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Vol. 2 No. 472

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DAVID JEMIBEWON Buhari is right to } 50 relocate command centre to Maiduguri

KEBBI STATE FIRST LADY

I clean, tone } 13 to maintain my beauty

FUEL SCARCITY

DPR PROBES 44 DEPOT OWNERS

lClear fuel queues in 7 days - FG tells filling stations lOil prices rise as OPEC keeps to 30mln bpd Ndubuisi Ugah, Adeola Yusuf and Johnchuks Onuanyim

T

Lagos/Abuja

he Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)

has begun the probe of 44 depots owners and marketers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol in the country with a view to clamp down on those who engage

in profiteering.

While the fuel marketers have halted fuel imports, a source at the DPR told Saturday Telegraph that some of them were selling the product, which the Nigerian Na-

tional Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has imported and dumped in their depots above N90 per litre.

Investigation by Saturday Telegraph revealed that none of the

depots owners sold the product below N87 per litre to filling stations as at yesterday.

A depot owner, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said some depots

were selling the product for as high as N100 per litre to filling stations owners who in return are expected to sell the product at the regulated price of N87 per litre.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sagay, Ozekhome fault Buhari, Osinbajo on asset declaration BIMBO MANUEL

AYO FAYOSE:

GRACE EDWIN-OKON

My fans need not APC lawmakers Beauty pageant goes worry, I’m still distracted me for beyond displaying }21 part of Tinsel }18 seven months }7 underwear

}48

2

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

SATURDAY

Contents | 06.06.15 INSTYLE

Timeless waistcoat

Misconception Walking up and down in bikinis may be one of the high points of beauty pageants, but to ex-beauty queen, Grace EdwinOkon, pageantry goes beyond underwear

}21

INVESTIGATION

SPORT

Labour house of crisis The Nigeria Labour Congress has, for some time now, been bogged down by failure of leadership. This was evident in the last Congress elections, which produced two parallel presidents. But, would the union survive the perceived external factor propelling this discord?

}23 Women’s World Cup With the maiden BBC World Player of the Year in her kitty aside other laurels, Nigerian Asisat Oshoala will be cynosure of all eyes as the Women’s World Cup kicks-off in Canada today

}27 Art and gender

ART

Using their works as yardstick, visual artists are set to question, examine and criticise the relationship between gender and society

}34

DESTINATION

T

New role for PDP

here is a huge lesson to take

The beauty of waistcoats that away from the triumph of the helps individuals maintain a more opposition All Progressives streamlined silhouette and tidy Congress[APC] in the recent look, make them a must-have for elections held all over Nigeria. every fashion-conscious man The most important, is that unlike in the

}15

SHOWBIZ

Comment

Glorious tee-off After it was bogged down in the murky water of politics and controversies over the years, Abeokuta Golf Club is seeking a new and glorious height that will restore its lost glory

}42 Plus: Street Diary 10 | Perspectives 53

past, this new development shows that at all times, the opposition should look forward to taking over at the centre.

That is the situation in other climes, especially in the so called advanced democracies. It is healthy for the people and also helps to keep the ruling party on its toes. Unfortunately, most African countries are condemned to suffer the maladministration of a ruling party for long because many leaders sit tight until they are shoved aside by the barrel of the gun.

It is day break now in our country, there is hope that victory is never permanent.

It also shows that, like the name implies, democracy gives a lot of room for the electorate to speak with their votes.

Colonialism brought The United Kingdom and Nigeria close. Most of what we know about the country, came from the perspective of the British. From Amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates in 1914, to Independence in 1960. Even the name Nigeria, was coined by a Briton, just like one of them, also composed our first National Anthem, ‘Nigeria we hail thee’.

In the United Kingdom, the opposition party is very powerful, and seen as the alternative government. The Leader of opposition is a member of the House of Commons and the Privy Council as well. He earns salary as Opposition leader as much as he is also paid as member of Parliament.

Ed Miliband was referred to as Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister David Cameron was also opposition leader before his present position. It shows that Opposition matters.

We abandoned the British Parliamentary system at the end of the First Republic. In its place, we went for the American Presidential system. That began in the Second Republic and is still running. While we copy these foreign patterns of government, we should also begin to follow the parts that will sustain our democracy.

In modern UK, government is shared majorly, by the Conservatives and Labour.

In the United States, the Republicans and

Democrats, hold sway. They check and balance themselves. It is only in Nigeria, that a party official would wake up and proclaim that his party will rule for 60 years.

That is history now and for once, the opposition has a big task ahead after dislodging the ruling Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. And we expect that though defeated, the PDP should be ready to play the reverse role.

The opposition serves as a check, it is also the balancing wheel in a democracy. Without a formidable counter group, we would have been condemned to another four years of the same old stuff. Even if the PDP had the magic wand, waiting to be used post 2015, the mere fact that APC took the bull by the horn gives credit to the power of the people. And of course, there was the vehicle to push their resolve through.

We must learn from the two main opposition leaders ever recognized in Nigeria- Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Senator Bola Tinubu. They made up their minds on what they wanted to do and fought their battles doggedly. They did not run from pillar to post even when the going got so rough and tough.

Awo did not rise to the position of Prime Minister or President, but today, he commands more respect even in death than some former Presidents. To crown it all, he was described as the ‘best president Nigeria never had’ by Dim Emeka Ojukwu.

Tinubu has gone a step ahead, by being the first opposition leader to conquer a sitting government. The history of Nigerian democracy will be incomplete without enough space reserved for the Asiwaju.

And quite unlike Awo, Tinubu has not gone beyond Lagos in administrative experience.

Chief Awolowo was appointed Federal Commissioner for Finance, by the General Yakubu Gowon regime and he was also Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council. But the plus is, that with less exposure politically, the senator has been able to rewrite our political history.

What the APC has been able to prove, is that a well organized opposition can also crumble walls and effect change. And it is a clear message that opposition pays, if only the leaders are right. The PDP should also be prepared to show that the end of the largest party in Africa has not come, just because of electoral deficit.

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

Funke Egbemode

Editor n Yemi Ajayi

Managing Editor n Suleiman Uba Gaya

Editor, Saturday n Laurence Ani

Editor, Sunday n Emeka Madunagu

Deputy Editor, Saturday n Waheed Bakare

Bureau Chief, Brussels n Leo Cendrowicz

Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins

Editorial Coordinator, Europe n Sam Amsterdam

Ag. Bureau Chief, Abuja n Onwuka Nzeshi

News Editor, Saturday n Ndubuisi Ugah

Business Development Manager n Taiwo Ahmed

Sales/Circulation Manager n Oyebanji Abiodun

Head, Graphics n Timothy Akinleye

Head, Admin. n Robinson Ezeh

3

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Congratulations!

His ExEcEllENcY, DavE UMaHi, Executive Governor, Ebonyi state

My family and I wish to congratulate Your Excellency, Dave Umahi on your election as the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.

This is a true attestation of your ability by the people of Ebonyi State to take the state to the next level. We wish you a successful tenure in office.

Signed

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, MON Chairman,

Slok ShIppInG

4

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

5

Boko Haram kills 82 persons in six days –Report Ndubuisi Ugah and Ibrahim Abdul, Yola

F

resh facts emerged yesterday that the Boko Haram sect has killed a total of 82 persons since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29.

Indication to this effect emerged following the total number of deaths recorded so far from the troubled NorthEast geo-political zones of the country, with the two blasts which occurred in Maiduguri, Borno State and Yola, Adamawa State on Thursday night, according to an online news portal, Elombah.Com. Investigations revealed that while the death toll from Yola blast had risen to 32 with 38 injured and receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yola and Specialist hospitals, four others were killed in the blast that occurred in Maiduguri on Thursday.

It would be recalled that seven persons were confirmed dead on May 29 in Maiduguri; with two suicide bomb attacks-one at a mosque on May 30 claiming 26 persons, while another on Tuesday at a cattle market killed13 people.

The army was also tested with two rocket attacks on the city, as well as an explosion opposite a military facility on Wednesday, which left at least 18 dead.

The huge death toll, however, came on the heels of President Buhari’s state visit to Chad and Niger Republic, where he sought for greater cooperation on how to end the Islamist uprising, continued from pag e 1

“None of us can tell you that he is selling the product at below N87,” he said on the telephone.

He said this was buoyed by “the lack of assurance on whether this government is gamed with subsidy or not.

But after today’s meeting, I can assure you that the product will get to the end users at N87 per litre.

“Concerning the probe by the DPR, we consider this their routine and I assure you that we are aware that immediately after today’s meeting, the DPR, which has hitherto being rendered powerless, will add the garb of a watchdog.”

Some fuel marketers have, according checks, hiked the ex-depot of products in their depots. Most of them were selling at the ex-depot price of N110 per litre, a 42 per cent increase, compared to the official exdepot price of N77 recommended by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

This profiteering is ongoing despite claim by oil mar-

l FMC Yola seeks donation of blood for victims l UN urges Buhari to prosecute sect's crimes

Former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph Newspaper, Mr. Eric Osagie (left) presenting documents to the new Managing Director/E-in-C, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, at the hand-over ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Lagos…yesterday.

which started since 2009.

But reports said the suspected suicide bomber in Yola had on Thursday detonated his Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a busy place near Jimeta Market, while another one exploded a car at a checkpoint at Shagari Low Cost along Maiduguri-Monguno Road, killing three persons and injuring others.

Speaking on the development, the state Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Mr. Sa’ad Bello, said: “As at today’s morn-

ing hours, 31 corpses were recorded while 38 others have been admitted at Federal Medical Centre Yola, and Specialist Hospital.

“Twenty-one are now at FMC, Yola, and 17 at Specialist hospital responding to treatment of various degree of injuries, though there are some in critical condition, hence the need for blood donation.”

When contacted on the phone, the state police spokesman, Mr. Othman Abubakar, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed that the two sui-

cide bombers were among the casualties.

“Two of the suspected suicide bombers were among the 31 people confirmed dead. One of the bombers entered an electronic shop and disguised as buyer ,while the other one stayed near the shop pretending to be buying mangoes, and before you know, he detonated just detonated the explosives,” he said.

Also confirming the Maiduguri attack, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun, said a female suicide bomber det-

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

onated a bomb strapped on her near a military checkpoint in the town.

The police boss said in a text message that: “It is true there was a suicide attack near a military checkpoint.”

In the same vein, the FMC Yola has called on members of the public to donate blood to victims of Thursday’s bomb blast that occurred at Yola Market.

The Public Relations Officer of the centre, Malam Mohammed Dodo, who said this yesterday in Yola in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),

DPR probes 44 depot owners

keters that the fuel was imported by only the NNPC as they could no longer import as a result of huge subsidy claims owed by the Federal Government.

Also speaking on the issue, a source close to DPR management told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday that the organisation was only being proactive in the face of the national energy crisis.

The source said the DPR was aware of the illegal activities of petroleum marketers, especially the sale of products above government approved price.

“We have received information on petrol stations selling above the pump price of N87 per litre but we do not want to commence the sealing of stations without getting the actual price from the depots.

“We do not want to add to the problem of scarcity by sealing up the petrol station at this period. If you go around, you will see Nigerians carrying jerry cans looking for the

products. If we start to seal petrol station without confirming the loading price from depots, we are also punishing the people as well as the marketers.

“We have commenced investigation on the loading price from the depots, when we are through with depot then we will start to work on the petrol stations selling above the price.

“All the same, we have continued to warn those selling above the selling government approved price to desist from the action.

Any of the station caught selling above the approved price will have its licence revoked and the stations will be sealed,” he said.

But in a bid to address the recurring scarcity of petroleum products in the country, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and stakeholders in the sector yesterday gave a seven-day ultimatum to clear queues at the fuel station across the country. The stakeholders made this known in Abu-

ja, after a meeting tagged: “Queue must go”.

The meeting that was chaired by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Gaye Haruna.

Also in attendance were Mr. Ifeanyi Uba (Capital Oil), President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief Obasi Lawson; Executive Secretary of Petroleum Equalisation Funds (PEF), Mrs. Asabe Ahmed; Managing Director Petroleum Pricing Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Haruna Momoh; Executive Secretary Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), George Osahon; Executive Secretary Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAOMAN), Mr. Femi Olawore; Dr. David Ige of NNPC, Henry Obi (Exxonmobil) and Farouk Ahmed of PPPRA. In his remarks, Haruna said: “We have called this meeting to see how to end the fuel queue which is becoming embarrassing

to the country. Petroleum became scarce in May and there was a meeting with Senate where the marketers promised to end the queue but the queue is still there.”

After the meeting, PPMC in conjunction with the marketers, both major and independent operators agreed to move products to increase the level of supply to all retail outlets nationwide with immediate effect The marketers were also directed to move 700 trucks of PMS to Abuja with immediate effect.

However, the stakeholders identified that one of the major constraint to distribution was the logjam at Apapa –Oshodi, saying: “We have over 2,000 trucks on that road waiting to take fuel at the depot.”

A communiqué signed

by Haruna said: “We have enough stocks that can last for the 23 days, also we agreed to set up the committee of stakeholder to monitor the loading and delivering of products nationwide.

said: “As I am speaking to you, we have 31 dead and 22 people seriously injured.”

A victim of the Yola attack, Mrs. Ama Joshua, who lost her two daughters aged 20 and 24 to the blast, said: “Oh, God, it was terrible incident to my life. It happened minutes after I left for home, after we finished selling cooked food and asked them to pack and come home not knowing that it is last time I will see them.

Please come to our help.”

It was also gathered that the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Martins Babale and the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha, have visited the scene and victims of the incident.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has asked President Buhari to investigate and prosecute “horrifying” allegations of executions, rape and amputations of children by the Boko Hara m sect.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, said reports of violations committed by Nigerian armed forces should be investigated also and perpetrators brought to justice, according to Channels Television.

According to him, civilians in the North-East have been living through horrifying acts of cruelty and violence by Boko Haram.

These, he said, include wanton killings, summary executions, forced participation in military operations – including the use of children to detonate bombs, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual violence, including rape.

“We have also agreed that efforts will be made to clear this long before the end of June 23. The PEF will track all the trucks from Apapa using the Aquila project to avoid diversion of the products and DPR is to ensure that products are delivered and selling price should not be more than N87 per litre.”

In another development, oil prices rose yesterday, breaking a two-day losing streak, after Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ministers kept their existing oil production target for another six months at a level below current output.

The12-member group agreed on the deal at OPEC’s biannual ministerial meeting in Vienna, Austria.

Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, said the 12-member group had agreed to maintain their production target at 30 million barrels per day (bpd), saying: “OPEC had rolled over its target.”

OPEC had been pumping over 31.2 million bpd in recent weeks.

6

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

KANO 500 horse riders for Sanusi’s durbar today

N EWS I N BRIEF

ST

No fewer than 500 horse riders are expected to participate in a special durbar to mark the one year anniversary of the coronation of Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II. Alhaji Shehu Mohammed, the Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee, said the durbar, organised by the Kano Emirate Council, would hold today.

Mohammed, who is also the District Head of Rimin Gado, told newsmen on Friday in Kano, that the horse riders were selected from across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.

He also said that the event would be marked with a book launch, exhibition of royal attires at Gidan Makama Museaum and special prayers for Sanusi and late Emir Ado Bayero.

22

The life expectancy of men above 60 years of Canada in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

OWERRI Kidnapped NAN reporter regains freedom

SOKOTO PDP tasks Tambuwal on debt

Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned The chief correspondent of the News the way and manner the former governor Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Imo State, of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, handed Ms. Chidi Opara, who was kidnapped in the over the mantle of leadership to his Uratta, Owerri North Local Government successor, Aminu Tambuwal.

