Binder1saturday,march8,2014

BUSINESS UNUSUAL ufuoma okotete: A guide for medical tourists p.15

MYWEEKEND Dipo aina: talking stock, golf and the good life p.44

Saturday Edition

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Saturday, MARCH 8, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 18

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N150

APC shifts ground on National Conference

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

l Governors allowed to send delegates l Osoba to lead ex-governors l Northern delegates to push for Frontier Exploration Agency l Second Niger Bridge ground-breaking behind change in delegates inauguration Suleiman Bisalla, Anule Emmanuel ABUJA, Ayodele Ojo Ndubuisi Ugah LAGOS

UE W K I S BONGO NING WITH AN EVE LLAD KING THE BA

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ith facts indicating that some governors in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) had sent nominees to the National Conference, there appears to be a softening

of position with regard to party policy. The party had been emphatic in its denunciation, insisting it would have nothing to do with the conference which opens in Abuja, on March 17.

A look at the delegates list released by the Federal Government on Thursday revealed that nearly all opposition governors had

... repel planned attack in Borno Abuja

Tters

he Defence Headquaryesterday said Nigerian security forces

operating with the MultiNational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has arrested a suspected member of Boko Haram who specialised in “butchering human beings”.

He is said to be currently

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IMF to Nigeria: Strengthen oil sector transparency p.4

Security forces arrest Boko Haram’s ‘human butcher’

Emmanuel Onani

sent in nominees, leading to speculation that a rift now exists in the party’s hierarchy, particularly given that former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, a revered figure in the party, would lead some ex-governors to the conference.

But the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has

dismissed the insinuation.

“Recognising the fact that we are a political party and we are partisan, we do not want to impose our partisanship on other people.

That is why we allowed our governors to make nominations because our governors are not governors of APC, they are governors of the whole state; they are governors of those who don’t have political views.

“So if they think they can send ethnic nationalities in those area to the confab, we have given our governors the mandate. But they are not representing APC in the confab, they are representing there state government and there is difference between the state government and the party.”

undergoing interrogation, alongside other captured terrorists.

A statement from the Defence Headquarters noted that security forces also repelled a dusk attack by

suspected terrorists, who had plotted coordinated attacks on markets in communities on the outskirts of Monguno and NNPC at New Marte, Borno State.

SATURDAY INTERVIEW

CHEKWAS OKORIE: EFCC ALMOST A LAME DUCK }45

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NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

Despite apparent shift, APC restates opposition to conference

Content 08.03.14 INSTYLE

Fashionably Officious With some state governments issuing dress codes, a look at how to retain that elegant look without ruffling prudish feathers.

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THE ARTS

Memories of the Civil Rights A forum in Lagos showcases works by Charles Bibbs, an African-American artist whose art dwells extensively on the Civil Rights Movement and its socio-cultural roots

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Showbiz

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Nollywood Blues

Actor Funsho Adeolu rues the tendency to dwell more on the material worth of artistes at the expense of their artistic credential. “I’d rather not be known as the one who drove the biggest car,” he declares.

} 33 Not Quite the Idyllic Its temperate climate and lush, undulating terrain make the Mambilla Plateau a natural tourist haven. But it’s a long, tedious walk to that dream.

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POLITICS

Prepping for N’Conference National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress gives a glimpse into the agenda he’d pursue at the March 17 conference.

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SPORT

Ikechuchu Uche’s Fate It is almost certain now that Ikechuchu Uche won’t be part of the Super Eagles team to the World Cup. Coach Stephen Keshi has made that clear.

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Security forces arrest Boko Haram’s ‘human butcher’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The disclosure was made by the director of Defence Information, Major Gen. Chris Olukolade. He noted that troops recovered 50 assorted brands of grenades and 11 AK-47 assault rifles. The feat, according to the statement, was achieved following “cordon and search operations”.

The statement reads: “Nigerian security forces operating with the MultiNational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) yesterday repelled a dusk attack by terrorists in their bid to overrun markets in communities on the

outskirts of Monguno and NNPC at New Marte, Borno State along Chadian border.

Over 50 assorted brands of grenades and 11 AK 47 rifles were recovered from the fleeing terrorists. Cordon and search operations are ongoing at the general area while heightened patrols are continuing.

“Meanwhile, interrogation of captured terrorists from various locations has been yielding useful information as to their mode of operations. Among those in custody is a lead specialist in butchering human

beings who insists he does not use firearms but daggers and cutlasses for his assignment.

“More assaults and encounters are continuing in other identified locations as intelligence sources confirm the routes being used by the fleeing terrorists. Troops have been directed to sustain aggressive patrols in certain areas where terrorists’ actions are anticipated.”

Lately, there have been a series of bloody attacks by the sect in Borno and Yobe states that left several people dead.

CO N TI N U ED F RO M PAGE 1

It emerged, also, yesterday that the shift in the date earlier announced for the inauguration of delegates was occasioned by the government’s desire to perfect all security arrangements in order to ensure a hitchfree deliberations during the three-month period. It was learnt that the programme for the ground-breaking for the second River Niger Bridge in Onitsha by the President on Monday may be another reason the inauguration was postponed.

Mohammed denounced the federal government’s release of the conference delegates list on Thursday, describing it as a ploy to sabotage the unveiling of the APC roadmap”. “The idea was to divert attention from what we were doing so that we would not get enough coverage. But they failed woefully because we thank God that our event was well reported on the cover page of many national newspapers despite the sabotage.

“We have made it clear to the federal government that our party as political party would not send anybody to the conference. We don’t believe in it. There is nothing that has happened between when we rejected it and now to make us change our mind.

He told New Telegraph that contrary to suggestions, the earlier position of the party with regard to the conference remains unchanged. “We have absolutely no confidence in the entire thing. We don’t have confidence in it because we said the man lacks sincerity of purpose and the whole thing is diversionary. So it doesn’t matter whether it is Team A or Team B that goes there; it would be the same result as long as there is no sincerity of purpose. That is the key word. And don’t forget that we said again that a national conference that we are anticipating for, is not that whose outcome would have to be subjected to the National Assembly.

“We have absolute respects for the calibre of people who are going there.

Many of them are people who have distinguished themselves in their various fields. However, there is no sincerity of purpose on the part of government there would just be a waste of time because we believe that government is not sincere. They would mess them up and at the end od the day they will just rubbish them.”

Meanwhile, Northern delegates to the conference are bracing to push for the establishment of a National Frontier Exploration Agency, New Telegraph learnt yesterday in Abuja.

The agency which is expected to handle exploration and production of oil and gas in the frontiers of Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Imo Basin, Benue Trough, Bauchi and Sokoto Basins seeks to draw four percent of accrued proceeds of oil and gas sales through first line charge to finance the operations and investments of the agency.

A private member bill to this effect first sponsored by Hon. Kyari Gujbawu, representing Borno Metropolitan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was consolidated with the Petroleum Industry Bill during second reading. Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi West) later made similar proposal at the Senate.

An elder statesman selected as delegate from the North-East told our reporter in Abuja yesterday that there have been some consultations regarding the issue and efforts will be made ahead of the conference to get delegates from all over the north to make it a key agenda.

“We are proposing also that while certain percentage of the funds to be derived is used for exploration and production, a part of it be used for the development of affected communities,” he said.

The initial PIB sent to the National Assembly by late President Umaru Yar’Adua in December 2008 contained a provision for an independent agency called National Frontier Exploration Services, but that proposal was removed in the bill later sent by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The aspect later re-

turned as a private member bill proposing that “at the commencement of the Act, there shall be charged, payable and allocated four percent of accrued proceeds of crude oil and gas sales through first line charge to finance the operations and investments of the agency.”

During second reading of the PIB, the proposal was hotly debated. Northern legislators in the lower chamber used the provision as a bargaining chip in exchange for approving the Petroleum Host Community Fund in Section 116 of the PIB. The Host Community Fund proposes to make it mandatory for every upstream petroleum producing company to remit on a monthly basis 10% of its net profit to he host communities. Given the existence of 13% derivation, NDDC and the ministry of the Niger Delta, the proposal came under criticism.

The northern delegate who insisted he should not be named because he has not been authorised to speak also said delegates from the north will push for the adoption of wheat as a strategic food crop so as to give its production massive funding.

“Nigeria presently spends N630b on the importation of wheat when the crop can be grown in virtually every part of the north.

We therefore feel that it is important to adopt wheat as strategic food crop and if need be declare a state of emergency so as to achieve self reliance in wheat production, “ he said.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday announced former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Idris Kutigi as chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi as vice chairman and Dr. Valerie Azinge as secretary.

The president also on Thursday approved the appointment of three assistant secretaries for the conference. They are Dr. Akilu Ndabawa as assistant secretary, Conference Proceedings, Prof Mahmood Yakubu as assistant secretary, Finance and Administration and Mr. James Akpandem as assistant secretary, Media and Communications.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

NEWS EDITOR, SATURDAY: NDUBUISI UGAH

Privatisation: FG rakes $5.8bn from 10 power plants REVENUE The recent privatisation of PHCN may have started to yield revenue for the FG as NDPHC earns $5.8bn for govt.

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

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he Federal Government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) yesterday raked about $5.8 billion from the privatisation of 10 Power Plants to the new owners.

The Generation Companies handed over to the new GENCOs by NDPHC were: Alaoji, Calabar, Omotosho, Olorunsogo, Omoku, Ogorode, Geregu, Gbarain, Benin and Egbema.

According to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Power, Amb. Godknows Igali, the plants will generate 4,700MW if fully operational.

The permanent secretary assured Nigerians that the ministry was not foreseeing any problem with the companies that have bided for the power plants.

Nine of the power plants had two investing companies that bided above the Privatisation Committee reserved price.

It was only Alaoji that had only one bidder, AITEO consortium that bided $902 million.

The company’s first bidding for Alaoji Power Plant was $680 million, which was not up to the reserved price and it was asked to go and

raise its bidding price.

In the financial bid opening held in Abuja, two companies that bid above the reserved price were accepted for nine out of the 10 generation companies.

The companies are: EMA consortium, $580million and Index Consortium, $575million for Benin Genco; EMA consortium, $625million and Nebula consortium, $623million for Calabar Genco; Dozzy Integrated Limited, $415million and AITEO consortium, $392million for Egbema Genco; KDI Energy, $340million and Azikel Power Limited, $305million for Gbarain Genco.

Others are: Seoul Elect.

Limited, $690million and Yellow Stone Elect. Limited, $613million for Geregu Genco; Daniel Power, $531m and ESOP Power Limited, $510million for Ogorode Genco; ENL consortium, $751m and Index consortium, $730m for Olorunsogo Genco; Shayobe Inter. Ltd. $318m and AITEO consortium, $312m for Omoku Genco; and Omotosho Energy Limited, $659million and ENL consortium, $645million for Omotosho Gencon.

AITEO consortium was the only company that bid for Alaoji, which means there would be a second offer if the company did not meet the agreement or refuses to pay.

Three companies bid for Benin Genco, three companies for Calabar, three for Egbema, six for Gbarian, five for Geregu, four for Ogorode, four for Olo-

runsogo, three for Omoku, and nine for Omotosho Genco.

The Chairman of the Technical Committee, Mr. Atedo Peterside, who announced the bidding results stated that the need to choose the first two highest bidders was to make sure that if the first bidder defaults , the second highest bidder would take Speaking, the Managing Director, NDPHC, Mr. James Olotu, said the bidding process was the most transparent in the privatisation process in the country.

The Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprise, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, stated that every company that bid for the power plants was giving a fair chance.

The new companies only have 80 per cent shares in the power plants they are taking over, the NDPHC MD emphasised.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the ceremony and Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State in his opening remarks said that the bidding was the most transparent in the conduct of the entire privatisation process.

He said: “Right from day one when President Goodluck Jonathan decided that the power sector should be privatised, what was utmost in his mind was transparency and you will all agree with me that the process of privatising these 10 power plants has been more than transparent.”

He said right from the road show down to the eval-

uation through the technical boards were all conducted in the transparent way and today, we are almost at the last stage where the financial bids will opened in the most transparent manner.

Speaking to journalists after the successful opening of the financial bids, the governor said: What you have seen here, like I mentioned in my opening statement, from day one, the processes have been very transparent.

“We started with road shows, where we sensitised people across the globe.

People who are interested to come and a lot of people moved into Nigeria and that is why you can see a lot of bidders here. We moved from that process to the evaluation and due diligent process which was also transparently done. There have been no complains, no body raised any issue that anything has been tempered with.”

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedum Nebo, represented by the Minister of State, Mr. Mohammed Wakil, stated that it was the genuine interest of the President to increase power generation that had led to the privatisation of the Power sector.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedum Nebo, represented by the Minister of State, Hon. Mohammed Wakil, stated that it was the genuine interest of the President to increase power generation that has led to the privatisation of the power sector.

NEWS

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The Week Ahead

NIPSS holds policy lecture March 11 The Lagos State chapter of the Alumni Association of the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (AANI), Kuru, Plateau State will hold a public policy lecture on March 11, at the Grand Ballroom, Eko Hotel and suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Second Niger Bridge takes off March 10 President Goodluck Jonathan will on March 10 perform the “real ground breaking” ceremony for the second Niger Bridge in Anambra State.

LASU screens fresh students March 10 The Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, is to screen all its fresh students from March 10 to 13 in preparation for its 27th matriculation ceremony. A statement signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Kayode Sutton, indicated that the matriculation ceremony would hold on March 28.

Inquest for Associated Airlines’ victims begins March 18 A Senior Magistrate Court 5, Abule Egba, Lagos will on March 18 begin the inquest of the 20 persons, who died in an Associated Airline aircraft, which was conveying them to Akure, the Ondo State capital, after the aircraft crashed after taking off from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. The inquest is initiated at the demands of Femi Falana Chambers to highlight the cause of the crash, which claimed the passengers, including the airline crew.

Soyinka,others for NESG meeting March 18 Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Funmilayo Olopade, Umaru Achebe, Umaru Shehu, Ladi Hamalai, JP Clark, who are regarded as products of the golden years of Nigeria’s educational system, are among eminent Nigerians, who would speak at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), which begins on March 18 in Abuja. The meeting has as its theme: ‘Transforming Education Through partnerships for Global Competitiveness’.

Obiano’s inauguration holds March 17 Anambra State Governor-elect, Chief Willie Obiano and his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, are to be sworn-in March 17, in Awka.

Court hears Ibeka’s suit March 17 Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja has fixed March 17 for hearing in a 14-count charge against the Managing Director, Em-Lette Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Ngozi Ibeka, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Monetary policy C’ttee meets March 24 An emergency Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting has been scheduled for march 24 to 25 to reconsider changing its strategy, as the current resolve to defend the naira at all cost at the Bi-Weekly Retail Dutch Auction (RDAS) may have failed.

AITEC banking parley commences March 12 L-R: Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Mr. Adekunle Amos; Executive Director of Transmission (TCN), Mr. Shahid Mohamad; Governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola; Executive Director of Operations, TCN, Dipak Sarma; Principal Manager of Transmission, TCN, Mr. Ade Odukale; Assistant General Manager of Transmission, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Niyi Oladele, during the governor’s assessment of the fire outbreak at the TCN Osogbo Sub-Region 330/132/33kv Substation in Osogbo…yesterday

The AITEC Banking and Mobile Money West Africa will hold a twoday conference on valuable educational forum for the financial services sector, updating CXOs and IS managers on latest international developments in payment technologies, best practices in IT project deployment, and latest trends in customer service delivery from March 12 to 13, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

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N EWS I N BRIEF

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

ABUJA

ABUJA

2015: FG warns military to steer clear of politics

Ezekwesili, US envoy’s wife back women

Group decries noninclusion in Delta list

The federal government yesterday, warned the military against meddling in politics, in view of the events preceding the 2015 general elections, slated for February.

The warning was handed down by the former Supervising Minister of Defence and Minister of Information, Labaran Maku.

Maku gave the charge in Abuja, when he officially handed over to the substantive Minister of Defence, Lt-Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (retd).

Former Vice-President, World Bank (Africa), Dr. Ezekwesili Obiageli, wife of the Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, Pamela Schmoll yesterday said a country cannot grow without investing in the development of women.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the 100 unsung Heroines project, Ezekwesili said the human capital represents the factor of a country’s productivity, saying investing in the citizen cannot afford to discriminate between investing in men and women.

Barely two days after the federal government released the lists of delegates to the proposed national conference, crisis yesterday erupted over the non-inclusion of the group in Delta State. The group, under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), yesterday rejected the list and called for the immediate inclusion of its forwarded list of delegates before March 17.

According to the group, the noninclusion was not only deliberate but “a calculated attempt to deny Ijaw youths.”

94,531,980 The total number of Active Mobile (GSM) in the first quarter of 2012 in Nigeria.

Source: National bureau of statistics

1.84m

The total crude oil export per day in September 2013.

Source: Cenbank.org

ASABA

$113.59 The total crude oil per barrel in September 2013.

Source: Cenbank.org

534 Killed as Al-Makura receives Alakio report AT LAST Governor Al-Makura finally receives the Alakio report Godwin Ojoshimite Lafia

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he Judicial Commission of Inquiry set-up by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State to look into the May 7, 2013 massacre of security operatives in Alakio and other matters therewith, has submitted its report to the governor.

Chairman of the commission, Justice Fola Gbadeyan (rtd.), who submitted the report at the Government House, yesterday, disclosed that 534 people lost their lives including members of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security (DSS) in the state.

According to him, the 534 people killed excludes the 143 individuals allegedly killed for which no formal evidence was availed to the commission to substantiate their claims.

He also revealed that properties worth N2.3billion were destroyed in the course of the crisis.

The commission’s chairman also disclosed that a total of 22 memorandum was submitted to the commission, 89 evidences, 65 exhibits, including CD’s and pictures were also tendered, adding that seven memorandum were withdrawn from the public hearing by the by their presenters for security reasons.

The Chairman, on behalf of the nine-man committee, thanked the state government and people of the state for their unflinching support in the course of carrying out their duties.

He added: “It is hoped that the findings and relevant recommendations of the commission would accord the demand of justice and at the same time help to enhance peaceful and harmonious co-existence amongst the over 30 diverse ethnic groups in the state.”

Responding, Al-Makura commended the commission of Inquiry for ensuring that the report sees the light of the day.

He expressed his administration readiness to release a White Paper into Agyaragu/Assakio and the Alakio report, adding that the government would do its best to ensure that those reports are implemented.

L-R: Director General, Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh; Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Ms. Evelyyn Oputu and Director, Budget Office, Mrs. Olubunmi Siyanbola, during SEC’s learning series to mark this year’s International Women Day in Abuja… yesterday PHOTO:TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Outage looms in South-West IMF to Nigeria: Strengthen oil sector transparency states as control centre is razed Ayodele Aminu

zz Forecasts 7.3% growth

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buffers.

There have been calls for transparency in Nigeria’s oil sectors where most of the activities are shrouded in secrecy. This allegedly prompted the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to initially claim that $49.8 billion was missing from the Federation Account, before eventually admitting that the actual unremitted amount was $12 billion, after a reconciliatory meeting with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who insisted that her record indicated that only $10.8 billion could not be accounted for.

This debate summarily

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Nigeria to strengthen transparency and governance of its oil sector.

It also forecast that Nigeria’s economic growth will accelerate this year to 7.3 per cent, motivated by sectors outside the energy industry, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the country’s revenue.

The Fund, which made this known in its concluding statement of the 2014 Articles 1V Consultative Discussion of February, 21, 2014, cautioned the country against spending pressures from the political cycle and advised that Nigeria’s policies should focus on rebuilding external and fiscal

led to untimely the suspension of Sanusi from office before June, when he was supposed to complete his five year tenure.

The Nigerian economy had grown 6.4 per cent in 2013, contrary to Finance Minister’s projection of 6.75 per cent growth.

The Fund also noted that inflation, which has remained in single digit, will end the year at 7 per cent, down from 7.9 per cent at the end of 2013, continuing a two-year downward trend supported by tight monetary policy.

Nigeria plans to recalculate its gross domestic product (GDP), this year, which could push it above South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy, although the

rebasing has missed several deadlines already.

However, the Fund’s estimate does not account for the rebasing.

The IMF also cautioned against draining fiscal bulwark. Nigeria’s excess crude account (ECA), where it saves money from excess oil revenues not allocated for in the government’s budget, contained $2.28 billion at the end of last year, down from around $9 billion a year earlier.

Forex reserves have also fallen, to a 19-month low of $39.7 billion, and the naira, which had been stable, is under pressure from the emerging market asset sell-off and since President Goodluck Jonathan unexpectedly suspended respected Sanusi last month, hitting investor confidence.

Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

A

n early morning inferno yesterday razed a transformer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and National Control Centre, at the Osogbo substation in Osun State, destroying items worth millions of naira.

Residents say the fire which lasted about seven hours was preceded by a loud explosion. Sources at the TCN say the incident would affect power supply to states such as Osun, Oyo, Kwara and Ekiti states.

Although the cause of the inferno had yet to be made available, it was learnt that some technical glitch was responsible.

Some workers who would not give their names said

the affected transformer went up in flames in similar fashion three years ago.

The state capital, Osogbo, and its environs have been without electricity while business owners in the state have lamented the situation which they say would severely affect their businesses.

It was a chaotic scene as personnel of the State Fire Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Army struggled to control the crowd while efforts to put out the fire was ongoing.

While appealing to people in the state to be calm on the development, the state’s deputy governor, Mrs Grace Tomori, who visited the scene of the incident, gave assurances that the government would investigate the cause of the inferno.

NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

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Boko Haram: Court refuses varsity lecturer, others bail Tunde Oyesina Abuja

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L-R: Party Leader, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Supo Sonibare; National Secretary, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar; Chairman of the party, Chief Olu Falae and Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina, at the display of the party’s symbol during the public presentation of the SDP party symbols in Abuja…yesterday PHOTO:TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Gas leak: Pupils to be discharged from hospital today Mojeed Alabi and Muritala Ayinla he management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, has said the 12 pupils of Ogba Junior Grammar, Ogba who were rushed to the hospital on Thursday as a result of the inhaling offensive gaseous substance allegedly emitted from a photographic laboratory would be discharged today.

The disclosure, however, came on a day parents of the pupils, called on the Lagos State Government to ensure that everything possible is done to save the lives of their children.

Similarly, it was gathered that one of the victims, Ogunbamigbe Omolade, a JSS 2 pupil was yesterday discharged by the management of LASUTH, having been certified medically stable.

Some of the affected students were: Tijani Mariam, Subaidat Oladokun, Adebiyi taiwo, Muiz Rodiat, Onaigbe Blessing, Karimat Akiode, Rasak Gbolahan, Modupe Idowu, Titilope Idimu, Alhassan salamot and Yusuf Salamot.

But speaking with the New Telegraph in an exclusive interview, the hospi-

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zz Our children must not die, parents insist tal’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Adewale Oke, said the pupils were responding to treatment very well and only needed to be observed for about 24 hours more to completely guarantee their fitness.

Oke, who explained that the conditions of the students were stable when brought into the hospital, added that the three who were rushed to the burns unit of the hospital located within the Gbagada General Hospital were back in LASUTH and doing well too.

“We received 12 of them and only one was taken to the intensive care unit and three others temporarily transferred to the burns unit in Gbagada, but the three others, who were experiencing breathing difficulty have been stabilized in Gbagada, and are back in LASUTH with us for normal medical observation.

“The only one who is below 12 years of age is on admission at the Paediatric ward and we are believe that within the next 24 hours they will all be discharged. So the situation is perfectly under control and so people should not panic,” Prof. Oke told New

893.4m

The number of undernourished people in the world Source: Worldometers.info

Telegraph yesterday.

It would be recalled that for the second time within six months, students of Ogba Grammar school on Thursday had suddenly collapsed in their classroom as a result of inhaling gaseous emission, and the source of the emission is being allegedly traced to a photographic laboratory located within Ogba Shopping Arcade.

The laboratory, Bizcircuit Photolab, had since been sealed since October last year and the Manger, Mr. Felix-Maria Odiaka, detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for about 11 days.

According to Odiaka, since the shop has been closed down by the Lagos State Government, there had been no operation, saying the new development had only further confirmed their innocence. He also suggested the school may be keeping chemicals that are injurious to the society and so the school compound should also be adequately investigated.

However, a teacher from the school, who declined to mention his name to New Telegraph, insisted the lab-

$39.7bn

The nation’s foreign reserves, which dipped further, below the psychological resistance level of $41 billion Source: Money Market

oratory was still operating despite being sealed.

In a related development, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi OkeOsayintolu, has said the state government would conduct both gaseous analysis and environmental risk situation of the entire complex and the report would be made public. But all efforts to know the update on the investigations being conducted proved abortive.

Meanwhile, parents of visibly angry parents also demanded transfer of the pupils away from the premises of killer gaseous substance to another location, if the Lagos Government could not take decisive steps towards finding a lasting solution to the frequent emission of killer substance which is inimical to the health of residents, especially the pupils.

They wondered why the state government allow the incident to re-occur, saying the collapse of the pupils occurred almost the same time at noon when about 25 pupils slumped after inhailing the substance in the school.

N1trn

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has said the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company Limited is (NELMCO) is indebted to between N700billion and N1trillion.

he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday refused to admit a lecturer of the Kogi State University, Lokoja, Dr. Nazeef Yunus and two others, who are currently standing trial for allegedly being members of the Boko Haram sect in Kogi State to bail.

The federal government had on February 3 arraigned Yunus, an assistant lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at university; Umar Musa and Salami Abdullahi, over their alleged involvement in terrorism activities.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the eightcount charge on terrorism slammed on them.

The accused persons had through their various counsel argued their bail

application before the court.

Ruling on the bail the application, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole refused the bail application of the accused persons.

JusticeKolawoleheldthatit was the duty of the court to assist the state law enforcement agents in their coercive action againstterrorism,beingmindful of the fundamental human rights of the accused.

The court further held that no reasonable court or tribunal will do otherwise, especially against the backdrop on insurgence in the North East, particularly in the last four to six weeks.

“I hereby refuse the defendants application for bail and instead order accelerated trial of the accused persons. Accused persons shall be remanded in Kuje prison pending the commencement of their trial on the adjourn dates,” the judge held.

Okadigbo: Second Niger Bridge, no longer political slogan Chukwu David Abuja

to the commitment Smentequel of the federal governto commence work at the second Niger Bridge, the people of Anambra State have expressed their excitement, saying the project had ceased from being a mere political slogan.

Senator Margret Okadigbo, who represents Anambra North senatorial district stated this yesterday at a press briefing in Abuja, against the back drop of the bridge’s ground breaking ceremony slated for Monday by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The lawmaker said she was personally excited and fulfilled that the construction of the bridge had be-

come a reality, especially during her tenure as the Senator representing the location of the bridge.

Describing the construction of the bridge as a welcome development, Okadigbo noted that when completed, the new bridge would reduce the pressure on the existing Niger bridge which had become a source of worry on daily basis.

She noted that her being a member of the Senate Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), where the counterpart funding for the project would be sourced, gave her the opportunity to oversight the project and ensure that funds meant for the construction of the bridge were fully utilised.

Insurgency: Nyako constitutes assessment committee Ibrahim Abdul Yola

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overnor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has constituted a 10-man committee to assess the extent of destruction recorded when Boko Haram insurgents launched attacks on Shuwa, Kirchinga and Michika communities of Madagali and Michika Local

Governments Area.

The committee is to be chaired by Alhaji Mohammed Ajuji a seasoned civil servant in the state.

A statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, said the committee was given two weeks to submit its report from the date of inauguration.

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KADUNA

N EWS I N BRIEF

YABA

AWKA

Kaduna to boost water supply by 300m litres daily

Council boss empowers 160 people

Anambra guber tribunal begins hearing March 13

Kaduna State Government has commenced the installation of new facilities to boost water supply to Kaduna metropolis by 300 million litres daily, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Ado Audu, who disclosed this while inspecting the facilities in Kaduna, said: “The pumps have arrived and we are going to start installing them.”

The Chairman, Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr. Jide Jimoh, has empowered 160 people trained in soap making, beads making, hat making and event planning with N1.6 million.

Jimoh said at the council secretariat in Yaba, that the amount was to assist the beneficiaries in establishing their own businesses.

The Justice Ishaq Belloled governorship election petitions tribunal in Anambra State has fixed March 13 for the commencement of hearing of four petitions filed before it for determination.

Bello announced the date shortly after delivering a report on the conclusion of pre-trial conference in Awka on Thursday.

55%

Amount the Egyptian stock index has grown since July 2013.

(Source: Egypt’s Archive)

30%

N168bn

The target Nigeria has set for healthcare access by 2015.

(Source: Ministry of Health)

The proposed budget of Ondo State signed into law by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

(Source: Ondo Budget Office)

Bucknor-Akerele: Lagos debunks non-payment of entitlements

L

agos State Government yesterday debunked an allegation credited to a former Deputy Governor of the State, Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, that her entitlements were still being withheld describing the allegation as incorrect and misleading.

In the allegation said to have been published recently in the February 28, 2014 edition of the New Telegraph Newspaper, the former deputy governor was quoted as saying, “As a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, all my entitlements have never been

Ekiti 2014: Jonathan, others screen PDP aspirants Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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L-R: Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Albert Akpan; Governor Godswill Akpabio and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekpenyong Ntekim, at the signing into law of the 2014 Appropriation Bill by Akpabio at Government House, Uyo… yesterday

Rivers CP declares war on kidnappers Joe Ezuma Port Harcourt

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s kidnappers steppedup their blood-chilling activities in Rivers in recent times, with politicians as their main victims, the state Commissioner of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin, on Friday, declared war on criminals seeking ramsom from victims.

The kidnapping of three PDP chieftains on February 26, 2014 at the Eagle Island, outskirt of Port Harcourt rattled residents of the state and put the state under sociopolitical tension before they

� Says they are dangerous and unstable characters were released on Thursday, by their abductors.

But the police assured the residents that there was no cause for alarm.

Ogunsakin, who addressed journalists in his office at the state police command along Moscow Road, in Port Harcourt, said he had already mobilised his men to fish out the kidnappers from wherever they are hiding.

“I have declared total war against kidnappers in Rivers State. Henceforth, there will be no hiding place for kidnappers. We are sincere when we

say no to kidnapping. Our men have been adequately briefed and mobilised to combat kidnappers,” he said.

The police boss said the command was discreet about its rescue effort in order not to endanger the lives of the three kidnapped PDP members.

“We were actually very close on the heels of the kidnappers, but we are bound by our duty to protect the lives of the victims not to disclose how far we had gone in tracking the kidnappers or our policing strategy. Please, don’t misconstrue our silence when

we are on the trail of kidnappers or criminals,” Ogunsakin explained.

He pointed out that one of the ways to combating kidnapping, armed robbery and violent crimes was to “drastically reduce the number of unlicensed arms and ammunition in circulation”, adding that “criminals are usually emboldened when in possession of arms.”

He revealed: “And you will be shocked at the number of illegal arms and ammunition that our men have recovered in the past two weeks.”

given to me.”

But in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, the government stated that all the pension entitlements due to Bucknor-Akerele have been fully paid and were being met as and when due on a monthly basis.

The commissioner explained that the government was compelled to react to the former deputy governor’s statement simply to set the records straight in the interest of the State and posterity.

eaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday screened the 18 aspirants that have collected Nomination Form to be the governorship candidate of the party in the coming June 21 election.

Sources in the party told the New Telegraph in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend that President Goodluck Jonathan would be among the PDP leaders that would assess the aspirants.

Apart from the president, members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by

the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, would also be part of the screening panel.

Party leaders from the South-west geo-political zone led by Chief Bode George would also be in attendance.

The decision to involve party leaders apart from the members of the NWC in the exercise is to allow for carrying as many people as a possible along in arriving at the method to choose the party’s standard bearer.

The party is currently embroiled in controversy as how to pick the party’s candidate.

Copyright infringement: Aneke Twins drag DSTV to court Sony Neme

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ompulsory Risk released in 2009 by Greenville Productions International Limited has become embroiled in controversy following revelations that it was a subject of litigation at Enugu High Court on March 6, 2014. It was earlier adjourned from February 6.

According to the Executive Producer/Producers, Chidiebere and Chidinma Aneke, “We released Compulsory Risk 2009. It was aired by DSTV on African Magic Channel without our consent.”

To enable them to get to the

root of the situation, they made fruitless efforts to reach the cable station owners to no avail.

“I called late Get Rich Production boss, to ask if there is anyone he knows in DSTV that he could give me their number.

He gave me one man (simply identified as) Segun, which I called but he did not pick, and he later called back”. Our lawyer wrote Censors Board to verify DSTV document. This has lingered till we were forced to take the matter to court,” they said.

However, effort to get DSTV to comment on the issue proved abortive as the management were yet to respond as at the time of going to the press.

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Chekwas Okorie: EFCC, ICPC have failed in anti-graft war Ndubuisi Ugah

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L-R: Operations Manager, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Ma’aruf Ahmed; Chief Imam of Auchi, Prof. Zakariya Oseni, a beneficiary, Haruna Oshomha, and CEO, ZSF, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, during presentation of a sewing machine to Oshomba in Edo State

Fayemi collects PVC, expresses reservation about exercise Adesina Wahab EKITI

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kiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday collected his Permanent Voter Card (PVC) in Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, expressing reservations about the three days allocated for the exercise.

Also, Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday warned undemocratic elements to steer clear of the polling units “as security agents would be alive to their responsibilities.”

But Fayemi, accompa-

zz Aregbesola warns miscreants to steer clear of polling units nied by his wife, Bisi, collected his card at Unit 09 Ward 11 at about 1:20 p.m.

Speaking with journalists, after collecting his card, Fayemi said going by preliminary reports received about the exercise, many people were yet to go to the units where they registered to exchange their temporary voter card for the PVC. “I may not be able to comment much on the success or otherwise of the exercise as it only started this morning. On our part, we have taken a number of steps to ensure its success.

ILORIN

To allow civil servants to have enough time to partake, we declared today (Friday) work free day.

“Some of the things which may hinder it is the fuel scarcity we are experiencing. People residing outside where they registered may not find it easy to go and collect their PVCs. If the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) watches the situation till Saturday evening, they should know what to do,” he said.

Meanwhile, Aregbesola, who dropped the warning

MAKURDI

FCT

Mimiko warns youths against Group treats 25,000 disturbing contractors malnourished children

N EWS IN BR IEF

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has called on youths in Igbokoda to desist from disturbing contractors handling projects so that targeted rapid development of the area could be achieved.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Mimiko made the call when he inaugurated Igbokoda International Market in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, which was constructed through Ondo State Direct Labour Agency.

He advised the people to imbibe maintenance culture and cooperate with government officials, so that the

Imoke redeems pledge to Super Eagles

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Save the Children, has said it has treated more than 25,000 malnourished children in Zamfara State in the last two years.

The state Advocacy and Communication Officer of the organisation, Alhaji Isah Ibrahim, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau.

Ibrahim said the organisation had succeeded in establishing 20 centres for the treatment of malnourished children in the 14 local government areas of the state.

N13bn

83

The federal government owes N13 billion to service the 119 foreign missions across the world.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the liquidation of 83 licensed micro-finance banks.

Source: NDIC

in Ilesa, while presenting himself for the acquisition of the Permanent Voters Card (PVR) at ward 8 unit 01, Ifofin, Ilesa where he had earlier registered, appealed to the people of the State” to be resolute in their stand for democracy charging them ‘’not to be intimidated nor scared.”

“All political parties should ensure that they were represented at all polling units to check impersonation and other vices because your electoral process is a mean of guaranteeing your rights to choose your leaders.”

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has redeemed his pledge of plots of land to the Super Eagles’ players after their triumph at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

A statement issued by the Assistant Director (Communications), at the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Mr. Ademola Olajire, said the NFA Chairman, Aminu Maigari, broke the news to the players in Atlanta, United States, when he handed over to them the plots’ Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

N1.2bn The ICPC has discovered N1.2billion stock in the accounts of four MDAs based on court orders.

