a long time. And also the reality is that I

How did your family take your foray into politics? Every day I mention it, my family, both the extended and nuclear have been my most ardent supporters. I have been enjoying so much support from my family. In short, my husband is my number one supporter. Since I retired to face public life, he has been very supportive and has been encouraging me. As for being afraid, we are not a fearful family in general. You commit yourself to God for keeping. If you are afraid, you won’t achieve much in life. If we have an idea of what we want to do, we commit it to God and go about pursuing it. Many people die full, with their potentials intact because they were afraid to use it. It is only the daring that can achieve much. Why do you think Nigerians should vote for your party instead of others? Because Nigerians themselves know that they are not happy with these other parties. Nigerians know that these parties are not being properly run. Nigerians know that godfatherism does not yield a good solid, democratic, progressive political party. Nigerians know that it is their money that is being used to fund most of the activities of these parties. When they said that 20 billion dollars disappeared, where do they think the money is disappearing to? We know it is our money, people grumble about the unsavoury and negative influence of godfathers, vested interest on political parties. Some godfathers have to be paid from the monthly allocations of states. Local government chairmen and governors are compelled to take out of the money meant for the people to support party activities. Is that right? That was why my party was set up; because we have not seen good political parties in Nigeria. So we believe that we are the party of the future.

Cover

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Nigerians groan over

dollar rise

Since November 2014 when the naira's sharp slump against the dollar began, Nigeria’s economy has continued to nosedive. And with oil revenues and foreign reserves going down speedily, ordinary Nigerians have started feeling the heat with severe challenges of spiralling cost of living, occasioned by rising importation cost and declining revenue. This, according to findings by ISIOMA MADIKE, has resulted in tough times for the Nigerian populace

or the Nigerian economy, it has been a storm of some sort. The official devaluation of the country’s currency, the naira, against other major currencies, especially the United States of America dollar, has caused an increase in cost of living and made socio-economic conditions in the country a very harsh one. Incidentally, the huge increase in the dollar index has coincided with the drop in oil prices, which has also made revenue inflow into the nation's reserves to decline rapidly. This, however, has ignited fears among stakeholders in the Organised Private Sector, some of whom believe that the unfolding drama could snowball into a major economic crisis, if steps are not taken to urgently stem the tide. Indeed, the situation staring Nigerians in the face is a pathetic one. The folly of depending on wholesome importation of consumer goods as well as other items that helps to stimulate the economy, makes things deteriorate in the country. Ordinary Nigerians in their millions are worried that their hope of a better nation has failed to come. They are worried that confusion, depression, hardship, disenchantment and discordant views have overshadowed their dreams of a land flowing with milk and honey. They are also worried that the seeming fight against corruption has become a competition in corruption. While this has been the situation in recent times, wages have not been rising. As a matter of fact, there seem to be a general freeze since the dollar rise. At the same time some companies have started slashing wages, citing the foreign exchange crunch. The stagnant wage scale in the face of steady rising prices means a sharp reduction in the purchasing power of the average Nigerian; consequently there is no food on the table of many families. For traders dealing on imported prod-

ucts, business has been dull; it has not been what it used to be. For instance, Darlington Richardson, who is in charge of Run & Trails Enterprises, dealers of Higher Thermocool, said the falling naira value is really affecting sales negatively. Richardson, whose operating office is at Afpet Plaza in Isheri Magodo in Lagos, told our reporter that since prices of electronic products shot up as a result of rise in dollar value, customers have been avoiding his shop. “When customers come into our office and see prices displayed on our products, they do not believe what they see until we explain to them that the high price tag is because of the dollar issue,” he added. Run & Trails Enterprises imports Thermocool products into Nigeria and market them through various sales points in the country. Products sold at their outlet in Isheri Magodo include generators, freezers, air conditioners, water dispensers, fridges, gas cookers, stabilisers and washing machines. Richardson is worried about the situation, explaining, for instance, that a “fast sales” HTF 166 Thermocool Cooler, which sold for N53, 000 before now, is today N65, 000. He said his outlet that used to sell four pieces weekly hardly sells one at present. “Similarly, the Thermocool generator Hustler that sells for N56, 000 now goes for N67, 000. Now customers come in, look at the price and go away. The majority of them simply go to purchase the Tiger Brand of generator popularly known as ‘I better pass my neighbour’,” he said. According to him, the situation is now affecting salary issue. “The period we were making good sales, staff salaries came promptly. Now, due to poor sales, payment of salary is also slowed down. We need the government to do something very urgently to address the problems so that the value of the naira will return to normal. As it stands currently, it is affecting sales and we are suffering untold hardship,” he lamented. Incidentally, Richardson is not alone in this anguish. Another electronics trader at

Jaji

Electronics shops at Idi Oro, Mushin and Gaskia, Ijora Badiya, Lagos

The common man pays the ultimate price for the rising dollar

Berger, Lagos, who does not want his name in print, also told Saturday Telegraph that prices of goods have more than doubled. He lamented that the high prices has led to low sales because, according to him, “consumers lack the financial capacity to meet their needs. “I used to buy a 5000-watts Century Stabilisers for N12, 000 and re-sell at between N13, 000 and N13, 500. But now, I purchase this same product for N14, 500

Boyo

and sell for between N15, 000 and N15, 500. If it were before, as at 11.30 a.m., I’d have sold more than seven items. Whereas now, by 12 noon, I hardly make any sales; sales is poor. Buyers are complaining about high prices. But is it the fault of the sellers?” he asked. Sunday Eneli, who deals on imported rice, semovita and other edible products at Ikeja, Lagos, said before the sharp depreciation of the naira, he used to sell between 15 to 20 bags of rice weekly. “Today, it is difficult to sell up to five bags of rice. If it continues this way, many Nigerians, who may not be able to afford rice any longer, will stop eating it,” Eneli told this reporter. Managing director of Global Security Network, Patrick Ukwubuiwe, also said that the increase in dollar has affected his sales. “I went to the market last week to buy the 1kg size fire extinguisher but I couldn’t because the price has gone up. If I should buy it at the rate of N1,500 they are selling there and bring it to be sold here for N2,000, my customers will complain. It used to be about three dollars but now it has gone up. I think it is just a strategy by the Western world to make our own currency inferior,” he said. However, Ukwubuiwe said the government should take bold steps to put things right. “Anybody coming to Nigeria to trade should convert their money to our naira. Though they are not ruling us again, they are still coming from the back door. That is neo-colonialism. Let our government learn to reject some of these intolerable policies, they won’t kill us. This is our country and we can’t be forced to agree with something that we are not comfortable with,” he added. One of the fallouts of the naira devaluation is the current petroleum products scarcity being experienced across the country. The major oil marketers have lamented