The party, which expressed dismay that Area of the state on Wednesday night Wamakko, who inherited N30 billion from has been released.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. his predecessor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Austin Evbakhavbokun, told journalists also received more money than his predecessor during his eight years, was afraid of yesterday that Opara was released late disclosing the huge debt incurred by him Thursday night in the outskirt of the during his eight years. state capital.

In a statement signed by the PDP Secretary He said the journalist was released in the state, Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu Friday, said: because of the pressure mounted by “Now that Wamakko has refused to disclose the men of the police force in the last the financial situation of the state to the people, it is necessary for Governor Aminu 24 hours.

Tambuwal to as a matter of urgency make The CP said his men were still looking full disclosure of the liabilities of the state for the abductors, insisting that they that he inherited, to the people for posterity.” must be brought to book.

10

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

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

1.42m

The total number of active Fixed Wired/Wireless lines in 2009.

Source: Ncc.gov.ng

Ambode jacks up hazard allowances for policemen Muritala Ayinla and John Edu

A

s part of the move to actualise the 24-hour economy in Lagos State, the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday approved an upward review of the hazard allowances of the police in the state, reiterating his commitment to improve the welfare of the officers.

Speaking at an interactive session with hundreds of police chiefs in the state held at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Ambode said that his dream of a Lagos of 24-hour economy would be difficult to actualise if the welfare of the police, who will ensure security of life and property was not looked into, adding that everything possible would be done to improve on the welfare of the policemen and women in the state.

Ambode also announced the increment of the hazard allowance of

the senior police officers from N2 million to N5 million; the Inspectors from N1.5million to N3million while hazard allowance for other rank and file officers was jacked up from N1million to N2 million.

He explained that though the Federal Government, through the Contributory Pension Act, has made provisions to safeguard the lives of all police officers in the country, commended his predecessor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, for subscribing to an additional Group Life Scheme for the officers to complement the provision of the Federal Government due to the hazard associated with their profession.

The governor said the compensation value in the scheme which covers death and permanent disability has become grossly inadequate, saying that that was why his administration deemed it fit to consider upward review of the compensation value.

Court transfers suit seeking to stop Fayose’s impeachment to Ekiti Tunde Oyesina Abuja

T L-R: Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti; Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello, during the governor's visit to the police headquarters in Ikeja…yesterday

Kidnapping: IG deploys 350 policemen in Kogi Muhammad Bashir

I

Lokoja

n an effort to combat the incessant cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase, has deployed 350 policemen in Kogi State.

The deployment, it was gathered, is intended to boost security activities in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Ogunjemilusi, who said this yesterday in Lokoja, said the command had arrested 13 robbery suspects between May and June this year.

The police chief, who paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Lokoja, also said many guns and ammunition and other dangerous weapons were recovered during the arrest.

The suspected, according to him, have been terrorising motorists and travellers along the Lokoja-Okene,

l Tasks new ADCs, CSOs on professionalism Lokoja-Kabba, Lokoja-Ajaokuta-Itobe-Anyigba and Idah-Ibaji Road.

Ogunjemilusi equally assured the residents his command's commitment to leave no stone unturned to ensure proper prosecution of the robbers, to serve as a deterrent to others with criminal tendencies.

He explained further that most of the common crimes in the state which include armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism would be curtailed, as his command was determined to crush criminals in the state.

The police commissioner, who commended the IG for the deployment of more police officers in the state, appealed to residents to reciprocate the gesture by giving useful information that would assist the police in their bid to rid the state of criminality.

Meanwhile, Arase has charged newly appointed

Aide-De-Camps (ADC) and Chief Security Officers (CSOs) attached to state governors to be professional in their duties.

A statement issued by the Police spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, yesterday said Arase gave the charge when he declared open a

two-day induction course for the ADCs and CSOs. “The course is aimed at empowering and improving the capacity of the officers,” he said. He warned the officers against engaging in any domestic duty or conduct that might demean their offices.

he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja transferred the suit seeking to stop the 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State from impeaching the state Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

The transfer was as a result of the request brought by counsel to the plaintiffs in the matter, Ahmed Raji (SAN), praying that the case be transferred to the Ekiti State division of the court.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the state had through their counsel, Raji, approached the court seeking an order of court to declare the seats of the 19 APC lawmakers vacant and also a declaration that all the actions taken by them from November

21, 2014 till date, including the purported commencement of impeachment proceeding and notice alleging misconduct against Fayose and his deputy, Dr. Olusola Eleka, as illegal.

The suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/361/15 was filed by Dele Olugbemi and six other PDP lawmakers.

At the argument stage, counsel to the plaintiffs prayed the court to assume jurisdiction in the matter or transfer the case to the Federal High Court, Ekiti division for the continuation of hearing.

However, counsel to the defendants, Terence Vember, had opposed the application insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.

He submitted that the court ought to determine the issue of jurisdiction before any other issue.

Dangote tasks African leaders on job creation W ith a prospect of about 7000 job opportunities in Ethiopia, President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, yesterday opened his 2.5million mtpa cement plant with a charge on African leaders to make the environment conducive for the growth of the real sector as a sure way of creating jobs to reduce poverty on the continent.

Dangote, who was speaking shortly before the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Dessalegn, cut the tape to inaugurate the plant said that achieving a real economic integration

in Africa would require that Africans work together to ensure economic and political stability on the continent.

Besides, he stated that conscious efforts must be made to break down the barriers and borders between countries so as to allow free flow of goods, services and people.

Dangote stressed the need for a genuine collaboration between the private sector and governments at all levels for the much needed real sector growth, noting that there must be deliberate efforts to encourage Africans, not just foreigners alone, to invest in Africa.

He said: “Take for example, my company, the Dangote Cement, is currently investing in 16 African countries, with plans to invest in many more over the next few years. There are a number of other successful pan-African brands today such as MTN, Shoprite and Ecobank. We need to encourage this trend to see more investments in Africa by Africans.

“Above all, there is the need to encourage the private sector to collaborate with governments across Africa, to address the issue of infrastructure deficit, which has plagued the

continent for decades.

“I believe that manufacturing, and not trading, is the best way to grow an economy. This event, which we are witnessing today, attests to the fact that we took the right decision when we decided to transit from trading in our home country, Nigeria, into manufacturing, in 1996.

“Dangote Cement is currently simultaneously setting up new cement plants and terminals across 16 African countries, including Ethiopia. This is in line with our long-term vision to become one of the world’s biggest cement producers."

6 JUNE 2015

S’Court affirms Ado Ibrahim as Ohinnoyi of Ebiraland Tunde Oyesina

T Abuja

he Supreme Court yesterday affirmed the appointment of Alhaji Ado Ibrahim as the Ohinoyi and paramount traditional ruler of Ebiraland in Kogi State.

The apex court in a judgement yesterday struck out a legal action instituted against the traditional ruler by six aggrieved contestants to the stool in 1998.

Justice John Inyang Okoro who delivered the lead judgement held that the case against Ado Ibrahim was statute barred at the time it was filed on June 3, 1998.

Justice Okoro held that since the appointment of the monarch was made public by the Kogi State government on June 2, 1997, the legal action ought to have been filed within three months stipulated by Section 2 of the Public Officers Protection Act. The apex court said the

case having been filed after clear nine months the appointment was made in a letter signed by the then Military administrator of the state,. Col. Bzigu Lassa Afakirya ran foul of the Public Officers Protections Act and had become a nullity.

The court held, “There is no more cause of action for the plaintiffs at the trial court since they did not commence their court action within the three months the law permitted them to do so.”

A Kogi State High Court judge, Justice Hussein Tanko, had in his judgement of April 2, 2006, dethroned Ibrahim as the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland on account of alleged irregularities and breaches of laws in his appointment.

Justice Hussein held that the appointment of the ruler by the state government was “illegal and fraudulent” because it breached the state and Ebira Chieftaincy laws and deposed him.

Police arrest 15 for kidnapping, child stealing Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

I

mo State Police Command yesterday said it had arrested 15 suspected criminals that have been terrorising the state.

Parading the suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters, Owerri, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austin Evbakhavbokun, said the suspects were apprehended at various locations within the state following a renewed onslaught against criminal syndicates who had been terrorising the state.

He said a gang, which specialises in kidnapping in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state, was arrested by policemen from the command, when the

suspects were at the point of kidnapping Happiness Njoku of Umuaka village in Ngor Okpala.

The police chief added that three members of the gang; 22-year-old Obioma Emereole, 29-year-old Kingsley Chimankpam and 27-year-old Chigaemezu Ogoma, were arrested, while some weapons were recovered from them.

He said following the report of the kidnap of one Mrs. Martina Ndukwu of Umuokanne Mgbirichi Road in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command arrested four suspects.

The suspects arrested were Barnabas Chidiebere, Chinwendu Okaru, Chibundu Amadi and Kenneth Ordu.

Senate justifies passage of 46 bills in 10 mins Chukwu David Abuja

T

he Senate yesterday, justified the passage of 46 bills in one sitting on Wednesday within less than 10 minutes, saying it was within acceptable legislative practice.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, explained to journalists that the public would have judged the legislature negatively if the bills were not passed, urging the press to properly educate the people on the matter.

He said all the bills passed after the expiration of President Goodluck

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

Jonathan’s tenure would be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent since they were passed under his administration.

“We brought a motion before the floor and the motion was that we should suspend Order 89(1) which requires the First, Second and Third Reading to be done on three different days. And when you suspend a particular Order, it is no more applicable.

"It is the exactly the same texts, wordings and meaning that were made before the House of Representatives because we agreed on the same wordings and texts of the motion."

IBADAN Pay our pension arrears, Pensioners tell Ajimobi

NEWS IN BRIEF

ST

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State branch, has described as unbearable and lamentable the plight of the state’s pensioners, appealing to the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to urgently pay their February pension.

As contained in the press release issued and signed by state Chairman, Mr. Biiyawo Azeez, and Secretary, Mr. Olusegun Abatan, the union said the appeal had become expedient, owing to the condition of despondency that pensioners continued to be subjected to by the day.

“As we write, Oyo State pensioners are yet to be paid February 2015 pension in June 2015. This is aside non-payment of between 13 and 24 monthly pensions of retired Primary school teachers,” the union said.

$15.1m

The total amount of salary/winnings of Peyton Manning (NFL) for 2014.

Source: Forbes.com

AWKA APGA holds national convention today

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) national convention will be held today in Awka, Anambra State.

Some of its stakeholders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said the party would come out stronger after the convention.

The party said it would elect new national and state officers at the convention slated for the Women Development Centre, Awka.

The governor’s Special Adviser, Political Matters, Mr. Chinedu Obidigwe, said the convention would showcase to the world that APGA was a party that blazes the trail in internal democracy.

Obidigwe said the state government was glad for the privilege to host the party’s national convention in Awka.

7

APAPA 36 ships with petroleum products berth in Lagos

Thirty six ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other commodities are expected to arrive at the Lagos ports from June 5 to June 21.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) made the disclosure yesterday in Lagos in its daily publication, “Shipping Position.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that seven ships in the ports were already discharging buckwheat, crude palm oil, diesel, base oil and container.

The publication noted that 17 of the expected ships would sail in with containers, stating that the remaining 19 ships contained petrol, kerosene, diesel, general cargo, fresh fish, bulk fertiliser, steel products and buckwheat.

109

The sex ratio of women/100 men (international migrants) of Canada in 2010.

Source: Un.org

152,687

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Albania in 2000.

Source: Itu.int

APC lawmakers distracted my govt last seven months –Fayose Adesina Wahab

E

Ado-Ekiti

kiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, yesterday described the last seven months of his administration as “months of distraction.”

The governor, who said this at the inauguration of the 5th House of Assembly in Ado-Ekiti, said: “Today, I am going to hit the ground running, I am going to work with you because we cannot afford to disappoint Ekiti people.

“As lawmakers, your duties include to make laws for the people of the state and also to perform oversight functions, don’t jump the gun, don’t live your primary assignments and say that you want to be acting governor. I think you will learn from the past mistakes.”

Fayose, who rode to the Assembly Complex on a

l Exonerates Buhari from impeachment move commercial motorcycle in a road show, amid large crowd, also exonerated President Muhammadu Buhari of any blame in the failed bid by the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the immediate past House of Assembly to remove him from office.

He said security reports showed that the president did not have a hand in the plot to remove him from office.

While reacting to the failed bid by the former lawmakers to impeach him from office, Fayose warned the newlyinaugurated lawmakers against over-ambition.

He urged them to cooperate with the other arms of government to move the state forward.

At the inauguration, a former State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), Pastor Kola Oluwawole and Mr. Olusegun Adewumi, emerged as the speaker and deputy speaker respectively.

Oluwawole from Moba Constituency One was nominated by Mr. Adewumi from Ekiti West Constituency 1 and the motion was seconded by Mr. Dele Ayodele from Gbonyin Constituency 2.

The deputy speaker was nominated by Mr. Ayeni Adewale from Ikere Constituency 1 and his motion was seconded

by Titi Owolabi from Ikole Constituency 1.

The Clerk of the assembly, Mr. Tola Esan, administered the oath of office and allegiance on the officers.

While pledging to cooperate with the lawmakers, Fayose said notwithstanding the poor financial

situation of the state, he promised to accord the lawmakers their respect and pay all their dues.

Thanking the people of the state for their support while the impeachment moves lasted, Fayose said their stance had further demonstrated their love for him in spite of "intimidation and threat by the APC".

He said: “You demonstrated that you will continue to speak with one voice. We are in opposition, but we will continue to refuse all efforts or any attempt to muscle the opposition in the state. We will continue to stand on the side of the people.”

The new speaker, in his address, said the assembly would cooperate with the executive arm of the government as a family and would not engage in “pull him down syndrome.”

L-R: New Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Kola Oluwawole; Governor Ayodele Fayose and Clerk of the assembly, Mr. Tola Esan, after Oluwawole’s inauguration in Ado- Ekiti…yesterday. photo: government house

8

News

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

IBADAN NLC suspends strike over salary arrears

N EWS I N BRIEF

ST

Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday suspended its nine-day-old strike sequel to an agreement the leadership had with the state government over payment of salary arrears.

The union had directed its members to stay off work from May 26 because of unpaid workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions running into three months.

In his directive, the Chairman, Mr. Waheed Olojede, called on the workers to resume work on June 8.

He said: “After a successful negotiation which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government, the labour union had resolved to suspend the strike."

233.8m

The estimated total population of Western Africa in 2000.

Source: Un.org

LAFIA UMUAHIA Al-Makura appoints new CPS FMC Umuahia denies Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Tanko withholding check off

Al-Makura, yesterday appointed Alhaji Tukur Ahmed as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

The appointment is contained in a statement signed in Lafia, by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hajiya Zainab Ahmed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that until Ahmed’s appointment, he was the Nasarawa State Correspondent of the Blue Print Newspapers.

“Your past track record, dedication and sincerity as well as humane to the public earned you this appointment,” it said. Born on October 27, 1974, Tukur holds a PGD Diploma in mass communication From Benue State University, Makurdi.

£1.6bn

The total amount paid out to the 20 top-flight clubs in the English Premier League in the 2014/2015 season.

Source: Goal.com

The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuhia, Abia State, has denied withholding the check off dues of members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in its employ from being remitted to the union as alleged by the executive of the union.

Reacting to the allegation of refusal of FMC management to release union dues deductions for three years to the union on the telephone, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Abali Chuku, said the union had two factions and that remittances had been made to the other faction recognised by the hospital management as the legal union.

“The proper thing to do was for the new leadership to formally write to the hospital management to inform us of the new change in leadership in order to enable them make the necessary changes,” he said.

50.6

The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of the world in 2007.

Source: Itu.int

Man stabs mum, sets self ablaze Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

T

ragedy occurred yesterday when a 25-year-old man, Tobechukwu Ogbonna, stabbed his mother and later set himself ablaze.

Before setting himself ablaze, he also burnt the family house.

The incident, which occurred at No. 22, Warri Street, Umuahia saw the tenants and sympathisers watch helplessly as the entire building burnt with valuables to ashes when Ogbonna on Tuesday night An eyewitness, who is also a tenant in the house, Mr. Joseph Mark, said the incident occurred about 11pm when an argument between the victim and his mother turned to a hot exchange of words.

Mark said it was in the course of the exchange that Ogbonna ran in, drew his machete and landed it on his mother giving her several deep cuts. But that was after killing a dog in the compound with the machete.

It was learnt that he had

tried unsuccessfully to use the machete on his elder brother, Mr. Uche Ogbonna, who was said to have escaped by jumping the fence.

Another eyewitness, Mr. Abdulfata Oyadele, said the victim was a drug addict who had been terrorising the family and people in the area.

He said it was not the first time he had quarrel with members of the family and tenants.

When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ezekiel Udeviotu, confirmed the incident but said investigation had commenced.

At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia where the mother of the victim, Mrs Lynda Ogbonna, was taken to for treatment, a medical expert at the emergency ward, who preferred anonymity, said the patient was responding to treatment.

At the scene of the incident, sympathisers were seen trying to assist residents of the building in evacuating the debris from the inferno.

Dickson has done well, says Bayelsa elders Taiwo Jimoh

A L-R: Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Chief Ifeanyi Uba; Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore; Executive Secretary, Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Authority (PPPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed and Managing Director, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Haruna Momoh, at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja…yesterday photo: nan

NSCDC shuts 15 illegal guard firms in Anambra Chris Ejim

A

with agency reports

nambra State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday shutdown 15 illegal security guard companies operating in the state.

This is coming as the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, said the body had impounded a vessel laden with 1,500 metric tonnes of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel).

Speaking in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, the Assistant CommandantGeneral (ACG), Mr. Ben Dikuro, warned that the organisation would not leave any stone unturned in making further arrests and closures of illegal security companies in the state.

“We have been able to xray their activities and have provided the enabling environment for the licensed operators to carry out their

l JTF seizes vessel with 1,500 metric tonnes of diesel in Bayelsa duty within the law. Those who want to operate must be licensed to do so. We have set up mobile patrol to monitor national assets, including electrical installations,” he said.

He said because of the corps’ uncompromising stand, the JTF has been able to effectively check vandalism in the state.

“All the entry and exit points of the state are being manned by our officers to monitor movement of adulterated petroleum products,” he said.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the JTF, Lt. -Col. Ado Isa, told journalists at the task force’s headquarters in Yenagoa, that the vessel registered as MV Europort, was seized at Foropa waterways in the state.

Ado said operatives of the JTF on patrol at about 2.30 a.m. on June 2 arrested the vessel in Forropa creeks

in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

“The 2,000 metric tonnes capacity vessel was arrested by the JTF operatives patrol team following a tip off at about 02.30 hrs on June 2, 2015. The vessel was discovered carrying 1,500 metric tons of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). The suspects boarded a speed boat and sailed into the high sea on sighting the JTF troops,” Ado said.

According to him, the vessel stationed at Foropa creeks is currently being guarded by the troops.

However, efforts are being intensified to apprehend the suspected oil thieves and crew of the vessel.

He said in another development, troops of the task force operating in Eleme, Port Harcourt, seized a truck laden with 33,000

litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

Ado said the truck with registration number Anambra 784 AWK arrested at Onne, was destroyed with its contents at the place of arrest, stressing that the driver of the truck reportedly absconded on sighting the JTF troops.

“It is hoped that these arrests will discourage other intending criminals from any act of illegal oil related crimes which is a severe economic crime to our great country, Nigeria.

“Consequently, I beckon on the good people of Niger Delta to support the ‘Zero Tolerance Campaign’ of the JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen Emmanuel Atewe, against oil theft and illegalities. We also solicit timely information from the people to enable the task force to track miscreants in the Niger Delta region,” Ado said.

group, Concerned Bayelsa Elders (CBE), has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan and his loyalists to support Governor Seriake Dickson of Balyesa State to continue with his transformation and development of the state.

The elders who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, said since the assumption of office, Dickson had done wonderfully well for the state.

Spokesman, Mr. John Ebeletimi, said it was imperative for us as stakeholders in the state to prevail on the former president; his loyalists and wife’s team to support the good work of the governor.

He said: “Since 2005 when the governor emerged as the Attorney-

General under the former President Goodluck Jonathan when he was the of the state, Governor Dickson has been loyal to him till date.”

He said the style of leadership of the governor was that of a man who wants to leave a legacy of a state where all indigenes, irrespective of political affiliation, should see the governor as God’s answer to the needs of Bayelsan.

The elders berated the reception organised by the state government in honour of the former president when he returned home recently.

“In spite of all the hostilities towards the governor by Jonathan’s wife, the governor has for three days brought I jaw leaders from across the 78 clans,"he said.

Polls: PPA sacks exco in Niger, Ekiti, others over incompetence Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

W

orried by the abysmal outing of Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in the last elections, national body of the party has dissolved its executive committees in Niger, Ekiti, Sokoto and Plateau states for alleged incompetence and failure to present candidates, promote and sell its manifesto in the recentlyconcluded general elections.

Consequently, a 12-man caretaker committee has been appointed to take

charge, pending the conduct of a fresh congress.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PPA said its Niger State chapter was dissolved “after series of investigation which found members culpable of gross misconduct contrary to Article 12(2) a, b, c, d and refusal to appear before its disciplinary committee.”

The NWC also accused them of allegedly “causing disaffection within the party and unruly behaviour” to the leadership of the PPA. see news extra on page 52

Society

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

9

Daughter of the publisher of New Telegraph Newspapers, Nicole, celebrated her birthday recently in London. And present at the fun-filled event were friends and well-wishers, including Nesochi and mum, Mrs. Ifunanya Uzor Kalu.

Dr Orji Uzor Kalu; Olivia (standing in red jacket); Nicole ( sitting in red jacket) and friends...at the party

Nicole, the reason for the event

Olivia (standing in red jacket), Nicole (red jacket front) and friends

Nicole and Olivia

Nicole, Olivia and Dr and Mrs Orji Uzor Kalu

Nicole, Olivia and friends at the party

Dr and Mrs Orji Uzor Kalu, Nicole, Olivia and other friends

SATURDAY

Voices How long should a bereaved spouse wait to remarry? p.12

Street Diary SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

Different scenes from the fire incident

10

PHOTOS: GODWIN IREHKE

Lagos tanker fire

‘We lost all we laboured for in life' R Taiwo Jimoh

esidents and shop owners at Iyana Ipaja were drenched in tears as they recounted their loses on the Tuesday, June 2, morning inferno after a tanker carrying about 33,000 litres of petrol fell from a bridge.

It was gathered that the tanker exploded as it crashed on the ground, spilling its contents, which immediately caught fire and disrupted activities of the day. The fire destroyed vehicles, shops and houses in the vicinity, but, no life was lost.

The fire incident caused heavy traffic on the popular Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. However, officials of the Lagos State Fire Service and other responders were on ground to put out the fire.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, was at the scene of the incident to have a first-hand assessment of the incident. The governor attributed such frequent tanker explosions to carelessness and indiscipline on the part of tanker drivers. About 30 building and several shops along the road were reduced to wreckages.

Mrs Azeezat Adetoye, a food vendor at Abule Oki bus stop, told our correspondent she lost all she labored for in life to the inferno. Adetoye said, “I borrowed the money I am using for my business from one of the micro finance banks.” She added that, “I have been at this bus stop for closed to 10 years now selling food; we have not experienced this kind of fire outbreak in the area. I just stocked my shop with foodstuffs a day before the incident. Everything I have laboured for has been consumed by the

I ran for my life by scaling the fence. I had merchandise worth over N2 million in the shop

fire. As a widow with five children to carter for, where do I start from now?”

The degree of the damage done in the vicinity varies from street to street. The most hit street was Bakare Jafofo were about 20 vehicles parked on the street were all burnt beyond recognition.

While houses on Oremeji, Adebayo and Lawal streets were consumed by the inferno as well as tricycles parked outside the buildings. It was also gathered that a commercial bus driver, simply identified as Agba, residing on no, 10 Oremeji Street was said to be trapped in the fire while trying to park his bus.

A commercial bus driver who identified himself simply as Wasiu said the damage would have been averted if fire fighters had responded to the calls put across to them that night by some of residents who were still outside when the explosion occurred.

Narrating what happened, Wasiu said, “My friends and I were inside our motor park about 1: 30 am relaxing when we saw the truck falling on a

commercial bus close to the road. Immediately, we noticed the fuel spilling into the gutter. Some people tried to scoop fuel from the gutter but I and some other people flew over fear of explosion.

Few hours later, we heard a big sound, we thought it was a gunshot, but we later realised that it was from the fuel tanker that fell.”

A mobile policeman attached to Mopol 2, Obalende, Mr Yusuf Alhaji, said, “All my valuables and my children wears had been consume by the fire. We were asleep when my wife woke me up that she perceived the smell of petroleum in our compound. She accused me of not properly closing the lid of the generator.

She decided to go outside and check only for her to see thick smoke.

“Immediately she saw the smoke she ran back into the room and woke me up to come and I followed her outside. When I saw the thick smoke, I knew we are in serious danger. To save our lives, we all scaled through the fence. It was a terrible experience taking my children through the fence. I have lost my credentials too.”

Mrs Jemilat, a neighbour to Alhaji, said, “We were also sleeping when the fire caught us unaware. All our belongings and the children’s wears also got burnt beyond recognition. I urge the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to come to our aid as we have lost everything to the fire.”

Another victim, Mr. Izuchukwu Eze, lamented that, “I have lost everything in my shop to the incident. I was awakened by shouts of fire around 2am.

When I came out, I saw it was my shop on fire. There was nothing I could do;

I was helpless because I couldn’t go near the fire. I sell electrical equipment; everything in the shop was destroyed.

The stock I had was worth over N4 million. I don’t know what the Lagos State Government will do to help me start all over again.”

Also, Uchenna Young, a phone shop owner, re-counted that, “When I saw the fire engulfing everything around me, I tried to save some of my properties but the heat and smoke were too much for me to bear. I ran for my life by scaling the fence. I had merchandise worth over N2 million in the shop. I just brought in new stock on yesterday (June 1). I spent everything I had to buy the new products, but everything is gone.

That shop was the only source of livelihood I had, now I don’t have anything to sustain my family.”

According to the head of operation, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority [LASEPA], Mr. Femi Giwa, “we responded to a distressed call received by our control centre about the explosion the area. We mobilized our men and moved to the scene of the incident so as to curtail further spread of the fire to the communities.”

The Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said the incident was reported at about 12:58am to their agency's control room. He said, “We received the alert around 12:58am and we swung into action. Unfortunately it was a late action.

When we heard it, we thought it was a pipeline fire. We deployed fire service to the scene.”

11

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

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

Q uotes of the week “Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.”

- President Muhammadu Buhari

“We thank God for today and we want to assure Nigerians that the APC government will not disappoint them.”

- Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC).

“It takes two to tango, I am appealing to members of the public, not to corrupt my men, If they ask you for bribe don’t give.”

- IGP Solomon Arase Students hanging on a moving bus along Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos. ` PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Reduce the high cost of governance in Nigeria Dear Editor, The huge size of federal cabinets in Nigeria and the cost of running government should really be a source of concern to all Nigerians, particularly the newly sworn in President Muhammadu Buhari. A situation where we had so many ministers, special advisers and special assistants during the tenure of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan can no longer be tolerated in a modern economy.

Since Buhari is widely known as a prudent manager of scarce resources, I expect him to reduce the expenditure of the National Assembly, reduce the cost of running government in Nigeria, and plug all the loopholes. If this is done, wastage will be eliminated and the federal government will be able to do its work of developing the country, providing infrastructure and improving the welfare of all Nigerians.

Ben Charles, Delta state.

Rising cases of heart failure among Nigerians Dear Editor, I want to draw the attention of government to the rising cases of heart failure in the country. I sincerely believe that there is a relationship between the poor economic condition of Nigerians and heart failure. That is because the high level of stress and suffering in the country brought about by severe economic hardship and lack of basic infrastructure is seriously causing health problems among Nigerians. Recently, some family members, friends and associates of a certain Johnson Obi appealed for help from Nigerians through Facebook, a social media platform.

Sadly, however, Obi passed on before well meaning Nigerians could contribute enough money for his treatment. Obi was a First class graduate of Electrical Instrumentation & Control Engineering from the Nigerian Institute of Instrument Engineering and was diagnosed with severe Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis (damaged valves in his heart) or Acute Heart Failure.

I would therefore appeal to the new administration of Muhammadu Buhari to do something fast to fix Nigeria’s economy and healthcare system in order to save lives.

Patrick Gbobi, Lagos.

Establish a para-millitary outfit for schools Dear Editor, For over three years now, it is a fact that security is a major challenge in Nigeria. The kidnap of the Chibok Girls was a major dent on the administration of Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past president.

As a result of this, I will advise the new President, Muhammadu Buhari to expediently establish a paramillitary outfit to be in charge of security at schools and see to the eradication of cultism both in secondary and tertiary institutions. This aforesaid outfit will maintain security on campuses and in all our boarding schools especially the Government Colleges and the so called unity Schools. Other school Proprietors who need their services can make their intentions known.

I expect the new government to bring change in the area of security at schools in order to stop the trend of kidnapping of schoolgirls from re-occurring.

Femi .G. Komolafe, Ibadan, Oyo State

Buhari needs the prayers of all Nigerians Dear Editor, Successive Nigerian governments have consistently failed to repair the economy, provide electricity, good roads and even curb corruption. As a result, Nigerians yearned for change and voted for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as their new president. Alleged corruption was so much under former President Goodluck Jonathan that it was even said that Jonathan budgeted N1Billion for food alone.

The fact is that Nigeria is in a mess at the moment. Therefore, Nigerians cannot afford another four or eight years of lies, deceit, waste, corruption and ‘transformations’ that exist only on NTA, AIT and in some selected media outfits who only dish out propaganda. President Buhari simply cannot afford to fail! I’m therefore calling on all Nigerians to pray for Buhari and help him succeed.

Dorothy Paul, Abuja.

“The state is completely empty... The people will have to give us time to correct all wrongs perpetrated by the PDP administration. The people have to understand and be Patients with us because it’s not going to be an easy task.”

- Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor.

“In recognition of the difficult challenges we face, our deputy governor and I have concluded that the sacrifices that change requires must begin with us. We have decided to take a pay cut and donate 50 percent of our salaries and allowances, until our fiscal situation improves. We understand that leadership by example is the most persuasive way to demand sacrifices from all of us as citizens.”

- Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State Governor.

“I call on the people of Enugu State to tighten your belts but tightening of belt will start with the government.

All revenue generating agencies must get ready to remit to the state government – tax defaulters would no longer be counted as friends of Enugu State Government” - Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu State Governor “The incoming government should scrap the Sports Ministry, set up a proper professional sports commission headed by an experienced, qualified sports person with a clear vision about where and how to take Nigerian sports to the top in the world within a short time.”

- Segun Odegbami, former Green Eagles Captain.

“Whatever anyone may want to say, posterity will judge. We are proud that w are leaving government with our heads held very high.”

- Jonah Jang, former Plateau State Governor.

SATURDAY

Voices SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

12

How long should a bereaved spouse wait to remarry?

It depends on the spouse

I will say for a short period of time so that he doesn’t go flirting with other women, because as a man he might not be able to control himself for long unlike the woman that can keep herself for her children.

– Kelechi Okorie, civil servant

Well, I cannot say for a specific time or year, it depends on how long the individual can wait to mourn the dead spouse but I would advise that it shouldn’t really take a long time so that he or she can get over it with time.

– Efe Adegor, businessman

It should be left for

the spouse to decide

The age of the person matters

Some persons will not dream of it because of the love and intimacy she shared with the deceased spouse and so she will find that vacuum difficult to be filled by another person no matter how hard the person may try. So I will say it should be left for the person to decide either to stay or remarry.

– Ebong Grace, civil servant

I will say the individual should take time to decide on whether to go on with another marriage or stay alone, depending on the age of the person, because I will not expect an aged person of about 45 years wanting to remarry again especially if she is a woman. Why not stay and focus on her children instead?

– Hannah Gabriel, businesswoman

Whenever they are

– Oludare Mayowa, journalist

Some people might want to get over the pains of the loss within a short period of time but because of the fear of what the family might say she will just keep to herself and engage in a secret affair. But for real I would advise that if she can hold on for at least three years then she should go into another relationship especially if she is still young.

–Maria Obun-Andy, civil servant

Culture should not hold people hostage Some cultures will not permit it and if the bereaved remarries, they will say the individual killed the spouse for selfish reasons, particularly the female. But it shouldn’t be that people should be bound to culture bearing in mind that anything can befall a person at any giving time.

– Adefowope Adefuye, civil servant

ready

A year should be enough For the sake of mourning, a year should be enough to avoid temptation. But, if the person can endure for more than a year, of course, why not?

Three years is fine by me

For a short period

It should be whenever he or she is ready. There are some things others shouldn't control and this is one of them.

– Lola Omolola,

It depends on individuals

self-employed

compiled by

I know of somebody who waited for four years before getting remarried.

So it depends on the individual's readiness.

– Bridget Obeatta Ogbeifun,

self-employed

ANGELA DAVIES and JOHN EDU

NEWS

40 detained over invasion of Lagos Secretariat’s Account Office

Muritala Ayinla

A

t least 40 workers of the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa were yesterday grilled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Alausa Police Station over alleged invasion of the Account Department of the state's Ministry of Justice.

The Account Department of the Ministry was burgled by thieves suspected to be informed by the “insider sources” in the ministry, carting away money meant for the payment of allowance for casual staff, who had been offering probono services

for the ministry.

It was gathered that that the ceiling of the account section of the ministry where the money was kept was discovered broken into yesterday morning after which the money running into several millions of Naira was found missing.

Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), said those suspected to have had hand in the stolen allowances of the casual judicial staff had been invited by the police for investigation.

Pedro, who is also the state Solicitor-General, vowed that the law would

take its course on anyone found to have masterminded the burglary in the state ministry of justice.

He added that he had ordered all the staff to vacate the office premises to enable the police carry out thorough investigations, beginning with the taking of finger prints.

“It is true we recorded a break-in through the ceiling into the Account Department where money for the allowances to the officers that deserve the allowances were kept. And I said I don't want to hear story that is a criminal offence. There is no room for impunity, the people who are saddled

with the responsibility of criminal investigations is the police. The police came in and went into the Account Department. The crime was carried out over night. We are supposed to have security guards. It is for the police to carry out their investigation which I have asked them to do.

The suspects are all there now. They are not really detained but all of them have been invited. So, I wouldn't know how many of them will be detained amongst them. Inviting people for investigation is different from detaining them as if they are suspect. That is exactly the position of things

and until my Director of Finance and Accounting comes back to report to me what has actually happened,” he said.

Pedro said all the staff from the Account Office of the ministry would be invited for interrogation, saying the burglary would not have been possible without some insider sources, since the incident occurred a day after the money was brought into the office.

He said: “From the investigation we carried out by ourselves, we could see it was a premeditated attack because it would have an insider collaboration with some people from outside.

It was really shocking. Why did it happened within a day?

“Everybody from the Account Department will be invited to come and say what they no about it. They will surely ask them who was in the office, who was not before they can be released. The officials whose allowances were carted away won't be less than 40 or 50. They are the judicial officials who do our mediation services. They are not permanent staff. They help to provide the services to ensure smooth administration of justice. Some of them are in Badagry, Epe and other areas."

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

SATURDAY

WeekendDelight 13

C o n v e r s at i o n

Instyle Time changes; not so for waistcoats p.15

Zainab

ATIKU BAGUDU

TV & Radio El clone: An enticing love triangle story p.44

I clean, tone to maintain my beauty

Love & Living ‘My sister-in-law made me barren’ p.35

Hospitality

Flourish Wellness Resort: Premium charge on healthy living p.41 It was the morning of May 29, the inauguration day in Kebbi State like in most of other states and in Abuja. A flurry of activities enveloped the rather modest state. Before dawn on that day, you could tell by the influx of eminent personalities from across the world that an illustrious son of the land was going to be decorated with a great honour. And so by 10:30am the stadium was already filled to capacity to host people from far and near as the All Progressives Congress Governor-elect, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Matawallen Gwandu), was set to be sworn-in. Nothing could ruin the glitzy festivities, as both the new governor and his deputy, Col. Sumaila Yombe (rtd.), were received in a blaze of glory by their countrymen after taking the oath of office.

The first lady, Dr. Zainab Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who should be overwhelmed by task of receiving her high profile friends would stormed the state from distant places, demonstrated an incredible calmness in her role as the state’s biggest hostess. She spoke with LANRE ODUKOYA after the event.

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

At the point when the campaign for the gubernatorial seat of Kebbi State became fierce, what were your fears?

Yes, it was indeed a hard fought campaign from the primaries up to the main election.

It was tough but I wouldn’t say that I was afraid at all. I was quite confident because I knew we were in the right party and we had good policies and we were confident in the leadership of the All Progressives Congress.

Furthermore, he’s been in active politics, first as a senator for two years before replacing another senator that was appointed as a minister and his subsequent four-year term. Within these periods, I’ve been able to feel the pulse of the people of Kebbi State, not only Kebbi central, but the totality of the state because we interacted with people across the state. So, it was easy for me to know that he was popular.

I feel that I’m enlightened and sensible enough to judge if we were doing the right thing, and my instinct further convinced me that we were on the right track. So, if we had any fears at all, it was in the electoral process and the usual

things (electoral malpractices) that go on in Nigeria. But thanks to God, people came out to vote and their votes counted. This has restored my faith in governance.

What was your immediate reaction after your husband won?

When elections are held the results come in in trickles and not at once. Yes, it happened within 24 to 48 hours in this case, so you could tell what way the outcome was swinging and so would be prepared. It was very exciting, joyful; one had a feeling of happiness that the voters wanted him to serve them and that our work wasn’t in vain. We’re very happy and thankful to God. Specifically, what would you be doing differently from your predecessors?

As a party and as a people, we’ve been able to identify the problematic areas and they are nothing magical or scientific, just simple things. These are the issues of power, infrastructure, health and education. Specifically,

the party has addressed all these issues in its manifestos and promises to Nigerians. Kebbi State isn’t different and my role in supporting my husband will not be different. I will support him in the areas where I have knowledge.

For instance, in the health sector, there are issues that are prevalent in northern Nigeria and Kebbi State in particular. But before we get there, I believe and from my research and available data, that the main problem we have to solve before getting to other issues is education. I want to be able to help northern Nigerian women and women of Kebbi State to attain better educational standards. This is not just about building fancy schools without teachers, or where the children don’t even come out to be educated. It spans from the provision of the buildings to training the manpower and making the manpower available across the state in the right number that will be sufficient.

I think that’s where my major role will come in. I’m not responsible for the provision of CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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Weekend Delight

| Conversation

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

‘Electoral process was tough for my husband’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

these classrooms, neither am I going to be responsible for the trainings. I could help to get people that would volunteer their services in teaching for example. But the principal role I will be playing is to create the awareness and letting people appreciate the value of education. The people I target in particular are religious and community leaders so that they can help us to convince the people to come out. I’ve said it many times that there’s no way we could have won the election if there was no active participation of the community leaders. There are district heads and if you don’t have their support, you’re wasting your time. A lot of people are not enlightened enough to be

able to make decisions themselves. So, whether we like it or not, the community leaders influence the decisions of the people politically, educationally, health-wise, the way they structure their domestic finances and so on. So, if we can get these people on board and actively involve them in the policies the government is making and get them together to be able to help children come out and be educated, that will be a good start. I would like to work with them to help me convince the women of Kebbi State to allow their children have education.

Have you also examined possible constraints and how do you deal with them when they start appearing?

Of course, there are constraints. For instance, there are cultural inhibitions that we have, things that our society in a way frowns at- in some parts of the state; that could be education. I have found ways of working round this situation, but I will like to keep them private for now so that we don’t overstep boundaries and offend anybody.

Before you became the first lady, you practiced medicine. Will these additional workloads allow you enough time for your cancer foundation and your diagnostic centre, MEDICAID? I run MEDICAID, a diagnostic centre in Abuja but most people say that I own it. I have tried often to correct that misconception. A team of people actually owns it and I just sit atop the management of the team. With regards to MEDICAID Cancer Foundation, it’s a foundation that was set up to cater for the northern Nigeria. So, I feel that if I can widen my scope to include places like Kebbi State and the neighbouring states that we haven’t done previously, it would be great. We’ve worked in Zamfara State, we’re located in Abuja and we’ve done a lot of work in Kebbi State as well. So, if we can widen this target population and make it more effective with a more visible presence, I see it as a continuation of the work that I do. It will in no way hinder my assignments as the first lady.

What would you be giving up for the service to your people?

Maybe that will be my life in general, to start with. There’s going to be a huge demand on my personal and professional time now. I now have a fresh constituency that demands more of my attention. My husband has sworn to bring progress to the people of Kebbi State, develop the state and be their leader. In any way that I can, it’s now exigent that I assist him in that role. It’s a huge task because the needs are enormous and the resources are scarce with high expectations. Like I said in the beginning, confidence is there, we’ve restored confidence in governance and it’s a good place to start.

Judging from your past private and current public life, you are given to solving people’s problems, would you consider mounting the political rostrum yourself to be able to extend the reach to more beneficiaries?

I doubt it very much. As a Muslim, you don’t say outright no to anything, but it’s not something that I feel that I can do on my own. I can play a supportive role as a daughter, a wife and maybe as a mother, but not by myself. I would rather support people that are going to be elected. I encourage women who are going to participate in partisan politics. I would continue to do so. My husband is already in it, I feel that I’m in it already and I don’t feel the need to do more than that.

What is a typical day like for you?

I go to bed early and I wake up early. Sometimes by 9:30pm, I’m asleep and when I wake up, I say my prayers, it’s very rare for me to go back to sleep between 5:30am and 6:30am depending on where I am and the season.

I’m awake the whole day, get to the office, run my clinic, do the administration work and rush back home when my husband is around. Sometimes I do school run at least two or three times a week either going or coming. I won’t say that I’m the best mother in the Parents Teachers’ Association but I do attend.

I now have a fresh constituency that demands more of my attention

What is the beauty regime that helps ATIKU BAGUDU

you maintain the obvious glow of your skin?

It’s the usual that most women have; you wash, clean and tone. And taking a lot of water helps even if you don’t take up to the eight glasses of water recommended a day and when I don’t do it, I realise that I feel worse off for it.

Do you have favourite meals?

Up till recently rice was my favourite just like most Nigerians but I struggled against that because as you grow older, you realise that you cannot continue to eat as you used to, your body just doesn’t handle it well too. I’ve cut down on that and I must have inherited it from my mother who eats rice every day. I grew up hearing her say she couldn’t do without rice every day and without realising it I got into that as well. But thank God I’ve been able to get over that. I eat more proteins now than carbohydrate.

Do you have preferred travel spots?

Well, I just like getting to wherever I’m going, whether it’s here in Nigeria or abroad, but I don’t like the process of travelling. I don’t like flying and long journeys by road.

How many places have you been fascinated with?

As many places as God had blessed me to visit, but I think my favourite spot is the city of Medina. There are religious, historical and personal reasons for me to cherish it. I also cherish my memories of Egypt. We went to a part of Egypt called Sinai. That was quite a nice trip. I like to go to places that have historical values and learn a lot to relate to the present day. Recently, I went to Turkey for a school re-union and it was very rich culturally and historically, and again I had a nice time being in company of old friends and classmates.

What kind of person is your husband?

Back at home, he’s ‘un-His Excellency’. He’s not a forceful person, his life is easy, his meals and routines are also easy. He’s also a very easy-going person. He enjoys being around his family and enjoys his work. When he sets his mind on something he works towards achieving it, he doesn’t sit and wait for it to happen. He’s very smart and it’s very easy for him to grasp things quickly.

Some people might find him too quiet, but he’s just the way he is. If he has things to say, he would say and he has nothing to say, he keeps quiet.

Could you remember some of the kindest words he had said to you?

He has said many beautiful things that one can’t really start enumerating all of them, they’re just too numerous to start counting.

What legacy are you thinking of imbuing your children with?

I think that one thing I find lacking now in the young, my children, my sisters and those who work in my team inclusive, I don’t know whether to call it discipline or ambition. Our younger people seem to be limiting themselves by their achievements by not thinking big enough and by not being confident enough to realise what they can achieve. I think therefore that the most important thing I’d like to see in my children and younger people, is more discipline and a bit more hard work- nothing good comes to you while lying on your back. If you work hard enough towards something, you’ll get it. I remember my secondary school days and what went wrong at a time. I was doing well in a particular course and then I got a form order (your work through the term that constitutes about 40 per cent of your work while your final examination is about 60 per cent), this particular topic in biology, I just found it complicated I didn’t bother to study hard enough.

I failed the form order and that was the first, our teacher gave the second part to us as homework. I brought it back to the teacher a few days late and I scored an A, she said she wasn’t going to record it because I didn’t submit early enough. I sat myself down and started studying for my examination knowing full well how many marks I would need at the examination to be able to pass that term. One thing I never wanted to do then was to take ‘fail’ home to my parents.

Are some of your kids exhibiting traits from either you or your husband already?

Well, in some ways, I would say ‘yes’ and I’d also say ‘no’ on the other hand. Everybody has his own distinct personality and every human being will become what he wants to become. As parents, you help to groom, encourage, give them love and support and scold them when it’s needed but your destiny lies in your own hand. You would become what you work to become.

Instyle

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Time changes; not so for waistcoats

T

Angela Davies he waistcoat is one of men’s most enduring fashion pieces that never seem to be outdated since making its debut over many decades. The versatility of the waistcoat makes it a must-have in every man’s wardrobe.

Waistcoats which usually come as a complete set of a three-piece suit can be styled in different ways to suit individual's style and occasion. Hence, you can dress up or dress down the waistcoat to suit the event. You could wear a waistcoat on a shirt and jeans or t-shirt and pants for a refined casual look. You could also wear it with a shirt, tie and same pants fabric for a

formal look. The beauty of waistcoats is that they help in maintaining a more streamlined silhouette and tidy look.

Waistcoat comes in a variety of styles, colours and fabrics to give a stylish and endearing look to the wearer whether it is part of a suit or bought alone.

Here are few basics on how to look impeccably dapper in your waistcoat.

• Get the right fit - Your waistcoat should fit properly to make you look neat and smart. Ensure it fits nicely around the shoulders and arms.

Anything other than perfection will make you look sloppy. So make sure you try it on before you buy.

• It should extend down to your waist that is why it is called a waistcoat.

fashion etiquette

• A good number of waistcoats have pockets and lapels; so, accessorise to spice up the outfit and your overall look.

• You should button up completely.

A fastened and fitted waistcoat will always look great and keep your shirt and tie on in place, thus, making you look smart and stylish.

However, you could also leave the bottom button unbutton.

• Avoid waistcoats with unnecessary or flashy details.

• Ensure the colour complements your shirt or t-shirt and pants.

With a well-fitted waistcoat, all you need to do is decide how you want to wear yours for a smart and dapper look.

Avoid carrying overstuffed wallet

N

Gideon Okeke

Gbenro Ajibade

Uti Nwachukwu

Ramsey Nouah

15

Adeyemi Okanlawon

o doubt, wallets are a necessary accessory for men. However, it should carry only your essential items. That is why a gentleman’s wallet should carry important items like identification, credit and business cards and less cash to ensure that it is not overstuffed.

In the world of wallets, less is more. So stuffing your wallet with irrelevant things and tucking it in your back pocket will make your pants bulge, and call for unnecessary attention. Also, overstuffed wallet will make you feel uncomfortable when sitting down.

In essence, a gentleman’s wallet needs to be functional and presentable and these have a lot to do with what you carry. If you are enticed to stuff your wallet with irrelevant items because of its size, then, it will be suitable to opt for a small wallet to limit the items you carry.

To avoid carrying an over-stuffed wallet in your pocket, take only the essentials so that your wallet will fit snugly into your pants pocket for a stylish and sleek look.

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Instyle

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Accessories to live for

Belting it up A quality leather dress belt is a perfect accessory to complement and add finishing touches to your formal outfit, writes ANGELA DAVIES.

B

elt is an important accessory for men. For most men, a belt is more than a simple accessory that helps keep a pair of pants in place. It is a fashion accessory designed to complement an outfit just the same way a good quality pair of shoes does.

Belts help to accent and add poise to an outfit. And a man can use the right belt to make his outfit more or less formal, and make a fashion statement as well.

Dressy or formal belts as they are also called are used on formal outfits. Dressy leather belts should be a staple in every man’s wardrobe. They should be simple and sleek without huge or fancy buckles or elaborate designs. They should also be understated and elegant.

The basic distinction between dressy and casual belts is that dress belts are a little wider than the width of the thumb.

Although there is an array of dressy belt colours, nevertheless, it is appropriate to stick to black and brown for easy coordination. Black leather belts can be paired with any colour of outfit. However, brown belts go better with lighter colours

and are a great bridge between light-coloured pants and coloured shirts.

Dress belt basics • Dress belts should have a few inches of leather to the left of the buckle once it is fastened. It should be long enough to tuck under the first belt loop.

• Choose a dress belt two or three sizes bigger than your pants for a good fit. The belt will be a bit tighter when it is properly worn.

• Belt buckles of dress belts are usually small, flat and narrow. Stay away from loud buckles. Also, the buckles are usually square or rectangular in shape with no embellishments.

• The majority of dress belt buckles have either gold or silver colour finish. However, silver is perhaps the most subtle colour of the two and most suitable for the office and formal occasions.

As a rule, the colour of your belt and shoes should match.

Note that your formal belt should tastefully complete your outfit elegantly.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

MY STYLE

Coveting the formal look Simplicity and elegance define actress Titilola Osinowo’s style, writes ANGELA DAVIES. How would you define your style?

I would say simple and classy.

they are comfortable. But for events, it is definitely high heels or wedge.

What determines the kind of outfits you wear?

The weather and occasion determine what I wear.

Do jewelry appeal to you?

I prefer costume jewelry. However, if I don’t want to wear that, I opt for beautiful beads necklace and earrings.

Which outfits take up the most space in your wardrobe?

It would be jeans; but I am trying to do away with them. You will also see dresses as well. But I am trying to wear more of skirts and blouse now because I want to start looking formal.

Is there any outfit you will never be caught wearing?

You will not catch me wear bra and pants outside my house.

Fashion item you cannot do without I love wristwatches and rings.

What fashion rule do you live by?

It is being simple and elegant.

Could you recall the most expensive fashion item you have ever bought?

It’s a handbag and clutch.

If you were a fashion item, what would you be?

I think hair.

What kinds of shoes do you find irresistible?

The shoe I wear depends on the occasion. For casual outings, I prefer to wear low-heeled slippers because

Osinowo

Beauty M

Best designer I am really not a designer freak.

I wear anything that looks elegant and nice on me.

Signature perfume I use any perfume that smells good. It could be feminine or masculine, but, I prefer masculine perfume because their fragrance is strong and they last longer.

How do you love your makeup?

Right now I like it simple, but I used to be flashy. Nevertheless, when attending events, I could emphasise my brows and lips.

How do you love your hair?

Although I fix different weaveons especially human hair, I however prefer making didi hairstyle with attachment made just into two parts.

Didi hairstyle is simple, makes you look natural and African. Also, you can go anywhere with this hairstyle as long as it is neatly done.

Best colour That is blue and pink. But royal blue has always been my favourite colour.

17

Instyle

Facts Joan Okorodudu is the brain behind the fashion label, House of Jola. Her love for fashion was ignited while she was in Boston University assisting her sister who, she recalls, used to make clothes for her friends and acquaintances.

The first lady's boot was designed for Queen Victoria in 1840.

In the late 1800s, women pinned live chameleons to the lapels of their dress as broaches.

The perfect shoes that could be worn without socks are loafers. They are smart and give the necessary edge to the look.

Need the perfect pout? These tips would help

ost times, women spend so much time in front of the mirror trying to achieve the perfect pout without success. However, there is nothing as good as spotting the flawless pout especially if you have to attend a special event, go on date or even hang out with girls.

So, to allow your lips do more than talking, try these easy makeup tricks to achieve the perfect pout and be noticeable.

Steps Exfoliate: This is vital for removing dead cells and flaky skin. To do this, use a wet toothbrush or damp wash cloth to remove flaky skin.

Moisturise: Moisturise your lips with a balm to condition your lips.

Concealer: Use a concealer to even out the lines on your lips and seal in the moisture provided by the lip balm. This will prevent any lipstick or gloss from flaking or rubbing off during the day.

Outline: Use a lip pencil and outline the shape of your lips. However, select a colour that either blends well with your skin tone or is in subtle contrast to your lips.

Lipstick colour: Apply lipstick generously and blot off excess using tissue paper. A matte texture, especially if it is a dark or rich colour is suitable.

Gloss: You should dab some gloss at the middle of your top and bottom lip instead of applying it all over. Avoid gloss with too much glitter as you want your lips to grab attention, but not necessarily steal the spotlight.

Exfoliate

Conceal

Apply lipstick

Moisturise

Outline

Dab some gloss

SATURDAY

Grace Edwin-Okon

Akinyemi Ayinoluwa

Beauty pageant goes beyong displaying underwears p.21

‘Creative industry can be alternative to oil sector’

ShowBiz

p.22

SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

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My fans need not worry, I’m still part of Tinsel –Bimbo Manuel

Bimbo Manuel is one of the few who's got nothing more to prove, he's an ace actor by all standards. He rose to fame from his numerous stage plays, radio and television as well as film productions. He starred in Checkmate and Ripples, two of the most coveted soap operas then. He is also very much in tune with the movie industry today and has won many laurels with an impressive number of nominations. He is part of the popular TV drama, Tinsel, where he plays Dan Ade Williams.

He clocked 56 recently and spoke to LANRE ODUKOYA about the journey so far.

You were part of the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMBCA) which held recently, what is your take on the organisation and do you think such awards are necessary for the industry at the moment?

Starting with the organisation, let’s take away the fact that some of us knew what was going on behind the scene and saw one or two errors. Asides that, in terms of the aesthetics, the show, I think was absolutely beautiful. It was very well put together. It is also a kind commentary on what we are becoming as an industry. Even though we still carry around quite a bit of the South African burden around our necks that reminds us that most of the concept and organisation still comes from South Africa.

That does not mean that we do not have a huge representation in the total organisation.

In terms of the awards itself, is it necessary, does it have an impact? The answer is yes.

Beyond money, there is no reward system in the industry.

Everywhere in the world such awards are acknowledged rewards system. Something everyone in the industry looks up to. It is like sports. Imagine an athlete training all year round and there is no Olympics or no World Cup, there will be nothing for such athlete to train for.

Some people that I have met actually dedicate themselves and their works to the awards. They produce their works in order to meet the standards needed for the awards. So in other words, such awards improve the quality of the jobs that we do. It ups the ante.

and died before these people celebrating Nollywood at 20 were born.

Having said all that, we have all sort of agreed on a truce.

People have gone back to their camps and it is business as usual. But the truth is that, a lot of people have been hurt in the process. Even if they demand nothing, there are people who should make an effort to acknowledge the error of history that they made. Otherwise, we will all carry on as if nothing happened. I was at the event at the intercontinental and I saw some major movie makers at the event who could not take what was going on anymore and they all walked out. Some said that was childish, but again, you need to see things from their point of view. But like I said, we have gone past all that now.

How true is it that you have issue with Mnet and got kicked out of Tinsel?

It is not true. In the first place, I have not received any letter or notice from Mnet that I am not a part of Tinsel anymore, so it cannot be true. In fact, I signed a fresh contract not too long ago. I am a writer myself and I understand how television series work. Sometimes you want to build some characters up and you want to avoid competition from other quarters, you let some stories subside and that is what is happening. I leaving Tinsel is not something that my fans should be worried about. I am still a part of Tinsel until I receive notification to the contrary.

If you follow the drama, you will know that the character that I play is on honeymoon.

Since the likes of Second Chance, and New Masquerade and the rest, there have been very few quality television dramas before the advent of Tinsel, what do you think caused the setback?

After those ones that you mentioned, we still had some good TV dramas. We had Behind the Clouds, Mirror in the Sun, Ripples, Checkmate, Supple blues, Fortunes and I was in quite a number of those. It’s true that we have not had anything as big as what we have in Tinsel. Tinsel is even on a bigger scale than all of those mentioned. How do I mean?

In the days of all those dramas, it was just television and it was just NTA. People would rush from work to go and watch. Now the competition is stiff. There are many other attractions, you have the cinemas, you have many more television stations, you have cable TV, so the competition is there. For Tinsel to have this impact despite the competition, it suggests that it is an incredibly big show.

It gives us more than entertainment, both from a professional point of view and the member of the public point of view. It helps to open up the space. All of us are beginning to realise that we could produce television dramas in such a scale.

Tinsel is over 90 per cent a Nigerian production and that makes a big statement on what we are capable of if we get our acts together. Also, with Tinsel, there are a lot of people waiting in the wings who know that the business is lucrative but do not

Your just celebrated your birthday, how old is Bimbo Manuel?

Everyone knows my age. I am 56 years old.

You were silent when the debate on Nollywood at 20 came up. What is your stand on it?

I was not silent on the issue. As far as some of us are concerned, the issue of Nollywood at 20 is dead and buried. Even those who sat down mischievously and decided to celebrate Nollywood at 20 have decided to acknowledge and accept the fact that it is not so. They celebrated Nollywood at 20 because for them, that was the point where they could put a marker, because that was for them where the history of film in Nigeria began. It was when they started work. But the truth is, there are some people who have made films, grew old

Manuel

c o nt i nued O N PA G E 2 0

6 JUNE 2015

19

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

LANRE ODUKOYA

SHOWBIZ TODAY

08059296445 lanre.odukoya@newtelegraphonline.com

Nigerians’ long wait to worship Idol

T

he Nigerian Idol, one of the most engaging musical shows on air, is almost five seasons gone. With revered pundits as Dede Mabiaku, Dare Art Alade and the sassy vocalist, Yinka Davies, as the judges on the show, so much is expected from the music academy. And this weekend, it will produce its fifth ultimate winner. And there’s a growing concern that this after all is fast eliciting a feeling of ‘all wind no rain’ years after its debut.

The dream of these burgeoning acts is to become as famous as their co-travellers, Omawumi, Timi Dakolo, Iyanya, Chidinma or Praiz all of whom are also product of reality shows in recent past.

Yeka Onka won the debut edition of Nigerian Idol and she dropped her first single – ‘Follow you’ in 2011, followed by ‘Ba mi jo’ in 2012 and ‘Me and you’ in 2013 after signing with Limelite Records. She lent her voice to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign in 2014 by covering Iyke Onka‘s ‘Somewhere In The World’. Sadly so, four years after that monumental win, one can still not qualify her as a B-list act.

Mercy Chinwo was the young lady expected to blaze the trail, but not much can be remembered of her at the moment. The Portharcourt-based singer even

Onka

relocated to Lagos to live with Omawumi Magbele through whom she would have been mentored. In her quest for fame and fortune, she tried her luck in acting all to no avail. Mercy had issues after winning the second edition of the show when she was said not to have got proper guidance, record deal or follow ups.

She told Encomium Weekly in 2013: “As I speak to you, I’m oneman standing. I am not in any record label, I am alone. I have to tell the truth. I am not or was ever tied to any record label.”

As the first man to win the competition, many people had thought Moses, the winner of Nigerian Idol

Chinwo

Season 3 on April 13, 2013, would break the jinx. Hopes were really high but those hopes seem to have been dashed. Moses nicknamed ‘Teddy Bear’ reportedly was one who seamless got his grand prize without the bureaucratic gridlock that his predecessors, Mercy and Yeka, allegedly had to endure. He got his N7.5 million and a recording contract franchise with Optima Media Group (OMG).

Since the release of his debut single, ‘Number One’ in 2013, and ‘Egwu’ in June 2014, fans have impatiently awaited when the man will cross the Rubicon.

The last Idol, Zibili Evelyn, whose showbiz moniker is Ev-

Moses

elle, smiled home with N7.5m, a record deal with Universal Music Company, an iPhone, iPad, tablet and a brand new SUV in June 2014. In the interview she had with Saturday Telegraph, she confessed how poverty denied her of formal education, “it was so bad that I wore two shirts and trousers for more than three months”, she lamented.

After what she believes was a divine intervention, Evelle is giving the game her best shot.

Though she’s relatively fresh, she’s expected to also spring surprises soon but she slides into oblivion like her predecessors.

The curtain is dropping on

Evelyn

season 5 tomorrow and the tie is between Dolu and K-Peace, both of whom had wowed the audience at the last outing. Whatever happens, it's only hoped that their story will be dissimilar to the sour tales preceding this season.

Evidently, Etisalat, the principal and official sponsor of the show, has done little or nothing to either monitor or push the careers of the winners. Not one of them is even signed as a brand ambassador for Etisalat yet and they scarcely get invitation from Etisalat to perform at major gigs- these are the opportunities availed to winners from rivalry brands.

For Momah Abosede, it’s gospel music or nothing

G Ablaze on stage

Echoes of Catholic Praise Concert

O

n May 23 at exactly 3pm at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, Pentecostalism came alive with music which the orthodox churches seem to take for granted. It was on the occasion of the Catholic Praise Concert season 2, an unforgettable cantata tagged ‘Dare to Praise’. The sort of praise songs and instrumentation displayed was so impactful that many faithful of the orthodox churches rededicated their lives to God. One of the high points of the historical moment was when Kenny K’Ore, formerly of Infinity music group, mounted the stage, and since he was one of the star performers, a stellar performance was expected and not less was delivered. He electrified the hall with his famous gospel number, ‘S’omore’. Flo, the Gospel rock artiste who was kept for the last, also kept his ‘T’wale’ for the last. He also caused a pleasant stir in the hall. Igbo Gospel rap artiste, Kellar Thrillz, with his acrobatic dancers, performed ‘Aka Gi’ (Your hand) to the delight of all.

Fr. Alphonsus Ozoemena officiated the

Holy Mass that kicked off the event. The cleric affirmed that Pentecostals are doing well in praise music, adding that Catholics had the potential to do better.

“Pentecostals are doing wonderfully ahead of Catholic when it comes to praising God through music. But we (Catholics) are sleeping giants; when we rise, they will start looking for their legs”, Fr. Ozoemena of the Dominican Itinerant Preaching Ministry said.

According to the cleric, the fall of man created a gulf between God and man. And the ministry of Jesus fixed that relationship.

“The Holy Spirit is one, but the gifts are diverse. Among these gifts is singing ministration,” he said.

Making reference to the words of St. Augustine, that he who sings well prays twice, the priest added that singing nourishes the spiritual person.

On the essence of music, he stressed; “Music is used to hit home the gospel.

It is so important to the digestion of the message of Christ.”

ospel singer, Abosede Halimat Omisore, aka Momah Abosede, sees music as a powerful tool that should be used to promote Godliness throughout humanity and impact people.

This is the reason, she says, she is using her gift to glorify the name of God. Speaking with Saturday Telegraph, she says no other form of music can work for her except gospel. “I chose gospel music so that people can accommodate others in their hearts. I am so passionate about God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, so no other form of music can work for me except gospel music. My encoun- t e r with God supersedes anything of the world; that’s why it is gospel or nothing,” she said.

Describing herself, the mother of two explains that she is downto-earth, Godfearing, a responsible mother and one who has passion for helping less privilege persons in the society.

According to her, she always had passion for music.

“Music came to me from

my passion, I am passionate about praising God and I do that through music. I became a singer because of my desire to praise God,” she adds.

Momah states that the journey has been a wonderful experience so far, insisting that since she started music she has not had any reason to look back.

She said: “It’s a thing of joy for me to sing for God. No, I never planned to do music, but it was God’s calling for the gospel of Christ. My debut album came out November 2014 entitled “Infinite Praise” which featured Mike Abdul of Midnight Crew. We are currently working on shooting the videos and the international tour.”

Her kind of music, she says, can be described as contemporary highlife with traditional flavour.

Speaking further about herself, she shares: “I started music five years ago. My parents didn’t play any role in my music because I started music as an adult. What my parents did for me was to show me the way of God while I was growing up.”

Momah

20

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

'Actors' Guild of Nigeria is filthy' c o n t i n u e d F R O M PA G E 1 8

trust the structure. But when they see a production like Tinsel, they start to believe that it is possible. They start to talk to people, asking, “Can we also do that?” Since Tinsel many other quality productions have started coming up.

Look at Emerald, it is a big production.

The use of studios to shoot movies and soap operas seem to be non-existent these days, producers would prefer to shoot in someone’s siting room, is it laziness?

The reason is obvious. To shoot in a studio you need money. Some professional studios go for about N450, 000 per day, and those are not even the major ones. Where would you get that kind of money from to shoot a series? This is not a movie that you can shoot one week and you are out. Tinsel for example, you shoot every day of the week. To shoot a job like that, you need to have your own studio, if you don’t have that; you should have an endless supply of cash.

Since nobody has that, people just make do with what they can. It is not their own doing, they too wish they could shoot in the kind of studio Tinsel is shot in. Since they cannot, they need to make do with what they have.

We must also be fair to them because their jobs are getting better. Despite the challenges of having to shoot at people's homes and other awkward places, they are getting better. Our professional crews are getting more conscious and more insistence on those basics of film making.

Now you see sound men who will refuse to shoot if the conditions are not right because their name is on it. You know you have lost your next job if the sound you did on this one is bad. So our professionals are becoming conscious of the need for good output.

It is becoming better.

Some say it will help if government build a studio and lend to filmmakers at subsidised rates.

Why would the government do that in the first place? It is low end business for government. A studio is just a warehouse big enough to accommodate multiple sets. Why would government want to be involved in that? People soliciting for that are not only asinine but very unimaginative. These are the people that will go to Abuja to meet the president and be asking for crappy little ideas. How many jobs can you shoot in one studio?

It should be about getting loans from banks, about assuring those who have money to invest in the in-

dustry. I heard those that went were asking the president to build a secretariat for the actors’ guild, in Abuja.

How many films are shot in Abuja?

How many actors are in Abuja? Must everything be in Abuja?

What would you have asked him?

Let him make shoot easier for film-makers. They should create policies that allow us to get easy access to public spaces to shoot.

We should be able to go to a court for example and granted access to shoot in a court house, if that is what the producer wants. If you need to close a road for a few minutes to shoot, permission should be easily given. Filmmakers should get easy access to airports, roads, and other public places to shoot. Those are such policies that we should be pursuing. Permits should be given easily and need not take months.

We do not need the government to come and put money in the industry. The industry on its own is worth more than half a trillion naira. It can run by itself, all we need is policies that will allow us do our jobs easily. The copyrights commission should be strengthened, the policies that bound the censors board should be revisited in order to be friendlier to the film-makers.

The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission should be empowered, so that they can do their work well. No film can be broadcast without the permission of the owner, and proper remuneration should be made. When we have all these policies, they Manuel will make the industry run on its own. With such policies, when I borrow money from the bank to shoot a film, it is sure that I will recoup the money, repay the debt and still have money in my pocket.

Maybe if veterans like you run the guild, things could change I don’t believe so. Anyone can head any guild. What is required is savvy, and understanding the challenges of the business and vision. When you go there, you are not going there to just bear the title but to activate the thoughts you have. Ronald Regan is an example, he was the head of the American actors’ guild, but he did not really act in a lot of films. You can count the number of films he was in but he ran the guild successfully.

Will you run for the AGN presidency?

I will not. I know what happens there. It’s not simple politics they play there. It is filthy, I will not go there. My father will turn in his grave to find me living on the level those guys live in to get to those positions.

When did you develop the passion for acting?

Not that I was really passionate about acting at first. I was more interested in the arts. Ironically, the subjects I had the highest grades in were science subjects. I never knew I would end up an actor. Then I wanted to be a DJ because I loved music and they played great music then. I did night clubs, put parties together so people thought I should go to a radio station. I was asked to go to Ogun Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) for an audition.

I went and passed. Acting also came as a chance for me. Later I went to the

University of Port Harcourt to study theatre arts with Ola Rotimi. For the first three months, I was there, I did not quite grasp what I was doing there.

My first performance was ‘Gods are not to blame.’ We toured the east with the play. From there I moved to ‘Hopes of the living dead.’ We were the second troupe ever to play the ‘Hopes of the living dead’ after the world premiere.

Daniel Wilson, Hilda Dokubo and Gogo were all part of the crew then.

Do you miss stage dramas?

Though I just played on stage last week, I still miss being on stage today.

You cannot understand the feeling except you are on stage. I moved away from stage plays because it was unlike school where you perform regularly, and do 20 shows in a row. But later, it became frustrating when we had to perform once or twice only. At that time as well, there was the competing reality of maintaining one’s self. There were some needs I desired for myself and the remuneration of the stage was not meeting those needs.

The pay then was very poor. I had done some plays in NTA that I got paid N20 per episode. And you do not get the pay so easily. You would have to fill a pink form which will go through all the offices for approval and then it takes months to get paid. Sometimes it took up to nine months to get your money. I was going through my old files recently and I saw some of those forms there. If you totalled all the money it could be like N2,000 in all.

Your parents must have struggled with you being in the arts.

Not really. I had an unusual situation with my parents. Before I went to school to study theatre arts, I had done some work and was already sustaining myself. In other words, I was independent. Also, I had parents who just wanted me to do something because they thought I was too wild. For me to go to the university to do anything at all was satisfactory to them. My father was also a very liberal man. One day he called me and asked what I was studying in the university, I said theatre arts. He asked, those people that sing and dance? I said yes, and he instantly moved on to another topic. And we never discussed it after that.

You have been an actor for over 30 years, you must be used to stardom by now, what has it taken away from you?

I am a very private person. I want to be able to walk the streets and connect with people on the street and do what people do on the street, but after a while I have learnt that doing that will very quickly demystify me. I cannot even predict the way people will react when they see me. I have been pulled away from my wife a couple of times and no matter the amount of struggle I put into it, they would not let go, so I have to play along. It could get a bit uncomfortable.

One also appreciate that it is the fan that appreciates one that does all that.

They do not even know how to behave when they see you. They try to express everything they feel at the same time.

There are some who also can control themselves. They shake your hand and give you compliments. Sometimes it gets out of hand. One day I was with my daughter and a guy and his wife dragged me into an electronic store and bought me a sound system. It was awkward for me, though I don’t need that, but what can I do?

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

21

Beauty pageant goes beyond displaying underwears, says Ex-beauty queen Former beauty queen, Grace Edwin-Okon, had left the screen for a while now. After emerging the runner-up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant she went ahead to feature in some films and soap operas, including Tears in Heaven, Extreme Measures, My Dream, Prodigal Brother and Doctors’ Quarters before the lull. She speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS.

Was marriage the reason you disappeared from the screen?

My husband never wanted me to leave acting; it was a decision I took myself. My husband is actually very supportive of what I do. He likes me as an actress, but I needed to do a lot more with myself. I have pushed myself from being a beauty queen to acting, from script writing to producing.

I needed to be proficient in the trade because filmmaking is not a child’s play. I had to go and learn the art of film making because I would rather not venture into something if I do not understand the concept properly.

Marriage is not responsible for my disappearance from the screen. But despite leaving the screen for some years, people still recognise me anywhere I visit. That is a surprise to me.

I think my face has not really changed and people still make me feel special.

I hope to stage a comeback with my own films and I promise not to disappoint my fans.

So when do you intend to return?

I’m hitting the screen again, but I may not be as active as I was in the past. I decided to take a break after featuring in some films because I was getting scripts I didn’t like. My new films will soon hit the market. Also, I am now an author as I just published a book. I strive to break new grounds.

Are you still involved in modelling?

No, I don’t anymore. I started modelling while I was an undergraduate at Delta State University. I emerged the Campus Queen then and later became the second runner-up at MBGN in 1999. So, I basically started as a model before acting came up.

How was life as a beauty queen?

Well, it was an exciting experience.

One thing I learnt as a beauty queen was confidence. No matter the situation I find myself I don’t get scared of anything or anybody. Most people do not realise that pageantry goes beyond ladies displaying underwears. I see it as a grooming avenue for young ladies, as it teaches etiquette, confidence and gives the belief that you can go anywhere. Pageantry for me was bedrock and a stepping stone, a launching pad for me to achieve greater things. My first film entitled “Heavy Beauty” is based on pageantry. I put all my experience as a beauty queen into writing the script. I have actually produced two similar films, which will be released before the end of this year.

Edwin-Okon

BIG SCREEN

The Grave Dust

A talented musician from the ghetto is determined to make it in the music industry, however, he comes across a record producer who compels him to sign with his label.

Featuring: Jide Kosoko, Toyin Aimaku, Iyanya, AY, Teckno Miles, Angel Ufouma & Ushbebe

Johnson, a young handsome stockbroker hangs his life, love and hope on a young hardworking woman....

Featuring: Joke Silva, Ramsey Nouah, Joseph Benjamin, Emeka Okoro, and Amaka Chukwujekwu.

SuperStar

But your journey into acting overshadowed your life as a model. Why does it appear so?

Honestly, filmmaking is very in-

tellectual. While I was into active modelling, I saw that it was not as mentally challenging as it is today.

Once I discovered that script writing was something that required a lot of work, I put my best into it and today I have written over 10 scripts. Six of my scripts have been produced. As a producer, people such as Emem Isong influenced my decision to go into film production. I had the feeling that I could also be a part of the change and improve Nollywood.

Was this your dream as a kid?

A lot of people would call it a cliché, but for me I am living my dream.

Right from my childhood, my family members and friends used to call me ‘’Fulani” because of the qualities I possessed. Any time I sustain an injury my mother would tell me, ‘since you have injured yourself you will not be Miss Nigeria again.’ That stuck in my mind and my mother liked pageantry a lot. Also, I had an aunt (Joy Nwariso) who was once Miss UNIPORT and she used to tell me that I could also go for pageants. These things contributed to my decision to go into modelling. From childhood, I had always loved the television and I could still recall a lot of programmes because I watched them with keen interest. I knew I wanted to be an actress. I can say now that fate directed my steps.

Can you remember the first time you went on set and the experience?

I remember it was a Zeb Ejiro’s film. At that time, AY (the comedian) used to be my manager. AY’s girlfriend, who once represented Nigeria at the Miss World pageant, went for an audition and asked me to accompany her. So, when it was time for her reading they needed someone to read with her and I did. It then occurred to them that I was good and that became my first time to see or read a script. I had no prior knowledge, but I got the role and it happened to be a lead role.

My first experience on set was a learning curve for me and an exciting one.

Though I studied English in school, I was not quite sure what I wanted to do with my life.

Considering the rate of failed marriages in showbiz; how have you been able to keep yours intact?

I have been married for nine years now and I am still in it. Every day, we encounter obstacles but we cross it and get to know each other better. My career would have been a challenge because it was an expensive one, but my husband saw how determined and focused I was and he decided to support me. He gave me the money to shoot my first movie.

Yellowbird A hero's journey with a most unlikely hero. Yellowbird is a teeny tiny orphaned bird that has never left the nest, has no family, yet desperately wants one - That is, until he finds himself leading a flock on their migration to Africa.

Featuring: Arthur Dupont, Sara Forestier, Bruno Salomone

22

Showbiz

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

‘Creative industry can be alternative to oil sector’

Akinyemi Ayinoluwa is in love with creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. In this interview with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS, the entertainment lawyer speaks on issues affecting the industry in Nigeria.

What is your relationship with showbiz?

Before qualifying as a lawyer some years ago, I was deeply into the music landscape.

As an undergraduate, I was a songwriter, singer and performer. My romance with music and film deepened after being called to the Bar. And consequently, I have paid attention to the principles of law that guide investment and engagement in the entertainment industry. I also understand the legal issues entertainers are likely to encounter. All of these have helped me service the industry as an attorney by giving the best representation and advice I can proffer when the need arises.

In the recent social media week you were one of the speakers. Could you tell us the role you played?

I spoke at the Blog, Brand and the Law Session; the theme of my speech was anchored on the power of blogging and the need to exercise same with a high degree of responsibility. I also touched on the legal issues bloggers are likely to encounter. It was a very interactive session and I enjoyed being a part of the session, thanks to Olorisupergal. The blogging industry is definitely here to stay.

How do you think the social media week could help improve showbiz and the economy at large?

I believe it is a platform where people of like minds can have a conversation on issues of importance, debate perspectives and arrive at a resolution. I also believe it helps to create a community of people that can help bring about the much desired change.

You were part of the protest march to Alausa, Lagos, recently; do you think piracy can be muscled out completely?

I think criminal activities cannot be totally wiped out in any society. However, there must be an attempt to stem it down to a tolerable degree. I believe piracy has been allowed to fester in Nigeria and has caused great financial loss to investors and damaged careers. I participated in the protest as an advocate for creativity. The government of the day must realise she loses a lot of taxes by the devastation of the entertainment industry. The era of brazen infringement of intellectual property must be brought to an end.

Why do you think government has been

Tinsel stars meet fans Cast of the hit show, Tinsel, will be meeting with fans for autograph signing today at Ikeja City Mall, Lagos. The session begins at 12 noon. This is an opportunity for lovers of Tinsel to meet the casts.

Shina Peller’s Aquila Records On June 12, Aquila Records will be officially launched at an event featuring the label’s artistes, Tilla and Que Peller. The launch will feature a press conference at the Oriental Hotel earlier in the day and will end with an event at Club Quilox from 8pm to 11pm.

How long have you been in the entertainment industry?

I have been engaged with the industry for 13 years.

Why are you so passionate about the creativity sector?

I am stirred with the creative process; I appreciate the beauty that comes with writing a book that touches millions of people, a song that illuminates the lives of listeners globally, a painting that speaks to generations of people and a design that adds colour to a product. I believe creativity exemplifies an instance where we put our gifts to work. And I love it more when creators benefit immensely from the product they invent.

O u t &A b o u t

An evening with Di'ja Fans of Mavin artiste, Di'ja, will have the opportunity to share their evening with the singer, as she would be performing at the Blue Velvet Marquee, Abuja. Red carpet starts at 6pm.

Ayinoluwa

slow to act?

I believe the government is yet to realise that with the incidences of dwindling crude oil, it can have a worthy alternative in the creative industry. This industry houses subsectors such as film, music, television, radio and comedy. If contents produced are not pirated there will be adequate return on investments, jobs would be created and more taxes will be remitted to the state.

How do you think pirates should be prosecuted?

They should be treated as economic terrorists, with specialised courts to deal with suspects expediently.

What do you think are the other challenges affecting the growth of the industry?

We need more skilled practitioners, business savvy entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants and a viable distribution network. We also need an upgrade of intellectual property legislation that deals with challenges encountered in 2015.

What's your major concern for the industry?

I fear if we do not make the best of our winning streak, we might lose our place of relevance to another African country.

What are your regrets?

None so far.

Would you agree that most Nigerian celebrities, especially younger ones, allow fame to get to their head?

That is a blanket statement. It takes maturity to deal with fame and wealth, and I am friends with a few who don’t let their successes get the best of them. I also think the young ones should be allowed to make their mistakes.

What has been the most annoying experience in your dealings with entertainers?

Late-coming and triviality at meetings always get under my skin.

How do you think record labels could resolve the headache of artistes leaving them after much investment?

Record companies should have a watertight agreement that is fair to both parties.

They should also have a responsive dispute resolution mechanism that adequately provides for the settling of disputes expediently.

Asides being an entertainment lawyer what other things do you do?

I am a partner at a full service law firm.

Asides from having an intellectual property practice, we also deal in real estate, immigration, commercial transactions and family law.

Where do think the problems always start from?

With successes or disappointments, egos get in the way, and when this is allowed to fester there will be disagreements over money earned and other flimsy trivialities. Once parties stop seeing themselves as partners working towards specific goals, a collapse in the relationship is imminent.

What has been the most fulfilling part of the job?

I am fulfilled when my client is happy and is thankful for service rendered.

What other areas of showbiz would you likely venture into in the near future?

I would love to own or co-own a viable music publishing company.

Waje’s tale of an African soul TRACE urban is giving fans of awardwinning singer, Waje, an opportunity to experience some beautiful live, intimate performances this weekend. The event, which is tagged ‘Waje- The Tale of an African Soul’, is aimed at showcasing Waje. The 34-year-old singer will also be telling her own African story through her critically acclaimed debut album. The event, which is strictly by invitation, holds tomorrow at the Bogobiri house, Maitama Sule Street, Ikoyi, Lagos. Red carpet kicks off at 5pm.

Kaffy’s “Ijoda Tour” Nigerian dancer, Kaffy, takes her “ Ijoda Tour” to Festac, Lagos. The workout is today and the venue is Sunfit International, Amuwo Odofin, Festac and admission is free.

Health walk with Kate Henshaw On June 20, Kate Henshaw will be leading a 5KM health walk in Abuja. The exercise which is billed to kick off at 7a.m will take place at the JD Recreation Park. There will be free blood pressure and body mass index check.

Investigations SATURDAY TELEGRAPH 6 JUNE, 2015

The nation’s oldest central labour union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which is supposed to protect, defend and generally advance the cause of the working class, is presently in turmoil. It is said to have been bogged down by failure of leadership. But, how did the organisation get to this messy junction? What impact would this possibly have on the governance of the country? This is what this report by ISIOMA MADIKE attempts to unravel

23

NLC in a rally for the kidnapped Chibok girls photo: www.africanexaminer.com

Labour house of crisis

I

t was Karl Marx, a German popular for his socialist writings, who argued that humans live in a capitalist world where an economic minority (the bourgeoisie) dominate and exploit the working class (proletariat) majority.

Marx had specifically pointed the way in which labour is extracted from the working class, extending and critiquing the work of earlier political economists on value.

Since Marx propounded his thought, the status quo remains. But what the working class lack in terms of economic power they possess in their strength of number through collective bargaining. This was one of the ideals of labour unions in their early formations. Yet, achieving this goal is not that easy. It is usually a long process on continuum that moves like a cycle.

In Nigeria, it has been a dogged struggle to keep the organisation united. Fear heightened in the build up to the alleged attempts by some elements to silence the

Isioma madike

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

Ajaero

umbrella union of workers. Incidentally, those behind the plot were unaware of the mortgaging effect on the collective future of not just the immediate environment, but, the labour movement and the country as a whole.

The resolve to ensure the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is disorganised became evident from the pre-national delegates conference of the National Executive Council meeting held on Sunday, February 8, at the headquarters of the union in Abuja. Some post conference incidents had, however, brought out the hitherto unthinkable exposé about people no one ever thought would prefer to sink in opportunism.

Wabba

Before now, vibrant mass organisations have been destroyed by opportunists who converge on the crowd of patriots that are committed to the struggles of the masses. A major victim and perhaps, the first in contemporary history is the student’s movement, which many believe has totally been annihilated by a combination of state attack and ideological contradictions.

Others, like the Campaign for Democracy (CD), which was a major rallying centre for serious pro-democracy activists that fought military dictatorship until the advent of civil rule is today dismembered. Only a little of it is left on the shoulders of a few, who believe its lega-

cies must not be dimmed in public space.

Despite all these, the NLC has sustained the struggle alongside what is left of progressive civil society groups.

Though, there have been attempts to destroy it either consciously or unconsciously through opportunistic excuses, who offered themselves as the ready agents on a mission to extinguish an organisation that remain the only voice left, not just for Nigerian workers but the Nigerian people.

However, the trade unions remain the only organisations anywhere in the world supposedly with the best tradition of effective internal democracy.

Though, there are several issues on which members disagree, but through internal democratic structures, the issues would be debated and a common resolution agreed on, in the interest of the unity and strength of the movement.

Anything different from this, would mean either that an external factor has propelled discord with the ultimate intention to destroy the movement or that the actors want self-interests attended to against the collective interests of workers and the people. That seemed to be what played out in the last Congress elections of the NLC. In spite of the assurances, however, by the newly elected president of the Congress, Ayuba Wabba, that his leadership was making moves to bring all aggrieved factions back to the fold, a parallel exCONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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Investigations

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

‘People no longer see NLC as C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 2 3

ecutive emerged shortly after the last election. The new executive, which effectively splits the Congress into two factions, has the main contender in the rescheduled national elections in Abuja, Joe Ajaero, as president.

The emergence of Ajaero, who, until then was the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), only confirmed the threat by members of 23 aggrieved affiliate unions of the Congress to form a parallel executive. Wabba controls 18 out of the 43 affiliate unions with two unions reportedly remaining neutral.

Ajaero’s faction followed allegations that the electoral process that led to the emergence of Wabba as successor to the former NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, was flawed by irregularities. The election in Lagos saw all the participants returned unopposed, two Deputy Presidents – the National President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Igwe Achese, and General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUGTW), Issa Aremu.

Also returned as Vice-Presidents were Kasumu Kadiri of the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria, Kelly Ogbaloi of the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees, and Yashi Yahaya of the National Union of Civil Service Secretariat and Stenographic.

The main National Executive Council of the Congress in a statement by the General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, said at the end of its National Administrative Council meeting in Abuja that a reconciliation committee was set up to woo aggrieved members, who lost during the Delegates Conference back to the fold. The Congress had warned affiliated unions invited to the “special Conference” to ignore such invitation.

Ajaero had emphatically noted that he was robbed of victory during the rescheduled poll on March 12. “In the election of March 12, 2015, I emerged as the President of NLC, despite all manipulations,” he declared. “We had to set up a parallel executive to reclaim my stolen mandate.”

The crisis rocking national leadership of the NLC also hit the state chapters of the union, which equally held parallel congresses across the country. In Kano State, two delegates’ conferences were held, culminating in the election of two chairmen to take charge of the union in the state.

Wabba loyalists elected Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir as the chairman of the union, while the Ajaero group produced Ado Salisu Riruwai. The Wabba faction’s election was anchored by the outgoing state chairman, Comrade Isa Danguguwa.

The faction claimed that out of the 33 associations affiliated to the state NLC,

Ozo-Eson

Oshiomhole

Omar

Aremu

31 were in attendance at the delegates congress held at the Kano Indoor Sports Hall. Danguguwa said his faction received directive from the national secretariat of NLC to conduct the delegates’ conference, describing the presence of NLC national officers at the venue as an indication that his group was the legitimate one in the state. He debunked the notion that workers in the state have been factionalised, insisting that the NLC family in Kano was operating from a unified front.

However, the faction loyal to Ajaero conducted its delegate congress at the state secretariat of the NUGTW. In Osun State, the faction loyal to Ajaero, elected Gambi Yusuf, as the state chairman of the body.

Delegates at another election by the faction of Wabba were concluded at the Osogbo Sports Stadium. Comrade Saka Adesiyan of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Comrade Jacob Adekomi of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) contested the post of chairman in the election.

Other elected officers by Ajaero’s faction are Adejumo Ayodeji, as 1st vice chairman, Afolayan Thomas, 2nd vice chairman, Alamu Adebayo, treasurer, Busari Risikat, auditor II and Adeleke Abdulrasheed, auditor 1. In his acceptance speech, Yusuf, shortly after emerging winner at the election held at the Osogbo Technical

Labour union in a rally

photo: saharareporters.com

Adeyemi

Nwaghodoh

College, Iwo road, said the nearly “comatose NLC” in the state would be repositioned to create room for the human and capital development of the workforce.

He added: “We have enormous responsibility to improve the standard and services we offer our members and the public at large; therefore this enormous task cannot be handled by me alone, but we will do it together.” According to him, the faction of NLC being led by Ajaero was formidable enough to protect workers’ rights.

In like manner, the Kwara State chapter of the union also held parallel delegates congress where they separately elected officers at different locations. The Wabba-led group produced Alhaji Yekinni Kareem Agunbiade, as chairman while Ajaero’s factional

leader is Bamisele Okogbe.

Speaking at the Ajaero’s factional congress, Aremu, who supervised the election as the newly elected deputy president of the faction, blamed Omar, for the congress’ crisis. He wondered why NLC, under Omar could organise an election involving only 3,000 delegates and could not collate and declare results for three days.

At a Wabba-factional conference held in the Government House Banquet Hall, the outgoing chairman, Umar Farouq, gave his executive a pass mark and commended the state government for a good working relationship.

In Oyo State, while the outgoing executive led by Comrade Bashir Olanrewaju held its congress at the Main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba Ibadan where Comrade Waheed Olojede led his main challenger, Ayobami Ajayi, to become the new labour leader. A parallel congress held earlier in the day at the Ibadan Museum, few metres to the state Directorate of State Security (DSS) headquarters produced Comrade Odumuyiwa Olusanya as chairman.

In Delta State, two factions of the union also held separate congresses in Warri and Asaba amid tight security. A faction loyal to Ajaero held its own election at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, while the other faction supporting Wabba held its parallel congress in Asaba. In Warri, the

We had to set up a parallel executive to reclaim my stolen mandate

SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

SATURDAY

FREE

Sport Splash 25

Women's W' Cup

Super Falcons take on the world p.27

Investigation

Why junior stars fail to hit the big stage p.28

UCL final

Juve, Barca in Berlin final battle p.31

Lifestyle

Cisse leaves girlfriend for holiday, marries another girl three days later p.32

Flying Eagles star, Kelechi Iheanacho, in action in the first match against Brazil, at the U-20 World Cup

We must show hunger to beat Hungary – Ugbade

T

Adekunle Salami

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

he assistant coach of the Flying Eagles, Nduka Ugbade, has said the decisive Group E match against Hungary on Sunday will be a tough duel and his players must exhibit the hunger to excel.

Nigeria whipped North Korea 4-0 while Hungary lost 2-1 to Brazil in the second round of matches decided on Thursday but Ugbade noted shortly after the match that it was not yet hurray for the team.

He argued that the task of picking a ticket in the group was still a tough one because Nigeria remained third on the table.

The coach said: “Our position is third and it means we need an outright win while a draw will be okay for Hungary to move on. With what I have seen of our opponents, we must display the hunger to get the three full points.

“The Hungarians are very technical but we have to apply the right techniques to beat them. We have started talking to the players to avoid errors and be alert in this encounter. It is also important to know that two matches cannot be the same and that is why we have to forget past results and focus on getting a win.”

Ugbade said the tactics adopted against Korea helped to swing the match in favour of the Flying Eagles on Thursday.

He noted that the crucial final group match would be approached seriously since Hungary had the edge on the table.

“We have to score. We have to win.

The plan will be to score first and draw them out to enable us to get more goals,” Ugbade added.

In the 4-0 victory over Korea, Godwin Saviour scored a brace while Kingsley Sokari and Isaac Success scored one goal each.

Flying Eagles celebrating one their goals against North Korea in the ongoing U-20 World Cup

26

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Nigerian League Rendezvous

Ogunbote on rescue mission at 3SC Stories by Charles Ogundiya

S

hooting Stars coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, has said his mission in Ibadan is to rescue the team from the precarious position they are currently in.

Speaking with League Rendezvous on the telephone, the coach who left Sharks of Port Harcourt for Shooting Stars during the week said he was on a redemption mission.

“The task will surely be enormous, but it is very surmountable.

“I am here to take the team from relegation and hopefully

get a decent finish at the end of the season.

“The most important thing for us now is for everybody to pull their weight, from the management team, the technical crew to the players, because we have to be on the same page,” Ogunbote said.

When asked about the level of damage in the team especially in the area of the playing personnel, the coach said he was yet to form his opinion.

Ogunbote said: “I just started work with the team on Thursday morning, I will have to watch the players together for two or three days before forming my opinion on the team.

Ogunbote

“There are so many factors that can affect a team leading to bad results, we have to look at all angles and not just the players.

“I am not promising anything

but I can assure the fans that we are going to give it our best shot and take the team away from relegation.”

Ogunbote joined Sharks FC during the 2012/2013 season with the Blue Angels at the bottom of the league table, same position Shootings Stars currently occupy.

He however led the team to survival, finishing eighth on the log with 53 points after 38 games.

The coach also led Sunshine Stars of Akure to debut appearance on the continent few seasons ago, reaching the semi-final stage in both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Unuanel tipped to replace Ogunbote at Sharks

No.

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

1

Sunshine

10

6

2

2

14

7

7

20

2

Kano Pillars

10

6

0

4

11

7

4

18

3

Enyimba

10

5

3

2

11

8

3

18

4

Gabros Utd

10

5

2

3

13

8

5

17

5

Giwa FC

10

4

5

1

11

6

5

17

6

Wikki

10

5

2

3

13

10

3

17

7

El-Kanemi

9

5

1

3

9

9

0

16

8

Heartland FC

10

5

0

5

13

12

1

15

9

Warri Wolves

7

4

1

2

12

6

6

13

10

Abia Warriors

10

4

1

5

10

12

-2

13

11

Nasarawa

10

3

3

4

10

13

-3

12

12

Rangers

10

3

2

5

11

12

-1

11

13

Taraba FC

10

2

5

3

11

12

-1

11

14

Kwara Utd

9

3

2

4

6

10

-4

11

15

Akwa Utd

10

3

2

5

5

10

-5

11

16

Dolphins FC

10

2

4

4

9

11

-2

10

17

Bayelsa Utd

10

2

4

4

6

10

-4

10

18

Lobi Stars

10

1

6

3

6

10

-4

9

19

Sharks FC

10

1

5

4

9

13

-4

8

20

Shooting

9

2

2

5

6

10

-4

8

Top Scorers 5 GOALS

Ibrahim Shuaibu (Giwa FC) Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars) 4 GOALS Mfon Udoh (Enyimba) Bright Ejike (Heartland) Mohammed Usman (FC Taraba) Chisom Chikatara (Abia Warriors) Esosa Igbinoba (Nasarawa Utd) Ubong Ekpai (Kano Pillars)

T

here are strong indications that former Kwara United coach Samson Unuanel would be replacing newly signed Shooting Stars of Ibadan coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, as Sharks of Port Harcourt Technical Adviser.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the club was considering contacting the coach to take over the team before the resumption of the league next weekend.

“I can really say we are going for Unuanel,” an official of the team who craved anonymity said.

“But we are looking at all the possibilities and Unuanel is one of them.

The departure of coach Gbenga Ogunbote came as a shock but we saw it coming after the attack on him by some hoodlums.

“We have to look for the best although the two assistant coaches, Festus Allen and Ere Dokubo, are doing wonderfully well with the team.”

Unuanel was sacked as Kwara United coach early in the year despite leading the club to promotion from the Nigeria National League and was tipped to replace Franklin Howard as the Technical Adviser of Shooting Stars of Ibadan before the signing of Ogunbote during the week.

NPFL LEAGUE TABLE

3 GOALS Victor Yakubu (Wikki Tourists) Segun Alebiosu (Kwara United) Mubarak Umar (Wikki Tourists Ugochukwu Leonard (Nasarawa) Okereke Maduabuchi (Gabros FC) Ifeanyi Onyeali (Abia Warriors) Onoriode M. Odah (Rangers)

Clubs prepare for resumption C

Gabros goalkeeper Chidiebere Eze (right) vying for the ball with Sharks' Chiamaka Madu

Pinnick applauds fans’ conduct at venues

P

NFF Pesident Pinnick (right) at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan

resident of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has applauded the attitude of Nigerian fans at various league venues since the start of the 2015 league season.

Pinnick who was at the Liberty Stadium, Adamasingba Ibadan, the home ground of Shooting Stars with his family, said the fans now have an understanding of how

they should conduct themselves inside stadiums.

“Even when team lose at home, we no longer witness violence or attack of match officials or opponents by the fans,” Pinnick said.

“I was at Ibadan with my family to watch the 1-1 draw between Shooting Stars and Rangers, despite the Ibadan side drop-

ping valuable points at home, the atmosphere was peaceful.

“Instead of fomenting trouble, the fans were actually hailing the Enugu side, which is a very good sign.

“This is not peculiar to Ibadan alone, we have been getting reports from around the country and you can see the number of away points recorded in 10 weeks.”

lubs campaigning in the Nigeria Professional Football League are currently perfecting strategies in preparation for the resumption of the league next weekend.

Some of the club officials who spoke with League Rendezvous said they were looking forward to a better performance when the league resumes.

“We are looking forward to perform better than we did during the first 10 games,” General Manager of FC Taraba, Tijani Babangida said.

“I am not going to say my club will be fighting for the league title, because of the meagre resources at our disposal, but we can finish well at the end of the season.”

Nasarawa United's new goalkeeper, Ibrahim Pius, believes his side's tough start to the season was down to the number of changes within the team. He however said there would be improvements when the league resumes.

Pius said: “The issues we had are from the changes but we have identified the errors and we are working hard to correct them when the league resumes.

"We have just played 10 matches. We are getting used to each other and we have been able to identify the problems in the team and we are correcting them ahead of resumption.”

Also, the Team Manager of Lobi Stars of Markurdi, Barnabas Imenger, said after getting the first win of the season in a 1-0 defeat of Heartland, the club would be fired up for the remaining games.

6 JUNE 2015

27

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

Super Falcons in a warm-up before a match

WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

Super Falcons take on the world

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Ifeanyi Ibeh

oday, two dozen women’s national football teams — the most ever to be featured in the same tournament — will begin battle at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. Previous women’s tournaments featured 12 or 16 teams.

It is the first time since the tournament’s inception, in 1991, in China, that the World Cup will be wearing a 24-team format and the United States and Germany, who were at the inaugural edition 24 years ago that had in attendance 12 teams, will start out as joint favourites for the tournament’s top prize.

Others expected to give the Americans and the Germans a run for the title are Japan, France and Brazil.

The Germans – champions in 2003 and 2007 – won’t take to the pitch until Sunday when they will look to pounce on Cote d’Ivoire a few hours after reigning African champions Nigeria’s Super Falcons commence their quest for honours in Group D with a tie against 2003 runners-up Sweden.

The Super Falcons have been at every edition of the World Cup and will also come up against the United States and Australia in Group D. With three teams inside FIFA’s top 10 plus the powerhouse of Africa, Nigeria, Group D is, without doubt, this tournament’s group of death. And no side is more primed to kill than the Americans. Runners-up four years ago in Germany, following a penalty shootout loss to Japan, the Americans have lost just five games in close to 70 games they have played since that 2011 defeat.

Star striker Abby Wambach is as prolific as ever, and at the other end of the park the Americans are blessed with one of the least striker-friendly goalkeepers in the game, Hope Solo, who will be protected by a defence line marshalled by Christie Rapinoe, the second-most-capped player in the team’s history.

And the only country to have appeared in the semifnals at every edition of the World Cup will attempt to prove their readiness to reclaim wom-

en’s football’s biggest prize when they take on Australia in the early hours of Tuesday.

Winning the cup might be beyond the Aussies, but the Matildas have been steadily improving with every tournament, and the 10th-best team in the world is prepared like never before.

The Matildas gave up their day jobs at the start of the year to absolutely focus on the World Cup. Part of their preparations saw the Matildas, who won 12 of their past 18 games, and went unbeaten in last year’s Asian Cup until they met world champions, Japan, in the final, embark on a seven-week playing tour of Europe much to the delight of their coach Alen Stajcic.

Sweden, ranked fifth in the FIFA rankings, are now coached by Pia Sundhage. While few have won as many games at the tournament as the Swedes, the Scandinavians have never lifted the trophy and it is up to Sundhage to find a way to turn the talented Swedes, complete with Lotta Schelin and Nilla Fischer who were both shortlisted for the World Player of the Year award in 2014, into world champions.

The Super Falcons may be the undisputed champions of African women’s football, but they have won only three and drawn two of the 19 games they have played at the Women’s World Cup. But there is no dearth of talent in the Super Falcons with Desire Oparanozie and reigning BBC World Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, expected to lead the forward line.

Oshoala will be returning to familiar scenes after bursting onto the scene at last year’s U-20 World Cup in Canada, winning both the golden boot and player of the tournament awards. The Liverpool star was also named best player at last year’s African Women’s Championship and recently told the Guardian: “This season, if everything goes well, which I think it will, I believe I will have another record-making year in 2015.”

But it is going to take more than bold words for the Super Falcons to leave their mark on the championship for the first time since 1999, when they progressed to the quarterfinal, as their task won’t be helped by the poor preparations put in place for the World Cup by the Nigeria Football Federation.

I’m not under pressure to perform - Oshoala Emmanuel Tobi Canada

S

uper Falcons star striker, Asisat Oshoala, has declared that she is calm ahead of the start of the Women’s World Cup today (Saturday) in Canada.

“I’m not under pressure to perform at the World Cup even though it’s my first senior championship as the experience I have garnered at the U-20 World Cup in 2014 and the African Women World Cup earlier in the year will come in useful when we play.

“I don’t see winning awards as something that will put pressure on me but rather, it will serve as a motivation

for me because I see it at a stepping stone to my greatness,” she said.

The BBC World Player of the Year also alluded to her career in Liverpool, saying that she has learnt a lot since moving to the Merseyside to play for the Liverpool Ladies. “Playing for the Liverpool Ladies has given me international exposure and it has really boosted my confidence in the game.

I’ve developed in my positioning, shooting and dribbling skills because these are the basic rules a striker must adhere to.

So I can say that we are ready as a team and are well motivated and focused to give our best and make names for ourselves as African Champions."

WOMEN'S WORLD CUP COMPLETE FIXTURES GROUPS

DATES

TEAMS

Time

GROUP A

Saturday 06 June

Canada v China

11pm

GROUP A

Sunday 07 June

New Zealand v Netherlands

2am

GROUP B

Sunday 07 June

Norway v Thailand

6pm

GROUP B

Sunday 07 June

Germany v Côte d'Ivoire

9pm

GROUP D

Monday 08 June

Sweden v Nigeria

9pm

GROUP C

Tuesday 09 June

Cameroon v Ecuador

12am

GROUP D

Tuesday 09 June

USA v Australia

12:30am

GROUP C

Tuesday 09 June

Japan v Switzerland

3am

GROUP F

Tuesday 09 June

France v England

6pm

GROUP E

Tuesday 09 June

Spain v Costa Rica

9pm

GROUP F

Tuesday 09 June

Colombia v Mexico

9pm

GROUP E

Wednesday 10 June

Brazil v Korea Republic

12am

GROUP B

Thursday 11 June

Germany v Norway

9pm

GROUP A

Thursday 11 June

China v Netherlands

11pm

GROUP B

Friday 12 June

Côte d'Ivoire v Thailand

12am

GROUP A

Friday 12 June

Canada v New Zealand

2am

GROUP D

Friday 12 June

Australia v Nigeria

10pm

GROUP C

Saturday 13 June

Switzerland v Ecuador

12am

GROUP D

Saturday 13 June

USA v Sweden

1am

GROUP C

Saturday 13 June

Japan v Cameroon

3am

GROUP F

Saturday 13 June

France v Colombia

6pm

GROUP E

Saturday 13 June

Brazil v Spain

9pm

GROUP F

Saturday 13 June

England v Mexico

9pm

GROUP E

Sunday 14 June

Korea Republic v Costa Rica

12am

GROUP B

Monday 15 June

Thailand v Germany

9pm

GROUP B

Monday 15 June

Côte d'Ivoire v Norway

9pm

GROUP A

Tuesday 16 June

Netherlands v Canada

12:30am

GROUP A

Tuesday 16 June

China v New Zealand

12:30am

GROUP C

Tuesday 16 June

Ecuador v Japan

10pm

GROUP C

Tuesday 16 June

Switzerland v Cameroon

10pm

GROUP D

Wednesday 17 June

Nigeria v USA

1am

GROUP D

Wednesday 17 June

Australia v Sweden

1am

GROUP F

Wednesday 17 June

Mexico v France

9pm

GROUP F

Wednesday 17 June

England v Colombia

9pm

GROUP E

Thursday 18 June

Costa Rica v Brazil

12am

GROUP E

Thursday 18 June

Korea Republic v Spain

12am

ROUND OF 16

Saturday 20 June

37 [1B] v [3ACD]

9pm

ROUND OF 16

Sunday 21 June

38 [2A] v [2C]

12:30am

ROUND OF 16

Sunday 21 June

39 [1E] v [2D]

6pm

ROUND OF 16

Sunday 21 June

40 [1F] v [2E]

9pm

ROUND OF 16

Monday 22 June

41 [1A] v [3CDE]

12:30am

ROUND OF 16

Monday 22 June

42 [2B] v [2F]

9pm

ROUND OF 16

Tuesday 23 June

43 [1D] v [3BEF]

1am

ROUND OF 16

Wednesday 24 June

44 [1C] v [3ABF]

3am

QUARTER-FINALS

Friday 26 June

45 [W39] v [W40]

9pm

QUARTER-FINALS

Saturday 27 June

46 [W37] v [W38]

12:30am

QUARTER-FINALS

Saturday 27 June

47[W41] v [W42]

9pm

QUARTER-FINALS

Sunday 28 June

48 [W43] v [W44]

12:30am

SEMI-FINALS

Wednesday 01 July

49 [W45] v [W46]

12am

SEMI-FINALS

Thursday 02 July

50 [W47] v [W48]

12am

MATCH FOR THIRD PLACE Saturday 04 July

[L49] v [L50]

9pm

FINAL

[W49] v [W50]

12am

Monday 06 July

28

Sport

SATURDAY N 6 JU

Why junior stars fail to hit the big stage Nigeria has produced dozens of youngsters since winning the first FIFA U-16 World Cup in China 30 years ago but Ajibade Olusesan, in this piece, observed that just when the world expects the junior stars to blossom in the global stage, their careers often end abruptly due to several reasons.

W

hen a certain Crisantus Macaulay mounted the podium to collect the Golden Boot and Silver Ball at the 2007 edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, many Nigerians heaved a big sigh of relief with a strong optimism that finally the true heir to the legendary striker, Rashidi Yekini, had been found.

Macaulay’s physique, zest, positioning, composure in the vital area and finishing were very similar to the traits exhibited by the late legendary striker. He dazzled the world with his astonishing speed and excellent eye for goal. He scored seven times as the Nigerian team won the tournament in the Far East.

He was tipped to be the next big thing in world football, all eyes were on him to take his career to the next level when Hamburg signed him up, he was supposed to be the teenage jewel, the poster boy for the new generation of Nigerian stars but the then 16-year-old failed to live up to the all-consuming hype.

After years of drifting here and there with no fixed footballing abode, the Nigerian is now playing his football in Greece.

Macaulay’s waning career summarises the lot of a plethora of precocious talents that have emerged since Nigeria first participated at the FIFA age-grade competition in 1983.

Being the most successful country at the U-17 and one of the best at the U-20 levels Nigeria’s production line of stars is renowned

Emmanuel

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INVESTIGATIVE Series

but sadly many of these young talents fizzled out like water-damaged fireworks even before their careers could really take off.

Philip Osondu, Peter Ogaba, Victor Igbinoba, Joseph Fapetu, Baldwin Bazuaye, Kingsley Onye, Chris Ohenhen, Christopehr Nwosu, