Saturday, august 6, 2016 binder1 by Newtelegraphonline

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Investigations

HILDA DOKUBO

AREPO PARENTS

Our children are becoming violent, restless

My first movie made me

Pgs. 4, 23, 24, 33

l Air Force resumes bombing amid fresh shootings

Pg. 19

SATURDAY Saturday, August 6, 2016

Vol. 3 No. 899

Sanctity of Truth

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B'HARAM LEADERSHIP CRISIS

al-barnawi lists SHEKAU'S SINS l Assassinated members, married their wives l Killed others for buying property l 35 babies died of starvation, malnourishment l New threats portend danger â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Security expert

Dogara meets Buhari, says budget padding not an offence

PAGES 3,5

A POLICE STATION AT EUPI-OTUKPO, BENUE STATE

Pg. 6

PDP govs, leaders meet in P'Harcourt Pg. 4

lDokpesi kicks as party caucus

zones national chair to S'West

NGE confirms Egbemode as president

Pg. 7

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Comment

Hard times indeed

t emerged recently that kerosene had hit N600 per litre. To say this massive increase in the commodity has far reaching implications for the masses, who depend mainly on it for cooking and other domestic uses, is to put it mildly. The majority of Nigerians use stoves to cook and kerosene powers them. Apart from this, they also use it in lanterns to provide light in their homes given the epileptic nature and, sometimes, complete absence of electricity. This group of people can’t afford gas cookers to cook or generators to provide electricity. At any rate, gas and petrol have also had their share of increase in prices. So, to say the masses are experiencing a predicament of untold proportion is an understatement. Sadly, there doesn’t look to be any alternative for the over 30m Nigerians whose lives are directly linked to the product. Firewood which hitherto had been a source of energy for many homes had since been declared a ‘no-go area’ for obvious reasons. Nigerians have been told repeatedly not to cut down trees for cooking purposes, they have been inundated with the environmental implications of doing so, and, indeed for good measure, have been enjoined to plant trees. Charcoal which is another source of energy has its own implication for the environment also. So what alternative do average Nigerians have? How do they cook their meals? How do they provide light in their homes? The scarcity of kerosene which had hit major cities across the country, with most retail outlets in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Kaduna and Abia States running out of stock arose apparently from the fact that a majority of marketers, who had hitherto reduced importation of the product, have now halted it due to difficulty in accessing foreign exchange. “The shutdown of refineries that produce DPK (kerosene) through which the market is augmented, is another major problem,” a marketer told this newspaper. “The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) is now the major importer of the product and except for the majors, most of the independent marketers, if not all, depend on loading from PPMC’s depots. And this explains reasons for the scarcity.” Other reasons that have been adduced for the scarcity of kerosene and its unavailability for domestic purposes is the diversion of the product to neighbouring

countries, its industrial usage, as aviation fuel and the unwholesome activities of middlemen. Quite clearly, there are competing demands for the commodity and until these are resolved, the issue of scarcity of kerosene will remain intractable. Another reason for the shortage of the product is the activities of vandals on the one hand, and militants, who have continued to vandalise and destroy pipeline installations in the volatile Niger Delta region, on the other. Government must find a lasting solution to the issue of vandalism and destruction of oil installations as this affects not only the production of kerosene, but also gas and petrol, ultimately forcing up prices. The lesser of the evils, vandalism, which has been a recurring issue and is largely a matter of theft, has persisted because government has not shown enough will to deal with it. But now is the time to act decisively. With regard to the matter of Niger Delta militants, the situation is more complex. Government in this regard needs to be much more circumspect in dealing with the issue because of its various dimension. There are demands being made by these groups that relate to the issues of justice, equity, fair play and environmental degradation that require high level of negotiation, understanding and circumspection to tackle. This is one area where the option of knee-jerk reaction must be resisted. The creeks of the Niger Delta should not become our own Vietnam. Also, government must ensure that kerosene is not ferried to neighbouring countries when the product is not available at home. The perpetrators of this criminal act of sabotage must be pursued with singleminded determination and stopped. In addition, we observe that even in filling stations where the product is available, the outlets prefer to sell to middlemen who buy in large quantities and sell to the people at exorbitant prices. This is another area where government has a huge role to play. It must intervene. Regulators must monitor these stations to ensure that kerosene is sold directly to the people and not sold at ungodly hours to profiteers. Finally, we are compelled to remind those in power that the sole purpose of government is the welfare and wellbeing of the people. That is the surest way to measure their performance or lack thereof. Any government that cannot safeguard over 30m Nigerians where they live - in a matter that directly affects their survival - is unworthy of the name.

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

Funke Egbemode

Managing Editor, Business & Strategy n Yemi Ajayi

Managing Editor, Publication & Operations n Emeka Obasi

Managing Editor, South n Emeka Madunagu Managing Editor, North & Abuja n Laurence Ani (Leave of Absence)

Editor n Ayodele Ojo Editor, Sunday n Juliet Bumah Editor, Saturday n Waheed Bakare Deputy Editor n Vincent Eboigbe

Contents | 06.08.16

Bureau Chief, Abuja n Onwuka Nzeshi Bureau Chief, Brussels n Leo Cendrowicz Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins Editorial Coordinator, Europe n Sam Amsterdam News Editor, Saturday n Ndubuisi Ugah

Business Development Manager n Taiwo Ahmed Sales/Circulation Manager n Oyebanji Abiodun Head, Arts & Creatives n Ugochukwu Nnakwe Head, Admin. n Robinson Ezeh

Glamorous skater skirts

INSTYLE

Skater skirts are universally flattering on every body type. They are easy to wear and can be made casual or dressier. This sweet wardrobe staple is something versatile and many fashionistas are wearing them in their everyday life and they look awesome

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Mystyle

Simple yet classy Agalihu Joy Agahiu is the founder/CEO of La’luba Ventures, an outfit that specialises in fashion designing and beauty services. The stylish mother of two speaks about her fashion philosophy

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Interiors

Colourful living room tips Adding splashes of colour to a living room can instantly change both the look and feel of this communal area of your home as vibrant shades will create an uplifting, positive mood. Opting for soft, muted colours can give this room a calm and soothing atmosphere

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Hilda Dokubo’s apogee

SHOWBIZ

Hilda Dokubo is one of the few actors that witnessed the birth of Nollywood and as such continues to excite its buffs and fans. Her career spans 35 long years but her absence stirred some controversies. But now she is back and better with stimulating promise

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SPORT

The Americans are here After several attempts to qualify for a major championship as an American athlete, Antwon Hicks finally made it this time in the colours of Nigeria. He recounts his love for his adopted country, its people and food as well as the prospect of athletics in the years ahead

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THE ARTS

Promoting Yoruba culture Eminent Nigerian citizens of Yoruba descent living in the United States of America and Canada have called upon all Nigerians to help promote the cultural and professional spirit of the Yoruba community in North America

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SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

Pictures that tell stories The proliferation of storey buildings in Nigeria

efore the proliferation of storey buildings and high-rises in Nigeria, the country’s landscape was merely populated with bungalows for decades, if not centuries. The foundation of the ancient historical fortress otherwise known today as the first storey building in Nigeria was laid by Late Rev. Henry Townsend of C.M.S (Church Missionary Society) on the Marina waterfront in Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria in the year 1842, and was later built by other missionaries in 1845. The building served as vicarage for Saint Thomas Anglican Church and was later used by Samuel

News

Olalekan Osiade he raging war within the deadly Boko Haram sect has continued unabated with the newly appointed leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, leading a splinter group that is set to confront the main faction in a battle of wits. The former spokesman, who is being backed by the Islamic State (ISIS), had issued an audiotape yesterday denouncing the supposedly deposed leader, Abubakar Shekau, who had earlier issued his own audiotape on Thursday, claiming to be in charge of the deadly group. Shekau had responded to the announcement of al-Barnawi as Boko Haram leader, calling some of his followers traitors. Al-Barnawi in his new speech is accusing Shekau of deviating from the original cause of the group and turned it to a personal agenda. Shekau had said that he remained strong and in control of the group. “We still exist as a group and we shall not deviate from the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah. We still remain adherents of the Jama’atul Ahlus Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad. May Allah help us to accomplish our mission. “At the beginning of these exchanges, I was deceived. I was made to articulate my beliefs in writing, but this was rejected,” Shekau had said. But in his reaction, alBarnawi called Shekau a liar and noted that he has taken full charge of the operations of the sect. According to al-Barnawi, Shekau was forcefully keeping people in the group against their will, while using women and

1st storey building in Nigeria

Ajayi Crowther, the first African C.M.S bishop that translated the Holy Bible from English to Yoruba. In one of the two rooms on the upper floor of the building, there lay glass case containing the English and Yoruba version of the bible translated by Ajayi Crowther. It was said that the English bible is 173 years old while the Yoruba version is 170 years old, therefore, it was translated around 1845. Today, the country may have lost count of the storey buildings littering its scenery as more and more of the eye-popping structures become the object of fleeting fancy.

Modern building

Blood will flow if you try to stop us, al-Barnawi dares Shekau l I’m the authentic leader, Shekau ignorant l Shekau killing war commanders to marry their wives children as human shield. “He was boasting that if we attempt to escape from his empire his men will kill us. He is a liar. I am not the only one that left, but eight of us left, all kitchen cabinet members. And right now two other top members are on the way to join us. We are all here. The issue of Islam is not personal, there is no sentiment in Islam, and that is why we are here. Nobody can dare us or stop us from it, no matter how he brags. “Here we are on our own. Can’t you see how we left your empire? We left women and everything and just left with guns on our shoulders. We would have crushed anyone that stood on our way. “We said we would not touch anyone but just go on our way to our religion. We will fight for the cause of Allah and work against personalising Jihad and against unjustifiable killings and shedding of blood. We are out because you came out with your own cassette. We want our people to know proper Islam because Allah in the Quran forbids killings without justification. Just like Allah gave us power to kill infidels, there are those he said we shouldn’t kill without reason. “In the Quran, Allah forbade Muslims from killing one another… and he also taught against killing in secret. If it is serious punish-

ment, it must be public for people to know and witness it. But once you see killings in secret, there is something fishy and this is what we noticed with Shekau. What he is doing is not Islam. He said we should follow him and we agreed, but we later realised it is another thing and we said no. We have to stick to the Quran and what Allah said, not [follow] someone’s waywardness. “We have vowed to say the truth. If we will be killed, let us be killed. If we will be eaten, let us be eaten up and if we will be roasted, let us be roasted. We will not leave our fellow brothers in the dark; this message of mine will get to Sambisa Forest. It will get into Shekau’s house. We have agents that will convey the message no matter how he dislikes it. “Almighty Allah is against killings of Muslims. Allah is saying better heaven and earth fall than innocent soul of a Muslim, but you have Shekau, who likes killing our own people. He is always boasting that he will kill. Okay, continue to kill, you will also be killed. Who will dwell here forever? Everybody will die. You will also die some day. And there is no one that will die without reaching his day of death. You can see we are here alive, all of us here sitting. Anyone that Allah did not kill you cannot kill him. The same way, you cannot stop anyone Allah willed

his death. “In one of our Shura meetings, someone asked Shekau how he felt about Muslims running away from their own land to the land of the infidels for their own safety. Shekau said Muslims are also infidels and should be killed like the infidels. These people are not infidels, they are Muslims running for their lives, and he insisted that they are infidels and should be killed. Shekau is ignorant of the fact that it is forbidden for a Muslim to be killed after being chased out of Islamic Caliphate to a strange land and [when the Muslim] has not taken part in any conspiracy against Muslims. “We fled from him with our religion for good. It is there in the books, when you are not allowed to practise Islam you have the liberty to flee and follow what you know is right. Shekau, we did not touch you, don’t touch us. If you touch us we will touch you and we are many against you. We have people in your house and even your present hideout. You don’t know us enough; we are ready for anyone to kill us, even if it is infidels, for so long as we will make heaven and be before Allah. That is why we are countering the false ideology you are spreading. “Shekau said he is looking for our information. We also have your information and we are close

to you. What kind of thing is this? There were states we captured as part of the Islamic Caliphate and you allowed men to be looting property. We told you and you did not take action. We don’t know this brand of Jihad; you kill children, women and bomb people. We should be looking for infidels and not our own people. How can we be killing people in the mosques when there are churches, barracks? It is nonsense and Allah will ask you, if you don’t repent. “Another thing is, Shekau is interpreting verses with his own opinions and the cassettes are being spread. Stop interpreting the Quran with your own opinion. We who lived with Shekau knew his conduct. What is not in the Hadith, he will insist that it is there. Kai, Imam, all these interpretations are your own creation. Please go and seek education and knowledge from those that know. “You forgot how you rushed to pass a verdict over the case of a man over sheep? And you rushed a judgment that saw the man’s hand amputated. The same thing happened in Bama. Five of us were sitting, and the issue came up of some fighters who married slaves. He quickly said they should be killed. The killings spread to eleven persons. Later on, the allegation turned out to be false. Some fighters

murmured and said there would be no peace with his injustices. And all these are not part of Islam. People complained of several acts, but because Shekau was enjoying power he refused to take action. Who killed the Malam in Banki? Is it not you that killed him? The same thing happened to a man you brought inside and killed. “You forgot one day I told you that your wives are not aware that their husbands are alive. You dismissed me with a wave of hand. And you said their husbands should be killed. Is it not you that killed them? Are you not the one that killed Malam Abdulmalik? He is popularly known as Baba Abdulmalik, and you killed him. And you are killing them secretly when, in Islam, there is nothing like secret killings even of an infidel. Even if it is Buhari that comes to you following an agreement, if you killed him, it is not Islam. Even if it is an infidel, if you killed him it is not Islam. If you are afraid of their treaty, tell them we are enemies, instead of drawing people close tokill them. “Where did you see the judgment of Allah secretly done? And you said you are following Allah. Is it the Prophet that said this? This is not Islam, Shekau. “You killed Ameer Falluja because he was close to Abdulmalik. When he entered, he never came out. The same way, you continued on page 5

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

PDP govs, leaders zone national chair to South-West

Onyekachi Eze

A ABUJA

head of its national convention scheduled for August 17, the southern caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its national chairmanship position to the South West. This followed an earlier zoning of the position to the South by the Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee. The decision was arrived at, in the early hours of Friday during a meeting at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, with all the PDP governors in attendance. According to reports, 89 among those in attendance voted in favour of further zoning the position to the South West, while only three voted against. The leaders also agreed to zone the position of Deputy National Chairman to the South-South, while the South East gets the National Organising Secretary slot. The South West leaders at the meeting had argued that the zone was unfairly treated during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a position that South East aligned and voted in favour.

l It's unfortunate, says Dokpesi But a contender from the South South, Chief Raymond Dokpesi has described the decision as unfortunate. Dokpesi said it is a repeat of the same mistake that led the party to where it is today. In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Omor Bazuaye, Dokpesi told delegates in Kano to do the right thing by voting their conscience. He said he doesn't have any godfather but is depending heavily on them to vote for him. “Leaders of the South met and decided to microzone to the South-West. These are the same things we did that brought the party to its knees. I have come here pleading and begging that if I become National Chairman it is me and you that would be chairman,” he said. However, another contender to the position and a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George, yesterday said former members of the party who left for the All Progressives Congress (APC) were mere tenants who are already on their way back to the PDP.

George who said this when he picked the PDP chairmanship nomination form for the August 17 national convention, said he would bring the party back to its winning ways if he wins the chairmanship. “It takes an experienced captain to stabilise a ship hit by a tornado. And if you know the crisis in PDP, that is the position the party is facing right now. “But I am happy that all is not lost, and the condition has been enhanced; zoning has gone extremely well. I have paid my dues in this party and I should not be afraid of anybody,” he said. George promised to bring every member of the PDP on board if he emerges, adding: “Even those of our friends who were angry and left for APC, they are tenants there because they are landlords in PDP. “If we are lucky and we get the right leadership who is fair and just and committed in the party, they will come back.” He warned the ruling party, the APC, to get ready for serious engagement because PDP has started a cohesive battle ahead 2019 general elections. According to him, the po-

sitions he held in PDP before have adequately prepared him for the challenge of stabilising the party after its lost of the 2015 general elections. “When I took over as vice chairman South-West, it was all AD then. I remember vividly that we have over 137 local government (areas) in South-West and I transverse all of them.

“So, this job requires commitment and determination; it requires justice and fairness. They know me, what we cannot defend we cannot go for that,” he added. In another development, the party has said the decision to adopt zoning formula in sharing of its national offices was not meant to exclude anybody from the race. Rather, it was meant to ensure harmony and fair-

ness in distribution of party positions. Chairman, National caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, at the inauguration of the national convention and finance committees for the August 17 convention, called on every member who does not feel comfortable with the zoning arrangement to seek the mandate of the delegates.

Air Force resumes bombing of vandals in Ogun communities

he Nigerian Air Force yesterday resumed the aerial bombardment of hideouts of the vandals in the Ogun State axis of Arepo, launching fresh air strikes. It was gathered that the NAF resumed the current attack after gunshots were heard firing from deep inside the mangrove forest following the visit of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, and other top security personalities to the area on Thursday. Reports stated that NAF, according to a top security source, said it deployed an Augusta helicopter for the operation which struck

some locations of the vandals. The source said the helicopter which commenced operation in the afternoon was still carrying out the onslaught on the hiding militants as of 3pm on Friday. A senior military officer who confided in our correspondent said that the helicopter was deployed in the area after the vandals were sighted by a surveillance aircraft. However, the source was silent on whether there were casualties in the attack or not. “The operation is still ongoing. There is still serious military action going on in the place. Even as we

are talking, the Air Force is engaging them from the sky,” the source said. Shortly after the IGP left, ground forces had also moved there to respond to the gunfire from the vandals and the place was quiet for some time, according to the source. “Then on Friday, the helicopter started the fire again. Some of the guys are trapped in the thick forest,” he added. Meanwhile, Director of Information and Public Relations of the Nigerian Air Force, Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, confirmed the resumed attack on the vandals location on Thursday but did not give further details.

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

'We left Sambisa Forest with weapons, nobody dared stop us' c o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e 3

killed Bagomna because he bought a house in Amchide. If someone bought a house, is that a reason to kill him? With your hand you killed him. Bagomna came on a bike, and you just killed him. When we asked you why you said since he went to war he did not return. You are a liar; you killed him on your own. Is this Islam? Are you sure it is Islam you are doing, killing war commanders, and killing clerics? “You killed Mustapha, you killed Kakaali, and you told women that they died in the war, but insiders knew that you killed them. It was Aliyu that you asked to call one of them. You remember where you used to stay in one location. On getting there one day they called the man guarding the place. When he came, you killed him. When the second [man] appeared you repeated the same. From that moment did we not start failing and losing the war? You can’t think and repent. When we fought infidels in Baga, did you remember the bravery [the men you killed] exhibited? Did you do half of their gallant fight? You are just sitting down; they will bring you cars, money, and other valuables and you still have the guts to betray them. “The same way you killed one man on trivial grounds that he was gossiping. Yet his contribution to this cause was incredible. He was producing guns, and you just wasted him. And you wanted to kill one Aliyu and something happened. You wanted him killed, but failed and he succeeded in killing one of the two you sent to kill him. Is this Jihad? Is it not you that killed Mujaheed? Is it not you that killed Umar? Is it not you that killedAbumariam? Abumariam and Mujaheed were killed together

by you. What did they do to you? Can’t people tell you the truth? That is why some of us that want to tell you the truth fled so that you don’t kill us. And now that we are away, you can’t kill us unless we kill ourselves. We believe in Allah and have our own battalions. Send your agents and see a surprise. None of them can come here; we will finish them. You also killed Abdullahi because of a dream. You keep telling people rubbish about leaders that killed their fighters. Those leaders killed in the open, but you killed secretly. “When Malam Umar was going to honor [Shekau’s] invitation, he called me and explained that Shekau had sent for him, but he had sent words pleading for forgiveness. When he told me, I said he should believe in Allah and submit to his faith. When Umar went, [Shekau] came out and asked for a knife and a dagger. Very close to the river [Shekau] killed Umar. Is this Allah’s verdict? This is Haram for Shekau to make Muslims kill their brothers. Shekau be careful, we are not part of this; I repent and will never follow you. I will never go back. If you fear Allah, you should better repent. We have revolted against your ideology and now cling to the real ideology of Allah. We are not part of a caliphate of injustices and shedding of blood. We are not part of a religion that is not dictated by Allah. We are with our leader, [ISIS commander] Al-Baghdadi. If you say you will not follow him, we will know the truth. Anyway, you have revolted and are deceiving people. You even said it in your cassette that you were forced; that you only bear fake allegiance fearing that there would be an internal revolt against you. Shekau

L-R: Commandant National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Samuel Alade; President Muhammadu Buhari; Defence Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Dan-Ali; Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Chairman Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan; FCT Minister, Mohammad Musa Belo; National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonioshakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe, at the graduation ceremony of Course 24, NDC in Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

killed many fighters, and we have exposed a few. “Another case of Shekau’s insensitivity is abandoning fighters to hunger [as well as] women and children who go without food while he is enjoying with his own family. Last year, 20 children died of malnourishment. Recently, 15 babies died in one day due to starvation. I have a recorded message here, and I will play it here for all to hear. (The audio was played and Shekau was heard saying the following: “That children are dying, let even 100, 000 die now. Nonsense, am I the one holding them? I can only do what I can. Am I here to breed babies? You came disturbing me. Who told you my duty is to look after babies? Who told you my duty is to look after fighters? If this is what you are talking about, then it is you that should look after me. Is this what Quran said? What do you mean?”).

“Even [when fighters] advance towards enemies, [Shekau] doesn’t make logistics available. The other time, we lost plenty of gas and fuel tofire. Before, you ruled over us, but now we are free. Another thing that made us leave you is because you don’t listen to your cabinet. If we follow Shekau, we will never make heaven. That is why we left. Stop giving opinionated fatwa. “You don't listen and accept our views. Even [Boko Haram founder, killed in 2009] Mohammed Yusuf, he would write his Friday preaching and table it before us for debate and scrutiny. We would collectively go through and work on it. But you refused [to do the same]. Are you more educated than Mohammed Yusuf? Is it not in my place that you were studying with your two items of clothes and under a tree in Maiduguri?

al-Barnawi is son of executed founder, Boko Haram insider claims Ndubuisi Ugah

with agency reports

trong indication emerged yesterday that the new Boko Haram leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, is the son of the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, according to a Boko Haram insider. The source told Cable Network news (CNN) that al-Barnawi, who is about 25 years-old was the second son of Yusuf, who founded the group in 2002 and was captured and executed after a clash with Nigerian security forces in 2009. The insider said there was a split in the ranks

of the Boko Haram terror group three months ago, which led to Barnawi, known as Habib Yusuf within the group, to leave the Sambisa forest where the sect are believed to be hiding out. He re-emerged this week after he was introduced as the new leader of the terrorist sect in an interview in the ISIS’ magazine al-Naba. Boko Haram has long had links with ISIS, pledging allegiance to the group in March. Similarly, al-Barnawi in an interview published by an online news portal, The Japan Times, had revealed that his major targets, is

to bomb churches and kill Christians, while ending attacks on mosques and markets used by ordinary Muslims. In the interview, al-Barnawi said under his leadership, the militants would work to seize back territory. Even though al-Barnawi is now supposedly the leader of Boko Haram, the source told CNN that the group’s long-time leader, Abubakar Shekau, still has the larger number of followers in the Sambisa forest and crucially has control of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. The schoolgirls are seen as a powerful bargaining

chip for the terrorist group, whose base has been significantly weakened. Western intelligence sources close to negotiations believe, however, that the defection of manpower and erosion of support leaves Shekau more exposed and could possibly lead to a breakthrough in the search for the abducted girls. The Boko Haram source told CNN that al-Barnawi was Boko Haram’s head of armoury before he fell out with Shekau and left with some followers. The source said: “Shekau is seen as erratic and disorganised and Habib didn't agree with a lot of his decisions anymore.”

“Another thing is Shekau doesn't make weapons available for fighters. People fighting a war are left with no weapons. We have lost many territories in our emerging Islamic caliphate to infidels because of your laxity. You are the cause. “This was the beginning of our revolt against you. If you leave us alone, we will leave you alone. If you continue antagonizing us, we will also continue. If you repent, we will accept

you and embrace you. You should repent and fear Allah. This is the open letter to you. “In our Shura meetings, there was a complaint that jihadists’ wives were taken away while they were fighting for Allah. What did you do? You did nothing, and fighters saw how you don't bother about their welfare. You just go home and sleep with your wives and slaves while we are suffering. We are not with you.”

...his ‘pact’ with ISIS dangerous –Security expert Isioma Madike

he Federal Government has been advised to consider the appointment of Sheikh Abu Musab AlBarnawi as the leader of Boko Haram as a very serious and dangerous development in the ongoing war against terrorism and insurgency. In a statement issued in Lagos, a security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, said the strategic leadership appointment should be considered a direct threat from ISIS. Consequently, the Federal Government, according to him, should urgently direct the intelligence agencies, the military, law enforcement and citizens to be on full alert to avert spectacular terrorist attacks on Nigerian soil. Ekhomu, who is the president of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said the making of a leadership change for Boko Haram signalled a much closer relationship between the group and ISIS than was previously believed to exist. “If ISIS gets to appoint

senior leadership for Boko Haram, then they are probably running the Nigerian terror group as a local franchise. “Strategic decisions such as leadership appointments are made by the spiritual leader of a terrorist group. “In other words, the appointment of Al-Barnawi might have been made by ISIS leader, Sheik Abu Bakr El-Baghdadi, himself,” he added. Ekhomu noted that under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram, caused over 30,000 deaths in Nigeria. He advised the military to remain focused and on high alert, saying, “there are strong indications that Boko Haram is re-strategising, not surrendering. “We should all be concerned about lone wolf attacks (such as suicide bombers) and wolf pack attacks, which ISIS is very good at.” The security expert urged the government to soft-pedal on the hasty release of so-called repentant Boko Haram fighters, saying that “we could be recycling captured terrorists back into the battle-field.”

News

Anule Emmanuel,

S Abuja

peaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said he would not resign his position in the lower chamber. Dogara, who was at the presidential villa, Abuja, where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed-doors, also insisted that he did not committed any offence and, therefore, would not step aside as being demanded by a few groups. Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, the speaker said he was not aware of anything called budget padding and would not resign amid allegations of budget padding against himself and other principal

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Budget padding not an offence, says Dogara l Insists he’ll not resign

officers of the House. Former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, had accused Dogara and other principal officers of the House of padding the 2016 budget to the tune of N40billion. Following the allegations, there had been calls from some Nigerians for the speaker to resign or step aside while investigation is going on. In the same vein, the All

Progressives Congress (APC) in a mend fencing mission on Thursday told both parties to sheathe their swords and desist from making further comments. Speaking during the interview with journalists on why he was in the presidential villa, Dogara said: “I can’t come and see my President? Do I need any reason to come and see my President. It’s a private visit.” Asked whether he had

Abia guber: Court refuses to join Otti, Onyeonagu Tunde Oyesina, ABUJA

he Court of Appeal, Abuja division, yesterday refused to grant the applications by the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti and KOWA Party, Dan Onyeonagu, respectively seeking to join in the Abia State governorship tussle pending before the court. In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Abubakar Dati Yahaya, the appellate court held that the two applicants failed to establish their interest in the internal affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court held that the subject of litigation between Dr.

Samson Ogah and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who are members of the PDP, was the primary election of the party conducted on December 8, 2014. The two applicants, the court held, being members of different political parties, have no locus standi to question the primary election of the PDP. Justice Yahaya also held that the applicants failed to give circumstantial reasons to sway the court to exercise its judicial discretion in their favour. Among others, the court held that the two applicants failed to transmit the proceedings of the trial court, the Federal High Court Abuja, to the court of Appeal where their interest was supposed to have been established but merely relied on affidavit depositions to join the legal tussle at appeal court. The appellate court fur-

ther held that allowing the applicants to join the dispute will amount to attempting to change the nature of the suit from intra-party to inter party which was not an issue before the court. Describing the two applicants as, meddlesome interlopers, busy bodies, aliens and strangers to the dispute between Ikpeazu and Ogah, the court said they could have interest recognizable in law in the domestic affairs of another party. Justice Yahaya further held that from the documents placed before the court, the applicants were not deprived of anything belonging to them since they did not participate in the PDP primary election, adding that nothing has been taken away from them with the outcome of the said election.

discussed the issue of budget padding with the President, the Speaker said: “What is budget padding.” He continued: “I don’t know, educate me, I am a lawyer and the speaker and I have never heard of the word padding, what does padding mean. Ask him (Jubril) he who alleges must prove, that's the law in Nigeria. On whether the speaker will defend himself, Dogara replied that he was already

Tony Chukwunyem he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has so far recovered N644 billion and would continue to pursue delinquent debtors until they repay all outstanding amounts owed the Corporation. Managing Director of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, who disclosed this yesterday at a media briefing in Lagos, said although debt recovery was a very tough job, the corporation was determined to ensure that it collects all its outstanding debts because any such debt not collected becomes a loss to the tax payer. He stressed that contrary to the opinion in some quarters the corporation was not killing businesses through its debt recovery drive but was out to promote economic growth.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Banning export of raw agric products'll boost economy –Aregbesola

o make meaningful impact in agriculture in a period of dwindling oil revenues, the Federal Government has been advised to ban the export of raw agricultural produce to boost the country's economy. The Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, who gave the advise yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the executive session of the Guild of Editors conference, noted that the move would allow the country to consolidate in agricultural sector. He spoke on the second

day of the conference themed – “Economic diversification: Agriculture as an option for prosperity” and followed the footstep of the minister of communications and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and former Governors Olusegun Osoba, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Ogun and Delta States respectively. He faulted a situation where Nigeria imports secondary agricultural products rather than exporting them to make greater value of its agricultural products. Aregbesola said it was troubling that approximately N40 billion dollars was being expended yearly in the country to import foreign foods accessible to only a few in the country.

According to the governor, there was need for nutritionists and food technologists to begin to add value to raw agricultural produce in the country, noting that it was pathetic that the nation had remained the biggest producer of cassava in the world yet no value had been added to it. He used cornflakes as an example of a product with different variations in the market stressing that nutritionist could do similar thing to cassava. Aregbesola added that the country stands to gain nothing if Nigerians continue to consume cassava the same way their forebears did, instead of using it to create products for greater value. The Governor said: "We

dia, research the law and let me know,” he stressed. Whether he was worried, the speaker said: “Worried for what? Worried over nothing, why should I be worried , as far as I am concerned am not worried over anything.” On whether there would be sanctions for Jibrin, Dogara said: “I am not the chairman of ethics committee of the House so I wouldn't know and I don't know what padding means.”

AMCON recovers N644bn, vows to collect outstanding debts

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Suleiman Kawu (left) and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yagubu Dogara; after the Speaker’s meeting with President Muhmmadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja… yesterday.

Emmanuel Masha

before a court of law. ”We have rules and regulations, this is not a mock institution, we operate by rules and we will follow the rules. Resign for what, for what? “What is padding, you haven't told me, ask Jibrin what is padding? I studied law and I have been in the legislature and all this period I have never heard of the word padding being an offence under any law. If I don't know, you are the me-

should stop exportation of agricultural raw materials. We should rather add value to these raw materials. "We should bring innovation into agriculture for farm produce to be converted into secondary products if we want to make money from agriculture." "Nigeria is the biggest producer of cassava but sadly we have not added any value to it. We still eat it the same way our forefathers did." Also speaking at the executive session, Governor Nyesom Wike appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to stop acts thst could promote electoral violence in the state. He alleged that the com-

He revealed that only five per cent, or less than 200 people, were responsible for 70 per cent of the Corporation’s bad loans, adding that AMCON usually resorts to seeking court orders in retrieving debts and sealing up companies after all efforts to get recalcitrant debtors to meet their obligations had failed. The AMCON boss said: “We always tell them that we are not quarreling with anybody. If I tell you that there is somebody who can put N10 billion on the table today, I am lying. But I believe that there are people that can tell me how they intend to pay the N50 billion, the N100 billion, the N150 billion outstanding debts.” Continuing, he said: “Some of these guys, you see their lifestyle but the moment you tell them to come and pay our money, it become a problem. So, we understand these things. They go to the press and I want to tell you that there is nothing personal. Some of them would write that they don’t owe. I can’t wake up in the morning and say pay me N10 billion; there must be a basis. I believe that if you do not owe me anything, and I go to court, and say court help me

collect this money, there must really be something wrong with me.” He further emphasised that AMCON’s recovery process was very rigorous, pointing out that the corporation only resorts to the courts after it must have exhausted all forms of mediation. “Going to court is very expensive, even for AMCON,” he added. Kuru also disclosed that the challenges in the global and local economy were stifling its efforts at debt recovery as shown in the depreciation of some stocks exchanged for money and the volatility in the forex market. He explained that it was as part of efforts to boost its debt recovery drive, that the corporation had to outsource some work to some asset management partners. He averred that outsourcing would help to manage defaulting companies, thereby creating employment opportunities. Kuru also revealed that AMCON had created a real asset investment programme that would sell forfeited assets when the economy was favourable.

Lagos announces traffic diversion as FG fixes Marine Bridge

Muritala Ayinla agos State Government yesterday announced the closure of the Marine Bridge Road (Inward Ijora) preparatory to the commencement of repair works by the contractors of the Federal Ministry of Works. The government said the immediate closure was to also allow the ministry carry out studies to determine the state of the bridge and effect appropriate repairs. The state government in a statement urged motorists to make use of alternative routes. According to the state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the government agencies had been deployed to guide motorists on alternative routes. He said: “Traffic coming from Wharf Base/Point Road should divert at service Lane (Marine Beach Road) by Leventis Junction to Link Lilly Pond by Dock-

yard and ascend Ijora Bridge to continue their journey. “Motorists travelling to Ajegunle should take a left turn at the second junction under the Apapa Road Bridge to Marine Beach Junction inward Ajegunle or back to Ijora Bridge and continue their journey. He, however, added that the option is not to be used by heavy duty vehicles. The government also implored the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) and its members to observe the reroute especially so as not to block the road when accessing the Tank Farms at Lilly Pond. Mobereola added that the state government has among other initiatives deployed various signages directing traffic appropriately. “It is equally important to ask motorist to obey personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police and other law enforcement agencies deployed to control and manage traffic in the area,” the commissioner stated.

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

I won’t tolerate herdsmen's attacks any more –Buhari Anule Emmanuel,

P Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari has warned that his administration will no longer tolerate banditry and criminality from any group including Fulani herdsmen who have allegedly been accused of causing havoc in parts of the country clashing with farmers. The President stated this yesterday at the graduation ceremony of course 24 at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja. President Buhari who lauded the efforts of the military in taming the excesses of the Boko Haram sect in the North-East region said he had already directed security agencies to deal with such acts decisively. Speaking at the event, the President noted that: “On the matter of Herdsmen/Farmers clashes, I wish to state that this Administration will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality, under any guise. As such, our security agencies have

l NDLEA arrests Malian, 4 Nigerians with 4,580kgs of drugs been mandated to deal with such acts decisively.” President Buhari explained that with the hard work of the military in the last one year, the Federal Government had been able to degrade Boko Haram. “Through the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and security services, we have been able to degrade significantly the capacity of Boko Haram insurgents to wreak havoc on our society. “The administration has been working assiduously in conjunction with our local and international partners to rebuild damaged communities in North Eastern part of our country.” President Buhari who commended the graduating officers urged them to set for themselves befitting goals and utilise their technical competence, skills and hardwork to assist the country realise peace. “I am, therefore, very happy to hear that the Graduating Course has undertaken a higher defence management

and strategic research on the topic: ‘Youth Bulge in Nigeria, Implication for National Security’. “As we seek to solve the myriad of social and political problems we will look closely at your recommendations. President Buhari also told the graduands that, “we know that the National Defence College is a truly unique institution, one which we believe, has empowered you with the highest levels of skills in management practices of present day administration and governance for development of our institutions.