Cover

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Dollar rise affects sale of consumer goods Fuel queue at Total Filling Station, Sangrouse, Lagos

Packed iron rods at Agege, Lagos

that the devaluation of naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put them in a precarious situation. Banks, they say, have upped the exchange rate in view of the rising dollar, which they use as a medium of exchange for the importation of the products. In view of this, residents of Abuja, like their counterparts in other parts of the country, have been groaning under acute fuel scarcity, a development that has simultaneously triggered off an increment in transport fares in all routes. The resultant effect of this is the hike in prices of other consumables for the average Nigerians. An Abuja-based lawyer and director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere, told Saturday Telegraph that “by devaluing the currency without increasing the earning power of Nigerian families, the CBN has ultimately devalued the standard of living of the people. Essentially, the money available to an average Nigerian family will buy less compared to its purchasing power before this devaluation. When this is combined with the inflation rate of over eight percent, it will be clear that the fiscal and monetary authorities have done a great disservice to the Nigerian people. All money saved in the bank will lose value. “For the real sector, especially those engaged in production of goods and services that will demand foreign currency for the importation of raw materials, it will imply an increase in the cost of production, which they will pass to the consumers. But, there is a limit to the costs that consumers can be made to absorb. Thus, the devaluation will lead to increased prices and possible reduction of industrial capacity

utilisation. This will eventually lead to layoff of some workers if the trajectory continues in the downward slide. The idea that our exports will be cheaper because of the devaluation makes no sense in an economy that exports little or nothing but is heavily import dependent,” he said. To the chairman of the Wuse Market Traders Association (WMTA), Okorie Ikechukwu, the devaluation of the naira has had negative effect on the traders because of apprehension in investment. He said: “There is anxiety because at N200 per dollar, there are disparities and variations in investments you are not sure if you are going to break even.” According to Ikechukwu, "the devaluation is affecting the common man, as there are consequences of every economic policies of government everywhere in the world. The major

The poverty in the land is alarming and hunger has continued to threaten millions

Another electronics shops at Idi Oro, Mushin, Lagos

economic policies of government affect, especially the poor and those on the lower ladder of the economy adversely because they are not in control of their income. Their earnings and savings will be affected; so, the common man pays the ultimate price for these policies. But, when we attain stability, everybody will be better off for it.” Joseph Nwoye, who deals on electrical parts, also said that “the devaluation of the naira is biting us harder, and as traders, we only experience it when we go to the market to buy our goods. Our worry is that the traders are not carried along when government is making policies, and as such, we are always in the dark when we go to market to buy goods. “In fact, as we talk now, many traders in the market are not aware that the naira has tumbled badly against the dollar until they go the market to restock. Government should try to enlighten the public, especially the traders about its policies because we are the people that have a lot of explanation to make to the consumers,” Nwoye said. Also reacting, the national president, Association of Service Industry Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (ASIEN), Engineer Isidore Ehochi, said the devaluation was not favourable to Nigerian economy, because Nigerians, who use dollars in buying goods abroad, sell such goods back home expensively.” A pastor in the Apostolic Church in Abuja, Frank Udoenyong, in what looks like a support of Ehochi’s argu-

PHOTOS: SULEIMAN HUSAINI AND TONY EGUAYE

ment said, “the devaluation is only favourable to Nigerians in the Diaspora because they come in to the country and get more money through exchange rate. What they can’t do in their host countries, they can easily do here.” For a renowned economist and financial analyst, Henry Boyo, the rising dollar will make consumers pay more for fewer goods. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know this. It does not require much knowledge or much experience to know that the price of the naira will keep falling while the price of the dollars will keep rising in the market because the authorities themselves are the people creating a continuous never ceasing definite surplus of naira in the system,” Boyo said. A social commentator, Ahmed Jaji, agrees with Boyo that the rising dollar has impacted negatively on the value of everything in the market. “The naira has now been devalued twice within a space of, may be, five months. And that leads to the fact that everything we are buying, has risen astronomically. So, we don’t need any soothsayer to tell us that things are very difficult now. Unfortunately, there is no hope in the horizon. “What is worrisome, however, is the fact that the government of the day is not even taking steps to mitigate these negative impacts on the lives of Nigerians. Nigeria is the only country among the oil-producing nations of the world that is wearing a golden shoe and busy chasing the notch. What I mean by this is the fact that we are the only oil-producing nation, rated sixth in the whole world that is importing PMS, which is a derivative of the crude that we export. And through that the people in government are using it to syphon the hard earned money that can be used for developmental purposes within this nation. They are syphoning the money outside the country to develop other economies to the detriment of our own. “Our sole reliance on oil, a mono product, will always give us this kind of result. You cannot compare Nigeria with Japan. Japan hasn’t got one single resource other than human resources, but look at the way Japan is being managed. It is one of the most prosperous nations on earth; you cannot say that of Nigeria in which every state is blessed with at least one mineral resource,” he observed. Jaji said things are compounded by the fact that Nigerian wholesalers and retailers hoard goods to create artificial scarcity and hike up prices. “This is more evident in the petroleum subsector of the economy where queue has since become the order of the day. In addition to hoarding, the manner in which essential commodities are passed down to consumers guarantees that their prices will be high. “When goods pass to the distributor from the importers to attaché wholesaler, their prices appreciate. Consequently, they are sold at costs most people cannot afford. By the same token, a lot of people have had to forgo many items that ordinarily make up their diet. In other words, a substantial number of people are faced with under-nourishment. Even then, much of the meagre salary that is left for the average worker is snapped up by taxes, levies and school fees, making the problem of feeding even more tasking,” Jaji noted. For now, he said, “Nigeria can hardly afford to rest on its laurel. The poverty in the land is alarming and hunger has continued to threaten millions.” • Additional report from Abdulwahab Isa (Abuja), Appolonia Adeyemi (Lagos), Shuaib Yusuf, Clem Kena-Ogbenna (Abuja) and Chinyere Onah (Lagos).

50 Politics

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

There’ll be no political patronage in my government, says Ikpeazu

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State was in Abuja. JOHNCHUKS ONUANYIM presents excerpts. It does appear that nepotism is very alive in Abia. Many people say that should you win, you would localize development to Aba and environs only. Is that real? A lot of people talk about Aba. Yes, there is need to emphasize Aba but my reason is different from what many people will say. My reason is in two things; there seems to be some deficits in terms of infrastructure and that is the picture everywhere if you want to criticise the government. Even the Lagos State government, if you want to criticise them, you go to slumps in Lagos but that is not what is overriding. A plan for Aba is an economic vision. Whatever we plan to do in government come May 29 will be driven from that vision. That will be the picture because from where we are today, what is our hope of survival? Abia is just a marginal producer of oil and that thing has made us lazy. So, I think we should think about a private sector-led economy. We should think about those things that God has given to us which other people do not have as much as we do. We are the best traders in Nigeria. We are very good in trading and commerce. We also have human capital, the best brains all over the world and in Nigeria I think what we need to do is to leverage small and medium scale enterprises which many people around us don’t have, to say this is what we want to be in Abia state. We are the best in garments, the best in leather works, the best in fabrication of things. A lot of money is being pumped in the local manufacture of motor vehicles so why can’t we produce the spare parts in Abia and sell to them to make up local content of the vehicle that will come in the years ahead? So, that is the economic agenda first. But if I say Aba is going to drive the economic agenda, it will drive it to the extent that we will generate money to begin to think about developing Arochukwu in the real sense of it, developing other parts of Ikwuano and the rest of them. The advantage that Aba has which so many other cities in Abia don’t have is that first, Aba is located as the confluence of the states from the South-East and South-South. For instance, it is 30 minutes to Owerri, 30 minutes to Port Harcourt, 30 minutes to Ikot Ekpene and you can’t throw that away. So those things which we have comparative advantage over other areas, we leverage on them. For me, Aba is a priority because that city can replace oil and do better. It is not necessarily because I come from there; yes I do but it is a strategic city and that is what I think is going to drive my emphasis in the days ahead. And no section of Abia state will suffer because what Umuahia has got to offer, Aba may not have it to offer and what Arochukwu has which can support a huge cement factory naturally that will go to Arochukwu. So it is for us to think inwards now and leverage what we have naturally rather than allowing ourselves to be listed among oil states whereas we are just marginal in that field. Most people in Aba and Abia at large feel that your relationship with the sitting governor is a threat to your ambition.

Won’t cost you the election? I beg to disagree for some reasons. There is a burden attached to every name including your own and my own and when you look at that the burden, you weigh your odds. Do I run with the supposed burden or do I start on a clean slate? After looking at it I said to myself, firstly before now we used to have issues between the so called Abuja politicians and those in Abia. But that is no more. PDP in Abia is one family now and that is a major achievement. Secondly, whatever you do, if you don’t have security you have not started. Just 4 to 5 years ago in Aba, when you wake up in the morning, pick up an AK 47 from the gutter. That is not the situation again. Am I going to throw that away? Time was also when you come to PDP as a family, social justice was not resonating as much as it is doing now because equity and social justice is a very strong platform on which anybody that wants to run a government must locate. For instance, you are from one federal constituency and you pick a deputy from the same federal constituency, you are throwing away social justice and equity. There is no balance and people will start to complain from the first day you start. You can’t build on that kind of foundation. Do you have the will power to move into Aba and do the kind of work that would be expected of you? In the first place, you don't acquire will power while sitting on the saddle. Will power or capacity to deliver on your agenda is innate. I am not going to borrow will power. There is a point which you have failed to mention. That point is, at the inception of a government if it is improperly constructed you start running from the negative perspective from day one and you have so many people you want to please. For me, anything that needs to be done should be done and l have a proper diagnoses of the issues in Aba and those who know me very well will understand that l am going to come with an economic frame and anything

Ikpeazu

that fits into that economic frame is well, but it is not while sitting there that l will begin to think about what to do. So, it is not a question of will power. Anybody who has done what is irregular and which is causing problem, whether bad road or flooding to the greater majority of the community, off course, knows, ab initio, he has no house, he has no infrastructure and he has no business on that place that is causing that kind of harm from beginning. I am not the person that would pass the verdict, he is the person that would pass the verdict. Nothing would stop me because l am not owing anybody anything.

best form of political patronage should be to encourage politician to go into agriculture and into other things but in terms of those who will occupy key positions it should be done and left for those that are academically and technically qualified with mind sets to achieve results because whatever you do without agenda setting and proper evaluation, you can't achieve any result giving the timeline that you have and l think we are desperate to get it right this time around in Abia State to the extent that it would no longer be business as usual where people would come and say well l have been in politics for ex-number of years therefore l should be Will there be merit in your government given this or that. Before you are given a as it is alleged that the son of the gover- key position to occupy, there must be an nor will become the Speaker, Abia State evidence that you can really drive that House of Assembly. area and bring the requisite results. So, Chinedum Orji has the right to pursue that is my take on competence and it tells his political career. The late Chief Olusola a story about the colouration of the govSaraki, strongman of Kwara politics, al- ernment. If they see the kind of people lowed his children to pursue their politi- that you surround yourself with, it tells cal ambitions. I don't know how you are a story about how serious you and your coming to the house with the mindset agenda are. of becoming speaker. As we speak, we don't know who and who will come. How are you going to drive Abia ecoSo how is he going to become speaker? nomically? From his house? To answer your quesThere are few options for funding tion directly, Chinedum is going to the but the most critical of them will be deHouse and l don't think l have the right termined by how innovative the vision to obliterate his ambition or career as a bearer and members of the team are. politician because he is a full-fledged The most important source of income, man and an engineer. So let him try his which is a veritable tool in the hands of luck. If he passes that election in the first any administrator tomorrow would be place, then he comes to the House and the Internally Generated Revenue. Behe begins to play the politics of how fore the last 4 years, we were doing N250 to become the Speaker. It is difficult to million a month in Abia State but today determine if he will become as it is dif- it has moved to about N600 to N700 milficult in 21st century to determine the lion a month for once or twice but with sex of a child in the mother's womb. So average of N600 to N650 million every having said that l think it is only fair for month. That is what it is now but l think everybody to allow Chinedum try his that we can do as much as N2.5 billion popularity. Today, he is Chinedum every month and the way to do it is to Orji, son of a governor. By May 29, strengthen the institutions of service that he would only be Chinedum Orji we have. If you want to collect money and not son of a governor. Talk- for waste management, then the waste ing about merit, l do not think management agency should be able to that those who should be in- render service. If the institution for waste vited to man key positions management is not strong, then you can't in our government tomor- collect money for waste management row are going to be based because nobody would pay. I think that on political patronage. The if we strengthen the institutions of service, we would be able to drive a stronger IGR profile than what we have now; The best form even setting a target of N3.5 billion per month. It is achievable and that is part of political of the reason why some of us say Aba is patronage critical and pivotal because that is where the critical mass of those who will do should be to the IGR reside. Having said that, most encourage government policies, especially if you have strong statistics and can deploy due politician diligence and are sufficiently transparent in what you do, you should be able to to go into attract donor agencies to key into your agriculture vision and help you drive development in specific areas like education, health, water supply and so on and so forth. It has worked elsewhere and l think we can make it work. The next is, of course, the federal allocation which l have carefully placed as number three because l do not think that it should be a priority because those who depend on federal allocations, at the end, have to suffer because that area is no longer as robust as it used to be. The fourth one is what everybody knows. Loan, bonds and other such success of financing projects but l think we can play around with the first two to run our economy in the days ahead, which is strengthening our IGR base and trying to engage our development partners to help us in the critical sectors of our economy.

Perspectives

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Between Patience Jonathan and Salawa Abeni

cannot remember the number of times I vehemently defended First Lady Patience Jonathan over statements some people attributed to her in the past. My fervour was neither due to patriotism nor because I was a fan of the president’s wife. But whenever I subjected some of the said statements to presumptive analysis and discovered the array of grammatical blunders in them, I never hesitated to dismiss them with a wave of the hand. My convictions were at various times reinforced by the fact that most of such statements also lacked any vestige of finesse, uninspiring, obviously poor in content and character and could not have come from her. Why would a university graduate speak the way they claimed Mrs. Jonathan had spoken? I often asked. I had argued that even old men who never saw the four walls of a school relied on native intelligence and their words are full of knowledge and wisdom. So, I always argued in favour of our president’s wife, whom I am aware was once a teacher and even established the first community bank called the Akpo Community Bank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Besides, I could not see any proof to show that Mrs. Jonathan actually said some of those things ascribed to her. But after listening to her on two different occasions about two years ago, I began to see elements of truth in some of the statements credited to her in the past. It finally dawned on me last year that I had all along dressed Mrs. Jonathan in a borrowed robe when she invited the principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, Mr. Godfrey Ugudu, and some other stakeholders to a meeting in Abuja regarding the abduction of over 200 girls of the school by the terror group, Boko Haram.

Waheed Bakare on Saturday 08124877036 (sms only) waheedbakare2003@yahoo.com sives Congress (APC), is “dead.” The First Lady who spoke in pidgin English reportedly said, “Wetin him dey find again? Him dey drag with him pikin mate. Old man wey no get brain, him brain don die pata pata.” If the above sentences are subjected to Discourse Analysis (DA), a sociolinguistic discipline, using either of its three definitions: “Language beyond the level of a sentence,” “Language behaviours linked to social practices” or “Language as a system of thought,” one will be right to say the speaker is either an illiterate or a clown especially if no background information of the speaker was provided. To prove this, one may ask: What is brain death or when can a brain be said to be dead and who can determine when a brain is dead? When someone’s brain is dead, it means it is no longer functioning in any capacity and there is no possibility that it will work again. Dead brain is synonymous with death and is different from coma or persistent vegetative state. It is determined in the hospital by one or more doctors. Buhari is perhaps the only living man with a dead brain according to Mrs. Jonathan. Her suggestion is uncanny, uncivilised and crude but not surprising going by her antecedents. I often wonder the coterie of friends our First Lady has. Are they gen-

Wetin him dey find again? Him dey drag with him pikin mate. Old man wey no get brain, him brain don die pata pata In the video of the meeting, which is one of the most watched Nigerian videos on Youtube and has been adapted into various forms, the First Lady gleefully talked about “the blood we are sharing in Borno”, “Na only you waka come?” “There’s Godu o.” She did nothing at the meeting except for the comic relief she inadvertently provided to ease tension occasioned by the kidnap of the schoolgirls. Again, Mrs. Jonathan was in the news on Tuesday in Kogi State at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women presidential campaign rally where she appealed to Nigerian women to vote for her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, during the forthcoming presidential election because the brain of Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progres-

uine, bootlickers or opportunists? What do they tell her when they hear some of these utterances that readily provide materials for comedians at their ‘Night of 1,000 Laughs' and other comedy shows? What kind of advice do her advisers give her or could it be that Her Excellency had become impervious to advice and suggestions. How does the president feel when he hears his wife speak in this manner? There is a lesson to be learnt from Salawa Abeni, a Nigerian singer, whose genre of music, Waka, is popular in the South-West. She started her singing career when she was a pupil in a primary school. Her career flourished beyond what her age could cope with and she could not go beyond primary school education. In 1976 at the age of 15, Abeni released her debut album, ‘Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed,’ a record which centred on the assassination of the former head of state in the failed coup of February 13, 1976. This marked the beginning of the teenage singer’s rise to stardom. She sold over one million copies of the album, an unprecedented feat by any female Nigerian singer. Abeni’s popularity continued to soar. Fame and fortune became her story. Despite her success, she knew something was missing in her life: education. She remained focused and did not allow her success to get to her head. She employed the services of a teacher who tutored her on basic things she needed to know. She was also taught the act of public speaking and since then she could face journalists and answer their questions with coherence. I was swept off my feet when I listened to her interview on the Nigerian Television Authority some years back. She spoke flawless English throughout the interview and her delivery was superb. I dare say our First Lady can learn from the singer.

Understanding Nigeria’s ‘Clash of Civilisations’

he ‘Clash of Civilisations’ is a theory that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. It was proposed by political scientist and Harvard don Samuel P. Huntington in a 1992 lecture at the American Enterprise Institute. It was subsequently developed in a 1993 Foreign Affairs article titled "The Clash of Civilizations?" Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilisations” is seen as a response to his former student Francis Fukuyama's 1992 book, “The End of History and the Last Man.” The Harvard professor later expanded his thesis in a 1996 book, “The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order.” Significantly, Huntington’s thesis has had a profound influence in the shaping of US foreign policy footing. Still tracking back, this quaint phrase itself was earlier used by Bernard Lewis in an article in the September 1990 issue of ‘The Atlantic Monthly’ titled "The Roots of Muslim Rage". Even earlier, the phrase appears in a 1926 book regarding the Middle East by Basil Mathews: “Young Islam on Trek: A Study in the Clash of Civilisations”(p. 196). At the peak of the rumbles in the Committee On Religion of the National Conference convened by President Goodluck Jonathan last year, this writer asked Professor Ishaq Oloyede whether there was a dimension of ‘The Clash of Civilisations’ in the fundamental dissonances playing out in the confab’s Committee on Religion which he was a member. The former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin and current Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic

The Nation-State With Louis Achi

achilouis35@gmail.com Affairs affirmed that that was a good way to capture it. In an interview he granted to national daily in October last year, Prof. Oloyede alleged that the persecution of Muslims was higher under President Jonathan’s administration. Coming from an intellectual of no mean repute and from a key religious platform, his position sums up one of the critical fault-lines that have willy-nilly come to define the Nigerian nation state. The Christians on their own have been known to push such allegations under Moslem presidents or heads of state – but less stridently. At the penumbra of a crucial general election, the ethno-religious card has become key. Before the Arabs and Europeans exported Islam and Christianity to ‘Nigeria’ the constituent ethnic nationalities had co-existed reasonably well, however uneasily. The key question here is – has Nigeria’s ethno-religious identities been the primary source of conflict for the embryonic nation state? The answer could be gleaned from history. Here Ghana’s Kwame Nkruma and Prof. Ali Mazrui provide useful insights. Africa’s Triple Heritage thesis first pro-

posed by Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah but given its strongest advocacy by late Prof. Mazrui resonates with a forcefulness that speaks to Africa’s and Nigeria’s postcolonial development quandary. According to the thesis, Africa’s future lies within the framework by which she is able to traverse the dynamics of her Euro-Christian, Islamic and traditional heritage. Due largely to Arab and European colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries, Africa inherited an incendiary mix of non-traditional religious ideals and sentiments that has done a lot to nuance its sociological and continental futures. This informed perspective explains the fundamental contradictions from which a new Nigeria (and Africa) must emerge. From this compelling prism, Prof. Oloyede’s perspective can perhaps be best appreciated. How best can Nigeria leapfrog this quandary and access the benefits of a 21st Century global village player unencumbered? The answer lies in how intelligently her political leadership puts the country first before other parochial imperatives which have largely short-circuited the nation’s progress. According to Huntington, “Becoming a modern society is about industrialisation, urbanisation, and rising levels of lit-

eracy, education, and wealth. The qualities that make a society Western, in contrast, are special: the classical legacy, Christianity, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, civil society.” Against the backdrop of this definition, Nigeria is not a Western society but aspiring to be a modern society – a clearly legitimate quest. At a fundamental level Huntington’s definition, like many ideas that express knowledge is not static but dynamic. For instance, France is Western but harbours the biggest Moslem population in Europe. In Nigeria which is multi-religious and theoretically secular, this aspiration for industrialisation, urbanisation, and the leveraging of literacy, education, and wealth is being fundamentally threatened by forces of regression. This scenario throws up a key poser. Can a medieval ideology dressed up in religious garbs and even secretly supported by an ignorant segment of the nation’s political elite trump the imperatives of creating a functional 21st Century civilisation? US Senator Barry Goldwater provides an insight that speaks to the urgency of overwhelming action. His words: “Extremism in the defense of human liberty is not a vice.” This overwhelming action is what President Jonathan has currently ordered and this is yielding startling results. But it is worth pointing out here that while the soft-spoken biologist from the swamps of Otuoke in Bayelsa State is bent on finally crushing the blood-thirsty Boko Haram Islamic militants, he appears to be mindful of the 21st Century requirements of observing human rights even in this kind of murderous war.

FaceOff

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH 7 MARCH, 2015

Now is my appointed time, says Ogboru Formerly of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Chief Great Ogboru, who hails from Abraka in Ethiope East Lacal Government Area, is now the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Delta State. Having contested and lost election four times Ogboru who holds the highest record of governorship election disputation in Nigeria, tells DOMINIC ADEWOLE that now is his appointed time.

But you have always lost your elections? Well, I leave that one for God, who sees all that is done in the secret, to judge. The fact is that I have not lost any election in my life. In fact, I have always emerged victorious and the records, not the ones that have been falsified, are there for anybody to see. The people of the state love me a lot and they know they voted for me but that I was shortchanged successively. The people of the state want me to be their Governor, that I know and sure of. But, I tell you, this dispensation is God’s own appointed time. Do you even have the structure to do battle against those you said have been short-changing you? My happiness is that a lot of persons are now becoming aware that I have never lost any election in the state. Of recent, the Delta Senatorial candidate of my party, Ovie Omo-Agege, who was formerly of the PDP and rose in the party to become the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) revealed this. He told the mammoth crowd of supporters that besieged my campaign rally that ‘Ogboru has never lost any election in this state’. So, what other evidence do we need to support this? As for structure, I think we have more than enough to match and fight PDP to a standstill. We did it in 2003, Ibori bowed to pressure. We replicated it in 2007. The story was clearer in 2010 when the Court of Appeal quashed the fraudulent election that produced Governor Uduaghan and ordered a rerun election. There was nothing different during the governorship election proper on April 2011. So, all through these periods, we have been doing exactly that. The structure is intact and there for all to see.

With the increasing popularity of other contestants, especially Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP and his APC counterpart who, incidentally, hails from the same senatorial disctrict with you, do you think you can win? I can say without fear or favour that I am the best man for the job and by the grace of God, the outgoing governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, will hand over to me. I am so delighted that the multitude of eligible voters are behind me. They are there sharing my aspiration. The simple fact is that the pains of my supporters whose aspirations and expections are the same with mine but are constantly being dashed. I am glad that they have seen the light and also believe that they will not be misled this time around. There is a popular adage that says ‘there is no harm in trial’ but I must be frank with you that this is God’s own appointed and there is no going back. What gives you the impression that your time has come? As you can see, it is obvious that the change we have been yearning for has come. I will fight the so called Goliath in PDP and win. Just watch and see. For now, let surprises be the watch-word. Without mincing words, people are already waiting for my inauguration and swearing, in ceremony on May 29, this year, by the special grace of God. Ogboru

Timeline Between 2003 and now, he contested the governorship and lost four times in Delta State and is currently girding his loins for the April 11 governorship race in the state. His political career started in 2003 when he slugged it out with former Governor James Onanefe Ibori, who was then seeking reelection. He dragged him to the Election Petitions Tribunal, after crying foul over alleged fraud in the exercise. He refused to accept defeat until his petition was thrown out at the Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo

State, two years after. He took up the challenge against Ibori’s successor and incumbent, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007. Immediately the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), chaired by Prof. Maurice Iwu, declared him as the winner of the contest, Ogboru fiercely raced again to court. The committed manner he pursued the case to the Court of Appeal in Benin, ousted the Governor from office on November 9, 2010, when the court declared

a re-run election within 90 days. He lost again when the re-run was conducted on January 10, 2011. Again, he vied for the position during the April 24, 2011 general elections when Governor Uduaghan sought re-election. Until last year after the Supreme Court in Abuja threw out his petition, Ogboru was still optimistic that he won. Again, the businessman has declared for the race, even describing this latest chapter as ‘now is the appointed time.’

Since you are confident of victory come February 28, what is your manifesto like? I have said it times without number that all dead and ailing industries that are scattered across the state will be re-opened for immediate employment of graduates of our tertiary institutions. That is not to say that new ones will not be built to absorb the rest of them. For example, a tomatoes canning industry will immediately spring up at Igbodo to take care of farm produce in the locality. Another of its kind will be in Isoko, Ughelli South and North, Delta Ijaw, Warri areas, thereby creating employment opportunities for all. Aged men and women will no longer be beggarly. There will be monthly allowances for their upkeep. There will be employment for unskilled women and men to keep the streets clean in towns and villages, free education will be announced immediately I assume office for all Deltans. Day care centres of national and international standards will be built for children below the age of six in Asaba, Abraka and Oleh campuses, and at the polytechnics in the state. Our roads will no longer be the same. Workers in the state will experience a new lease of life.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

FaceOff | Politics

Ogboru, Emerhor will lose contest – Okowa's spokesman

The Director of Media and Publicity of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa Campaign Organization Organization, Dr. Festus Okubor, tells DOMINIC ADEWOLE that Okowa’s challengers, including Ogboru, would not only lose but run into debts after the contest. Your rivals in the All Progressives Congress and Labour Party are determined to unseat your party come February 28. With their towering popularity, do you think the chance of your party is bright? I am not aware of opposition presence in Delta State. I did not see Labour Party, AC, ACN or APC and whatever they call themselves because our candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, is a pan-Delta man, and has overwhelming support in all parts of the state. I am not aware that our popularity and acceptance has dwindled in any part of the state, be it Delta Central, Delta South and Delta North where I hail from with Senator Okowa. What we are just waiting for is his swearing in ceremony. We are doing our best via door-to-door, gate-to-gate campaigns; we are consulting and mobilizing all the way for PDP. You will be amazed at the results when they start trickling in. Our fathers, our mothers, our women, their children that have reached voting age, our youths and their brothers and aunties, have all said PDP will win with a margin that will forever silence the APC, the Labour Party and their flag-bearers that will soon lose their deposits. So, how prepared is your candidate for the battle? Well, while we acknowledge that the campaign rallies are to market our good product to the people of the state, the enthusiastic reception we have received so far have proven to us and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa that we are merely showing the next governor of the state to his people, especially to those who have not met him personally. This is evident in the way and manner men and women, old and young nand their children, wait for over 48 hours at campaign gounds to receive him. Didn’t you attend the campaign flag-off in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state? What about the campaigns in other parts of the state – Orerokpe, Isoko South and North, AkwukwuIgbo, Isele-Uku, Owa and Agbor, Patani and Bomadi, Kwale and Aboh, Sapele and what have you? I was part of the campaign team that midwifed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s re-election in 2011 and I know the role I played. I followed succinctly the electioneering processes of the former Governor James Ibori and how it culminated into success, but I must confess to you that this one of Dr. Okowa has been unprecedented. You can see with the mammoth turnout of supporter, well-wishers that he is generally accepted by Deltans. The choice of his deputy was strategically captured to give chance for all ethnic nationalities across the state to have a fair share in the governorship positions of the state. I will not be

Timeline Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa hails from Owa-Oyibu in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state. He has since 2011 been representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly. In 1998, he pitched tent with the ruling party (PDP), where he coordinated the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) for Chief James Ibori Campaign Organization. After being council chairman and later Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources; Water Resources Development and Health, in that order, he was appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in 2007 by Gov Emmanuel Uduaghan, the position he occupied until 2011 when he reisgned to contest the Delta North Senatorial seat.

surprised this time around if others in the race, including Ogboru, lose their deposits in this election. Besides the acceptance your principal is enjoying across the state, is his manifesto a towering type? Yes, of course. The people are not gullible. They know why they are following him. They are aware of his manifesto and have seen that it favours them. The person we are talking about is a man of unquestionable pedigree. They know him as an outstanding council chairman, and later Commissioners for Agriculture and Natrual Resources, Water Resources Development and Health in the state, before he was appointed by my boss, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, as the Secretary to the State Government, the position I held until 2011 when he won the Delta North Senatorial seat. His tour round the 25 council areas of the state have been issues-based. They know him as a man who has a clinical understanding of the entire state and can fix the state in good and bad times. He has since rolled out his five point agenda for the development of the state, which include employment creation, agriculture, peace and security, infrastructure and humancapital development. These must have endeared the people to him. There is no gainsaying that Delta state is PDP state and Dr. Okowa is merely thanking the people round for the victory assured. Don’t you think the stance of the Urhobo Political Union (UPU) on the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa may block the chance of PDP winning the election but throw up Ogboru or Emerhor? The position of the Urhobo Political Union is anti-democratic. The union is not a political party and

Okubor

There is no gainsaying that Delta state is PDP state and Dr. Okowa is merely thanking the people round for the victory assured

has no candidate in the forth-coming election. It is an ethno-centric group. It is just unfortunate that the union has continued to take center stage in the political affairs of the Urhobo people. I can assure you that what the UPU does or is about to do, in the current polity does not reflect the collective will of the Urhobo people especially as it suddenly became haughty on issues bordering on ethnicity rather than common interest of the state. Has the union ever won any election in this state? In 1999 and 2007, the union played up such ethnic sentiment but what was the result, failure? The union has never won any election for anybody in any election since the advent of democracy in 1999 but will always heat up the polity unnecessarily. It is very unbecoming of such socio-cultural organization that should be working

on the unity of the state, building bridges and advancing the rights and opportunities of its people to be acting anti-democratically and expect everybody to applaud it. It is dabbling into areas that are ultra-vires its authority and it has always amounted to nothing. It is not a registered political party in Nigeria neither does it have a flag to give to any candidate. It is not the INEC but simply an ethnocentric group. It is on record that no governorship candidate has won election based on his endorsement by the UPU. This consistent failure of the UPU to successfully sponsor her candidate to victory has impeded the chance of Urhobos from getting their deserved benefits either from the state or federal government. There is nothing to behold in their threat, if it is true they have handed down one again.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Sport Extra

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

7 MARCH 2015

Falcons skipper eyes AAG gold

Super Eagles' Efe Ambrose challenging a Bafana Bafana player

NFF, SAFA confirm Eagles, Bafana March 29 friendly

Ajibade Olusesan he Nigeria Football Federation and the South Africa Football Association have finally reached agreement on the friendly match between the Super Eagles and the Bafana Bafana. The two soccer bodies, in separate announcements on Friday, confirmed that the match would take place at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on March 29. Eagles were initially scheduled to take on the Black Stars of Ghana in London on the same date but FIFA's new regulations that two friendly matches cannot be played by the same team in two different continents within three days

put paid to that. Similarly, South Africa were also initially trying to bring Argentina to their country for a friendly match on the same date but they were unable to seal that deal. SAFA President, Danny Jordaan, who confirmed this said that: "The match that we looked at was Argentina; it did not happen. Hence we started engaging Nigeria." This friendly match is coming a little over four months after the Bafana Bafana played a 2-2 draw with the Super Eagles in a 2015 Africa Nations Cup qualifier at the Uyo International Stadium. The result stopped the Nigerian team from defending the title it won two years ago.

NFF consoles Kano Pillars

resident of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, has condoled with players, officials and management of Nigeria Premier League club, Kano Pillars, who were attacked by armed robbers on the AbujaLokoja highway on Thursday afternoon. “It is saddening to hear that people involved in football were attacked in this

uper Falcons captain, by winning again. Evelyn Nwabuoku, has “We are looking forward expressed the optimism to qualifying for the AAG that her team will not only and get decorated with the qualify for the All Africa gold medals in the women Games in Congo but will football event. We may not also win the gold medal at be able to win the World the games billed for Sep- Cup which precedes the AAG but we would, by tember. Nwabuoku said that the grace of God, not fail in having missed qualify- Congo. ing for the last All Africa Games in Mozambique, the Falcons have resolved to appease Nigerians by beating Mali to qualify for the games and win the gold medal. She said a majority of the players in the present Super Falcons squad are going to the AAG for the first time and would want to add the gold to their growing list of honours adding that their target is to also show that they are the best in Africa Nwabuoku

Nigeria sweep sprints medals Charles Ogundiya Addis Ababa

igeria's junior sprint star, Divine Oduduru, claimed the gold in the 100m boys as Team Nigeria won five medals in the ongoing African Athletics Junior Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday. The Nigerian team won two gold, one silver and two bronze medals to take its total medal haul in the tournament to seven. Oduduru returned the time of 10.46seconds to finish ahead of Cisse of Cote

d”Ivoire who finished with the time of 10.63s and Sidney Siame of Zambia who clocked 10.77seconds. Nigeria’s Amusan Tobiloba returned an impressive time of 14.26secs to win the gold in the girls 100m hurdles. Egypt's Gaber Ahmed Lina won the silver in 14.48secs and another Nigerian, Osinbanjo Temidayo, won the bronze after finishing in 14.58secs. Aniekeme Alphonsus and Ese Brume continued the glory for Nigeria after winning silver and bronze medals in the girl's 100m.

All set for mobil school sport final

way, in broad daylight. Football brings happiness to the people, and those involved in the game, especially the players, should not be visited with this kind of pain and anguish. “The Nigeria Football Federation and the Nigeria football fraternity console the injured players and officials. Our hearts are with them at this tough period.”

Athletes ready for today's final at the A'Ibom Stadium, Uyo

KEY WORDS

ABIA BENUE IMO BORNO EKITI ENUGU ANAMBRA DELTA BAUCHI EBONYI BAYELSA EDO

GOMBE JIGAWA KADUNA ADAMAWA AKWA IBOM CROSS RIVER

C Y O M I H C U A B U

R R T R J I G A W A C

O S S R I V U I M T K A E J O F B A A V B E N U S E I O D E L A A R R O E N W T S N Y A K R H S A M A D A F B B G O M B H R I N G E

A K I A D U T N D W I A E I K M L Y E B T N U R A O G B O B U A O E N Y E R E E I T C L D A K S

4 7

9 10

14 16 18 19 21

1 5 7 8 9 10 11 12

Town in Oyo state, (7). Governor Ajimobi's state, (3). Ask repeatedly, (3). Fish of cod family, (3). Asst. Insp. General, abbr., (3). Having lived a long time, (4). Egyptian river, (4). Biblical Bashan king, (2).

DOWN 1 Country near Israel, (7).

2 Little bite, (6).

3 Regrettably, (4). 4 Participate, (6). 5 Man-eating giant, (4).

24 25

ACROSS

16 17 18 22 23 24 25 26

Like, (2). Large pimple, (4). Not genuine, (4). Town in Osun state, (3). Plural of man, (3). Nigerian political party, (3). Soft hair of a mammal, (3). The capital of Ontario, (7).

14 Express sorrow for, (6). 15 Occurring often, (6). 19 Perceive by ear, (4). 20 Alcoholic drink, (4). 21 Nigeria Air Force, abbr. (3).

6 Strange, (3).

13 Taraba state capital, (7).

Sport Slaming Adekunle Salami adekunles@yahoo.com 08050498539 (sms only)

LMC, continental teams and the big kick-off

he elite division National Professional League starts across various centres today. Interestingly, three of the four teams relegated in the penultimate season are back. They spent just one year in the Nigeria National League. The teams are Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Wikki Tourists of Bauchi and Kwara United of Ilorin. Gabros International, another promoted outfit, were also in the elite class before. Politician, Ifeanyi Ubah, is said to have bought over the Nnewi team. The League Management Company did well to have insisted on today’s kickoff despite the shift in the general elections. It was the elections that delayed the league till now according to the LMC. Outgoing Chairman of the league body, Nduka Irabor, told me that it was important to start especially because of the teams representing Nigeria in continental competitions. I pray the elections take place and that is why today’s kick-off is important. Football has suffered from various aspects of politics and it won’t be pleasant if the league, crucial to the country’s development in the game, is in jeopardy because of politics. Heartland versus Kano Pillars fixture is the star match but the defending champions were attacked by robbers on Thursday. This has led to a shift in the date for the fixture. It was a sad incident with five players injured. I wish all the victims a quick recovery. The Enyimba/Akwa United match is another crunch encounter that is like a local derby. Now, the LMC should be working on ways to bring fans back to the stadia. Again, good officiating has to prevail at all venues. The monitoring team of the league body must also ensure that players are not being owed salaries like we witnessed last season. The welfare of the players as main actors is very crucial and should not be compromised in any way. Sad enough, we are still waiting on the Nigeria Football Federation to either confirm Coach Stephen Keshi or name another handler for the team. The league starts today and there is no national coach to scout for talents especially in the defence. I believe we can get two to three defenders from the league. Mfom Udoh who emerged the highest scorer with 23 goals last season is being challenged by Christian Obiozor of Rangers. Obiozor has vowed to score 25 goals this term. Time will tell. It was a delight that all the country’s representatives on the continent qualified for the next stage. Nigeria is one of the five countries that recorded 100 per cent successful performance in the first round. Algeria, Tunisia, Congo DR and Egypt are the others. Again, the LMC should be commended for the Super Four tournament that had six teams in attendance. The inclusion of the Flying Eagles and the U-23 side raised the standard of the tournament and the result is the outcome of the first round of the continental games. However, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Dolphins and Warri Wolves should work harder now that the season is on to enter the league stage of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup.

Much ado about Eaglets

GAMES/CROSS WORD PUZZLE States in Nigeria-1

See solution on page 20

he Nigerian U-17 team finished 4th at the just concluded Africa Junior championship in Niger Republic and I was shocked to hear and read uncomplimentary comments about the team. I saw a report tagged show of shame and wondered why we have to go that far. In age-grade competitions, it is unfair to condemn either players or the teams. The objective of this competition is to help the country in the building process and transition into higher categories and to also identify talented ones that can graduate straight into the senior team. Winning the World Cup ticket is good enough. Coach Emmanuel Amuneke promised only the ticket and he delivered. He has time to prepare the team better for Chile. The 2013 Eaglets also failed to win at the continental stage but ruled the world ultimately. The just concluded tournament was not televised and so it is difficult to evaluate the team. I am happy Amuneke admitted that he needed more players to strengthen the team. The experience of Niger 2015 could be a blessing in Chile.

DESTINATION

SATURDAY

Sanctity of Truth

Eagles need solid league to regain pride – Kpakor

Akwa Ibom: Land of promise with simmering tourism

P.42

N150

SPORT

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015

p.25

Man United v Arsenal

All eyes on

Ajibade Olusesan

Di Maria, Falcao

anchester United and Arsenal will renew their rivalry when the FA Cup quarterfinal takes centre stage on Monday, and the Red Devils will count on their underperforming stars to edge out the Gunners at the Theatre of Dreams. United’s recovery from last season’s debacle has been badly damaged by the underwhelming performance of their key players, and Red Devils' faithful will be desperate to see their stars hit the ground running as the season reaches the home stretch. The club finished in disappointing eighth position last season under former manager, David Moyes, and failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in

more than two decades. The Red Devils also did not do well in the FA Cup and Capital One Cup as they endured a terrible term. However, the 20-time English Premier League winners reinforced their squad heavily last summer as new helmsman, Luis Van Gaal, went on a 150 million pound spending spree. The Dutchman brought in Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, but despite the arrival of these stars the Red Devils still look unconvincing for most part of the season. Di Maria and Falcao, especially, were expected to light up United’s attack but the duo has been disappointingly lethargic in most games. Di Maria started his EPL career on a blistering note after scoring three times in his first four games, including the one on his debut,

eliciting hopes that the club has finally found the true bearer of the famous No 7 shirt. But the player’s form has badly dipped in recent times and it was very evident in the way he played against Sunderland at Old Trafford last weekend when he was substituted at halftime in the 2-0 win. Van Gaal hasn't found the best position for the Argentina midfielder and his three goals in 19 appearances are unsatisfactory by his own high standards. Van Gaal has tried to exonerate the former Real Madrid star. ''I cannot deny what I see and we have to give Angel a little bit more time to adapt to the Premier League,'' Van Gaal said. ''The rhythm of the game is so high here, much higher than in other countries. He has to adapt to the culture and we have to give him time to adapt

and also to lift his confidence again.'' Similarly, on loan Falcao is yet to convince Man United hierarchy on why they should make his stay permanent at the end of the season. The Columbian has scored just four goals in 20 appearances since he arrived from Monaco last summer as he appears suffering from crisis of confidence. The former Porto player was arguably the best striker in the world before he ruptured his ligament in 2014 that kept him out of action for Monaco and Columbia for almost the entire year, and he is yet to rediscover his fearsomeness in the vital area. The former Atletico Madrid scorer has the opportunity to work his way into the hearts of Man United fans, and a goal or two against a top side like Arsenal will boost his image.

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: Laurence ani.