Source: ICPC

he pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for not doing enough to compliment the federal government’s antigraft war.

Okorie, who spoke with the New Telegraph in Abuja, said given the constitutional responsibilities of the two anti-graft agencies, the anti-graft posture of President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration should have been above board, given the strident policies put in place by the administration to check corruption.

According to him, “we have an EFCC that is almost a lame duck going after very poor people even almost like a debt collector for rent and settling domestic quarrels instead of fighting corruption. As for the called ICPC, I do not know why they are earning salary. I do not know why they have secretariat and what they do there.

“I don’t know how many Nigerians know about them.

These are instruments that Jonathan can use to fight corruption, he can even use these instrument to get the people working with him indicted if they are found guilty.

“But they are not being deployed; they feel they must study the president’s body language before they can move against anybody. That’s the impression I have.”

Nigeria officially absent as ITB Berlin ends tomorrow zz NTDC DG, others present as observers Andrew Iro Okungbowa

A

s countries of the world gathered for the world’s leading travel and tourism trade exhibition, ITB Berlin 2014 (International Tourism Borse) holding at the Messe Damm, Berlin, Nigeria, which is supposed to be one of the over 187 countries attending the tourism fair is officially not exhibiting even as a heavy delegation from the country is present at the event.

Reports gathered from the yearly event, which opened on Wednesday revealed that the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), which normally represents the country at such international forum to promote and market the country’s tourism, is said to be cash strapped and so could not afford to pay

for a stand for the country to exhibit.

While NTDC could not mustered the required fund for the exhibition, the director general, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo is, however, present at the event with a team of officials from NTDC, some operators from the private sector and travel journalists as ‘observers.’

The country’s flag was said to have been displayed at a corner in the Africa hall, the traditional hall for all Africa countries, including Nigeria, to the embarrassment of many of the Africa countries who could not understand why Nigeria with the presence of her tourism director general and other officials at the fair and yet could not exhibit as it always done over the last 10 years without fail.

Akpabio signs N498.5bn budget into law

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overnor Godswill Akpabio has signed 2014 Appropriation Bill put at N498.5 billion into law, saying it focuses on transparency, accountability and of international standard.

The state government had on December 11, 2013 sent a budgetary outlay of N469.374 billion show-

ing capital expenditure of N308.870 billion and recurrent expenditure of N165.504 billion to the state House of Assembly for approval.

About one week ago, the assembly passed the Appropriation Bill into law, after deliberating and scrutinising it.

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Court reserves ruling in Rivers CJ’s suit JUDGEMENT Fate of Chief Judge of Rivers State to be known soon Charles Onyekwere Port Harcourt

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Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has reserved ruling till March 18, on a suit on the appointment of a substantive chief judge for the state.

The presiding judge, Justice Lambo Akanmbi, having taken the addresses of counsel to the plaintiffs and defendant respectively, noted that the nature of the case made short adjournment inevitable.

He therefore adjourned the matter till March to enable him to deliver his ruling.

Counsel to the plaintiffs (the state governor, Rivers

DAMATURU

State Judicial Council (RSJC) and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN), had argued that Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC), had no right under the law to compel his clients to appoint a particular candidate.

Rather, he said the governor had the discretional power to choose between Justice Peter N.C. Agumagu and Justice Daisy Okocha.

To buttress his argument, Fagbemi made reference to section 271, sub-section 3 and 5 of the 1999 Constitution.

On his part, the counsel to NJC, Jimoh Daudu (SAN), argued that his client being an Institution established under the law had made the list of candidates available to it and, therefore, concluded that Justice Okocha was more qualified of the two.

NEWS IN BRIE F

NEMBE

BAUCHI

Yobe Govt donates N100m to Boko Haram victims

Shell’s Interests: Nembe community advises investors

Bauchi govt to partner Shippers’ Council

The Yobe State Government has donated N100 million to assist victims of Boko Haram attack at the Federal Government College in Buni-Yadi.

It also deployed security operatives and vigilante groups to search for missing students.

The Nembe community in Bayelsa State has cautioned investors to be wary of interests dropped by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in the area.A statement from the Chairman of Nembe Oil and Gas Committee, Chief Nengi James, advised such investors to investigate the company’s outstanding liabilities.

Bauchi State Government is to partner the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) to boost business and economic activities in the state.

The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Hajiya Amina Katagum, stated this at a one- day seminar organised by the council.

24,118

The number of police officers recently promoted by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

(Source: Police Force)

90m

The consumer base of Egypt, the largest Arab nation (Source: Egypt’s Archive)

20m

The number of Egyptians who voted in the referendum that approved Egypt’s new constitution in January.

(Source: Egypt’s Archive)

NTDC workers lament closure of office Andrew Iro Okungbowa

W

ith the Lagos State zonal office of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) under lock, the members of staff of the tourism body have lamented the continued closure of the premises by the owners of the building located on Awolowo Way, Ikeja.

This is coming on the heels of reports that the workers, who are in disarray may resist move by the Director General of the corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, to relocate them.

The shutdown of the two – story office complex of NTDC by the property managers,

Alonge and Associates, may not be unconnected to the inability of the tourism body to renew the tenancy agreement and the expiration of the relocation notice served on the property managers by NTDC dg sometime last year to the effect that she would relocate her workers from the office by February when the tenancy of the tourism body expires.

Acting on this notice, the property managers early this week moved in to take over the property after series of letters written to the tourism body and waiting in vain for negotiations of any type as to whether the body was still interested in keeping the property.

RSSDA wins 2013 African Govt Agency Award

T

he Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) has been selected as the African Government Agency of the Year 2013 by the African Leadership Magazine Awards Committee.

The agency has also received special commendation from the Congressional Black Caucus of the State of Georgia,

United States, according to a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by Manager Media and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Uranta.

The award was given at the African Leadership Magazine Annual International Summit, which held on February 27 in Washington DC, United States of America.

R-L: President, Customer Service Practitioners Association (CUSPA), Mrs Uloma Umeano; Chairman, Alpha Institute and Pro-Chancellor, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umuahia, Abia State, Prof. Anya O. Anya and Project Manager of CUSPA, Mrs Isedua Obiodiaka, during a courtesy visit by CUSPA executives to Anya…recently

Bafarawa: I’ve not anointed any guber candidate for 2015 Ndubuisi Ugah

F

ormer Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has said it will be foolhardy of him to declare that he has anointed a governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Instead, he said the task of determining, who becomes the governorship candidate lied with his supporters and not himself.

Bafarawa, who disclosed this to New Telegraph, said: “The candidate I have in mind is the one that the people want. Whoever my people decide that is the best for the position, I will support that person.”

� Denies nursing senatorial ambition The former governor, who spoke against the backdrop of his recent defection to the PDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “For me, I will never decide for the people who will be their candidate; I will leave it for the people to choose. There should be internal democracy.

So, whoever emerges as the flag bearer of our part, I will give him my support.”

On whether he was nursing any senatorial ambition, Bafarawa said: “You know there is something that my people will ask me to do and I will do it. They asked me to move to PDP, I went because it is going to affect everyone

of us. But if they ask me to go for Senate and I accept to go, then I am selfish. I have ruled the state for eight years; the whole constituencies were my constituency.

“So, for me to come back again after eight years to go and contest for Senate, I’m not being fair to myself and I’m not being fair to the young ones whom I think I should give chance to rise.”

While urging Nigerians to be calm and not to be unnecessarily agitated over the build-up to 2015 elections, Bafarawa said: “As a Moslem, I don’t think I have much to say on that because I know what it takes to be

a leader. I speak from my background as a Moslem because in the Quran, there is a verse which says that nobody gives power but God and He gives it to anybody He wishes and He can take it from anybody anytime He wishes to take it back.

“So, if I say that in 2015 something is going to happen, I am doubting that and also going contrary to my religion because no matter what nobody gives power but God. So, all the threats about what will happen in 2015 if certain things do not happen are just rubbish to me. Only God gives power.”

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9

LIST OF DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE CON TINUED FR O M YES T ER DAY

SENATORS FORUM S/N DELEGATES 1. Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq Gwadabe 2. Senator Abdullahi Bala Adamu 3. Senator Muhammed Ibrahim 4. Senator Nnamdi Eriobuna 5. Senator John K. Brambaifa 6. Senator Iyabo Anisunlowo HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FORUM S/N DELEGATES 1. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, CFR 2. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, CON 3. Hon. (Chief) Obi Anoliofo 4. Hon. Umar Kareto Lawan 5. Hon. Musa Elayo Abdullahi 6. Hon. Sheik M. Sekoni ASSOCIATION OF FORMER SPEAKERS S/N DELEGATES 1. Rt. Hon. (Chief) Anayo Nnebe 2. Rt. Hon. Abudssalam Taofig Olawale 3. Rt. Hon. Ignatius Kevin Edet 4. Rt. Hon. Habu Isa Ajiya 5. Rt. Hon. Mohammed Yaro 6. Rt. Hon. Terseer Tsumba FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA S/N DELEGATES 1. General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) 2. Prof. Olawale Albert 3. Prof. Anya O. Anya 4. Dr. (Mrs.) Virginia A. Anohu 5. Annkio Briggs 6. Col. Tony Nyiam 7. His Excellency, Engr. A. A. Kure 8. Group Capt. Jeo Orji 9. Ibrahim D. Waziri 10. Mrs. Binta Ibrahim Musa 11. Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar 12. His Excellency, Adamu Aliero 13. Hajiya Hauwa Bukar 14. Senator Mimibariya Amange 15. Dame Virgi Etiaba 16. Chief Asara A. Asara 17. Mrs. Eunice Igwe 18. Damian Dodo, SAN 19. Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme 20. Atedo Peterside STATE GOVERNMENTS AND FCT ABIA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Senator Adolphus Wabara 2. Prof. J. C. Ogbonnaya 3. Mrs. Victoria Akanwa ADAMAWA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Alhaji Mohammed Gambo Jimeta 2. Mrs. Binta Massi Garba 3. Mr. Moses Ngbale AKWA IBOM STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Senator Anietie Okon 2. Prof. Nsongurua J. Udombana 3. Her Excellency (Mrs.) Atim Etim Okpoyo ANAMBRA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife 2. Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu 3. Prof. Dora Akunyili

BAUCHI STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. Garba Ibrahim 2. Prof. Isa B. Mohammed 3. Prof. Gambo Laraba Abdullahi

KADUNA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Yusuf Turaki 2. Senator Ahmed Mohammed Aruwa 3. Hajia Nafisatu Babajo

BAYELSA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha 2. Chief Francis Doukpolagha 3. Dr. (Mrs.) Ngieriwagha

KANO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Alhaji Sule Yahya Hamma 2. Dr. Junaid Muhammed 3. Hajiya Aishatu Isma’il

BENUE STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Senator Jack Tilley Gyado 2. Dr. Magdalene Mba Dura 3. Maj-Gen. Geoffrey Ejiga

KATSINA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Justice Mamman Nasir (Rtd) GCON 2. Dr. Abubakar Saddique Mohammed 3. Hajiya Talatu Nasir

BORNO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Kashim Ibrahim Imam 2. Hajiya Fati (Dongonyaro) Ali Monguno 3. Hon. Dr. Haruna Yerima

KEBBI STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. Bello Haliru Muhammad 2. Amb. Isah Muhammed Argungu 3. Dr. Fati Lami Adamu

CROSS RIVER STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Gen. Anthony Ukpo (Rtd.) 2. Dr. Pius Tawo 3. Senator Florence Ita-Giwa

KOGI STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Sam Egwu 2. Hajia Ladi Ibrahim 3. Chief Olusola Akanmode

DELTA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Godini G. Darah 2. Chief Benjamin S. C. Elue 3. Female nominee expected EBONYI STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. (Mrs.) Adaeze Nwuzor 2. Senator (Dr.) Offia Nwali 3. Prof. Chigozie Ogbu

KWARA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Alhaji Yusuf Kawu Daibu 2. Senator Ahmed Mohammed 3. Mrs. Wosilat Marcarthy

EDO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Mr. Charles Edosomwan, SAN 2. Prof. Sylvanus Oboh 3. Female nominee expected EKITI STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Akin Oyebode 2. Prof. (Mrs.) Bisi Aina 3. Bishop Felix Ajakaye ENUGU STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. H.E. Ken Nnamani 2. Prof. Mrs. Rose Onah 3. Monsignor Obiora Ike GOMBE STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Alhaji Usman Faruk, NPM, CON 2. Barr. Zubairu Mohammed Umar 3. Mrs. Hannatu Ibrahim, MFR IMO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Engr. Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu 2. Chief Bob Njemance 3. Chief (Mrs.) Chidinma Uwajumogu JIGAWA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu 2. Umaru Mohammed Hadejia 3. Prof. Rukayyatu Ahmed Rufa’l

LAGOS STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Mr. Supo Sasore, SAN 2. Prof. Tunde Samuel 3. Olufunmilayo Osinowo-Bashorun NASARAWA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. Mohammed Hassan Lawal 2. Alhaji Muhammed Othman 3. Mrs. Lydia J. Viko NIGER STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Hajiya Dije Bala (F) 2. Abubakar Adamu Chika 3. Barr. Halidu Ibrahim (Ph.D) OGUN STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Mr. Fola Adeola 2. Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi 3. Prof. (Mrs.) Titi Filani ONDO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Dr. (Mrs.) Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu 2. Prof. N. Oluwafemi Mimiko 3. Barr. Remi Olatubora OSUN STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Chief Gbadegesin Adedeji 2. Chief Femi Akande 3. Mrs. Bola Ogunrimade (mni)

OYO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Chief Adeniyi Akintola

2. Prof. Ganiyu Raji 3. Female nominee expected PLATEAU STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Dakum Shown 2. Prof. Ganyir Lombin 3. Mrs. Esther Gonda RIVERS STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Prof. Amakievi Gabriel 2. Justice Peter Akere (Rtd) 3. Female nominee expected

SOKOTO STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Engr. Bello Suleiman 2. Alh. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi 3. Prof. Aishatu I. Madawaki TARABA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Justice Adamu Aliyu 2. Ambassador Suleiman Zubairu 3. Hon. Dr. Mrs. Salome Jankada YOBE STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. Khalifa Hassan Yusuf 2. Dr. Garba Abari 3. Female nominee expected ZAMFARA STATE S/N DELEGATES 1. HRH, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi, Emir of Gummi 2. Brigadier Gen. Muhammad Mansur Dan Ali (Rtd) 3. Hon. Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu FCT S/N DELEGATES 1. Barr. Musa Salihu FORMER LGA CHAIRMEN S/N DELEGATES 1. Hon. Felex Akhabue 2. Barr. Nasiru Ibrahim Junji 3. Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Ahmed 4. Barrister Igberi Nweme 5. Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu 6. Chief Shola Ebiseeni

CHAIRMAN, DEPUTY CHAIR AND SECRETARY S/N OFFICIALS POSITION 1. Justice Idriss Legbo Kutigi Chairman 2. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi Deputy Chairman 3. Dr. (Mrs.) Valerie Azinge Secretary 4. Dr. Akilu Indabawa Asst.

Secretary,

Conference Proceedings 5. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Asst.

Secretary,

Finance &

Administration 6. Mr. James Akpandem Asst.

Secretary,

Media and Commun- ications

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8 MARCH 2014

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Juliana Francis

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risons are supposed to be reformation centres but this is not the case going by the confession of a suspected car thief, Obinna Victor.

Victor and Fred Solomon formed their gang while in Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos. The third member of the gang is Rotimi Ajanaku.

“In prison, everyone was connecting and discussing how to join robbery gangs but I told Solomon that I didn’t want anything that would involve guns,” said Victor.

Victor said he was arrested for cultism while Solomon claimed that he was imprisoned for fighting.

The unholy alliance of the three men gave birth to the gang, which specialised in using locally-made keys to open cars parked by their owners.

When such cars were removed, they were taken to buyers one of whom lives in Benin Republic.

The three suspects, who have been nabbed by the police, said as long as car owners did not safeguard their vehicles using modern gadgets, such cars would be stolen by thieves.

Victor said: “Nigerians who have cars should buy better security code.

They should use trackers and stop careless parking along the streets!”

Solomon added: “It’s true that some gangs take time to search for trackers in car they want to steal but we don’t have such time. We don’t like wasting time searching for trackers because its’ often too well hidden. But still, the best bet is to fix cars with trackers.”

Their arrest came just days after the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said about 254 vehicles were snatched in 2013, 272 were removed from where they were parked by their owners while five were stolen by hired drivers.

However, the police recovered 919 vehicles in the year under review.

The suspects were arrested after a member of a decoy team deployed by the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, Lagos State, Mr. Abba Kyarri, posed as a buyer of one of the vehicles stolen by the gang. The decoy team was led by a policewoman identified simply as ‘iron lady.’

Victor was the seller and he had agreed to sell a Honda Accord for N120.000.

But when he went to collect his payment, he was rounded up by po-

10

We formed our gang in prison –Car thieves

Ajanaku

licemen. The police used Victor as bait to arrest Solomon and Ajanaku.

Two other members of the gang including the leader are still at large.

Ajanaku confessed that he had stolen three Capstan Nissan vans, using the locally-made master key.

Solomon said he had stolen only two vehicles; one Capstan Nissan and Toyota Camry. Obinna insisted that the Honda Accord was his first.

The gang had also stolen a Rav4 SUV, which they took to one Alhaji in Benin Republic. The removal of the SUV was facilitated by the two members at large.

According to Victor, the common name for the master key among gang members is ‘suri.’

He said, “I did not know that I was dealing with the police when I took that Honda Accord to the buyer.

I got to know the buyer through one of our fleeing gang member. When I gave the buyer the car, he promised to pay later. We didn’t see him for two weeks and his phone number was not going through. He later called me and asked me to come for the payment. That was how they arrested me.

“I was shocked when the buyer started mentioning the names of other gang members. People I knew he had not met.”

Solomon was angry with Vic-

Solomon

Victor

Locally-made master keys

tor for bringing policemen to his home. He said that Victor betrayed the trust he reposed in him.

“I took him to my house because I trusted him. When he was arrested, he now brought policemen to my house. And the truth of the matter is that I had already stopped this work since last year. I’m now working with a construction company and planned to marry soon.

I’m a changed person,” he added.

Solomon said the master key could open mostly Capstan pickup model vans. The first car he stole, according to him, was sold for N100, 000.

“It was because the money was so little, that I decided to quit. It

was not worth the risk!. I also discovered that the master key doesn’t open vehicles which most buyers used to request,” Solomon said.

Police discovered that Victor worked with a pseudonym, ‘Aha boy.’ His job was to take stolen cars to Benin Republic.

While in Benin during one of his sojourn, Victor fell sick and Alhaji, was responsible for the payment of his bill. Thereafter, Alhaji, encouraged him to work independently by bringing his own stolen cars.

A police source said; “Alhaji gave him a master key. But when he got to Nigeria, Victor discovered that the key does not work properly.

Victor contacted Solomon, who went to Ondo State to see Ajanaku.

It was there Ajanaku gave him many other keys. He also showed Ajanaku how to use it. They stole one car in Ondo and brought it down to Lagos.”

Victor said after Solomon quit stealing cars, he continued because “I wanted to raise money to buy a bus. I needed to survive and there was no job.”

Meanwhile, Manko has vowed to make sure his men work round the clock to check car thieves in the state.

The CP said in 2012, about 1,314 cars were officially reported stolen. There are indications that more cars would have been stolen as not all cases of stolen cars were reported to the police.

Statistics shows that Toyota Camry topped the list of moststolen cars in 2012. This was followed closely by Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord.

The statistics further showed that 980 of the stolen vehicles were recovered also in 2012. About 729 were apparently snatched at gunpoint while 577 were removed from the spots they were parked by their owners. About eight cars were stolen by drivers employed by the owners.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

street diary

11

Unemployment: How racketeers defraud job seekers Staggering unemployment in the country may have facilitated the activities of job racketeers, who sometimes conceal their true identities to defraud unsuspecting job seekers. TUNDE OSOWE and TAIWO JIMOH report.

A

Lagos resident, Mr. Adeniyi Awolusi, had left his residence to visit a friend at Kodesho Street, Ikeja. When he got to the street, he saw a notice pasted on a wall asking job applicants to apply for various jobs in an unnamed company.

The notice, which had remuneration that each job would attract at the end of the month, advised interested applicants to apply online.

Without delay, Awolusi applied same day. A few days later, he received an SMS detailing him to come for aptitude test, after which he was also invited for oral interview. His name was eventually shortlisted and was asked to come for his letter of recommendation.

He said, “I was initially confused about what they meant by letter of recommendation. On getting there, I was asked to pay N2, 500, which I paid on the spot before I was given the letter and directed to present it to an organisation with the address written on it. When I opened it, I discovered that the letter was addressed to a restaurant. I shouted, and requested that my money should be refunded but they never did. I was helpless.”

Awolusi had a similar experience the second time. But he found wisdom in the saying that: ‘once beaten, twice shy.’

“The second was similar, but

immediately I noticed the game plan, I declined to pay any money this time around, so I stormed out almost immediately,” he added.

Another victim, Ms. Mercy Olatunji, while sharing her ordeal claimed that apart from the money (N1500) she paid to get “linked to different organisations,” she had to spend a lot of money on transport fare because the job racketeers advised her to visit different organisations within three weeks.

According to her, they claimed that they have the mandate of some organisations to recruit for them.

However, she stated that most of the firms visited denied ever contracting any individual or organisation to recruit on their behalf. “Having tried all my possible best, and nothing was forthcoming, I had to resign to fate,” she stated.

These are few cases of victims who had fallen for the trick of job racketeers otherwise known as ‘job agents.”

They capitalise on the high unemployment rate in the country to defraud unsuspecting job seekers by asking them to pay various sums of money under the pretext of getting employment for them in various organisations within the metropolis.

While the racketeers continue to laugh all the way to the bank, their victims continue to suffer in silence

as such cases are not reported to security agencies.

Sources at Ifako-Ijaiye, Onigbongbo and Makinde police stations said there were no available records to show that such cases were reported to the police despite the fact that jobs racketeers abound in the city.

One of the sources said: “Considering its nature, the offence is criminal and punishable under the law, but people have not availed themselves the opportunity provided by law to seek redress.

“It is not unusual to see their sign posts and other notices here and there, and even online. But what I think is most important in this regard is for our people to be wise enough to stay away from patronising them.

When one of our correspondents contacted some of the agents, they requested his resume and other necessary documents and payment of between N1, 500 and

I was told I would be given a job at one of the new generation banks, but my salary for the first three months would come to the company

N2, 000 as registration fee.

One of the agents called Neo Chane Nigeria Limited told our correspondent on phone when he posed as one of the prospective job seekers.

“Before you can be given a job, you have to pay the sum of N1, 500 as a consulting fee to our company.

Thereafter, you will be directed to the company of your choice,” a man who claimed to work for one of the agencies, Neo Chane Nigeria Limited, told one of our correspondents on the phone.

The agency has members of staff who distribute its leaflets at Berger Bus Stop and some areas in Ikeja area of Lagos.

According to the leaflets, there are vacancies for “Bar soap producers, Aloe Vera product marketers, Orange Juice and Preserved wine markets on either part time or full time basis.”

Another victim who craved anonymity narrated how he fell victim to the agent’s trick.

“When I was given a leaflet at Ikeja under bridge by one of their employees I called the phone number on the leaflet and I went to their office at Allen Avenue. I met an elderly man who called himself the managing director of the company. He told me to pay N1, 000 to the company secretary as my pro-

cessing fee. After I had made the payment, I was referred to a store where they sell children’s wares.

“When I got to the shop, the woman I met there told me she did not need male worker that what she needed was a female. I left the place and went back to the agent’s office. After explaining what happened, they asked me to pay another fee to enable them to process another job for me.

“I left their office in annoyance and since then, I have not been patronising them instead I have been buying national dailies to check for vacancies.”

Another victim said when he got to Lagos, a friend introduced him to a “job placement office at Sura shopping complex on the Island”.

“I left home as early as 6:30am for the office on the Island. When I got there, I was directed to meet with the personnel manager who in turned asked me to fill in a form.

“I was told I would be given a job at one of the new generation banks, but my salary for the first three months would come to the company and I was told to go home and sleep on it and get back to them. When I got home that night, I discussed what I went through with my elder brother, who advised me not to go there anymore. “

Voices

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

Street Diary

Would you allow your spouse to wear a tattoo?

It is not a crime

Wearing a tattoo is not a crime to me but which value is it going to add to my partner’s beauty? If that is the case then it is useless to me because am much concerned about character. So I hereby disallow it.

Akinrinade Adekola - A student of Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State I am not in support of it

Well I like tattoos that have names or little inscriptions but not the bold ones we see these days; it is so demonic. So for my spouse, it depends on if its temporary or permanent and it depends on if it is a nice one or not. But above all, God does not like it. So am not in support of it.

It’s good to admire it on others because it is not really accepted here.

Temilola Adebiyi – Customers’ relations

Not on every part of the body

If she likes it no problem but not on the exposed part of her body, preferably on her breast or her waist.

Dr. Saheed Bello - A medical practitioner Definitely not I’m against it. Will I allow my spouse to wear it? Definitely not, reasons being that it is against my belief system (traditional and religious). It is alien to the African culture and to the African people.

The origin of tattoo is satanic and it is practiced more in the western world. It is also against the bible or its teachings but some people go ahead to pierce their bodies. The body was given by the creator (GOD) and it isn’t expected to be tattoos or altered in any form. Although it looks good on some peoples’ body, I still don’t like it. So I won’t allow my spouse have a tattoo.

Olabode Bamise - A musician It doesn’t make sense I will not allow her. God has created the skin the way He wants it, why should she wants to make her own design on it. It doesn’t make sense. I cannot wear tattoo myself, she cannot insist on wearing it.

Amaechi Onele - Sales Rep

Yes, I would Personally, tattoo is fashion oriented. I would allow my spouse to have a tattoo if she deems fit as long as she does them for the right reasons.

It could be to keep some memories alive just like Iyanya that tattooed his dad’s, mum’s and sister’s names on his body. According to him, as long as he sees their names on his body, they remain alive

Pita Ochai – Works with a publishing firm

I believe in natural beauty

It is not responsible I don’t support it. It doesn’t show responsibility. A responsible God fearing man will never put a tattoo on his body. But you know the world has changed and people see it as a norm. But my upbringing will never see anything normal or responsible in it.

Doyin Ogunleye –An undergraduate at Leeds City University, Ibadan

I cannot and will not allow my spouse wear tattoos too. I believe in natural beauty and should love her the way God designed her to be. If tattoo is actually to enhance beauty, then it cannot be better than her natural self which God has created. If he has it before marriage, I have no problem with it.

But I am generally indifferent about it.

It depends on...

It depends on what is written on the tattoo and where the tattoo is located. If it is my name and located on his balls no wahala. But if not, I won’t agree.

Medinat Kanabe, a journalist

Olutola Thomas – a printer

It is against the scripture Personally, I will not allow my spouse to wear tattoo because it goes against the scripture. God does not allow body tattoo. According to Leviticus 19: 28, wearing tattoo is a sin. Thus, I will not want to commit sin against God. Even if she insist on wearing it, I will not allow her. Never!

Gbenga Bello – Clergy

It is a mark of Inresponsibility Naturally, I don’t think a woman needs any body art to make her body attractive. Considering the rate at which many commercial sex workers in the nooks and crannies of Lagos brandish one or two tattoos on their bodies making them look wild and wayward, I wouldn’t want to live with a woman who comes across to me as a call girl.

Akeem Akinniyi - Copy Writer with an advertising firm

It is against God No I wouldn’t. Mine is just from a biblical angle. I believe we all should leave the creation of God as it is.

God’s creation is our bodies.

He did all perfectly. So why make an addition to it? If he felt we needed tattoos, He would have done that from the beginning. Maybe that’s why we have birthmarks. After looking at it from a biblical angle, the physical angle too shouldn’t be left out.

Tolu Ogunleye – An under graduate at the University of Abuja It gives a wild look I don’t like tattoos. My reason is I am not freaked about it first and also it gives a wild look and it really doesn’t give a decent interpretation about someone! I won’t even marry someone that will ever consider a tattoo on his body.

Bimpe Oyewo – an unemployed graduate

What is the purpose?

No, I can’t allow him to wear a tattoo. What’s the purpose of wearing a tattoo? To me it doesn’t make sense, it’s just for fashion.

Mrs. Tinuke Alabi - A lawyer I am not a lover of tattoo I have never for once been a lover of tattoo, so I will say a big no to that. My wife will seek my consent before she embarks on a thing like that and I will tell her my opinion why I don’t like tattoo.

To some, it is fashion; but every other person has his likes or dislikes, everybody has the right for expression.

Akeem Emichegbe- Marketer

compiled by

Ricketts Olushola, mojeed alabi & Elijah Eda Samuel

Instyle Elegant dress sense for the office p.16 Arts Mirroring the Civil Rights Movement p.19

NTWEEKEND

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

www.newtelegraphonline.com/weekend

8 MARCH 2014

13

C o n v e r s at i o n

The ballad king talks religion, film and music Bongos Ikwue was one of the illustrious voices that lit up Nigeria’s music scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. At a chance meeting in Uyo recently Sony Neme speaks with the legendary ballad singer

H

e is still passionate about music. But lately there is now a new passion that drives him - movies. It’s no surprise really because Ikwue is chairman of the board of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC). Like every leader, he has his visions. Though he was not in a hurry to disclose them, but he gave out a hint of what to expect in his usually blunt manner.

“I believe there is so much work to be done. And there should be less talk. I don’t like to talk.

Talk is cheap for a lot of people. I will wait and see. I believe that so far the film corporation has not made any impact in this country. I like to find out the mandate of the film corporation. What did it set out to achieve? And can we achieve it?”

But there was a sudden pause. “Now you are getting me to start talking. At the end of the talk there is a lot of hope and at the end of the day nothing happens. I don’t want to get into that situation,” he said, matter-of-factly. But he spoke nonetheless, his eyes lighting up when the subject shifts to his studio in Benue, his home state.

“We are still working. I have come to the conclusion that music in itself can achieve a lot. And a lot of honest and sincere messages can be passed through music. I believe that as I sit down here with you, the time has come for this country to play down religion and play up God. I think there too much of religion. That can be harmful.”

There was another pause as a waiter arrives to take his order, giggling as she recognizes her esteemed guest. “The world used to be very big; but the world is now very small.

The human race is fragmenting itself, by lack of the ability to even sit down and discuss religion; to even sit down and talk

Ikwue in his studio

to each other. I believe religion has blinded many to believe that they are the saved ones. That they are the good people.

When you keep telling people that, it means the others are not. I think the time has come for us to play down religion and play up God. And I believe the time is now.”

To help attain that goal, he has written some songs, one of which he titled Your God and My God. Another one is titled Mustapha and Christopher.

Speaking further on the vision, he said: “Now the prob-

lem is that when everybody wants their God to be your God it becomes a problem. I don’t want to insult the human race, but it looks to me that we are collectively unintelligent.

There is nobody you will ask the question ‘who created you’ that will not say it is God. How come we are so different if one God created all humans? Don’t you think that there is a problem when a particular religion thinks they CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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WEEKEND | CONVERSATION

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

Music in itself can achieve a lot C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

are the only way to God? “Can’t you see that when God’s rain falls, it falls on everybody? Can’t you see that when God’s sun shines, it shines on everybody. How come humans now think that they can do God’s work? When they cannot do their own work? God doesn’t need any man to do his work. I will not worship any God that requires the help of man. And I put it to you that when it is harmattan, it takes place, and when it is time for rain to fall, God does not need any man to remind him.

He has never failed. What is our problem?

“I like to be understood that I am anti-religion and pro-God, and it is very important to me what I am talking about. I just came back from a journey outside of this country.

If it was Nigeria, they will pray before entering the aircraft. And they will pray after landing. Nobody prayed and we landed. If you had prayed with a pastor, he will think that it is his prayers that has helped you. I don’t think it is the prayer. I think it is everything that Almighty God has put in place.

Use your common sense to check your car

IN THE GROOVE

Ikwue

so that it will behave well on the road.”

With this appointment Ikwue joins the growing list of entertainers who have got political appointments from the present administration. That he merits the office is not in doubt because he remains one of Ni-

A poet and a novelist cast a literary spell

Elvis Iyorngurum

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geria’s music talents who have contributed immensely to the growth of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

NFC helps to promote the motion pictures industry in Nigeria and give grants also. In the area of policy, NFC has put in

place various proposals that will help reposition the corporation to meet the challenges of the development of a vibrant and self-sustaining film sector that will be globally competitive. The various draft policies and reviewed laws have been submitted to government for consideration and approval.

These include: Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON). The proposed council will professionalize the Nigerian motion picture industry through the provision of code of ethics for practitioners; National Film Development Fund (NFDF). This will provide industry practitioners access to funds for production and other activities in the industry; and National Film Village Development (NFVD). The aim is to guide development of film villages across the country by both private sector investors.

There is the reviewed (1992) National Film Policy for Nigeria. This was undertaken in 2005 by a review committee under the NFC and it was largely made up of stakeholders who came up with a document detailing a film policy guide that would ensure an orderly development and growth of the film industry in Nigeria.

wo writers, Paul Liam and Theophilus Abbah, were guests of the Abuja Writers’ Forum at the literary organisation’s Guest Writer Session for the month of February, 2014. The event is usually a gathering of writers and writing enthusiasts who come together to listen to authors of published books read from their work.

It presents the audience with the opportunity to interact with the guest writers to get first hand insight into the story behind their books. In recent times, the event has also featured other genres of creative arts like fashion design, visual arts and filmmaking.

The February edition of the Guest Writer Session was another package presented to book lovers in the usual fun, excitement and education that is an enduring tradition of the monthly event.

After a rendition of the national anthem, Liam mounted the front seat to read from his debut collection of poems titled Indefinite Cravings. Liam is the assistant secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Niger State chapter. He is also the public relations manager of the Hilltoparts Centre also in Minna, Niger State. A prolific writer, poet, critic and essayist, Liam has written and published several works in the national dailies. He also writes and reports for the Niger state government through publications such as The Interpreter and Impact Magazine etc.

While responding to questions from the audience, Liam said he got inspired to write the poems in the collection by an experience he once had when he found himself in a police cell. He said for the period he was in detention for an offence he did not commit, he wrote the poems mentally and got them onto paper as soon as he regained his freedom. Explaining the influence of his en-

vironment on his writing, he said he comes from the barracks where one is exposed to all manner of experiences ranging from the good to the ugly and such an environment offers one a lot to write about.

Abbah is a past winner of the Forum for African Investigative Reporters’ Editors’ Courage Award and a 2012 finalist of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism Award in the print category. Among his honours is a nomination in 2013 for the ANA award for prose fiction.

One of the judges in the competition described his work as “highly engaging and explosive”.

When Abbah took the front seat at the reading, he drew his presentation from his 500-page novel, Lost in the Wind. He was praised by respondents from the audience for his engaging narrative and his depiction of the current religious tensions that have marred the

war. She said the gory images of kwashiorkor-stricken children and the memories of men who simply disappeared and were never found lives with her forever and the pain they evoke

is always fresh like the events happene d just yesterAbbah day.

She emPhoto: Jubilee phasized that Uzomah more of books like Abbah’s Lost in the Wind are needed to educate our population on the horrors of war and the need for peaceful mutual co-existence.

A member of the audience sought to know Abbah’s mode of publishing to which he answered that he had self-published his work but after thorough editing. On if his work could be classified as historical fiction, the award-winning journalist answered in the affirmative.

Liam Before rounding off their presentations, fabric of Nigeria’s unity. A female respon- the two writers responded to the opportudent described her experience as a little girl nity to read at the forum. Abbah said he had in Eastern Nigeria during the country’s civil resisted the urge to do a public launch of

his book and that he was glad that the AWF had presented him with the opportunity for an event that seemed to him like a public introduction of his work. He expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunity and also the valuable input that the community of writers present offered to his work.