“We are also very pleased to learn that the blueprints of training at this College have kept pace with our current security environment. Meanwhile, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Malian and four Nigerians in connection with illegal sale of four thousand, five hundred and eighty kilogrammes (4,580kgs) of psychotropic drugs in Kano. The seized drugs comprising 2,592kgs of codeine cough syrups and 1,988kgs of tramadol were recovered from five secret warehouses

located within the metropolis by officers of the Kano State command. The arrest is part of efforts to reduce the sales and demand for psychotropic substances in the state. The state commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Hamza Umar, gave the names of the suspects as Ikechukwu Ukwuoma, 34, arrested with 2,010kgs of codeine cough syrups; Nura Ibrahim, 30, caught with 886kgs of tramadol and Zakari Muhammadi, a Malian found with 850kgs of tramadol. Others are Earnest Asogwa, 34 years caught with

with agency report

he Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) yesterday confirmed the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, publishers of New Telegraph newspaper, Mrs Funke Egbemode, as its new President. Egbemode, who told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that she was honoured by the confirmation, said members confirmed her as the substantive president at the guild’s 12th annual conference in Port Harcourt. She said: “I feel honoured and I feel like that I have just been handed a big responsibility, like a big board that must not drop. “I urge members to keep the flag flying. We have done very well as a body. We should continue to do things that will elevate the guild, whatever will promote journalism, whatever that will promote the body.” Egbemode, the second female president of the NGE after late Mrs. Remi Oyo, said the body would change for the better. “For the time I will be in the saddle, the uild will change for the better, will become more visible. We have produced commissioners, spokespersons of the President, NNPC GGM on Public Affairs. What I want us to do is to ensure that we remain the pool where the nation drinks,” she said. The president assured that the NGE would continue to produce quality people that would serve the nation. Meanwhile, Rivers State

Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday said he had no personal problem with his predecessor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi. Wike, who disclosed this at the NGE conference holding in Port Harcourt, explained that he and the Minister of Transportation differed politically because they belonged to different parties. “There is nothing personal. We differ politically because we belong to different political politics. We want peace in the state and it is my desire to ensure that the state is peaceful,” he said. The governor also said former President Goodluck Jonathan did something special to ensure peace in the country by conceding defeat during the 2015 general election. “Jonathan should be commended for this single act. People should emulate this move to ensure peace in the country,” he said. According to Wike, Amaechi was his boss as governor and they had good times serving the state.

582kgs of codeine syrup and Ikenna Osuizugba, 34, found in possession of 252kgs of tramadol. The arrests and seizures were made following intelligence report on the illicit drug activities of the suspects. He said: “The abuse of psychotropic drugs like codeine cough syrups and tramadol is prevalent among young people and married women in the state. It is common to see iced bottles of codeine cough syrup instead of beverage drinks in a gathering of young people.”

L-R: Former Kaduna State Governor, Mukrtar Yero; former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief John Odey and former Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Dr. Akilu Indabawa, at the inauguration of PDP National Convention Committee, in Abuja…yesterday.

NGE confirms Egbemode as President Ndubuisi Ugah

PHOTO: NAN

MTN Nigeria’s half-year revenue crashes by 4.8%

Kunle Azeez TN Nigeria has recorded a crash in its half-year revenue by 4.8 per cent , the telecoms company said in a condensed half-year report released yesterday. In the report obtained by

Saturday Telegraph, the Nigerian operation of MTN Group also said it witnessed a fall in subscriber base by 3.7 per cent to 58.9 million from 63 million. This is even as the MTN Group recorded a headline loss of N114.05bn (4.9 billion rand or $357.25m) in the six months. This is

compared with headline earnings of almost 12 billion rand a year earlier. MTN also said the results were affected by unfavourable currency swings, underperformance in its home market and in Nigeria, where it had to cut off another 4.5 million SIM cards to comply with local

registration requirements, resulting in 4.8 per cent loss in revenue in Africa’s most populous country. The telecom group also cut investor payouts by almost 50 per cent as it reported its first-ever halfyearly loss after taking a hit from a hefty regulatory fine in Nigeria.

Yayaha to opponents: Let's build Kogi together Anule Emmanuel, Abuja

ogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has urged his opponents to join his team in developing the state. Bello who was at the

presidential villa, Abuja where he joined President Muhammadu Buhari for the yesterday Ju’mat prayers, said his victory at the Appeal Court was divine. The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had dismissed an appeal filed by former governor of the

state, Idris Wada, challenging the decision of the state election tribunal which upheld Yahaya Bello’s victory in last year’s governorship election. Speaking to State House Correspondents after the prayers, Bello urged his opponents to let peace reign

and join him in developing of the state. He said: “I thank God for making this possible. The judgment is a confirmation of divine ruling by God. I thank the judiciary, I thank my party, I thank the people of Kogi State and indeed all Nigerians.

IGP deploys 510 policemen to Abuja-Kaduna highway 10 die in army, villagers' clash

Emmanuel Onani ollowing repeated cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of crime along the Abuja-Kaduna highway, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has deployed 510 mobile police personnel to patrol the road. The IGP also directed his men to cut off the hands of any criminal element aiming gun at innocent citizens and officers of

the Nigeria Police Force. Flagging off the exercise “Operation Maximum Safety on Kaduna-Abuja Highway,” the IGP said the operation would end all forms of security threats witnessed on the highway. To ensure the success of the operation, 40 patrol vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and other equipment have been handed over to policemen. Speaking in Katari, Kaduna State, during the flag off of the operation, the IGP who was represented by the Deputy Inspec-

tor General of Police in charge of Operations, Habila Joshak, said, “The IGP and the government have been worried and we are here today with this equipment to ensure that this operation is effective and an end is put to criminal activities. “This is to demonstrate that the insecurity that we have been noticing with desperation of criminals that would organise themselves as marauding armed bearers, who stop and harm innocent citizens using this road, is stopped."

t least 10 people have been confirmed dead, while two soldiers are reportedly missing in the clash between the army and villagers in Kpaidna village, Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State. Military sources noted that five rifles were allegedly missing during the clash. Unconfirmed reports said a majority of the dead victims were army personnel who were attacked with knives and cutlasses by villagers who

mistook them for armed Fulani herdsmen. Over 40 persons have been arrested by the army in connection with the attack. Following the clash between soldiers and the villagers, the state government convened an emergency security council meeting where the matter was reviewed and the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Ketso, appealed to the Brigade Commander to exercise restraint and appealed to his men to remain calm.

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

N'Delta attacks: Okowa, Emmanuel blast Akilu view with Saturday Telegraph urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint administrators in place of governors who are found wanting in the discharge of their duties in this regard. But reacting to the matter in Asaba, Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, who spoke through his Media Assistant (Print), Prince Victor Efeizomor, wondered whether Nigeria had returned to the military era where everything was done with immediate effect and with brute force. According to him, the rule of law must prevail in any matter concerning the country if the unity of Nigeria must

Dominic Adewole and Tony Anichebe

ASABA/UYO

t has been knocks all the way for former Director of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Halilu Akilu (rtd), for encouraging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency and replace governors who are unable to secure their states in view of renewed hostilities by militants in the Niger Delta. The retired military general had last week in an inter-

OGBA CNN ranked Africa’s number one media brand

CNN is the biggest international media brand amongst affluent audiences across Africa, according to the Ipsos Affluent Survey Africa, yesterday. The independent research study shows that CNN reaches 60 per cent of Africa’s elite population every month via TV or digital platforms - more than any other international media brand. CNN far outranks all news competitors – 27 per cent ahead of the BBC, 54 per cent ahead of Al Jazeera English, 68 per cent ahead of Sky News and 159 per cent ahead of euronews. “We are proud that CNN continues to resonate more than any other international media brand across Africa in both TV and digital,” said Rani Raad, President, CNN International Commercial.

be preserved. He said: "There are constitutional provisions on how an elected governor can be removed from office. The President cannot unilaterally remove a sitting governor. We are not in a military era. The President has qualified aides who should advise him properly, following the stipulations of the constitution, on any issue especially with regard to how a state of emergency can be imposed. "Somebody cannot just wake up and simply because he was once a military officer and urge the President to remove any governor whose state has security issues.

KANO Kano to begin airlift of intending pilgrims Aug 11

Kano State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board said yesterday that it would begin the airlift of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj on August11. The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Abba Yakubu, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists in Kano. He said the board had submitted 4,649 passports of the pilgrims to the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Kano to facilitate the issuance of visa. “As I am talking to you now, 4, 649 passports are currently being processed for the issuance of visa to our intending pilgrims. A total of 5, 880 intending pilgrims from Kano state are expected to perform this year’s Hajj in the Holyland,” he said.

There are due processes to be followed before a sitting governor can be removed for a military administrator to be appointed. "Is it only in the Niger Delta region or South-South geo political zone that there are security issues? What about the Northern part of the country? Is Boko Haram sect not troubling the country and killing innocent citizens for no just cause? Is the Biafra agitation not a security threat? Why the state is not justifying the militants' approach to making their points, is the retired military general saying the Niger Delta question should not be addressed?

APAPA Association predicts 3m job cuts in maritime sector

Maritime activities closed yesterday with the President, Shippers Association Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nicol, saying the floating exchange rate NEWS IN might shed three million staff strength in the BRIE F maritime sector. Nicol stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. ST He said the new forex regime had distorted import projections which had now been on decline. According to him, the recent increase in exchange rate of N313 to the dollar is not only unprofessional but conveys the ignorance of port administrators including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). “The silence of the Federal Ministry of Finance on this issue without an official guideline is worrisome. The Minister of Finance should explain why this is so,” Nicol said.

Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) clearing debris of a burnt vehicle at Warewa, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway… yesterday

Again, WAEC withholds results of indebted state-sponsored candidates lAs exam body records 52.97% pass

Mojeed Alabi he management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) yesterday declared that some of the candidates sponsored by some state governments to sit for this year's edition of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination but who are indebted to the Council may not be able to access their results when others are checking for theirs within the next 24 hours. The Head of Nigeria’s Office of the Council, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, who declared this yesterday while announcing the release of the results, also expressed joy over the improvement recorded in the candidates’ performance. He said 878,040 candidates of the total 1,552,758 who sat for the exam and amounting to 52.97 per cent, secured cred-

its in five subjects, including English and Mathematics. Adenipekun, who expressed regrets that some of the candidates owing the council may not be able to access their results, appealed to the indebted states to fulfill their pledge. He said the concerned authorities have been committed to fulfilling their pledge and would expect them to do so soon. Meanwhile, this year’s result has been found to be the best ever released by the Council within the last one decade or more. While 38.68 per cent and 31.28 per cent of the total candidates who sat for the exam in 2015 and 2014 respectively had credit pass and above in five subjects, including English language and mathematics, the figure shot up to 52.97 per cent this year. Adenipekun added that out of the 1,552, 7585 candidates registered for the exam, only 1, 544, 234 of them eventually sat for the examination.

He said: “Of this figure,1,393, 907 candidates (representing 90.26 per cent) had their results fully released, while 158, 718 candidates (representing 9.74 per cent)

had a few of their subjects still being processed for various errors and omissions solely traceable to candidates and their schools in the registration processes.”

CHANGE AND CONFIRMATION OF NAME

ALAWIYE

I, formerly known and addressed as MAFE BASIRAT FUNMILOLA now wish to be known and address as ALAWIYE MAFE FUNMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

adeyemi

I formerly known and addressed as ADE BOLODEOKU now wish to be known, called and addressed as DANIEL ADEYEMI BOLODEOKU. All former documents remain valid. Bank and general public please take note.

ezeilo

I formerly known and Addressed as MISS ONU CHINAZO AMALA now wish to be know and addressed as MRS. EZEILO CHINAZO AMALA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AKIN-BRIGHT

I, formerly known and addressed as FASHE DEBORAH TEMITOPE now wish to be known and addressed as AKIN-BRIGHT DEBORAH ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHRISTOPHER

I, formerly known and addressed as EGBOBI THEOPHILUS now wish to be known and addressed as EGBOBI THEOPHILUS NWABUEZE. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

adeyemi

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEWALE ABOSEDE MERCY now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ADEYEMI ADESEWA MERCY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

He continued: "We are all aware of how Governor Okowa, in response to resumed hostilities in the creeks, immediately took steps to address the security issue. How he constituted a committee, headed by his deputy, Kingsley Otuaro, to look into the security situation, drew up strategies to douse the tension and proffer solutions on how such occurrences can be nipped in the bud. The governor even gave the committee a marching order not to return to Asaba (the state capital) until the militants sheathe their swords and accept peace. Also, the governor has held series of security meetings with security agencies in the state on how to tackle the situation. So, one is left to wonder, where and which angle the retired military general was coming from?” Similarly, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, also took Akilu to task, insisting that Nigerians must guide against anything

that will truncate democracy. He spoke through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umàna. He told Saturday Telegraph on Thursday in Uyo that: “Any action that would encourage dictatorship in any form must be discouraged by Nigerians. Elected governors are doing all within their constitutional powers to ensure adequate protection of lives and property in their various states.” The governor, who described the call as unnecessary, maintained that there must be a sincere approach in addressing the security challenges posed by Militants in the region rather than truncating democracy. He stated that Akwa Ibom State was secure as the government placed high priority on security of lives and property, noting that the nation should never for any reason go back to the unpleasant era which had been confined to history.

Lagos seals 18 hotels, event centres over N91m tax evasion

Muritala Ayinla

agos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has shut 18 hotels, restaurants and event centres for failure to pay their taxes under the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Laws of Lagos State 2009. The hotels and restaurants were said to owe the state a cumulative sum of over N91million. The affected hotels are Starfire Hotels, Ikeja; Zaaz Hotel Limited, Ikeja; Le Parisian Suites, Opebi; Cottage Guest House Two, Opebi; Suite 29, Ikeja; Bec Ind Catering Company, Ikeja; Hotel De Jas, Oshodi; Florida International Motel, Ajao Estate; Atlantic Product Limited, Victoria Island; Soul Centre, Okota and Taesuites Limited, Ikoyi. Others include Larex Hotels Limited, Shomolu; Piccadily Suite, Lekki; D Yard

Entertainment, Surulere; Peaceland Hotels, Yaba; Nufcam Hotel Limited, Ojodu Berger; Posh Spice, Surulere and Cristabol Place, Lekki. The Director Legal Services of the LIRS, Mr. Seyi Alade, while speaking during the state-wide tax enforcement exercise yesterday, warned that defaulting hotels, restaurants and event centres would henceforth face the full wrath of the law if they fail to deduct and remit their taxes as provided by the law. According to him, failure to deduct and remit taxes as and when due attracts very serious penalties that may lead to the sealing off and the seizure of the goods and chattels of the affected entities. He said the LIRS usually gives a long rope by issuing multiple notices to the taxpayers to inform and also remind them of their tax liabilities adding that only recalcitrant taxpayers are shut down as in the present case.

FG targets N1trn annual revenue from NIPOST

Kunle Azeez he Federal Government is targeting a revenue base of N1 trillion from the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), especially from effective implementation of stamp duty policy. The government also plans to deploy the widest coverage of NIPOST offices spread over 2,500 locations across the country to drive financial inclusion. Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, disclosed this while speaking on the desirability of the implementation of the National Addressing Policy and the Stamp Duties Act, at the inauguration of the new Post Master General/Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST in Abuja recently. According to Adebayo, “the full implementation of the Stamp Duties Act is overdue. Records indicate that NIPOST

earned N4.87 billion in 2013 with a little scratch of the Stamp Duties rates. I am confident that with efficient management of this revenue source, we can add over a trillion naira to government’s purse in a year.” The minister also said: “Most critical is the implementation of the National Addressing Policy. As obtained in more organised societies, we should bring some sanity to the numbering of all kinds of buildings, especially in our urban and semi urban settlements.” Such a move, he said, would ensure that mails are delivered faster and cheaper, stressing that: “Besides, a credible National Addressing Policy will aid planning and internal security.” Meanwhile, Adebayo has noted that NIPOST is faced with myriad of challenges, including an inefficient management structure, low level of investment, especially in ICT, vast but obsolete infrastructure and facilities.

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Airline operators seek end to aviation fuel scarcity

Wole Shadare irline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have called on the Federal Government to urgently address the problems faced by airlines and passengers over the scarcity of aviation fuel. The operators stated that JET A1 scarcity has led to airlines experiencing acute shortage in recent times. President, AON, Capt. Noggie Meggison, made the call on the heels of a consistent unavailability of the product in the past weeks for airlines to conduct their operations thereby leading to 50 per cent delays or cancellation of flights. “We have been forced to cry out about the perennial

problem at this juncture because it continues to put us in a difficult situation to go an extra mile to fulfill our obligations to our esteemed customers in spite of the inconveniences that go with it.” However, we are at the mercy of the oil marketers and many times our hands are tied such that we are left with no other option than to cancel flights,” Meggison declared. Speaking further, the AON chairman noted that together with the shortage of Jet A-1 the marketers have been increasing the price consistently to an unbearable point. “Till April this year, I bought Jet A1 Fuel for N105 a litre. About a month ago the price jumped to N145. Two weeks later it rose to about N200 a litre. Today the price has skyrocketed above N200 a litre. This has greatly increased our operational cost."

Immigration repatriates 29 Nigeriens

agos State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday paraded 29 illegal immigrants of Nigeriens origin. The state’s Comptroller of Immigration, Mrs Clara Okojie, said the raid was done to rid the state of illegal immigrants. Unit supervisor and Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, ECOWAS Section, Abdullahi Azare, said the arrests were done on the environs of Lagos Island following a tip off. While 79 were arrested, 29 of

them were found to be without resident papers. Others were released, despite not presenting themselves to Immigration Officers on arrival in Nigeria. Many of those caught were engaged in menial jobs while living in the metropolis. They will be sent back to Niger today. Azare noted that anyone of ECOWAS origin, who chooses to come to Nigeria, either for business or tourism is welcome anytime, provided they get the necessary documentation from the immigration service. He promised to ensure continuous raids.

A cross-section of 29 illegal immigrants of Nigerien origin who were paraded by the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)… yesterday

Gunmen kill 74-year-old man, shoot son in Ebonyi Uchenna Inya,

ABAKALIKI

uspected gunmen yesterday invaded InikiriUmuezeoka Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, killing a 74-yearold man, Nwigwe Nwonu and injured his son, Monday Nwonu. It was gathered that the gunmen suspected to be hired assassins had gained entrance to the compound of the deceased at exactly 1am yesterday at Ufumba-Echi village demanding the whereabouts

Illegal diversion of explosives: Fayemi recalls 37 federal miners

inister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has ordered the immediate recall of all federal mines officers in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The minister, who gave the

directive yesterday, said in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, that the development became necessary as part of measures to strengthen the institutional capacity of the ministry to cooperate with the security agencies in ensuring the security of lives and property in the country, as well as safety of the environment.

Steer off our party, Accord Party tells Ize-Iyamu, Orbih Cajetan Mmuta,

T BENIN

he leadership of the Accord Party in Edo State yesterday warned the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, to steer clear from the affairs of AP in the state. He alleged that Don Pedro Obaseki, who had earlier laid claim to the AP as his platform before he finally dumped the fold for the PDP, had been dealing with them since and has consequently been expelled from the party. Addressing journalists yesterday in Benin City, the state chairman of Accord Party, Dr. Samson Isibor, said: “Whereas

Don Pedro Obaseki was expelled as an impostor, impersonation and a political liability, Joseph Omoregbe, was kicked out for alleged sabotage. “The Accord Party, therefore, appeals to the people of the state not to be deceived by the antics of the duo who flit from one party to the other as often as possible. “We also want to warn Ize-Iyamu and Orbih and their PDP cohorts to steer clear from our affairs. If they are looking for cheap popularity they have missed their bearings as the two political liability governorship aspirants continue to parade themselves as officials of Accord Party.” Isibor said: “Accord Party in conjunction with CRPP in the next few days will announce their adopted governorship candidate for the September 10 governorship election in the state.”

The development came barely 24 hours after the ministry blacklisted and withdrew the explosives licenses of Koko, Delta State based company for the illegal diversion of explosives. Accordingly, all the affected officers are to report to the headquarters of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Abuja for further directives on their next assignments. Letters to this effect have been dispatched to the state and zonal offices of the ministry nationwide. Fayemi said the ministry would not leave any stone unturned in the bid to reposition the sector for effective service delivery, and to actualise the economic diversification and job creation goals of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

l Cops, others remanded for killing Inspector of one of the sons of the deceased (names withheld) before killing their victim and thereafter fled the community. An eyewitness who did not want his name in print said the hoodlums stormed Nwonu’s compound and wielded dangerous weapons including Ak47 rifle and shot sporadically into the air to scare people away before they unleashed mayhem on the man and his son. The source further stated that the gunmen came asking after one of the sons of the deceased who had earlier upon hearing the sounds of the firearms of the attackers sneaked out of the compound to safety.

Apparently frustrated for missing their target, the gunmen, it was gathered, shot the septuagenarian for failing to provide the target who is his son and shot one of his sons before fleeing the community. However, when our reporter visited the community, residents of the area were seen in mourning mood discussing in groups as many of them said the attack was an assassination attempt targeted at either one or two sons of the deceased or an armed robbery attack on the family. Policemen attached to Effium Police Division were alerted later who came and took the boy who was shot by the gunmen to the hospital and evacuated the body of the de-

ceased while investigation into the incident has commenced. Meanwhile, a policeman, Francis Onyekwerem, who is attached to the state police command and seven armed robbery suspects have been remanded in Abakaliki Federal Prisons for allegedly killing a policeman in the state, Sergeant Solomon Ariom. Mr. Elias O Obasi, who led other seven lawyers as counsel for the accused persons, prayed the court to grant bail to their clients. He argued that the Law presumed the suspects are innocent until the court proves otherwise or in the alternative if the application is not granted, the police should transmit the case file to the office of the Director of the state Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for appropriation. In her ruling, the trial Magistrate, Stella Ogoke, of Abakaliki Magistrate Court 1, refused the bail application for the accused persons.

N100m fraud: EFCC arrests three FAAN staff Emmanuel Onani

equel to the arrest of a level six officer of the Accounts Department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), one Christy Olabode, for an alleged fraud of N100 million, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has also arrested her younger brother, Abdul-Shehu Obaze, a staff at the Commercial Department of FAAN in Ilorin, Kwara State, and one Dominic Ojo, an IT officer at FAAN Headquarters in Lagos. According to a press statement by the agency’s head of

Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the arrests followed an anonymous petition, which indicated that the main accuse diverted the said sum, by inserting names of nonFAAN staff into its payroll. She allegedly conspired with Obaze, to perpetrate the fraud. Obaze was found to have maintained not less than eight accounts in seven new generation banks, which were used to receive the funds for onward distribution to “several high ranking officers within the FAAN”. The funds were being paid into his various bank accounts with the narrative, “Furniture Allowance”. However, while allowance for FAAN's furniture is usually paid once in three years, Obaze received

the “allowance” several times within a year. Investigations carried out by the EFCC revealed that the fraud had gone on since 2013. It unearthed a payroll with names of many dead, retired and disengaged staff of FAAN listed against Obaze's different bank accounts. Upon interrogation, Obaze, a level nine officer, confessed that other FAAN officials were involved in the massive fraud, including Olabode's husband who works in the Human Resources department of FAAN. Olabode and Ojo currently enjoy administrative bail, while Obaze remains in EFCC custody. They would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

ASABA FCT OSOGBO Gunmen didn’t attack Delta Govt House Aregbesola presents N1.2bn CBN withdraws N197 pilgrimage Delta State Government yesterday denied that rate circular the Government House (Annex), Warri, was bond certificates to retirees exchange The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) attacked by gunmen. NEWS IN BRIE F

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday presented N1.2 billion bond certificates to 194 retirees in the state. The bonds were presented to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme in local governments and public primary schools in the state. Speaking at the presentation in Osogbo, the governor said his administration would continue to make the welfare of pensioners a priority. He said: “In 2010, we committed N400 million to pension and in 2011, we increased our monthly pension obligation to N250million and we paid N3 billion that year. By March 2012, our pension obligation rose to N300 million monthly which cost N3.5billion.”

yesterday reacted to the outrage over its N197 exchange rate subsidy for pilgrimage by deleting the controversial circular from its website. The apex bank had issued the directive in an August 4 circular addressed to all authorised dealers and the general public. In the circular titled, ‘2016 Hajj Operations: Purchase of Pilgrims’ Travelling Allowance.’ It said pilgrims would be entitled to a minimum of $750 and a maximum of $1000 at a "concessionary exchange rate" of N197 to a dollar. It also said no commission should be charged on the sale of the PTA.

The state said the armed men only chased a driver, attached to the Delta Waterways Security Committee Chairman, Chief Boro Opudu, to the premises on Thursday, this week. A statement signed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, in Asaba yesterday, said the incidence was misrepresented in the national dailies. “The said incident was not an attack on Government House Annex Warri, but a robbery incident that occurred when a driver attached to the Delta Waterways Security Committee Chairman, Chief Boro Opudu was trailed by armed robbers while returning from the bank. “The driver gallantly made his way to the Delta Government House Annex in Warri but sustained serious gunshot wounds on his way back to the Annex ."

Voices Would you allow your spouse travel on vacation without you? p.12

Juliana Francis hree policemen, who were dismissed by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, over their connection to armed robbery, have revealed the roles they played. It was gathered that the policemen were part of a gang of robbers that had been robbing the homes of many Chinese nationals in Lagos State. The move to exposing the policemen began after a phone, stolen from the home of a Chinese victim, was traced to a gang member. The arrest of the gang member led to the arrest of the three policemen and other gang members. The suspects, who now are in police custody, were alleged to have, between December 2015 and June 2016, robbed about 10 houses belonging to Chinese nationals. The gang members gain access into the homes of the Chinese by pretending they want to conduct a routine check for illicit drug or to carry out repair works as technicians. If they come in the guise of carrying out a search for drugs, they wear police uniforms, if they come as technicians, they wear overalls. It was gathered that these policemen would lie to the Chinese expatriates that they had information they that were involved in drug trafficking and currency counterfeiting. A source said: “When they are allowed into the homes of these Chinese people, the gang members would ransack the apartments and cart away all valuables, including cash and electronic gadgets.” According to a police source, the IGP had been so outraged by their complicity in the crime; he had immediately ordered their outright dismissal and prosecution. The police source further said: “These policemen had tried to plead with the IG, through their godfathers. Some of their godfathers are important personalities in the country. But the IG refused to budge. He said he wouldn’t allow or accept such nonsense under his watch. He said that God forbids that he should allow those men to escape justice. In fact, those men are going to be jailed.” The source further said that Idris had been inundated with petitions from Chinese nationals over unknown men, in policemen uniforms, robbing them. Idris ordered his Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), to get to the root of the matter. One of the stolen phones was the only clue that the IRT had to work on. But it paid off. The dismissed officers, Sergeant Ochigbo Gabriel, Sergeant Onuh Francis and Corporal Emmanuel Audu, are now looking forlorn. They were arrested along with some men identified as Peter Owocho, James Momoh, and Sunday Onuh. The youngest gang member, James Momoh, is just 18 years. At an age, when most teenagers of his age were still in school, Momoh had become the bread winner of his family. He said that he joined the gang because he desperately wanted to take care of his asthmatic father. Moreover, he already owed a lot of people money and saw no way out of his dilemma than to become an armed robber. His said: “I have been borrowing money for long, to take care of my sick father. After the first operation, I was given some money. I used it to pay off some of my debts. I met Corporal Emmanuel Audu at

City & crime update

SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST 2016

'We rob Chinese posing as policemen, technicians' •Suspects robbed 10 homes

Ojota. I told him that I needed a job, he was the person that linked me to the gang.” Detectives investigating the case were said to have discovered that some other gangs were also using the same gimmick to rob Chinese folks. It was further gathered that Idris has declared a war on them. The different sets of gangs and members have been declared wanted. Sunday Onuh, 33, married, with National Diploma Certificate in Business Administration, said that after he left school, he went from one job to another, until he got a job as a security guard with the UK Embassy, Oregun, Lagos State. After three years there, he was sacked. He however refused to disclose the reason for his sack. He said: “After I lost my job, I bought a Toyota Sienna with the money I had saved. I decided to get married. It was my friend, Jack that led me into crime. I met him when I was preparing for my traditional wedding. He was already into the crime. He told me that he would introduce me to a business. He said we would go into Chinese people’s houses and pretend to be engineers. He said that if the Chinese people allow us into their houses, we would rob them. He also told me that in case the Chinese were not at home, we would break in. Jack is a chairman. He has several groups he works with. “He took me to just two operations. One was at Omole and the other was at Gbagada. We were three that went for the operation at the Omole Estate. There was no one in the house. We opened the door with an iron cutter. We stole phones, laptops and cash. I don’t know how much we took, but I was given N500, 000 cash. In the Gbagada robbery, we wore overalls. We told the expatriates we wanted to repair the light. They opened their doors for us; we went in and robbed them of their phones, laptop and money.” Sunday said he got N45, 000 as his share in the Gbagada operation. A locally made revolver pistol, using 9mm ammunition, belonging to Jack, was given to him to keep. He further recounted: “When I was arrested after the policemen traced a phone we stole from Gbagada to me, I told them The suspects

that my gang wasn’t the only one into that sort of operation. I knew a gang, led by Peter, which was also engaging in a similar operation. I bought a fairly used Camry ‘Tiny Light car’. I wanted to use it for taxi before I was arrested.” Peter Owocho, 30, said he didn’t have a meaningful job. He was tired of doing menial jobs. He decided to try his hands on robbery. He started going to robbery operations with his town’s man called Nelly. He confessed to have gone on three operations with Nelly. This same Nelly would later tell him about the latest scam of fooling and robbing Chinese nationals. He said: “Nelly told me the modus operandi of the operation. He also told me that the gang was made up of policemen. These policemen usually go into the homes of the Chinese men, demanding to search their apartments over allegations of drug trafficking. When they are allowed in, they would ransack the apartment and cart away valuables such as mobile phones, Ipads, laptops and money.” Owocho said that after Nelly finished explaining everything to him, he was shocked when he didn’t allow him join his gang. Nelly said that he had already showed him how to fish; he should go and form his own gang and start ‘catching fishes.’ Owocho recollected: “I got to know Sergeant Francis Onuh through Nelly. He also brought Sergeant Gabriel Ochigbo. I contacted Corporal Emmanuel Audu. I told him about our plans and he brought James Momoh. Our first operation was at Olusosu, in the Ojota area of Lagos State. We got information about a Chinese national and struck. First, we knocked on the gate; they opened the door and saw policemen. The policemen with us told them that they suspected they were involved in drug trafficking. They allowed us into their apartment. We searched everywhere. In the course of our search, we found three laptops, four phones and N700, 000, $770. After the operation, we marched all the Chinese nationals into a room and locked them. We shared the money among ourselves equally. I got N110, 000 and $100.”

He noted that the second operation was at Medina Estate, Gbagada, Lagos State. Using the same modus operandi, they entered the home of a Chinese and carted away two laptops, one Ipad and money. Each got N50, 000. The third operation was at Lekki. They shared N25 000 each. On June 7, Owocho and James Momoh were apprehended. He said operatives of IRT used his brother as bait to catch him. Sergeant Francis Onuh, 35, attached to Mopol 23, said he is married and has three children. He said it was bad friends that led him into crime. He was living with late Corporal Justin Igba when he made some new friends. Igba introduced him to these friends. They told him how they used to target and raid homes of unsuspecting Chinese people. Francis said that after Igba died, he left his house and moved to British Embassy, where he was posted. He would later receive a call from Owocho. The caller told him that Nelly gave him his phone number. Francis and Owocho met at IyanaOworoshoki, Bariga area of Lagos and discussed ‘business.’ Francis confessed to have brought Sgt Gabriel, a mobile policeman, into the game. Francis said: “When we went for the operation, I had no gun. But I had a plastic pistol, a jack knife and tear gas. I usually stand outside, while others would go into the Chinese people’s apartments to search. We used to share our loots at Peter Owocho’s house. I went on such operations with them three times before I was arrested. Getting involved in crime was a disgrace to me and my family.” Sgt Gabriel Ochigbo, 32, married and a father of four kids insisted that Francis led him into crime. Corporal Emmanuel Audu, 33, said he was a dispatch rider until last December when he met Owocho. He said that it was after Owocho introduced him to the job that he was able to feed his family properly. His words: “After I got my first share of the loot, I fed my family with it. I also paid my children school fees. I took part in all the operations."

City&crime update

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

How Nigerian Civil War set UI backward –VC

Kayode Olanrewaju orty-Six years after the Nigerian Civil War, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Idowu Olayinka, has recounted that the three-year war was a great setback for the nation’s premier university. This was even as he described the period as the dark era in the existence of the university, which prior to the war was one of the best in the Commonwealth and the world at large in terms of quality tuition, research and in medicine. Besides, the vice-chancellor, who noted that efforts were being invigorated to return the university to its glory, however, lamented that the prolonged military regime in the country not only brought set the university backward, but also low the standard and quality of the institution. Established between 1947/1948, as a College of University of London, Idowu recalled that between 1948 and 1967, the standard of the university was very high as admission was highly competitive, while the staff and students mix was largely international. According to him, the unfortunate Civil War of between 1967 and January 1970 dealt a great blow on the university, as many professors and other staff of the Eastern Nigerian extraction left the university to the East, while many expatriate lecturers also left in droves to their countries. “This was when the University of Ibadan, which was the pride of the country, as one of the best universities in the Commonwealth and in the rest of the world began to witness a great setback,” the vice-chancellor said. He added that in those days, admission was very competitive as only the best were admitted into the university, saying the university could compete favourably with other universities in the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. While the university was yet to recuperate, he said the prolonged military rule was witnessed for the next 30 years, and that in those years the standard started dropping. Idowu, who insisted that all hope had not lost and argued that over the last 17 years efforts had been made spiritedly to reposition the university, however, stated that three major factors would come into interplay in returning the ivory tower to the path of worldclass university. He listed the three variables to include high concentration of talents in terms of students and academic staff mix and internationalisation; favourable government policies such as autonomy and strategic leadership and vision; while the third leg has to do with adequate resources in terms of funding. To address the municipal challenges confronting the 68-year-old university, the vice-chancellor, who perhaps expressed worry over inadequate funding confronting the institution, said this has continued to pose a great challenge to the efforts of the management to meet the needs of the university, especially the provision of electricity, which he said, had remained a critical problem over the years. According to the vice-chancellor, to power the university for six hours daily with four out of the six generating sets acquired by the institution, the university spends over N20 million a month

on diesel, while on public electricity bills the university pays between N30 and N35 million per week. “It will amaze you that here we pay between N30 and N35 million on electricity to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IEDC) per week. But, from the study we carried out if IEDC could give us electricity for 24 hours per day it will cost the university N103 million a month, and the truth of the matter is that University of Ibadan does not have N103 million to put on electricity bills alone. “What this translates to, is that in one year, the university will spend over N1.2 billion on power supply

to the campus,” the vice-chancellor lamented. Idowu, who bemoaned the state on finances of the university, described what university receives as subvention from the Federal Government as peanut, hinted that last year the institution got about N141 million to run the university, whereas the management spends over N100 million a month to run the university. He, therefore, stressed that the issue of funding should be frontally addressed if the university is to compete with the rest of the world, unless if it wants to remain a mediocre university.

University of Ibadan

Onoh’s wife buried amid tears Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

he remains of the wife of the former governor of old Anambra State, Christian Onoh, Chief Caroline Onoh, was yesterday buried at Ngwo in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. Speaking during the church service, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi described the late Onoh as a virtuous woman of exemplary character who inspired many with her selflessness, humility, simplicity and sincerity. Ugwuanyi spoke at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, during the requiem mass for Onoh which was attended by an array of dignitaries comprising the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and his wife; the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; the

Governor of Ebonyi State who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Bernard Ugwu; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Geoffrey Onyeama and wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi. Others include former governors of Anambra and Ebonyi states, Mr. Peter Obi and Chief Martin Elechi; Archbishop of Enugu Province (Anglican Communion), Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma; the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Dr. Callistus Onaga, among others. Ugwuanyi said the late Onoh was also a devout Christian, community leader and dedicated mother who rendered great service and made exceptional contributions to the development of the society. While offering the condolences of the government and people of the state, the entire South-East region and the nation at

large,Ugwuanyi urged members of Onoh’s family, friends and well-wishers to take solace in the “worthy legacies and examples that she left behind”. He equally thanked the bishops and other members of the clergy,other governors of the South-East, members of the national and state assemblies, traditional rulers, Igbo leaders, and eminent personalities from different parts of the country and all those that participated and contributed towards the success of the funeral mass. In his sermon, a visiting priest and principal of College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, Rev. Fr. Nnamdi Nwankwo, said the deceased embodied many Christian virtues which made her worthy of sainthood. He urged the Catholic bishop to consider initiating the process of canonisation as a fitting tribute for her “exemplary live”.

I assisted my friend to rape girlfriend Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

didn't know what came over me when I assisted my friend, Emeka, to hold his girlfriend's hands while he was raping her in my room. After he finished, I also raped her. I didn't know that my friend intended to rape her girlfriend when he said he was bringing her to my house and I gave him the key to my room", so confessed Emmanuel Nwamma, a fake Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel who was arrested by the Oyo State Police Command at Agbowo area of Ibadan. While parading 27-year-old suspect arrested in connection with several criminal offences including rape and armed robbery at the Eleyele Police Command, Ibadan, yesterday, the Police Commissioner, Mr Leye Oyebade, said that "Nwamma (20) and another one still on the run, abducted their victim named Blessing (16) from her father's residence at Ojokondo Street, Agbowo on July 6, 2016 around 1.45 p.m and took her to Ajao Street, Agbowo Express, Ibadan where both men took turns to rape her. "The suspects threatened their victim with knife and scissors after which she was subdued before committing the criminal act. The arrest of the suspect followed a report made by the victim's father after he was alerted by her daughter's friend who was with her when she was forcibly taken away by the rapists. "The suspect confessed to the crime and exhibits recovered from him are: two pairs of NSCDC uniform, five mobile phones, one beret, a belt and other items. The identity card found on the suspect bears his photograph but a different name, Falade Elijah", the police boss said.

Nwanna

Confessing to the crime, Nwamma, said the victim was his friend's girlfriend, adding that he only gave his friend, Emeka, his house key when he told him that he was taking his girlfriend home. "I don't even know that my friend has the intention to rape her, but I just saw myself assisting him to hold her hands and we both raped her together. I am not a real civil defence officer. I am just using it to scare people. The uniform belongs to my brother- in-law" Nwamma said. Speaking with Blessing, she however denied knowing any of the suspects before the day she was raped. According to her, "I was only in front of my father's house when I saw the two men on a motor bike before they parked. They called me to come and show them a direction of a place they said they were going. I was forced to climb the motorcycle and they threatened me with a knife not to shout. I was taken to a house where both

men took their turns to rape me" she said. In a related criminal matter, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Command was said to have on July 24, around 1.30 pm intercepted a Honda CRV car with registration no AAA 411 DF which was removed from where it was parked at Apete area around 1pm of same day. Oyebade said: "The suspect Oludele Patunola, who drove the stolen vehicle, on sighting the combat-ready operatives, attempted to escape but was promptly pursued and immediately arrested. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime. "His confession led to the arrest of two other suspects at Idi Odo area and one additional CRV SUV stolen in a similar circumstance was recovered. One of the armed robbery suspects was hit in the leg by bullet when he attempted to escape from the scene. Other members of the criminal gang were picked up at their criminal hideouts and four additional stolen vehicles were recovered from them" Oyebade said. Other robbery suspects arrested according to the police boss include: Ojo Adegboyega (40), Badeji Festus (27), Badejo Festus (39), Azeez Ismaila (35), Dare Adebayo (24), Seun Ogunleyin (40), Anthony Ugwu (46). Confessing to the crime, Patunola, an exconvict, said the car was parked beside the road before they stole it. "I have a wife and seven children but they do not know I am a thief. I am only looking for a means of livelihood. I don't know what used to get into me to commit this kind of crime", he said. Oyebade, used the occasion to warn any other criminals to desist from the act as the command would not make the state a haven for them. He said that the suspects would soon be charged to court for prosecution.

Voices

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

Would you allow your spouse travel on vacation without you? I won’t allow him the luxury I won't allow my spouse to go on a vacation without me because men misused the little opportunity they have when they are not with their partners by giving other women the chance to come in to their lives. —Mrs. Rashidat Jimoh, businesswoman

If I am not available to go with her I will allow my spouse to go on vacation without me if there is trust between us and if I am not available to go with her. It also depends on financial status of the family. —Ramon Biola , student

If trust exist between us I will allow him if there is trust between us because is not everywhere he goes I must follow him. —Mrs. Ibrahim Hauwa, hair stylist

It could lead to adultery It is never done, I can't allow my wife to travel for vacation alone because it could lead to adultery or separation and I don't pray for a broken home.

—Muazu Alege, civil servant

I won’t give room for that No, what kind of vacation is that? If I won't have the opportunity to go with him then no vacation. I have to be the one to take care of him emotionally, physically, sexually and socially. When vacations like that occur, another person may usurp my responsibility and I won't give room for that.

—Tobiloba Dosekun, student

It is good for the marriage

I can let my spouse go on a vacation without me. If I do not trust her, she would not be my spouse in the first place. Moreover, the time alone can allow for self-reflection and allow us to miss each other and bring about heightened intimacy when we meet again. If I go with her everywhere, where is the opportunity for her to ever jump into my arms when she's back? —Deji Aiyesimoju, lecturer

I trust my wife not to do anything questionable It depends on my schedule at the time. If I am not busy, I'll have to go with her. However, if there is a need for her to go alone, I would let her. I trust my wife not to do anything questionable if she is away from me on vacation or whatever purpose. —Wisdom Obiekwe, self-employed

My wife is at the moment overseas Why not? At the moment, my wife is overseas. I know her so well and trust her. There's usually no cause for me to believe that she'll misbehave while she is away, which is usually the worry of most men. —Iyke Duruji, sales representative

compiled by: OGE NDUBUNM, MARIAM ABDULLAHI AND OLANIYI ADERUKU

For official engagements Yes I can allow my husband go on vacation without me. It could be for work.

—Mrs. Yetunde Adetunmbi, businesswoman

If he seeks my consent If he is going without telling me I can't but if he tells me, I can. —Mrs. Aluko, entrepreneur

Except it is work related What if it is official? I can allow him. —Mrs. Tijani, businesswoman

He can, if he so wished Yes, he can go without me. —Mrs. Okoroafo, Sylvia, boutique owner

We can’t be together forever To be honest I could allow my husband to go on a vacation without me because I can't be monitoring him everywhere he goes and we can't be together forever. All I will do is to support him in prayer. —Mrs. Mariam Adeoye, fashion designer

WeekendBliss

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

N O P U E S O L C ALABI BIOLA

NOTHINGWILL STOPMYLOVEFOR AKARA,PUFF-PUFF Through her company, Biola Alabi Media, a novel 30-minute food adventure TV show, Bukas and Joints, was birthed in March. Executive producer, Alabi, chose broadcaster, Olisa Adibua, to project the pan African show. In this interview with LANRE ODUKOYA, Alabi speaks about her passion for food, the show and family.

How exactly did you conceive the novel idea of Bukas and Joints, the food adventure TV show? I always tell people that you’ve got to draw on your experience and one of the things for me is that growing up, I always loved street foods. I love ‘akara’ especially on Ibadan expressway; I love puff-puff even till today. I’ve been able to shed most of my love for street foods but now my love for puffpuff. I love groundnut too. I grew up actually loving these foods and every time I would try to explain it to people whenever I travel so that people can understand it. And I really wanted us to do something whereby we show people what our food is. I love Asian foods- I lived in Asia, United States and Europe. I love the foods I ate. They could easily show me there foods, they could share their foods with me but we also create something that can be sharable, that we can showcase and almost rediscover appreciation for our foods and the specialness in what we eat. Aside watching the host of the show, Olisa Adibua, do the food sampling across the country, does it not bother you that people don’t get to see and learn how these meals are prepared? One of the things we did is that in the beginning, we really wanted to introduce the food, but we’ve now taken feedbacks from the audience. People really gave us a lot of feedbacks on the social media; they say they want to learn how to prepare those meals. In some but not all of the episodes, Olisa actually learnt how to make some foods- you’d see Olisa in the kitchen cooking, hopefully

Instyle

Glamorous in skater skirt © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

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we would be able to do that slowly but certainly. Part of it is also educating the patrons of the place. As a culture, we’re not really that open, so it also has been educating for people to let us into their kitchens. And that’s also something we’re working on with owners and patrons of these restaurants. There had been some food shows previously, although not with the same focus as yours… But I think this is the first travel docu-series and I think that is what makes it different because Olisa is not stagnant in one place. Olisa is going from neighborhood to neighborhood and he is telling you about these neighborhoods. He tells you about Surulere, he shows you Surulere life, people from Surulere come and bring him to their joints. I mean I think that’s a different connection to the food so it’s not really just instructional it’s actually experiential and so you are experiencing it with him and literarily what happens after every episode, we get flooded with calls to say where is this place I didn’t hear Olisa say the location I want to go there. People want to go to that place, so I mean I think that’s the difference so when you look at cooking shows. We’re actually a travel docu food show, so it’s really more of the movement from place to place and this season you’ll see Olisa really go into the neighborhood and spend a day in the neighborhood. So, he’ll start from, like he’ll start with breakfast or lunch or dinner in Ikeja, he’ll go to Ilupeju, he goes to Surulere continued on page 14

The Arts

Hospitality

TV & Radio

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Close Up

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6 AUGUST 2016

'Bukas and Joints’ will sell Nigerian food to the world I make Nigerian foods all the time. My favourite meal is pounded yam and ‘egusi’.

And you know I’m very passionate about changing the African narratives, Nigerian narratives and those are commitments and investments we make. They are part of investments we’re making today in making people understand African and Nigerian foods. We know if we do this today, it would pay off- part of it is also the type of contents we’re putting out there that are global standard. And also that as we go out there every day, people see the show and they know that these people are not playing around. So, how do we continue to finance the show? We find ways by also trying to find investors, partners and sponsors who will be investing in what we believe in.

Alabi C o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e 1 3

he goes to Ibadan and then he actually goes to London to see what Nigerians are eating . So, I think that’s the whole point of the show so you’ll see more and more of that as the season goes on What suggests your choice of Olisa as the man to work with? So I’ve worked with Olisa before on Glo Naija sings and I always loved his projection and I really wanted it to be someone and I knew. Olisa enjoyed Nigerian food, I know Olisa eats Nigerian food, like Yoruba people always say, ‘kii se omo ale’ (he’s a true son of his father). But you know I knew he enjoyed food but I also knew he would be up for an adventure. I think that’s really what you want you want someone with an adventurous spirit because we are tasting different things; last season we had snake this season we have some other surprises for you. So I mean I thought Olisa embodies those things, I thought Olisa was also someone that could showcase the food very well and also make people comfortable. Did you choose him after observing his looks as somebody that is well fed so he can actually talk about food? I think it’s important to have someone that enjoys food talking about food and people can truly believe what they say about foods. Olisa is a very affable guy and he’s a lot of fun to be around and I think people

would like to go places with him. He’s taking you on a journey and you want to believe this is a guy you can hang out with when you get to this place. And that’s pretty much the character we’re looking for. How are you funding the show in this era of drought of adverts especially because the restaurants and joints Olisa visits don’t pay for the exposure the show gives them? It’s very challenging but we’re very committed to changing the African narratives. For those of you who had known me, we’ve been having this kind of interviews for the last seven years n o w.

Adibua munching shawarma on duty

It’s enchanting to find out that someone of your poise refused to give up love for puff-puff, akara and the rest of Nigerian delicacies. Eventually, have you learnt to make any of them? Of course, I have. I make Nigerian foods all the time. My favourite meal is pounded yam and ‘egusi’. Which has been your most terrific cooking blunder? My most elaborate blunder would be when I was 13. My mother was coming and on her way home she said, ‘okay, can you start making food before I come?’ And I really wanted to impress her with my cooking skills, so I made this ‘amala’ and the nut in it was embarrassingly big. It’s part of the reason I’m not a big fan of ‘amala’ till today. I was so scared and had to hide it and made the second one. Luckily, I made the second one before my mom came back. And I had to hide the first one under the drawer praying that nobody would see it. So, one day my mother was in the

kitchen and saw it. She screamed, “what is this?” And I feigned ignorance of what it was. But she was like somebody in this house knows what this is. Then I had to confess to her what happened the day I made ‘amala’. That was my biggest cooking blunder- it was while trying to make ‘amala’ at age 13. What in your past spurred your interest in cooking? I’m the eldest of my siblings and as the eldest I was always baby-sitting and responsible for my brothers and sisters. So, at some point you’d start making something for the kids to eat. I really enjoy cooking. I’m probably more into baking than anything else. I love baking and my team would tell you that almost every Monday, I bring something to the office. Are you going to start ‘Buka and Joints’ with this? I might do that one day and I’ve told my husband of my intention to pursue it. The day I decide to open a restaurant, he should be ready for that. What’s been the proudest decision you ever made? It’s relocating back home. I have no regrets moving back home. Why did you make that decision when you already had a towering career? I just told you I moved back home, is there anywhere that is like home? No place like home and that was why I moved back. What do you do to keep your radiance in complexion and overall look? It’s the grace of God, working and doing what you love and smiling as much as you can. Yes, you have to eat well too, exercise sometime, not all the time and not too much. Where do you like to spend your holidays? Well, I travel a lot for work, a lot of times I actually like to be home and see my family, but if I do travel on a holiday, I’d probably go Los Angeles because of an Italian restaurant- I love Italian foods. Have you learnt any new food on ‘Bukas and Joints’? I have seen some episodes where they did some interesting stuffs with plantain and I love plantain. So, I’m going to be sneaking in some of those things into my recipes. How seriously do you engage the ‘Bukas and Joints’ on health and hygiene? You’d actually be amazed about how health conscious many of the owners of these restaurants. Don’t worry, you’d start to see some really interesting stuffs this episode where people are putting a new twist on Nigerian foods and making them a lot healthier. Do you have any of your kids typically taking after you? No, there’s none of them taking after me. I like people to have their independent minds. That’s really what we encourage.

Instyle

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6 august 2016

Glamorous in skater skirt

Deborah Ocheni ooking for something hot and sexy? Skater skirts are universally flattering on every single body type. They are easy to wear; they can be made casual or dressier. This sweet wardrobe staple is something versatile, the same as skinnies. Fitted at the waist and flared out into an Aline silhouette, this is an ideal choice for making you look gorgeous, hot and sexy. Many fashionistas are wearing this kind of skirt in everyday and

they look awesome in this breathe-taking skirt. The great thing about skater skirts is the hot look, very easy to throw on, fit with almost all the tops in your wardrobe, makes your legs look longer and they are not season bound. There are numerous fits and styles; they come in plenty cool colours and prints to choose from but always be conscious of the length, and opt for the one that defines your style. The major rule to achieving great looks is either to pair them with cropped tops or you tuck in tops.

TIPS z z Make a plaid shirt infinitely more chic by tucking it into a skater skirt. z z Pair your neon yellow skirt with a white or black lace top and statement sunglasses. z z Go for a uniform-inspired look by wearing a loose-fit white shirt tucked in lace lined tartan skirt. zz You may keep it casual with a chambray shirt tucked in high-rise skirt: z zUse a cropped knitted pullover styled with high-waist black skater skirts. z zTry on a cropped black sheer lace top and pair it with vibrant skater skirt for a hot and sexy look. z zBlack T-shirts in white polka dots looks marvellous tucked in high-rise red skirts.

Instyle

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ACCESSORIES TO LIVE FOR

Stylish denim foot wears Deborah Ocheni

et‘s be honest. No matter how many pairs of bright, statement-making heels you own, it’s the black pumps that we most often reach for to finish off a look. Naturally, pairing a coloured heel to your look requires a bit more thought and effort than simply throwing on black shoes but such is not the case of denim shoes. Well, it is time to give those black and brown shoes in your closets a break and step into something classier like the denim footwear. They are not just elegant but also unique and can be paired with any outfits of choice. One of the most compelling truths to emerge out of the ’70s fashion has been the spotlight under which denim has finally had a chance to shine like a star that it is. First, there were jeans; lots of boot cut jeans, cropped and skinny in such a delightful array of divergent washes such as stone wash, acid wash and lots more. Then, there were denim skirts, jackets and shirts. It is no news to say many fashionable celebrities craved it to the extent that some wear denim up and down to prove their loyalty as denim enthusiasts. So, it is safe to say denim is no longer just the preferred textile of recreational living, it is a staple that almost everyone has in his or her closet. Call this a plea to consider the denim shoes but it is worth it as not many people are slaying this stylish shoes probably because they are not aware they are stylish and multi-functional. Dark denim ballet flats are great for a stroll around town; you can’t go wrong with cute ballet flats in beautiful designs.

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6 august 2016

Instyle

MY STYLE

Simple yet classy Mrs Joy Agahiu is the founder/CEO of La’luba Ventures, an empire that specialises in fashion designing and beauty services. In this interview with Deborah Ocheni, the stylish mother of two with a rich client base speaks about her fashion philosophy and more. What is your personal style? My style of fashion is a simple yet classy. Fashion wise, less is more. So I dress simple without compromising classy looks. How do you determine what you wear? The occasion I am attending determines the kind of outfits I wear. Is there anything you will never be caught wearing? I don't wear anything that is revealing What is your ready to go outfits? I have a few of them; I am ready to go anytime with trousers and ankara tops, jumpsuits and breezy gowns. How do you love your shoes? I love any beautiful shoes that that are also comfortable. While shopping which fashion item steals your attention? Beautiful African print fabrics catch my fancy whenever I am shopping. How easily do you get your fashion items

Beauty

Fight body odour naturally

Deborah Ocheni o one would ever like to have sweaty underarms with strong and bad odour. It will be very embarrassing for you to go on a date with your loved one or attend a party at your friend’s house with unbearably smelly underarm. Intake of caffeinated beverages, consumption of certain drugs, eating spicy food, wearing tight clothes, dehydration, stress and tension, alcohol consumption, poor diet, hormonal changes, puberty, hot weather, strenuous exercises, etc., are reasons that lead to this awkward condition. Deodorants are temporary solutions for this problem. Several home remedies are available to get rid of underarm odour. Underarm odour is very embarrassing and should be treated immediately to prevent further infection. Lemon and baking Soda The acidic properties of lemon help kill smellcreating bacteria, and baking soda is an effective remedytocureunderarm odour.

TIPS

zz Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one tablespoon of lemon juice well. zz Apply it on the armpits. Let it rest for some time. Rinse off with clean water. zz You can also prepare baking soda paste by adding a little water to it and apply it under armpits after shower. To get pleasant fragrance, add a few drops of tea tree oil. zz Another stress-free alternative is pouring some lemon juice on a clean towel and rubbing it gently on your armpits after taking your bath.

in Nigeria? It’s easy because I make order online. If given the opportunity to alter a part of your body, what will you change? I love every part of my body and I don't think I would want to alter any part. How do you love your hairdo? I wear permanent natural dreadlocks that I am so comfortable with. How do you like your makeup? If I must wear makeup then it has to be as subtle as possible Which fashion item takes up most space in your wardrobe? My handmade dresses What is your idea of colour combination? I don't do too many colours at the same time. If my dress has colours, then my accessories have to be nude and if my dress is nude then my accessories have to involve colours. What do you think of ankara? Ankara is African, it gives me a true definition of an African woman. How did you come with the name La’luba and what is the idea behind it? My empire was named after my late mother Mrs Laluba Grace Anaja whom I got my tailoring and entrepreneurial skills from. What informed the decision of going into fashion designing? Considering the population and the number of jobs we have in the country, you just have to use what you have got to earn a living; fashion designing is what I have and I do it with passion. Who are your popular clients? My popular clients are: Mrs Rashida Bello, wife of the executive governor of Kogi State; Mrs Ejura Onoja; Queen Wuraola Gold, Miss Kogi 2012; Queen Sara Yusuf, Miss Kogi 2014 and Queen Olubo Folashade, Miss Kogi 2015. I have worked for Uche Ogbodo, Ajanigo Simeon and several other celebrities and top models.

Joy

Facts In the 18th century, even children wore high heels. In the 1670s, Louis XIV decreed that only members of the royal court were allowed to wear red heels. It was an easy way to distinguish someone of the upper classes from a commoner.

The Russian military only started wearing socks in 2007. (Before that time, they just wrapped pieces of cloth around their feet.)

In 1909, the U.S. Navy banned naked lady tattoos on service member’s arms. In order to join the Navy, men had to have clothes tattooed on their nude bodies.

Interiors

Colourful living room ideas Deborah Ocheni

ix and match patterns, embrace bold colours, layer rugs, and so much more! Try these tips to create a pretty colourful space to enjoy conversations with friends and family. Adding splashes of colour to a living room can instantly change both the look and feel of this communal area of your home as vibrant shades will create an uplifting, positive mood. Opting for soft, muted colours can give this room a calm and soothing atmosphere. Cool colours will help make a space appear light and bright, while warm colours have a more enveloping and welcoming feel. Using block colours on walls will create the most impact, but if your room is a compact size, stick to using a strong shade on just one wall to create a striking focal point. Wallpaper in a vibrant shade can create a beautiful eye-catching feature, but might feel overwhelming if used on every wall. You have to be creative and display wallpaper as a piece of art if you are a lover of wallpaper. There is no need to repaint fresh neutral walls if you don't fancy a decorating project; changing the colour of furniture and soft furnishings are a quick and easy way to alter the mood of a room. For instance, patterned armchair will nicely complement your scheme as swapping curtains, cushions, rugs and throw pillows would transform your living room in an instant with relatively little expense. Choosing a combination of colours for scatter cushions on your sofas is also a simple way to add interest to your scheme but be sure to choose colours that share the same tone. Like I said earlier, using a statement multi-coloured wallpaper in your living room is a great way to add colour to your room without overpowering the space. Try using a patterned paper on the wall behind your sofa to frame it as the central feature of the room. Choose a design that picks out the colours of your furniture or accessorise with other colours to help tie the scheme together.

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Ailing Mayowa's hope dims as police freeze account p.20

ShowBiz

I couldn't leave the stage even when my parents died–Jimmy Jatt p.21

I became popular after my first film – Hilda Dokubo Hilda Dokubo is one of the few actors that witnessed the birth of Nollywood and as such had excited its buffs for years. Her career spans 35 whopping years but her hiatus stirred controversies too. And now that she’s back clinching the laurels as of old, she speaks about her humble beginning, other venture and sundry issues with LANRE ODUKOYA You were one of the few people who got the Lifetime Achievement Awards from the recently concluded City People Entertainment Awards, how does this make you feel? I feel elated to be so recognised. But you know if you get this kind of honour in line of duty, that’s to mean that more is required. Every time I get an award I know the onus lies on me to do more. It also came at a time you’d obviously slowed down on your appearance in Nigerian movies, in the early ‘90s you were all over the industry, why did you take such a long break? I just wanted to give back to the society and also wanted to improve on learning. I wanted to say thank you to individuals and organisations that had shown me love and helped me grow. And it was also because of the hunger to broaden my horizon. But saying the award came at a time when I’d slowed down won’t be entirely correct because it came at a time when I re-invented and re-entered afresh. This is because awards are just coming in for me. I don’t know if you’re aware of my role in a movie I did last year entitled ‘Stigma’ and that movie won me a whole lot of awards including AMAA. It came at a time when I’m beginning to receive awards again for coming back. I took a break for a while but I never left completely, so once or twice a year I can do a job or two and that’s it. And again I was looking for the right kind of movies. I didn’t want to be in just any kind of movie. In our earlier interaction, you said you were having classes. Are actually back to school? I run a training centre where I train people in various areas; lifestyle, creative arts, business growth, entrepreneurship and all of that. What’s the name of the school and do you own it? Well, one person cannot own but I manage it. I am the executive director of the school. The name is Centre for Creative Arts and Business Development. There was a photograph of you and Asari Dokubo online a while back and it got tongues wagging. Who exactly is he to you? Asari is my brother, my cousin, my community homeboy and whatever name anybody wants to say about him. Well, the truth is that Asari is my cousin, but you know where we come from we don’t have such things as cousins- just brothers and sisters. Have there been things you are not proud of in about three decades of your career? I’m always proud of myself and for me, everything is a learning process- whether it goes right or not. And nobody expects everything to work excellently well

all the time. We’re not God Almighty, are we? Sometimes we could make mistakes and there’s nothing wrong in making mistakes, dwelling on the mistake is what is wrong. You use the mistake as a springboard to achieve something much bigger and brighter. Starting out early in life, did you plan to be an actor or was it an afterthought? I had always wanted to be an actor. It was never a detour or an afterthought, it was very deliberate. I started acting at age 7. Not that I knew what I was doing at seven or that I knew where it was taking me at seven, but people could promptly recognise me as a talented little girl at age seven. And at seven, I had started performing from radio to TV and to stage again before home videos. So, by the time I got into home videos, it was clear that I already had gone to school to study Theatre Arts. I studied Theatre Arts because I also wanted to be able to teach what I knew. It was therefore deliberate for me to become an actor, it was too clear to me that it was what I was going to do. Which in particular was the movie that brought you fame? Fortunately for me, my first ever movie was the breakthrough. I didn’t have to do more than my first film to become a star. My first movie was Jezebel but I shot two almost back to back, the second was Evil Passion. Before Evil Passion was released, I’d already become a star because by then, I’d come into home video from the stage. People already knew me as an actor from school, so those that I met when I arrived Lagos were people I already knew at the Nigerian Universities Theatre Arts Festival. So, most of them knew that I could act and I’d done many stage plays

You still maintain a bright gait and complexion, what’s the secret? I just live a healthy life. I neither drink nor smoke. I don’t eat unhealthy food. I only eat what my body needs and not what is available for me. Meaning that if at any particular time I’m hungry and all I can eat is very little, I eat that little and I don’t force it. Again, I take a lot of liquid and plenty of water. I don’t know what is responsible but I think basically, I look the way I look because right inside of me, I am extremely thankful and a happy person. Is any of your children taking after you? My eldest son was into acting too before he went back to school to study ICT. At the moment, he’s trying to blend digital craft with film making.

Dokubo

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LANRE ODUKOYA adly, there seems to be no end in sight yet for the fundraiser tale gone awry involving the family of ailing young lady, Mayowa Ahmed, actress Toyin Aimakhu and the founder of Lifestake Foundation, Aramide Kasumu. The family of the Bilateral Ovarian Cancer disease victim, Ahmed had at least collected over $100, 000 (over N32 million) from the public through ‘gofundme’ account purportedly for the proposed surgery to restore health to the ailing lady. But emerging tales of fraud had forced Aimakhu and Kasumu to make a detour on the life-saving journey they’d embarked on with a special appeal to the public for funds. It was reported by Linda Ikeji on her blog that Nigerians were scammed in the fundraiser, though she acknowledged Ahmed’s ordeal as being real. Barely two days after, it became public knowledge that $100, 850 was obtained through gofundme. com aside other donations to her direct Access Bank account, there was an allegation that doctors at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, that Mayowa had ovarian cancer which regrettably had surged up to stage 4, a medically irredeemable stage and that no hospital in the world could treat her. There were further allegations that the doctors blatantly denied issuing out any medical report advising her to seek treatment at Emory Hospital, in Atlanta, USA, but rather advised her family to care for her at home as she was unlikely to survive the illness. And as the story began to assume multi dimensions, with Aimakhu storming the LUTH premises in rage before she was chased out by the management, it became increasingly clear that someone somewhere had been misinformed and was already acting on false impulse. Saturday Telegraph called Aimakhu on her mobile lines without success for three days and had to source some of her comments in an interview she earlier had with Encomium Magazine. In the said interview, the actress insisted, “They tagged me, she sent a message to me… they said she’s my huge fan saying she had cancer and she needed help and wanted me to come… I showed the doctor the (medical) report and the doctor said ‘which report?’ They said it was a fake report. They just came up with the plan on Sunday. They now came to LUTH to appear as if they were in LUTH. When they saw me they said I did not help them to beg for money… that they don’t know anything.” Kasumu, who also spoke to the same magazine had narrated her role; “It started from her ovaries and moved to her liver, which gave her liver metastasis. Basically, it is not curable, and if it is curable, it is the just Grace of God. When I got the story, I took it up, and I called the CMD to get her to LUTH. Before she got to LUTH, they were already waiting for her. When I brought her to LUTH, the first thing the doctor said to me is that no airline will carry her, because she is too frail to travel. Before I brought her to LUTH, she was at home. It was almost as if they (the family) already knew what the case was. You know how the doctors will tell you that the cancer is already in the last stage, let her stay home. They said

Mayowa (left) with Aimakhu

Ailing Mayowa's hope dims as police freeze account they had already called the hospital in America, they needed $100,000. They mailed it to me, I looked at it. It now dawned on me that the hospital in America said treatment is going to cost from $3,000 to $30,000 per treatment, and she needed 10 to 50 treatments. Technically, what she needed was N150 million, but that wasn’t what they raised. All they just picked was the $100,000. The hospital also said to them that she needed $1,780 for an invitation. There was no invitation, no visa, nothing! So they already knew what they were doing from the onset.” She would later also allege that the campaign had fetched the family about N85million, a figure that set the social media on fire. From that point on, it has been a whirlwind of accusations and counter ones from the parties involved. The insinuations that the management of LUTH may be in connivance with Ahmed’s family to defraud the unsuspecting public especially after the melodrama

Aimakhu’s appearance on the premises had created, LUTH had to release a prompt press statement to clear the air on the messy matter. Kenneth Otuneme, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of LUTH, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the institution was not involved in the fundraising campaign, and did not refer her overseas for treatment. Otuneme said that the hospital only “arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy”. He said that they wanted to conduct fresh tests on Mayowa, but the family insisted that she should be flown abroad for treatment. He added that they told the family about the risk of flying her out of the country because of her low blood count. He however said that they had to transfuse her with “much needed” blood after persuasion from her family. The press statement partly reads; “Mayowa

Ahmed, 31, is an old patient of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital who has been on treatment for another condition. Ahmed came into the Private Wing of LUTH on July 25, with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass. The patient accompanied by some of her family members brought along some results of laboratory investigations ordered and done outside LUTH. Three different specialists: a gynaecologist, an oncologist and a haematologist- were invited to review Ahmed’s case. They all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy. They planned to conduct a series of fresh tests on her to confirm the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH. The family, however, requested to fly Ahmed outside the country barely 24 hours after her admission in LUTH, thus stalling all the planned investigations meant to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. We were able to transfuse her with much-needed blood only after lots of persuasion when the family was told point blank that it was risky for her to travel by air, given her low blood count.” He also said that Friday was the third day after her admission and a definitive diagnosis had not yet been made while the relations insisted on flying her abroad. “LUTH has only dealt with (Mayowa) Ahmed and her relations throughout her stay and not with any other third party,” he said. This was to put to rest the rumour that the medical institution already gave up on the ailing lady and made other recommendations that weren’t included in the press release. But the Nigeria Police Force intervened days ago into the affair and released a statement through Dolapo Badmus, Police Public Relations Officer, of Lagos Command. The statement reads; “The Lagos State commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, has directed full scale investigation into the report that the *Save Mayowa Campaign* is a fraud. Founder of Lifestake foundation Ms. Aramide Kasumu and two members of the ailing Aramide Shukura Ahmed’s family Mr Iwaloye Seun and Mrs Zaneen Ahmed were earlier invited to the command’s headquarter on a fact finding mission, subsequently the command has placed a red alert on the Access Bank account opened in the name of Mayowa as it has been frozen while effort is ongoing to contact the managers of ‘Gofundme’ online account so as to ensure funds raised through that platform is not fraudulently diverted. Investigation will be extended to LUTH hospital Idi-Araba where the patient is currently undergoing treatment. The command wishes to inform all the good spirited people who had donated generously to this course that it will ensure it does not return as a hoax and every outcome of the investigation shall be made open. Our heart is with Mayowa at this critical period of her life and pray she finds healing.” Days are running into weeks and definite result of the police fact-finding is disturbingly not forthcoming, and this explains why we called and sent a text message to Badmus for update on the matter. But as at press time, the Lagos Command had not responded.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

I could not leave the stage even when my parents died –Jimmy Jatt

Jimmy Adewale Amu known more by his showbiz moniker, DJ Jimmy Jatt, in this interview with Ogechi Ndubunma speaks candidly on career, marriage and survival. What distinguishes you as a DJ from other DJs? We are all individuals, as an individual everybody has their own uniqueness, I do what I do, I do it my way. I think people are in a better position to say what distinguishes me. How has the disc jockeying experience been so far? It's been great, I've been into it for a very long time now, it's the life that I know and I enjoy it. I do something that makes people happy. Was there any time your mood affected the way you mixed your music? There were times I wasn’t in the mood to play music. But the good thing is that I love music and that is why I went into the DJ business. I was on stage when I lost my mum; I was also on stage when my dad passed away. Those were the worst moments of my career as a DJ. I couldn’t abandon the shows; the music had to play on. My siblings called me while I was on stage that my dad just passed on. It’s not as if I didn’t feel the pain, but I couldn’t just get off the stage. I had to go on with the show without disclosing the sad news to anyone. It was not the best of times for me. I have done the DJ job for close to three decades now but I have never had a bad day. What artiste will you love to work with that you have not worked with yet? I've pretty much worked with ev-

eryone. I'm not really excited to work with anybody. It depends on the idea and the direction. You will be amazed at who I've worked with and have not put out. Are you planning to set up an Academy where DJs will be trained? Of course yes. The Academy was supposed to have kicked off last year but due to some reasons it couldn’t. Tell us why parents should encourage their children to enroll in your Academy. Whoever I train is going to be a star DJ in Nigeria. I have trained many DJs without charging them any fee. I always feel this is my own little way of assisting and empowering young people in our society. Moreover, I am approached everyday on the social media by young people who want to go into the business of DJ. There is no way I can continue to tell them I don’t have the space. So, there is the need for me to establish a training centre where they can be absolved and actualize their dreams. How does your beautiful wife contribute to your work? I have a very good support system in my wife. That's my prayer warrior What is the greatest thing you have achieved as a DJ so far? I am grateful to God. In terms of greatest things, you never can tell. Tomorrow you can wake up and achieve greater things but for now there are

things that I've done that are quite commendable, but I can still do more, so I won't say I've done anything I can call my greatest thing yet.

Showbiz

How about outside the entertainment industry? I probably would have maybe been a lawyer or something

What is the major challenge that you have faced as a DJ? That would be at the very beginning when people did not consider the job as a profession and they looked down and disregarded what I was doing. I think pretty much that has been the major challenge.

Where did you meet your wife? Just within the neighborhood. We grew up in almost the same neighborhood.

How affordable are you? I am very affordable. In fact, I am the cheapest DJ in the country. Unfortunately, many people have not bothered to find out what I charge for a show because they have this mindset that it will run into millions. Honestly, I think I am one of the cheapest DJs in town.

Tell us one awkward moment that you will never forget The day I was playing on stage and the stage collapsed. That has been my most unforgettable experience on this job.

What genres of music do you like the most? Before I started my career as a DJ, I loved hip hop music. Then as an aspiring entertainer, I was into rap music before I later delved in the world of the DJs. I had a demo tape. What would you not be caught wearing? I used to say ties before, but I wear a lot of ties these days. I'll probably tell you ‘agbada’, but I wear agbada sometimes these days, so, I don't know. Sometimes you think you'll never do this and then it becomes a trend and you find yourself in it. What would you be doing if you were not a DJ? I don't know, I would probably be in the entertainment industry somewhere, maybe behind the scenes.

Were you into disc jockeying when you met her? Yes, that’s very correct.

How have you been able to keep your marriage going in a society where most celebrity marriages don’t last? It would depend on why you got married in the first place. Some people get married for show off, social status. It is easier to keep your marriage if you marry for the right reason. Right reason would be whether you can do this person are compatible and not just oh this person will look good with me on the red carpet. What is the smallest you have ever been paid? The smallest will be the shows I did free of charge. Tell us about your growing up days in Obalende, Lagos? That's a long story. Obalende is a jolly good area where everybody knows you. It was a nice experience but it exposes you to some other things in terms of street life.

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6 august 2016

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Nuoah

Michel

Did Aisha Buhari carry $105,000 Hermes bag?

Who’s hotter Ramsey Nuoah or Majid Michel ?

ar is when you c o m p a re N o l lywood actor, Ramsey Nouah and one of Ghollywood’s finest, Majid Michel. Some social media rascals had stirred the debate with a question- ‘Who is hotter between Ramsey Nuoah and Majid Michel?’ And while you think it’s a poser to stir mainly female reactions, the responses went overboard with men also taking sides. Nouah was born in the early '70s, in Edo State to an Israeli father and a Yoruba mother who hails from Owo, Ondo State. He grew up in Surulere, Lagos, where he attended Atara Primary School and Community Grammar School. He obtained a diploma at the University of Lagos, after which he pursued a career in acting. Nouah's acting career kicked off when he starred in the Nigerian TV soap opera Fortunes. Nouah has since then appeared in numerous films starring in the lead roles. While many were still celebrating the handsome actor and many actresses struggled to act along him, to be on set with him, the Ghanaian movie industry unveiled another cute actor to challenge Ramsey and that is actor, Michel. Michel was born in Canton-

ments, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital, Accra. The son of a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother, he grew up in Accra with his nine siblings. He attended St. Theresa’s Primary School, and later, the Mfantsipim School, the alma mater of Van Vicker and also of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In secondary school, Michel was actively involved in theatre and was a member of the school’s Drama Club. As a member of the drama club, he received a Best Actor Award in one of their performances on Emancipation Day in Cape Coast, Ghana. Michel entered professional acting by auditioning for a modeling agency; a neighbour had introduced him to that agency. He was invited to join the modeling agency, Super Model Agency, on the behest of his next-door neighbour. He starred in the television series ‘Things We Do for Love,’ acquiring his nickname “Shaker” on the set. His role on Things We Do for Love was to be played by a Lebanese boy, and Michel was given the role due to his Lebanese heritage. Well, most actresses have had a feel of these actors onset and interestingly, they are both married, but if given the opportunity, the weird question still pops,’ who do you think will be better in bed?’

Patoranking

he internet has been on fire since the news of Aisha, the wife of Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, who visited the U.S. recently with a handbag purportedly made by Hermes with crocodile skin, broke. It’s already said to be a limited edition fashion accessory, and that Hermes would only be able to afford a few due to all required to craft it. On why it has caused such a big raucous stir, it is none other than the fact that its market value is very expensive. Tale bearers also researched the cost in an online shopping store EBay where it’s sold for 105,000USD equivalent to N40,950,000. This has caused many to hurl abuses at the lady for spending such a humongous sum on a bag while others are of the opinion that the bag could possibly be the best of imitations. The replica version of the bag is actually sold for about 100,000 Naira, but the question is can the first lady actually rock a fake bag?

Aisha

Patoranking arrested in Uganda

ultiple media reports coming from Uganda confirmed that Nigerian dancehall star, Patoranking, was arrested at Entebbe Airport on Tuesday August 2. Patoranking who released his first album, God Over Everything, in South Africa on August 1, is currently on a tour of East Africa to promote the new

project. According to the reports, ‘Patoranking was arrested at the Entebbe Airport, Uganda for failure to adhere to security check rules. He had not secured his entry visa and also refused to listen to instructions from airport officials. One eyewitness says he even refused to take off his cap for security check, something which got him detained for a couple of hours’.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

A selfie in spirit-filled church service

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6 AUGUST 2016

Investigations

Long queue for kerosene.

repo, a rustic community in Ogun State, has been on the spotlight for a while now. The once quiet community, which was made popular by the creation of a Journalists’ Estate by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State chapter in the 1990s, is gradually turning into a theatre of war. It has made media headlines, though for all the wrong reasons. Going there at present is like toying around a lions’ den. This is in spite of the heavy security presence, stationed to help maintain peace and keep vigil in the neighbourhood. From Okada riders to artisans, petty traders, old and young, everybody is a suspect. However, for innocent residents, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines that pass through their locality has become a burden and source of sorrow. And since vandals, who metamorphosed into militants started operating in the area some years ago, bursting NNPC pipelines and siphoning fuel, their lives have not remained the same. However, the most hit, according to findings, seems to be the youth, whose parents and other residents of the area said are now becoming restless and displaying violent behaviour. A concerned parent, who spoke to Saturday Telegraph on condition of anonymity, said: “We live in fear here because you don’t even know who is who. The worst part is that you don’t even know whom to talk to. “If you call the police, or any other security personnel around, how are you

Isioma madike

Editor, INVESTIGATIONS isiomamadike69@gmail.com 08090896879 © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

photos: suleiman hassan

AREPO MILITANTS’ ATTACKS

OUR CHILDREN ARE BECOMING RESTIVE, VIOLENT – RESIDENTS Arepo, a community in Ogun State, is tensed at present. Moving around the neighbourhood could be likened to toying around a lions’ den. Since vandals, who graduated to militants’ started operating in the area some years ago, and unleashing terror in the locality, the lives of the inhabitants of the area have not remained the same. The most hit, according to findings by ISIOMA MADIKE, who just returned from a visit of the locale, appears to have been the youth whose psyche seemed to have been tainted with display of strange violent behaviour

sure you won’t be met with violent response? Even while the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) men were here, a lot of people were never comfortable giving them information because people are afraid. This awkward behaviour seems to have now been transferred to our children in this neighbourhood. This may be what we could be confronted with after the tension may have calmed down,” the woman lamented. Another parent, who resides in the area, Bolanle Balogun, corroborated this fear when she said: “We are in deep trouble at Arepo at present. Though, we

are battling the militants, who are being contained by the security personnel stationed here, the more dangerous repercussion is what we are likely to face in the near future. The violence in our vicinity is gradually being transferred to our children. “Everywhere within the community, children are behaving strangely; they are agitated and displaying more violent tendencies. If this could be happening now, it means we would be in real trouble when the tension created by these vandals and militants subsides. Some of us are not really sur-

prised because we see this happened in post-Apartheid South Africa. If you go there today, an average South African is violent. “This has to do with long marriage to violence occasioned by the struggle to extricate themselves from the yoke of Apartheid slavery. How we are going to deal with this remains unknown. I am saddened, like many other parents,” she said. The women are not the only ones continued on page 24

Investigations

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‘Security operatives are civil in approach' c o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e 2 3

worried; the men too. For instance, Dr. Kexter Donald, a parent and resident of over five years in Arepo, told Saturday Telegraph, that what the youth in the area are exhibiting now is frightening and could be likened to a time bomb. “The rate of aggression among youths of this neighbourhood is intense. They seem to be mimicking the vandals and militants that have been terrorising us for long now. “However, the security agents’ presence is another source of worry. Before, they were not quite civil in their conduct as they molest everyone at sight under the pretence of looking for the vandals. Even the OPC that took over the guard of the pipelines and waters within this vicinity did not help matters. Their bravado, often times, sent wrong signals to our young ones. Over time, gradually, these violent behaviour crept into the consciousness our youths; you know it’s a psychological thing. It’s an unfortunate leftover, if you ask me.” For a member of the Community Association who craved anonymity for fear of being visited with attacks, “something urgent must be done to stem this ugly tide. But, how and who will help us solve this monster of a problem, is another problem. Some families have started taking their children out of this community to save their future. It is that bad now.” Dr. Richard Ademola Adebayo, a consultant psychiatrist and acting managing director, Yaba psychiatric home, described the state of pandemonium and tension children in Arepo often found themselves as terrible. According to him, they are exposed to so many things that their young minds cannot comprehend and rationalise. They would witness their parents abandoned their homes and ran away, others had their heads cut off and in such a state of insecurity, they would surely be affected. “Imaging the gory events that has been happening there; schools will be closed, so many of them will be orphaned and for children to be seeing all these kind of things, seeing people coming to their houses to attack them will definitely create a negative impression in their impregnable minds. Those who have lost their parents eventually may not find a meaningful livelihood again and some of them, it will be in their minds for so long and they might want to seek revenge against the society. “Some of them might start thinking that violence is the best way to achieve their means. So, if care is not taken, they will have the erroneous impression that the best way and the easiest way to survive is to take to violence, take up arms and begin to form gangs like cults and begin to maimed lives. Others may grow up to think the best way is to destroy others. “If you look at those militants, you could find out a lot of them. You could tell the kind of communities they are coming from; violence is the other of the day there, just as it is happening in the delta region. And if these children are taken care of and stop on time by the security forces and government, I’m afraid, we may end up paying for that. Already, we raising future generations who may transfer their frustrations and violence experiences, they are likely to

tend towards criminality in life. Children who see violence daily in their lives, what do you expect from such children? That psychological trauma would be there and they would definitely vent their anger at one time or the other on others and the society. And some of them will suffer other forms of psychological problems in the future that will push them into violence, like depression and drug

6 AUGUST 2016

abuse, for instance. When our correspondent visited the palace of the Olu of Arepo, Oba Atanda Oyebisi, he was said to be out on an urgent assignment. However, the Personal Assistance to His Royal Highness, Nurudeen Taoreed, who was detailed to speak with the reporter, denied claims by most people that children in the community are gradually taking to violent acts.

Military officers and mobile-policemen took-over Arepo community photo: ketekete.com

Inset: An airforce fighter jet during the bombardment

We hit only legitimate targets Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa is the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force. He told ISIOMA MADIKE in this interview that Arepo residents need not panic but to go about their legitimate businesses as only anti-aircraft gun position, boats laden with suspected stolen petroleum products and armed combatants, are selected for strike. The bombardment of Arepo creeks has been hailed by many people. How was it like isolating innocent inhabitants of the area from the vandals in those operations? If there had been civilian casualty, I’m sure by now we would have seen somebody come up on the media to say they killed them or maybe the aircraft bombed their houses and all that. And then in recent time when I have had to talk about this particular operation, repeatedly, I have mentioned it that the operation was carefully planned. And how did we do that? Where the vandals are, where they have built their camps, is in the marshy area where you have the NNPC pipelines. No one is going to build his house on top of NNPC pipeline because those are restricted areas. So, where the settlement ends is clearly demarcated from where the pipelines are and that is where the vandals have built their camps over the years. So, that becomes very easy. What else did you do before the operation? Well, for you to have a successful operation, you need a lot of intelligence. We conduct surveillance to actually determine

the disposition of these vandals; how fortified are they? What weapons do they have? What is the nature of their activities? And that was what informed the first video that we released. We were able to pinpoint where they are and that informed the choice of four locations that were hit because that is where they have put a lot of their strength. In the video, we discovered that they were heavily armed; they have an anti-aircraft gun in a boat, they are also carrying arms and those are what we looked out for. The residential areas are not in that place but the only thing when people see a battle ready aircraft, there is a tendency that they would be afraid but the innocent people need not be afraid. This was an operation that was carefully planned. We are not going to do an operation and after we are done, people would say Air Force has committed one human rights violation or the other. It is expected that such environment will be delicate. How did you manage that? You are right. The environment in which we are operating is very delicate. These are places where you have pipelines. If you use the wrong weapon, chances are

that you can burst those pipelines and so, that’s going to bring environmental challenge and would also amount to wasting resources. We are very careful; we had to use a weapon that the impact won’t be so much as to be able to blow up those pipes. So, all these had been considered to make sure that innocent people are not hit. Before we do our strike, we would carry our surveillance. After we have done the strike, we would also carry out surveillance to be sure that the desired target was hit and to ascertain again that the desired degree of impact that we need has been achieved such that if we do not get the desired impact that we need, we can stage a reattack to go back again for that target and to complete it. All that was done. Again, Air Force pilots are well trained; they are professionals. They know the implication; they cannot go and bomb residential areas. How do you explain it to the society? How do you explain that to the human rights campaigners? All these were taken into consideration. From your description of the result of the surveillance, it does show that the

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Interview Nobody bribed me to compete for Nigeria – American-born sprinter p.27

Sport Splash

25 News Crisis-rocked D’Tigers face Argentina p.32

Rio 2016

Nigeria’s situation hopeless, says Adokiye

Ajibade Olusesan x-Green Eagles player and former Rivers State Attorney General Adokiye Amiesimaka has given a damning verdict on Nigeria’s sports, saying the situation in the sector has now become hopeless. The former chairman of defunct Sharks of Port Harcourt who was reacting to the country’s participations at the Rio Olympic Games said the shambolic preparation of athletes and general conducts of Team Nigeria suggested that things could only get worse in Nigerian sports. The administrator was miffed by the shoddy preparations of Team Nigeria especially the show of shame at Atlanta, United States, where the national U-23 team was stranded for days. The Samson Siasia-led team was stuck in the US as arrangements to ferry them to Brazil utterly failed and

the team did not reach Manaus, the venue of their opening match against Japan until just a few hours before the tie. The development has attracted widespread criticism from stakeholders and Amiesimaka said sports managers had taken poor administration to another level with the controversy that characterised the country’s participation in the Olympics. “Gradually we are wearing the toga of hopelessness, there is no other way to describe our national conduct and it is going to be like that probably forever, who knows. One is

Adokiye

speechless. I can't fathom why we behave this way; all of the things that are happening have rendered one speechless,” he said. When asked if ‘Nigerian spirit’ can propel the athletes to success in Rio despite the poor preparations, the member of the 1980 African Nations Cup winning team said: “What are we talking about? Look, there is nothing else I want to say because it seems things are going to remain like this; it is better one keeps mute.” The visibly angry lawyer retorted and dropped the phone afterwards. Ministry of Sports has come under heavy bashing in the way it has handled Nigeria’s participation at the Rio Games. This is the first time Team Nigeria would not go on training tour ahead of the Olympics in recent time, even some of the athletes were not supported when vying for qualification tickets just as travelling arrangements have been so shambolic.

Funke Oshonaike

Blessing Okagbare

The Team Ajibade Olusesan l Co-ordinator

Charles Ogundiya l Correspondent

Mikel Obi

Aruna Quadri

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Nigerian League Rendezvous BY CHARLES OGUNDIYA

Rangers, Wikki, Pillars on break

Olabisi Samuel of 3SC of Ibadan vies for the ball with Austin Ogunye of MFM at Agege Stadium, Lagos

Heartland battle Nasarawa Utd for survival

eartland FC will be involved in serious soul searching regarding their fate when they confront Nasarawa Utd this weekend in one of the MatchDay 30 Nigeria Premier League game billed for the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri. In the week preparatory to that encounter, the Owerri outfit’s training had been largely a blend of both practice and tutorials aimed at not only correcting some areas of technical defects but also to psyche up the players ahead of the enormous challenge of escaping relegation. Heartland have enormous burden after managing to gain only 30 points from 26 games and are now with a suspended three point deduction punishment from the League Management Company, arising from the disturbances that occurred in their last game

with FC Ifeanyi Uba. Yet that is not all, as the team was additionally sentenced to play three home matches behind closed doors as well as pay a fine of over N3.5Million for that singular incident. Imo State Government though, has rapidly reacted by removing the club chairman under whose tenure the offence was committed and for which Heartland would be tasting the bitter pill of relegation for the first time since their formation in 1976. On the other hand, Nasarawa Utd in eight position with 40 points from 27 matches appear comfortable in the middle of the table. Nasarawa may not be able to capture the league trophy this season but they would hope that the present circumstances in Heartland afford them an opportunity to grab an away point.

NPFL LEAGUE TABLE Team

PTS

1 Rangers

2 Wikki

3 Rivers Utd

4 Kano Pillars

5 Lobi Stars

6 Enyimba

7 Sunshine

8 Nasarawa Utd

9 IfeanyiUbah

10 Akwa Utd

11 MFM FC

-1

12 Tornadoes

-3

13 Plateau Utd

-3

14 Shooting

-9

15 Abia Warriors

-7

16 El-Kanemi

-6

17 Warri Wolves

-8

18 Heartland

-7

19 Ikorodu Utd

-21

20 Giwa FC

he two leading clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League, Rangers and Wikki Tourists, will be on break this weekend as their matches were postponed by the League Management Company due to the involvement of both teams' players in the NPFL All-Star Team that will be representing Nigeria in this year's Trofoe Carranza tournament in Spain. Rangers were expected to host MFM on Friday in Enugu while Wikki Tourist were to play Lobi Stars in Bauchi as the two team continue their quest for the league title alongside Rivers United and defending champions, Enyimba. Enyimba also will not be playing this weekend as they continue their preparation for their must-win Champions League encounter against Zamalek of Egypt scheduled for August 14 in Egypt. The seven-time league champions are supposed to play against Warri Wolves while Kano Pillars are on enforced break due to Giwa FC’s expulsion. Meanwhile, Rivers United will be hoping to close the gap on the top two with a victory when they take on El-Kanemi Warriors on Sunday.

Shooting target full points in Lagos

S Ogunbote

Alimi applauds LMC on La Liga trip

ano Pillars defender, Jamiu Alimi, has applauded the League Management Company, for the partnership with Spanish La Liga, especially the friendly games organised for the Nigeria Professional Football League All-Star team. He also appreciated the effort of the LMC in making the players very comfortable since reporting to camp since last month. “We have been enjoying ourselves since reporting to camp,” the former Shooting Stars of Ibadan player said. “The tour will afford some of the players the opportunity to play alongside some of the top players they have been watching only on television. “It will be a great experience for us all and hopefully we can bring the experience back to the league.” When asked if this might afford some of the players the opportunity

The Port Harcourt based-side was excused from the league last weekend after their players were involved in an auto crash with their game against Ikorodu United postponed till further notice. The team will however travel to Maiduguri to take on El-Kanemi who are yet to lose a league match at home since returning to Maiduguri. Jos-based Plateau United will hope to continue with their new found form as they welcome IfeanyiUbah in their quest to escape relegation. The team has won their last two matches against Enyimba in Jos and MFM in Lagos, scoring three goals while conceding none. Former international, Ramson Madu, will mark his return to Heartland with a home game against Nasarawa United. Madu alongside the former Team Manager of the Naze Millionaires, Promise Nwachukwu, were restored to the team by the new chairman of the club, Goodfaith Etuemena, during the week. In other matches scheduled for the weekend, Niger Tornadoes will play away to Sunshine Stars in Akure as Abia Warriors welcome Akwa United to Nnewi.

to seek transfer to Europe before the end of the transfer window at the end of August, Alimi said everything depends on God. According to him, the players are not going there because of the transfer, but to showcase their talents and whatever comes will be a bonus. The NPFL All-Star will jet out for the tournament in Spain on August 8. The team’s first match will be a friendly against Valencia CF on August 10 from 8.30pm Nigerian time. They face Malaga CF same time on August 12. Should the team go beyond the semifinal stage, they will have the chance to play in the final. But failure to win the tie against Malaga will hand them a loser's final fixture against Cadiz or UEFA Champions League runnersup, Atletico Madrid. The final and loser's final fixtures will hold on August 13.

hooting Stars of Ibadan are coming to Lagos for the full three points against Ikorodu United on Sunday according to the Media Officer of the team, Jubril Arowolo. The Oluyole Warriors are working hard to escape relegation and are looking forward to recording their second away win of the season. The team inflicted first home defeat of the season on MFM the last time they travelled to Lagos, and with Ikorodu United failure to win games of recent, Shooting are optimistic about getting a win on Sunday. “Playing in Lagos to us is like playing at home,” Arowolo said. “We are going there for the full points because our target is to stay far away from the relegation zone as soon as possible. “The league is gradually drawing to an end and team's survival depends on getting points home and away especially against teams that are below on the table.” Ikorodu United are last on the league table with 18 points from 25 matches and are gradually returning to the Nigeria National League with just a season in the top flight. The chairman of the Oga Boys, Babatunde Akindele, who led the team on a courtesy visit to the Oba of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Adewale Adegorushen, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, said the team would continue to fight to stay in the NPFL.

MATCHDAY 30 Nasarawa Utd vs El-Kanemi Ikorodu Utd vs Shooting El-Kanemi vs Rivers Utd Heartland vs Nasarawa Utd Plateau Utd vs IfeanyiUbah Abia Warriors vs Akwa Utd Sunshine vs Tornadoes Rangers vs MFM (PP) Warri Wolves vs Enyimba (PP) Wikki vs Lobi (PP)

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Could you describe the joy of qualifying for the Olympics? It’s been a relief to finally qualify for the Olympics, it’s a lifelong dream for me, and to do it in Nigeria was amazing. I have been training hard so that I can do well at the Olympics. You broke a 13-year record set by Williams Erese in Sapele at the National Trials, did you set out to achieve that feat? Actually I was not really after breaking the record, my goal was just to qualify for the Olympics. The record came as a surprise, but it also shows my fitness that moment. I am in a very good shape, a pretty condition for the Olympics. Currently I am among the top 15 in the world, so that will give me a big shot at the title. For you to be on the medals table, you must be among the top three, how do you intend to achieve that? I have been training hard to improve on my technicality because that’s what it will all come down to, I have the speed but have to work on my technicality and I am sure I can get the result in Brazil.

r o f e t e p m o c o t e m Nobody bribed r e t in r p s n r o b n a ic r e Nigeria – Am

Is this your first competition as a Nigerian? I was in Nigeria two year ago and was part of the Grand Prix in Warri and also the All Nigeria Trials in Calabar, Cross Rivers State. What informed your decision to compete for Nigeria? I retired from the sport in 2013 because of an injury that was so serious. Then after taking a lot of time out, I knew I wanted to do something big; I wanted to go to the Olympics and when the opportunity to represent Nigeria came, I took it. I was not persuaded or paid to come and compete for Nigeria, it is something I wanted to do, I knew Nigeria was planning to take athletics back to the top and I was challenged to do my bit in helping the country get back to the top. Are you saying you are not really from Nigeria? Well, the fact is I am from the US, but there are so many people out there representing other countries including top Hicks standing beside his record breaking time in Sapele, Delta State PHOTO: Making Of Champs.com

Hicks

’s athlete, one of Team Nigeria n ca eri Am an as s hip ns king it to alify for a major champio d his lifelong dream of ma ve hie ac After several attempts to qu y all fin s, ck Hi on , the 110m Olympic Games, Antw h’s CHARLES OGUNDIYA rap representatives to the Rio leg Te y rda tu Sa to g kin of Nigeria. Spea uld be discovwhere the best talents wo the Olympics in the colours m ste sy h ut yo a up t se ld rnment shou hurdler said Nigerian gove . Excerpts… ered like it is done in the US

Nigerian athletes. What was the reaction when you decided to compete for Nigeria? Everybody was happy for me, my family, friends, athletes and others. They all knew me to be a top- level hurdler for a long time and pretty close sometimes to be part of the biggest stage as an international. As formerly American athlete, I always competed with the best, I could beat the best and they beat me also, but American trials is all about one race, even if you are the best and failed to make the top three, you cannot be part of the team. So I needed to get the opportunity where I can be able to show what I can do on the international stage.

Describe how you have been accepted by the people? I feel at home here; I had a sense of belonging as if I had lived all my life in Nigeria, it is just the place I am supposed to be. The people have been good to me, I love them and they love me too. Most importantly, I love the food, it is better than what I have ever taken in my life, especially the jollof rice and peppered chicken. A very good environment and I can say all these contributed in helping me to perform my best during the trials.

What are your goals for Nigeria beyond Rio? My target now is on the Olympic Games, maybe after then I will think about what’s going to happen.

Tell us more about the injury that almost forced you into early retirement I was finding it difficult to attain my best again because of that injury. Every time I tried to come back, I was unable to get to the level I was before, so I decided to quit and stayed away from the sport. But when I realised I was in the right frame of mind to come back, I made my return. The injury really gave me a hard time, but thank God I am back to my best.

What is the possibility of other Americans coming to compete for Nigeria? It is definitely a possibility, especially when they see people like me succeeding in the colours of Nigeria.

Can you compare athletics in the US to athletics in Nigeria? The system in the US is far different from what we have here in Nigeria. I started competing when I was eight; over there in the US, they have different categories, the school system is very good, and the collegiate system is very good. Going through all these levels, it prepares athletes for a better future I knew as international stars.

Nigeria was planning to take athletics back to the top and I was challenged to do my bit in helping the country get back to the top

What should Nigeria do to revive athletics in the country? There are a lot of talents in Nigeria and I think if the government can set up a youth system where the best talents are discovered right from the high schools, the colleges, the universities, and start to develop the best early like it is done in the US, then Nigerian athletes will start competing favourably against the best in the world.

What can you say about hurdles in Nigeria? There are very good talents coming up in Nigeria in hurdles, both in men and women in years to come, people will begin to see the talents as they mature. They will begin to progress to the next level.

What are your biggest achievements as an athlete? In 2002, I won gold medal at the World juniors in Kingston, Jamaica, I also won so many championships in college. Breaking the Nigeria national record also ranks among the best for me as an athlete although the time was way off my Personal Best. What about your lowest moment? That should be when I sustained the injury and was unable to compete at the top level. I was running 13secs and suddenly I was running 14secs, it was frustrating. It took a lot of perseverance, hard work, training and sacrifices for me to get back to where I am now. Mention the food you love most in Nigeria? I really love the jollof rice, the fish and the peppered chicken; I have never eaten that type of chicken before. It’s the best I have eaten since I grew up and I am trying to learn how to prepare it, so I can go back home and show my friends what they are missing. What are you taking away about your time in Nigeria? I am going to share my experience. I have friends and family who have never been anywhere near Africa, not to talk of Nigeria. I want them to know what it is to be in the country. I am more fulfilled here than anywhere else in the world.

his is the story of the young boy who became an Olympic phenomenon. It begins in 1998 on the playground of William Knibb Memorial, a high school in Trelawny, a small town in the north of Jamaica. It is lunchtime and two good friends, Usain St Leo Bolt — a gangly, awkward 12-year-old who enjoyed sport far more than immersing himself in his books — and Ricardo Gedes are bickering about who can run the fastest. Gedes is adamant he cannot be beaten. Bolt knows he is quick but, privately, wonders if he has the speed to outgun his pal. Only a race will settle this argument but before they get on their marks, the local priest Reverend Nugent — who was listening in — offers an incentive. ‘If you beat him,’ Rev Nugent says, looking towards Bolt, ‘I will buy you your lunch. If you can run faster than him, your lunch is free.’ With the spur of food, the challenge is accepted. Bolt takes off and dashes past Gedes. It is a scene that happens on schoolyards all over the world but this one has far-reaching connotations. True to his word, Reverend Nugent buys lunch but on the way to the canteen, he imparts some advice. ‘If you can beat Ricardo,’ Reverend Nugent says. ‘You can beat anyone.’ Back to the present and that surge across the yard is being happily recalled. ‘We remember it well,’ says Lorna Jackson, who has been teaching at William Knibb since 1981 and is now vice-principal. ‘Usain told him that he had never enjoyed lunch so much.’ That may be true but that was the day something clicked. Bolt’s passion back then was cricket — he was a bowler — and he was also a keen footballer but high school teachers had seen special athletic qualities in him when he took to the track; they realised all he needed was some coaxing for the vast potential to be unlocked. Bolt, from an early age, could run like the wind, thanks to that long stride and pumping arms. He was so quick that when sports day came around, he was limited to participating in two events to give others a chance of winning. He developed so quickly that in 2001, he won his first medal at the Jamaican High School Championship. ‘That was a huge moment,’ says Webster Thompson, senior teacher at William Knibb for over 30 years. ‘That’s where the competitive edge was developed. The championships are huge, the national stadium is always full. The kids have such bravado that you see them lining up saying “you aren’t going to beat me and my school.” Usain would look at his rivals and say “who’s faster?”’ Adulation from his peers inevitably followed but keeping him disciplined was going to be crucial if he was going to become an elite athlete. He was taken under the wing of Pablo McNeill, who had represented Jamaica at the Olympics in 1964 and 1968 but had become a teacher at William Knibb in his later life. McNeill, who passed away in 2011, was a huge influ-

Usain Bolt

The making of

Bolt, the little boy who loved playing X-Box and eating chicken nuggets

Sport Bolt (in red) was once offered lunch by the local priest if he could beat Ricardo Gedes in a race

Mother Jennifer kept Bolt in check, which helped him

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Bolt

ence on Bolt, nurturing that special talent, and his teachers afforded him every help to ensure he got the grades he needed by giving him extra time to complete assignments when they clashed with training. Yet perhaps the seminal moment in the making of Bolt came when he broke a girl’s shoe and had been ordered by teachers to take it to nearby Falmouth to get it repaired. He refused, and that left the teachers with no option but to summon his father, Wellesley. If Bolt thought excelling at sport would make him immune to discipline, he was about to receive a juddering jolt. It was when the penny dropped and he had an appreciation of what was expected of him. ‘His father and mother (Jennifer) would not let him get away with anything,’ Webster Thompson explains. ‘Usain was well brought up and the day when he broke the girl’s shoe, his father came here and disciplined him in front of us. He was told, in no uncertain terms, to get the shoe fixed. If his parents had not been firm with him, if we had let him do as he pleased, he would never have achieved anything. He was full of effervescence and mischief but he just needed to realise what he could achieve.’ Soon his date with destiny will be here and his attempt to win a third consecutive gold medal in the 100m and 200m will be watched by billions round the globe, who hope to see that megawatt smile and celebration as he crosses the line alone.His place among sport’s immortals is already secure In Trelawny, the message they promote now to students at William Knibb Memorial is to ‘Be a bold Bolt believer’, that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard. What makes this tale so special is the fact that stardom has not diluted his ties to where it all began. When Bolt signed his contract with Puma, he insisted a clause be inserted that new track and field gear be sent to William Knibb every year. Bolt also bought the school a new minibus earlier this year. He also returns to give talks to students. The one in January this year was particularly memorable. ‘I was his Spanish teacher in ninth grade,’ Lorna Jackson explains. ‘He was never interested in learning but this year he came back and told me he wished he’d paid attention. 'Why? He knows there will be pretty girls in Rio who he won’t be able to speak to! So when he was here this year, he said to the children, if you do anything, you make sure you listen in Mrs Jackson’s class! We’ll gather in a hall to watch him run in Rio and I’m certain he will show that there is no limit to what you can achieve. ‘We look at him now but still see that little boy who was cajoled by Rev Nugent, the one who loves playing on his X-Box and eating chicken nuggets. He was a Regular Joe in school, an average student but he had this gift to run. He is now a world treasure.’ resident President Vladimir Putin has said the exclusion of Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics amounts to a 'political campaign' Neither Putin, nor his chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, are due to travel to Brazil for the Games, and it is unclear if any members of the Russian cabinet will be in attendance. "The president doesn't have this trip on his schedule. Nor does the presi-

Russian P President boycotts Olympics

dential chief of staff," said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russia's boxing team will be in attendance, however, after they were given permission to compete on Thursday. The country's weightlifters failed in their bid to compete when a Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal over a ban imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Wednesday.

By this measure the Olympic podium would see Finland – population 5.5 million – receive the gold medal, Estonia the silver and the Bahamas the bronze. Finland’s record is still driven by its early successes. In the five Olympic Games held between Stockholm 1912 and Los Angeles 1932, the country won 148 medals, averaging almost 30 per Games. Part of the success is attributable to the socalled Flying Finns, a group of long distance athletes including Hannes-Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola and Paavo Nurmi. Nurmi was one of the most successful Olympians of all time. He was one of just four athletes to win nine Olympic gold medals, not to mention three silvers, and the first to win five golds in one Games, in Paris in 1924. Finland has won medals at every summer Olympics since 1908.

Finland tops podium for most Olympic medals won per capita

here are no prizes for knowing that the US has won more Olympic medals than any other country since the first modern summer games were held in 1896. Kudos is due, however, to those who are able to name Finland as having won the most medals per Games contested relative to the country’s population size. To work out how well each country fared, we took the number of medals won by each – in Finland’s case 303 – and divided it by the number of summer Olympics competed in to get the average number Nurmi of medals won. We then calculated the medal haul against each country’s 2015 population.

orld number two Andy Murray said he is fit for the Rio Olympic Games following several high profile withdrawals from the Games' opening. The British three-time Grand Slam winner remains in the men's singles main draw with world number one Novak Djokovic and Spanish world number five Rafael Nadal. "I spoke to my doctor and he assured me everything should be OK. Hopefully, I don't get too many mosquito bites, but I don't think it's too bad at this time of the year." said Murray. "It's unfortunate with Roger and with Stan.

They're obviously two guys who are great players and capable of winning at events like this, so it's a great shame they aren't here. "But still it's a pretty strong field. A lot of the top-20 players are here. It's unfortunate that a few of the top 10 are missing. Some of them are citing Zika as the reason, and there's a couple of injuries and that is unfortunate," he said. The 29-year-old will be defending the Olympic title after he won at home four years ago and he tries not to think too much into it. "The only time when defending a title felt a little bit strange to me - or different was at Wimbledon because you come out and you open the tournament, and there's this thing about playing the first match on Centre Court. Murray

Gold, silver and bronze are what Olympic dreams are made of. However, the medals for the Rio 2016 Olympics do not stop with the three metals. Xinhua offers the 10 things you must know about the medals, a combination of art and science. 1. A team of about 100 people, including sculptors and machine operators, have been working in the Brazilian Mint to produce a total of 5,130 medals for the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics. 2. In factory, the medal mold is struck by a press machine with 550 tons of force for three times in order to create perfect symbols of victory. 3. The medals, each weighing 500 grams, are mostly made of silver. The gold medal, for example, contains 494 grams of silver and just 6 grams of the precious yellow metal. 4. According to the Brazilian Olympics Committee, around 30 percent of the silver used in the medals is recycled waste from leftover mirrors and X-ray plates. About 40 percent of the copper used in the bronze medals are from waste at the national mint itself. 5. At current price, an Olympic gold medal awarded at the Rio games is worth about 600 U.S. dollars. 6. Statistics from the Olympics Studies Centre show that since the year of 1896, gold medals are traditionally made with gilt silver. The last Olympics to offer 100 percent gold medals was the 1912 games in Stockholm, Sweden. 7. Also, the ribbons that will hang around the necks of the world's best athletes are woven with recycled plastic from old bottles. 8. Paralympics medals will contain tiny steel balls, which help visually impaired athletes to identify the type of medal by shaking them and listening to the noise. 9. On the face of each medal is still the traditional laurel leaf and Rio 2016 logo. The reverse side of the medal displays an etching of Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology. 10. Each medal comes with a sustainably sourced wooden box with the Rio 2016 logo.

10 things to know about Rio Olympic medals

Murray has no medical concerns ahead of Games

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Sport

Lifestyle of Sportsmen

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Balotelli pictured smoking, relaxing on a private boat in Italy

ario Balotelli has done his chances of finding a new club ahead of the season no good at all after he was pictured smoking while on holiday in Italy. Balotelli did not seem too concerned about who saw him as he puffed away while enjoying a break on the Italian Riviera wearing a black baseball cap backwards and a black t-shirt. He looked as if he did not have a care in the world as he dined at

the Strainer Restaurant after taking a boat trip with friends around the coast in Portofino. Balotelli was seen lighting up in the company of friends at the seafood restaurant while he sat on the balcony overlooking the picturesque marina in the coastal town near Genoa. The striker was told by manager Jurgen Klopp that he was not in his plans at Liverpool and to find a new club.

Team USA to stay in luxury cruise ship in Rio

ith all the horror stories that are coming out about the facilities for the Olympic athletes in Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. basketball team can breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of living in the Olympic village, both the men’s and women’s USA basketball teams will get to stay in a luxury cruise ship called “The Silver Cloud.” The ship is absolutely massive. It can house 400 people and features 196 cabins. It’s going to be docked in Maua Port Terminal during the Olympic games. It’s basically a fancy hotel that floats on the water. Megan The ship’s security is also going to be ex-

Balotelli (left)

BOLT'S EX-GIRLFRIEND LEADS ATHLETES BARING ALL BEFORE OLYMPICS

tremely formidable. 250 federal police officers will be guarding it, and a bullet-proof fence is also going to be protecting the ship. While these accommodations may seem slightly elitist, it’s really due to security more than anything else. These players are some of the most famous athletes participating in these games, which means their safety is more at risk. It’s not unprecedented to keep Team USA basketball away from the Olympic village. The Dream Team in 1992 stayed in a fancy Barcelona hotel due to the amount of attention they were receiving, both positive and negative. Charles Barkley was on that team, and he has talked about the misconception that the Dream Team didn’t stay in the Olympic village because they felt too good for it. That wasn’t the case at all. The players were getting death threats, so officials settled the athletes at an even more secure location.

Model who 'romped with Ronaldo', slammed Messi strips for Playboy

here isn't much Usain Bolt hasn't won in his incredible career. But, on the eve of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Megan Edwards reminds the world's fastest man what he missed out on four years ago. The 100m and 200m legend started an unlikely relationship in 2012 with the office worker from Dartford, Kent. Bolt, now 29, even flew her to Jamaica to meet his family. But when Megan, a part-time 800m runner, returned to the UK she decided a long distance relationship was not for her and ended it. Now 26, she has stripped off for a freelance photographer as Bolt bids to win the 'triple triple' - the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in his third successive Games. The photographs are part of a series of naked pictures of amateur and former professional athletes. Photographer Stephen Douglas Rasmussen, from Canada, decided to combine his two lifelong passions - sport and photography - during the 18-hour shoot. The series, called The Bottom Line, involved a number of athletes and models signed to agency W Athletic, in different poses and with equipment relevant to their sport. Stories courtesy : Dailymail

HE stunning model who claimed to have romped with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and dissed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has stripped off for Playboy magazine. Busty blonde Daniella Chavez is a big football fan – with even bigger assets which she shows off on social media as a reward when the favourite players win. Daniella has now stripped off for Playboy magazine and bragged about bagging Ron, her feud with Messi and life as a model. The curvy Chilean hit the headlines last year when she boasted of getting steamy with Portugal star Ronaldo. Former Manchester United star Ronaldo was still

Chavez

in a relationship with Irina Shayk at the time. She told the magazine: "Cristiano was pretty shy at first. "But he grew in confidence, he was some guy, although I think I still intimidated him. "He loved me, he just tried not to show it." Chavez caused a stir when she slammed Messi's performance at Copa America. Messi missed a penalty and Chavez was handed a tirade of abuse. Of the stick she received, she said: "I have received many insults from Argentines, but it's not my fault they don't know how to shoot penalties and that Messi played the final in diapers."

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

Global Football Special

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH www.newtelegraphonline.com

Community Shield:

Wembley boils as Man United, Leicester clash T he last time Jose Mourinho faced Claudio Ranieri – the man he infamously replaced as Chelsea boss in 2004 – he was sacked by Chelsea the following morning. Given the history between the two managers, it’s somewhat fitting that Mourinho’s first competitive match as manager of Manchester United comes against Ranieri. In the Premier League era, the champions have taken home the shield on 15 out of 23 occasions. In more than 60% of Community Shield fixtures since 1992, the winning side has gone on to finish higher in the league than their opponents – as was the case last season when Arsenal finished above Chelsea. Leicester come into the match on the back of a 4-2 defeat to Barcelona in Sweden. New signing Ahmed Musa came on at half time to net a brace. Manchester United, meanwhile, played out a goalless draw with Everton on Wednesday

evening for Wayne Rooney’s testimonial. Manchester United look a muchchanged side from the one we saw last season. Jose Mourinho is set to give Rooney a more advanced role in the side, likely behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be deployed on the right of a front three, with Anthony Martial playing on the left. It is still unclear who Mourinho favours in central midfield, although it looks likely Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin are ahead of Marouane Fellaini in the pecking order. While Mourinho aims to rebuild United, his Italian counterpart is doing his best to keep his Leicester side together. The Foxes will no doubt have the advantage of familiarity over Manchester United, who may require a couple of games to properly gel under their new manager. This, despite a summer full of disruption and distraction.

Benitez begins life in lower division

Benitez

ulham open the Sky Bet Championship season against Newcastle reeling from the loss of star striker Ross McCormack. Sone Aluko, a free transfer from Hull, is set to make his debut in attack after McCormack, who scored 42 goals in two seasons with Fulham, joined Aston Villa for £12million on Thursday morning. Goalkeeper David Button, full-backs Scott Malone and Denis Odoi, centre-half Tomas Kalas and midfielders Floyd Ayite and Kevin McDonald have also arrived

Five best football players on parade at Rio Olympics

Neymar

With the new English Premier League season fast approaching, Olympic football has been somewhat overlooked. The year of the underdog started by Leicester City - continued at Euro 2016 and the Copa America, with Portugal and Chile taking the respective titles. Players from those tournaments won’t be in Rio, but there are still a number of stars aiming for Olympic gold. Eurosports highlights are five of the best.

2) FELIPE ANDERSON (BRAZIL) osts Brazil enter the tournament as huge favourites to win gold because of the plethora of attacking talent in their squad. Felipe Anderson is a particularly exciting prospect following two excellent seasons in Serie A and offers Brazil versatility in attacking areas. Able to play across the attacking line and in deep-lying roles, Anderson's pace, creativity and ability in dead-ball situations will prove most important on home turf.

1) NEYMAR (BRAZIL) he Barcelona star is undoubtedly the biggest star heading into the Olympics. Whilst the vast majority of players will be looking to make a name for themselves in Rio, Neymar is gunning for gold having skipped the Copa America. The 24-year-old is yet to taste international success but by doing so in Brazil, he would follow in teammate Lionel Messi's footsteps by making the Olympics title his first. Brazil will look towards Neymar as a leader to guide the likes of Gabriel Barbosa and Gabriel Jesus to glory.

O Anderson

3) MAX MEYER (GERMANY) ne of those impressive German youngsters is Schalke’s Max Meyer. The 20-year-old is an exceptionally talented player and established himself as a first-team regular in the Bundesliga. Reports once linked him with a move to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and it's easy to see why. Expect him to take the Rio Olympics by storm.

W Bender

this summer and are pushing for debuts. Defender Ryan Fredericks is out after ankle surgery but striker Cauley Woodrow hopes to overcome an ankle knock. Title favourites Newcastle begin a new chapter after relegation forced a heavy turnover of players. Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie, Matz Sels, Jesus Gamez, Issac Hayden, Grant Hanley, Ciaran Clark and Mohamed Diame have all arrived in the summer and Rafael Benitez will be expected to hand debuts to many of those.

4) LARS BENDER (GERMANY) ith the impressive amount of young talent in the country, Germany have been able to select a very strong squad for the Olympics. Lars Bender is one of three players over the age of 23 in the squad and, given his experience, is an excellent selection. Bender has been selected alongside twin brother Sven, with Lars the more experienced at international level. The 26-yearold has been regularly linked with Arsenal in recent years and, despite injuries disrupting his progress in the last 18 months, he is still a top player.

I Son

Meyer

5) HEUNG-MIN SON (SOUTH KOREA) t was a difficult first season for Heung-min Son at Tottenham, but he still has the quality to make an impact in Rio this summer. It was a year ago that he became the most expensive Asian player in history with a £22 million move to White Hart Lane and, you would think, there is still more to come from him. He has an impressive record at international level having scored 16 goals for South Korea, and he will certainly be aiming for Olympic success.

Sport

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6 August 2016

Eagles star plays down coaching problem ahead W/Cup qualifiers

Rio 2016: Toriola, Oshonaike on duty today

uper Eagles striker Fernandi Adi believes the natiopanl team will hit the ground running once a new coach is announced for the squad. There has been controversy over the appointment of a substantive manager for the team since erstwhile coach Sunday Oliseh resigned some months ago. The Portland Timbers striker said although the Eagles have found themselves in a difficult situation because of the group the country is in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the team will survive. “We are in a difficult group and passing through a tough

cov is a debutant but he is better ranked than his Nigerian counterpart. Toriola is seeded 54th for the tournament but he is 122 in the International Table Tennis Federation rankings compared to Porokopcov who is 47th for the tournament and 80th in the world. Also in action is Team Nigeria’s vice-captain Funke Oshonaike who will face Mariana Sahakhian. The 38-year-old Lebanese is attending her first Olympics which makes her far less outstanding than Oshonaike who is in Rio for her sixth appearance since making her debut at the Atlanta 1996 Games. Oshonaike is seeded 63 and 228 in the world while Sahakhian is 68th and 542 in the world. Another Nigerian table tennis star, Edem Offiong, will get a taste of action in Rio today as she faces least seeded player in the tournament Sally Yee of Fiji in the preliminary stage.

Ajibade Olusesan

Adi

time but we are going to survive at the end. We the players just need to be more focussed and if we can fight the way we are supposed to fight, we will pick the ticket,” he said.

ll eyes will be on Segun Toriola when he takes on Dimitry Prokoptsov in his first match of his seventh Olympic appearance in Rio today. The 43-year-old takes on the Czech in the first round of the men’s singles as he hopes to surpass his qRound of 16 appearance at the Beijing games in 2008. PorokopToriola

Crisis-rocked D’Tigers face Argentina Ajibade Olusesan

N Alade Aminu guarding the ball against Kobe Bryant at the 2012 Olympics

Olympics medal, next target for gymnast’s mum Charles Ogundiya

he joy of all parents is for their kids to excel in whatever they do, and Risqot Shehu is not an exception after two of her kids won medals at the recently concluded All Africa Junior Gymnastics Championships in Pretoria, South Africa. Hariz Shehu won gold medal while her sister, Azeemah Shehu, picked bronze to the delight of their mother who said the next target would be to nurture them to Olympic Games medals in 2020. “My husband and I believe in giving freedom to our children in choosing what they want to do as long as it is for a good cause,” she said. “When they (Hariz and Azeemah) said they were interested in gymnastic, we, as parents, decided to give them our blessing and do everything

within our power to encourage them. “I remember last year when they were supposed to travel for a major tournament, Hariz told me he would be coming back with gold, although they failed to travel, but on their way to South Africa, he repeated his promise and I was not surprised when I was told by the coach that he won gold medal.” When asked why they decided to invest huge amount of money on their children’s trip despite the team going to South Africa to represent the country, Shehu said they are going to do anything to encourage their children. According to her, instead of traveling for vacation doing nothing, they have used the opportunity to achieve something reasonable while also meeting with other kids of their age.

igeria’s national basketball team D’Tigers face a familiar foe as they confront Argentina in their first Olympics Games match tomorrow (Sunday). The Nigerian team has been dogged by crisis after key players withdrew from the tournament. Top stars Al-Farouk Aminu, Festus Ezeli and Olumide Oyedeji opted out of the games due to misunderstanding with the Nigeria Basketball Federation and the team will definitely miss their services at the tournament. Nigeria and Argentina have met three times as part of their build up to the games, and the Africans lost two times to the South Americans. The Afrobasketball defending champions won 96-92 points in Las Vegas to record their only victory over the experienced Argentines. Argentina had earlier beaten the Nigerians 71-49 at

the Stankovic Cup in China last month. The high point of D’Tigers’ victory in Las Vegas over the Argentines was the return of big man, Ike Diogu, the team’s co-captain, who was denied action at last year’s Afrobasket in Tunisia due to injury, as he hit 18 points with seven rebounds in his sterling performance. However the forward could not help the team when the two sides met again. The real strength of the team was tested in their last friendly game against the United States team who trounced them 110-66 last Monday. Nigeria’s D’Tigers are ranked 25 in the world, are in Group B alongside Lithuania, Argentina, Croatia, Spain and Brazil, and are currently having her second run in the Olympics. The team did not go past group stage at the London 2012 Games.

Adams eyes history at Rio Olympics

reat Britain's Nicola Adams has set her sights on making history when she defends her Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro. The 33-year-old is bidding to become the first British boxer to retain an Olympic gold in 92 years, and is seeded first for the women's flyweight competition. As a result of her seeding, Adams will have a bye in the first round in Rio, meaning that she is guaranteed a medal if she wins her opening bout against either Bulgaria's Stanimira Petrova or Tetyana Kob of Ukraine. "It is nearly 100 years since any British boxer has become a double Olympic champion and it is another record that I just can't wait to go out and smash," she told reporters. "I think our whole team is capable of winning medals at this Olympics. This is the biggest team we have had in 32 years and that just shows the quality of British boxing at the moment."

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Taoreed said he would not dissipate energy talking about something that is the figment of some mischief makers who are bent on rubbishing his domain. “We can talk about more important events in recent time and leave such frivolous issues to busybodies who have nothing serious to talk about,” Taoreed fumed. He, nonetheless, admitted that the issue of militants, who seemed to have laid siege on the community, is a very serious matter. But, said that the security operatives detailed to maintain peace in the area have been civil in their conduct so far. “To me, I do not see them as vandals but militants. This is because vandals would want to concentrate on their oil looting activities; they just deal with the pipelines and after their operation, they would go. While the militants would continuously terrorise the community and its people; although, some said they only graduated from vandals to being militants, and I intend to agree with such thinking because they are also involved in siphoning fuel from the pipelines. “But now, all of that are changing with the military bombardment of their enclave in recent time. Today, we can sleep with our two eyes closed, a thing we have not done for a long while now. When the military informed us of their intentions, we were a bit scared. We got scarier when we saw the helicopters and fighter jets hovering over the community. Fortunately, they were very professional about their operations. “They did it at night and on the daytime. The first day they struck, it was between 12noon and 2pm. That was the first day we experienced it; there was a great shock. But the second day, after we got the news that we are safe, everyone felt relaxed because they assured us that they knew their target. We were watching it. It was as if we were seeing a movie. At that

point people didn’t panic again. We are happy with their conduct thus far and hope they would sustain this,” Taoreed pleasantly said. Journalists and Beach Land estates welcome visitors to Arepo neighbourhood. A casual stroll down the bumpy road will equally reveal other sprawling estates behind, with some of the houses still under construction. Some alleged that these private homes, tangled with the murky environment around, provide adequate cover for vandals to operate. There are also shanties and bamboo tents used by some land grabbers, popularly known as “Omo onile”, to collect tolls from truck drivers. They create a different and unpleasant picture. Some of them, alongside others, built with ridged iron sheets serve as home to the lower class. This stark reality of a class contrast among the inhabitants of this quarter stares visitors in the face and could be source of friction, according to some opinions. Over time, sporadic shootings, coupled with intermittent explosions, became common occurrence at the community. This may be why vandals and security personnel now engage each other daily in battle for control of the area. The inhabitants, however, have become victims in most instances as security personnel and those perceived by the vandals as saboteurs had been abducted, killed and allegedly buried in shallow graves in the creeks. From time to time, thick cloud of dark smoke could be seen oozing from burning ruptured NNPC pipelines, according to residents. To them, this regular feature only tells that the vandals have resurfaced. In such instances, they would burst oil pipes and scooped fuel, even at the risk of losing their lives. Presently, a joint military task force comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as officials of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps (NCDC) and the police are combing the creeks in search of them. Recent happenings, however, are raising hope as the secu-

Naval officers in search of the vandals photo: www. vanguardngr.com

rity personnel stationed in the neighbourhood aim to combat what was creeping into some sort of notoriety that is gradually but steadily turning the environment to that habited only by criminals. These militants are believed to be drawn from different parts of the country. As the military commenced bombardment of Iroko creeks in the area, gunmen, the militants shift base to Isawo area of Ikorodu, Lagos, to continue with their atrocious act. The shelling, it was gathered, is being carried out in a joint military operation that commenced last week. Details of the action are still sketchy but unconfirmed reports had it that many lives were lost and some houses destroyed. Another report indicated freshly that some residents of Voera Estate in the Arepo area vacated their homes as they fled after militants killed a senior police officer in the community. Some luxury houses were said to have been deserted due to the attacks as holes created by bullets were equally said to have been observed in the fence of one

are going to get injured and some may completely give up and find a legitimate way to fend for themselves.

–Group Captain Famuyiwa people you were dealing with were pure militants as against ordinary vandals that many thought were the ones terrorising that area. Do you have a mixture of those vandals and militants or they are just purely militants? Well, we should not forget that those that are called militants in the Niger Delta region are also involved in illegal oil bunkering. And what they are doing in Arepo also is illegal oil bunkering but there has been a new dimension to their illegal activities in Arepo in recent times. We are aware of the cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and all that. So, it may not be out of place to say that you have a combination of them. It’s very possible some militants could have been a spillover from the Delta region to that place. But the fact of the matter remains that those in Arepo do not appear to be heavily fortified like what you have in the Niger Delta. So, it’s most likely that the majority of them that you find in Arepo operating are just there for economic reasons by selling oil illegally and all that. Apart from the security operatives that you have on ground to maintain peace, is the military planning any ground operation to support the air strike that they just carried out? That has already started. The operation is a combined one. It comprised the Air Force, the Army, the Navy, the De-

Is there any possibility of extending such action to other militant enclaves, particularly in the Niger Delta region? The issue of Niger Delta can be a little different. Don’t forget that there had been a lot of appeal from some quarters of recent, the Governor of Bayelsa State was in Aso Rock to meet with Mr. President to reconsider the tendency for them to use force and that it may not be necessary. I don’t see government wanting to use force in the Niger Delta believing that people are going to be reasonable enough to be able to negotiate with it and then, the issue can be resolved amicably. Niger Delta is different from Arepo.

partment of State Security (DSS), men of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDS) and the police. They are all there; it was a joint operation. If you are able to hit those targets from the air, you couldn’t have completed the job until you have men on ground who are going to cover those locations and they can tell you that those people are completely out of the place. We need to burn up those camps so that they cannot go back there again. Is this kind of operation going to be continuous? It is going to be continuous because it is possible for some of the militants that ran away to stage a comeback; and the surveillance applied by the NAF is going to continue. We are still flying over the place day and night because it is not just enough in the day. The people know they can be easily be sighted in the day. If you look at the video that we released, again you’ll see that some of those operations were carried out in the night. The plane is flying both night and day to be able to provide information on whether there is a tendency for them to regroup, whether there is a new location where the militant are. There is possibility that some of them may move far into the mangrove. Now, if we are taking out those camps, it becomes very difficult for

of the abandoned buildings. In an exclusive telephone interview with the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said that the operation is being carried out in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Services. He said the attention of NAF has been drawn to reports of apprehension and panic by members of the public living around the area of ongoing air operations at Arepo and its environs. “As a result, we advised the civil populace not to panic but to go about their legitimate businesses,” Famuyiwa said, adding, “the NAF i s careful to ensure that only legitimate targets, such as observation post, anti-aircraft gun position, boats laden with suspected stolen petroleum products and armed combatants, are selected for strike. In aligning with this global best practice, we usually undertake surveillance flights before and after each strike to mitigate incidental harm to civilians and property.”

Famuyiwa

them to come back. If they run into the bush, at a point they are going to find their way out probably, maybe to flee to other areas. And that’s why we are gathering intelligence and carrying out surveillance to be sure that no new camps are being erected. If we see any possibility of any new camp, before they get to advance stage, we will take them out. So, we keep striking them. If we keep striking them, obviously some of them are going to get killed; some

In such operations as this where the security presence is heavy, many people may not rule out the possibility of infringing on the people’s rights. How exactly has it been at Arepo? We have tried to be civil in our operations, observing the rule of our engagement. People of this community can testify to that and like I said earlier, if such had happened, human rights groups would have been singing that. But up till now, nobody has accused us of such because we are been highly professional in our operations. We would never go beyond our briefing as we are not there to add to the people's woes but to help liberate them from the yoke of these vandals and militants.

Sportsplash 34 Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

Mid-year recap of 10 biggest showbiz scandals of 2016

6 august 2016

Davido’s baby mama drama

On December 31, 2015, Ovation publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, exposed Davido and his family for trying to flee the country with Imade, his niece’s daughter, to America without her mother’s consent. This move by Dele Momodu started a cold war between the Adelekes and the Momodus. Accusations were hurled from both sides by the Adelekes and the Momodus. After much mudslinging, a truce was called but that did not stop Davido from releasing a hate song with a loud mention of Momodu’s name.

It’s past mid-year already and here’s a recap of some of the biggest showbiz scandals in Nigeria since January. More and more would still ruffle the ever bubbly industry but this cursory look at just 10 might whet your appetite before the grand collage we would do when the year rounds off. Olaniyi Aderuku reports in no order of occurrence.

Tiwa Savage, TeeBillz’s debacle

PSquare split

If there would be a toast, it would be to one of the messiest of all- the twin brothers’ messy fight. There were already insinuation about a crack in the empire which they mend in 2014 but it festered till 2016 and hell was let loose on Paul and Peter Okoye of the PSquare fame. A few months ago the mighty pop group had its biggest challenge when Peter said he opted out of the group because of manager Jude Okoye ’s counterproductive ways. This triggered a month of brothers fighting brothers on social media and fans crying their eyes out so that the group won’t split. After much pressure Peter, Paul and Jude Okoye agreed to stop attacking one other publicly. As it is at the moment, though they claimed to have sheathed swords, there is still no clear verdict on the future of Psquare.

There’s hardly a reason to think there can be a story bigger than Tiwa Savage and Tee Billz’s marriage break up this year. On April 28, Tee Billz blasted his wife Tiwa Savage on his Instagram page and accused her of sleeping with her label mates, Dr. Sid, Don Jazzy and Nigerian pop legend 2face Idibia. A day later, Pulse exclusively obtained a Tiwa Savage interview where she spoke explicitly about her troubled marriage with TeeBillz. The video would go down in Nigerian history as one of the fastest watched videos and most viewed on YouTube.

Wizkid’s second baby mama

Olamide, Don Jazzy lock horns at Headies

The story of Wizkid having another child from a woman known as Binta Diamond Diallo was massive on the internet. It was so huge that Wizkid released a confusing statement from his management concerning the issue. Diallo later went on to say that Wizkid wasn’t living up to his duties as a father. Recently she shared a photo of a paternity test stating that Wizkid is the father of her son.

On January 1, at the 10th edition of The Headies awards, one of the most talked about beefs in the Nigerian music industry went down when YBNL leader, Olamide and Mavin Records boss, Don Jazzy, literally reached for each other’s jugular. The rift however was quickly resolved on January 3, and fans began to wonder how and why the beef ended so soon. In some quarters, speculations were rife that the truce was brokered by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

Burna Boy’s baby mama drama

Toyin Aimakhu and Seun Egbegbe

When Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu left her husband Adeniyi Johnson last year, she fell too soon into the arms of a socialite and movie producer, Seun Egbegbe. The relationship was however far from perfect with unconfirmed reports of assault and kidnap. When the lovers finally split, that gave birth to yet another round of drama with Egbegbe threatening to blacklist Aimakhu for the unsavoury comments she made about him in many interviews. The Lagos Police Command had to intervene to calm frayed nerves.

Linda Ikeji vs Wizkid

These two celebrities had a serious ‘Tom & Jerry’ relationship going on, you’d probably agree. The rancour started when Ikeji revealed that Wizkid had fathered a second child and said he was a deadbeat father. Wizkid didn’t like this and took his pound of flesh when Linda Ikeji had a Birkin bag drama. Ikeji fired back by posting on her blog that Wizkid had been evicted from his mansion in Lekki. The pop star would go on to make threats against the blogger which saw him invited by the police. And all as they say is now history.

The singer has been in and out of so many controversies this year, but none happened to be steamier and messier than his baby mama scandal. A lady named Uju Stella claimed that Burna Boy was responsible for her pregnancy. He came out to deny that he impregnated Uju Stella because he only ‘slept with her once’. The drama had also brought Burna Boy’s mother into the limelight from obscurity.

Toke Makinwa’s divorce

Mide Martins marriage saga

This is probably the most lewd celebrity marriage scandal of 2016 yet. According to reports, actress Mide Martins fainted and landed in the hospital Early this month popular, Vlogafter her husband, Afeez Owo left their ger and on-air-personality, Toke Makinwa, filed for divorce from her matrimonial home for an undisclosed estranged husband, Maje Ayida. A location. This health scare was followed can of worms exposed in the divorce with the rumour that Martins’ husband abandoned his family because he found papers where Makinwa revealed out that his wife had allegedly slept that Ayida was unfaithful, failed to with his best friend. But the storm is pay bills, humiliated her publicly over now as Martins and her husband and made her lose a multi-million had reconciled. Naira endorsement.

Interview 35

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

LANRE ODUKOYA

SHOWBIZ TODAY

08059296445 lanre.odukoya@newtelegraphonline.com

Most followed showbiz personalities on social media

Duncan Mighty

Compiled by Ogechi Ndubunma 1. Davido Facebook 2.6 million likes Twitter 1.8 million followers Instagram 2.4 million followers 2. Peter Okoye Facebook 4.1 million likes Twitter 1.1 million followers Instagram 1.5 million followers

Davido

Duncan Mighty blasts ladies clad in skimpy dresses

inger, Duncan Mighty, a.k.a. Portharcourt first son, is enraged beyond words. And his grouse is against women almost always parading nude bodies in the name of modernity and fashion. He’s of the opinion that pregnancy in women is supposed to be sacred and her body well covered. The singer recently aired his opinion on the trend, stating that all in the name of modeling, many ladies have lost their values in search of sudden fame. In his words: “It is gradually becoming a norm and almost acceptable for our ladies, sisters, future mothers and even mothers, to expose the hidden and

most cherished treasures. What has happened to our core values? Who has done this to us? Must our ladies expose their treasures to attain the "enviable" height as a models? “Many hardly think about the aftermath of their acts today. You must not as a lady, go unclad to become popular or attain a celebrity status. It's almost unbelievable that our society hardly sees anything wrong in these trends as many of these gory pictures receive great praises and encomiums. These days we have beauty without brains as most of these self-acclaimed models have dumped their thinking faculties in a bid to attaining celebrity status.”

Wizkid

5. Omotola Jalade Facebook 2.9 million likes Twitter 829 thousand followers Instagram 951 thousand followers

Genevieve

6. Don Jazzy Facebook 1.2 million likes Twitter 1.6 million followers Instagram 1.9 million followers 7. Tiwa Savage Facebook 1.2 million likes Twitter 1.4 million followers Instagram 1.9 million followers

Omotola

8. D Banj Facebook 1.6 million likes Twitter 1.5 million followers Instagram 954 thousand followers

Don Jazzy

9. 2baba Facebook 639 thousand likes Twitter 1.5 million followers Instagram 1.1 million followers 10. Rita Dominic Facebook 1.1 million likes Twitter 534 thousand followers Instagram 1.4 million followers. 11.Mayor Boss Facebook: 3m likes Twitter : 39k followers Instagram : 39k followers

D Banj

12.Tonto Dike Facebook: 140 thousand likes Twitter: 678 thousand followers Instagram : 106 thousand followers

E A FAN DID TO M

– LINDA EJIOFOR

Peter Okoye

4. Genevieve Nnaji Facebook 2.1 million likes Twitter 1.06 million followers Instagram 1.8 million followers

Tiwa Savage

have so many, but there is one which I would never forget. The guy actually wanted to take a picture with me and I’d made it a habit not to say no when people want to take photographs with me. And I’d been told that I don’t have to oblige all the time, but that it also depends on who’s asking. But this guy wanted to take a picture with me and I was being nice by saying, ‘oh, sure, we can.’ And he put his hand on my butt. I had to quietly decline. I was being nice because I know some other persons would walk away and never take that picture again.

3. Wizkid Facebook 1.5 million likes Twitter 2.1 million followers Instagram 2.1 million followers

13.ice prince Facebook : 1.5m likes Twitter: 2m followers Instagram : 681 thousand followers

2face

14.Funke Akindele Facebook :664,127 likes Twitter : 503thousand followers Instagram : 1.8m followers

Rita Dominic

15.MI Facebook: 852thousand likes Twitter: 210 thousand followers 16. Falz Facebook : 30thousand likes Twitter: 77 thousand followers Instagram : 946 thousand followers

Mayor Boss

17. Van Vicker Facebook : 166 thousand likes Twitter: 20 thousand followers

Tonto Dike

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

TV&Radio

6 AUGUST 2016

with Deborah Ocheni

This weekend AIT

Eboibe

Amazons: Crimes of passion A mazons is an environmental programme where Aisha Folade and company discuss a wide range of issues from domestic violence to music; it is aired on African Independent Television (AIT) every Friday at 7pm. Domestic violence is on the rise in Nigeria and this has led to many broken homes; this formed the focus of last week’s edition of Amazons as Joe Eboibe, family lawyer; Dr Joe Okei Odumakim, right activist and Kenny Saint Best, gospel artist, discussed factors responsible for domestic violence, legal provisions for victims and sundry issues. Eboibe said after exhausting the option of counselling, the abuser will be jailed if found guilty. “It is unfair to force marriages on persons who are no longer happy together or those who have over time developed hatred that could lead to crimes of passion. The provision is, after exhausting the option of counselling and the victim insists on ending the marriage, he or she has the option of pressing charges against the abuser. When he or she is found guilty, the abuser will be jailed and then you explain to your children that their father or mother was abusive and he or she was jailed for it”. Speaking on the jail term for abusers, Eboibe said: “There are various crimes that emanate from domestic violence; it could be attempted murder or grievous assault, depending on what crimes are investigated by the police; that is what determines the jail term. But the beauty of the whole thing is that the law is channelled towards reconciling than sending people to jail. The law educates and counsels both the abused and the abuser because you must first of all remove yourself from an abusive position so that you will no longer be a victim.” Odumakim noted that domestic violence was on the rise for different reasons; she outlined insecurity on the part of partners and economic problem as some factors responsible for the rise of domestic violence. She said: “Domestic violence is on the rise for different reasons; it has to do

with insecurity on the part of the partner, either the male or female partner could feel threatened, and there is the economic problems. We have handled more than 2000 cases in the last 13 years; some women are giving like N3 000 per month with three children yet the same men will still want to get them pregnant. Others feel insecure probably because the wife is well read, he turns her into a house maid just to tell the wife that he is the head and the she is under his authority; while that happens, the man may keep inviting his male friends to the house to the extent of sending the woman out of the bedroom”.

She added that female folks suffer from domestic violence more than men. “We have a few men who have suffered domestic violence, we have handled more than 2000 cases of domestic violence and only two men reported that their wives were beating them”. Best who was in an abusive relationship said: “My case wasn’t that of battering but emotional; let us leave it at that because kids are involved and I don’t want to re-open the wound that had healed”. The programme is anchored by Omasan Buwa, Aisha Falode and Silo Bankole.

Programme summary

MTV Base

Tweet Request MTV Base

Silverbird TV Daily @ 10:30pm

It is a musical programme that mixes music, video playlist and reality clips from the world famous brand.

Fridays @ 5:00pm

It is an interactive programme where viewers request for videos via tweeter and the requested videos are played.

Saturday 7:30 Business Africa 8:30 Destiny Encounter 9:00 Cartoon 10:00 Super Book 10:30 Sports File 11:30 Snakes and Lizards 12:00 Souncity Top Choice Videos 1:00 Hitz 1:30 Pavitra Rishta 2:35 Village Square 4:10 Movie 5:35 Los Rey 6:20 Spice Most 7:00 News Headline 7:10 Footprints 8:00 Pulse 234 8:30 Spider 9:00 Spice Specials 9:30 Soundcity Party Mix 10:30 Omnisport Sunday 8:00 Hutos 9:05 Arambara 9:35 Village Square 11:05 Snakes and Lizards 12:00 Soundcity’s Global Countdown 1:00 Hitz 1:30 Pavitra Rishta

2:40 Village Square 4:10 Movie 5:35 Los Rey 6:30 Glam Mamas 7:05 Before 30 7:30 Saints 8:00 Sunday Paparazzi Show 8:30 Spider 9:00 On the Couch 10:25 Omnisports 10:50 Movies

WAP TV

Saturday 06:00 Wap-Alaffs Report 06:30 Popular Songs 07:00 Kookoorokoo 09:30 Indomitable 10:00 Sport Arena 11:00 Awokogbon 12:30 Nnena and Friends 01:00 D Beat Zone 02:00 Destiny River Report 02:30 Reel Naija Spare my Life O4:30 Teju Baby Face Show 4:00 World News 4:30 Turning Point 5:00 Personalities Places and Events 5:30 Our Ladies Our Pride 6:00 Hitlist & Cruzing 6:30 Making of a Chef 7:00 The Valley Between 8:00 AIT News Hour 9:00 Tales of Eve 10:00 Taste of Love 12:00 Sunday Homily Sunday 06:00 Wap-Alaffs Report 06:30 Turning Point 07:00 The Relevant Church 07:30 Kookoorokoo 09:30 700 Club 10:00 Awokogbon Kogbodeye 11:30 X2D 12:00 Indian Series Omnibus 01:30 The Benjamins O2:00 Video Fashion 02:30 Thousand Laugh Xtra 04:30 Reel Naija Spare My Life 6:00 Igbo Series 6:30 Clinic Matters 7:00 I Love Nigeria 8:00 Knorr Taste Quest 9:00 Tales of Eve

RADIO

Rainbow 74.1 FM

FACE BEHIND THE VOICE

Wazobia’s Akas Baba

iplomatic Akas Baba had been a comedian before he joined radio in 2003 in Enugu State. 2008 was when he was employed in one of the most famous radio stations that brought him to limelight (Wazobia FM 95.1 Lagos) where he and his diplomatic colleague MC OPJ were

TELEVISION

handling Go-Slow Yarn by breaking, shooting, flogging and pouring water on the road show. Diplomatic Akas Baba was transferred to Port Harcourt after months of presentation in the Lagos station. He is now handling his own show in 94.1 Wazobia FM Port Harcourt.

Saturday 7:30 You and your Marriage 8:00 Whispers 9:00 Sports Tackle 10:00 Family Life 11:00 Kids on Radio 12:00 Hot Gist and D Sport 4:00 Wazobia Flavour 6:00 Request and Shout 11:30 Icon Saturday

Sunday 8:00 The Word with Interaction 9:00 God Bless Nigeria 10:00 Rainbow Gospel Gig 11:00 Talk your Own 11:30 Story Story 12:00 Classic Music 5: 00 180 Degrees 5:30 House Party Mix 9:00 Akamara 10:30 Afro Classic

Radio continental 102.3 fm

Akas Baba

Saturday 77:30 Papers Today 8:00 Good Living 10:00 Saturday Sports 12:45 Replay Africa 1:00 Fan Zone 4:00 Me & You 6:00 Entertainment Unscripted 7:30 Afrobeat Tonight 9:00 Single Life 10:30 Old School Groove

Sunday 7:00 Press Report 8:00 Church without Barrier 10:30 Think You Know the Bible 11:00 Country Music 1:00 Chart Busters 2:30 Palaver 5:00 World News 6:00 Youth Connect 8:00 Sunday Evening Groove 10:00 Music

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

The Arts

6 AUGUST 2016

Edwin Usoboh minent Nigerian citizens of Yoruba descent living in the United States of America and Canada have called upon all Nigerians to help promote the cultural and professional spirit of the Yoruba community in North America. They also called on the people to help reform Nigeria’s political and economic systems, eliminate corruption, and rebuild the country’s education and healthcare systems. These were the issues at a two-day national conference of the Egbe Omo Yoruba, which represents more than 400,000 native Nigerians or people of Nigerian descent living in the United States and Canada. The conference was attended by Yoruba scholars, including renowned Nigerian economist, Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande, President of Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri and Dr. Toyin Falola, Professor of African Studies and History at the University of Texas, Austin. The conference also included YorubaFest, a music, art and fashion event designed to promote the rich Yoruba culture in North America and in Nigeria. The conference was designed to bolster national efforts to attract American investment in Nigeria, accelerate economic growth and prosperity for the Yoruba people. In his keynote address, Akande, who was recently elected the first Nigerian president of a prestigious American university, highlighted some of the problems bedeviling the country. “Our beloved Nigeria isn’t working. Our Nigeria is mired in incompetence and corruption. Many of our public institutions barely function. In most respects, to refer to Nigeria as a third-

Scholars seek promotion of cultural spirit of Yoruba world country is to insult other thirdworld countries.” He noted that while President Muhammadu Buhari had launched a new campaign to battle corruption, “the real challenge is whether it will have any staying power.” He pointed out that the war on corruption could only be won if the government adopted serious prison reforms, solid witness protection programmes, and efficient anti-corruption agencies. “We need to exert unparalleled pressure on our politicians to become more accountable or be prepared to bear the consequences of bad behavior,” he said. Akande called on the government and people of Nigeria to rebuild the country’s ailing educational and healthcare systems, and to elect officials who “understand realistic goals and the importance of timelines; don’t make bombastic declarations and hollow promises, and don't show their cluelessness over sound fiscal policy.” He also challenged all Yorubas in Nigeria to elect better leaders. “In choosing many of our leaders, we have settled for mediocrity. We have allowed and have traded the boys in khaki (military-run government) for over-dressed vagabonds and their rentseeking thugs. In effect, we have abdicated our responsibilities as citizens in

Falola

a democracy,” he said. “My message is that we can – and we must – do better. It’s time to put an end to the era of rogues, narcissists and megalomaniacs as leaders. Let’s find leaders who put the ‘servant’ back in ‘public service,’ leadership that is truly

committed to providing service and is willing to sacrifice for the people.” Akande’s remarks were echoed by Dr. Falola who urged “Yoruba scholars all over the world to unite to pursue a set of related objectives, use Yoruba to universalize scholarship, that is, to turn our own data into theories with universal applications.” He said Nigerians must leverage on “the knowledge economy,” which he said “is more lucrative than the oil economy,” Nigeria’s biggest export. “The knowledge economy is tied with all forms of technologies and information that generate progress, and can be created in abundance, far more than any resources that are lifted from the ground.” Falola added: “The benefits from a knowledge economy can be translated and converted to limitless possibilities for people throughout Nigeria. Technology and sustainable development would help drive Nigeria’s economy and benefit Yorubas worldwide.” The conference focused heavily on economic opportunities for the U.S. in Nigeria, and for Nigerian businesses in North America. The event was sponsored by Dallasbased Axxess, a leader in providing integrated software for home health agencies, Excelle Financial Services, and Pure Pack Oil & Gas USA.

The Voice Nigeria winner, Arese, gets SUV, all-expense paid ticket Tony Okuyeme

t was a dream come true for Arese Emokpae, the winner of the first ever edition of The Voice Nigeria, as she was presented with an SUV, valued at N7m, by Africa Magic on Wednesday. The presentation which followed a press conference at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos, was done with Airtel Nigeria and Coca Cola, lead and associate sponsors. It also saw Arese receiving her four-day, all-expense paid ticket to Abu Dhabi courtesy Etihad Airways. Originally launched in 2010, The Voice has won audiences in the US, Australia, South Africa and the UK, where renowned artistes have occupied the show’s famous red chairs as coaches. The recently conArese in performance

cluded first season of The Voice Nigeria employed the same format including a panel of four respected coaches, Waje, 2baba, Patoranking and Timi Dakolo. The Voice Nigeria which began on the April 10, with 48 contestants ran for three months and featured all the excitement of blind auditions, contestant battles and the intrigue of the live shows and public voting. At the end of the nail-biting season, stage actress Arese Emokpae emerged as the first ever winner of show after an exciting live finale on the July 31, 2016. Speaking at the press conference, the Director, M-Net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, congratulated Arese for her performance, describing her as a “deserving winner’. “We are extremely delighted with the success of The Voice Nigeria. It’s the first ever season and we are thrilled with the outcome. For three

months, Nigerians and indeed the rest of the continent were treated to the best entertainment on television with our amazing coaches and contestants putting their best feet forward. Today we celebrate Arese who is undoubtedly a deserving winner and in the same vein thank our sponsors whose support made the show possible,” Mba-Uzoukwu said. Also speaking at the press conference, the Vice President, Brands and Advertising for Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Enitan Denloye, noted that the sponsorship of The Voice Nigeria is yet another example of Airtel’s commitment to empowering young, talented Nigerians like Arese, a deserving winner, who embodies the spirit of youth, passion, skill and perseverance. He said: “As Nigeria’s smartphone network, Airtel is always excited to enter partnerships that connect the Nigerian youth to their dreams. The Voice Nigeria presented an amazing opportunity to do this and we were more than excited to come on board as lead sponsors.” Arese, whilst expressing her delight at winning, also thanked Africa Magic and the show’s sponsors, even as she saluted the uniqueness of The Voice format. “The show is a cut above other singing reality shows. From

L-R: Arese and Mba-Uzoukwu pose with the SUV

the moment we started we knew we were on a different journey and the attention to detail, mentorship by the coaches and the incredible training sessions were unparalleled. At the end of the show I can confidently say that all the contestants showed incredible growth personally and professionally and we are all grateful for the experience, the exposure and the platform,” she said. Also speaking at the press conference, the Media Manager, Coca Cola Nigeria, Mr. Dozie Okafor, praised the production values of the show and the mass following the first season gar-

nered over its three-month run. Speaking further, Mr. Okafor hinted at deeper partnerships between Coca-Cola and The Voice contestants from season one, and for future editions of the show. Season one of The Voice Nigeria premiered on April 10 and the grand, live finale held on July 31. The show aired on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv 151) and Africa Magic Urban (DStv 153). The Voice Nigeria was brought to viewers by Africa Magic and sponsored by Airtel, in association with Coca Cola. Other sponsors included Unilever and Etihad Airways, the official carrier of the United Arab Emirates.

FRED NWAOZOR

“J

essy,” Jessica’s mum, Mrs. Rita Annan called as she entered into her (Jessica’s) room. The encounter was taking place immediately after Jessica’s return from Kumasi. She had arrived home at about 7:45pm (GMT) after the ugly experience she encountered at Francis’ home. The moment she got home, she snubbed her parents, Hon and Mrs. Annan who were seated at the sitting room when she arrived; she walked passed them and went straight to her bedroom looking pale and rejected, thus her mum followed her to the room to ascertain what was actually wrong. The parents had earlier been making frantic effort to reach her via her cell phone but the gadget wasn’t reachable. On his part, her dad Hon Mike Annan who had sensed what could be the problem was still seated in the parlour seemed like an armed robber in the police net who would soon be charged to court. Since he got married to his wife, Rita, he was yet to share with her what he did to his girlfriend called Kate when he was still single in spite of his eventual encounter with Francis, which would have propelled him to do so. “Mum.” Jessica responded in a very low tone as she lied bitterly in her bed. She went to the bed as soon as she entered the room having removed her foot-wears; never minded to undress herself. Her mum walked closer, sat at the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong with you?” She inquired. “Besides, what happened to your phone?” “I switched it off.” “Why?” Jessica was speechless. “Jessy, talk to me,” Mrs. Rita urged. “This is supposed to be one of your happiest moments; on the contrary, you are looking rejected.” “That’s the issue, mum.” She hinted, began to sob. “Oh my God,” Mrs. Annan exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you?” She sobbed heavily. “Go and ask daddy.” She managed to utter amid the weep. “Your dad?” Mrs. Rita verified. “You mean, my husband?” She reiterated, placing her left hand on her chest, seemed mesmerised. Jessica nodded. “Yes mum.” She replied in a jiffy. “Is okay, is okay.” Mrs. Annan surrendered. “I will be right back.” She assured, stood up and dashed out of the room. “Has she confided in you?” Hon. Mike inquired anxiously the moment his wife joined him in the parlour, still seated. Mrs. Rita walked closer, sat very adjacent to him. “No,” she responded hesitantly. “She refused to speak.” “What could be the problem?” Hon Mike thought aloud. “That’s why I am here,” quoth Mrs. Rita calmly. “She said I should ask you.” “Ask me?”

ShortStory

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Tainted omen II

“Yes.” “Of what?” “I don’t know,” she said. “But the way she sounded, it appeared you know much about what she’s passing through.” “She just returned from Kumasi,” quoth Hon Mike. “And both of us have been here waiting for her arrival.” He said, paused. His wife was quiet and attentive. “So, how would I know her plight?” He rode on in pretence. “When did I become a prophet…?” Before he could finish the last sentence, Jessica joined them in the parlour, really appeared pale having wiped out her tears. “Dad, you are aware of my predicament,” she interrupted. “Stop pretending.” She emphatically enjoined, standing. Her mum looked at her in awe. “What exactly is going on here.” She eventually uttered. Hon. Mike was left with no choice than to tell the tale which was long overdue, thus he began to speak therein. “You did this to a woman?” Mrs. Annan ranted after the story, which lasted for about fifteen minutes. “My fellow woman?” She added. “Dad, you are wicked and

“Please.., Kate.” Hon. Annan finally uttered. “That was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life.” He submissively asserted heartless.” Jessica shouted, forcedly sat on one of the white cushion chairs in the room. “You were lucky she didn’t pour you acid.” Mrs. Rita notified furiously, looked weird. Paused. There was a brief tranquility. “And, you never bothered to tell me all these while,” she continued. “Not even your daughter who is dating her son.” “I am very, very sorry for the inconveniences I have caused you both.” Hon Mike broke his silence. “Just that, I thought I would cause more harm than good if I shared the story with you, especially Jessy.” He concocted. “You thought?” His wife quar-

reled. “Just listen to yourself.” Jessica was speechless, looked mean in her seat. It was about 8:30pm (GMT) “So, why did you do that to her?” Mrs. Rita inquired, referring to the jilted Mrs. Kate. “Someone told me he caught her with another man,” Hon. Mike hesitantly replied. “So I couldn’t imagine settling down with a cheat.” “Someone told you…?” quoth Mrs. Rita. “You amuse me.” She added, paused. Jessica shook her head. “That means,” Mrs. Annan proceeded. “Someone can as well tell you I am cheating on you, and you would attempt to divorce me without finding out the truth?” “I really messed up,” Hon. Mike appreciated. “I was even ashamed of myself.” “I wish all your children are here to listen to you.” His wife said. Jessica was the first child of the couple, and none of her four siblings – all males, were living with the family. “Please, let’s stop this blame game,” Hon. Mike pleaded. “Right now, we should be concerned with how to make amends.” “So, what do we do?” Mrs. Rita enquired having seen reason

with him. “I suggest we pay them an unscheduled visit.” Hon. Mike said. “Thank God she’s happily married too, so she wouldn’t take it too hard on us.” He foresaw, referring to Mrs. Kate. “I pray your thought becomes a reality,” quoth Mrs. Annan. “Because I can’t afford to watch my daughter remain in this tattered mood.” Jessica stood up calmly, walked back to her bedroom. “My dear, take it easy, okay?” Mrs. Rita conscientised Jessica as she (Jessica) took her leave. “All will be alright.” She added, still seated alongside her hubby. First thing the following day being Sunday, the three embarked on a journey to Kumasi for the proposed tour. When they got to their destination, their unannounced visit was highly welcomed by the intended hosts, if not the aggrieved Mrs. Kate Ababio who felt like releasing a bullet on the man she had described as a monster; initially, she couldn’t withstand sharing the sitting room with him until her hubby, Chief Ababio sensitised her on the need to do otherwise. Hon. Annan on his part was very calm and silent, but his wife pleaded on his behalf while kneeling down. “I am your fellow woman,” quoth Mrs. Annan having made several pleas. “I understand exactly how you feel.” She landed, stood up and resumed her seat. “My dear,” Chief Ababio called his wife. “Please forgive him...” He asked. “Mum, please…” Francis interrupted. “If not for anything,” Chief Ababio rode on. “At least, for the sake of these children.” He said, pointing at Francis and Jessica who were closely seated. “Please.., Kate.” Hon. Annan finally uttered. “That was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life.” He submissively asserted. “I have forgiven you.” Mrs. Kate notified with much ado, smiled. Everywhere became agog on that Sunday morning on hearing the last statement. Everyone present including Francis younger ones who were privileged to witness the reconciliation couldn’t hide their joy. At the end, unalloyed harmony was felt among them. Behold, the taint eventually metamorphosed into a condiment! Two months later, Engr. Francis Ababio walked down the aisle with the bride of the moment, Miss Jessica Annan. It was a remarkable and epoch-making event, to the glory of God. • Nwaozor novelist, playwright and poet, is Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research & Career Development - Owerri

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Travel & Tourism

CHEF'S CORNER

Melon Soup

Ingredients: • Half cup of grinded melon • Three tablespoon palm oil • Two cups of water • Onions (thickly sliced) • Spinach (moderately sliced) • Season and salt to taste • Knorr soup satchet

Preparation: • In a dutch oven (pot), parboil the lamb chops, with onion and salt to taste. • In a small bowl, combine the grinded melon and onion, then mix to form a batter. • Mold into small balls and put them into the parboiled meat. • Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, add the crayfish, Knorr soup sachet, palm oil and cook till the melon balls are cooked. • Add the sliced spinach and stir and cook for few minutes and is ready to be served Culled: Knorr Taste Quest

TRAVEL BEATS As plans for the hosting of the seventh edition of the African Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) billed for the Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda for October 4-6, the organisers of the yearly forum as disclosed that it focus would be on critical areas affecting the development of hotels in Africa. According to the Managing Director of Bench Events, organisers of the conference, Matthew Weihs, “AHIF is renowned as the place where conversations lead to firm projects and the private and public sectors come together to form mutually beneficial partnerships,’’ with an impressive line – up of topical issues and speakers, which include: Economic outlook for Africa with Lars Christensen, founder and owner of Markets and Money Advisory and a Senior Fellow at London’s Adam Smith Institute, as speaker; Developing tourism infrastructure with Dr. Wolfgang Thome, Publisher, ATC News; Richard Bodin, Chief Commercial Officer, fastjet; John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir and Wolfgang Neumann, President & CEO, The Rezidor Hotel Group, as speakers; Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood with Alex Kyriakidis, President & Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International providing insights; Tackling political and security risk with Richard Kiplagat, Chief Operating Officer of Africa Practice and Col. Silas Udahemuka, Director General, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority on the panelists; The shape of the industry will have Thomas Emmanuel, Director of Business Development, STR, providing reviews of performance while the

ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA Editor, TRAVEL&TOURISM iroandy@ymail.com

AHIF 2016 to focus on crucial issues for hotel investment in Africa

Rwanda fixes Sept 2 for Gorilla naming ceremony

AHIF annual pipeline update with Trevor Ward, Managing Director, W Hospitality will reveal what new properties are coming online in the near future and he will consider where we are seeing a supply/ demand gap. Other topics include: The real African opportunity with Filippo Sona, DirectorHead of Hotels (MENA), Colliers International; Money matters: Raising capital; Successfully transacting in Africa; Making the best of natural assets – how Rwanda

Rwanda has fixed September 2 for the hosting its Gorilla naming ceremony. It will be the 12th edition of the annual Kwita Izina event, which was inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born and have since then served as a promoting event for its tourism. It also serves to raise awareness of the importance of the protection of species and their habitats at community, national, regional and international levels. About 216 mountain gorilla babies have been named since the inception of the event, with this year’s event expected to be attended by thousands of Rwandans, tourists and celebrities. The venue is Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcanoes National Park. Launched in 2005 by the then independent ORTPN, the Rwandan Office for Tourism and National Parks which has since become part of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), is Kwita Izina a uniquely Rwandan event. Series of activities leading to the naming ceremony are slated to begin on August 27, including: a conversation on conservation, conference, conservation and tourism exhibition, community project launches, a fundraising gala dinner and specially prepared Kwita Izina scientific tours. Last year’s Kwita Izina recorded 500 international and 20,000 local visitors.

built a lucrative and sustainable tourism industry around gorilla conservation; and Developing talent in Africa’s hospitality sector . AHIF brings together a prestigious group of international investors, business leaders, industry experts, government ministers and officials, from over 50 countries. It gives delegates the chance to network, learn about latest developments, share expertise, make business pitches and secure future deals.

Africa World Airlines partners Amadeus for growth Determined to grow its passengers’ numbers, Africa World Airlines (AWA) has partnered Amadeus to accelerate growth through its first-ever global distribution agreement that makes the airline’s full inventory available to Amadeus-connected travel agents worldwide with exclusivity specifically in Nigeria. Under this deal, Amadeus subscribers can efficiently search, sell and service bookings on AWA’s network of domestic and regional routes, having access to the same range of fares, schedules and availability as users who turn to AWA’s ticketing offices, call centres or website. This move, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Cheng Luo, is geared at expanding its regional and global operations: “We are well established in the Ghanaian

Travel Personality

Captain Mike Omokore: Search and rescue service is a life style

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market and are ready to expand our regional operations within the sub-region. Having entered into a commercial agreement with South African Airways to operate flights to the US, we are looking to use such alliances and collaborations to expand our network worldwide. The travel agency channel is a critical component to supporting our growth to reach more international travellers. We are pleased to partner with Amadeus to give the world’s largest network of travel agencies access to our fares.” While the General Manager, Amadeus, Nigeria and Ghana, Yann Gilbert, expressed delight over the partnership: "We are very proud to welcome one of Ghana’s most innovative airlines into our global travel community. This agreement offers AWA the most efficient and costeffective means to partner with travel agencies so they can expand their reach to travellers both domestically and around the globe. It also ensures our travel agency subscribers can access the best and widest range of content so they can service their customers’ travel needs comprehensively.”

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority slates carnival for Sept 14 The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has announced the date for hosting of its annual carnival celebration this year for September 14 -16, with the theme celebrating our diversity and billed for Harare, the Jacaranda city. According to the Chief Executive of ZTA, Kaseke Karikoga, this year’s carnival will focus on the diversities and inherent unity in the country and its various offerings. Registration by various participants has started while invitation is expected to be extended to Africa countries and others eliciting their participation and attendance at the yearly carnival event, which is part of the product by ZTA to promote Zimbabwe’s tourism.

Hospitality Hospitality

Destination

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Transcorp Westown Hotels: Hotels: Calabar’s Entices premier with bumper hotel Ramadan beckons offerings

Nigeria Tourism: Stakeholders Fascinating point pathway to growth but wintry p.42 Durban

40 Travel&Tourism

Becoming a pilot ike Omokore’s decision to become a pilot was influenced by his exposure to travel early in life and his fascination with the aircraft. With a dad that was always on the move, travelling around and a mother that loved discovering new things, it was obvious that any of the children could catch the bug and Mike just happened to be the one. “I was born into that kind of family where we travelled around and I always got very interested about the ‘guys’ flying the aircraft. I visited the cockpit once or twice when I was young and that was the motivation really and I never forgot the experience and even in school, friends and everybody were asking ‘you want to fly a plane, you want to become a pilot?’ “It was an innovation that was still developing, so it was a very good choice, a very, very good choice I must say,” he adds, as he explains how he finally becomes a pilot. “My initial training was in Zaria, Nigeria. I joined the Zaria (Nigerian College of Aviation Technology) school in 1980. I worked in operations then I went into the flying career itself as a pilot.” He also had further training abroad where he trained on flying helicopters besides flying the fixed wings, which he was trained on in Zaria.

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6 AUGUST 2016

CAPTAIN MIKE OMOKORE

I am dedicated to search and rescue service

Captain Mike Omokore, a pilot and chief executive officer of Broadlink Aviation and Tours Services Limited, speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on his career, aviation and tourism as well as his passion for search, and rescue service informs glowingly that “I can beat my chest and say we have done very well and we are still doing very well and there is more to be done. It is still dynamic.” He further reveals that he is building Broadlink as a brand that will outlive him. “I have never looked at Broadlink as a company that is for me because I am the founder. Is a generational thing, I have staff who have been there 15, 20 years and is a generational thing. That is the way I look at it. “I see it as something that I can hand over to another generation.

Flying aircraft for the first time was quite intriguing For Omokore, the most intriguing and cherished part of his career was not when he performed his inaugural flight as a qualified and certified pilot but rather flying aircraft for the first during his training period. “My first flight wasn’t something new to me because the training period was the most intriguing part. You have never handle the control before, something to take off from the ground on your own. That was quite intriguing. “But after school, the experience was not really something to celebrate as the vigour and the kind of training that we received in Zaria was really top class. We were never automated, we experienced the real thing. So, after leaving Zaria it wasn’t a big thing again flying a plane.” From flying the plane to delivering aviation and tourism services He certainly enjoyed flying and he still does but according to him, “just flying the plane was not enough,” hence he decided to explore further the world of travel with the aim of delivering services to the travelling public. High hunger, he says, was fuelled by his flying experience especially lodging in different hotels at different places. “While lodging in different hotels, I started to see hospitality from a different perspective and the different services and I started to see that there is void in that area.” The birth of Broadlink Aviation and Tours Services Limited He decided to set up Broadlink Aviation and Tours Services Limited in 1990 both in Nigeria and Dubai, which according to him, was from the outset focused on cargo business. That is moving cargo direct from Europe and the Far East to Nigeria. “My intention when I first went to China and Dubai was to connect with the cargo consolidators and see how cargoes can be moved directly to Nigeria instead of going to Europe first,” he says. But he didn’t stop at moving cargoes alone as he consolidated on his hold by moving passengers as well across the route because Nigerians then used Beirut, China and Hong Kong routes. He says the coming of Broadlink introduced Nigerian passengers to Dubai as it is on record that his company was about the first Nigerian’s company to popularise the Dubai route among Nigerians which

Introduction of Travelcard The future, he says, “is very bright,” for the company as it is innovative with the introduction of a new product known as Travelcard, which he says is a booking portal for different services in aviation and tourism ranging from tickets to hotels. The new portal, he says, is universal “because the portal is compatible with Amadeus and Galileo,” insisting that the aim is to create jobs for Nigerians and Africans. The product is yet to be launched, however, he says, once the funding issues are sorted out, it will be formally launched.

Omokore

TRAVEL PERSONALITY today has become the most travelled route by many Nigerians for both business and leisure and recently, education and medical tourism. “Since nobody goes to Dubai and they used to go to Beirut we said fine let’s try and make them go to Dubai so that we can try and ship goods from Hong Kong and China to Dubai and then we pick them up and fly direct to Nigeria,” he says, as he recalls of his early forage to the Dubai route. Exciting days He describes those early days as very exciting: “They were very eventful, you know when you take the bull by the horn. Very few people were ready to do that and in those days you don’t need too much money to start anything because you will always have support here and there and once you have a good product it will always bring you money itself one way or the other. Other engagements Besides the Dubai route and other Eastern and European routes packaged by Broadlink, he reveals that the company is heavily involved in the development of domestic tourism and Africa destinations, as he discloses thus: “I did a lot of tourism packages

and handled flights to Obudu, Sao Tome and Principe and other places. “In terms of aviation, we are doing charters and we are working with a couple of multinationals and a couple of state governments. We opened the Bauchi airport and we are trying to put something together with some companies who are very interested in Benue State, so we should be doing Benue in the next one or two months.” Growing the Broadlink brand Despite the obvious challenges, he says broadlink has done well, as he

BACKGROUND Captain Mike Omokore is the chief executive officer of Broadlink Aviation and Tours Services Limited with over 35 years’ experience in aviation and tourism. He started out as a pilot working with different airlines ranging from Bristow Helicopters, defunct ADC Airlines to private jet companies as well as majoring on private chartered business. Besides flying airplanes, which he still does regularly with relish, Omokore has through Broadlink taken on various aspects of aviation and tourism businesses ranging from chartered, cargo and tour packages. His company is credited as pioneering the Dubai route for Nigerians, travel products, educational and enlightenment services as well as search, rescue and emergency services, admitting that this is not just a passion for him but has become a life style as he is greatly involved in developing and promoting a culture of excellence in the field in the country. Omokore is married and has children.

A passion for search and rescue service One aspect of Omokore’s life is his fascination with search and rescue service, which he confesses has become more than a passion for him but now a lifestyle. He informs that from the initial training and programmes he undertook while at Bristow Helicopters, he has over the years schooled himself in the finest art of search, rescue and emergency service and now a noted expert in that field with a company set up and run by him that is totally devoted to that field. According to him, his official involvement in that field dates back to the defunct ADC Airlines crash in Itokin (Ejinrin) in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. Besides, he has worked closely with the aviation authorities in handling many of the air crashes recorded since then such as the Wings Aviation crash and that of Dana Air where he was actually the one that found and handed the black box to the Accident and Investigation Department. His passion now, he says is that “I really want to make sure that we can say that we are secured in a case of emergency and we know what to do. To be very sure that emergency doesn’t hit us unawares.” To underscore this commitment, he reveals that his outfit is partnering with a company called C Three to develop an application that people can activate on their phone during emergency and help will reach them within three, four minutes depending on their location in any part of the country.

Travel&Tourism

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

HOSPITALITY

HOSPITALITY BITS Governor Ikpeazu launches N6bn Swiss Hotel Enyimba in Aba Aba is set to welcome its first internationally branded hotel as Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has flag off N6bn Swiss Hotel Enyimba in Aba with the signing of partnership deal with Swiss International Hotels and Resorts for the reconstruction work of the Enyimba International Hotels, which was abandoned for years. According to the governor, the hotel project is a dream comes through for the people of the state and Aba, which lacks a benefiting international hotel for its towering commercial status. "What is happening today is dream come true because Aba is known for many important and strategic things in trade and commerce, especially in small and medium enterprises. "What we lack is a befitting five star hotel within the environment and landscape of Aba. This huge gap has militated against development and the presence of high profile investors in this land because we understand that no billionaire would like to invest in a place where he cannot pass the night.’’ The governor also expressed appreciation to Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) for getting Swiss International Hotels and Resorts to collaborate in reviving the hotel even as he pledged the full support and commitment of the state government to the hotel project. For the Chairman of ACCIMA, Nze Marculey Nwankwo, taking up the reconstruction of the once abandoned hotel, which has a total landmass spanning 14.28 acres stated by the former governor of old Imo State, late Sam Mbakwe, at this time, is a milestone for Ikpeazu's administration while he commended the leadership and the fighting spirit of ACCIMA in achieving this feat. According to one of the partners and chairman of Investory Signature Limited, Daniel Okeke, the strategic location of Aba and its commercial potential as well as the fame of the Swiss Spirit brand would make the hotel a choice haven for people. The proposed Swiss Hotel Enyimba Aba as a renowned global brand will suit the quest of intending investors and serves as recreation center in the commercial haven. The Managing Director - Africa, Swiss International Hotels and Resorts, Dr. Wasiu Babalola, disclosed that the hotel will be upgraded and will feature 141 rooms, made of 16 Executive suites and four Presidential suites with Swimming pool, racket courts and well equipped standard gym among other facilities.

Facade of the hotel. Inset: One of the rooms

TRANSCORP HOTELS

Calabar’s premier hotel beckons ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA who was in Transcorp Hotels Calabar writes on the facilities and services of the hotel, insisting that it remains a prime choice for travellers seeking distinct hospitality haven

alabar, the capital city of Cross River State, is known for its distinct nature, traditional hospitality and warmth of the inhabitants. It has in recent times risen to the status of unarguably Nigeria’s number one tourist destination. Its intensity and vivacity as well as vibrant, robust, colourful and pulsating nature as a destination comes alive between November and December every year when it hosts the Calabar Festival headlined by the Carnival Calabar. One of the choice hospitality homes of the city is Transcorp Hotels, which is noted for its enduring history. Formerly known as Metropolitan Hotel, the hotel, which is situated on Murtala Mohammed Highway, is the city’s premier hotel. It was formerly owned and managed by the government but now a private concern. Interestingly, one has witnessed its growth through the two stages and in fact, recently explored the hotel with its facilities and services rated as top notch. It has come a long way and transformed

to a choice hotel for both business travellers and leisure seekers. Just 15 minutes’ drive from the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, centrally located and easy to access from any part of the Canaan or Paradise City, as Calabar is fondly called, the hotel certainly presents choice and exceptional proposition for the people, rising to the occasion as a leisure haven of some sorts in recent time in the city. With a serene and attractive environment and scenery that has a calming effect on its visitors, its sophisticated, fascinating and luxuriating facilities include: Rooms The hotel offers over 140 plush rooms of different categories ranging from Standard room, Standard twin room, Poolside chalet, Royal suite (One bedroom and sitting room), Ambassador (One bedroom and sitting room) and Executive suite (Two bedroom and sitting room); all luxuriously styled, fitted and furnished to taste with basic amenities such as comfy bed, flat screen TV, work desk/chair, refrigerator, wifi and tea/coffee making machine as well as basic toiletries while the Executive suite, perhaps is the king of all, is for the high class and boast among others a well furnished sitting room and mini – bar. Dining Its Vienna Café offers African and continental dishes with traditional Efik local delicacies added to the buffet mix.

The restaurant setting is very attractive with free and easy flowing and discernible symmetry. Its Sunday brunch is top notch and attracts high patronage with its wide and rich selection of buffet ranging from Nigerian local and continental dishes. The hotel’s Chester bar, which is located in the lobby area of the hotel, is most popular with many of the residents and patrons of the hotel and is noted for its rich setting, which is a blend of classic and colourful scenery, offering a wide selection of drinks. It pastry offering is also delightsome with its burger said to be one the best munchies in the city. Conference facilities The hotel offers rich conference facilities for business, corporate and different social events all year round with it banquet hall and meeting rooms ranging from Jade room, Diamond ball to Pearl ball room. Fitness Transcorp Hotel also panders to the health and physical needs of the people with its array of fitness and recreational facilities, which include a well fitted fitness centre that is well located in a serene environment and boasts rich equipment for patrons to explore; tennis court, swimming pool, which is an Olympic size pool and fast becoming a swell spot to relax and keep away from the maddening crowd because of its rich closeted ambience.

L-R: Board Secretary/ Director, Enyimba International Hotels Limited, Barr. Goddy Isiguzo, Nwankwo and Babalola at the signing of the partnership agreement

NEW TELEGRAPH PARTNER HOTELS B E N E F I TS There are lots of benefits to derive as one of our partner hotels. For enquiries and details on how to join the programme, please contact Andrew Iro Okungbowa: 08023152195, e-mail: iroandy@ymail.com

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Travel&Tourism

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

DESTINATION

Fascinating but wintry Durban CHARLES OGUNDIYA who was in South Africa for the recently held Africa Athletics Champion in Durban writes on the thrills, frills and pleasures of Durban

Prologue The preparation for the journey was not all that smooth as one got the invitation to the recently held Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), 20th Senior Championship in Durban, South Africa, very late. This necessitated applying for travel visa very late as well but thank goodness that one had a return ticket already thus reducing the stress. I applied for the visa on June 17 and received an SMS that my visa was ready for collection on June 20, while my flight was scheduled for June 21 by 1:30pm. I planned to pick up my passport from the VFS’s office in Lekki first thing on Tuesday morning, as I was scheduled to travel the afternoon of the same day only for oneto discover that collection starts from 11am and I need to be at the airport same time for check in formalities. Given the tight schedule, I decided to leave my house at 9am but just then the heavens opened up with downpour compounding my problem. Running into heavy traffic at the Third Mainland Bridge, I abandoned the chauffeurdriven car and quickly hopped on the next available motorbike (Okada) despite the heavy rain and the driver’s assurances that the traffic

Day One he next morning I booked Mango Air flight to Durban city as that was the only available one. The flight was delayed for over two hours due to bad weather. It was a smooth flight to Durban, which was cold as ever. While trying to find my way out of the airport, I came across some of the CAA 20th African Senior Championships’ volunteers and I was immediately taken to a bus which dropped us off at one of the hotels designated for the athletes and the officials, Elangeni Hotel. I met two other Nigerian athletes (To-

would soon ease off. I got there in good time and picked up my passport with 10 days visa and headed straight to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport with the driver who had caught up with me at the VFS’s office. Traffic this time was not an issue. However, on getting to the airport, the check in counter was shut as check in formalities have been completed and one had to resort to pleading before one was later checked in and allowed to board. With that stressful episode behind and seated comfortably inside the aircraft, one began to reminiscence on one’s last journey to South Africa and looking forward to a successful event and once again linking up with some of my friends I met during the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) that was won by the Super Eagles, with the late Stephen Keshi as the coach. The flight was a smooth and pleasurable one with Arik Air’s in-flight entertainment living to its billings. I enjoyed a meal of jollof rice. It was the best that I have ever had onboard in recent time. We arrived Johannesburg late so I missed my booked Greyhound bus to Durban and had to sleep at the airport. I was tortured by the cold.

sin Oke and Olumide Olamigoke) at the hotel’s lobby where we were informed that Team Nigeria had been moved to another hotel, Marine Parade Garden Court. We walked to the new hotel where we met some officials of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria who warmly welcomed us. I later discovered that the guest house I had booked online was way out of the city and I had to hire a cab at so high a cost (200 Rands) to take me there. In fact that marked the beginning of the high expenses incurred during the course of the trip.

Aerial view of Kings Park Athletics Stadium, Durban, the venue of the CAA 20th Senior Athletics Championships

Shortly after check in at the guest house, I headed to the stadium for my accreditation and immediately swung into action and while trying to put a story together for the day with my sport editor barking deadline at the other end of the phone, my ‘beloved laptop,’ brand new, fell off my hand and went dead. I was completely shattered and what a way to begin. However, encouraged by my editor, I picked up myself and had to work on my story using my smart phone. The only medal recorded on the field on this day by Team Nigeria was a bronze by Stephen Mozia in the men’s shot put. Back to my room for the night, the weather was so cold that I went straight to bed without taking off my clothes except for my shoes and slept off without taking dinner. Day Two I woke up the next morning preoccupied with the issue of my laptop and went to my host, Pavithren Govender, the owner

of Jo Thams Guest House, to lay my worries before him and then he directed me to a shopping mall where I could find an engineer to take a look at the laptop. It was then it occurred to me to check the RAM (Random Access Memory) of the laptop only to discover that it had shifted from its position. All that was needed was to push it back and immediately it came back to life. Getting food stuffs at SPAR Since my guest house was a self-catering apartment, I decided to visit the SPAR to shop for some foodstuffs. I bought rice, noodles, egg, milk, bread and other cooking ingredients. It was after cooking my first meal that I discovered later that I was entitled to breakfast, lunch and dinner at the stadium every day as an accredited journalist. That put paid to self-catering except on the last day of my stay. But before then I was already cash strapped, living on shoe string budget. So one had to devised the best means of staying afloat such as cutting down on many expenses and using the cheapest public transport.

Nigerian dishes

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Again, Mozia brighten the day for Team Nigeria by adding another bronze medal in discuss throw to his haul. I found my way to my hotel that night using public transport, something I almost regretted due to the reception I received from the locals in the taxi. Some of them were drunk and I was very scared but I didn’t show that I was afraid of them. I jumped off the taxi before getting to my bus stop just to avoid any ugly incident. I got home and told my host who advised that I should be careful next time and if possible to return home before night fall. Day three With Team Nigeria not competing in the morning, Yemi Olus, Christopher Maduewesi and I went into town for some photo shoots and also visited the Nigeria contingent’s camp. Getting to the camp, we met the Federation president, Solomon Ogba, who took us to dine at a Nigerian restaurant. The restaurant was located within the local populace area and we were warned by our guide to keep our mobile phones as people around there do ‘jagba’, meaning phone snatching. We feasted on ‘eba and efo riro,’ to our delight as it was the first time that many of us would be eating Nigerian food since we arrived South Africa. Thereafter, we departed to the stadium for the evening session. I left the stadium early to meet with a friend of mine, Tholah Ngcongo, a South African, based in Johannesburg, who came to visit me in Durban. I met Tholah, a final year student of University of Johannesburg and her friend, Queen Gupta, during my first visit to the country in 2013. I was with another colleague from Nigeria, Olayinka Elebute. Since then, we have become friends and kept in touch. We had a happy reunion and spent quality time together in my hotel catching up on old times and current happenings in our lives, Nigeria and South Africa among others. And painfully, we bided good bye to each other in the evening as she departed for her Johannesburg base.

to withdraw some money but was disappointed when all the machines declined my card. Agitated by this, I had to quickly put calls across to some friends in Nigeria who have contacts in SA and fortunately for me, two of them came to my rescue and the exchange was done. While they gave me Rands, I was asked to transfer Naira into their accounts which I did immediately.

L-R: Chinwe Okoro, Nwanneka Okwelogu and Chioma Onyekwere made it a 1-2-3 for Nigeria in the women’s Discuss.

Journey to Pretoria for Enyimba Champions League game Nigeria’s sole representative on the continent, Enyimba of Aba, was billed to play with Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria two days after the athletics event. I took a night bus to Pretoria via Johannesburg and it was a smooth ride on the cold and wintry night. But on getting to Johannesburg the bus driver refused to proceed to Pretoria and instead asked all the passengers to disembark. One had to wait in the cold for more than 45 minutes before the arrival of Pretoria bound bus. I recalled that before Enyimba departed Nigeria, my editor had intimated the Chairman of Enyimba, Felix Anyansi, of my coming to cover the game and he promised among others to provide accommodation for me. But on getting to their Holiday Inn suite in Pretoria, the story changed and I was forced to find a hotel to stay despite my lean budget.

photo: making of champs.com

Ese Brume won gold medal in the women’s long jump event while it was total sweep for Team Nigeria in the Women’s shot put with the gold, silver and bronze medals won by own athletes. Singing the national anthem/medals haul Some of the major highlights of the fourth day included getting the opportunity to sing Nigeria’s national anthem as South Africa and Kenya’s anthems dominated the podium. We were all ecstatic singing the anthem when Tosin Oke, who won gold in the men’s triple jump, came to the podium. Our singing was infectious to the point that other journalists were envious of us because we sang as if we already won the competition with a Kenyan journalist shouting Igwe at the end of the rendition. Meeting with Namibia’s great athlete There was great expectation on the final day of the competition with Team Nigeria’s medal haul not enough to claim the podium. We expected to win at least two gold medals in women’s high jump and 4x400m relay but Doreen Amata failed to replicate her season’s best as she placed second while Divine Oduduru failed due to injury to run in the men’s 200m. Therefore, Team Nigeria ended the competition third on the final table

Ogundiya (r) with another Nigerian reporter, Olus

behind host South Africa with Kenya claiming the overall winners. It was a great opportunity for me to meet for the first time Namibia’s great, Franckie Fredricks, and he spoke of his disappointment in Nigeria’s inability to produce top sprinters. Finding transport money I had planned using my ATM card

Jide Taiwo to the rescue Fortunately for me, I met a Nigerian player based in Pretoria, Jide Taiwo, who hosted me in his house and provided a taxi cab at my beck and call. He was just God sent. The organisation of the host team was top notch right from the hotel to the stadium, we were treated like a king and nothing like intimidation from the officials, the fans and everyone involved with the game, something Nigeria representatives should learn from. Enyimba lost the game 2 – 1, failing to take advantage of their superior play and it was a dejected team that journeyed back to the hotel that night.

'One Lagos' to boost tourism

agos State government has signalled its intention to boost its tourism sector as it launched a new brand for the state, known as One Lagos. The state Commissioner for Tourism, Art and Culture, Folorunsho Folarin-Coker, said this last week at the formal launch of the brand at the Bar Beach. The state Governor, Akinwunmi Bode, was represented by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who performed the countdown ceremony preceding the fireworks, which enraptured and enlivened the mood and scenery. According to Folarin-Coker, the new initiative designed by his ministry is aimed at using culture and entertainment (music, exhibitions, dance, comedy and food among others) to the market the tourism of the state in fulfillment of the campaign promise by Ambode. It is also geared at creating awareness about the 50th anniversary of the state, which is billed for next year and bring together all the people and inhabitants of the state. “We are bringing everyone together with this initiative of “One Lagos” in order to ensure a continued and sustained peace which Lagos was known for and to create awareness about the 50th anniversary of Lagos State which will climax on May 27, 2017,” said Ambode. He revealed that tourism is the next big source of revenue in the quest for diversification of the country’s economic following the downturn in the

oil economy, hence the state is leveraging on the vast wealth of its tourism. “The global economy has a huge problem and here in Nigeria we are dealing with a lower price for oil and lower production, so our income at the centre is dwindling and that means what comes to the state is even lower. And this shows that we do not have a choice than to invest in alternative economy and income,” the governor said. He further stressed that Lagos is rich in culture, values and has all that any nation could possess to develop its economy base and that was why the state embarked on “One Lagos” campaign to reverse the negative conversation about Lagos. The brand launch was a three-day event packed with musical entertainment as many of the Nigerian musical artistes and cultural troupes took to the stage to entertain the people from all walks of life gathered at the venue of the coloruful and exciting event. Other attractions included dancing competitions, fashion runway and Kids’ entertainment segments with the first day witnessing such artistes as 9ice, Sexy Steel, Mc Bonus and Julius Agwu with Jimmie and Dadaboy Ehiz as hosts while Djs Spinall and Neptune were on the wheels keeping the crowd on the toes all through. Day two of the event was as eventful and jammed packed as the opening day with such artistes as Solid star, Skuki,

Cultural performance at the event

LAX, Konga, Yung L, Legeli, Julius Agwu, Big Chef, Mc Bonus and Pencil entertaining while some top Nigerian designers, such as O'saunders, Jreason, Mc Stell and Ayaba for Veba kept the runway busy with their avant garde designs. While the event climaxed on the third day with the formal launch of One Lagos with a full house entertained by a host of entertainers, including MI, CDQ, Reminisce, YCEE, Vector, Lil Kesh, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Chidinma, Adekunle Gold, Orezi, May D, Olumaintain, Saeon, Humble smith, Big chef and Terry Apala. The launch was anchored by AY, DJs Jimmy and Ehiz. Dj Neptune and Dj Caise were also on the wheels of steel treating the Ashafa and Folarin-Coker audience to astounding sounds.

Sportsplash 44 Showbiz

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6 august 2016

Celebrity RÈsume

FULL NAME Joseph Benjamin OCCUPATION Modeling, Voice over artist, Presenting and Acting DATE OF BIRTH November 9, 1976 STATE OF ORIGIN Kogi State CLAIM TO FAME Crossroads (1991) POSITION IN FAMILY Eldest son MARITAL STATUS Separated ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION Diploma in Computer Literacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka AWARDS WON African Actor of the Year award, at the 2012 African Film Awards. YEARS ACTIVE 1991–present FAMOUS FILMS Jungle Ride, Kiss and Tell , Married but Living Single, Stripped, Torn, Unfair, Darkside, Faith, Contract, Murder at Prime Suites, Mum, Dad, meet Sam, Few good Men, Blind Promise, Secret Box, Azuwa ,Folly, The Grave Dust, Jordan and Omoge Ofege among many others INSPIRATION God almighty REGRET Marrying out of pity CRITERION FOR MOVIE ROLES Value FATHERHOOD Two children- a boy and a girl.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 August 2016

'We won't let Nwobodo hijack Enugu APC'

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Politics

It's not yet time for Esan to rule Edo – Idahagbon

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Anambra 2017: Obiano, Ngige and the second term syndrome

ith time and tide ticking slowly to the next governorship election in Anambra State, the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano, is not letting his guards down in his bid to get a second term in office. Obiano who entered Anambra politics as a political neophyte and made it to the top echelon had indeed grown in lips and in bounds in the politics of the state, having learnt the ropes from the veterans and gurus, though he no longer have some of them with him, having fell apart. At the moment, the governor fondly called 'akpokuodike' seems unperturbed with the talks from presumed enemies that he will never get a second term in office. On the other hand, whether he returns to the Agu-Awka seat of government or not, he may not be bothered as some of his followers have argued that the governor has nothing to lose, and would rather return to the life he was used to in the United States of America. Obiano was not interested in contesting the position until providence looked upon him. He recently said: "Governance is not as easy as people think. Sometimes you don't sleep till morning because you are up all night, busy having meetings and consulting with people in order to make the state better than you met it. "I was in the US enjoying my life and I was called to come and do this. I was never interested in becoming a governor because I made a good career out of my banking job". Though he may have bared his mind in that statement, political watchers in the state have argued that 'power remains a sweet honey that once tasted, the yearning for more becomes stronger'. This may be the case with Obiano as one analyst recently put it, "power intoxicates like a fine wine, and once you are drunk with it, the hangover never dissipate". There are feelers that the governor despite his acclaimed good life in the United States is ready to do anything within his reach to ensure he holds grip on power for another four years and have the accolade of being the second governor in line to run an eight-year government in the state, a jinx that was broken by his predecessor, Peter Obi. Information gathered exclusively by Saturday Telegraph revealed that the governor has started mending fences and wooing the necessary brides including perceived enemies to his side. One of those instances is his recent statement at a stakeholder's meeting held at the

OLALEKAN OSIADE Assistant Editor 08033076969 lekanosiade@gmail.com lekanosiade@yahoo.com

Since the creation of Anambra State, only the immediate past governor, Peter Obi, had been able to scale the second term hurdle. Though, it is still one-year away from the governorship election in the state, the drums are already being beaten and the gladiators are equally perfecting their strategies in a race that might shake the state to its very foundation. PAMELA EBOH weighs the pros and cons of an emerging second term syndrome in the state.

Obiano

governor's lodge, where he openly revealed that he regret his fight with Obi. Admitting that the rancour was unnecessary, he said; "My brother, Obi, laid solid foundation for my administration. He is a great leader and I owe him gratitude. There is no doubt that without him we won’t be where we are today. "Our feud with him was uncalled for. He is a good man. I must thank my brother and predecessor, former governor Peter Obi who as the first APGA governor laid a good foundation for my administration to continue the journey for a better Anambra State. When we took over the reins of leadership, we realised that my predecessor had done a lot of work in the aspect of setting the

There is also another crop of politicians who feel punctured that despite having paid their dues in politics, a political neophyte was brought in to usurp their position and opportunity

fundamentals or what I call the enablers”. While some notable APGA chieftains in the state view that statement as a political mumbo jumbo, some political watchers were of the opinion that the governor is only acting up and cutting corners as a humble bride in order to set the ball rolling for a smooth transition to a second term in office. However, in the words of the former Commissioner for Information and Director General of Willie Obiano's first term campaign bid, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike, "Obiano can only succeed for a second term based on the works he has done. Only his works can speak for him, not 'Willie is working' slogans. His works will endear people to support him for a second term. Noboby can guarantee his second term except the people who are ultimately the voters". However, voters or not, the governor has alreday cast his net in the ocean with the expectation of catching the big fishes in the political chess board of the state who are the deciding factor as to who the baton would be given to. Apart from Obi who he feels has a good followership in the state and courting him will water the ground for more support, there is also an APGA chieftain and founding member of APGA who is perceived as the unseen brain box behind the wheels.

According to reliable politicians in the state, the governor had been wooing the said APGA chieftain to join his team to no avail. It was alleged that this big fish has refused to be caught based on certain conditions which the governor refused to accept. The first condition said to have been given by the APGA chieftain when he was approached by the governor’s team was that he will only join the train if he is allowed to come on board with his team, but that condition was refused by the governor, saying that he could not guarantee the loyalty of the group the 'big man' would bring on board. The second condition was for the governor to cease all ties with the former National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, that idea was also rebuffed by Obiano who saw it as an impossible mission. Various monetary overtures were said to have been made to the APGA chieftain including an allegation that N1million naira sent to him through a close ally for providing 'kola' to his group was rejected as the man stood by his conditions. Another dependable source close to the corridors of power said: "That APGA chieftain is someone he cannot do away with as far as Anambra State politics is concerned. He is like a bone in the throat of the governor as his name keeps popping up during strategy planning. "Unfortunately the man is an old second republic politician who believes in truth and principle, not the type of politicians of today who are ready to sell their birth right for money. "The governor has even said it to someone that was brought in to woo the APGA chieftain that he had never seen a Nigerian politician that would reject money for any other thing, that he was shocked when the man refused to take money or any manner of financial inducement. Others in the line of courting are the Presidents-General (PG) of the 177 communities in the state. It was gathered that at a recent closed-door section at the governor's lodge in Amawbia, the governor in an effort to woo them to his side asked them to nominate three contractors each from their communities. An inside source at the meeting said that the in addition, he promised to start paying them monthly stipend of N20, 000 but that the gesture was turned down by most of the leaders who dismissed it as worthless and below their level while promising to ensure that the mistake of 2013 was corrected even as some out of the fear of the EFCC said they would not nominate any contractor to avoid having troubles with the law. The governor was quoted as saying in Igbo, “Ndi PG anyi ga-eri ihe this time” meaning, our PGs will eat this time. It was C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4 8

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We won't let Nwobodo hijack Enugu APC – Nwoga, suspended party chair

Chief Anike Nwoga is a suspended vice chairman of the APC in Enugu State, in charge of Enugu East senatorial zone of the state. In this interview with KENNETH OFOMA, he opens up on the reasons for his purported suspension and insisted that the suspension was illegal and of no effect. Excerpts:

If Nwoye remains the state chairman of the APC, the party can never win councillorship election, even if he lines up 100s of Jim Nwobodos

Why were you suspended as the vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in charge of Enugu East senatorial zone of the state? It is an illegal suspension which can never stand, our trouble started because of money. First is that the party registered some members and N10 million was given from the national body to pay the people who conducted the registration. When was that? The money was paid in 2015, it was N10 million. But people who did this registration got no kobo and if you call them tomorrow for any other assignment, I don’t think you will see them. That is number one. Then, number two was about party forms. Money was given after elections, it was proceeds from the sale of nomination forms. My fight with them is that I have been criticising him as a person; I have been criticising him from the beginning; that he doesn’t know about party administration, he cannot manage the party. He came from America. That notwithstanding, what brought about the trouble now in the zone (Enugu East) is that on May 6, I issued a press statement, it was reported in some national newspapers. I said that PDP will lose Enugu State in 2019 elections and that APC will win the state. That was on May 6 and 7, then on the 8th, the chairman of the party organised this purported suspension with the support of Chief Jim Nwobodo. But the people that suspended you were Enugu East zonal officers of the party? It was some local government chairmen and some officers from the zone, they are hungry people and they were instigated by Nwobodo and Ben Nwoye the state chairman because three of us are from the same senatorial zone. When they said that they have suspended me, I said that they were joking. You don’t suspend officer like that, because some of them are working for PDP in Enugu. I issued the statement on the 6th and 7th and on May 8, they held a meeting of the zone where they carried out their purported suspension. And some national newspapers reported on May 9 that I have been suspended for anti-party activities. They did it because they were working for the PDP, the state chairman of the party, Ben Nwoye and the South East vice chairman, Emma Eneukwu are known to be working for PDP till tomorrow, we know it very well. Why do you think Nwobodo played a role in your suspension? During Dasukigate, he said he want-

Nwoga

ed to come into the party, I said Nwobodo should go and clear himself of the allegation he is being accused of and not to jump into the APC. I said so and I still maintain it. It is no offence, I can criticise the national chairman of my party, I can criticise the president of this country, I can criticise anybody. I have freedom of speech. So that angered Nwobodo, and he used Nwoye and some hungry boys to claim that they have suspended me. I have been a progressive more than all of them. I was national youth leader of the ANPP, I was chairman of the CPC in Enugu State, I’m now vice chairman of the APC, so I don’t see how they will accuse me of anti-party activities. Is it that you are against Nwobodo joining the APC? No, no, no, the door of APC is opened to everybody, everybody is free to join this party, but when Nwobodo came into the party, his ambition was to hijack the party, and we can never allow him to hijack the APC in Enugu State or in that zone. It is not possible; we can never allow him to hijack the party because if he is allowed to hijack the party as he is planning to do, we will lose the state. Some people accuse you of working for former Senate President, Ken Nnamani whom they alleged is also planning to join the party? No, Nnamani is in PDP. But he has resigned from the PDP? He is not a member of the APC as at today.

But we learnt he will join the APC next month? I don’t know about his intentions. As of today that I’m talking to you, Nnamani is still in the PDP, he has not joined APC. So anybody who is accusing me of working for Nnamani is talking nonsense. And I can tell you also that even if Nnamani joins the APC tomorrow, you cannot compare him with Nwobodo in the zone and in this state. Nnamani was number three man in this country, a former Senate President of this country. Have you forgotten that Nwobodo was a former governor of old Anambra State, a former minister and former senator? Yes, he was a former governor; former senator and former minister but you cannot compare him with the number three man in the country.

were issued in your name but that the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Chief Osita Okechukwu, is the brain behind it. It is not true, I’m educated, it is not true. I can write my statement, I can write anything. It is just mere allegation. The chairman of the party in the state doesn’t know what he is doing, he is not in good terms with the minister, he is not in good term with the DG (Okechukwu), he is not in good terms with the Special Adviser to the President of Judicial Reforms (Juliet Ibekaku); he is not in good terms with the three people who are in government from this state. I told you that he is not leading fine; he is not a good manager. There was a statement by another person, one Emeka Anike, purporting that your suspension was because at an Awgu rally, where you spoke against Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu calling international community into his trial. But from what Dr. Ben Nwoye told the press, you have been suspended already before that rally at Awgu? Before the rally I have been suspended partially but it has not been fully established until after Awgu rally. I went there, what I said was that, Ekweremadu is our son, I said Ekweremadu could not have written to the international community and that he should stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari. That was what I said. Emeka Anike who made that statement is the organising secretary of APC in Enugu East senatorial zone. His name was one of those forged in suspending me, he did not sign any document but they forged his signature. That one alone disqualified all that they did. Are you now saying that it was after that rally that they now ratified your suspension by the state executive committee? Yes it was after the rally to show that they are working for the PDP, particularly the state chairman. But the state chairman told the press that that couldn’t have been the reason for your suspension because he had earlier addressed a press conference where he said the same thing about Ekweremadu? It is not true. He has never said anything about Ekweremadu.

Is it true that you worked closely with him when he was a governor? I worked with him very, very much.

But there are confirmations. Well I don’t know about it, I didn’t see it. Ok, if he said so, I don’t know. That is on his own, but I’m telling you that in this state if Nwoye remains the state chairman of the APC, the party can never win councillorship election, even if he lines up 100s of Jim Nwobodos behind him.

So when did two of you fall apart? He has been in the PDP for years and I have been in the progressive party for more than 16 years with President Buhari. He can’t just come into the party today and hijack the party; we will not allow it to happen. I’m the only CPC man in Enugu that is in the APC state executive. The majority of them are from PDP, it is not possible!

Why do you say so? Because he is bad manager and he is working for the PDP. When the government here wanted to appoint a local government caretaker committee, members of the state executive kicked against it but Nwoye fought that it must stand. The Publicity Secretary of the party Mrs. Kate Offor, issued a statement against it and Nwoye fought her.

During a press conference, Nwoye alleged that most of the press releases

CONTINUe ON PAGE 48

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It's not yet time for Esan to rule Edo –Idahagbon What is your view on the just concluded APC primaries that produced Godwin Obaseki? As a commissioner, if I was the APC candidate, I would have won that election so long as I have the backing of the state number one citizen. It is high time we started to appreciate people that have done good work for us. The team that conducted the primaries did an excellent job, and they should be given a pat on the back. As far as I’m concern, that election was very free and fair. You know that those it did not favour will definitely have one negative story or the other to say about it. Some of them are not politicians,they should go and examine themselves. Only God can stop APC’s victory. Again there is no place in the world where there are free elections so what we are seeing is expected. What does the victory of Obaseki mean to you and the A PC ? The emergence of Obaseki is another milestone in the political history of Edo State, in the administration of the comrade governor, it means a new dawn for us all, it means another era of political development that will come to Edo again. A period where our people will witness another Oshiomhole in action in terms of development and good governance.We are happy that we have a man who is very vast in economic and also a good manager to step into the shoes of the outgoing governor. Our critics say that Obaseki does not have the political structure to be governor of the state, it is not done that way, most successful leaders in the world today are not core politicians yet they do very well. We need someone that has the knowledge of the present day economy who will be able to pilot the affairs of the state without necessarily waiting for Abuja to bring money

Edo State Attorney- General, Barrister Henry Idahagbon, in this interview, he bares his mind on the eight years tenure of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, among other issues. Excerpts: before he can do projects. In the face of the declining oil revenue globally, we need an expert to manage the state for the good of us all. More so, for the comrade governor to have gone for Obaseki, means that the man has something to offer. We will support him to ensure that this dream comes to reality. What are the chances of defeating a grass rooted politician like Ize- Iyamu? This government has done very well for the people of this state, Oshiomhole's achievements is a gateway to Obaseki’s victo-

ry. Oshiomhole has opened our eyes, we now know that there is money in the state for any politician who really want to serve his people with all sincerity. There is no local government in the state that this administration did not reach. Our people needed development and they saw it. So, tell me why they would not want the development to continue.There is going to be a fight, but I make bold to say that Obaseki will beat Ize-Iyamu silly. PDP is a bread weight to us, we will compound their woes after the September 10 election. The large turnout of the delegates to vote Obaseki, is a clear demonstration that the people want him as their next governor. So, it is only God that can stop our victory. Oshiomhole battled god-fatherism to a stand still in Edo State, but today his name is synonymous with it by imposing a candidate on the party. Do you agree? The idea of god-fatherism is completely dead in Edo State. He brought in Obaseki because he believes in him, he knows that the man is competent to manage the state very well and even surpass his own records. Obaseki has the approval of Edo people, that to me is not god-fatherism. Again, there were other aspirants that took part in the election so if it was imposition, it would have be an easy ticket . Whether the people like it or not, he is our next governor.

Idahagbon

Is it true that Oshiomhole and Obaseki own Edo University in Iyahmo? It is not true. Edo University is purely

an Edo State property, and would be under the management of the state. Anybody who is in doubt can go to the Nigeria University Commission to verify. Also, there is no law in Nigeria stating that a state is only entitled to one university. So people should stop saying what they do not know. I must tell you that the school is one of the best in the country and students that will be opportuned to attend the university will enjoy everything. People have accused Oshiomhole of giving so much power to hoodlums and ‘Area Boys’ in so much that they control the economy of the state. Look there are bad boys all over the world, whether he gave them powers is what I cannot attest to. As the Attorney- General, any criminal case that comes to our office no matter who you are, we make sure that justice takes its course. I think the governor will be in a better position to answer such question. I know by the time Obaseki comes in as governor, he might want to get them off the streets. Esan people complain of marginalisation in this government, do you agree with them? There is no side that has been marginalised by this government, they want to be governor, it is not yet their time, so they should wait for their own time.This government has done its best and we should commend it. Some of them are so greedy. They should learn to be patience, when it is their own turn, nobody will deny them of it. We must joins hands to build this state.

There's no reasonable leader in PDP – Little

What is your take on the power tussle between Senators Ali Modu-Sherif and Ahmed Makarfi for the national chairmanship of the PDP? Politics is based on interest, and I know that because of my experience in the PDP. I started with the position of ward chairman and secretary to the local government. I joined the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while in Action Congress (AC) before it changed to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). But we later returned to the PDP based on interest. We consider politics in such a way that a lot will be going to our people at the national level in particular. And we do believe that once your interest is not protected, then a change has to take place and that is why we had such a change. All I knew is, I don’t have a position in PDP currently, but the former governor who was my leader and my mentor in the state, Malam Isa Yuguda, was a kind person with good character, philanthropist and enthusiastic leader whose vision was to lead his people and help them when the need arises. How true is the rumour making the rounds that Yuguda has dumped the PDP ? Yuguda had to leave the PDP because of the poor leadership in the party, and he felt that such problem could no longer be corrected in the PDP. So, I reaffirmed that I am not a member of the PDP and I said it earlier, politics is played on interest or to defend the interest of someone you like or your master. You also have to believe me that my master, Yuguda, has left PDP and same with me.

The issues of defection became rampant after the 2015 general election in the country. Why is this so? I have to reemphasise that being in

Alhaji Abdullah Little was a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State and one of the key stakeholders during the administration of Malam Isa Yuguda. In this interview with ALHASSAN YUSUF, he spoke on the national chairmanship tussle within the party among other issues. Excerpts... politics is something based on interest, and where you think your people have the majority is where you have to join and those that have defected from PDP to another party could have done so a result of bad leadership within the system and the people in that party had to shun it for a new one. It was the inability of the leaders to use of their position to unite members and intensify progressive development that led to the mass defection. Some members of the PDP might have left their party due to the fact that they were defeated at the polls and failed to understand that leadership is given by God. About the current chairmanship power tussle in the PDP, there must be something on ground which only their members know. Secondly, there was neglect of human rights by the leadership of the party, coupled with dictatorship. You have to agree with me that whoever is in power, be it a Christian or Muslim, leadership cannot stay long if there is injustice. And you have to believe that God himself forbid injustice. Believe me, the PDP does not have reasonable leaders. In Bauchi, the present administration in the PDP needs to sit up, we cannot say they fail but a lot of wrong doings were paramount in their leadership. That was among the many reasons those in the PDP had to defect to the APC, it was as a result of bad leadership in the PDP. That is the truth of the matter. When the politics was going smoothly in Bauchi in 2007, when Yuguda stepped forward with good intention to help the people of the state, it was a testimony that the state and its entire population are still giving. Yuguda was in politics then to give

freedom to the people and isolate them from the wrong leadership they found themselves. And going back to the leadership of PDP as I have told you, I am not part of it but there were challenges of leadership at national level. When Ahmadu Mua’zu was the chairman, if there were problems at the national level of the party, all what he did was to organise and meet with senior stakeholders and senior party members who supported the party to win the election and get to power. So, what happened through the defections will serve as deterrent to them. It was as a result of what they did to their people in the past. Why couldn't the PDP resolve the chairmanship crisis amicably? There is no way you will think that, just overnight, Modu-Sherif will contest and win the party chairmanship without consultation with some governors, ex-governors, some senators and members of the House of Representatives, or even lawmakers at the state level, who have done well for the party; but to our dismay some people just looked for a place to gather and voted Modu-Sherif just like that, that was done wrongly which is part of the injustice taking place in the PDP leadership. The emergence of Modu-Sherif was very surprising. You have to ask yourself; When did Modu-Sherif left the APC and defect to the PDP. Handing over the chairmanship of a national party to someone who defected not so long from another party is something questionable. Leadership does not require dirty hands but clean ones and once you intend to vie for leadership position, be sure that you are very clean, be a man of integrity and a reasonable

leader. Therefore the present leadership challenges in the PDP was just because of bad leadership, and this is one of the reasons why Yuguda who served as a minister in PDP, and won his governorship election under the ANPP had to defect to the PDP, then, with good mind to take his people onboard with a view to fulfilling the mandate of his people and he served them very well. I can tell you that Yuguda has done a lot for his people but they forgot his good works, and now they are crying and are presently remebering his good deeds. Believe me, the defection has indeed brought about developmental changes which include, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi State University, Gadau, improvement on TETFUNDS in the state, and scholarships to students to study abroad, among others. Take for example, people like Ken Nnamani, Atiku Abubakar, Aliyu Wamako and Rabiu Kwankwaso, they believe that there will never be justice in the PDP and that is why they left and defected from the party. And if that is what we call leadership in politics, then there should be no more politics. And if we are to refer to what Yuguda has said about PDP, considering the bad leadership that is happening in the party, which caused him to dump the party, and then we can thumb him up, and commend him for doing so, not only in the state but in the country at large. Yuguda has done his best to bring about changes, to see that there were good changes in the party but all efforts proved abortive, and that is why he decided to get out of the party.

Politics

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

Ngige eyes second term guber seat

6 august 2016

CONTINUed FROM PAGE45

also revealed that the governor is no longer comfortable with the rising acceptability of “Correction 2017” reigning across the state hence; he is seeking the support of the PGs. Obiano may have garnered a lot of enemies in his journey to political stardom; those who felt abandoned, betrayed, dumped and neglected. This crop of bed fellows may ultimately not want to see his face and well nurtured hair again as the number one man in Anambra as a result they are bent on tightening all loose ends to ensure he doesn't succeed. There is also another crop of politicians who feel punctured that despite having paid their dues in politics, a political neophyte was brought in to usurp their position and opportunity. To this group, Obiano must be ousted. Like in the words of an APGA chieftain; "Obiano abandoned the right direction and chose to chase shadow. "He surrounded himself with sycophants who only sing his praise for what they can get without telling him the truth as it is. They are only destroying him for their selfish gain and the man is not aware of that. Now the time has come and we are waiting, let's see how he will succeed in securing a second term. It’s obvious he will share money but will that money materialise into votes?” The governor in his effort to pull the string has also employed more hands in the media to help propagate his good works but talks have it that those being brought in are more of administrative media men, not those with the type of magic to start a fire and quell it without calling on the gods. Also the former governor of the state and presently the Minister of Labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige has repeatedly said that he has not finished the good work he started in Anambra State as a governor before his sojourn was cut short by the court. At a recent stakeholders meeting, Ngige declared that the APC would be the party to beat in the 2017 governorship election in the state, bragging that the good works he did while steering the ship would speak for him. He said: “APC will be in serious conten-

Ngige

Obi

tion for the office next year because we are determined to take over the Government House. However, it is too early to begin to talk about whether one will contest or not since, by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, the governorship election will take place perhaps, in December next year. “Before then, the marshal plan APC has for Nigeria would have been on ground properly as we believe that will help us during the campaigns. "For now, anybody saying he is campaigning for the governorship is only wasting his time as there is still enough time for that. “My performance as governor between 2003 and 2006 would be in good stead for our party in the race. The former governor Peter Obi and his successor, Chief Obiano, could not equal my performance. Even when they tried to do multiplicity of roads, their roads have collapsed, while the ones I did are still in perfect conditions. Even the handover of schools they are priding themselves with was started by me as I had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the religious leaders and handed over 37 schools on paper before we left office. “If they had followed my agricultural road map, Anambra State would have been

Ngige has repeatedly said that he has not finished the good work he started in Anambra State as a governor before his sojourn was cut short by the court... bragging that the good works he did while steering the ship would speak for him

feeding the whole nation with rice by now. If I were to be governor today, I won’t be going to Abuja for money because our state would have been self-sufficient. “A governor and his wife cannot be flying to and fro Abuja at the cost of N6 million each while the Igbariam farm settlement is begging for attention. You people should get ready to chase them out of government house next year”. However, the governor seems unperturbed despite the side talks and political crucifixions. The former bank administrator is busy upping his game and working hard to endear himself to the electorate who ultimately hold the key to determine who will become victorious at the polls. So far, Obiano, apart from making effort to woo the political giants in the state, he has his good works going for him especially in the area of security which has stood him out. He has also improved on Agriculture a great deal so much so that Anambra State has joined the league of exporting states in Nigeria following the success recorded in the sector with the exportation of local rice, pumpkin and bitter leaves to the United Kingdom. But the question remains: Will Obiano be able to cross the hurdle? Only time can tell.

'My suspension, an illegality that can't stand' CONTINUed FROM PAGE46

But some people also went to court? Yes some people went to court to stop the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Nwoye asked why they should go to court. But should some people went to court to challenge the state governor without the state chairman of the party being part of it? Ben Nwoye was not part of it; he refused to be part of it. Then they left on their own to court. Why did you kick against the setting up of local government caretaker committee when almost all the governors, including APC governors are doing so? No, no I was not part of people who kicked against the caretaker committe, I was not part of it at all, I was in Abuja when it was happening. APC governors, state governments have so many caretaker committees in many states, so I was not part of it but what I’m saying is that the state chairman of our party, cannot win election here, even if brings 100 Nwobodos on board. Nwoye

But you can’t be popular when you are

scaring people away from your party? Nobody is scaring people away; I have mobilised people into the APC. At least some member who contested in Nkanu West and Nkanu East, like Tony Nwoye, I brought them from APGA into this party. Nwoye has not attracted anybody into this party, he has not. Nobody is scaring anybody away, it is just an allegation so that Nwobodo will be working with them, Nwobodo wants to hijack the party. Yo have been accused of going to Enugu West senatorial zone to champion the removal of the senator representing the zone, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu? In anywhere in the state where there is a party function, as a party man, I must be there if I’m not indisposed. It was a party affair, whether the chairman of the zone was there or not doesn’t concern me, but I know that it was an APC affair. It was on the air, people were invited to be there by the deputy chairman of the party A.C. Ude who is from the zone. I was not championing the removal of Ekweremadu, I never championed his removal at all. What I said was that he shouldn’t have written the international community and that he should stop at-

tacking Mr. President, that’s what I said. Nwoye specifically alleged that Okechukwu is using you to create problems because of his personal ambition. Is that true? It is not true. I don't know whether the D.G. of VON has a political ambition, I don’t know, but any politician must have an ambition and he can never use me. I was in politics before him, there is no way he can use me, no way. My problem with people is that I always say things the way they are and I insist that people should say the truth no matter what. And I can’t be bought; nobody can ever buy me in politics. So what is the way forward? There will always be crisis in the party and if we can come together, it would be resolved. Nwobodo, who came into the party, as a father, as an elder could have made peace, but the moment he came into the party, crisis in the zone started because of Dasukigate that I mentioned. He now wants to take the party into his compound, but it will not be possible because as they are accusing me of working for Nnamani, if he comes into the party, Nnamani is a force to be reckoned with in Enugu politics and that of Nigeria.

6 AUGUST 2016

Young Telegraph with DEBORAH OCHENI

TOPIC

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

I don’t care

It is not easy

It is not easy coping with peer pressure at all but there is always God.

There is so much pressure from peers but who cares. I know the stuff I am made of.

CHARITY ATTAH

AKIN ADEOLA

No room for pressure

I play along

Its sounds strange to me because I don’t give room for anything that gives me pressure. I am not in any competition.

The pressure is weighty but I don’t allow it weighs me down, I play along. JUDE IGWE

AMAH AKON

I feel terrible

I am managing it well

That is a serious challenge in this modern dispensation because some people even make one to feel terrible about it.

Once there is life, there is hope, I am managing the pressure well.

NAT ADEMOLA

PASCALINE ADA

I feel bad about it

All fingers not same

When some people make you feel that you are nobody because you have not attain the height they are, one will feel bad about it. But there is no problem.

I believe all fingers are not the same; I don’t allow it get to me because I believe time and chance happen to them all SAM ONOGWU

RUTH MOSES

I work harder

For a long time, I have learnt that everyone cannot be in the same position at the same time. I just try to work hard. TOPE SUWEJE

Coping with peer pressure

I don’t feel any

At times the things we fear most are things that don’t exist, I am not afraid of anything so I don’t feel any pressure. ANN EDIBO

Interview

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

My Columbia University Graduate School Scholarship, a dream fulfilled –Adesewa Josh taking the opportunity. In the process, I saw another opportunity for master’s at the Columbia School of Journalism and I applied like many others. I was in Nigeria when the school responded. When I got the mail, I was afraid to open it because of the way they always start such mails. But I summoned courage later and when I opened it, behold, it was good news; I had been successful and selected, plus I got a scholarship. It is a dream comes true.

Adesewa Josh is a prime time news anchor and correspondent currently practicing with Africa’s best television of the year, and Nigeria’s 10th time best TV station, Channels Television. She is the convener of Project Smile Africa; a community-based project that reaches out to children and teens in rural communities. She spoke to ISIOMA MADIKE on her upcoming Masters degree programme at the Columbia University, New York, United State of America and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

How did you venture into journalism? I got on television when I was about eight years old, participating in children shows then at the Galaxy Television. Prior to my advent into full time and professional broadcast journalism, I was a client service executive with a small start-up company shortly after I graduated from the university. I led the marketing team to create a strategic marketing campaign for the company’s new products. Shortly after that, I worked with a local production company as a producer, presenter and field director for a lifestyle programme. I started my own media consultancy firm known as Fariedah Fariedah in 2012, and had offered consultancy services to top political figures.

How would you like to describe yourself? Well, I would say that Adesewa Josh is a prime time news anchor and correspondent, currently practicing with Africa’s best television of the year, and Nigeria’s 10th time best TV station, Channels Television. She is the convener of Project Smile Africa; a community-based project that reaches out to children and teens in rural communities. She holds a post-graduate diploma in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Lagos State University, and a first degree in Science Laboratory Technology from the Federal University, Akure, a certificate in governance from Alder Consulting, another certificate in TV presentation from UK’s Aspire Presenting Institute. She trained as a producer with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Adesewa is a speaker and media trainer. She is also a member of the young African Leader initiative Network (YALIN) and the Global Investigative Journalism Network. That is just me. What has been your career milestone success? That is an interesting question. In 2014, I just got a call from the embassy asking if I would like to go for the US-Africa summit at the White House. I was the only TV broadcast journalist from Nigeria nominated by the US Government to report on that historic Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC. During the summit, I was the only African journalist who reported alongside CNN, AP, and AURN among others at the second African First Ladies conference hosted by the US First Lady, Michelle Obama. Prior to this, I was the only correspondent from West Africa invited to cover the maiden edition of the George W. Bush African First Ladies conference in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, where I interviewed the First Lady – Her Excellency, ‘Madame Salma Kikwete’, top government officials, reputable African businessmen and women among others. At the first World Economic Forum Africa held in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, I was the station’s correspondent on ground who reported extensively on the event, interviewing African leaders, top I take advantage businessmen, and Brazil’s former of my platform President, Lula Da Silva.

What were some remarkable things you did back then as a journalist? I have always been an advocate of the girl child, I take advantage of my platform to shed more light on issues bordering on girl child education, women empowerment, among others. As the convener of Project Smile Africa, I led a team of professional volunteers to a rural community in Lagos in 2013 to reach out to over 1,000 children between ages four-17 years, who live in abject poverty. My team and I raised funds for the project from volunteers and local investors. I had been an actor, featuring in the popular DSTV drama series, Tinsel. As a one-time model, I also graced major Nigerian brands, including Multivite. My intention has always been to add value, especially to the generation next. Could you tell us more about PROJECT SMILE AFRICA? PROJECT SMILE AFRICA is a community-based project, reaching out to children in a bid to create better societies across Africa once every year. #ProjectSmileAfrica targets poor communities, and provides books, clothes, shoes and toys for the children. As the project expands, we hope to be able to embark on bigger community projects sequel to anticipated increase in our donor and volunteer base. As a project reaching out to the socio-economic needs of children in Africa between the ages of 0-19 through education and empowerment, we are a group of professional volunteers and we implement project tailored to our research and expert analysis worldwide. PROJECT SMILE AFRICA works with volunteers including professionals and donors to bring each community tailored project to fruition. We believe that little consistent changes can change the world, putting as little as a smile on a child’s face can change their life forever. In the nearest future, we want to partner with major regional bodies with common goals like the United Nations to bring hope to these children.

to shed more

Is that all that you have to your credit? light on issues No, I have also moderated the bordering on girl United Nations backed Genvoices telethon, a platform to harness the child education offline and online energy of young and women Nigerians for practical efforts towards nation building. As an International empowerment Affairs correspondent, I reported on President Barack Obama’s Africa tour in 2013, and played a leading role in a team that hosted a live town hall interview of Obama and former US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. It was the first of its kind in Africa, and exclusive to channels television in Nigeria. In addition, I investigated the US-Nigeria relations after the United States discovered shale oil, predicting a slight shift in America’s foreign policy towards Nigeria. During the research, I interviewed the US Consul General to Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins. I also interviewed other Ambassadors, top US government officials to mention but a few. I have equally participated in other reputable local and international conferences, including the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Rio De Jenairo Brazil. Was that what propelled your applying to Columbia University? Well, I have always had big dreams to try to key into opportunities that would launch me into platforms that have international experience. And as someone who loves international politics and global affairs, when the US invitation came, I felt it was a good way to start and I didn’t waste time in

Josh

You have been counselling younger ones for some time now. If you have the opportunity to once again mentor those who want to go into broadcasting, what exactly would you be telling them? First, I would ask why they want to go into broadcast journalism. This is because I feel that sometimes in choosing a career it kind of becomes a lifestyle. If you find yourself here, first, you decide if that is what you want, then you go after it; you work hard and find mentors. People can tell when you are detached. And when you get on air, find your style, and then you are likely to be a little more confident.

News Extra

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

orno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, yesterday directed newly appointed caretaker local government council chairmen to commence administrative activities in reconstructed secretariats and temporary secretariats in 24 out of the 27 local government areas across the state. Three remaining local government areas are to operate ‘satellite secretariats’ within Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri. “The 20 affected local government areas are to operate from reconstructed or satellite secretariats at their headquarters. “They are: Kaga, Jere, Damboa, Konduga, Monguno, Askira Uba, Chibok, Ngala, Kala-Balge,Mafa, Nganzai, Dikwa, Gubio, Magumeri, Biu, Shani, Bayo, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council,” Shettima said. The move, he said, was to lay a foundation for return of civil authority in local government areas of the state as a post insurgency response. The governor gave these directives shortly after the caretaker chairmen for the 27 local government areas were sworn

Post-insurgency: Shettima orders re-opening of 24 LGAs l Three others to operate as ‘satellite secretariats’

in for a term of six months at the Government House in Maiduguri. He said: “Chairmen of the following local government areas should immediately work with the deputy governor, commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and our security establishments to start operating either from their reconstructed council secretariats or to set up satellite secretariats in any vacant public infrastructure or at any IDP camp with the highest population of citizens at the headquarters of their respective local government areas. “Secretariats, whether at permanent or satellite locations, must be fully functional with chairmen and council officials operating from there and readily available and accessible to the people they are appointed to serve.” The governor also listed

four local government areas which are to operate two secretariats each. “The following local government areas are to operate two satellite secretariats with

each secretariat having senior and important local government officials stationed there, while chairmen must rotate their presence in between the two secretariats.

Cephas Iorhemen,

We’ve not lost grip of govt –Benue deputy gov

enue State Deputy Governor, Mr. Benson Abounu, has said the state government has not lost grip of the state as a result of the continuous protests by different groups. At least, four different groups including benefitting farmers of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) anchor borrowers’ scheme, players of Lobi Stars Football Club, students of the College of Agriculture Yandev and pensioners during the week, protested the inability of the state government to address their problems, a situation

which appeared as if government had lost control of the state. He blamed the protests on what he called external manipulations by those opposed to the Governor Samuel Ortom administration. He added that the reasons and timing of the protests were aimed at portraying the government as anti-people. Abounu who said it was wrong to conclude that the Ortom’s administration had lost grip of the state, said the governor was in firm control of the situations, adding that the “externally” manipulated forces would soon be surmounted.

MAKURDI

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left) and Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu (nee Onoh), during the burial of former First Lady of old Anambra State, Mrs. Caroline Onoh… yesterday

Enugu kidnappers’ den: Land owners commend govt’s action

and owners at Akpasha Akegbugwu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, under the auspices of “Concerned Land Owners” have commended the state government for its prompt action in the revocation and clearing of a parcel of land in the area, which they alleged was used surreptitiously as a den of kidnappers and robbers.

The said parcel of land, according to the land owners within the vicinity, was last occupied by the former Nigeria Bricks and Clay Products Limited, which had closed down business for a very long time prior to their (land owners) acquisition of the individual landed property within the area. Reacting to claims by a company, Bridgeways DPG Limited, that it owns

the property and had made huge investment in it, the concerned land owners faulted the allegations as “strange, false and misleading.” In a joint statement by issued by Messrs. Moses Udeh, Mike Onwanze, Dennis Ngene and Mrs. Josephine Nnamani, the group described the company’s claims as “a failed and calculated attempt to undermine

Immunisation funds: 7.2m children risk death Appolonia Adeyemi

fter months of President Muhammadu Buhari’s accent to the 2016 Budget and barely five months to the end of the year, investigations revealed that funds, have not been released for the implementation of the Routine Immunisation (RI) activities which would protect the lives of Nigerian children from preventable diseases and death. Rising from a recent training, the National Civil Society Organ-

isations (CSOs)/Media that were trained by Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) with support from the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) in Routine Immunisation Budget Tracking and Advocacy had questioned the commitment of the Nigerian government to save the lives of millions of vulnerable Nigerian children. They said the non-release of the Routine Immunisation funds to the relevant agencies in charge of implementation exposes Nigeria to a possible reversal of the achievements of two years since the interruption of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in Nigeria.

the efforts of the government to enhance security of lives and property of the people in the area and stamp out kidnapping in the state.” They alleged that the said property had been lying fallow for over 15 years after the Nigeria Bricks and Clay Products Limited closed down business, stressing that no investment had taken place in the land since the company left the state.

OGOJA Soldiers,policedidn’tclashin Ogoja

The Army yesterday described as untrue, reports that some of its personnel and policemen clashed over a parking space at a new generation bank in Ogoja, Cross River State. A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Captain K.O. Owolabi, stated that the report was blown out of proportion. The statement stated: “Investigations carried out by our men showed minor misunderstanding in which both the military and police officers in Ogoja were able to resolve. “The Nigeria Army is assuring the good people of Cross River State and Ogoja in particular that the Army is in good relationship with the police and both security agencies are working in close collaboration to provide adequate protection to lives and property in the area.

NEWS IN BRIEF

“These local government areas are: Bama, which should have satellite secretariats in Bama town and one in Maiduguri in order to serve nearly 30,000 citizens at the IDP

On the protest by hundreds of pensioners under the aegis of “Concerned Pensioners,” the deputy governor described it as unfortunate, explaining that the governor had been sensitive and responsive to the plight of pensioners in the state and paying them as and when due until very lately.

camp in Bama and the hundreds of thousands citizens living at IDP camps and host communities in Maiduguri. The Chairman must operate in Bama town.

He explained that those that protested were people that retired from service before the advent of the present administration but were yet to be placed on the payroll but for whom the Ortom-led government was working out modalities to do so and pay them too.

Fitch affirms First Bank, Union Bank, others’ nationality ratings

Tony Chukwunyem lobal rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has affirmed the National Ratings of First Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Fidelity Bank, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Union Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Bank of Industry (BoI) as well as the bank holding company Stanbic IBTC Holdings. In a statement yesterday, the agency attributed the rating actions to its downgrade of Nigeria's Long-Term Local Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to 'B+' from 'BB-', following which, “it is now equalised with the LongTerm Foreign Currency IDR.” According to the agency, “Following the Sovereign Criteria Change and rating action, Fitch has recalibrated the national rating scale for Nigeria. As a result, the national ratings for these banks are affirmed as there is no change in their relative creditworthiness. The national rating of UBA is based its standalone creditworthiness and is also underpinned by

potential sovereign support. The national ratings of FBN, Fidelity, Diamond, FCMB and Union Bank are based on potential sovereign support given their systemic importance. The national ratings of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings are based on the probability of support from their parent, Standard Bank Group Limited (SBG; BBB-/Stable).” Fitch further stated that apart from UBA, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings, the other banks, national ratings are sensitive to a weakening ability of the Nigerian sovereign to provide support. “UBA's national ratings are sensitive to both a weakening in sovereign support as well as any change in its standalone creditworthiness. The national ratings of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holdings are sensitive to a change in potential support (relating to both ability and propensity) from their ultimate parent, Standard Bank Group Limited. The national ratings of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Stanbic IBTC Holding, could withstand a three-notch downgrade of Standard Bank Group's Long-Term IDR,” the agency stated.

Buhari, Odusile eulogise Ehirim Johnchuks Onuanyim, Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday eulogised the virtues of the former chairman of the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ), Abuja Council, Chuks Ehirim, as he was laid to rest. Ehirim, who died on June 16, was buried in his hometown Isekeneze in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State. Represented by the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Buhari said the late Ehirim was among the few journalists that fought for the enthronement of democracy in 1999. According to the funeral

oration presented during the burial, he stated that Ehirim had an abiding fate that despite the hardship in the country the present administration was going to bring the country out of the woods. Okechukwu said: “May I on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), commensurate with the wife, children, family, friends and colleagues of Comrade Ehirim for his untimely death and pray for the repose of his soul. “Ehirim was an avowed believer in social justice, equity and by extension the best tenets of democracy. He was a change agent, patriot and one of the few journalists who stuck out their necks during President Buhari’s long struggle to reposition Nigeria, via the might of his pen."

Perspectives

6 AUGUST 2016

When ‘war’ comes to town

hether we want to accept it or not; from every indication Nigeria is in the grip of ‘low level insurgency (warfare)’ which is no longer restricted to certain sections of the country. Before now, Nigeria’s battle ground had been in the North East. Before critics lash out to slam my assertion, please read the Wikipedia’s definition of my claim: “Low intensity warfare's main opponent is the guerrilla, or irregular fighter. This opponent may be state sponsored, or private non-state actors driven by religious or other ideologies in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. Modern guerrilla warfare at its fullest elaboration is an integrated process, complete with sophisticated doctrine, organisation, specialist skills and propaganda capabilities.” Please if this is not what we are currently facing with Boko Haram in the North East and with the Niger Delta Avengers, then what are we? Both groups operate very powerful propaganda tools - Youtube, facebook and twitter for instance and they both have ideologies they are pursuing. In years gone by, before the rise of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and the militancy in the Niger Delta region of the country, most headline catching actions had been carried out by armed robbers. In fact, way back in the 70s, what made headline news then was when Babatunde Folorunsho and ‘Doctor’ Ishola Oyenusi stole N80,000 from Boulos Industries killing a number of policemen in the process - this is child’s play considering what we face today. Then it was big news, because it was a truly novel robbery - bad guys taking pains to get an insider who told them when the company would receive cash to pay workers’ salary and then striking in broad day

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TS from the Sidelines 08050498544 (sms only) tunsul2@gmail.com light with weapons (believed to have been carryovers from what was used during the Civil War)! Later on, other ‘bad guys’ joined the headline catching list. Names like Lawrence Anini, Monday Osunbor, Shina Rambo, Buraimoh Jimoh and ‘Mighty Joe’ also resonated in the 80s and 90s as mean armed robbers. However, sadly we have come a long way from that kind of robbery with the bandits not only becoming more urbane but more worrisomely also operating with more sophisticated and deadlier weapons. But even when Boko Haram sprung up in 2002 in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, the ‘wahala’ still looked like a ‘distant war’ to many living in the nonecombative zones – especially in the southern part of Nigeria. Then militants ‘action’ swung south with the Niger Delta agitators also stepping up their armed struggle in their effort to press home their demands for a greater stake in the money made from the exploration of crude oil from their land. Again their insurgency was limited to the creeks of the Niger Delta and although their impact affected the purse of the nation because of the massive drop in crude oil sales; too many Nigerians it was still mainly a ‘Niger Delta thing.’

But despondently with the government stepping up its crack down on pipeline vandalism and other vices affecting the nation’s life blood the same militants have decided to take their ‘struggle’ out of the remote creeks and sparsely populated pipeline routes into more populated areas, especially in Lagos and Ogun states and in the middle belt and Eastern states where cattle herdsmen are leaving sorrow and carnage in their wake. People residing in Ikorodu and then in Igando all in Lagos State and in Ibafo and Arepo, both in Ogun State have also been on the receiving end of the nefarious antics of the Niger Delta militants. It is already well documented how the militants sacked Igbolomu and Ishawo areas of Ikorodu, because the people dared report their reprehensible activities to security agencies. Consequently they visited wrath on the people through murder, kidnapping, rape and pillaging forcing many to leave the area in droves. Not done, the militants have also virtually sacked Ibafo with residents and even landlords abandoning their properties and fleeing for their lives lamenting what they have been through at the hands of these ‘invaders’. In a recent chat Saturday Telegraph had

with some of those who have fled Ibafo, they painted real tales of woe and man’s inhumanity to man – committed by Nigerians on fellow Nigerians. They spoke about husbands having to watch while their wives and daughters were raped; while others spoke of being repeatedly robbed – one person even saying it happened to them twice in one night! Last week it was the turn of Arepo residents to have a feel of a ‘war’ situation when the Nigerian Air Force decided to tackle the militants head on. Deploying an attack helicopter and Alpha Jets, NAF bombed the camp of the militants, said to be located on an island behind the area, which like Ibafo, is located off the LagosIbadan Expressway. Anybody living around Arepo on the days the operation was carried out must have wondered how a real war would be like with the heavy explosions and building rattling caused by the powerful blasts. Sadly all these afore mentioned locations have only one thing in common – they all have Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) pipelines crisscrossing through them. Unhappily these pipelines have also attacked unwanted guests in the shape of ‘militants’, who have in turn brought with them ‘sorrow, tears and blood’. So while it’s great to know that government has now found the resolve to take on the militants and other insurgent groups across the country, I do hope that they equally realise that while brute force might win the battle; it might not necessarily win the war and so need to explore other ways of getting such groups to stop their low level mutiny for the good of the nation. No country can achieve any meaningful development where such insurgency is rife.

Managing, sustaining trust in relationship

ccording to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, TRUST means “to have belief or confidence in the honesty, goodness, skill or safety of a person, organisation or thing.” Relationship without trust is like a mobile phone without airtime or service. If you do not service a relationship by showing commitment and earning trust, you are merely playing games with your destiny and that of someone. Be it platonic, business or marital relationship, most relationships are built on trust. Where there is no trust, there is no reliable relationship. One major determinant of trust is verbal and non–verbal communication. You must communicate in order to build or sustain trust. It is not only what you say verbally that matters but what you do. “I love you” for instance, is a sentence but it has to be matched with attitude and action confirming you confession. You can tell a food seller in a restaurant: “Your food is the sweetest.” Yet, the next day, you go to another restaurant to eat. The evidence of your uttered loyalty as a customer is your consistency. Evidence of your love is when you give your time, labour, money, constant reassuring words and actions that are not sinful. Never give your spouse a reason to doubt whether or not you can be trusted. For instance, when you embark on a gigantic project such as house building without the knowledge of your husband, and he eventually discovers, a question will emerge. “So, she can do this? Who knows how many other things she is not telling me?” This is an injury to trust. If you have a

Marriage Clinic with Albinus Chiedu 08038117704 (sms only) marriagecanwork@yahoo.com child outside wedlock and marry someone without informing the person about this, do you expect the person to trust you again on discovering this? Maybe you are old enough to get married but you are afraid of marriage. Your delay in getting married might just be coming from fears about trust. You must understand that marriage involves a destiny decision which must be prayerfully done. It is not a gamble. When you take your marital vow at the altar of God, you are not saying: “I will never meet or come across someone better than you.” Rather, you are saying to your spouse: “I don’t care how many people out there are better than you. I love you for who you are and I have DECIDED to go blind towards other beauties, love you and even die for you.” When you marry, there is hardly unconscious action of your partner that is embarrassing to you. Whether the person farts the air when you both are alone, snores aloud while sleeping, etc, your love remains. To sustain trust, you need to as much as possible, protect your relationship from infiltration by third parties. Just as water can damage an engine because it is not meant to

go there, third parties and their ulterior or evil suggestions can damage your marriage IF YOU ALLOW THEM. How public you go about your relationship through the social media does not necessarily convince me about your level of intimacy. Your marriage is supposed to be your private life. Just as level of publicity of a wedding ceremony does not in any way determine the success of the marriage, your frequent exposure of your marital activities to the social media does not automatically confirm or disprove the truth about success of your relationship. The photo of you, kissing your hubby on facebook for instance, does not necessarily prove to me that you actually do kiss your hubby in secret at some other time. That act of a hug in the photo should be made real when you both are alone. So, spare us the make-believe world of the social media in your marital affairs. Please, don’t get it twisted. I use the social media too. The objective here is not to despise the social media and its capacity at all. However, social media has damaged marriages. Not everyone is happy about your ‘happy’ married life. Remember, Satan is involved in marital issues. Today, he has an

assignment of breaking marriages, using various tools, including the social media. Perhaps you have invested trust in a relationship before and the trust was breached, leaving you with a wounded heart. Now, you are finding it difficult to invest trust again in a marital or premarital relationship. It is understandable that after a horrible experience with a scorpion, there is a tendency to get cautious with a harmless spider. But a harmless spider will ways be harmless and can never become a scorpion. Human beings are different. Maybe you have invested so much emotion and finance in a premarital relationship, where trust is now obviously dead, and you are finding it difficult to call it quits. What you should do is to apply a replacement therapy. No matter how emotionally attached you are to a particular document or photograph on the desktop of your computer, there comes a time when the material is no longer needed or useful and becomes a nuisance or distraction to your serious work. You have no option than to delete it. You must know when to quit a premarital relationship; when trust is dead. It is impossible for the owner of a bag not to know the position of the zip. It is only a thief that will struggle to figure out where the zip’s position is. If after courting someone for a long time, you are still not sure of what the person is capable of doing and cannot vouch for the person, why waste your time further? You are not a thief. Are you? Above all, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Perspectives

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 AUGUST 2016

Amaechi, militancy and militant graduates

he carrying of Cross of Cruxifion by Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State, to mark Good Friday on April 3, 2015, was quite symbolic and had a deeper meaning beyond celebrating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Perhaps, Amaechi would have carried a bigger cross beyond the reach of his shoulders if President Muhammadu Buhari had not won the March 29, 2015, presidential election considering the pivotal role he played in ensuring that former president Goodluck Jonathan did not win the election. Amaechi must have heaved a sigh of relief when Jonathan kissed goodbye his reelection ambition and phoned Buhari on March 31, 2015, to conceed defeat. I admire Amaechi's courage and dauntless spirit in the face of frustration by his erstwhile political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, especially after he emerged as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum. One could imagine how Jonathan would have made Amaechi to carry a bigger cross compared to what he carried last year. It would have been a cross of affliction meant to punish him for the nightmare he caused Jonathan and the PDP in the build up to the election. Jonathan would have gone all out to find fault with Amaechi and his administration. And if there was none, perhaps, Jonathan would have created one. After all, the average Nigerian politician rarely forgives their political 'enemies'. However, the former governor's calculation was right and his political sagacity was quite apt. The risk Amaechi took paid off, culminating in his becoming Buhari's Minister of Transport. While one expects the Buhari-led administration to fulfill its electioneering promises and work according to its manifesto anchored on 'change ', one also expects the new administration to continue with some of the programmes of its predecessor particularly the viable ones at least to acknowledge that government is a continuum. In line with this political necessity, Buhari deserves to be commended for the completion of Abuja-Kaduna rail line, while Amaechi also deserves to be commended for his role. One would have expected the minister to give a similar support to the proposed Maritime University in Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, instead of Amaechi's insistence on throwing away the baby with the bath water. The groundbreaking of the school was done by former president Jonathan in 2014. He also appointed Prof. Ongoebi Etebu as the vice chancellor while Mr. Anho Lucky was to serve as its registrar. They had been issued with letters of appointment signed by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau when he was the minister of education. Besides, through its Banking and Payments System Department, the Central

News Dominic Adewole ASABA

he heavy presence of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta region, following the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has posed serious threat to the well-being of the inhabitants of oil communities in Delta state. The traumatic situation the development assumed yesterday forced Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the Speaker of the state assembly, Monday Igbuya and leaders of affected communities to warn the Federal Government against the use of force to flush out the militants. According to them, many

Waheed Bakare on Saturday

09056089320 (sms only) waheedbakare2003@yahoo.com Bank of Nigeria in a letter dated August 19, 2015, formally opened an account for the university domiciled with CBN's Asaba branch. The university is listed as 45 on the list of universities approved by the National Universities Commission, a body constitutionally empowered to do so, in May 2015. But for Amaechi, all these do not matter. He is not ready to touch that project even with a long pole. The Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration Agency, a parastatal under Amaechi and headed by his political son, Dakuku Peterside, is expected to finance the project. The minister had on January 19 told the Senate Committee on Maritime that the university would not fly with the Buhari administration, citing insecurity in the area and describing the project as a "misplaced priority " because Zaria in Kaduna and Oron in Akwa Ibom already have transport institutes. A few months after his address on the contentious issue, he had an open disagreement with his colleague, Ibeh Kachiwu, the former minister of state for petroleum, at a town hall meeting on the viability or otherwise of the Maritime University. This time around, the minister cited paucity of funds as another major reason why the government should jettison the idea. "I am not against it. My argument about Okerenkoko is that land alone is N13 billion. If you give me N13 billion, I will buy the half of Lagos. That N13 billion has built the university alone," he said.

Amaechi

The Jonathan administration had claimed that the land was actually free and the N13 billion was compensation meant to pay for felling of economic trees as well as destruction of farmlands. The payment was outrageous and has given credence to the belief that the immediate past administration soiled its hand with unprecedented prodigality. For people who have consistently complained about how decades of oil exploration have destroyed their flora and fauna, payment of N13 billion as compensation for destruction of "economic trees" was a mere political patronage that cannot be rationalised. There is nothing to be surprised about ex-president Jonathan's penchant for profligacy. If the intention for the project was genuine, its execution started with reckless spending, typical of the biblical prodigal son and I am on the same page with Amaechi that questions should be asked on who got what, how and when the money was shared. Some of the indigenes would be shocked that they had been shortchanged by those who found favour in the corridors of power when Jonathan was at the helms of affairs. Although president Buhari has so far given us forlorn hope, I have never seen ex-president Jonathan as a better alternative. Under him, gluttons who sorrounded him would have finished eaten up Nigeria. While Jonathan deserves to be rebuked for his imprudent approval of such a colossal amount as compensation, Amaechi too deserves knocks for his delusive claim that there was nothing on ground when in actual fact there are structures already on the campus. Politics can be played with decorum and he does not necessarily need to confirm our belief that most Nigerian politicians are liars. Amaechi confirmed my fears about him and his penchant for deceit when he reportedly told one Osasu Igbinedion in an interview after the launch of the Kaduna-Abuja railway line that Nigeria was generating 7,000 MW of electricity before the resumption of militant activities in the Niger Delta by some misguided and spoilt brats who had a field day under Jonathan. "Don't forget that until these so-called Avengers began to bomb, we had got to 7,000 WM, and what he (Buhari) promised

was 10 at the end of the term," Amaechi reportedly said. Pulling the wool over our eyes is not the hallmark of a gentleman. Although there was a significant improvement in power generation at the threshold of this administration, there is no gainsaying that Nigeria was no where near 7,000 WM. How do we juxtapose the honourable minister's claim with that of the Federal Ministry of Power that our highest power generation in the space of over half century was recorded on February 2, 2016, when the country generated 5,074WM. Between Amaechi and the ministry, one is lying. But we are bound to believe the ministry since it is not a parastatal under Ministry of Transport. The graduation of three ex-militants who bagged First Class honours in UK universities and 18 others who made Second Class Upper Division has shown that proper education has a role to play if we are serious about liberating the Niger Delta from the shackles of poverty. If Nigeria had not given them the opportunity, they might have perished in the creeks or perhaps killed during altercation with the military. Nigeria can make use of this brand new ambassadors to engender peace and development in the Niger Delta. Let us tell them that education rather than criminality is rewarding and can open a lot of opportunities. This makes it imperative for the government to review its stand on the Maritime University. That we have transport institutes in some places is not enough to abandon a project that has taken off. After all, there are states with four higher institutions. How I wish Amaechi will carry this cross so that posterity can count him among those who brought development to Okerenkoko, an oil-producing community that lacks federal presence. READERS' REACTIONS

Hi, Bakare Is Joachim Opara from Imo, base on your article in Saturday Telegraph I will like to let you knw that both Jubril and Dogara and other principal officers are corrupt. I put the blame on Jubril why now he is been sack as the chair of that commmittee he start accusing Dogara and other officials – 07065302787 FRANK TALK. Dogara, padders and lawmaking business. Truly, the time has come for us to know who is for us(Nigerians) and who is against us. As honorable as many of them think there are, they are cheats. This people are lawmakers, contractors, business managers etc. The time for Dogara and his co padders to speak is now and should be but the truth. – 07063706937 "OUR monolithic economy that depends mostly on oil found in THIER area to hold the nation to ransome,"speaks volume. – 08037413681 Mr. Bakare i was impressed on ur write-up of 11/6/16. Please keep it up. Comrade Goodluck UcheOkonji, Niger Delta activist. –07065962034

Okowa, others to Buhari: Stop militarisation of Niger Delta innocent residents of the region would form the casualties that would be recorded, if the war between the militants and the military operatives start. The trauma aggravated yesterday after men of the Operation Delta Safe, the Joint Military Force deployed to the region reinforced against the threat from Avengers to declare a Niger Delta Republic this month. Okowa, who lamented the negative impact of the resumed hostility on his administration, said the military occupation in the region has inflicted untold trauma on

the innocent residents of the area. While attributing the sharp drop in the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the state to the bombardment by the Avengers, the Speaker urged President Muhammadu Buhari to admit that power belongs to the people in the struggle for answers to the Niger Delta questions. The Speaker said, if the President desires an end to the resumed hostility in the region, he should stop deploying soldiers to the area but investigate and review the ownership of oil wells in

the region. He blamed the President for failing to allow the people of the region to control 65 per cent of their natural endowment since he assumed office last year. The Speaker who in Sapele, his constituency, wondered why greater sunk of the oil wells in the region were owned by non-indigenes. According to him, except the president opened genuine dialogue with the people of the region, stop harassing them with military force and harken to their demands, the current recession the country is undergoing may be longer

than expected. He said: “Mr. President should dialogue with the people. What are their problems? He should listen to the people. Power belongs to the people. In the interest of peace, harmony and unity of Nigeria. How many South-South people are owners of oil wells in the country. He should allow 65 per cent ownership of the oil wells by the people of the Niger Delta region." While he attributed the defective, harsh socioeconomic situation, lack of employment opportunities, environmental degradation,

lack of infrastructure, general under-development, and inadequate benefit of resources in the region to the militants' bombardments, the governor said the activities of Avengers in the creeks had not only affected the revenue accruing to the state in particular, but the militarisation of the area has affected the normal life of the inhabitants. He said, "We are the worst hit by the present activities in the creeks. We pray that these activities of militants will stop so that we can maintain oil production without breaches as our revenue has dropped drastically.

Sport Extra 55

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 august 2016

Eagles' new coach Rohr arrives today

•NFF to unveil German in Abuja

Adekunle Salami he Nigeria Football Federation has settled for a German Coach, Gernot Rohr, 63, to take charge of the Super Eagles five months after the resignation of Sunday Oliseh. He is currently working on development programmes for the German Football Association and he is expected to arrive Nigeria today (Saturday) to finalise documentation with the NFF. Saturday Telegraph learnt that the tactician would be unveiled in Abuja

Rohr

Siasia: My boys are miracle workers

igeria U-23 team’s Head Coach, Samson Siasia has described the performance of his players that saw them beating Japan 5-4 in their opening game of the football event of the Rio Olympics barely five hours after arriving Manaus as a miracle. Siasia said this during the post match press conference at the Amazonia Stadium, Manaus. "I just can't describe what happened. My boys defied science to win this game; what gave us this game was the mental toughness of the boys. For a team not to train for two days and put up this type of performance is a miracle. You know that when players are tired they tend to lose focus. That

is why we conceded four goals" The 2008 Olympics silver –winning coach said: “Towards the end of the game my boys were tired and barely managed to hang on. I will not blame any one of them for the goals we conceded.” The four goal–hero in the 5-4 victory of the Nigeria U-23 team against Japan, Oghenekaro Etebo, has said his target is to help the team win the gold rather than pursuing the highest goal scorer award. "Scoring all the goals in this competition and not winning the gold medal would have amounted to a waste of effort and that's not my target. If it will not lead us to the gold, then I don't want it."

Peter Ogaba dies

ormer Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles defender Peter Ogaba is dead. According to the assistant training officer of the FCT Coaches Association, Kenny Owojori, Ogaba lost his life on Thursday in Abuja after a brief illness. Ogaba rose to prominence in 1987, when at 13 he was the youngest player on the Nigeria team to the 1987 FIFA U17 World Cup in

Canada. He would also go on to feature at the 1989 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Nigeria posted an amazing comeback win over the Soviet Union in ‘The Miracle of Damman’ before reaching the championship final against Portugal. He then played professionally in Portugal and France. Before his death he was coach of Abuja club, City Strikers.

UEFA Best Player: Ronaldo in pole position

Eaglets coach radiates confidence Adeolu Johnson Abuja

olden Eaglets handler, Manu Garba, still exudes confidence saying his boys will beat their Niger counterparts convincingly in spite of the failure of 26 players to pass the MRI test. He said the result of the of the MRI test hit them hard but the rest of the team have moved on and are ready not to disappoint Nigeria on Saturday. “We will play our best. We will take the game to them from the blast of the whistle to secure victory and make the return leg a mere formality,” he said. He promised that the team would halt the poor run of results that had characterised the country’s various national teams in recent times. Garba said that his boys had not done badly during the trials winning five warm up matches and drawing one, capping it up with the 3-0 victory over the Piloter from Kaduna on Wednesday. The Golden Eaglets’ first real test will be Saturday’s Africa U-17 qualifier against Niger Republic at the National Stadium, Abuja.

Moroccan boxer arrested over sexual assault

eal Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are in the running with Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, while Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have missed out on nomination. Ronaldo, who will be the favourite for the prestigious award, led Real to their 11th Champions League win before playing a pivotal role in guiding Portugal to their first major international trophy at Euro 2016. Ronaldo's team mate Bale, who also won a Champions League medal, inspired Wales to reach the semi-finals at June's European Championship. France striker Griezmann lost the Champions League final with Atletico, and was also on the losing side in the Euro 2016 final, although he was

today and would also be in Lagos on Sunday for the Ikorodu United/ Shootings Stars match scheduled for Onikan Stadium, Lagos. Authoritative sources also revealed that three sponsors are on the cards to take care of the new coach’s salaries. The new coach has also agreed to stay in Nigeria and help in the development of the game. “NFF has been quiet to avoid the error made the last time on French Coach Paul Le Guen. This time all the details have been worked out and the coach is ready to reside in Nigeria,” the source said. Rohr is a former coach of clubs like Bordeaux, Ajaccio, Young Boys, Nice, Nantes and Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia. At national team level, he has managed Niger, Gabon and Burkina Faso.

Ronaldo

crowned top scorer with six goals and was named player of the European Championship. The three finalists for the award were chosen by journalists from UEFA'S member nations. The winner will be announced on August 25.

Moroccan boxer has been arrested by Brazilian police over allegations of sexually assaulting two female cleaners in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic village. Hassan Saada, 22, was held on suspicion of committing the assaults on Wednesday, a police statement noted. The boxer, who fights in the lightheavyweight category, was due to take part in his first bout on Saturday. A Brazilian judge has ordered he be detained for 15 days, pending an investigation, media reports said. His detention could mean Saada is unable to take part in the Games. Brazilian media reports (in Portuguese) quoted police as saying the boxer had pushed one of the maids against a wall, pressing her with his thighs, and tried to kiss her.

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

Rio 2016 and hapless Team Nigeria

he 31st Olympiad started in the early hours of today with the opening ceremony. But the talking points for the big event are not many. The major subject of discussion is the quest of the amazing Jamaican athlete, Usain Bolt, to set a record of being the first man to win the 100m gold medal three times back-to-back. He excelled at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and London 2012; hence all eyes are on him in Rio. No doubt, the Jamaican remains the favourite but this time he might struggle to clinch the gold especially in the 100m. There is also spotlight on the Brazilian football male team because the country is yet to win the Olympic gold. Barcelona superstar, Neymar, is a member of the star-studded team expected to go all the way for the gold in football. At the last World Cup in Brazil, it was a big disappointment for the country as Germany whipped their national team 7-1 in the semifinal of the competition. The expectation in Brazil is high for this ‘golden gold.’ Whatever happens, the success or otherwise of the Neymar-led team is a big deal at the games. Another big talking point is the success story of the USA women football team. Since women’s football was included as Olympic sport in 1996 in Atlanta, the Americans have won the gold four out of five times. They remain the team It is a to beat also because of their exploits in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. All eyes surprise on them to survive the opposition that Dalung are to be posted by Germany, Brazil and Norway at the Games. is still the In Swimming, American Micheal minister Phelps is the most successful Olymin history. He has won 19 gold calling the pian medals in various swimming events. shots today In Beijing alone, Phelps won eight gold medals. He is also competing for honours in Rio to again increase his gold medal haul at the games. Rafael Nadal is the flag bearer of Spain and he is a big athlete to watch in tennis together with world number one seed, Novak Djokovic while the William sisters are also expected to add spice to the sport at the Olympics. With this setting, the world is ready for a big spectacle in the next 16 days. True lovers of sports will have a blast this period with the time difference as the only challenge because some events take place in the early hours of the day in Nigerian time. However, Nigeria is not in the picture of countries looking forward to excel in any area of the competition. Four years after the London 2012 games where Nigeria came back emptyhanded, the story is still the same. No money to prepare the athletes, poor preparation and poor welfare of the athletes. Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, expected to be at the forefront of preparing Team Nigeria well for the games exhibited so much ignorance and he was adamant at crucial times in his decision making. For example, wrestling with Daniel Igali as federation boss has the potential of giving Nigerians medals. Rather than support the wrestlers, Dalung turned deaf ears to the cries of the federation. The football team spent 39 days in Atlanta, USA rather than 18-day tour planned for them. The team was stranded in Atlanta for over seven days. Instead of saving the situation, the minister was allotting blames and threatening the head coach, Samson Siasia, over his comments in the media. During his visit to the team, Dalung was talking to Skipper Mikel Obi, as the team leader rather than Siasia. So many things are wrong with the country’s preparations and it is a surprise that Dalung is still the minister calling the shots today. This also shows that the government of the day is not interested in sports. Getting a medal of any shade is going to be through personal effort or sheer luck. Sad enough, Nigeria is blessed with talented athletes who could have done well to bring honour to the country. I am going to enjoy the Olympic Games as a sports person and I advise many Nigerians not to expect anything from Team Nigeria but to enjoy the games. There will be plenty of thrills, upsets and sweet moments. Olympic Games is just once in four years, it is good to treasure this period and not agonise over the shortcomings of people who failed to prepare Team Nigeria adequately for the Games. Let the games go on.

SATURDAY, 6 august 2016

SATURDAY

Sanctity of Truth

N150

DESTINATION Fascinating but wintry Durban

PERSPECTIVE Amaechi, militancy and militant graduates

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Red-hot Musa targets first title

…as Man United, Leicester clash at Wembley

Ajibade Olusesan uper Eagles star Ahmed Musa set a perfect stage for Sunday’s Community shield tie between his new side and English Premier League champions Leicester City and Manchester United with a stunning brace against Barcelona in a pre-season game on Wednesday. Musa joined the Foxes this summer in a record transfer fee from Russian champions CSKA Moscow and he seems to have settled down at the club with a brilliant performance during the pre-season. Although he did not hit the target in his three previous matches, the former VVV Venlo of Netherlands player chose to shine in a grueling encounter with one of the biggest clubs in the world. The two goals he scored in the 4-2 loss to Barcelona were not tap ins; his second goal was a classic effort that has drawn to him rave reviews. The 23-year-old has not done badly since he moved to Europe from Kano Pillars five years ago. As a winger, he scored about 50 goals in 150 matches spanning about five seasons for the two sides he has previously played for. In Russia, Musa formed an excellent partnership with Seydou Doumbia and, the CSKA’s front line gave Manchester United a real problem in European competition last season. The Nigerian ended the campaign with 17 goals in all competitions. The Foxes now have even more pace to an already frightening attack. Jamie Vardy looks set to stay and if Ranieri can hold on Riyad Mahrez, the team’s attack will be more devastating especially with counter-attacks. Perhaps the most exciting thing about this threesome is that they can all interlink and roam wherever they so please, the world football could witness something special this season. It starts from this weekend’s engagement. Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho, who is noted for his strict attention to details, will strongly advise his wards to keep an eye on this Nigerian when they file out against Leicester City at Wembley. Musa said he had put that heroics against Barcelona behind him and focused on his club’s date with the Red Devils. He said he had shown a glimpse of what he is capable of with that stunning performance against the Los Blaugrana and his opponents should expect more from him this term beginning from this weekend. “I have never felt so appreciated in a long time, and am saying thank you to all my teammates, fans of Leicester City and the manager for the kind words. ” Scoring twice against Barcelona is a wonderful feeling but my attention is not on it anymore, I can’t wait for Sunday’s tie against Manchester United, that is my target for now,” he said.

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