Liam was no less grateful. He said he was particularly delighted for the opportunity to read his work to the hearing of literary enthusiasts and seasoned writers and he considered the event a stepping ground for his writing career.

The event thereafter progressed into the traditional segment of a raffle draw through which members of the audience have a chance to win free book prizes. The raffle draw is the forum’s way of giving out books to promote Nigerian literature and also contribute to the revival of the country’s reading culture.

The Abuja Writers’ Forum is a foremost literary society based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja and founded with the vision of leading the way in efforts to re-awaken the book culture in Nigeria by celebrating Nigerian writers and indeed writers across the world, promoting reading and writing in the country and also giving writers and intending writers the opportunity to nurture the talent to maturity.

The Guest Writer Forum holds at Nanet Suites, Ekiti House, Abuja. Meanwhile the forum meets every Sunday at Hamdala Plaza, Asokoro, Abuja for critique sessions and also has a workshop series on creative writing in the genres of poetry, prose and drama. All activities of the forum are open to the public and the opportunities of taking part in them are available for all established and prospective writers.

- Iyorngurum is a writer, poet, editor and the secretary of the Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF). He writes from Abuja.

Business Unusual

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

8 MARCH 2014

A guide for medical tourists Dr. Ufuoma Okotete, Managing Director of Lekki, Lagos-based Diamond Helix Medical Assistance Ltd, speaks with DOMINIK UMOSEN on finding and filling a niche in medical tourism

T

his reporter still recalls walking into her Lekki Phase 1 office that hot Tuesday afternoon and finding the delectable medical personnel deep in the middle of a trans-Atlantic phone call. Obviously incapacitated, in terms of ability to demonstrate basic human courtesy, Okotete resorted to her first-lesson in the art of gesticulations and sign language to spell out her helplessness, ostensibly to make her visitor feel welcome.

Half an hour later, your host returns from the extensive call, apologising profusely for not being able to trade banters with her visitor for so long.

Today, the Delta State born-physician can look back on her stubborn streak with pride because the business that started from nothing and from her aunt’s office, has grown into an empire that is worth something in over N200m and is still growing. Before she got admission into the University of Benin to study medicine, Okotete had always known that all she ever wanted to do in life was to become a doctor. As a matter of fact, she bought her first book on medicine while in primary five in the oil city of Warri.

She was able to decide on a career choice so early in life partly because of the influence provided by an elder brother who is a consultant surgeon and partly because of positive mentoring by people like Evelyn Oputu, managing director of the Bank of Industry and Mrs Erediawe, among others.

“Every young woman, either in business or not, should have a mentor. I had mine and have benefitted immensely from them. Most times, experienced women give you a guide, direct you about life. There is a mentoring group in Women in Business. We meet, share inspiration and experiences and stress the need to believe in yourself. Honestly, there are times you might feel like closing shop and leaving Nigeria. Let me tell you the truth about life; It is not every day you wake up excited and upbeat all the time,” she said.

Continuing, Okotete said: “There are several reasons to feel depressed in this country.

Even if any other thing does not get you depressed, the challenge of providing constant power for your business is enough to drive you under. But because you have been constantly told that you can make it, you get to believe in yourself. After each pressure that

VITAL STATS Profession : Medical Practitioner Company Name: Helix Diamond Medical

Assistance Ltd Turn-Over: Over N200M

comes, you get to believe in yourself that you can and will actually get over the challenge.

Those who have scaled through similar problems impress it upon you that you can make it. That is why proper mentoring is important’.

For women who hinge their sales pitches on female sexuality, Okotete has some harsh words. According to her, media messages that deploy female sexuality to drive profit are all examples of advertising gone wrong because apart from debasing the essence of womanhood, such messages deliberately refuse to acknowledge that any woman who relies on flaunting her feminine sexuality for commercial reasons is a disaster waiting for the right moment.

The enduring lesson she learnt from her aunt is that every woman is a seasonal flower that blossoms only when due. “Mothers have duty to instill the true essence of womanhood in their daughters and wards. And make them realize that they can become whatever they want to become without desecrating themselves. Poverty and ignorance can combine to create desperation which forces some women to do certain things that are not flattering to women.”

According to the Helix Diamond Medical Assistance boss, “some women just cannot see beyond the moment. She recalls the advice her aunt told her when she first came to Lagos some years ago. She recalled her aunt telling her that any woman who decides to used men as a source of income overlooks the fact that a day would come when it would no longer be possible or fashionable to do so. There is the definite possibility of being put out of this socalled business by prettier and younger girls who will definitely steal the attention.

“When a woman goes out of fashion, she belatedly realises that there is no alternative for working hard for one’s money. In fact, if a woman works hard and makes genuine money, the more she has, the more men want to give to such a woman. This advice made a lot of sense to me and I can say with pride that such mentoring helped me to get to where I am in life today,” she said.

Okotete’s rise to the top reads like a modern rags-to-riches legend because she did not have much in her name when she started out from her aunt’s office. “I started doing medical tourism because this did not require extraordinary capital to take-off. All I had to do was word of mouth advertising, telling people about what I was capable of doing. That was about all the capital I needed. I did not even have an office, apart from the desk in my aunt’s office,” she added.

Although she blames the system for allowing conditions to deteriorate to the point of medical workers embarking on industrial action to resolve issues, Okotete nevertheless believes that strike by medical doctors is unethical. The health sector, she says, Okotete

deserves a lot more attention from government than what it is getting presently. Wealthy Nigerians, she says, could also do better by investing in the sector, instead of thinking that rapid profit could only be guaranteed in the petroleum or telecoms sectors.

“People forget that investments in the sector carry a definite promise of profit since every human being must definitely fall sick at some point in his or her life. It is like the inevitability of death which no one prays for but must certainly come some day. Also, every pregnant who is carrying a baby must definitely require a hospital to put to birth. You can see that the possibilities for investment in the sector are underestimated,” she said, adding that the health sector has been witnessing a renaissance in the last two years, with medical professionals who left, returning to the country to help make the renaissance possible.

Although Okotete disagrees that its services are exclusive, Diamond Helix Medical As-

sistance reaches out to people who require health services by moving them from point A to point B. It gives specific referral services to where they can actually find or obtain treatment for as low as N30,000 in some cases. In addition to providing information about how people could stay healthy, movement of customers from one; point to the other could also be within or outside the country. In emergency situations, the deployment of sophisticated logistics like air ambulances are also made available to those who can afford it.

“Diamond Helix has grown into a business that is worth over N200 million. We partner, technically, with some professionals in Germany, Britain, India and a few other countries.

Nigerians have contributed significantly to medical tourism in India, Britain and some other countries.”

She believes the society has its fair share of the blame if some women decide to do unflattering things to the image of womanhood for the sake of survival. All those lurid images of hipwriggling and provocatively-dressed (some say barely-dressed) women flashing ceaselessly in the media, Okotete says, cannot go without some form of societal endorsement. But in the final analysis, she says, the choice of retaining one’s values, dignity and self-respect lies with the individual.

“I am aware that poverty also fuels the practice of glorifying the culture of near-nudity and prostitution. Some people engage in it for commercial reasons. Prostitution and poverty are like brothers and sisters. One preys on the other to advance itself. Any where there is extreme poverty, it usually occurs. But women must bear in mind that the fact that men are falling over you today does not mean that the situation will remain so forever. What happens when you are no longer the cynosure of all eyes?”

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‘I’m no label freak’ Koffi Idowu Nuel broke into limelight as a comedian.

So, many do not realise he could act and sing. Fewer still realise he is a fashion connoisseur as this encounter with ANGELA DAVIES reveals.

How would you define your personal style?

My style is a very simple one. I don’t dress extravagantly. I like to look as comfortable as possible, wearing a good shirt on a good pant. But for a corporate event, I will wear a suit and a tie to represent the brand I’m working for.

So what determines the kind of outfit you wear to an event?

Elegant dress sense for the office

N

o doubt, you want to look fashionable to the office Monday through Friday. However, the office environment is not the place where you wear flirtatious or tacky outfits to. Wearing suitable smart and decent ensemble with the right accessories, you are sure to fit into your office environment and also go from drab to fab in your office wear.

Nevertheless note that different organizations have their rule of thumb for office dressing. However, if your office does not have rules, then, moderation, sophistication and decency should be your watchword.

Here are some tips to guide you • •

• •

• •

• • • •

Understand what is appropriate in your industry and if your organization has a dress code, follow it.

When you dress, make sure your clothes fit -If your clothes are too big or too small, they are not going to look good. There is an array of flattering and elegant cloths with good fit to select from such as chic dress, pant or skirt with lovely blouse, skirt, dress or trouser suit, sleeveless gown with complementing blazer or even casual outfits like jean and top for Friday to look elegant as well as impress.

If you must wear sleeveless dress, blouse or tank top ensure to wear a blazer or jacket over it.

If you tuck your shirt into your trouser or skirt, use a belt around your waist to accentuate it. However, stick to narrow leather belts with a gold or silver buckle.

Avoid wearing overly flashy clothes, torn or sloppy outfits.

Stay away from skimpy wears, overly clinging, cleavage revealing and transparent outfits. Also avoid wearing outfits with very high slits, mini gowns and skirts as well as clothes with plunging necklines.

Never wear a tight pant, skirt or dress that flaunts your pant line.

Don’t over-accessorise - Accessories are meant to complement your outfit, not overpower it.

Keep your make-up simple and hairstyle neat Finally, add zest to your office look with accessories like scarves, stylish pumps, elegant handbags, cute cocktail rings, bracelet and gold or silver wristwatch. Remember that when it comes to accessorizing your office wear, it is good to keep it simple, bling free, minimal yet elegant.

from what I use to be.

What is your most priced fashion possession?

My frames. They are expensive but, like I said, I am going to stop wearing them.

What is that clothing item you can never be caught wearing?

I won’t be caught wearing skinny jeans. The mere thought of it is unpleasant.

The occasion does. For a casual event, it has to be a casual corporate look, so I will wear a pair of jeans with a very wonderful shirt and jacket. But if I’m going for a corporate event, it has to be full suit attire with a tie. And if I am going for a function like a dinner set up, I will have to go dressed up thus; so it depends on the function.

Best designer

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

My official colours are green and white but, personally, I love blue and black. Most of my shoes are blue.

It is the corporate outfit because I’m more of a corporate compere. I roll more in the corporate circle. So, in my wardrobe there are more suits than dress-down outfits.

Favourite piece of clothing

I make my designs and give to my own tailor, Chris Legend, to sew because that is the only person who really works for me.

Signature perfume

I like Calvin Klein’s YOU. That is what I grew up knowing. That is the only perfume that works for me.

Best colours

Are you a fashion freak?

No, I am not. Once I look comfortable in that outfit I don’t want to know what the brand label or logo is.

It will be a T-shirt and jeans. I’m a very casual person personally except for professional reasons.

Are you a shoes freak?

I’m; but I don’t let it get into my head.

What is the most expensive fashion item you have ever bought?

It was a pair of silver shoes which, unfortunately, was stolen by armed robbers along with another pair of shoes. That pair of silver shoes were so expensive. It was the most expensive I had bought at that time and after that incident, I made sure I never spend that much on a fashion item again.

What fashion item can’t you do without?

It used to be my sunglasses.

There was no way I would leave home without my sunshade, but now the fashion item I cannot do without is my handkerchief. I always sweat because of the heat, so I must have my handkerchief with me all the time.

But sunglasses have become your signature

Yes, it is, but I just feel that I should wear a new look in the New Year and be a bit different

Koffi

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Accessories to live for

Flattering ankle strap heels

Facts

Accessories are intended to complement every woman’s outfit. ANGELA DAVIES writes on the ankle strap heels currently enjoying their day in the sun.

A

nkle strap heels are trending on as they are generally seen in chic, casual and trendy style. The fashionable style of ankle-strap heels gives an appropriate touch of sexy-chic to a sophisticated outfit. Today, celebrities rock these heels to different events in various flattering outfits to suit their personal style.

The strap is what draws the attention to the ankle, which is the skinniest part

Cotton is the most widely used clothing material in the world.

of the leg. They offer an extra leanness to the legs and allow for that extra comfort to enable you walk gracefully. An ankle strap will bring out your femininity and give stability to your frame.

The straps come in form of thin, Criss-cross and T-strap even as they come in varied fascinating colours and style. So, be it an ankle strap heel with open toe, closed-toe, pointed toe, pumps or platform it will surely add subtle feminine appeal, depending on which kind of outfit you choose to pair with it.

Remember, the ankle strap heels are something you can rely on when you need that extra sophistication.

Today, when our hair gets oily we just wash it, but in the 1940s, women would wear turbans to hide their greasy hair.

It was once a taboo to wear black unless one was in mourning.

Victorian widows were expected to wear black mourning clothes for two years after their husbands’ deaths.

The crocodile of Lacoste was the first brand name to ever appear as a logo on any garment.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

Oleku twist wrap dress

T

his is a fashion face-off between American music superstar, Kelly Rowland and Nigerian ex-beauty queen and rapper, Munachi Abii, on who wore the oleku twist wrap dress better. The dress features a wrap detail to enable the wearer twist and tie to suit her style.

Kelly Rowland was spotted in the Leopard print oleku twist dress by Fashpa.com on her last day in Lagos recently. The singer styled the cow neck silk chiffon dress with black crystal necklace, diamond stud earrings, gold and silver bracelets and nude pointedtoe Christian Louboutin Pigalle shoes. And of course she harmonized her look with her short chic bob hairstyle.

While Munachi Abii rocked the dress in a colourful chiffon print to the House of Nwocha Spring 2014 “Cocoon” Fashion Showcase and House of Tara event which held on the same day in Lagos recently. Munachi styled the oleku twist wrap dress with colourful bangles and cocktail ring.

She complemented her look with a greenish blue purse and wore a pink T-strap ankle strap heel to match the colours from the dress. She also spotted blond and black side parted hairstyle which covered one eye.

Kelly Rowland

Munachi Abii

StartUps

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Nigeria’s business potential still hidden –Maduike Chinwe Maduike is founder of Rare Gem Consulting, a global outfit with interests in transport, housing, real estate among others. In this interview with SEGUN EDWARDS, she speaks about Rare Gem’s gradual encroachment into the Nigeria’s market and some untapped resources in the country. Excerpts: What informed your decision to extend your consulting service to Nigeria?

First of all, I am a Nigerian from Imo State and I think what we should be saying here is why I even decided to start my business abroad before considering coming home. I have this rare privilege of being trained by an Israeli. It was a very tasking adventure but I came out a better person. In setting up a business such as ours, a lot of things come into consideration and major among these is nearness to the kind of clients you have in mind. There are many big corporate organisations in Nigeria. But you will have to ask yourself one basic question at this point: Do these organisations really need the type of service you have in mind at the given point you want to set out. The answer to this as at the time we wanted to set out is no. So, I was left with no choice than to start the consulting business from the United Kingdom. The point is that the level of technological exposure in Nigeria at the time we set out was still very low.

Now that you are coming to Nigeria gradually, do you intend to partner with any Nigerian organisation or company to fasttrack your understanding of the Nigeria’s business environment?

The answer to this is no. Well, at a point we did some trial but we realised it was not paying off. So, we now decided to go it alone. Rare Gem is launching out independently without any partnership with any Nigerian company. One thing we should realise is that I am not a total stranger to the Nigeria’s business environment.

Thank God for modern day technology where you can access any information you want on net. Apart from that, I am a regular visitor to Nigeria. This is the reason why I have been able to do some business with many Nigerian institutions as well as the government of Nigeria. Rare Gem has done business with the National Assembly here in Nigeria, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Power and Steel and now we are planning to extend this to the Federal Government and some corporate private businesses in Nigeria including the telecommunication companies.

How do you intend to contribute your own quota to make things work in Nigeria rather than developing foreign economies?

Quite a lot can be done in the area of consultancy and even setting up businesses that will galvanise the Nigerian economy. As I have said earlier, some of us are just getting the inspiration to come home now, seeing the sincerity of purpose in the present day government. Right now, I plan to meet with the management of the

The Imo State government has the duty to ensure that the right people are engaged in the right place at the right time

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to see how we can work together to get our airports to the front burner through the net so that investors and tourists could have firsthand information even before setting their feet on the country. I am considering this and it is one of the main reasons why I am coming into the country.

You talked about tourism. What are the tourism and economic potential in Imo State, your home state?

Imo State has abundant untapped tourism potentials, which offer a lot of possibilities in terms of finance generation, employment and re-positioning of the state’s image nationally and internationally. These untapped potentials include; the Abadaba Lake Obowo, Rolling Hills at Okigwe and National Springs located at Onicha Ezinihitte Mbaise. Mgbede at Orlu, Imo wonder lake project in Oguta, Ogidi at Amaifeke Orlu, Iyi Okwu at Ihioma, Eziama Mystic Spring in Ideato South and others to mention but a few.

How can they be turned around for economic gains?

The hidden tourist potentials of Imo State can best be maximised to its full potential by introducing and implementing advanced geospatial systems techniques such as Global Positioning System, and digital database to provide better tourism details and broader description of tourist attraction sites in the state to potential tourists, in and around Nigeria and indeed the world. This is because today’s tourists are better educated and more knowledgeable.

They are looking for memorable experiences that combine relaxation, educational, cultural and intellectual interest with leisure. The project manager of each tourist site must develop a holistic view of the site and the unique culture of the locality which showcases the local culture without destroying their way of life or distorting the location of the tourist site.

Social cultural issues, such as the acceptance of foreigners to the local communities must be addressed. The local communities must be given the opportunities to sell their local memorabilia’s. This is usually sort by tourists as a mark of remembrance of their trip to that particular location.

Furthermore, this in turn would act as an advertisement for the location.

What would be the gains?

An effective marketing strategy should be implemented which will be based mainly to ensure customers know about our existence and the service(s) we fulfill. Our intention is to make the right information available to the right target customers. This will be done through implementing a market penetration strategy that will ensure that the state tourism locations are well known and respected in the tourism industry. We must not just take individuals on sightseeing excursions, but also to ensure that they appreciate nature through informative briefings on objects’ origins. This element will assist in differentiating Imo State from her competitors and contribute towards the development of a sustainable competitive advantage.

What would be the role of the state government in all of these?

The Imo State government has the duty to ensure that the right people are engaged in the right place at the right time if we are to ensure optimum growth for tourism in the state. The tourism industry in the state should be one of a mutually-benefiting relationship in which stakeholders in

communities benefit as the tourism industry grows.

There will be need for the Imo State tourism industry, to not only firmly establish itself in the market, but also to strongly differentiate itself from these other businesses. I am aware of the fact that operating in such a market is largely dependent on good networking; the Imo State Tourist Corporation needs to establish networks and strategic relationships with various hotels, lodges and travel agents to ensure a steady stream of clients. Market segmentation dictates that the state needs to know who her target market are. Hence, the need to professionally market the state tourism industry and the services it provides effectively, offering a service of uncompromised nature.

Target Market Segment Strategy: will be based mainly on making the right service(s) available to the right customer. We need to develop our message, communicate it, and make good on it. The decision to establish strategic alliances with several hotels, lodges and travel agencies is aimed at tapping our target market effectively and efficiently.

What are the market needs?

We don’t just intend to provide a service(s), but to provide one of unparalleled nature relative to the market. There is an urgent need for the state government to put in place all necessary security measures to combat crime and all forms of negative vices that will hinder the growth of the industry in the state. Necessary infrastructure must be put in place such as constant supply of power, good hospitality centres, good communication network and access to the internet and accessible road networks.

However, Governor Rochas Okorocha must also be commended for the infrastructures which he has put in place since coming into office. Also, the proactive stance he took to partner with Nollywood to establish a movie village at Oguta Lake will undisputedly put the state on the world map as Nollywood already has a huge following from around the world. Tourists will want to visit the locations in which our movies are produced.

Given the opportunity, will you be willing to serve in any capacity to build Nigeria?

I am pragmatically interested in good governance that works.

However, I am an entrepreneur and an astute business woman with various business commitments at present. Being a patriotic Nigerian however, I will be willing to offer my professional advice if required to do so for the smooth running of Nigeria.

Book A review of Dream Chasers, a collection of short stories p.20

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Civil Rights Movement through the art prism EBERE AMEH writes on a discourse in Lagos that highlights the social and political relevance of arts

A

rt has been used over the centuries for both the portrayal and preservation of cultures. We got to know and are still conversant with medieval cultures because of their art that outlived them.

Art also played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement in America. It is still one of the great mediums through which the culture of African-Americans and memories of the struggle are preserved.

No wonder Charles Bibbs, an acclaimed African-American artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist believes we are the keepers of our culture. As such, he has spent much of his time working towards developing a cohesive, energized African-American community through his art.

In his effort to support the arts and other artists, including young and emerging artists, Bibbs who is most recognized for his exquisite artistic renderings that convey deep senses of spirituality, dignity, strength and grace has founded a number of organizations and businesses. They include Art 2000 Visual Arts Association (also a mentorship programme), Art on Tour, Images Magazine, The Inland Empire Music and Arts Foundation.

Bibbs had a video conference with artists and stakeholders in the Nigerian art industry in Lagos recently, where he explained not only the role of art in the US Civil Rights movement but also the lucrative aspect of art. The programme which was organised by the Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate, Lagos was in commemoration of the Black History Month.

“In America, our identity was stripped by slavery, we didn’t move forward until we were educated about who we are.

That is why I strongly believe that one thing that that is profound in motivating artists is education,” Bibbs noted.

Answering questions about what inspires him, Bibbs reminisced on his obs e ssi o n with Africa and how the continent inspired not only him but the whole African American community.

“Back in the 60s when I was just formulating my skill as an artist, I used to go through the National Geographic and articulated anything African I saw. We had an identity problem and the only thing we could identify with was Africa. All these started affecting our psyche. So we go to Africa to identify who we are. Our renaissance artists were trail blazers who went through all that process and thought us how to reconnect, because you need to reconnect to move on.”

Art, which according to Bibbs encompasses poetry, writing, music, visual arts among others is a powerful medium for the education of the society.

“Art is eternal, a great way of passing on legacy. The only thing that never fails is art. It stays as a testimony that you were there.”

The education is two-fold, transcending from the artist to the people. The artist needs to know what is going on in the minds of the people to be able to communicate with them through arts. At the same time, he has to educate the people to Bibbs and some of his works in the background and below value their culture through art.

“Artists are creative people who service the people. class, so you determine where you want to When an artist feels that he is servicing himself, he has play. The high class are looking for and ready lost it. It is the person beside you that is making you visible. to pay any amount for that original art work. But you shouldn’t The people have a need, you have to understand it to fill it. ignore those who cannot afford those originals and do not mind the reproduced works. Give them what they want. It is in the So a part of you is to educate.”

As important as art is in educating the people and pre- masses that the money and economic power is.

“Renaissance artists created images of our culture, using serving their culture, it is also a great means of making a living. That is why artists see themselves as divine. They technology, we have so many of them. We found a way to express themselves, servicing the needs of the people and mass produce a mass image of our culture. We opened up little art shops and museums in local communities in the making a living in the process.

“Some arts are for aesthetic purposes, just to match the United States and business flourished... until the planes hit couch. Some are bought because of what it means to the those buildings in New York City. We went into a dormant buyer. But for a business man, he weighs all these and stage which didn’t come back until Obama became the president of the United States. That brought back our pride makes or buys the ones that appreciates.”

Bibbs explained the need for mass production and the art business was rekindled again,” Bibbs explained.

On a lighter note, Ms Rhonda Watson, assistant Public of masterpieces so that the common man could have the artwork they like too and the artist make Affairs Officer of the consulate seeing Bibbs’ constant reference and respectful comments about his wife asked him to more money from his work.

“There are the high class and the middle help her explain to Nigerian men the role they have to play in their relationship with their wives.

“Men have been socially recognized as head of the family but the whole thing should be about survival. Men are not the kings, they are figure heads. Every family household should realize that every person has a skill. You have to respect those skills,” Bibbs answered.

Artworks by the revered artist were shown with the help of his wife while he explained the concept and rationale behind the works. Bibbs’ own company, B Graphics and Fine Arts, is renowned as one of the leading publishers and distributors of his art images.

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DREAMS, LIKE MIRAGE A review of Dream Chasers A Collection of New Nigerian Short Stories Didi Cheeka ow do you create an interesting male character from a feminist standpoint?

(For that matter, how do you create an interesting female one?) Feminism, in the sense this term tends to become misandry.

I had raised this question, teasingly, during the public presentation of Nelson Publishers’ Nelson Fiction Series’ anthology - a platform (which aims to be a regular feature) for new and more established voices to showcase their original works. The anthology, Dream Chasers, edited by Adewale Maja-Pearce, features fourteen short stories from writers of different background. Responding, Lola Akande, whose story Camouflage - the first in the collection triggered my question, challenged my assumption that she wrote from a feminist standpoint.

Regardless of the writer’s intent, I do think there’s a strong element of deceiving males and deceived females in this story. If this takes nothing away from the story, it is because the writer keeps the moralizing tone at bay. The mother and daughter are presented as being culpable in their deception - the mother, afterall, claims she can tell a “useless man” a million miles away. I do think, however, that Lola gives the game away from the outset. A character that begins her story on such bubbly note has only one thing coming: heartbreak. And when it comes you’re not taken by surprise. It remains just the question of how plausible the setup is - the mother goes to bring a rich lover to be sleeping in her house with her own daughter (and he readily agrees.)

One distrust the character of the mother, this woman who leaves her marriage because her husband takes another wife equates male trustworthiness with wealth?

I mean, come-on, Okey’s character screams out a million miles away.

With A. Igoni Barrett, the question is: can one create an interesting female character if one is not a feminist? Feminist, in the sense of seeing beyond a woman’s physical attributes. Igoni Barett’s The Little Girl with Budding Breasts and a Bubble Gum Laugh is really well-written. But would the writer have titled a piece about a male protagonist this way: The Little Boy with Budding Penis... You get the drift? I mean if she’s a Little Girl, awareness of her physicality ought to be taken as given, right?

Igoni almost does a good job of

H

REVIEW making you forget we’re dealing with a sexual predator, he tries to make preying on a minor romantic. The Little Girl is so like a tease and strongly recalls Lolita - she changes her to Shakira. (Of all names, precisely this one.) She is rude to the predators parents who are so kind to take her in after her misfortune. Who can possibly sympathize with this ungrateful foul-talking wretch? What keeps this story going is the writer’s almost unconscious indecision - so like a sexual predator’s first time: to go all the way and do it, or not?

In the night scene by the tree, you almost feel the predator’s desperation and frustration. The Girl seem almost unreluctantly complicit in her own abuse, she seem to not want it, but at the same time to want it. To go back to the feminist angle, to what extent does what a girl want, who she wants to be open her to predation?

Quite apart from its ostentatious agenda-tone, Ken Madiebo’s How I Met Steve Biko, set in a South African police station and courtroom does not cohere. The problem of racism in South Africa is quite pervasive. So, to the menace of drug addiction. I think, Ken is more interested in playing black and white, he overlooks the issue of black on black. He overlooks the xenophobia that is the real tragedy. The writer trifles this threat with his play on a very derogatory, dangerous word: kwere-kwere.

This word can get you killed in S.A. By South African blacks. Tony Marinho’s The Curtain could be anywhere - Beirut, Yemen... You just find it hard to accept it is Nigeria. Perhaps it’s the narrative tone, but how do you respond to a piece whose hero-victim is a policeman.

Nothing can be as terryfying that just below the ordered-surface of our life, something lies slumbering that could suddenly awake and unleash chaos on us. In certain parts of Nigeria, people now greet each other in the morning by saying “Happy survival.” This fear - of what lies beneath night and day - is apparent in this story.

But it is only apparent, it’s never real. And this, I think, has got a lot to do with the narrative tone it takes away from the story. And yet, in places, this story aspires to resonate powerfully.

Dulue Mbachu’s The Magic Ring is more concerned with the many bad pronounciation of Good Morning in a rustic village than in

What standard is Nelson Fiction Series aspiring to or is it new stories for the sake of new stories? really exploring his story. The end leaves one with the impression of having undertaken a journey to nowhere. Stain, by Chiaka Obasi is what happens when a male writer - with good intentions, but limited conception of who that person is tries to create a strong female character. You end up relying on stereotypes. And typically, at the first real test, this character falls apart. One is amazed that a character like Nkiru, who really have nothing to lose, falls apart before a long forgotten ancestry (a love affair with a blood relative.) Is it really difficult to create a female character - in a traditional setting - who dares it all, who goes all the way? As an aside, I’m puzzled by this new reference to lion as Odum, and tiger as Agu. Of the two, the word agu is more popular - there are lions in Africa afteral. If, going by recent claims, agu means tiger instead of lion, how, you ask, could our fathers have given such a popular name to an animal they had never seen?

(Tigers are not native to Africa) I failed to connect with Kenechukwu Obi’s The Great Discovery. For me, it functions on the same level with The Magic Ring. Anyway, what do you say of a story which sets for itself, the task of privileging myth over science?

Olufunke Ogundimu’s Love on the Marina has a haunting feel to it. It

feels like a memory you’ve almost lost, like an old faded photograph.

It means a lot to you yet you can’t tell why, for you can’t identify the people in the picture. It’s not much of a story, but perhaps its sparseness is its strength. Perhaps if the people in the picture are identifiable, if the picture is not faded it would lose its hold on you. I think Tosin Otitoju just wanted to have herself a trip with words in Too Much Pepper, without caring about her destination, or the outcome of the trip. It’s probably why the love(?) encounter is left adrift. The story feels content to drift along, willing to be a wallpaper, refusing to actively live life.

On butterfly wings, this story flits here and there, weightlessly.

There’s an elegiac feel to Wana Udobang’s Fur Elise. So like a dead love affair you cannot let go of. And because of this, you refuse to live, to give yourself up to love. Lovelace’s life feels like a prison, an atomised existence in which she is walled-up in herself, estranged from humanity, estranged from herself. All she has is memory - of a time gone by, of her regular John. Uche Peter Umez’s Double Wahala seem so superficial, as if the writer’s heart is not in his story. The House that Hunger Built, by Jumoke Verissimo is arcane, you have to struggle with the narrative to get it reveal itself.

You don’t know what to make of what is revealed (Verissimo is a poet, bear this in mind.) You have to ask yourself if what is revealed is worth the struggle. Is the writer making fun of you? Does she take her narrative serious? If you accept writing as a search for the truth through stories, do you accept this as truth? This story have a campfire, an African Night feel to it.

I find the terminal sequence of Uzor Maxim Uzoatu’s Tough Guys Write Poetry really beautiful and moving. Who can possibly forget the tragic - yet tender - tone of the last paragraph? “I can only pretend to love the woman and she somehow knows it. I’ve been reduced to a grinning statue. I write her love poems to patch up the rough and tough bits.”

There is quiet hysteria in these lines.

There’s truth and beauty in it, an acceptance and resignation to fate that the soul meets without crumbling.

And the last lines? You’ll have to read it and find how tough you are by yourself. Molara Woods’ What Would Saffron Do? really cracked me up. This is quite a beautifully written piece. I’ve loved Ms Woods’ writing when I first encountered it in Island News Here is a woman (a black woman) looking at another woman (a white woman), the way a man sees a woman. In other words, I think it’s a man looking through Molara’s eyes - and what she sees is a vain woman, one preoccupied with her looks. Fern’s inner life is filled by her self-image. She’s here to do a fashion and style piece on the First Lady of Zimbabwe but is so selfabsorbed. You don’t get to see her as a person with some sort intellectual attributes beyond her botoxed look.

There’s also here, in Fern’s attitude, a touch of the colonial patronizing attitude (which Molara manages to restrain) that hints at Mugabe’s ongoing tiff with the West. But when Fern “Leaned into Ncube as they rounded the bend for what he said was the last lap to the auditorium.” and says “... I’m fascinated. Does Mugabe do botox?” in these days of homophobia, you wonder why she has to say this.

Still, the after-effect cracks you up. If I say this story is my best of the collection, it’s because it’s the most developed and well-told. The characters and their situation seem to jump out from the pages. You’re not a reader, you’re a participant observer. You’re there. The actions are motivated, the situations justified.

For the most part, the stories in this collection makes a good read. The style and subject matter are as varied as the talent and personality. But they all share one thing: a general absence of pessimism. Oftentimes, this absence manifests as a tendency to make light of situations demanding a sombre tone. You wonder what the criteria was in selecting the stories - some of the stories could be better - was there a general call for submissions? What standard is Nelson Fiction Series aspiring to - or is it new stories for the sake of new stories? There is a noticeable complacency in some of the stories, an attitude of contempt.

It’s either that, or the writers are unable to meet the challenge of storytelling, unable to avoid that old adversary: boredom.

Didi Cheeka is a Marxist critic, writer and filmmaker.

L ve&Lv ng

A Mother’s Story: ‘I stole from children to provide for my family’ p.22 Sex Traditions The Nepalese: A community where brothers share a wife p.24

MICHAEL UCHEBUAKU

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

michael.uchebuaku@newtelelegraphonline.com 0813 116 1840

www.newtelegraphonline.com/loveliving

Love Confession

I

first met Thomas at work. He was handsome, flirtatious and oozed charisma. He was also married. My friendship with Thomas started innocently enough. We’d have coffee or a drink together after work.

Sometimes we went out with colleagues, sometimes alone. I enjoyed our conversations and his casual flirting but figured he was married and so it was all harmless fun.

Slowly however, I felt myself becoming more and more attracted to Thomas, so I went to great lengths to hide my feelings from him.

One day Thomas said that he wanted me to meet with his wife. I was both nervous and relieved at the same time. I was nervous that she would see my true feelings for Thomas. Yet I was relieved because I wanted her to know that I had no intention of having an affair with her husband.

Sara was a slender, attractive woman with a beautiful personality. I thought that she would be suspicious of me and my intentions but to my surprise we got along famously. We became best friends. We would go out for long lunches, swim at the beach or have a casual dinner together. I still met up with Thomas after work for a drink and we would then have dinner together with Sara. On weekends we often went on outings together. I was ecstatic to have such wonderful new friends in my life.

One evening after dinner, Sara looked me in the eyes as she slowly traced her fingers over my hand and told me that she had deeper feelings for me. I looked away, startled and confused. Thomas was sitting opposite me watching my reaction. He reached across the table and held my hand in his. He said that they both had feelings for me. He asked if I would consider becoming more involved with them. I was completely out of my depth, confused and yet excited. “Could I really date a married couple?” I wondered to myself.

Logically it seemed unnatural yet emotionally it made perfect sense as I cared for them both very deeply.

Dating took our friendship to a whole new level. We were flushed with the rosy glow of new love. Everything we did took on a magical air and I was euphoric to be loved by not one but two people. It was as though nothing could shatter the delight and joy we felt and shared with one another. We were

caught up in our own little bubble of love and oblivious to the outside world.

Then the cracks started appearing. I noticed that my friends were having problems in their marriage. Only instead of talking to each other to solve their problems, they were talking to me. I became their confidante and they asked that I did not tell the other what we had discussed. I wasn’t comfortable with these secrets. I myself was struggling with the fact that I had fallen in love with Thomas. It was a doomed love.

He was married and I had no intention of breaking up a marriage. To make matters worse Thomas confided that he had deeper feelings for me. This confession both overjoyed and dismayed me. I wanted so badly to have a relationship with Thomas. I could not, however, betray Sara.

I decided that it was time to end our intimate relationship. My friends’ marriage was at stake and regardless of my love for Thomas, I couldn’t destroy their relationship. We became platonic friends once more. I found it increasingly difficult as my emotions toward Thomas continued to plague me. I decided to move to a new town. I needed a fresh beginning and to forget my love for a married man.

Time has passed and I have since lost contact with my beloved friends. I look back at our relationship with a deep fondness and have no regrets. Although others had expressed disapproval at our unusual relationship, we shared a love that made our lives shine. I will never forget my summer of love that I shared with two beautiful friends.

Odd news

3

8 MARCH 2014

21

Name: Onome Nigerian Musician Twitter: @E_onomE

‘I dated a married couple’ Some people may disapprove of the kind of strange relationship or love triangle where one person dates both a husband and his wife. But for this writer, she has no regrets for doing what she did.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

If you want to be our next model, please send your photos to: ireto007@yahoo.com Call: 0703 102 8714, 0813 116 1840

Mother rips son’s scrotum then tries to mend the wound with Superglue

4-year-old San Antonio, Texas, woman, Jennifer Marie Vargas, was recently arrested for allegedly ripping her six-year-old son’s scrotum and

then trying to repair it with superglue.

Vargas admitted to grabbing her young son’s junk as hard as she could causing a four-centimeter laceration on her son’s scrotum. She then attempted to clean the wound with alcohol and then applied superglue to patch the hole until it stopped bleeding. She stuffed the boy’s underwear with paper towels and then sent him off to bed.

When her husband arrived home he noticed his son was crying upstairs.

When he went upstairs to investigate the issue he noticed his son had blood soaked paper towels stuffed in his underwear.

“Why is our son crying and why does he have bloody paper-towels stuffed in

his underoos?” The husband asked.

“There was an accident.” Vargas responded.

“What kind of accident?” The husband asked.

“I yanked on his thing a little too hard and ripped his sack, it caused some bleeding.” Vargas responded.

“Why would you do that?”

“I was angry.”

“WTF? Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?”

“I used superglue, he is fine.”

Jennifer Marie Vargas was arrested by the FBI and charged with assault causing serious bodily injury. The boy underwent surgery to repair the damage, and is now in the custody of his father.

22 LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

Love Songs

Love Crime

Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)

Woman kills husband and cooks his corpse

Like the legend of the phoenix All ends with beginnings What keeps the planet spinning (uh) The force of love beginning (Look) We’ve come too far to give up who we are So let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars

A

woman in eastern China tortured her husband for three days, killed him and then cooked his corpse to cover her tracks, a local report has said.

The unidentified woman reportedly cracked after she and her daughter suffered months of abuse from the man.

She dismembered her abusive husband with a handsaw and boiled him after torturing him by withholding food and water and beating him, said a report on government-backed news portal Anhui News.

She’s up all night ‘til the sun I’m up all night to get some She’s up all night for good fun I’m up all night to get lucky

In an effort to hide the evidence she then boiled his body in a pressure cooker, the report said.

It did not detail how she disposed of the cooked flesh afterwards.

The psychological burden of the crime proved too much for her to

bear, causing her to lose 6.3 kilograms in weight and turn herself into police, according to the report.

A police officer in Anhui province’s Lu’an City, where the incident occurred, confirmed the case to AFP but declined to give further details.

Oscar Pistorius pleads not guilty to murdering girlfriend

O

scar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp as his trial began in Pretoria, South Africa.

The 27-year-old double amputee was asked by judge Thokozile Masipa if he understood the charge of murdering Ms Steenkamp, to which he replied: “I do, I do, my lady.”

Asked how he pleaded, he said: “Not guilty, my lady.”

Media swarmed the steps of North Gauteng High Court for the trial of Pistorius who shot Steenkamp dead at his home but claims he thought she was an intruder. The prosecution will argue it was premeditated murder.

The trial is expected to hear from more than 100 witnesses, including neighbours who claim to have heard screams from his house that night, as well as ex-girlfriends of the athlete.

Pistorius, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie, was ambushed by cameras as he made his way through the building to the courtroom.

Much of the trial will be broadcast live, and the case has already attracted global attention, with TV channels offering wall-to-wall cover-

DAFT PUNK

Love News age, including one 24-hour channel set up in South Africa exclusively for the trial.

Pistorius is accused of the premeditated murder of Steenkamp, who died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Prosecutors allege the paralympian shot the model and reality TV star four times through the locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of February 14, 2013.

Some witnesses have described hearing a woman scream, followed by “moments of silence”, then hearing gunshots followed by more screaming.

Pistorius claims he thought an intruder was in his home, but prosecutors say that even so, an “error in persona’’ did not affect the fact he intended to kill someone.

Some 107 witnesses are listed by the state, including Steenkamp’s close friends Desiree, Gina and Kim Myers, as well as Pistorius’s sister Aimee and his uncle Arnold.

Steenkamp’s family last month

In the dock...Pistorius on the first day of his murder trial

said her mother June will attend the trial as they said they were looking for “closure”.

On the anniversary of Steenkamp’s death, Pistorius made a statement on his website saying: “No words can adequately capture my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused such heartache for everyone who truly loved - and continues to love Reeva.

“The pain and sadness - especially for Reeva’s parents, family and friends consumes me with sorrow.

“The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison, meaning if Pistorius is found guilty, he will be over 50 when he leaves prison.

We’re up all night ‘til the sun We’re up all night to get some We’re up all night for good fun We’re up all night to get lucky We’re up all night to get lucky We’re up all night to get lucky We’re up all night to get lucky We’re up all night to get lucky The present has no ribbon Your gift keeps on giving, What is this I’m feeling?

If you wanna leave I’m ready (ah) We’ve come too far to give up who we are So let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars She’s up all night ‘til the sun I’m up all night to get some She’s up all night for good fun I’m up all night to get lucky

Love Poem

LEONARD MORRIS KONIS

My Love You are the essence that makes me whole, each day of my life, as you live and breathe beside me. My soul cannot exist without your existence beside me, each day of my life. You are my desire, for there is no one else I would rather be so close beside, each day of my life. My eternal strength comes from the nutrients that you supply by your love for me, each day of my life. Our love for each other exists in an endless universe of time.

Romantic Jokes

Beyond Impotent

Doctor, my husband is 300% impotent.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean. Could you elaborate?”

“Well, the first part you can imagine, but he also burned his tongue and broke his finger.”

Words of Wisdom: Love is a sacrifice

A desperate mother’s story: ‘I stole from children

W

hen I found out I was expecting a child, I was already four months along. I was a full-time student at the time and exams were coming up, so I hadn’t been paying attention to when my period was due.

By the time I found out, I was too far into my pregnancy to abort and in any case, had I been given the option, probably would not have.

I struggled through the remainder of my studies knowing I would have to work it all out somehow. My partner was a part-time student who spent most of his time helping his family. He was never fond of the idea of children, which made it even harder to face the idea of telling him. One night I called and asked if he would like to come out to dinner as I had some important news. Exams had finished and he thought I was going to fill him in on my results. We had not seen each other in a few weeks as he had gone interstate to help his grandmother move house. He replied with an enthusiastic yes, saying it would be good to catch up as he had news for me too.

I had organised to meet him at a local res-

Life Experience I was frantic. I had tried so hard and saved all I could spare taurant. He arrived shortly after me and sat opposite with a grin. He commented that I had put on weight and mentioned that I looked “radiant”. I looked down at my small bump and took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

He rose from the table and asked who the baby belonged to. I was furious. I quietly informed him that the baby was his and was due in May. He went pale and sat down abruptly. I told him I was going to keep our child and hoped we could start a family. He fell quiet for a long time then told me in a calm tone that he’d been waiting for the right moment to tell me that he had met a nice girl when he was with his grandmother

LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

Intimate Love Advice

‘My man doesn’t last long in bed’ Dear Love Doctor, I am not happy with my marriage anymore, because sex with my husband is nothing to write home about. My husband lasts for only five minutes in bed and it makes me cry. For that reason, I am never satisfied after having sex with him. Please what can I do to make him last longer in bed?

From Vivian.

Love Doctor’s Advice:

Before asking him to seek treatment, ask him to bring you to orgasm before you even have penetrative sex. He can try oral sex, or use a vibrator. Once you’ve had your first orgasm, you may then try the real thing. Try to get him to last longer by changing

Love Education What is Impotence?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to get and maintain an erection that is sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

ED is a very common condition, particularly in older men. It is estimated that half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree.

Why does erectile dysfunction happen?

ED can have a range of causes that can be both physical and mental (psychological). Physical causes include: • narrowing of the blood vessels going to the penis – commonly

associated with high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol or diabetes • hormonal problems • surgery or injury Psychological causes of ED include: • anxiety • depression • relationship problems • Stress Diagnosis

Although you may be embarrassed, it is important that a healthcare professional diagnoses ED so that the cause can be identified.

ED can usually be diagnosed after a consultation with your GP. This will involve answering questions about your symptoms, as well as a physical examination and some simple tests.

and had set up house with her and her daughter.

I was devastated. I couldn’t believe my faithful boyfriend of two years was leaving me — while I was pregnant! He told me it couldn’t be his child as we’d always been careful and he wasn’t going to be trapped into a domestic life. I rose from the table, barely managing to hold back tears, and left the restaurant in a rush. I returned home and went to bed to cry myself to sleep.

The next day I talked to my parents and filled them in on the pregnancy. They were very supportive and helped me get things organised for the birth.

In May I gave birth to a beautiful little boy and named him Matthew.

I moved into my new place and my mum stayed for a week to get us

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In desperation I turned to my aunt for help. She was always travelling to help out in orphanages in third world countries as she loved c o n t i n u e d o n pa g e 4 0

positions or the things you’re doing -- without even telling him; this will actually slow him down.

Finally, if he learns to strengthen his PC muscles (the ones he uses to stop himself from urinating), he can pulsate those when he’s getting near to his own climax and slow down his orgasm. Let him know it’ll make his orgasm more powerful when he gives into the desire -- a great incentive to draw it out. If you’re still not satisfied, tell him to seek help from a fertility doctor to make him last longer in bed or call me. Good luck!

If you want daily love tips or advice, download The Color of Love Guide on your iPad and iPhone. Search for ‘Color of Love’ on your Apple Store now and download the App. *Send your comments/stories to Love Doctor. E-mail: ireto007@ yahoo.com If you’re in a crisis, call for help: 07031028714, 08131161840 or 08023700641. For free marriage/relationships counseling, call Love Doctor Mike 07031028714, 08023700641 or Chris 08023913619. Visit www.romancestory.org

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to provide for my family’

23

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If you have fertility problems like fibroid, low sperm count, or want a male child or baby sex selection, call 07025350586; 08122352054.

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• 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 or 08023700641 to link up and for direct hookup.

24 LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

Five advantages of premature ejaculation

True Confession from Overseas

‘I slept with my psychiatrist’s son in her clinic’

I

t all started when my boyfriend of eight years broke up with me.

I had planned to spend the rest of my life with him so it was very difficult for me to contemplate life without him.

Even though I tried to get past it, I began to feel depressed. I would often think very negatively and even had thoughts of ending my life. Finally I was convinced by friends and family to speak to someone about it and my doctor referred me to a psychiatrist.

I started seeing Dr Evans on a weekly basis. Even though our sessions helped, I still didn’t feel ready to move on to a new relationship as she had recommended me to do.

The receptionist was a dear lady named Mary, but one day when I went in for my session there was a young, attractive man sitting in Mary’s seat.

He gave me a big friendly smile and said “Hi, are you Sarah?” I replied, “Oh yes, I have an appointment at 2pm?” He said, “No problem at all, take a seat, I’m James.

Mary’s had a family emergency so I’m going to be filling in for a while.”

I later found out in my session that James was actually my therapist’s son and had just come back from Spain where he had been travelling before starting university the year. James and I started off chatting casually but eventually we started joking about and occasionally flirting. I found myself going to my appointments early so I could chat to him. He was only 19 years old, while I was 30, but I just couldn’t help noticing how handsome, charming and witty he was.

Our talks began to get more and more flirtatious and I started dressing up for my sessions.

I hadn’t been with anyone since my break-up and I knew it was completely inappropriate for me to be so physically and mentally attracted to someone so young but I couldn’t help myself. Especially one that was my psychiatrist’s son! He was just mature for his age and made me feel at ease.

And even though I knew he had a girlfriend in Spain, I couldn’t help flirting back.

One night while I was having a late night session with Dr Evans, she was called out and had to meet a distressed client before our hour was over. She apologised profusely and said she would make-up for our session the next week, asking me to make an appointment with James while she

rushed off.

As she left, I realised James and I would be in the clinic alone. I had already fantasised many times about what would happen in this situation, but never did I think the opportunity would arise.

I adjusted my dress and sauntered out to reception. It was dark outside the clinic so I knew we were completely alone. As I walked over, I noticed James looked me up and down and I knew he was thinking something along the lines of what I was. I leant on the table as he booked the appointment for me.

After handing my appointment card to me he asked me if I was going out since I was looking so hot. I laughed at his comment and said, “No, no, I’ve had a long week.

I actually feel more like having a drink.”

Then he gave me a sly look and said, “Hey, why not? I have a bottle of red in the draw, care to join me?”

I laughed again and said, “Hmm, that’s a bit a naughty but why not?”

I hadn’t felt that way about anyone since the break-up. James came back in looking as handsome and muscular as ever in his fitted shirt and jeans and offered me a glass. We started drinking and minute by minute he seemed to inch closer to me on the seat.

Eventually after nearly finishing the bottle, James said to me, “I have to confess something. You’re so beautiful, and ever since I first met you I’ve been thinking about you.”

I gasped as I felt his hand on my thigh and then before I knew it, his lips were on mine. I melted.

I knew it was wrong in so many ways but nothing else seemed to matter. We ended up in his mother’s office and made love for the first time that night in my doctor’s chair. It was the most exciting and thrilling experience I had ever had and James was so understanding and sweet yet passionate. It was

SEXUAL COMMUNICATION

P I hadn’t felt that way about anyone since the breakup. James came back in looking as handsome and muscular as ever in his fitted shirt and jeans never like that with my ex.

After that night, we decided to continue the affair even though he was leaving the clinic in a month.

To be honest, it was what I needed.

I had just come out of something so serious. The physical part of our relationship was explosive, to be with a man so young and powerful. But we had decided to keep it strictly within the clinic after hours or even in the morning before the clinic opened.

I knew that I would have got into trouble with Dr Evans if she knew I was sleeping with her son of whom she was very protective of. I continued my weekly sessions with her and even let on that I was seeing someone casually. She said I was making great progress, but little did she know it was with her son!

James finally left at the end of the month. We said our goodbyes and I knew that we had to end it then and there. I explained the situation and even though he still wanted to see me he respected my decision. I was glad that Dr Evans never found out but I had finally been able to move on from my ex-boyfriend.

I stopped going to Dr Evans and am now in a loving relationship with a new man. I will never tell anyone about what I did with James in that clinic but it is an experience I will never forget.

Your say: Have your say about this true confession below...

NB: Call Mike on +234-703 102 8714 if you have a story from abroad to share with us.

Sex Traditions The Nepalese: A community where brothers share a wife

A

ccording to an article in Psychology Today, “Almost all of the few polyandrous societies practice what anthropologists call fraternal polyandry, where a group of brothers share a wife.” This is the case in the Hima-

lease read this article if you’re one of those men in search of a “solution” to premature ejaculation without first stopping to ask your wife or partner, and find out what she wants.

What is Premature Ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation means coming too quickly or ejaculating before you or your partner wanted you to. (www.netdoctor.co.uk) (wikihow.com) In your marriage or relationship, who is in the best position to decide that you do or do not come/ ejaculate too quickly? From the above definition, the person who decides if you do or do not have a problem of premature ejaculation, depends on you and whoever you’re having sex with. Therefore, your partner equally has a say in this. So, if your wife/woman wants you to come soon after penetration (or within a minute of sexual intercourse after foreplay), and enjoys it that way, you shouldn’t think that you’ve got a problem of premature ejaculation in your relationship or marriage.

5 Advantages of Premature Ejaculation

1. Women who love quickies can’t do without you! Being happy in bed depends largely on who you’re having sex with. Some women love longer foreplay and a very short duration of penetration. So if you’re married to that kind of woman who likes it when you come quickly, don’t try to change anything.

2. You don’t have to continue doing it long after you or your partner may have stopped enjoying it! Many people complain that when sex lasts unusually long, they stop deriving pleasure from it. It is at that point a girl starts begging a guy to come because she’s tired. For a man with quick ejaculation, sex never goes on for longer than it is desired.

3. You don’t get to sweat during sex!

4. You are less likely to suffer stress or a heart attack from sexual activity. Simply put, your chances of dying while servicing a lady are extremely slim if you come quickly and get out of there without increasing your blood pressure.

5. Sex doesn’t have to take much of your time, especially when you have a tight schedule. to be CONTINUED

‘I stole from children to provide for my family’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 4

W

hen I found out I was expecting a child, I was already four months along. I was a full-time student at the time and exams were coming up, so I hadn’t been paying attention to when my period was due. By the time I found out, I was too far into my pregnancy to abort and in any case, had I been given the option, probably would not have.

I struggled through the remainder of my studies knowing I would have to work it all out somehow. My partner was a part-time student who spent most of his time helping his family. He was never fond of the idea of children, which made it

layas, where there is little land available for farming and agriculture, and families with more than one son would be faced with dividing up their land were each son to start his own family.

The solution? Find one wife for all of their sons so that they can live together as one family and keep their family plot intact. Also, as told in the National Geographic documentary Multiple Husbands, this arrangement works best when the wife is adept at “scheduling” time with each brother.

even harder to face the idea of telling him. One night I called and asked if he would like to come out to dinner as I had some important news. Exams had finished and he thought I was going to fill him in on my results.

We had not seen each other in a few weeks as he had gone interstate to help his grandmother move house.

He replied with an enthusiastic yes, saying it would be good to catch up as he had news for me too.

I had organised to meet him at a local restaurant. He arrived shortly after me and sat opposite with a grin. He commented that I had put on weight and mentioned that I looked “radiant”. I looked down at my small bump and took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant.”

London boils for Chelsea, Tottenham derby p28

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How Belgium pressured me to dump Eagles - Imoh p31

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IKECHUKWU Uche: Amuneke, Akpoborie disagree with keshi Vincent Eboigbe

I

t is almost certain now that Ikechuchu Uche won’t be part of the Super Eagles team to the World Cup. Coach Stephen Keshi has made that clear.

The coach’s reason has to do with the player’s ‘tactical indiscipline.’ In other words, he (Uche) is unwilling to listen to or play to instructions. Keshi cited instances during the African Nations Cup in 2013 when these tendencies were on

display. He claims these incidents almost robbed the Super Eagles of victories in some of the matches, specifically the ones against Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Keshi’s revelations have all but shattered Uche’s seemingly unassuming, can’t hurt a fly demeanour. Uche has not responded as yet.

Without a shred of doubt, the Villarreal forward is Nigeria’s hottest property currently, and every team going to the World Cup CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

I ‘ll be fit for World Cup – Igiebor

}p-27

26 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

Leaguemania with Chimaobi Uchendu princehench@yahoo.com

08092747532

Enyimba players refuse to panic over AS Real advantage

SPECIAL SEASON’S PACKAGE FOR PLAYERS AND CLUBS Clubs have agreed to a minimum of N100, 000 monthly salaries to players as proposed by the LMC.

E

Clubs have agreed to provide a bank guarantee of N25 million per quarter (100 million) per season to ensure there is no default in the payment of players’ entitlements. They are also to provide a quarterly minimum financial performance guarantee of N25 million to ensure that clubs are actually being run as business with the sense of commercial viability and financial stability in mind.

Clubs have agreed to sign proper contracts with players and file each player’s contract agreement with the LMC. No more vague contracts.

Clubs and LMC have agreed on the need for verifiable insurance for players.

The LMC is further packaging a Players’ Pension Scheme to support players after their playing career or those who might drop out due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.

The LMC and Supersport is ensuring that there is TV coverage for all teams as provided for in the roster and where this is not feasible for any reason, the clubs have agreed to move to safer bases to play their home games that will be televised live.

The LMC has offered to pay additional TV benefit of N250, 000 to home clubs for the broadcast of their games. This is in addition to sharing from the general pool of the TV broadcast’s right fee.

The season cash prize award has been increased by 50 per cent to raise the stakes and intensify competitiveness.

Referees and match commissioners too will enjoy better deal and service condition.

There will be more matches on live TV coverage.

Clubs managements, supporters’ associations have undertaken to ensure better security and cleaner, more friendly atmosphere for family and friends at the stadium for the good of the game.

Ifeanyi Inyiam of Sharks in aerial challenge with Uche Oguchi of Rangers during the 2013 Nigeria Professional Football League Match between Rangers and Sharks

Heartland bank on Emeteole, new signings

H

eartland Football Club of Owerri is starting the 2013/14 season on a promising note after financial difficulties almost sent them into relegation last season.

The club is banking on the return of Coach Kelechi Emeteole to the club and the signing of quality players, who they believed will return the club to winning ways.

Dolphins visit to Owerri will define the readiness of the for-

Rafua promises to reward hard work

A

victory in today’s match against visiting Lobi Stars could be more financially rewarding for Crown FC of Ogbomosho as the General Manager of the newly promoted Ajilete Boys, Tony Rafua, promised to reward the players if a win is secured.

Rafua said his priority at the Nigeria Premier League club is to improve the welfare of the players in order to get results.

He said this during a meeting with players and members of his staff in Ogbomosho, ahead of the Lobi clash.

Rafau said: “I did not come on board to mess up the good job I met on ground, but to collaborate with others for better and improved results.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH Julius Obido Orji Kalu Ebere Obi Chinaedu Efugh Osas Okoro Jolly Osas Nelson Ogbonnaya mer Federations Cup winners and ascertain Dolphins level of preparedness for the new season.

It is still uncertain whether

the encounter will be a winner takes all or whether the spoils would be shared. But, the Owerri outfit was the better side last season until towards the end of the season when the players decided not to give their best because of unpaid wages.

However, the new spirit in the team as professed by the managers will be put to test today.

According to Heartland’s Media Officer, Cajetan Nkwopara, the presence of tested legs would be their joker.

nyimba FC players have said they are unmoved by the result of last week’s CAF Champions League first leg match against AS Real of Bamako, Mali, saying it was nothing to panic about as they are equal to the task.

The Peoples Elephant were beaten 2-1 in Aba, leaving their hopes in the competition hanging in the air.

Enyimba’s pair of Abdulrahman Bashir and Mfon Udoh Enyimba, admitted that the defeat came as a shock to them, but believe Enyimba have what it takes to get the desired result in the return leg.

“We were really surprised that we lost at home to Real Bamako.

“We now know the task ahead and this is to prove that we are one of the best teams in Nigeria and Africa.

“From the goalkeeper to the top striker, we have tested players who can deliver at this stage of the competition.

“We’re inspired by what Bayelsa United and Warri Wolves were able to achieve in their away matches in the Confederation Cup.” The return leg holds today in Bamako.

Wolves have unfinished business with Union Douala –Aigbogun

T

he Technical Adviser of Warri Wolves FC, Paul Aigbogun, has said that his side will not rest until they see off Union Douala of Cameroon in the second leg of the CAF Confederations Cup second round match despite the away win they recorded last weekend.

Aigbogun said the return leg match must be approached with all seriousness even as he warned the players to remain focused until they complete the job on March 9, at the Warri Township Stadium.

He urged the players to be ready for a tough game in Warri, as the Cameroonians would come all out to get a result.

The technical adviser said he

had noticed some lapses, which he said would be addressed before the next game. He also lauded the team for the victory that was achieved during the encounter in Douala.

“I want to commend you all for the gallant display in Douala, but you should know that it is not over until it is over.

We are going to approach the second leg with all seriousness and all of you should be ready. You can see that they parade ball jugglers and are very mobile. I’ve noticed some lapses but we are going to work on them.

This weekend we shall celebrate qualification into the next round of the competition, it is not negotiable, he concluded.

Bashir

OPENING FIXTURES Friday Rangers vs Nembe Saturday Giwa FC vs Pillars FC Taraba vs Nassarawa Utd Abia Warriors vs Kaduna Utd Sunday Lobi vs Crown Heartland vs Dolphins Akwa vs Gombe Midweek (Thurs, 13) Sunshine vs enyimba Warri Wolves vs El Kanemi Bayelsa vs Sharks

SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

LMC reforms unworkable -Obaseki

Vincent Eboigbe

W

ith the league expected to finally commence across various venues this weekend after several postponements, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League Oyuki Obaseki, has dismissed the reforms being introduced by the League Management Company as not only unworkable but hasty.

Some of the conditions LMC, the body charged with running the league in Nigeria, listed for the clubs to meet in its crusade to run professionally, include governments divestment from the clubs, bank guarantee of N100m from the clubs, payment of at least N150 000 to players among others.

But Obaseki, who was chairman of the NPL at its inception in 2006, is not excited.

“I think it is too early to ask governments to divest from the

clubs; these things take time.

Nigeria Premier League is just eight years old and two of those years were mired in crisis,” Obaseki tells New Telegarph.

“You can’t expect the Nigeria League to be like the English Premier League or the Spanish La Liga or the German Bundesliga.

You are asking the government to divest but most of the governors use football to divert money.

“As far as I’m concerned it is not yet time to insist on some of these conditions because none of the club is financially strong; how many of them have club houses that they built on their own? So if an investor is thinking of buying into a club for instance what assets will he find on ground? Practically nothing!

Expectedly, the clubs baulked, saying the conditions were too stringent; even a meeting between the LMC and the clubs only managed to send out con-

27

I ‘ll be fit for World Cup – Igiebor Jude Opara Abuja

R

eal Betis of Spain midfielder, Nosa Igiebor, says he will be available for Super Eagles selection for the forthcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup in June.

Obaseki

flicting signals. The LMC had to clear the air afterwards insisting that they have not waved the requirements.

This situation strengthens Obaseki’s contention. Obaseki who was a major player in the early days of the premier league, recalls his experience when he tried to get a foreign partner to invest in one of the domestic clubs in the country and how that deal was truncated due to the demands made by the club in question.

“I was in Egypt when I was chairman and saw what Arab

Contractors was doing there: they had estates, running a club with top grade facilities.

I was so annoyed that when I got back I went to them to demand that they must buy into a club in Nigeria,” Obaseki recounts.

“They agreed and said they were interested in 3SC. But the governor then said they (Arab Contractors) should bring N300m. N300m for what? The only assets 3SC had then were vehicles, most of them rickety.

That was how that deal fell through.”

Igiebor who has just recovered from an injury told New Telegraph from his base in Spain that with the success of his healing, he hopes to join the rest of the team to fight for shirt if Coach Stephen Keshi decides to invite him.

The player who was sidelined for over three months said he had concluded his rehabilitation and just started light training which would help him to regain full fitness.

“I thank God the injury is completely healed and I have even started light trainings and in the next three weeks I will be very fit to play for my club and country.

“Actually, I was scared whether the injury was going to heal before the World Cup because that is the dream of every player to have the opportunity to represent his country at the world stage”.

Ik Uche: Amuneke, Akpoborie disagree with Keshi CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

with the intention of doing well will take along its best players.

So, the poser now is how can these two apparently polar opposite positions be reconciled, keeping in mind that the overall objective is getting the Super Eagles to soar in Brazil. On the one hand, you have a player who on current form is perhaps Nigeria’s top performer, and on the other, a coach who is dead set against having anything to do with the player in question for the above reasons.

“There is really nothing to resolve. It is quite straight forward for me. Uche is one of a kind, a box striker with the touches inside the box. He doesn’t make a lot of runs but he has the eye for goals and we don’t have many of those kinds of strikers now,” begins former Nigeria striker Jonathan Akpoborie.

“Now when it comes to form, you can’t wish Uche away. On current form, he is Nigeria’s best striker in Europe and nobody impugns results. So I don’t understand why they are insisting on shutting him out. When Keshi cites indiscipline, I find that difficult to believe; this boy has been in Europe for over 10 years and I can tell you if he had discipline issue, it would have come to the fore since.

“I know we have given Keshi a free hand, but that is not to say he should take decisions that will prove the undoing of the Super

Eagles in Brazil. We need our very best and Uche is our best forward on current form.”

Golden Eaglets head coach, Emmanuel Amumeke, also spoke on the issue. The retired international winger preaches understanding, second chance and appreciation of all the positions.

“Everybody has to show some level of understanding, give and take. Keshi is in charge of the team and is in a better position to decide which players to take along,” affirms the former African Player of the Year.

“The players know what discipline means, they know how not to trifle with that in Europe. However, I also want to advice that Keshi alternates his decisions. He should be able to soften his stance and give the player a second

Uche

chance. I just hope that this thing is not dragged out; it is about finding a common ground.”

But another ex-international, Clement Temile, has a contrary view. The former winger argues that Keshi did the right thing under the circumstances and must have given it some thought before taking the decision to leave out Uche.

Temile likened the situation to one bad apple spoiling the lot if not removed.

“Everybody keeps carrying on over this issue. I don’t think we should make too much of it. Uche’s exclusion from the team won’t affect it; I know he’s good, but there is no best player there, there are only a collection of good players,” says Temile.

“His exclusion also shows that no player is indispensable.

Nigeria has so many good

players and the fact that he was chosen is a privilege. Besides, if you keep asking a player to do something in a certain way and he keeps doing something else, there comes a time when you need to respond.

“Otherwise, you are sending the wrong signal, because the other players are watching. Again, the Keshi I know would have thought about it before arriving at that decision.

Uche has scored 12 goals so far for his Villarreal club, but this cuts no ice.

Keshi is unimpressed. It is like twirling the skirt before an unmoved suitor.

However, the striker is not discouraged; he has said that he will continue to do his best and hope that national team selectors will give him the opportunity to be part of the Eagles set up for Brazil.

“Of course He must remain hopeful, every player wants to be part of the World Cup; it is the ultimate. He just needs to keep the focus and hope for the best,” Amuneke adds.

The point that comes out clearly is to be able to manage the situation in such a way that Nigeria is the winner at the end. After all, the country is bigger than any person.

Coaches are managers; they manage the different dispositions and inclinations in a team to achieve results. So, they should be big enough to be able to ‘bury the hatchet’ without taking a marker to the spot.

28 SPORT Briefs

Barçato offload Alves,Song

Barcelona could sell Dani Alves and Alex Song at the end of this season. Selling the Brazilian would come as more of a surprise than offloading the Cameroonian midfielder, who does not figure in Tata Martino’s plans.

The club knows full well that the time is right to cash in on Alves, who still has a year left on his contract. The problem it faces is the defender’s lofty salary, given that he in 30 years old.

Marseille target Mexico goal keeper Marseille are lining up a move for one-time Liverpool target Guillermo Ochoa amid increasing speculation goalkeeper Steve Mandanda could be on his way to Arsenal talkSPORT revealed to you earlier this week that the Gunners are tracking France international Mandanda, who has been a reliable presence in Marseille’s goal since 2007.

Inter deny De Boer rumours Serie A giants Inter have come out to deny any interest in current Ajax boss Frank De Boer.

Rumors had circulated that the Nerazzurri may move for De Boer after Erick Thorir expressed his admiration for the coach.

This is what the new President told the club’s official website, “He’s a good coach, but at the moment we have no contact with Frank de Boer., I do not know him and have never met him.”

Chicharito ‘frustrated’ in Man Utd Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has revealed his frustration at Old Trafford.

Chicharito shared his thoughts on being on the peripherals of life at Old Trafford of late while on international duty with Mexico, he said: “I’m very eager to play as my club don’t take me much into account.

NEW TELEGRAP 8 MARC

Global Footb

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

Ifeanyi Ibeh & ajibade oluSesan ifeanyi.ibeh@newtelegraphonline.com, ajibade.olusesan@newtelegraphonline.com

LONDON BOILS

for Chelsea, Tottenham derby

C

helsea and Tottenham Hotspur will both be targeting maximum points when they meet in a crucial Premier League derby at Stamford Bridge on today.

The Blues are currently at the top of the table with 63 points from 28 matches following last weekend’s 3-1 win over Fulham in another London derby.

Jose Mourinho’s side are unbeaten at home at this season but will need to do more than avoid a loss on today with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City breathing down their necks.

Spurs on the other hand registered a hard-fought 1-0 win over Cardiff City in their last league outing to remain in fifth place with 53 points, still within reach of the coveted top-four finish.

The Lilywhites have already recorded a historic away win over Manchester United this season and captain Michael Dawson is hopeful that the result will inspire his side ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.

“It had been a long time since we

had won at Old Trafford - 24 years I think it was - but we went there and won two on the bounce so records are there to be broken and hopefully we can do that again on Saturday night,” he said.

“The top four is our aim. At the start of the season we set out our goals; to win a trophy, to be in the top four. We are still in with a great shout of doing that.”

When the two sides met at White Hart Lane earlier this season the match ended in a 1-1 draw with John Terry cancelling Gylfi SigurdsChelsea’s Gary Cahill (left) with Emmanuel Adebayor of Tottenham son’s opener.

FA Cup : Arsene Wenger desperate to beat Everton

A

rsène Wenger is determined to end Arsenal’s trophy drought by guiding the Gunners to FA Cup glory this season.

The north London club have not lifted a major trophy since their FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United back in 2005 in Cardiff.

Unfortunately we haven’t won it for a long time now, so I’m even more focused to do well in this competition Wenger’s Arsenal can book their place in the semi-finals of the competition with victory over Everton at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

And the Frenchman, whose side have beaten Tottenham and Liverpool en route to the last eight, is focused on helping the Gunners taste cup glory once again.

“We always take the competition seriously,” Wenger told Arsenal magazine. “You are always aware that you can go out, but you also know that the first step in the competition is very

important.

“You need a special focus to get really into the competition. Once you are in it, past the first game, you work to stay in it, but that first step can sometimes be the most dangerous one.

“I have been lucky enough to win it four times, but unfortunately we haven’t won it for a long time now, so in fact I’m even more focused to do well in this competition.”

Wenger continued: “I would love the club to win the FA Cup again.

Unfortunately sometimes the scheduling clashes with the Champions League.

FA CUP FIXTURES Arsenal

v

Everton 12:45 SUNDAY

Sheff Utd

v

Charlton 12:00

Hull

v

Sunderland 14:00

Man City

v

Wigan

Wolfsburg next for red-hot Bayern BUNDESLIGA

B

ayern Munich’s canter towards the Bundesliga title takes them to Wolfsburg today, while Hannover host Bayer Leverkusen.

Pep Guardiola’s side are 20 points clear atop the league table with 15 matches to play, having won 21 of 23 fixtures this season in a dominant performance.

Wolfsburg sit fifth in the table, just two points outside of a UEFA Champions League spot, however, they would be concerned at shipping six goals to mid-table Hoffenheim at their last start ahead of a date with the ever-strong Bayern.

Leverkusen are third in the table, 22 points behind Bayern, but have severe concerns after dropping their past three matches ahead of their trip to Hannover.

Sami Hyypia’s men have the chance to steady their form, though, as Hannover are winless in four, including three losses.

F

ball Special

Franck Ribery

PREMIER LEAGUE

Promising weekend for Real, Barca

1

Chelsea

28

63

2

Liverpool

28

59

3

Arsenal

28

59

4

Man City

26

57

5

Tottenham

28

53

Juventus out for Fiorentina revenge

6

Everton

27

48

7

Man Utd

27

45

8

Newcastle

28

43

SERIE A

9

Southampton

28

39

10

West Ham

28

31

uventus will look to exact revenge on Fiorentina as the Tuscans remain the only side in the league to have beaten the Bianconeri this season.

11

Aston Villa

28

31

12

Hull

28

30

13

Stoke

28

30

14

Swansea

28

29

Vincenzo Montella’s men contributed to one of the most historic games in modern day Italian football when they came back from two-goals down to procure a 4-2 victory.

Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba put the Bianconeri two-goals up heading into the interval, but a Giuseppe Rossi show stunned the crowd under the Curva Fiesole.

A hat-trick in the space of 14 minutes, combined with Jaoquin’s goal was enough to undo Antonio Conte’s charges at the Artemio Franchi.

That victory remains the only ever match the Ola Lady have failed to take at least a point from and they will now be looking to exact vengeance when they meet again.

Juventus will undoubtedly be buoyed by their 2-0 victory over their arch rivals Milan last Sunday evening, but more because they extended their gap over their nearest league rivals Roma to 11 points.

Meanwhile, AC Milan will embrace the return of Sulley Muntari when they take on a struggling Udinese side at the Stadio Friuli on Saturday.

15

Norwich

28

28

16

Crystal Palace

27

27

17

West Brom

27

25

18

Sunderland

26

24

19

Cardiff

28

22

20

Fulham

28

21

J

LA LIGA

R

eal Madrid and Barcelona will look to prolong winning streaks over Levante and Real Valladolid respectively in La Liga this weekend.

The Bernabeu-based side have won their past four matches against Levante, including 5-1 and 4-2 wins the past two times they have welcomed them to Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men need to bounce back after a 2-2 draw with rivals and title challengers Atletico Madrid at their last start but should chalk up a victory on Sunday to preserve their advantage over secondp l a c e d Barcelona.

Gerardo Martino’s men are one point in arrears of Real, and can maintain the pressure on the leaders if they take all three points from their trip to Valladolid, a side they have beaten eight times in succession.

Barca will go provisionally top of the table should they avoid defeat on Saturday, with Real kicking off 24 hours later.

Atletico Madrid, three points behind Real, are on the road at Celta de Vigo, who have not lost at home in seven matches.

Celta have won four and drawn three at their Estadio de Balaidos venue, meaning Diego Simeone’s men have work to do if they are to break down the hosts and end a two-match winless run.

Frontrunners for the fourth and final Champions League spot, Athletic Bilbao travel to Valencia on Sunday.

The Basque outfit are hovering in the unusual position of being comfortably fourth, six points clear of fifth-placed Villarreal but some 11 points behind Atletico in third.

The other Sunday fixture sees Almeria, three points above the drop zone, host seventh-placed Sevilla, while on Monday, Osasuna and Malaga go head-to-head and Real Sociedad - who occupy a Europa League spot in sixth - take on relegation-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Ike Uche in Granada reunion without Ighalo

S

uper Eagles striker, Ike Uche, will face his former side, Granada in a La liga fixture when his club, Villareal, visit today but his compatriot, Odion Ighalo, will be missing in action for the home team due to injury.

Ike Uche was initially ruled out of this tie due to suspension but the striker, on Wednesday, had the red card he bagged during their last match against Real Betis overturned by La Liga authority.

The player is yet to add to his 12-goal tally after returning from an injury that sidelined

him for three weeks and he will be desperate to end the drought when he visits his former club.

He was on loan at Granada during 2011/2012 season where he enjoyed impressive partnership with Ighalo but his former teammate is yet to recover from an injury that has kept him out action this year.

Villareal are pushing for a Champions League spot and the Yellow Submarine will be desperate to pick points at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes today.

29

SPORT

PH ON SATURDAY CH 2014

SERIE A FIXTURES

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES Saturday

Saturday

BUNDESLIGA SN

Team

P

Pts

1

Bayern

23

65

2

Dortmund

23

45

3

Leverkusen

23

43

4

Schalke

23

41

5

Wolfsburg

23

39

6

Mainz

23

37

7

M’gladbach

23

36

8

Hertha BSC

23

35

9

Augsburg

23

35

10

Hoffenheim

23

29

11

Hannover

23

25

12

Frankfurt

23

25

13

Bremen

23

25

14

Nürnberg

23

23

15

Stuttgart

23

19

16

Hamburg

23

19

17

Freiburg

23

19

18

Braunschweig

23

16

SN TEAM

P

PTS

1

Real

26

64

West Brom v

Man Utd

Udinese

v

Milan

Arsenal

P-P

Swansea

Catania

v

Cagliari

2

Barcelona

26

63

Cardiff

v

Fulham

Sunday

3

Atlético

26

61

Palace

v

Southampton

Juventus

v

Fiorentina

4

Bilbao

26

50

Man City

P-P

Aston Villa

Bologna

v

Sassuolo

5

Villarreal

26

44

Norwich

v

Stoke

Chievo

v

Genoa

6

Sociedad

26

43

Chelsea

v

Tottenham

Inter

v

Torino

7

Sevilla

26

38

Lazio

v

Atalanta

8

Levante

26

36

Parma

v

Verona

9

Valencia

26

35

Sampdoria v

Livorno

10

Espanyol

26

33

Napoli

Roma

11

Celta de Vigo

26

30

12

Elche

26

29

13

Osasuna

26

29

Sunday Newcastle

P-P

Everton

LA LIGA FIXTURES Saturday

v

Valladolid

v

Barcelona

Betis

v

Getafe

Saturday

14

Granada

26

27

Celta de Vigo v

Atlético

M’gladbach v

Augsburg

15

Getafe

26

27

Granada

Villarreal

Schalke

v

Hoffenheim

16

Málaga

26

26

Sunday

Hamburg

v

Frankfurt

17

Almería

26

26

Espanyol

Elche

Hannover

v

Leverkusen

v

Braunschweig

18

Valladolid

26

23

Sevilla

Stuttgart

v

Bayern

19

Vallecano

26

23

Levante

Wolfsburg

20

Real Betis

26

15

Almería Real

v v v v

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

30 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

Lifestyle Brazil stars rescue young pitch invader

A

fter watching Brazil decimate his team 5-0 in Soweto, one young South Africa supporter felt the need to get up close to the visiting players.

But rather than tackle the interloper to the ground, the South American superstars had other ideas.

The young boy posed for pictures with the sleek Barcelona forward, Neymar, before being hoisted up by the Brazilians in a heart-warming display.

The lad may look happy, but the Brazil stars appear to be having a whale of a time as they make the dreams of the young supporter come true.

Neymar and the others weren’t so kind when they faced South Africa on the pitch.

The poster boy of this summer’s World Cup netted a hat-trick for the tournament’s hosts as Chelsea playmaker, Oscar and Fernandinho of Manchester City, completed the rout.

Nadal, girlfriend, go paddling in Mexico

D

espite being just days away from attempting to defend his Indian Wells title, tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal, enjoy some down time with his girlfriend in Mexico.

After winning the title in Rio de Janeiro, the world’s number one tennis

player took some time off ahead of the Masters 1000 season.

Nadal showed that he has many talents aside from tennis as he and his girlfriend, Maria Xisxa Parello, engaged in some kayaking and deep-sea diving.

The 27-year-old looked distinctly un-

comfortable as he attempted to clamber in the back of an orange kayak.

With a huge smile on his face, though, Nadal showed off the muscular physique that fans across the world are more accustomed to seeing him flex in a tennis arena.

Carroll shares intimate moment with girlfriend

H

e may have suffered a dislocated finger last weekend, but clearly, there’s no damage to West Ham striker, Andy Carroll’s heart.

The 25-year-old revealed in February that he is dating actress, Billi Mucklow.

Last month, Mucklow confirmed the relationship by sharing an Instagram picture of the pair to-

gether and she has been active on her account once more, this time uploading another affectionate post of the couple.

The photo shows the England international kissing Mucklow on the cheek, as he hugs her from behind, with the caption ‘Good Times’ amongst some romantic emoticons.

Lagos Polo breaks tradition

F

or the first time, the 2014 Lagos International Polo Tournament was held outside its traditional ground as the final matches were played not on the Ribadu Road turf but in Epe, a surburb of Lagos.

It would not sound funny to the founders who laid a solid foundation for the club to serve several generations, because the unusual happened during the final days of the two week event.

Never in the history of this tournament had the final match been played outside Ribadu Road, but it happened last Sunday as the organisers found the playing turf of Ikoyi Polo Club unfit to host the final matches.

To many it was fun, but to others who had followed this tournament over the years, it was like an aberration.

Tongues started wagging, questions were asked, but there

By Chimaobi Uchendu princehench@yahoo.com

08092747532

‘Work on Bayelsa polo club on going’ W

Action from 2014 Lagos polo tournament.

were no answers. As one spectator put it; “I know some men that are members of this club that can singlehandedly reconstruct the playing turf to avoid this embarrassment.

“This is not a government property that could be allowed to rot away and with

this embarrassment, they will put heads together to do the right thing.

“What is required to keep the tradition of this club is an underground drainage that would drain the water when it rains.

“I know it will be done, when, I can’t say.”

ork at the world-class polo club in Bayelsa State has reached an advanced stage in fulfillment of Governor Seriake Dickson’s campaign promise to promote tourism and leisure in the state.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the site, Governor Dickson said the whole idea of the project was to use sports to promote tourism. “We will use sports to promote a sustainable economy outside oil and gas,” he said.

According to the governor, his administration attaches great im-

portance to sports and tourism, because they have the capacity to create wealth, employ labour and strengthen bonds of friendship among individuals and groups from different parts of the world.

Dickson, who also disclosed government’s desire to convert the Gloryland Castle to a six-star hotel, added that the decision was borne out of the need to create a conducive environment for investors in the state. He said investors would soon be trooping into the state for business, which he said will generate more revenue for the state.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

SPORT

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Abdullahi’s sacking shows inconsistency – Galadima Vincent Eboigbe

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Imoh

How Belgium pressured me to dump Eagles - Imoh

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ewly capped Super Eagles and Standard Liege of Belgium striker, Ezekiel Imoh, has revealed that but for his father he would have been playing for Belgium instead of Nigeria at the international level.

Speaking to Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, in Atlanta, United States during the international friendly against Mexico, Imoh said he was actually approached to fast-track his Belgian citizenship

papers and he did not see anything wrong with it.

“Ordinarily, it takes three years of stay in Belgium to apply for citizenship but after two years I was called up to come and get the papers and I was excited by the offer. But when I called my dad back home in Nigeria, he told me not to because they were luring me with it so that I can play for Belgium. It took a long argument between both of us but at the end of the day I have to listen to my father,” he said.

The stocky striker said the Belgian football authorities wanted him in their junior team immediately for him to blossom for the future, but pressure from Nigeria was also huge hence his change if mind. “I was encouraged then to join them because more than half of the Belgium national team players are not original indigenes of the country and I thought I could be one for the future but that has changed now that I have played for Nigeria.”

Crisis in Bosnia camp as Dzeko slams coach Ajibade Olusesan with Agency Reports

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he camp of one of Nigeria’s World Cup group opponents, Bosnia, has been thrown into crisis after one of the key players, Edin Dzeko, openly criticised Coach Safet Susic.

The European country stumbled to a 2-0 defeat in the hands of Egypt in an international friendly and the Manchester City striker slammed his coach for making him play for 90 minutes despite being injured.

Dzeko went into Wednesday’s friendly, carrying a knock and he expected to be replaced at half-time during the clash in Innsbruck,

which Egypt won 2-0.

However, Susic decided to keep Dzeko on the pitch for the full game and the forward was not happy with the coach’s decision.

“I came here with a niggling injury and Susic knew that; and he still didn’t substitute me either at halftime, which was the plan, or after the break, when I asked to be replaced,” Dzeko said on his Facebook page.

“I don’t know why he left me on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.”

Dzeko also came under fire from some of the Bosnia fans after an indifferent display and the 27-year-old, who was Bosnia’s top scorer in their successful World Cup campaign, says some of the supporters should be ‘ashamed’ of their behaviour.

“I wish to thank all fans who support me, but the others should be ashamed of themselves, because I am a born winner and always played my heart out for the national team,” added Dzeko.

ormer Nigeria Football Association Chairman, Ibrahim Galadima, is of the view that the sacking of Bolaji Abdullahi as Sports Minister has again underlined the high turnover rate in the ministry and the attendant implications for the sector.

He told our correspondent on the telephone on Thursday that Abdullahi managed to achieve what he did because he stayed relatively longer than most ministers before him. The former minister was appointed in July 2011.

Such lack of continuity Galadima notes has been the bane of sports development in the country.

“I don’t know why Abdullahi was sacked and until government tells us why one can’t really comment in that regard. Of course governments don’t give reasons for such decisions. But my worry is the rate at which sports ministers come and go. Since 1999 we’ve had about 14 to 15 sports ministers and this lack of continuity has negative implications for the sector,” notes Galadima.

“People are saying that Abdullahi achieved a lot within the period he was in charge, there is no doubt about that and I can tell you that his achievements in the last two years are linked to the fact that he stayed a little longer in the ministry. There is virtually little a minister can achieve within a space of just six or 12 months.”

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday sacked Abdullahi replacing him with Tamuno Danagogo, and there are fears that this may upset Super Eagles’ preparation and performance in summer’s

World Cup. Danagogo, a former Commissioner of Urban development in Rivers State and an unknown when it comes to sports administration in the country may have his ideas and people and this can compound matters. This is the worry for Galadima.

“I don’t think Abdullahi’s sack will in any way affect Super Eagles’ preparation for the World Cup. He was not directly involved with the team; the federation is there, the coaches are there, everything is on ground already,” Galadima adds.

“We heard recently that government has released funds for the World Cup. So issues of preparation, camping, friendly matches are already sorted out. However, I have not heard of Danagogo. I don’t know his antecedents in sports and to that extent don’t know what to expect from him.

“The new minister will have his own way of doing things; he will have his own people. My fear is that this may in some way upset the ‘apple cart’ with the World Cup so near.”

Galadima

Winners emerge today at Lagos Premier Lotto Athletics Charles Ogundiya

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he overall winners of the season two of the Lagos Premier Lotto Schools Athletics Championship will emerge today inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The competition, comprising of students from various districts in the state, will come to a climax on Saturday with the qualifiers from each district competing against each other for a new champion to emerge.

According to the Secretary of the Lagos Athletics Association, Ige Jenyo, district two and four recorded large turnouts with some of the athletes performing excellently in their events.

“In each district, four athletes will

qualify for the grand finale, especially in the sprint event, while in the long distance events, two athletes are expected to make it to the finale. We have been having good turnout even from the private schools and this is a major improvement from the maiden edition. We hope that new champions will emerge by Saturday, while old records will also be erased and new ones set by these athletes,” Jenyo said.

Also for the grand finale, eight states and eight tertiary institutions in Lagos State have confirmed their participation in the invitational relay, while athletes believe the competition would help them to improve as well as get call-ups to the state team.

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Countdown to Fifa World Cup Ifeanyi Ibeh

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hen at last December’s draws for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil were drawn against the likes of Cameroon, Croatia and Mexico in Group A, expectations were that the Brazilians will cruise past their first round rivals and secure a spot in the knockout rounds.

Three months later, those outlooks haven’t changed, especially with the Selecao showing signs that they will be ready to take on the rest of the world by the time the tournament gets underway on June 12.

And for good reason too, for Brazil 2014 will be the first time since 1978 that a South American country will be hosting the World Cup; and the hosts will be looking to add another title to the five they already have in their kitty.

In fact, the Brazilians are the only country to have played in every single World Cup and the only side to have won it five times. They even reached three consecutive finals from 1994 through 2002, winning the first and last of those, but in the two editions since then, they have crashed out in the quarterfinals.

Now managed by the duo of Head Coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who coached Brazil to the title in 2002; and Assistant Coach, Carlos Alberto Perreira, who was in charge when Brazilia won the title in 1994, the Selecao will be cheered on by their football-crazy fans and expected to go all the way to the final and make amends, so to say, for the national tragedy of 1950, when they lost in the final to Uruguay in front of over 200, 000 fans at the Maracana.

The fact that Scolari’s side have not been involved in competitive games, having qualified for the World Cup as hosts, shouldn’t be a hindrance to their quest for a sixth title as they showed at last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup that they can thrive under such circumstances beating Japan, Mexico, Italy, Uruguay and the reigning world champions, Spain in that order, on their way to the title.

And with stars like Neymar, Oscar, Hulk and many more at Scolari’s disposal, it will take a colossal effort to prevent the Brazilians from progressing to the knockout rounds and going all the way to the final.

The question then would be ‘who will progress along with the Brazilians to the knockout

Brazil expected to roll past Group A rivals rounds from among the trio of Cameroon, Croatia and Mexico’?

Cameroon qualified for their seventh World Cup by topping their qualification group and dispatching Tunisia 4-1 on aggregate in the playoffs. And their traditional physical approach to the game could work in their favour in sunny and humid Brazil, where they will be hoping to progress to the knockout rounds for the first time since 1990, when they made it all the way to the last-eight before losing to England.

But sadly, despite the presence of Samuel Eto’o, the current Indomitable Lions have not been able to replicate the potent goal-scoring prowess of that Ita-

It will take a colossal effort to prevent the Brazilians from progressing to the knockout rounds

lia ’90 side led by the legendary Roger Milla.

Same goes for the Mexicans, who have not been able to equal, to date, their quarterfinal showing on home soil at both the 1970 and 1986 World Cup tournaments. In fact, the Mexicans last five World Cup appearances have all ended in similar fashion in the Round of 16, but having struggled to qualify from the CONCACAF qualifiers, El Tri will need an improved game plan to make it out of the group stage this time around, especially as the Croatians look the likely side to progress alongside Brazil to the next round.

The Vatreni, as the Croats are known, are a balanced team with several top-class talents within their ranks such as the midfield duo of Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, who are expected to rip open opponents’ defences and provide telling passes upfront for Bayern Munich striker, Mario Mandzukic, who is a proven goal scorer.

But the Croatians, despite

their quality, have a knack for messing up against lesser opposition, and with Mandzukic expected to miss their opening two games, following the red card he bagged in his side’s playoff win over Iceland, this otherwise competent and creative side look likely to encounter problems securing the goals required to grab a place in the knockout stage.

VERDICT Brazil should win all three games and secure top spot in this group. It will, however, be a close fight for second spot between Croatia and Mexico, with Cameroon expected to finish bottom of the log.

GROUP A FIXTURES 12 June Brazil vs Croatia 13 June Mexico vs Cameroon 17 June Brazil vs Mexico 18 June Cameroon vs Croatia 23 June Cameroon vs Brazil 23 June Croatia vs Mexico

FACT BOX BRAZIL FIFA ranking: 9 Appearances: 20 Best ever finish: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Key players: Neymar and Oscar Captain: Thiago Silva Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari CAMEROON FIFA ranking: 46 Appearances: 7 Best ever finish: Quarterfinals (1990) Key players: Samuel Eto’o and Jean Makoun Captain: Samuel Eto’o Manager: Volker Finke CROATIA FIFA ranking: 16 Appearances: 4 Best ever finish: Third (1998) Key players: Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic Captain: Darijo Srna Manager: Niko Kovac MEXICO FIFA ranking: 21 Appearances: 15 Best ever finish: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986) Key players: Javier Hernandez and Carlos Vela Captain: Rafael Marquez Manager: Miguel Herrera

Tomisin Oyelere A queen by providence p.37 Ugbomah In support of the Censors Board boss p.38

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Funsho Adeolu: I’d rather not be known as the one who drove the most expensive car Funsho Adeolu-Adegeye, one of the most sought after Yoruba actors speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA about his marriage, career and alleged affair with friend’s ex-wife, Fathia Balogun.

MY WIFE AND RUMOURS OF INFIDELITY

As a strapping prodigy and a lady’s toast on and off set, Adeolu-Adegeye already has many questions to field as to why he’s mostly in company of ladies and how his wife has taken tales of infidelity that trails him. “I met my wife eight years before we got married. She already knew me as Funsho Adeolu, not as a star people idolize. She’s that kind of lady who has more male friends than female, for that singular reason, her thinking level has beaten the feeble-mindedness of an average woman.

She thinks like a man, not all the time though because the woman factor will always feature.

Another thing that made it easy for her is that I’m that kind of a man who does not glory in what should not be a sane way of life. Womanizing, just like smoking and drinking is not a way of life, it’s just one of the excesses of life.”

THAT STORY ABOUT BEING IMMOBILE

As successful as he’s rated to be, at least among peers in the towering Yoruba movie industry, the gangling thespian, to some seems unnecessarily overrated. The same reason explains why a writer once said he saw him in public bus - an indication that he had no car - sometime last year. This spurred his reaction: “That writer who said I didn’t have a car of my own apparently didn’t know me well enough because I’ve been driving my own car since I left the university in 1994. And as I tried my hands on some other ventures, I still had the car. But there was a point in my life when I had to do some other things and there was no car for a while. Interestingly so, as at the time the fellow wrote the story, I already had a car. The fact is that if I wasn’t Funsho Adeolu, the star, nobody would have written anything about whether I haven’t got a car or that I’ve got a fleet. He wanted to sell his paper and I bless God that he could use my name to get attention. The only thing I’ve guided against is to be written about in ways that will induce public ridicule. I had been so careful not to drag my name to the mud in such a way that my children will be unable to access tongues wag and sell the paper as a matter of fact. It didn’t bother me because it was not true.”

PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHT

Meet the man and his alter ego; “There’s an aspect of guidance and counseling which

I studied in school; it’s called psychology. After closely observing my person, I realized I’m a psychologist. I’ve come to realise how people think, how they handle emotions. In psychology, there’s something they call ‘ego’ and ‘super ego’. Your ID will tell your ego, ‘this man has slapped you, slap him back’, but your super ego will tell you, ‘what happens if you slap back? If you don’t slap him, will it reduce you?’ I obey my super ego. I want to be seen as a Jehovah of the industry. I don’t want to be known as the one who drove the most expensive car; I want to be remembered as someone who impacted the industry greatly.”

ON YORUBA ACTRESSES SEEMINGLY BEING RICHER THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS

Observers of the Yoruba movie industry have long pondered what seems like a norm - the fact(?) that female players tend to be richer than their male counterparts. But the actor thinks differently: “Making money and getting money don’t actually mean the same thing. When you work for your money, you make that money; but when you get money, that’s not by your labour, but by the generosity of someone giving you with the sole aim of getting something in return. I maintain my small family and I have a lot of responsibilities resting on my shoulders as I have my way of lending a hand to people which I won’t make public. I took this from my dad because even the house girl in our house must go to school. One of my dad’s former shop keepers is a professor now in Lagos State University.

She failed like three times yet my dad never gave up on him. Despite how many kids - biological and adopted - that he sent to school, he’s still very comfortable today. He still has a shop inside the National Stadium, Lagos till date. That’s the ideal I hold dear to my heart.”

“I grew up in separate homes because my parents were never married. And it didn’t affect me”

FATHIA, SAIDI BALOGUN AND I

There was a raging scandal involving him and his colleague’s estranged wife, Faithia Balogun. The two were alleged to be seeing each other while the latter was still married to Saheed Balogun. This is his story: “There was no shocker for me in the story anyway. The only thing that pained me was that Saidi Balogun believed that I had carnal knowledge of his wife. I was so disappointed that he could believe that. If they asked him,

he should be the one to say to others that “Funsho is not that kind of a person”. I would never have anything to do with a married woman. I understand too much to be guilty of such transgression. Married people carry a covenant you cannot break and go unpunished. At the end of the day, he came back to apologize and said it was due to some factors.

So, when the press was busy reporting that falsehood, I didn’t bother to react.”

FROM PARENTS WHO WERE NEVER MARRIED

Adeolu-Adegeye didn’t enjoy the luxury of growing up in the same home with his parents as most kids of his time did. He expressed no regrets still. “I grew in separate homes because my parents were never married. It didn’t affect me; maybe that’s why I’d been very cautious about my life. I didn’t want it to result in the same thing that happens to kids from broken homes. My mother currently stays with me and my dad, who is now a devout Christian married to someone else yet they’re very good friends.”

MOVIES

• • •

The Contractor, Diamond Ring, Most Wanted

34 SHOWBIZ

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‘You could go wrong if you want things to happen so fast’ Nigerian Musical Video Award winner Ebisan Bukola Damola has obviously begun the year on a high with the release of her single’s video last month. She speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS Why take the pains to study in England when you never planned to put your certificates to use?

Education is the only thing that would set you apart from others in the industry. Then, a lot of us grew up hearing about artistes being cheated by their managers and that happened because they did not understand or could not interpret their contracts themselves. So, having a solid academic background will help you in achieving greatness in whatever you plan to do even if it is dancing provided it is what you do to earn a living. Also, I plan to venture into business eventually.

So when did you start singing?

I started singing during my A Levels.

When I was in England, I worked as a session singer and with other song writers. There was a certain Rockhill Entertainment, a record label and I believe they are still running. I used to write music for them and I also sang for some of the songwriters there. I was singing at weddings too with a band. Since I was in school then, I could not really take music as a full-time job; I had to come out with a good degree. During the holidays, I definitely could concentrate more on music, but immediately school resumes, everything stops.

How would you assess your development as an artiste so far?

I believe in growth and that whatever I do, I have to get better lest I get bored. I think people can see that I am quite diverse; any single I released has been different from the previous. My most recent track Time of Our Lives that features Chee is all about dancing while the previous was jazz. Love Story was slow and romantic in nature. Ultimately, I believe I am always evolving with whatever I come out with. I cannot just continue to do the same thing.

At the point you thought of coming back home, were you not disturbed that the industry was largely dominated by the male folks?

I have been around for five years now and I was never. I believe I am doing what I am destined to do. So even if I am the only female singer, I will still go ahead. I do not do things based on what is going on around me; I do things based on what I feel and my ability.

And since I was a very little girl, I have been singing and writing and this is what I enjoyed most in life. It does not matter if there were thousands of women or just one, music is something I am so passionate about regardless of anything.

How were you able to blend so fast given that you were not familiar with the music terrain here?

I have been away for a while and obviously there was a different kind of feeling.

I was excited but nervous at the same time, hoping not to make any mistake. It was not about music; it was about fitting back into this society. But I was not worried about my ability. And I know that as long as I am being myself, people will appreciate me and my music.

I familiarised myself first with the environment when I came back before I started making music. I served in a bank and I worked in two other places before I started doing music full-time in 2012. I did not go straight into music even though I was recording. So many people also helped me settle down and this is why I love Lagos. Once you tell people what you want to achieve, there are always people willing to help you. I had people that put me through; I cannot say I did everything by myself. When I came back, I started with a soundtrack for a movie Tango with Me staring Joseph Benjamin and Genevieve Nnaji. My first official song was Love Story and the video also starred Joseph Benjamin. I acted a bit too. People were so surprised because they did not know I can also act. So it was a way of showing people that I can also act.

Peter Kiegaldie produced Love Story and I also co-produced it. Ak One directed the video and he has directed all my videos. Most times, I come up with the ideas for my videos. When I write a song, I know exactly how it will sound even before I go see the prod u c e r.

I also know what t h e video is going to look like when I am writing songs. So when I did Love Story, I knew I wanted the video to be a mini-movie and I needed a director that was capable of doing films not just musical videos. So when I saw his work, I knew he would be able to tell a story within a very

limited time because it is very difficult to tell story in five minutes. Once I met with him, I told him exactly what I wanted and everything worked out. When I see that someone can listen and do exactly what I asked him or her to do, I do not have any problem. Love Story did well but the video that really gave me a breakthrough was Jowo. When I wrote the song, I started laughing because I already knew how the video will look like. I knew it would be fun and I was going to act like a crazy woman. And I just knew that once I speak with Ak One, I would get what I wanted and it was perfect.

I think the reason I have been able to work with him overtime is that he understands my vision. Jowo won an award in 2012, Nigerian Musical Video Award (NMVA) for the best alternative video in the same category with Lagbaja and Bez. It was an exciting video where I acted as a crazy girl. I decided to storm into a wedding, kidnapped the groom and asked him to marry me instead. So I think Nigerians like such story lines that will make them laugh. I think the song made everyone to start talking about me and it was powerful as well.

Can you tell us about your recent video?

My recent song is titled Time of Our Lives.

I just released the video about three weeks

I do not do things based on what is going on around me; I do things based on what I feel and my ability

ago. It is a love story but a dance track too. It was shut in Lagos unlike my other videos. I insisted that it must be shut on the street while I was eating suya, amala and riding in a tricycle.

It is a story of a rich girl who lives in Lekki and befriends a shoemaker in Ebute Meta. They spent the day together and the guy decided to show her around his area. I have always wanted to do something to tell people that there is beauty on the street.

How can we describe your kind of music?

My music is quirky soul. It is soulful but in a very quirky way. I coined it myself. When people hear soul, they believe it must be slow.

I up the tempo of my songs but still make it soulful. With that, I can work with any beat. It could be a dance hall or hip-hop beat. It could also be rock but my vocals are always soulful My lyrics are evergreen too.

Are you satisfied with the development in the industry?

I like the fact that new thing comes up every day. Before I left this country, we only listened to foreign songs in our parties but it is a different story now. Ninety-nine percent of the songs that we hear are now Nigerian songs.

We are now proud of our music. Our music is evolving and more women are coming up now too. I am so happy that we have varieties; there is soulful music, hip-hop and a host of others.

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SHOWBITZ WITH SONY NEME

Davido’s Skelewu album launch in UK Davido has revealed that he would be launching his Skelewu album on March 17, in the United Kingdom. Davido dropped the information during a live television show Live At

Battersea anchored by Adesope Olajide. The music man has been on a tour in the United Kingdom and intends to hit the USA and Canada beginning March 28th.

Former Tinsel stars Damilola and Chris getting married?

What are the apparent challenges

I would say my challenge is that I am making songs not seen as commercial in Nigeria.

My challenge is that I want to creative and I am not interested in doing what every other people are doing. I want something that I can be proud of 10 years later. It could be challenging though because people will hardly call you for shows.

I am feeling but I like to be very comfortable.

What do you think is responsible for the high rate of break-ups in the industry?

To be honest, I do not follow the relationship life of most celebrities. But I believe that regardless of who you are, you should know how to manage your time. Without that, people will suffer and get hurt.

How do you get inspiration?

I am inspired by everything around me; from people’s experiences, daily activities and everything around. I am inspired by real events because people will know when you are deceiving them.

Who are your mentors?

While I was growing up, it was Sade Adu. She makes music she really knows she has something to say. I respect her a lot. I grew up listening to the late Fela and Whitney Houston too.

What do you do for recreation?

I play tennis and I write too. I hang out with my friends and I love chocolates.

What is your take on fashion

It depends because I change a lot. Sometimes, I just want to wear a free gown. I love colourful wears too and I like to wear what I see on the runway also. It really depends on how

What are your likes and dislikes?

I love chocolate and I love to eat but not in excess. I like honest people and I do not expect you to tell me what I want to hear all the time.

I hate arrogant people and seeing people unhappy. I also always hope that my music can uplift people.

What are your plans in the near future?

I want to continue to improve as an artiste and in whatever I do. I want to travel far and wide with my music. I am also working on my album. I want to continue to make good music that Nigerians will be proud of.

What do you tell upcoming female artistes who seek your counsel?

When you start having the feeling that you are under pressure, you might find yourself doing things you should not do. Be patient and trust God. When you want things so quick, you will start doing wrong things.

Are we to believe blog reports and Damilola Adegbite’s tweet? On March 3, the actress Damilola Adegbite confirmed that she and Chris Attoh would be walking down the aisle on April 12 in a ceremony to be held in Lagos. Her tweet read: “Was waiting for the perfect moment to tell you all the good news but it’s been done on my behalf. Thank you all for your wishes. I could hug you all.

A million kisses.” It had been rumoured that the two former Tinsel stars were in a relationship, with the two even posting romantic pictures of themselves on social media. These fanned the flames even more. Now there is a twist in the tale. When we called Adegbite to confirm the news, she sang a different tune.

“Everything you’ve heard concerning details for a wedding disregard. When we decide to make it official we will inform you,” she said.

Jesse jagz’ new album for release this month Last year, Jesse Jagz released the critically acclaimed Jagz Nation Vol. 1 Thy Album Come. Barely a year after, Jargo is getting ready to drop another album. Jagz told Hip TV his follow up album, which was initially intended to be a mixtape, would feature the likes of rap legend 2pac, and Afrobeat singer Fela Anikulapo Kuti. He also mentioned that the album consists of 10 tracks

Praiz introduces Sammy, new x3m music act For a while now, Praiz has been the only act on X3M music label. Rapper OD left the label in 2012, while soul singer Etcetera left the label the year earlier. Hip TV can authoritatively reveal that Praiz now has a companion on the Steve Babaeko led label. Over the weekend, at the Gidi-Culture festival, Praiz introduced the latest act on the label- Sammy. Sammy is an upcoming singer who was previously signed to Bit Bender Entertainment.

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It’s no longer at ease for Obi Asika, Olisa Adibua

S

howmen, cousins and erstwhile business partners, Olisa Adibua and Obi Asika have refused to sheathe sword over a deal gone sour. It has emerged that the famous on-air-personality, Olisa Adibua had dragged Asika before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in relation to the handling of funds said to be the second time in nearly one and a half years. Things have gone so bad that Olisa who was practically staying in his cousin, Asika’s house any time he was abroad would do anything within the law to recover the millions that allegedly tore them apart.

They were directors in Storm Group before things fell apart in 2012 and all efforts to reconcile them have been unsuccessful since the bubble burst.

Sources close to the buddies said

the lawsuit was instituted by the radio personality and he’s asking the commission to investigate his erstwhile business partner, Mr. Asika, his driver and personal assistant.

The petition titled, ’’Request for Investigation of Fraudulent Activities in Storm 360 Limited’’ is the second that was filed against Asika by Olisa in the last twenty months.

The request was first addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit SFU, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos on May 4, 2012. It asked the force to investigate the disappearance of Fifty Million, One Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand, Eighty Three Naira and USD 496,596, Four Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety Six US Dollars from Storm 360 account where Obi Asika acts as the CEO. Adibua’s petition didn’t go unan-

Asika

swered as Asika who counter-petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, alleged a threat to his life by Adibua.

Asika’s petition however got the nod of the powers that be as it led to the arrest of Adibua who was detained at the SFU on July 24, 2012 before the case was transferred to force headquarters in Abuja.

Olisa, in his fresh petition laments inaccessibility to the bank statements despite claims that they jointly started the business in 2008

E-BRIEFS

Endorsement fetches Iyanya Prado SUV Iyanya Mbuk is having a swell time as the lines have fallen for him again in a pleasant place. On Tuesday, March 4, , the Kukere master was presented a 2014 Prado jeep as part of the benefit of an endorsement deal he signed with Solo Phones in 2013. The new toy was handed over to him at the popular phone market, Computer Village, in Ikeja, Lagos after a brief brand activation programme.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde at 36 Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is a success at 36 and everything around her corroborates this claim.

Married with four kids - three girls and one boy - the curvaceous actress is also at the zenith of her career. But at 36, Omosexy, as she’s fondly called, has some work to do on her temperament. On social media and her one-on-one interactions with acquaintances, the beautiful one needs to take a cue from fellow Nollywood heavyweight and rival,

Genevieve. No need to get back at every dog that bites and one of such was her comment when the photo of her family leaked.

The photograph was taken at the occasion of her daughter, Meraiah’s fourteenth birthday.

The same bloggers who posted her surprise thirty-sixth birthday celebration by her staff (which gladdened her apparently) were behind the other that kindled her wrath.

Fast rising star T-Me in South Africa for debut video Born on March 5, 1995, Oluwatimilehin Obanla popularly called T-Me is a fast rising hip-hop star from Yewa South, Ogun State. He’s currently a student of health and environmental management at the Canadian University Dubai. T-Me who is currently enjoying rave reviews with his single titled She Wanna Wife Me produced by ID Cabasa, is currently in South Africa where he’s shooting the classy video for the song. The video would be directed by cinematographer, GodFather. The pop star’s words partly read: “I’m really glad for the support I’m enjoying from my parents towards my career, and the fact that people love my song is a blessing, the video would drop at the end of this month and I can assure my fans to expect nothing but the best”

Adibua

before Asika relocated fully to Nigeria from the United States.

He also pointed out that Mr. Asika had insisted that no money was made from the entertainment outfit whenever he queried the exact income because he has never received any dividends since the business kicked off, hence his decision to pursue the legal option he received a sack letter, a decision he’s also challenging. They were guests at the EFCC Ikoyi office on Tuesday, February 26, this year where they were invited and interrogated.

Tricky recipe on Knorr Taste Quest The battle for the title of Nigeria’s culinary best continues with the Knorr Taste Quest, Season 2. The theme for last week’s challenge was tagged “Cooking for a Loved One from the Heart”, and the contestants were given 90 minutes and a host of interesting ingredients to make a starter, main and desert dish.

For starters, the ingredients were pineapple, brown rice, butter lettuce, puff pastry, bran flakes, gizzard and Knorr original. For the main dish, the ingredients were spaghetti, coconut, apples, cucumber, carrots, pork chops and Knorr Chicken, while the desert ingredients were milk, cherry, bacon, flacked almonds and Knorr Original. The contestants were told that two of all the ingredients in each category must be featured in each course.

Speaking on the choice of ingredients, the judges discussed on the nutritional values of each ingredient provided. One to note was the butter lettuce which is not

so popular, but a sweeter version of the regular lettuce.

After 90 minutes, Wando was first to present her dish. She made pasta in coconut milk as her main dish which Chef Fregz described as delicious; however her total presentation was “not pretty”.

Doom’s performance wasn’t too impressive, and her dish was referred to as a “hot mess”. Chef Renee complained about Moses’ gizzard being too tough, but Dr Roberts believed his overall performance was “OK”. The judges complemented Ojo on his performance, and liked almost all the dishes presented, while Olabode’s dish had few hitches. Dixon, Bassey, Chinelo and Popoola all had mixed reviews and didn’t necessarily impress the judges.

Ojo unanimously emerged task winner for the day and was rewarded with N20,000 by the Knorr brand. On probation was Doom and Charles as their performances were far below expectations.

Yemi Alade out with Johnny video Sassy singer, Yemi Alade, has finally premiered the music-video of her hit single, Johnny, produced by Selebobo. The epic video was directed by renowned video director Clarence Peters and stars comedian Bovi, Big Brother Africa’s screen diva, Beverly Osu, artiste Alex Ekubo, afro-pop acts Saeon and Ajemina as well as cameos from Dil, Selebobo and more.

SHOWBIZ

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

37

Tomisin Oyelere: I’m MBGE queen by providence Fledgling model, Tomisin Oyelere, is the Most Beautiful Girl in Eko whose reign runs till October 27, 2015. The vivacious undergraduate of communication and language arts from the University of Ibadan is already living her dream as she shares in this interview with LANRE ODUKOYA. What has been your experience as the current Most Beautiful Girl in Eko?

It’s very nice, more importantly because it has been opening doors already. I’ve been to several places and I’d met several people but right now, I’m working on my pet project. My project is a fight against malaria for the young people. It’s targeted at the kids precisely and it’s been going on well.

How do you hope to raise funds and relief materials to help prevent malaria in children?

Every time the school is on break, I’d make sure I extend letters to my network of friends, well meaning individuals, corporate organizations and government agencies to support this cause. I’m not set out to achieve Lagos without malaria overnight; I want to steadily take one step at a time until I go round the 57 local council development areas of Lagos if time permits.

Has it been hitch-free since your reign began?

The little challenge I have now is my academics which has not been giving me quality time to concentrate as I would loved to do?

Your reign is for two years unlike the conventional pageants; what will you be doing aside the malaria fight?

My colleagues and I will go round to meet well-meaning people to see the support we can get to help humanity maximally. By my colleagues, I mean the MBGE Hospitality and MBGE Environment. They have their individual projects too but we’d see what we can achieve together for humanity.

How did you cut your teeth in modeling and when did it dawn on you that you’d do this?

It’s not something I’ve always dreamed of. In fact, it was the least thing to creep through my mind. It just happened as fate would have it. The only interaction I had with a pageant was when I was in secondary school; I became the Queen of my house including this which makes it the second shot at it. And this is actually a national one. I just went to buy a form for the pageant for the fun of it without any dream associated with it at all.

How did your parents take the idea especially because you won when you’re still in school?

I just stumbled on the form and I told my dad about it. I made him know that I was going to participate in the pageant and I realized that my parents were indifferent about it. They supported throughout the time I was in the house during screening.

We’re two girls with my parents; some other parents would probably not allow their kids stay away from home for nearly one week.

They kept on calling to be sure I was fine and were also praying for me. What I told my dad before leaving for the beauty pageant was that I was going to the house not necessarily to bring the crown, but at least to get something close to the crown. And they supported my idea.

Where are you going after school?

I’m a final year student of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

While I was a child, I aspired to be a newscaster or just be in the media at least, but as fate would have it, growing up threw other options at me. I realized my career; I’m into makeup artistry now which is what I’d love to do. I want to have a fashion house when I grow older and a studio where I can at least show people how to look good.

How do you handle advances from men when they become suffocating?

Well, like I said earlier, we are two girls and I didn’t grow up with my parents. I grew up with family friends and they are all boys, I got quite an experience living, growing and handling them. I spent just a little of my childhood and much of it with my family friends because my school was closer to them. So, I think I know how to handle people intelligently, not just only the men.

I know how to draw the line.

Who inspires you daily as a model?

Agbani Darego and Omowumi Akinnifesi inspire me greatly. I’m sure these ladies have made impressive entrance into the industry and they cannot be forgotten in a hurry no matter what.

What informs how you dress daily?

When I wake up in the morning, I look at the weather and if anyone had not really stepped on my toes as my friends sometimes do, I wear what suggests my mood. And at other times, I mind the weather, either it is sunny or cold out there.

PROFILE NAME: TOMISIN OYELERE STATE: OYO

AGE: 23

HEIGHT: 6.7 SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN COURSE OF STUDY: COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE ARTS

38 SHOW BIZ What are your views on the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Film and Video Censorship Board

My view essentially is that we must first clean up our eyes before we ask somebody else to clean his own. Recently, some stakeholders while expressing their right to opinion, asked the presidency to relieve the Censors Board boss of her job.

I don’t have any problem with that because they have a right to their opinion.

But my question is: are you making films and she did not censor, because about 70 percent of them have not shot film for the last five to seven years.

But they went on the platform of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, and not producers…?

No, they are not actors. That is where the mistake is. They were mostly producers and directors. It was an achievement to have been able to meet and table their points with the president. But did you ask the president about what has become of the three billion naira; did they ask the president where is our $200,000? That is our cry. And did you ask the president how do we go forward? You want to build a befitting secretariat at Abuja; that is a brilliant idea. But where is the string of productions? They are dead. Who murdered it? DSTV and Africa Magic. Now do you know that they have sold all Nigerian films to about six channels, without the owners earning a kobo? The owners signed a weak agreement that they have the right to lease and release the films without the owners’ consent.

But is that not the reason the AGN urged the president to strengthen the two agencies for better delivery?

No. that is not the issue here because another sore point is that these people came here promising to help in building the industry. But instead of that, they are leaving their mandate, and scouting for cheap producers to do an entire film for two million naira. And they are planning to slip it on air, which you dare not try anywhere else in the world like United Kingdom or China. Luckily the censorship lady caught them. This same lady has done five raids in Benue State and six raids at Abuja, and she is now aiming at Lagos. She has signed with Lagos State government about the intending raid on films that have not passed through the regulating agency. We have to allow her to settle into her office.

We can’t just start blaming her, when we have not done our own bit. She is not to give us

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

‘Bala needs our support, not blames’ New Telegraph on Monday, caught up with veteran film maker, producer and actor, Chief Eddy Ugbomah, at Lekki, Lagos on his way to a movie location. It turned out an interesting encounter as Ugboma had to delay the crew for another 20 minutes to pour out his mind on recent developments in the movie industry. money to shoot films. Most of the films on air are films that owners cunningly sent on air and leave out what has been censored.

Her role is to go on raid, which she has embarked on. Secondly, she can’t stop them on air because she is not in charge of NBC. They should go after Emeka Mba and not Patricia Bala, the censors board chief.

The question out there is: why not appoint a practitioner as head of agencies? Why Bala, a civil servant?

She has just been confirmed. We have all agitated that we don’t want anybody outside the industry. She has been in that ministry and understands the problem of the industry and how to make it work. Bottom line is that eight practitioners applied for t h e

job and they didn’t get it. That is the grouse. She has been there for the past 14 years, she knows the job.

So why is she not making her constraint and plans public?

She was not even confirmed when these entire crisis started. This is a big achievement and she deserves kudos instead considering that she was just confirmed. We should cooperate with her and not run her down. If that is done, we will be sending another signal that the whole industry is about bickering.

I am working with my friend, Femi Lasode who is strictly in films outside the usual Nolywood movies. Though it is not another epic, it is about how to preserve our arts, and how to prevent people from abroad coming to steal our artifacts. It is a pure movie that has movie stars from Belgium. He used someone who used to be Fela’s manager as one of the stars. I was able to bring him a blend of old and new breed of stars. You know when you mix new wine and old wine, the taste is different.

How long have you been on location?

You seem to have so much confidence in Bala?

I have confidence in anybody who wants to work. Like I supported those who went to see the president. My only departure is that they didn’t ask him their main headache, which is the money he had willingly provided for our industry to grow.

If you were there what would you have done differently?

I would have told him, ‘sir, here is our proposal for MOPPICON, this is our design for the movie house; and ‘please, sir, where is our three billion naira? We understand it has been given to schools, cinema houses and producers.

Where are they and who are they?

Are you on location now?

We have been on location for the past six days. It was your appointment that I decided to keep, else we should be on our way there.

What cameras are you shooting with and what has been the challenge?

It hasn’t been easy. For instance, we were to use the National Museum at Onikan (Lagos), because of the artefacts, but it was impossible. This is because the amount of money they demanded is not encouraging for a film that is set to project your image to the entire world.

This is publicity for the ministry of arts and culture. Happily the censors office has stepped in to help out with the police as they complain of not being projected properly in our films. Bala has concluded plans that will see the police and the industry working in harmony for a better and an improved film industry. So we are meeting with the inspector-general of police next week on a day yet to be fixed.

When are we expecting the town hall meeting with Bala?

That will be next week. That is going to be a major forum to speak with all stakeholders and, hopefully, clear all foggy air that people are not comfortable with. She will be expecting questions and advice on how to move f o r ward.

Travel&Tourism ON SATURDAY NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

Destination Rich, enchanting Mambilla... p.42

www.newtelegraphonline.com/travel

Chef’s Corner Stanley Mwangi: Nigerians like their foods big time p.40

ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA, EDITOR, TRAVEL AND TOURISM

andrew.okungbowa@newtelegraphonline.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

8 MARCH 2014

39

Sheraton Lagos: Still ahead of the pack... arguably though sic and Clubs rooms and seven Suites with each maintaining a distinct style, quality and featuring different amenities, which are dedicated to the guest’s taste and comfort.

Twenty-eight years on, Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Towers remains a pacesetter among Nigerian hotels and it is not letting off steam yet as it looks to reinvent itself for enhanced performance, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

I

T is the first internationally-branded hospitality outfit in Lagos and since making its glorious and historic debut, other international brands have come on the scene heightening the competitive edge and offering the public alternatives.

However, the hotel still is riding the crest as it remains the first choice for many visitors to the city. Thanks to its vintage product offer and premium service delivery culture, which for the hotel’s general manager, Mr. Alexander Gassauer who is also the area manager for Starwood Nigeria, is the focal point for the hotel, which in his words is the pacesetter. ‘‘Sheraton Lagos has been an icon in the industry in the last 28 years,” he said. “It is still the leading hotel when it comes to the Starwood properties, which at the moment is five.’’ These are the Four Points By Sheraton in Lekki, Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo, Le Meridien Hotel Ogeyi Place, Port Harcourt and Sheraton Abuja Hotel.

The strongest point for Shera-

Conference/meeting

As a business travel hotel, it has an array of well – apportioned and fully equipped conference/meeting facilities, namely Function Suites A and B; Meeting Rooms 3 and 4; Inner Crockpot, Pili Pili, The Club, Pool Terrace and Banqueting Hall seating over 350 people.

Dining/wining

One of the luxury fitted rooms

ton Lagos is business travel given that Lagos is a business travel destination. That fact, coupled with its excellent service delivery culture, explained the general manager, has kept the hotel on top the pecking order over the years.

He attributed the success to the dedication and commitment of the hotel’s staff. ‘‘Well, I feel that the leading element for our Sheraton Lagos as the leader of the hotel industry here (Lagos) is the associates, the quality of the associates, which we have. The commitment and dedication of our people who work here,’’ he said, insisting that ‘‘the service aspect is the most important aspect when it comes to the loyalty of customers and that is what we have been focusing on in the last 28 years as we have the best educated and the best trained staff, which are

hundred percent dedicated to customers’ satisfaction.’’

According to him, it is this work ethic and dedication to customers’ satisfaction that has made the hotel the leading hotel in Lagos. ‘‘We are still on the top of the market here,’’ he said, adding ‘‘in Ikeja, definitely.’’

Fair enough, Gassauer admitted the stiff competition in the market as many of the international brands have opened shop in the city. ‘‘Obviously with the new hotels on the Island, a lot of businesses that were previously on the Island and the people staying here (Mainland) have moved now because their offices are at the Island and the new hotels which have opened there have taken a lot of business travels away from the Mainland.’’

To maintain the edge and its market share as well as put it in a position to attract more businesses,

he revealed the plan by the hotel to extend the frontiers of its service delivery. ‘‘What is happening at the Sheraton Lagos now is that we are looking at operational transformations into some lifestyle and food and beverage concepts.”

Also, as part of this ongoing effort, he said the hotel has finalized plans to reinvent itself by renovating and upgrading its facilities. ‘‘We are also looking at renovating the hotel, which we will start in the next couple of months,’’ said the general manager even as he assured that ‘‘the renovation will take place in a way that it will not really affect the day to day operation of the hotel.’’

A survey revealed an array of product and service.

Guest rooms

The Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja–based hotel has about 325 rooms categorised as Clas-

The hotel also has different ranges of dining and wining outlets, each offering a choice selection of cuisines and wines experience for people. The list includes Crockpot, La Giara, Lobby Bar/ Lounge, Pool Terrace, Goodies Pub and The Club.

Leisure

It also offers a set of leisure packages, ranging from the Wazobia night on Fridays, which is a dedication to African music and gastronomic experience. Related to this is the Sheraton Social Hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 7 and 9pm and are for connoisseurs of the jazz genre as the hotel serenade guests with fine live entertainment and jazz vibes from the repertoire of the great and legendary jazz musicians and offering complementary snacks while in – house guests in attendance have the opportunity to earn more points in the special loyalty programme of the hotel, tagged SPG.

40

TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

CHEF’S CORNER Stanley Mwangi, Executive Chef Southern Sun Ikoyi, is not so much of a talker; rather, he prefers his hands to do the talking as he takes pride in displaying his creation on the menu table. Rich and tempting were the palates on showpiece this fateful morning, so writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA.

‘‘B

REAKFAST comprises contineåΩååntal and national dishes and we try to make sure that all our guests, be they national or continental have something to eat,’’ he says in a calm voice, as he takes the reporter through the details of the hotel’s menus. ‘‘So for breakfast we have some hot items, which also have both national and continental. Then we have things like cold items that have cheese, fruits, pastry, yoghurt for people who don’t want to have anything hot but something quick,’’ he continues while ‘‘for lunch we have two sections, national, which is Nigerian food and the other continental, which comprises foods from all over the world so that people who are not Nigerians have something to eat.’’

Mwangi says there is always more than enough for every guest to savour. ‘‘We normally have enough for everyone. At least we have three soups that Nigerians will like to see and eat: stew, rice and plantain. We have variety of sweet desserts, which is actually the best in Lagos.’’

When asked how about the dinner? ‘‘Dinner also has variety – national and continental. It is wider than lunch and the prices are different,’’ says the Kenyan-born and trained chef.

He speaks on the special theme nights of the hotel, ‘‘on Monday it is a roast night; on Tuesday it is Italian night – pasta dishes; Wednesday is live station – barbeque and grills; Thursday is Chinese and we have some steak fries, noodles, chickens, vegetables and shrimps while on Friday is sea food night where we have a wide range of sea foods.’’

Saturday night, according to him, is a replay of Italian dishes while Sunday night also witness again Chinese night. But before that he reveals that the Sunday Brunch is the star of the collections as it records the highest numbers of diners, especially none-resident guests.

It comes with free Champagne and complimentary orange drink. Besides, he says that the food is the special attraction, as it has varieties and they come specially prepared. ‘‘We make it the best because the preparation takes two days – Friday and Saturday while the cooking is done on Sunday. The quality and variety is high and it is to details. We have 16 national foods for Nigerians only and 12 dishes for continental.’’

Chef Mwangi has been around for four years and he discloses that ‘‘all the recipes are made by me and they are different and peculiar. They are not anywhere and some of them are not in the books.’’ One of his recipes is the ‘Chicken Atete,, which by his admission is very popular with a number of the regular guests.

He listed the materials for it as half chicken marinated in a special way, spicy with Cameroun pepper, black pepper, carrots,

Mwangi

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Stanley Mwangi: Nigerians like their foods big time salt, garlic, ginger and pepper. He also informs that ‘‘what we don’t miss on the buffet is jollof rice and plantain as well as an egusi, which is eaten by everybody,’’ adding that the equsi is alternated with ogbono soup, which he says is a standard requirement.

If you miss any of these on the buffet, he says be sure to be queried by some of the guests. ‘‘If you miss it on the buffet one or two people will ask you why it is not there, the same with egusi because most people eat it.’’ Perhaps another compulsory food on the buffet is pounded yam “because it is eaten by everyone.’’

According to him, there must always be two white and two red meats, adding “it is the cooking that change, it is the cooking that matters.’’ Others are Beef and lamb – red meat – white meat -fish and turkey, chicken, poke but fish has to be there while others can be changed.’’

His observation is that Nigerians are suckers for food, especially their traditional foods. ‘‘The only observation that I can make is that Nigerians like their food. There is no short cut, if it is ogbono it has to be ogbono and nothing else.’’

He observes that there is a standard about how Nigerian food is cooked and there is no short cut about it. “I have discovered that Nigerians can die out of hunger if they go out of this country to another because of the way they like and want their food, which can never be the same in other places. If they don’t see their food, it is like there is no food because there is simply no Nigerian food on the buffet.’’

The lesson from this, he says is that it keeps his team on their toes as they are very careful when it comes to preparing Nigerian foods. ‘‘That is why we are very careful here. In continental you can take any recipe and mix it up but for Nigerian food you can’t just do that with any recipe.

“I have discovered that Nigerians can die out of hunger if they go out of this country to another because of the way they like and want their food” ‘‘Nigerians like their food big time. I have stayed here and I have seen how people enjoy their food. You can keep a salmon here and keep a stew there, the salmon will still be there by tomorrow because no Nigerian will touch it but for the stew it will disappear the moment you turn your back. That makes me know that Nigerians love their food which is very good,’’ Mwangi adds.

His other observation is that foreign guests tend also to experiment with Nigerian foods, particularly the Jollof rice and plantain. ‘‘Stew also is something that people eat and oyinbo (white) like our pepper soup because it is one of the things that is associated with Nigeria,’’ he says. ‘‘The four years is a pleasant experience, coming here and having an experience of a different cuisine is something very good for me. I have always thought that it is only the Indians who like their foods but I have seen that Nigerians also do like their foods.

A Kenyan cannot die of hunger because you can eat food as long as it is food. So, when I came here I saw another India concept,’’ he reveals of his four years stint in Nigeria.

Mwangi also admits learning a number of concepts from Nigeria, ‘‘so the experience to me has been good and I have also learnt a lot of concepts from Nigerian foods and Jollof rice was one of them. It was the first thing that I discovered and it is a good thing because even if I am at home I can cook it

for my family.’’

So far, he says he is having fun time working in Nigeria and with Nigerians whom he describes as his African brothers and sisters. ‘‘I enjoy working here because it is Africa, I am working with my African brothers and sisters and it has been a good experience for me.’’

Educated at the Maseno University in Kenya between 1997 and 2002 where he studied Hotel and Hospitality Management, Mwangi has cut his teeth in the industry first as a Commis Chef in Nairobi then moved to Kigali, Rwanda to work with InterContinental Hotel. ‘‘I worked as a chef –in charge of a section, from 2004 to 2006 and got to the level of a Sous Chef and in January 2007 I went to Dubai and worked as a head of section in Southern Sun and left for Holiday Inn Express. In November 2009 I came to Lagos as an Executive Sous Chef, second to the Executive Chef,’’ he says of his impressive career path.

What has kept him on the job, he says is passion for it and the fact that he sees it as a profession just as other professions. ‘‘It is my passion. This is what I chose actually to do after finishing my degree. I decided that working in the kitchen will lead me to the top. If I got discouraged I would had left and changed but there was nothing of such. The fact that somebody appreciates your food, is a passion that keeps you going and it is what has brought me to where I am today.’’

If there is one thing that he is not too happy about is the fact that people tend to denigrate the profession and had a misconception that chefs are mere cooks. ‘‘I like my job and I know that in Nigeria people don’t respect chefs. We never think that chef can stand up to be somebody. We just think that a chef is just a cook but now people are beginning to see it as a profession just like any other profession,’’ he says.

TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

41

TRAVEL PERSONALITY

HOSPITALITY Bits

Rahul Chaturvedi: Lagos is an irresistible destination for hotels

Southern Sun Ikoyi proclaimed best int’l hotel in Africa

He cuts a picture of fitness.

Of course, he should because his job entails ensuring that people get the best benefits of a visit to the restaurant and cocktail bar, reports ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

I

N his over 12 years in the hospitality business as he has always preferred the backroom (scene) where he has direct say and supervision over the food and wine end of the business. The Indian-born Rahul Chaturvedi is the food and beverage operation manager of Golden Tulip Festac.

He started out with Starwood’s Sheraton and then moved on to InterContinental before pitching tent with Golden Tulip in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The outspoken manager speaks about the food end of his hotel not just only with confidence but with relish. ‘‘Food and beverage in this hotel is very diverse, our buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner has at least something for everybody.

We have a lobby bar, a bar garden converted into buffet dinner restaurant mainly, we have a terrace poolside restaurant and a very big banqueting,’’ he says.

According to him, special care must be taken when it comes to food business, as he reveals that this is what informed Golden Tulip Festac’s decision to employ a microbiologist. ‘‘This is the first hotel in Lagos with an in–house microbiologist who does the testing for all the food items before we offer it to our guests. He makes sure that it is hundred percent hygienic.’’

The food and beverage specialist who have been in Nigeria since 18 months, describes African market as very challenging when it comes to the area of food. ‘‘Africa market is very challenging because you have to cater to different types of guests of

different tastes,’’ he says, explaining that it is the quest to satisfy the yearning of guests that led his hotel to hire two expatriate chefs – Indian and Egyptian – beside the Nigerian who is the executive chef.

This, he says, makes for a complete and good team as ‘‘we produce quality food to match the taste buds of all our clientele.’’ He adds that ‘‘we have six international airlines staying with us, so we have to match their taste and not to forget our Nigerian brothers and sisters and other nationalities.’’

He observes that Nigeria has a vibrant food market and diverse taste buds, which make for creativity on his part whereas in Tanzania, his last port of duty before coming to Nigeria, sourcing for food items, he says was very hard, which limited the extent to which he could create sumptuous cuisine for his guests.

Furthermore, he also discloses that the challenge that comes with the diverse nature and multi–culturalism of the Nigerian market is that of producing quality food, insisting that the people are ready to pay any price once it is of standard and higher quality. ‘‘In Nigeria people here want quality and diversity, they don’t care about the prize once you give them what they want they will go for it. In Tanzania it was more of local flavours but in Nigeria you have multi culture and people of different nationalities,’’ informs Rahul.

He reveals that Nigeria has been a good learning curve for him. “Since I came to Nigeria I have learnt a lot. It is always good to work in a new environment and to face new challenges,’’ he says, adding: “I welcome it and I am enjoying it.’’

Rahul no doubt loves Nigerian foods but he admits that unfortunately, he cannot consume them except to perceive the aroma, which he says is very tantalising. ‘‘I like all Nigerian foods but since I am a vegetarian I can’t eat any of them.’’

However, he is pleased and contented with the fact that he learns daily about Nigeria’s cuisine. ‘‘At least I have learnt something new – new food cuisine and new food varieties to add to my knowledge. The jollof rice, if not for the beef and stew, it would had been my favourite but I know the recipe.’’

The food and wine specialist dreams a great prospect in Nigeria as he describes the hospitality business as a vibrant and growing one. He attributes this to opportunity for businesses and investment, which allows for many investors and industrialists to prospect for fortunes in the country.

The benefit of this, according to him, is that it allows for investment in the hotel sector. He is convinced more international brands would open hotels in Nigeria in a few years. Lagos, for him, is the hottest and most attractive spot for hotels.

Besides, Rahul discloses that ‘‘Lagos has the highest average room rate in the world, at least three star above hotels, is $350 for a standard room per night.’’ Although Rahul alludes to the shortfall in room supply as responsible for this astronomic rate however, he confesses that the high operating cost of business in Lagos is also a factor.

One good development that he is pleased about, he says is that his food and beverage operation has over the years earned slightly below the room earnings. He puts the figure at 55 percent revenue yield from the room and 45 percent from the food and beverage whereas in the global scenario the revenue yields from room is about 70 percent while that of the food and beverage is about 30 percent.

While commending the food and beverage department for what he calls ‘‘a very big achievement,’’ he adds it is a pointer to the fact that Nigeria market offers good foods for the travellers. ‘‘It is a very good sign that at least people in Nigeria, not only the international travellers have good taste for food and beverage if you offer them varieties.’’

FOR its quality and international blend, the Southern Sun Ikoyi was acclaimed the ‘Best Hotel In Nigeria’ 2013/2014 in the Africa region at a recent award ceremony organised by the international Hotel Awards. This would be the second time that the hotel is winning the award, as it first won it in 2011/2012.

Delighted by this development, the hotel’s general manager, Mark Loxley, attributes the success to the “fantastic team effort, ongoing hard work and the dedication of staff and management in providing a high level of quality guest service, diligence and commitment”.

Loxley discloses that the awards represent the hotel’s consistency in maintaining years of international standards, which ultimately confirms it as a key player in the hospitality industry. They are also in recognition of the hotel’s consistent delivery of quality products and customer service over the years, he adds.

The award which was developed to identify, highlight and reward excellence throughout the global hospitality industry, determines the finest hotels and hospitality companies in the world. It has a panel of experienced professionals.

Sheraton Lagos, others earn global accolades SHERATON Lagos Hotel and the four other Starwood Nigeria properties won various awards for their performances at the just concluded Starwood Hotels Leadership Team Hosts Conference 2014 held at Frankfurt, Germany.

At the event attended by key management team of the international brand, led by its president and chief executive officer, Mr. Fritz Van Paasschen, Starwood Nigeria was one of the toasts of the night as the five properties won awards in different categories.

Sheraton Lagos Hotel was honoured as the best guest experience hotel, Le Meridien Ogeyi Place, Port Harcourt was commended it for service excellence, Four points by Sheraton Lagos for customer oriented practices, Sheraton Abuja Hotel for best loyalty program initiatives and Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo for health and wellness.

Also at the night, Sheraton Abuja Hotel claimed the best Operational Innovation (OI) results, Sheraton Lagos claimed the podium for the best business results while in the individual category the Area Director of Human Resources for Starwood Hotels in Nigeria, Chile Nwabuko won the award for the category, Area Director of Training - Four Points by Sheraton Lagos –Taiwo Adewale-Obanla and the Area Director of Operational Innovation Four Points by Sheraton Lagos, Moyo Aina respectively won in their categories while the entire Nigerian team claimed the exceptional achievement award.

Swiss International Hotels adds two more hotels in Morocco

Chaturvedi

THE Swiss International Hotels has added two more hotels to its portfolio in Morocco, they are Swiss International Imperial Holiday and Swiss International Imperial Plaza in Marrakech.

Both hotels are offering 114 upscale bedrooms to its patrons, as well as a Swiss Cafe Restaurant and lounge, a spa, an inspiration pool and gymnasium. They also feature the Swiss International’s concept for meetings and events.

The Chief Executive Officer of the hotel group, Henri Kennedie is delighted about this development. “They are a very valuable expansion in the fast developing market Morocco. To make our debut in the Tourism Capital Marrakech is making it even more exciting. We intend to expand across Morocco into other important cities, such as Casablanca, Fez, Rabat, Agadir and Tangiers.”

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TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

M

AMBILA Plateau is known for its somewhat temperate weather similar to that of Switzerland and even Obudu, the home of Obudu Mountain Resort in Cross River State. But that is where perhaps the comparison ends because these three geographical entities are world apart in terms of their development and offerings. They no doubt each possess unique natural features that make for pleasurable experience and in fact an adventurist delight of sort.

Accessing Mambilla Plateau by road through the Jalingo end (about eight hours drive) may not exactly be your idea of fun because of its terrible state. However, for a first timer to this rich enclave the bad road may not be the only thing to worry about as you would be confronted by a shocking level of arrested development in the area.

Taraba State bears the sobriquet, “Nature’s gift to mankind,” and for all you care the Mambila Plateau appears to be a fitting reminder . That is in terms of its natural appeal and offerings because the land is indeed an aggregation of the vast riches and gift that Taraba people proudly broadcast to the world but what they do not present is the fact that the place is a study on how not to treat a destination.

Surely the picture of desolation would have been a different tale were it to be in another clime where tourism is a key economic activity, as the locals would be toast of the adventurous world because of the developed state of its unique attractions.

However, it is not all a song of lament, that is, if for a moment you put behind you the weariness from the rough and tedious ride. The first thing that tends to blow you off your feet as you begin to recover from your self-imposed tortuous ride and take in the unfolding scenery, especially as you ascend the hilly plain from the bottom road leading to the plateau, is the attraction of the expansive landscape ahead.

Luscious and enchanting it becomes as you gather momentum because it actually forms an appealing and breathtaking picturesque scene and you could even race horses on it and do all sorts of things on the plains. And never mind the pockets of undulating valleys, streams and rivers, such as the Benue and Taraba rivers, from which the state derive it name, which run through certain sections of the attractive landscape. In a way, they elevate and add colours to the beauty and attractions of the unfolding landscape.

The richness of the Mambilla Plateau comes to play as you get lost or perhaps travel through the rising misty cloud that tends to envelope the enclave at certain intervals of the day. You are also struck by the intervening admixture of fauna and flora as well as the pockets of mountains, overlapping hills, waterfalls, caves and dams.

Noted as Nigeria’s biggest plateau, it covers an area of 9, 389 square kilometres and home to the highest point of the country, Chappal Waddi mountain, believed to be an average height of about 2,419 metres (7,936 feet) above the sea level. It is the traditional home of the Bantu speaking people of Nigeria who share some affinities with other Bantu people across Africa, especially their immediate neighbour, Cameroun.

Rising over 5, 000 feet above the sea level, about 1, 524 metres, and with an average temperature of about 25°C at daytime,

Mambilla Plateau’s captivating landscape

Mambilla, rich and enchanting, but not yet the perfect getaway It is more than a goldmine, and going by its blend of vast, natural resources the Mambilla Plateau is a tourism haven. But the resources in this pristine enclave remain neglected, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA Mambilla enjoys a good climatic condition all year round. It is a high grassland located in the south-eastern end of Taraba State and in the Sarduna local government area of the state with Gembu as the headquarters. Ironically, despite its neglect, it has in the last five years played host to the World Tourism Day event twice, first in 2009 and 2011.

One of the metaphors of the Mambila Plateau is the fact that most of the former military leaders of the country have structures scattered across the enclave, from former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Ibrahim Babangida. At a point it was Nige-

ria’s sports enclave with the sport authorities adopting it as the camping ground for Nigerian athletes and others.

But that dream and other such edifying dreams have long been abandoned and in their places, what lends credence to the existence of such lofty designs are either the dilapidated signposts bearing the names of the projects just as you would find of the federal ministry of sports or the uncompleted foundational buildings, which have become homes to rodents and others.

It was also once a home to a rich and thriving tea company this is because a sec-

tion of the plateau lends itself to arable land for farming and other agricultural products.

In fact, the locals are traditional farmers and traders. In 2009 when this reporter visited the place, he slept in the almost abandoned guest house of the tea plantation company, which then one was told is being revived alongside other abandoned projects.

Just like the once famous Obudu Cattle Ranch the Mambilla Plateau also have something similar to it but its history like that of Obudu is a chequered one as cattle ranching that was once a natural thing to the land is no more. What you find rather

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TRAVEL&TOURISM

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Elephants...Gashaka Gumti National Park

Cultural troupe at display during an event at the Mambilla Plateau

are depleted herds of cows, sheep and goats grazing the long and winding plains.

Despite its many arrested development, it has a rich cultural entertainment tradition, thanks to the different ethnic groupings, which are majorly five - Mambilla, Kaka, Fulani, Panso and Kambu. And each brings to the table a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which add to an assemblage of music, dance, costumes, and songs among others to which guests are treated, especially on special occasions such as the celebration of the World Tourism Day event witnessed by this reporter.

Even the arts and craft of the people bear significance and they are proudly displayed by the people for all to see. They are a rich reflection of the historical antecedents of the people, especially their traditional pottery, which are very beautiful and creative to behold. What you can’t also miss is the warmth and traditional hospitality of the people.

Aware of their shortfall in terms of offering sophisticated amenities and a plumb life style, the people effortless make a visitor feel welcomed and part of the community as they tend to serve you with a certain level of humility and decorum. With no highbrow hotels and eateries, a visitor has no choice but to savour the local cuisines and drinks, which are on offer.

What you can’t also easily discount in

this enclave is the historic sites, which constitute one of the best tourist attractions of the land. It is a surprise that these sites have been preserved over the years. The endless list includes the popular cave in Mbamnga called Ndumyaji Cave. What an intricate creation it is and also revealing because with a well – tutored guide the history of the people comes alive as you are guided through these historic creations.

There is the rock with a giant foot print of

Horsemen during an event at the Mambilla Plateau

an ancient warrior at Kabri, there is another with a horse’s footprint at Hienary and the historic site of the ancient blacksmith that existed before the modern one at Killa yang.

There is also the historic rock of the Mbar people, which cuts the shape or semblance of a woman and her daughter.

Apart from the tea and coffee plantation, Mambila produces a rich blend of farm produce, which should make the place a real food basket were proper attention paid to

the value chain and the people encouraged to grow these produce beyond the self - subsistence level. The crops include banana, plantain, pineapple, yellow pepper, kola nut, cocoa yam, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, coffee Arabica, red and white carrots, peas and cassava. There are also some fruits, which are endemic to the land.

Your discovery is that another aspect to the unique attractions of the land is the presence of the Gashaka Gumti National Park, spanning a landmass of 6, 600 square kilometres, this forms an integer part of the Mambilla. Gashaka Gumti, which is one of the nation’s seven national parks, covers both Taraba and Adamawa States. The serti sector of the large expanse of land of the park, is at the Taraba State and Mambilla end.

Its appeals lies in its enchanting landscape, rich and diverse fauna and flora, boasting such species as the giant forest hog, leopard, yellow-backed duiker, golden cat and chimpanzees, lions, buffaloes, elephants, water bucks, roan antelopes, hippopotamus, giant elands and hartebeests among others.

The eco-system is also very rich with a rich complement of bird life, which makes it a haven for safari and bird watch. The Serti sector is the headquarters of the park and it has a forest house and other form of guest houses for visitors while Gashaka village, a community of the park, also provides an interesting exploration.

Never mind the arrested development, the Mambilla Plateau sure attracts and provides a lifetime experience for an adventurist. A trial would convince you!

My Weekend NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

8 MARCH 2014

44

Stock, Golf and the good life Dipo Aina, Chief Executive Officer of Signet Investment and Securities Limited, a firm of stockbrokers, and former President of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), said that busy schedule should not be an excuse for people not to exercise, SEGUN EDWARDS writes.

H

e looks unruffled , with no sign of aging as he gives a graphic detail of what led to the burst of the stock market in early 2008, when Nigerians lost whooping N8 trillion of their in investment in the capital market.

The almost 62-year-old Aina, fondly called Dipopo by friends and associates recalled that what accounted for the burst in the market could be likened to a situation where people got their eyes off the ball as it is often said in the case of losing concentration in a contest. He recounted that the burst followed the boom period brought about by the post banking industry consolidation success. According to him, the burst came almost immediately after boom in the market, because the banks were competing with their own customers.

He said: ‘’You can imagine the banks coming to play and trade in the market like anybody else and they brought their money market mentality to the market which shouldn’t be. Money market mentality was the undoing of the market itself people may not agree but that is my own position. When you trade in the market, the capital is for long term, not short term, the money market is for short term, but it got to a situation when the banks and their subsidiaries were actually playing the market like everybody else. The thing has to snap one time or the other when you compete with your own customer and that was exactly what happened. People did not look at it from that angle but that was exactly what it is.”

Dipo, who presided over the affairs of the “gentleman of the street” as chartered Stockbrokers are referred to between 2006 and 2008, said the period that led to the burst witnessed the exodus of all shades of investors to the market, stating, ‘’ It was an era when even people having no business coming to the market were all there, artisans like panel beaters, vulcanisers all came to the market, who don’t even have the minimal education of what the market is all about.”

Away from his busy schedules as a CEO, the Economics graduate of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University says he devotes a lot of time to relaxation, saying that his approach to life is working hard and playing hard.

VITAL STATS Age : Turns 62 in May Past Offices: President CIS 2006-2008 Schools: Igbobi College; Obafemi Awolowo University Education: BSc Economics Current Job: MD/CEO, Signet Investments & Securities Ltd.

He said he always find time to relax by sleeping as much as he could when the opportunities come. Another way of relieving himself of tension, according to him, is to hang out with friends. Besides, he does not joke with his favourite sport by playing golf with his friends at the Ikeja Golf club.

“I used to play in Ikoyi and I used to play in Sagamu but now because I have moved my office to Ikeja, it’s a lot more convenient for me to play in Ikeja than to go to Ishagamu. Sagamu is a big challenge in terms of the roads so. I go to Ishagamu at least every week to play. So, I relax. I play with my friends, that is the way I relax,” Aina added.

Reminded that top flight executives hardly have time for relaxation Aina said despite their busy schedule, top executive should find time to relax and maintain good health. “If you get all the money and you don’t have good health t h e n something untoward may set in. You must strike a balance that is the reality, if you say you want to work all the time without relaxation or you don’t have to be with your family, you are wasting your time,” he said.

Specifically, the MD of Signet Investments and Securities Limited has three to four way option of spending his weekend. This, according to him, entails attending social functions, taking a walk within the estate where he resides and watching foreign football on cable channels.

Apart from football, his other favourite sports are golf and tennis, which he also finds time to watch on cable channels.

Aina, who relishes his being an old boy of Igbobi College one of the oldest secondary schools in Lagos, said his experience with all his predecessors at the CIS, guarded him rightly to steer the ship of the institute to a safe coast, despite critical challenges he confronted when he took over the mantle of leadership.

With nostalgia, Aina recalled it was

If you get all the money and you don’t have good health then something untoward may set in an opportunity for him to have attended Igbobi College, adding that life was good then.

“It was an opportunity for me to have attended Igbobi College, one of the prestigious schools in Nigeria in those days.

We rode the LCTS buses which were numbered according to their routes.

We had bus 12, bus 13, and bus 11. They

plied various routes like KeffiPalmgrove, TinubuPalmgrove, those were the buses we boarded. So, you already know which bus takes you to school.

We knew them by their numbers. For instance, if the bus will terminate at Tinubu for example, or Tinubu to Palmgrove I think that was bus II. It was fun.”

He said Igbobi College represents the alma mater of several dignitaries in the Nigerian political and business landscapes.

He advised people to keep fit by engaging in exercise, adding that by keeping fit, people would have regular heart beat and immune themselves against sudden death caused by high blood pressure.

Insisting that a regular exercise was necessary to maintain a healthy life style, he said such exercise could be in form of taking a walk around one’s neighbourhood, jogging or playing games like tennis or golf. “Everybody must know which sport suits him. I will not expect an elderly man to play squash, I will expect a middle-age man to play squash or golf, because golf will give everybody the whole spectrum, an opportunity to play. Golf is probably one of the sports that accommodate a young age say seven years to 70 or 75 can still play golf.

Everybody should embrace relaxation, despite busy schedules, by choosing the type of exercise that suites them, which is the only way to keep fit,” he advised.

Talking Point Battle for Coal City and Nnamani’s latest gambit p.51 Gani Adams ‘I believe in Nigeria on the basis of justice’ p.50

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45

JULIUS TOBA MEETS CHEKWAS OKORIE

Jonathan’s failure is in the fight against corruption – Okorie as Okorie Chief Chekw Progressives All founded the (APGA) ce Grand Allian ed g to the Unit before movin rty (UPP) s Pa Progressive rently the cur where he is is irman. In th a h c l a n o ti a n e speaks on interview, h l issues in tica current poli h as the suc the country athan oodluck Jon st G t n e id s e r P ain on’s fight ag administrati oval of Sanusi rem corruption, usi as CBN Lamido San ons. d 2015 electi n a r o n r e v o g

Okorie

Would you say the 24 opposition parties in the country have lived up to expectations?

I wouldn’t say that. The opposition parties have not really lived up to expectation. You will recall with nostalgia the kind of opposition that the late Chief ObafemiAwolowo presented and other parties which were not in government at that time. Their opposition then was very constructive and I believe any criticism of government policy that does not have alternative policy option is use-

less; is not constructive and it becomes a waste of time.

And this is what has characterised modern day opposition in Nigeria.

I also want to point out that opposition politics is not a child’s play. It is a little expensive also to have a credible opposition. The reason is that if you are in opposition, you are bound to do a lot of research. You must have a department that will critically look at issues you want to disagree with and come up with alternative options.

Policy options that will make governance better and make people benefit more. Because it is not a lazy man’s role, many people tend to run away from what opposition ought to be and go for the easy way of attacking the person in authority and that is what many opposition parties are doing now, I do not want to zero in on any particular political party so I don’t draw their anger. But CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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THE SATURDAY INTERVIEW

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

‘CBN Governors are not the traditional whisle-blowers’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 5

everyone knows that this is what they are doing now.

Have you done this differently?

I founded APGA. When APGA was not in power in 2003, we did not have the kind of challenges we are having now in terms of the problem of funding to canvass our views. We were able to provide very robust and vibrant opposition at that time. And so for every national issue people would always want to know what APGA had said. And so by July 2004, I was given an award as a credible leader of Nigerian opposition politics. I wonder who can be given that award now among those parading themselves as opposition leaders? But these days, we hear the opposition is through attacking the person of Mr. President, or the person of a governor instead of attacking a policy and come up with something that is an alternative. I look forward to bringing back our opposition into certain level of credibility. That’s the role I have to play while we are still in the opposition, and that’s the role UPP will play in our own little way. But like I pointed out earlier, it costs some money to canvass your views.

Do you agree that one of the major setbacks of opposition politics in Nigeria is when a party is built around individuals?

Why is UPP also built around you?

Look, there must always be an arrowhead in any new political formation.

Parties don’t just emerge, that’s why you have founders. In 1922, Herbert Macaulay founded NNDP and that was the party of that time, and it was built around him. Of course, there were others who later joined him. It was only in 1944 that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe joined because they needed to expand the membership base of the party during which they included English speaking part of Cameroun and changed the name to NCNC and Azikiwe who was a man of tremendous clout became the secretary. So, by the time Macaulay died, Zik naturally became the leader of the party. So, you can’t talk about NCNC without talking about Azikiwe. You cannot talk of Action Group without talking about Obafemi Awolowo. In fact, Awolowo was not only the founder, he was the presidential candidate all rolled into one person.

Here we are talking about the First Republic. You can’t talk about NEPU without Mallam Aminu Kano, you can’t talk of NPC without Sir Ahmadu Bello. So, there were arrowheads, the whole idea is to let the party grow beyond the founder and it has to grow. Until it is grown beyond the founder, it is still the standard that constitutes the personality. For instance, when I founded APGA, I was there as the arrowhead, but when six months later I convinced the late Odumegwu Ojukwu to join us, naturally he became the de facto leader of the party. So, my own kind of image too was backstage because he had a bigger image and the party now became somewhat built around him. These things keep happening. The PDP in its own case was set up by the military as a matter of fact. And the military had the wherewithal

Olkorie, speaking to journalists recently.

and factored all the politicians into it and gave them the kind of resources that made it difficult for one man to become its arrowhead. And ever since, all other political parties have been wobbling under PDP to catch a niche for themselves. Now

“This president is fraternising, dines and wines with those who are known to not being able to account for their wealth.” recently there’s All Progressives Congress (APC) which is a conglomerate of several parties and this is a party starting with about 17 governors. In UPP, we don’t have such luxury. Now it may not be easy to say that APC is built around an individual.

At a time, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was built around Senator Bola Tinubu, but now as APC they have Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar.

Each time a big person joins, they begin to share the little space that is available, so no one is looming large again. In UPP, we

are praying that those people who are bigger than me will find the party attractive that when they come, they will come and share the same space.

The trend seems to be for politicians to form parties with the aim of accessing state funds. Is that the case with UPP?

In the first place I want to say that I’m knowledgeable enough. In fact, I’m of age because I’m 61. I have been in this struggle for 38 years now, so the greater part of my youth was spent in this struggle. I’m knowledgeable enough that the easiest way to make money is not to form a political party. This is because it taxes your own personal income. But if it has been comfort, at least I was there at the formation of PDP. I can assure you that if I had remained there I could have been one of the recycled leaders who have occupied many posts several times over and I would have been far more comfortable than you have found me here. So, it is not about the purpose of money. And when it comes to singing of government praises you can never trace that to me in all my statements. Yet my own opposition is not about attacking government, but coming up with something constructive.

Then what was your motive in establishing UPP?

I can tell you categorically that my purpose in forming UPP is to break a jinx.

To also make a contribution towards Nigeria’s democratic process. Of all the parties founded in the First and Second Republic, none was ever founded by an Igbo man.

And that’s not too good for our history.

So when I founded APGA, I became the first Igbo man to found a national political party in Nigeria. Then when crises derailed that party from the vision that we had, then I founded another one, UPP. And what that has done to me in terms of history is that I’m one out of four Nigerians who founded true political parties in their lifetimes. One is Awolowo, Aminu Kano, Waziri Ibrahim and my humble self.

And I’m the only one living among us by the grace of God. So, it is only a man of vision who has a place he’s going and taking his people and ready to undergo a kind of deprivation now just to make a point. I’m not a praise singer and nobody can relate any praise singing to my name.

Almost a year to the general election, UPP has zoned the office of the president to the South-East, why?

There’s no party in the world that does

THE SATURDAY INTERVIEW

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

not have its own strong base. For over two centuries of American independence you still find what we call red states for the Republican Party and the blue states for the Democratic Party. These are the strong areas of the two parties. And, again, you have the swing states, which is where both go to fish for votes. So, in Nigeria it is not different. Moreso, I have given you the history of the Igbo people in party formation. Unfortunately, we have a Nigerian constitution that is very wicked.

It is one of the most unusual contraptions I have seen in party formation, where you give a condition for emergence for a presidential candidate in a manner that compels a party to draw delegates from 774 local governments and 36 states to come and vote for a person. This is in a Nigeria that is still battling with ethnic and religious sentiments. So, when you consider the fact the in Igboland we have only five states inequitably created and only 95 local governments out of 774 councils, with North-West geo-political zone alone having as much as 188 councils. Then you can now see how it has almost become impossible for an Igbo man to win the presidential ticket of his party if nothing extraordinary is done. That was exactly why Dr. Alex Ekwueme lost. That was why nobody from Igboland contested for president for 20 years, between 1983 when Zik contested last and 2003 when I brought Ikemba out to come and contest.

If we didn’t zone it to the South-East then, Ikemba wouldn’t have contested for president in his entire lifetime. And everybody knows what that did for him. What that did for him was that his name was changed from being called a rebel leader or ex-warlord to being called a presidential candidate and elder statesman. And all these benefits showed even when he died. Unfortunately, people are not giving me credit that if I didn’t initiate APGA, all that wouldn’t have happened.

I find out therefore that there’s no law that dictates where a political party should pick its candidates. We are bold enough to state our own. APC has stated its own indirectly, you know that nothing will make them go to South-West to pick a presidential candidate. So, what’s the difference here? You also know that in case of PDP it is already zoned to one man, nobody is contesting that ticket with Jonathan. So, tell me what is strange if we zone this office to a geo-political zone that will bring back the missing leg of the Nigerian tripod?

What Nigerians must expect is that there will be three major contestants for the president, the PDP candidate likely to be Jonathan, APC presidential candidate who is coming from the North and the Igbo presidential candidate who is coming from UPP. And the minimum we will achieve is to be the beautiful bride.

A beautiful bride who after the election, whichever way we play our card, will be more comfortable with forming a government. Azikiwe was a beautiful bride in the First Republic through NCNC, we are going to be beautiful bride again in 2015.

In politics, you have to first be a beautiful bride before you can have handsome suitors. But today, the Igbo people are no bride at all not to talk of being beautiful.

“APC and PDP are not preparing for election; they are really preparing for a war, and that should concern every Nigerian.

What comes out of the mouth of their leaders shows you that what will happen in 2015 will be a war.”

So, I want to play them back into politics of Nigeria. The party has attracted a lot of interests most of those we will not mention now for that office, but by July when we will be having our convention; it must have become clearer.

What’s your take on the suspension of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi?

It is a very controversial action taken by government and as such it is likely to draw all manners of opinions. I’m not to delve into legality of what the president did but I don’t think he would do something that is outright illegal. My attitude is that the governor of CBN in the person of Sanusi Lamido has not carried himself in the dignity of the office he held. In all the economies of the world, whether developed or developing, the governor of CBN is a very critical individual in the economy and he must weigh what he says. They are known to be taciturn and when they speak they speak with extreme circumspection and whatever comes out of their mouth affects the economy one way or the other. And people like foreign investors and those in stock exchange want to know what the body movement of the CBN governor will be.

But here we have a CBN governor who is so loquacious. You won’t even know the difference between him and those in partisan politics. Sometimes he is in the opposition, I don’t see a CBN governor being a traditional whistle-blower. This is not the role of a CBN governor. It does not make him a saint. If I were him and I have given certain expert opinions and advice and government refuses to take them I would resign. And when I resign I can then come out and give the world reasons why I left. And that move is capable of bringing a government down. But to be in government and claim certain level of independence and then at the same time delve into partisanship, including the way he was doling out money was unprecedented. Yet he was trying to cover that up under social responsibility and, of course, the money was lopsided. I think government has more information than me in terms of what extra damage the man was planning to do. But the interesting thing now is that government is saying the man was financially reckless. And that there were expenditures where he bypassed the board of CBN to embark on certain projects. So, they are not fighting his loquacious nature even, we know that he ruffled feathers in the government.

As such, there’s a saying that those who live in glass house don’t throw stones.

If he Sanusi, with all these baggage and all these skeletons in his cupboard and

he’s now the one trying to point accusing fingers at others, well he’s now at the receiving end. Let’s see how it plays out, but I like what the president said that he’s not interested whether the amount stolen is $20 billion or one dollar, but he’s saying that it must be investigated. And that whoever is found wanting is brought to book, I hope it stands at that. And I also expect that the National Assembly should leave no stone unturned in looking into all allegations especially those coming from the CBN governor and then the independent auditors that have been indicted.

What is your assessment of the Jonathan administration as the first term winds down?

With the fear of sounding as a praise singer, the president has impressed me beyond expectation. Because when he first became president he looked so naïve, so green and he lacked so much confidence even in his public presentation. Then, I would say I was proud over the kind of president that was hoisted on Nigerians because we know what PDP did. This is a party that has the machinery to rig elections, so anybody could be thrown up.

But he learnt very fast and things began to happen. Quite frankly, we all know what former President Olusegun Obasanjo spent on power in eight years yet there was no improvement. Now, we are seeing some improvement in that sector. Even in the field of agriculture, it is becoming attractive to the young education people.

Where do you think he needs to improve more?

Jonathan’s greatest failure is in the area of fight against corruption. And that has greatly affected every facet of our national life. I said his greatest failure because he has every opportunity to fight corruption at the highest level. And if you fight corruption at the highest level its trickledown effects will touch everywhere. It will just be like Buhari/Idiagbon regime when they came up with their WAI programme when everybody was queuing up. It didn’t take a century to imbibe that mentality.

So, this president is fraternising, dines and wines with those who are known to not being able to account for their wealth.

The same goes for the ostentatious lifestyle that cannot be reflected in creation of wealth by those who are living this lifestyle. If people like Dangote and a few others who create jobs cannot live that kind of life, I wonder about others who cannot employ more than domestic staff in their households. And these are people flying about, spoiling their children without any visible means of livelihood. This is the president’s failure and until he decides to tackle it, this will define his presidency I mean his inability to fight corruption.

But sometimes tribal sentiments become an advantage for those found wanting of misappropriation that the president ends up indecisive like we saw in the case of Stella Oduah

It is very unfortunate. It is because the way Nigeria has degenerated. Let’s look at the case of Sanusi for instance: who are those people fighting for him? The people fighting for him are those from his area.

The first governor to jump into the fray

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was Rabiu Kwankwaso. Even take the case of June 12, before you realised what was happening it became a Yoruba affair.

It is because we have not achieved nationhood. Talking about Stella Oduah, I was expecting that the EFCC that went into that matter would have expedited action and told Nigerians what they have found.

They should have proceeded to court if they found anything or tell Nigerians if they found nothing. But we have an EFCC that is almost a lame duck going after very poor people even almost like a debt collector for rent and settling domestic quarrels instead of fighting corruption. As for the called ICPC, I do not know why they are earning salary. I do not know why they have e secretariat and what they do there.

I don’t know how many Nigerians know about them. These are instruments that Jonathan can use to fight corruption, he can even use these instrument to get the people working with him indicted if they are found guilty. But they are not being deployed; they feel they must study the president’s body language before they can move against anybody. That’s the impression I have. So, the buck eventually stops on his table. That’s why I said his greatest failure is in fighting corruption. But in other areas I think he has done better than most of his predecessors.

Do you have any apprehension with regard to the 2015 election?

That takes us to the method of who becomes president. If we have a method that guarantees that the votes of average Nigerian will count I can tell you that for example the contest for the post of the president will be very keen. And nobody can sit back and assumes he will win. The need to canvass issues, go for votes and take the electorate more seriously will be there. UPP has been in the vanguard of advocating the use of electronic system. That is the only thing that will eliminate avoidable irregularities. It will eliminate ballot boxes, ballot papers, thuggery and this problem of late arrival of materials. People can then vote from the comfort of their homes, right now only 20 per cent of registered voters participate in voting on election day. Even when they queue up, that could be a veritable killing range for terrorists. So, nobody wants to expose himself to such a danger especially in the North-East. And this government has all the available infrastructure all they need is a political will. Now that they are doing the constitution amendment, they should amend the relevant sections and allow for electronic voting.

In that way 80-90 percent of Nigerians will participate in elections and if they do anybody can win. But with what is happening now, it will be difficult.

Let me tell you, APC and PDP are not preparing for election; they are really preparing for a war, and that should concern every Nigerian. What comes out of the mouth of their leaders shows you that what will happen in 2015 will be a war. By the time the battle is done, then they will begin to look for beautiful brides with whom to form government.

I will continue to emphasise that our system of electioneering does not encourage legitimate and credible results.

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Fashola has not justified N400bn debt -Ogunlewe Former Minister of Works, Senator AdeseyeOgunlewe, believes that the BabatundeFashola administration in Lagos State has not done enough despite the huge revenue accruing to it. In this interview with WALE ELEGBEDE, he speaks on the rising debt profile of Lagos.

The North should wait till 2019. Nigeria won’t break before then. 2015 is for the SouthSouth and Jonathan would beat anybody hands down. We already know that the APC would use a Northern candidate. Let them bring their candidate and we will begin to fight it out. We are going to engage in campaign of issues. The PDP would flout the achievement of Jonathan and we will move from house to house. Do you know that President Goodluck Jonathan has gradually warmed himself into the hearts of many Nigerians, forget the propaganda of the opposition. Jonathan is a man that respects traditional rulers and elders and that was why he went around to pay obeisance to them across the country. He is humble, doesn’t utter foul language because he is a thorough Nigerian. So, we are ready for the election.

The schools we attended, our children cannot attend same again, there is a problem

Ogunlewe

What is your take on governance in Lagos State?

I am very worried about the inhalation of the citizens of the state from their inalienable rights to decent living and survival in areas like stealing and diversion of local government funds allocated from federation account for the purpose of improving the lives of commoners.

This is unjust and ungodly. For instance, the Federal Government allocates N4billion every month for distribution to local governments for primary school education, primary health care and others. The states are also expected to add 10 per cent of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and distribute this to the local governments, this is never done. Also, they have confiscated all the portions of local governments and their sources of revenue have been taken over by the Lagos State Government. There is also a company called Alpha Beta consortium which collects 15 per cent of the IGR in Lagos every month for doing nothing. So, Lagos State has to resort to borrowing of money which is now closed to $700 million. Are you aware that education in Lagos State is the most expensive in the whole of Nigeria? Crèche pays as much as N200, 000, secondary schools are on the high fees, and university (Lagos State University) N300, 000. Therefore, we have more private primary and secondary schools in Lagos State than any other parts of Nigeria because public schools are not attractive to the majority of our

citizens to the extent that drivers, mechanics, teachers, danfo drivers all send their children to private schools. I visited my dear St. Patrick Primary School, Idumagbo, sometimes, the situation is pathetic. We are doing a lot of injustice to these children by depriving them access to quality education.

Is that why the opposition is so critical about the performances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos?

How can a state as resourceful as Lagos has over N400billion debt with nothing to show for it? Let us judge by the total revenue accrued to Lagos every month, both internally generated, that is close to N25 billion. From this amount, Alpha Beta, takes 25 per cent every month. If you add the balance with the federation account allocation which is close to another N5 billion and the allocation of local governments that runs to like N4 billion, which they don’t give them, this is a lot of money. Lagos should be comfortable enough with all this financial estimation and develop the state without borrowing as much as they have done.

These loans are not in the interest of the state because there is no difference between the amount borrowed and the level of development in the state. Lagos residents should be circumspect on these people and know that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can guarantee an all-inclusive and responsive government as

opposed to what we are seeing in APC in the state where less than six people call the shot.

But Lagos residents seem to be at home with the government?

Tell me, which Lagosian is enjoying APC? Is it the ones in the rural or urban area? Go to my village and other interiors. Which school do your children attend? Is it public or private? See, this is one of the indices for measuring a government. If the majority of the populace send their children to a private school, then there is a problem. I challenge you to go and find out maybe our artisans in this state still send their children to public school. And you said APC is performing. We attended public school in this same Lagos; I went through state scholarships in this same Lagos. Ikeja Local Government gave me scholarship for both my secondary and tertiary schooling at the University of Ibadan.

Is it a government that couldn’t maintain a primary education that would now give you tertiary education scholarship? There is something wrong that people are not appreciating and it is very fundamental; that the schools we attended, our children cannot attend same again, there is a problem.

What is your take on agitation for power shift to the North?

When would the divisions and fragmentation in Lagos PDP end?

There is no division in Lagos PDP again.

We are formidable now. If you know the history of PDP in the state, you will know that there is no rancour because you can see me with them. I am the faction in Lagos PDP and when I say there is no faction or groups again, then believe it. We are more united to dislodge (Bola) Tinubu and his people from Alausa come 2015. There is no crisis again in Lagos PDP. The majority of your members in Lagos were said to have registered with APC during its membership registration exercise. What could be responsible for this?

From information, that is not correct.

Though a few members under the pretext that there was an instruction from one PDP leader instructing them to register and join APC did. There are very few of them and we are now persuading them to see reasons why they should come back.

Is the PDP scare of the decision of APC to participate in the national conference after its initial plan to boycott?

The national dialogue is not a party affair. It was the APC leadership that tried to politicise the matter. But they had suddenly realised the futility of that instruction for their members not to participate, hence, their reverse move.

It seems that the PDP has conceded the South-West to APC?

No. We are strategising. We are appealing to all our aggrieved members to give peace a chance and try to work together for the benefit of our teeming supporters who have suffered in order to ensure success in future elections.

FACEOFF | POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 march 2014

Senator Anthony Adefuye, a member of the Senate in the Third Republic and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, in this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, says the APC government is not anti-people as being claimed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

How would you assess Babatunde Fasholaled APC government in Lagos State?

There are many positive things in Lagos today that can make someone feel that he has benefitted from politics. If you look at Lagos today, it is not the Lagos that we used to know. Some people left Nigeria about 15 years, when they returned of recent, they were thrilled about what they saw when they came to Lagos. From when they landed at the airport, they were so thrilled with what they saw and they were thinking of coming back home. This makes me happy because most of the people who had left long time ago are not thinking of coming back because of armed robbery and some ugly things that do happen in Nigeria, even though it happens in other countries also. But for the first time, I saw somebody who really cherished what has been done in Lagos by Fashola’s government, the APC government and we were really thrilled that they are thinking of coming back home.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems not to be satisfied with APC’s performance in Lagos State.

The governments controlled by PDP have enormous funds within themselves to improve the life of the people and they have not done so. So, how could they not be happy?

They are not happy with the government of Lagos State because it is a different government from the government they cherished.

It is a government that is planning and it is a government that all its plans are based on the needs of the people. So, if you say you are not happy with that, I have no apology to give.

The position of the PDP and some critics is that Fashola’s government is antipeople...

You want to say the mono-rail from Badagry to Lagos is anti-people; you want to say the 12-lane from Badagry to Lagos is antipeople; you want to say expanding Ikorodu Road to 12-lane to Lagos is anti-people; you want to say that the fact that we now have water to drink in Lagos is anti-people. So, what is anti-people about Fashola’s government? The fact that we were asked to pay taxes to ensure that the government continues to provide services to the people does not mean anti-people.

I paid quite a lot of taxes and I am not happy sometimes that they keep bothering me about taxes but I am happy that I know what the taxes are doing for the people.

Apart from the issue of tax burden, some Lagosians have also frowned at the partial ban of motorcycles, street trading and many government policies, which Adefuye

There’s no big deal if govt borrows money –Adefuye has negative effect on the majority of Lagosians.

I don’t agree with you. If you look at Okada riding, a lot of lives are put in jeopardy by these okada riders on the highways. We have lost quite a lot of people; a lot of people have been maimed because most of the people riding okada are not trained on how to operate the okada. What the government has done is to limit them from highways. You will even see some okada carrying plywood that is three metres long, longer than their motorcycles. That is a risky and very dangerous on the road. You will see some of them that will carry four people on an okada. That is dangerous. So, what they have done is to ban them from certain routes and that is not antipeople. There must be control in government if you want to get services for the people and there must be a way to ensure that that service get to the people.

There are also reports in some quarters that despite the propaganda of the APC government that they are touching lives

Private schools are now losing students to public schools because of better equipment in some public schools through qualitative education and health care services, many Lagosians don’t have access to the facilities government claimed they are offering the people.

That is not true. The Lagos State government has improved public schools to the extent that most of the private schools are now in trouble. You get some of the best laboratories in these public schools than any private schools can provide. You have quite a lot of these public schools that have been really re-designed to ensure that the people benefits from going to school and not just school because you want to create schools. We have ensured that quite a lot of trained teachers are now available in the schools, which most of the privates schools cannot even afford.

Private schools are now losing students to the public schools because of better equipment in some public schools. So, I don’t understand what you mean that some people are not benefitting from APC government.

But the present tuition fees being charged in Lagos State

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University (LASU) is not what many people can afford?

How much do people pay in some of the private universities in Nigeria? Can it be compared to what is being paid presently in LASU? Can you compare the services people get in LASU to what they get in private universities? It is an expensive thing to have a university education. We have more students in LASU than you have in any other state and private universities. LASU is the first university that has created an atmosphere where people can go to study and come back home. LASU tuition fee is still one of the lowest fees in Nigerian university compare to what is being paid in other universities. You cannot have a free university, it is impossible.

We are having problems in Nigerian universities today and they are on strike for one year just because they are not funded. The people who send their children to university must be ready to pay part of the funds.

But in your days you and many of your contemporaries, especially some of those in public offices today enjoyed free education.

Those were in my days, we were not many but now we have about five million people in the universities at any time. During our time, you probably have 100,000 in all the universities. So, there is increase in the number of people and there is increase in the facilities they have to use and there is increase in accommodating them, there is increase in providing the teachers and providing technologies. Education of today is not what we do with biro and paper. The study of today is what you do on internet, electronic gadgets and so on and so forth.

Looking at the huge Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) being generated by Lagos State and money being accrued to the state from the federation account, many people still wonder why the state government is financing some of its capital projects through loan.

Do you know what it cost to provide mono-rail from Badagry to Ijora? At the same time, providing a 12-lane road from Badagry to Ijora, at the same time providing the same road from Ikorodu to Lagos, the same road from Lekki to Lagos, the same road from all over the corners of Lagos that are being developed. If you don’t borrow money to develop it now, it would take you 10 times cost to develop it in future. If you borrow the money now, you are only paying interest rates of five to 10 per cent on whatever you borrowed.

So, that is why people find it easy to develop now at the price of today than to develop at higher cost in future. When the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road was built, it didn’t cost N1billion, now about N100 billion is being expended just for expansion of the road by the Federal Government.

If the Federal Government has concentrated on the rail in Lagos before, went and borrow money to expand the railway, we would not be in trouble we are in today. There is no country or state that doesn’t borrow money.

Lagos State does not earn as Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Rivers, yet those states still borrow money. It is true that we generated internal revenue but we also provide the best facilities that nobody in this country provides for its people.

50 POLITICS Otunba Gani Adams, a delegate to the National Conference speaks with DOMINIK UMOSEN

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he National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Otunba Gani Adams believes in the country but with a proviso. “I believe in Nigeria to the extent that nobody can say that you are not part of us. I believe in Nigeria to the extent that if there is riot in the core North, my investment there will be safe. That is the kind of Nigeria that I believe in,” he told New Telegraph in Lagos during the week.

“I believe in Nigeria on the basis of justice, fair-play and that I will not be a second-class citizen. I believe in Nigeria to the extent that my freedom of religion is guaranteed and that as a Christian, I can practise my religion in the core North without sacrificing my life or my family.

I believe in Nigeria to the extent where a Muslim can practise his religion anywhere,” he stated emphatically.

The OPC boss does not subscribe to the hypocrisy that President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed an illegal agreement with any section of the country not to exercise his constitutional right to re-contest in 2015. As far as he is concerned, the constitution of Nigeria permits the president the right to do that. “Everyone,” he said, “has the right to contest for two terms of four years each. The president has the right to exercise this constitutional right,” he stated categorically.

Adams believes that providence shortchanged the Yoruba race with the passing away of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo in 1987. Adams described “Awolowo’s gift of visionary leadership” as legendary. “He was a political leader and a spiritual leader. If you betrayed him as an associate and he cursed you, the heavens will uphold it. We have not had that kind of leader since in Yorubaland. We have leaders who go into politics as businessmen.

Those who want power at all costs. Those who do not cherish give free education to their people.”

According to the OPC leader, those are the type who run universities like a commercial venture. “Awolowo was intellectually-incomparable. He was just a lawyer who became one through distance-learning. There might be some wannabes but they do not have God’s gift to Awolowo. The gift of leadership with vision as well as the ability to tell the future. We have leaders who believe they can buy the electorate with their money,” Adams said matter-offactly.

Adams is categorically in support of the National Conference which begins later this month. According to him, contrary to what he described as erroneous impression that the Yoruba race is not in support of the conference, the race actually supports it and is participating fully with a clear agenda. The Yoruba agenda at the conference, he said, is the re-structuring of the country based on regionalism.

According to him, there would have been no need for Boko Haram if the country had been re-structured. “The solution to Boko Haram is true federalism. If we do that, the activities of Boko Haram will cease automatically. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar recently suggested

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014

‘I believe in Nigeria on the basis of justice and fair play’

Gani Adams

that the federal government should employ local militants as an antidote. How is that different from what we have saying all along. If you ask Atiku do you believe in state police, he would say that he prefers the status quo. So why is he rooting for local militants but not state police?

“If we have local government police and state police working alongside the federal police, the insurgency will be suppressed.

Are you telling me that the people of Maiduguri do not know who Boko Haram members are? How can you move someone from Lagos and ask him to go and police people in Yobe? It will not work.”

Continuing, the OPC leader said: “But if the people of that area face the common enemy, they will suppress them. We may be the same Nigerians but we are not the same tribe. Intelligence from the local police is crucial before the federal army is involved. We should stop deceiving ourselves. We should do the right thing. Now, the state governor has reacted, all former heads of state have reacted. You can see how Nigeria operates. With restructuring at the national conference, hostilities will be reduced and eventually stopped. Even the restiveness in the Niger Delta will reduce,” he added.

Those who benefit from the status quo, he said, are often reluctant to jettison the system that they are profiting from. “How can someone want to die because of another person’s property? This attitude is alien to Yorubas’, Adams said, adding that the Yoruba environment has become bastardised to the extent that people no longer feel safe. You cannot feel safe carrying a

I believe in Nigeria to the extent that my freedom of religion is guaranteed and that as a Christian, I can practise my religion in the core North without sacrificing my life or my family phone worth about N50,000. Nigerians must oversee the constitution which will eradicate this malaise,” he added.

To allay fears that a governor or regional head may abuse or misuse the state police, Adams said that is the more reason Nigerians should support the conference and help to produce an acceptable constitution.

“The people must oversee the constitution which will make it impossible to abuse state police,” he said.

Regarding recurring conflicts between farmers in various parts of the country and nomadic cattle-rearers, the OPC boss stressed that the issue should not be particularised to Fulani herdsmen alone. “I am saying that it is not about Fulani herdsmen alone. I am saying that it is about security generally. It is about where there is no security or not adequate security. We should focus on insecurity generally, and not on Fulanis alone. Although the issue of attacks

by Fulani herdsmen has become rampant, we should deal with it as a general problem,” he said.

“Somebody from Somolu,” for instance,

“should be given the responsibility of securing Somolu. It would definitely be more profitable than if a visitor or stranger to the area is asked to secure the place. But when you pick somebody living in the area, he already knows the people of the area will write a petition against him if he misbehaves.

“We are living in fear in this country. No one can predict what might happen the next moment. This kind of system that brings out the worst in a person must be condemned. If you don’t want the system to be corrected, then that means that you are an enemy of Nigeria. I am not a politician but what I am saying is that I want to live in a country that I can be proud,” Adams said.

He hailed the Lagos State Government for introducing the state identification project. According to him, the state identity cards would further improve upon efforts to deepen security in the country. ‘I have done my registration. Most importantly, this will give us the correct population figures in the state. So with all these issues, without re-structuring, it will be very difficult to stop the crisis in the North-East and North-Central parts of the country.”

According to Adams, no effort to strengthen the security situation in the country can be too much. Equally trite, he says, is the argument that state governors will abuse state police. “What do they mean? The need to safeguard our lives is paramount to politics. If you are operating in an unsafe system, you can’t even play politics,” he said, stressing that with state police, the federal police will even have less work on its hands.

Talking Point

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Former governor of Enugu State, Dr.Chimaroke Nnamani, has met a brickwall in his bid to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). LEO SOBECHI reports on the intrigues surrounding his return to the ruling party.

I

mmediate past Enugu State Governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani is a man of letters but not a doctor of letters. The former governor who left the Lion Building, Enugu Government House, to serve a fraction of the state, Enugu East Senatorial district, as its senator; is a medical doctor of the paediatric specialty.

Dr. Nnamani has made more impact, historically by his incursion into politics than he made in the narrow world of medicine.

As Enugu governor he caused a stir through his Ebeano political grouping and public lecture series. He climbed to the governorship post on the back of the famed charisma and political following of Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo. Nnamani fell out with his benefactor, Jim, owing to political and economic differences just as his protégé, Sullivan Chime, has fallen out with him. What came out of Nnamani’s wrangle with Jim was his lecture on the evils of political godfatherism. But what many people did not know was the root of their quarrel.

His spat with Nwobodo

Having become governor, Nnamani wanted so much to escape from the shadow of his godfather, Nwobodo. Yet, having helped to ensure his emergence as governor over established politicians in the fold of the then All People’s Party (APP), notably the late Chief C. C. Onoh, Rev. Dr. Hyde Onuaguluchi and Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, Nwobodo wanted to reap from the investment. And knowing the role money plays in electoral contests, the former governor of old Anambra wanted to feed on the seeming naivety of the rookie incumbent he helped to install. One practical step Nwobodo was said to have taken was to buy over the comatose construction company E. M. Mitchelleti and Son Limited.

The takeover was apparently to ensure the firm handled most capital projects in the state.

Not prepared to be seen as an ingrate, Governor Nnamani wanted to reciprocate Nwobodo’s good gesture by appointing his wife, Pat and son, Ifeanyichukwu, into his cabinet. But the politician in Nwobodo would take none of that. The former governor had eyes set on something grander. That marked the gradual shifting apart. And when it was becoming obvious that the incumbent was proving stubborn, it seemed “it was time to teach this American boy a big political lesson he would not forget”.

Knowing that he had to be relevant in the emerging democratic setting to play the role of godfather effectively, Nwobodo had planted a surrogate in the Alliance of Democracy (AD).

The former governor, not being too sure the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency would offer him a place in the federal cabinet, made Geoffrey Nnaji, to stand for the senatorial election of Enugu East on AD platform. Other candidates for the senatorial election included Chief Ken Nnamani and Prince Agbo Anike of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APP

Governor Chime

Nnamani

Battle for the Coal City: Nnamani’s latest gambit

respectively. Through the “ingenuity” of the godfather, when the result was announced, AD secured a senatorial seat in Enugu State, a predominantly PDP enclave. When President Olusegun Obasanjo told Nwobodo that he had no place in his government, the former governor returned to Enugu and caused Nnaji to abdicate as the senator-elect of Enugu East.

Consequent upon that “unforeseen” development, a by-election was fixed and somehow, Anike stepped down for Nwobodo. And the former governor became senator. It was from that vantage position of a senator that Nwobodo was able to rally a total of 15 out of the 24 members of the State House of Assembly in a grand design to impeach Governor Nnamani. But even when the magic number of 16 was attained, the impeachment could not sail through. Obasanjo stood behind Nnamani in a perceived attempt to repay Nwobodo, allegedly for revoking the certificate of occupancy of Paschan Jake Hotel, owned by Obasanjo’s longtime friend, Barrister J. S. P. Nwokolo.

From this epoch political battle, the Ebeano grouping began to congregate around the person of Governor Nnamani. The incumbent began to raise young men and made them stakeholders in the polity. Having raised a band of such young men, most of whom were Nwobodo’s former acolytes, Nnamani settled down to hold his own in the political battle for Enugu State. Most political actors in the state including people like the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, chairman of Senate Committee on Communications, Gilbert Nnaji, Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo, owe their political as-

cendancy to Nnamani’s scuffle with Nwobodo.

The humbling of Senator Nwobodo in Enugu politics began from his spat with Nnamani.

The former governor could not make it back to the Senate. He made an attempt to run for president on the platform of United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP).

His split with Chime

As things turned out at the tail end of his tenure as governor of Enugu State, Nnamani, the antagonist to godfathering, interfered with the nomination and electoral process, like Nwobodo before him, to produce the Sullivan Chime administration that succeeded his.

Single-handedly, the Ebeano apostle dictated Enugu people who occupied what political position in Enugu State and Abuja.

But shortly before the new administration in Enugu could be inaugurated, a big rift ensued between the godfather and godson. The point of departure was an alleged demand for a standing order for the release of N4 billion to the departing governor. Not that alone, sources said the relationship between Nnamani and Chime snapped immediately the governorelect learnt of Nnamani’s alleged plot to substitute him with his cousin, Sam Ejiofor, who was originally selected to run with Chime as deputy governor.

Also, Nnamani was alleged to have been cross with Chime in the belief that his former legal adviser and later attorney general released documentary evidence that led to his travails with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Again, Nnamani

was said to have expressed disappointment at Chime’s perceived indifference to his EFCC quandary despite the fact that he (Nnamani) made him governor.

Overall, Nnamani’s avowed aim of making a political statement with PDC did not register any success. However, those who witnessed the medical doctor turned politician’s campaign for the Senate on PDC gave it to him that he possesses great grassroots appeal. But his best was not good enough to diminish the power of incumbency of his former protégé, Chime. What was worse, Chime allowed the former member of House of Representatives and another Nnamani loyalist, Gil Nnaji, to trounce the articulate former governor at the polls.

Given the split with Nnamani, intriguing political clouds continued to hover around Chime’s leadership of PDP in Enugu State.

The attempt by Nnamani to form a parallel PDP executive through the party’s former Auditor, Barrister Raymond Nnaji, ended in an anti-climax as Nnaji turned coat and joined Chime’s “faction”. Threatened by a possible loss of PDP ticket for a return to the National Assembly, most of the representatives who are also members of the Ebeano political grouping started congregating around their master.

It was against this background that Ekweremadu was reported to have held a two-hour meeting with Nnamani in his palatial Agbani home discussing the former governor’s eventual return to PDP so as “to fight from within”.

Continued on Pg 52

52 TALKING POINT

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Battle for the Coal City: Nnamani’s latest gambit Continued from Pg 51

Mixed reactions

The proposition received a favourable ring in Nnamani’s ears especially against the background of plots by Chime group to field his chief of staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, for the Enugu East senatorial seat. Though she hails from Amokwe in the same Udi local council as Chime, Nwobodo is married to Justice Afam Nwobodo in Nkanu West local council of the state.

The godfather returns

After months of speculated return to the fold of PDP on which he served the state as governor, Nnamani rejoined the party at his Agbani ward. Though the act of return was said to have been initiated and consummated in 2013, it was only when ward executives of the party paid him a “courtesy visit” in the last week of February 2014 that it became public knowledge. Not only did the Ebeano leader use the occasion to announce his formal return to PDP, he declared his intention to run for the Senate seat and represent his “people of Nkanu” in 2015. The emphasis on “Nkanu people” which dominated his remarks on the occasion was Nnamani’s appeal to native sentiment against the plot to have Nwobodo represent the zone.

Savouring his first opportunity to make a public speech, Nnamani told his visitors: “I thank God for this opportunity. Clearly there are expectations of me as former governor of the state, expectations of me as a senator but, more importantly, expectations of me as an

Ekweremadu

Nwobodo

Nkanu man and that is why I am here today. I come from a great nation, a clan nation state, the Nkanu, and when you talk about Nkanu’s greatness somewhere, I don’t know, maybe in bold prints, maybe in mild low prints, maybe on the first page, maybe in the last page, but when you talk about the greatest of Nkanu, as far as 2014 is concerned, Nnamani will be somewhere on that list.”

There was no mistaking the applause from the congregation as a veiled message to all that the master has returned. Riding on the crest of that public adulation, the former governor went for the kill. He added: “So, it is indeed expected that such a day as this will come and Chimaroke Nnamani will be here. All I can do is to pay respect to my ancestors, to pay respect to our fathers, our mothers, our women and children and to say that indeed, Nkanu is great. Nkanu, we do not lack people, we have men and women of

honour; a great nation, a great people that were never conquered.”

Only the undiscerning could not recognise the tinge of ethnic appeal in those lines. Recalling his exploits as a politician from the area, Nnamani gloated: “When I came back from America, Nkanus were busy acting as political chaperons, acting as political hustlers, looking for political assistanceship, none dreamt of being governor, none dreamt of being Excellency, until I came and by the grace of God I became the Governor of Enugu State; by the grace of God I became senator, and I served my people. It is not for me to judge, it is for history to judge; to judge between the Nkanu I met when I came back in 1996, 97, 98 and the Nkanu of 2014. It is left for them to judge the vibrancy, the dynamism, the confidence, the dignity of the Nkanu man. It is left for people to judge.

Announcing Nnamani’s return to the PDP, the party’s chairman in Agbani ward, Mr. Monday Ngene, explained that the renewal of his membership was as a result of the party’s membership registration which took place from August 2013 through January 2014. Ngene added that within the period, about 3291 old and new members were registered in Agbani ward. “Precisely on January 4, 2014, the former governor was duly registered at the ward office and issued with membership card number 0276943, duly signed by the party’s National Chairman, National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary, ward chairman and ward secretary,” he stressed, adding that Nnamani’s ward number is 3259.

Ngene noted that following the registration of the former governor, he received reprimands from some notable functionaries who upbraided him for the action. He added that when it became obvious that his decision to readmit Nnamaniwas not shaken, the Nkanu West Local Government chairman of the party was compelled to call a meeting and declare his suspension for anti-party activities. Ngene said: “We were told at the meeting that our offence was that we visited Senator ChimarokeNnamani. We regard the action as illegal and unacceptable because as far as we are concerned, our visit to Nnamani was after he had duly registered as a bonafide member of our party; it did not translate to an anti-party activity in any way. The so-called suspension against me and two other ward chairmen is a nullity and should be disregarded by party members and we have continued to function in our capacity as ward chairmen.”

Perspectives

President Jonathan and the Challenge of Indivisible Nigeria Inatimi Duere

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here have been divergent views on the National Conference initiated by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. There are those who are afraid that it may end up dividing the nation. Others argue that the nation can only be made great through constant dialogue. Of course, to make a nation work requires belief. We believe. Our nation in all its diversity ought to represent the mark of strength of Africa in the wide world. Methinks that Jonathan is poised for the great task of making the nation work through daring all our fears. That is the way to go.

At this time that the nation is being fecklessly torn apart by mundane ethnic concerns, bigotry, hate and terrorism, it is incumbent on the president to take charge of the central unifying role of bringing all together through shared values. The Americans have infamously put out the report that Nigeria will break up in the year 2015.

It is crucially needful not to be daunted by suchlike doomsday predictions. The added dimension being peddled by other negativists is that Lord Lugard’s Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria in 1914 was meant to last for only 100 years. The bonds established by Nigerians across ethnic and religious borders in the intervening years have grown beyond the

President Jonathan keeps reiterating that he is ready to lay down his life in the drive not to superintend the disintegration of our dear nation flimsiness of a whimsical breakup. The unity of purpose shown by all past Presidents and Heads of State in the recent centenary celebrations attends to the fact that President Jonathan operates as the prime mover of the unity of the country.

It is critical to note that Nigeria can in no way be singled out as the only diverse nation in the world. India, for instance, has its share of diversities and even mutinies, but it still holds aloft the torch of democracy. Nigeria is today building on her democracy, and the future can be made brighter through the welding together of all our people in harmony. Past leaders of stature all over the world such as Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Nelson Mandela are ready examples to emulate. The dream of our founding fathers, notably Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, to build a formidable nation that should stand the test of time must not be compromised on the altar

of small-mindedness of parochial sectional leaders. That is the essential lesson of indivisibility that President Jonathan preaches.

For instance, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore boldly made the mark of taking his then fledging nation from the Third to First world status. Then Dr Mahathir of Malaysia repeated the feat. This shows that it is possible for Nigeria to defeat all debacles and shoot well ahead in the comity of nations, without bending the knee to defeatism. The problems of the country ought to be seen as challenges which can be mastered, as President Jonathan is showing by example.

The transformational work that President Jonathan is undertaking in the railway sector is a real pointer to the binding together of the vast poles of Nigeria. The railway track that travels all the way from Sokoto up North down to the South through Umuahia, Aba and Port Harcourt must have over the years established so much binding mores amongst the diverse Nigerians. The migration of Nigerians to all nooks and crannies of the nation even before the amalgamation has built together uncountable Nigerians who call anywhere they reside in the country home.

President Jonathan keeps reiterating that he is ready to lay down his life in the drive not to superintend the disintegration of our dear nation. It is incumbent on us all to take up his clarion call.

Nigerians of all classes and creeds and ethnic nationalities must perforce place the vistas of unity as the pathway to national redemption. The leaders of the six geo-political zones must play the pivotal role of bringing us together instead of taking parochial sides that almost always lead to violence.

President Jonathan has set the ball rolling, and it depends on the delegates to the National Conference to deliver on the promise of melding Nigeria and Nigerians in unity. It is necessary to learn from the likes of Sudan and South Sudan that separation almost always leads to violence and further destruction. The uprising in Ukraine remains a clear and present danger. The issue at stake now is to do a truthful dialogue such that Nigeria is built on the foundation of equity and justice.

It is remarkable that when he was Nigerian Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari said: “This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country than Nigeria. We must stay here to salvage it together.” There is no escaping from the very necessary task of binding this country together. We always celebrate together whenever the national team, the Super Eagles, triumphs in football. We can translate this joy of unity to our national politics.

Mr. Duere wrote in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State

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Coca-Cola: One brand, many troubles The country’s Consumer Protection Council (CPC), recently read riot acts to Coca-Cola and its subsidiary, the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) over unwholesome practices especially on the quality of its Sprite brand. DELE ALAO takes a look at the many troubles that have confronted the 127-year- old brand.

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or Coca-Cola, which reigned for years as the world’s number one brand until last year, when both Apple and Google overtook it in Interbrand’s annual ranking, this is not the best of time, both at the local and international markets. Like the saying, “the bigger the head, the more severe the headache”, Coca-Cola, which caters for consumers in more than 200 countries and worth $15 billion, has been confronted with one challenge or the other.

In Nigeria, for instance, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) recently read a riot act to both the Coca-Cola and the Nigerian Bottling Company over the quality of Sprite, one of the brands from the stable of the global beverage company.

CPC ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited to provide a Shelf Life Policy for their products in the country to facilitate the removal of expired products from the market within 90 days.

CPC also ordered the NBC to subject its manufacturing process to its inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with standards and regulations, and a review within 90 days of the company’s grievance resolution policy to address compensation for injuries suffered by consumers of its products.

It also called for a review of the company’s supply chain management policy within 90 days to include retailers in order to minimise the distribution of defective or expired products, as well as the review of the policy that would make it possible for each of the products to be tracked without information from the consumers.

The directive is coming on the heels of a recent investigation by the CPC, which revealed that cans of Sprite manufactured by NBC, under the licence of Coca-Coca Nigeria Limited, were unwholesome for human consumption. Director-General, CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki said investigation carried out on the company’s facilities led to findings that some practices by the companies were detrimental to the health of the consumers, including the discovery that the NBC had no detailed written shelf life for dealing with expired products.

In its defence, Coca- Cola expressed commitment to quality standards, adding however that information regarding high quality standards were made available to the council, saying “It is regrettable that the Council’s conclusions and recommendations do not appear to have acknowledged the information.

“As responsible organizations, NBC and CCNL take all matters relating to products very seriously and remain committed to maintaining the highest international quality management and food safety standards and certifications.

Because consumers are at the heart of everything we do, both organizations also take a responsive approach towards satisfying customers and consumers,” according to a release jointly signed by Adeyanju Olomola and Clem Ugorji of NBC and Coca-Cola respectively.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also dragged Coca-Cola Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company [NBC] Limited to the UN Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over “serious breaches of corporate responsibility to respect the right to health of Nigerians and the failure to provide effective remedies to victims.”

The rights group noted: “The human rights abuses by CocaCola and NBC illustrate the lack of explicit human rights policies by several companies operating in Nigeria and which have continued to contribute to the violations and abuses of the economic and social rights of millions of Nigerians. Even companies with human rights policies have failed and or neglected to effectively implement these policies for the sake of profit.”

Coca-Cola has also come under heavy criticism for its sugar content.

The first lady in the U.S, Michelle Obama, is on a campaign against obesity, urging Americans to drink more water. Former New York mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, tried to ban sales of giant-size high-sugar soft drinks in New York City. Few days ago, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S proposed new food labels that would more prominently

display grams of added sugar, including the high-fructose corn syrup used in Coca-Cola.

On the financial front, the company reported declining sales of soda in the critical North American market along with disappointing sales growth globally, alarming investors.

Shares fell over 4 percent on the news, the most in seven months. So far this year, Coke shares have dropped nearly seven percent, which is cataclysmic by Coca-Cola standards.

Publisher of Beverage Digest, John Sicher, said: “Carbonated beverages are in precipitous decline. The obesity and health headwinds are difficult and are getting stronger.”

Coca-Cola is uniquely vulnerable, given that about 60 percent of its revenue comes from the sale of soft drinks, the bulk of it from Coke and Diet Coke.

As it were, Coca-Cola has thrived for 127 years and has survived countless passing health fads, in part because its flagship product contains both caffeine and sugar, which, health experts said could be addictive.

Ikiebe to serve on Global Communication Certification Council

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he International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has appointed Nigerian communication and media scholar, Richard Ikiebe, to a 10-person inaugural Global Communication Certification Council, to develop and manage an international certification programme for business communication with ISO endorsement.

Ikiebe has a renewable three-year term on the Council.

IABC President and International Executive Board chair, Robin Mc Casland, announced the composition of the Communication Certification Council membership, which will be chaired by Dr Janet McCormick, an associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) USA. The

Ikiebe

council will hold its inaugural meeting in April and focus on governance processes, background briefings and the first level of certification.

It would serve as the governing board for the new IABC certification

programme. The Certification programme would be open to all communication professionals, non-IABC members inclusive, and provide a common and consistent platform for assessment.

IABC expects that the Global Certification programme would commence in 2015 and offer certification at two levels aligned with the generalist/specialist and the strategic advisor level.

Richard Ikiebe, nominated by the IABC Nigerian chapter, has over 35 years experience in media and communication in the public and private sectors.

Ikiebe is a Senior Fellow and pioneer Director of the Center for Leadership in Journalism at the School of Media Communication (SMC), Pan Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria.

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At the Lagos theatre festival

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ublicity is very key and that to me is the major challenge in the development of theatre in Nigeria. A major theatre festival, with key players and really nothing in the media! Even me, a key follower of the industry had to go searching for information on the festival. The Freedom Park in Lagos has always held a fascination for me. The way the Lagos State Government working with a private individual has turned the place into a major centre of culture while still retaining its old grandeur is a marvel. Although initially, I had feared that like all things Lagos, it would turn into a beer parlour. I thank God that today, it is gradually gaining acceptance amongst the theatre crowd.

As I strode in, I’m confronted by a motley crowd of theatre practitioners. I see a lot of them, I don’t know their names but I recognise them. What struck me was the happiness, the contentment they exhibit despite their relative “poverty”. They are not as well paid as their Nollywood cousins. This was evident in their clothes, the fact that most of them jumped buses to get there and also in the way they scrambled to take home the food that was shared out after each performance.

Four plays were being showcased; ethnicmotifed clothes and jewellery were also on the stands, food and drinks and finally the open theatre was to be the highlight and final event of the day. Due to very stiff financial constraints occasioned by the rain, I was only able to watch two plays. The first one was crazily energetic and superbly performed. I laughed until I almost fainted. This was my first experience watching a play where the cast interacted with the audience. At one point you did not even know who was watching and who was acting.

My partner wept and wept and begged that they should stop; she was dying from laughter.

It was a play about a fake audition, the director had collected N2,500 from each prospective actor. So they all gathered at the audition venue and all hell broke loose with people screaming, struggling to be called in first and in the process tearing the attendance sheet which had over forty names. What exposed the scammers was the love scene that involved the fake director and one of the prospective players who unfortunately came in with her finances. The acting in this particular scene was perfect as I got goose bumps with the passion and emotions it evoked. This understandably irked the fiancé who continuously disturbed the action. It led to the revelation that there was no script and that the people had been scammed. In the ensuing commotion, the real manager of the Freedom Park walked in and drove everybody away. The play left you thinking if what you just watched was a play or if it was real action. This play was marvellous, it was simply perfect and coming from me, just take it.

The second play was an anti-climax, al-

though written and directed by a more profound professional, Wole Oguntokun. I have been watching his plays at Terra Kulture. The arrogance of success was glaring in this production. The play told the story of a play on the island were police could not go in and arrest any felon simply because in the past the proprietor, the aptly named Queen, had saved the life of the inspector-general of police. A rookie policemen, despite all warnings, in hot pursuit of a felon decided to break the rule and attempted to arrest the felon in the bar. He was subdued by the Queen thereby allowing the felon to escape.

This did not seat well with me. I will never be happy with a play that seemingly celebrates felony, no matter the excuses. I took this up with Wole and he muttered something that did not make sense to me. The queen herself dressed like an Egyptian and made a pitiable attempt at belly-dancing. The waist no move o. And her monologue was too long and almost boring.

I left, placed an order and ate while I waited for the open mic. The food at the grill stand was delicious and cheap. I had eaten a sickly fish at Bogobiri for N4,500 the previous night, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a much bigger fish at N2,500. I think the price made it sweeter and then the open mic started. Nigerians get talent o. This open mic series was a platform were practising thespians took to the stage to showcase their gifts. One boy sang an old Tunji Oyelana song and it killed me. He was joined on stage by a wide-eyed actress who just took me to heaven with the duet. After this an actress came in to do a monologue with Italian inflection. She talked about her life with a fisherman and sex on the boat while lying on fish. It was captivating. The Queen came up to do the Sound Sultan song. The one about not forgetting home. I forgave her for the earlier pathetic display. Her voice regaled my troubled soul and like King David did to the tormented spirit of King Soul, she soothed my pain. She momentarily made me forget that here was fuel scarcity out there waiting for me. She melted me and left me a weeping and motionless fool.

This was artistry at its best. An Ada lookalike came up next, all I can say is that Ada should go buy a retirement plan, if she has not. Na wa for this Lagos o. Things dey happen.

I got to Freedom Park around 1.00pm and did not leave till the thick of the night. This was a journey that was more an exploration of my being, a self realization that fulfilment was not in wealth but in the exploration of God-given talent, a display of these talent and in the sharing of these talents freely to the less-gifted.

Well done British Council and its collaborators. But more publicity next time.

Postscript Hi, Bolanle Austen Peters, I saw you but did not greet you because you promised to refund my money for Saro and six months later, I’m still waiting.

SPORT EXTRA LMC expels Nembe City, Giwa … Club owners threaten boycott

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he League Management Company on Friday expelled Nembe and Giwa football Clubs from the 2013/14 season for failing to meet the minimum registration requirements and had certified 18 clubs as fit to participate.

The LMC had also directed the surviving 18 clubs to ignore every fixture involving both teams this season. “ The 2013/14 Glo Premier League kicks off as schedule this weekend but all the fixtures involving Giwa FC and Nembe City FC have been dropped from the schedule as both teams failed to substantially comply with the minimum registration requirements,” LMC’s Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar said.

He also disclosed that the other 18 clubs substantially met the requirements and received provisional approvals to compete in the league.

“Since the deadline for submission of registration form closed 48 hours ago, we have been scrutinizing the registration materials returned by the Clubs and can now state that Nembe City and Giwa FC are in substantial default of the minimum requirements to participate in the Glo Premier League this season. They have consequently been withdrawn from the fixture and all matches involving both Clubs are cancelled,” Abubakar said in Abuja.

Meanwhile, club owners are threatening to boycott the League if the suspended clubs are not readmitted

Moyes thanks United fans for support in ‘difficult’ season

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anchester United manager David Moyes has thanked the club’s fans for their loyalty in what he admits has been a “difficult” first season.

Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson, who ended his 26 years as United boss by winning a 13th league title, on 1 July.

However, United lie seventh after only 13 wins from 27 Premier League games.

In a magazine sent to United season ticket holders, Moyes wrote: “The difficult season we have experienced was not something that I envisaged.”

Moyes, 50, replaced fellow Glaswegian Ferguson, who won 38 trophies during his reign at Old Trafford, which also included two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.

United lost only five league games in their title-winning season of 2012-13, but have already lost eight times in the current campaign, including home defeats by West Brom, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham.

They were also beaten 2-1 at home

by Swansea in the FA Cup third round and are trailing 2-0 after the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Olympiakos.

Nduka Irabor...LMC boss

They said their expulsion would discourage private sector ownership of clubs, as well as increase unemployment and create disunity.

When contacted on this development, Acting Secretary of the club owners, Alloy Chukwuemeka, denied knowledge of any boycott, he however, said “consultations are at top level between the LMC, the two clubs and the football authorities to get the issues sorted out, that is all i can say for now.”

Oscar Pistorius’ ex-girlfriend says he fired from car

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scar Pistorius’ ex-girlfriend has told his trial he once fired his gun from his car sunroof after becoming angry with police.

Earlier, Samantha Taylor broke down while discussing two breakups with the athlete.

She said Mr Pistorius had twice been unfaithful, with the relationship finally ending when he “cheated” on her with Reeva Steenkamp.

He denies both murdering Ms Steenkamp and the alleged shooting incident.

The defence also pointed to emails it said proved the relationship with Ms Taylor was already over by the time Mr Pistorius began seeing Ms Steenkamp.

Ms Taylor insisted the relationship was not “officially” over when he started dating Ms Steenkamp.

She also said the alleged shooting incident happened when he became angry after a police officer stopped him for speeding, saw the gun on the car seat and told him it could not be left there.

Pistorius (right) and the late girlfriend

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CONFLUENCE

... a finger on the city’s pulse

Storm not yet over for Abdullahi Arisekola

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illionaire industrialist, Aare Alao Arisekola would wish this storm that has caught his son, Abdullahi, would be over soon. This is because the N1.1b fuel subsidy scam case hanging on the neck of Abdullahi, Aare Arisekola is far from over. Fresh information reveals the case continues on Wednesday March 19. The trial of the oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao and four others charged with N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud was stalled on Thursday in Lagos following the absence of prosecution witnesses at an Ikeja High Court. Abdullahi is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial. He was charged alongside two other oil marketers, Olarenwaju Olalusi and Opeyemi Ajuyah and their companies, Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited. The accused are facing an eightcount charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of false documents.

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Dada Marquis remarries at 70

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o Dada Marquis, a socialite and respected architect, age is but a number. She articulated this much when she clocked 70 a few weeks back.

To celebrate love, life and living, the matriarch of the high society hosted a classy party at her private residence on Victoria Island, Lagos. Few days later, Marquis got married to her lover, Gaby Yadua. The wedding spawned some reactions, especially from those who have long nursed similar ambition.

The wedding held on Sunday, February 16, and it reunited old Lagos socialites serenaded

by some nostalgic ballads. Already a grandmum, Marquis at the ripe age of 70 have found true love in the company of an equally aging and popular socialite, 76-year-old Yadua.

Gabby Yadua whose name always causes a stir on account of its phonetic similarity with Yar’Adua - the family name of Nigeria’s former president.

Yadua, an Edo State indigene is a dominant figure in Lagos social circles. Now retired, he held a top managerial position in Guinness Nigeria Plc at a time when beer sales was at its zenith in Lagos.

Jimi Agbaje running on trial

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s the battle to win Lagos State gathers steam, Jimi Agbaje, seen as a likely candidate to hoist the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s flag in 2015 is warming up. Inside sources claim that since Bode George has been given the task to wrest power from the ruling All Progressive Congress after Governor Raji Fashola serves his term, the best sell for the party is none other than Jimi Agbaje. To pass this litmus test, George was said to have introduced Agbaje to President Goodluck Jonathan and that occasioned their dalliance during Mr. President’s last visit to Lagos. President Jonathan went with Agbaje to the Idunganran palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu. This development has reportedly given APC leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, some discomfiture. Tinubu

Aisha Falode sings the dirge at son’s graveside

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ootball analyst, Aisha Falode’s 19-year-old son, Toba Oluwadamilola, who died on Saturday, February 15, was buried amid an outpour of emotion yesterday at Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens in Lagos. The funeral service held at Trinity House, Victoria Island, had in attendance Hon. Abike Dabiri, Bimbo Akintola, Kola Kuforiji and students of Atlantic Hall amongst a galaxy of sympathizers. In a tribute to her son, Aisha Falode said: “Who can console me but God? I will forever remember you, my son. Those fun times, the times you held me when I was down, like the man of the house which you became so early in life... I’m consoled because I know for sure that you are in the bosom of the Lord. I know for sure that we will meet again. You haven’t died, you are only asleep. This thought will keep me going until I behold your delightful presence again. I know you are here for I am you and you are me.”

was alleged to have summoned Agbaje and told him running for governor in 2015 on the PDP platform is same as biting the finger that fed him as he’s currently benefitting from some contracts in the health sector.

The pharmacist turned politician, according to an inside source, was witty enough to remind Tinubu that he’s a technocrat carrying out a state project as a professional without any political undertone. However, Agbaje is wary of making any promises now because he’d only be running when he gets assurances that his candidacy will be adequately funded. His fear therefore is that Mr. President may not trust Bode George given his lacklustre outing previously when he had a similar charge. And as one bitten once, Agbaje is twice shy.

Biola Alabi resigns from M-Net Africa

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nd the lady of charm resigns! Biola Alabi, the Managing Director of M-Net Africa has thrown in the towel at the multinational cable/satellite content company and this is authoritative. We gathered that the radiant and brainy lady resigned in late February. However, it’s still uncertain why she resigned her appointment as at press time. As it is, there are indications that she quitted under rancorous circumstances. Biola’s wizardry at M-Net has shot her name beyond the coastline of Africa. She has been at the forefront of the expansion of the AfricaMagic channels brand across the continent.

She achieved a staggering feat when she was enlisted as one of Forbes Africa’s Most Powerful Women in the Media. Consequent upon her exit, M-Net has named Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu as its first regional director, West Africa. The CEO of M-Net Sub-Saharan Africa, Mrs. Patricia van Rooyen said Mba-Uzoukwu’s appointment is in conformity with the broadcaster’s rapid growth in West Africa. Mba-Uzoukwu was one of West Africa’s most talented broadcast executives who joined M-Net as regional manager in October 2012. With a degree in political science, Wangi will head up an extremely strong content team that will capitalise on the excellent reputation and popularity that M-Net has amongst hundreds of thousands of West Africans viewers. She has since taken up her new position on March 1.

ShowBiz

Travel

Tomisin Oyelere ‘I’m MBGE queen by providence’

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

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2014

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t is often the case that the grandest political propositions are infected with a fundamental fallacy. Political theorists and practitioners often fail to account for this structural contradiction. Thus, they make invalid inferences from what might be true of part of the system to what is true of its whole (the fallacy of composition), or, by contrast, they assume that what is true of the whole must also be true of all its parts (the fallacy of division).

The above title, culled from a national newspaper headline, is a perfect example of the fallacy of composition.

Quite apart from the hysterical nature of the claim, its originator appears to have parted company not just with logical reasoning but with commonplace common sense. One might as well proclaim that the South will burn if Buhari or any candidate other than Jonathan wins the presidential election. And it will still amount to a nonsensical illogic.

Which parts of the north will burn in protest against a Jonathan victory?

The anti-Jonathan northern coalition consists of Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Katisna, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Jigawa, Gombe, Niger and Kaduna.

He did not win any of these states in 2011. He is most unlikely to win any of them in the 2015 presidential election cycle. Inhabitants of these states might choose to set themselves ablaze but Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Kwara and Taraba represent a different northern outlook. There is every likelihood that Jonathan will repeat his triumph in these 6 states and they will not burn. Therefore, if the states he has never won and will never win choose to inflict flames upon themselves, what sense does that make in the general scheme of events? We are guided here by evidence, historical and contemporary; not content with grand claims of zero evidential base.

If Bama burns, Biu will not burn. If Jimeta burns Dimlang will not burn.

Therefore, some parts of the north may burn but all of the north will certainly not burn.

Blackmail against both the potential candidature and potential victory of President Jonathan has escalated beyond a crescendo. It has flared into a kaleidoscope of propaganda, fearmongering, ethnic chauvinism, faithbaiting, personal vendetta, sectional resentment and irrational anger. Deal with it, people.

There are cogent political arguments to be marshalled against the President. And I dare say that he also has powerful defence to mount on behalf of his tenure thus far. These arguments are easily sustainable on account of his record in office. The Ni-

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‘The north will burn if Jonathan wins’ – Na lie o!

BROADSIDE EMMANUEL ONWE dronwe@rocketmail.com

gerian people are alert and wise. They understand the difference between the “Jonathan years” and the “Other years”.

They are in a perfect position to mark the President down or score him high or condemn him to mediocrity, according to his record in office. Sensible people should concentrate on this and eschew sensational irrationalities and the dumb politics of caveman’s instincts.

Why should the North burn because a legitimate Nigerian citizen wins an election? If the headlines suggest that Nigeria will burn if Jonathan, or anyone else for that matter, rigs the elections, then such a proposition would meet the standards of rational thought. No nation can make progress through the fraudulent usurpation of the people’s will and the subversion of their franchise. In such a state of provocation, no special right to burn could be claimed for the North. The East, South and West might also erupt in conflagration as an extreme riposte to the criminal conduct of all the “Ogas at the top”.

All that the Nigerian people demand is a free and fair electoral process in 2015. If such a process yields victory to Jonathan and northerners choose to repudiate it by setting themselves ablaze,

LIPSTICK

then the joke will be on the North.

It is submitted that wisdom does not begin with the fear of the North. Facing down the threats emanating from the North. Standing up to the blackmail emanating from the North. Shunning northern hysteria. These constitute the beginning, the middle and the end of wisdom. The peddlers of this sort of lies and the professors of Armageddon had better come to the intelligent realisation that northern interests are not best served by anti-democratic tactics.

And by the by, what will constitute the conflagration that is predicted?

Would it look like the season of madness when Maitatsine torched the North and the souls of about 5,000 Nigerians perished? Or might it look like the Zaria riots of 1980 that nearly resulted in the permanent extermination of Christians and the Igbo? Or the blazing riots that greeted an artistic work by a Danish artist which was condemned as blasphemous? Or perhaps it might look like the sort of burning that occurred in Kaduna and elsewhere following the victory of Jonathan in 2011?

Beyond the foregoing, there is a staggering catalogue of burning that has been inflicted on the North even with-

Mambilla...rich and enchanting, but not yet the perfect destination

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out Jonathan contesting or winning any presidential election: Muslim demonstrators set Kano ablaze in October 1982; March 1987 saw a fiery clash between Muslims and Christian students at the college of Education, Kafanchan; April 1991, Katsina went up in flames following a religious violence orchestrated by Mallam Yahaya, leader of a Muslim sect in Katsina over an allegedly blasphemous publication; April 1991, a simple quarrel between a Fulani man and a Sayawa man in an abattoir escalated into widespread violence between Christians and Muslims; October 1991, rioting and burning erupted following a procession by the Izala Muslim sect to stop Rev. Reinhard Bonnke from holding his crusade in Kano; May 1992, a conflict between Katafs and Hausas in Zangon Kataf resulted in rioting and burning;1994, rioting and burning erupted after the beheading of a Christian who was alleged to have desecrated the Qur’an;1995, a bout of rioting and burning was triggered by a quarrel between an Hausa adult and an Igbo boy; February 2000, Kaduna burned over the introduction of the Sharia Legal System; September 2001, Yelwa and Shendam in Plateau State descended into the pit of hell at the hands of Muslim militants; October 2001, there was violence in Kano again over the war in Afghanistan; November 2008, there were bloody clashes between Muslims and Christians again in Jos North local government over results of local government elections in the area; February 2009, the struggle to control a mosque by two Muslim sects in Bauchi State resulted in an orgy of burning, etc, etc, etc.

Heck, the place is like Hades, worse than Dante’s inferno, perpetually leaping with tongues of flames and fists of smoke. If the North goes up in flames, it will not be because of Jonathan’s victory in 2015 – if God so blesses him.

BY CHUKWUEMEKA EMENIKE

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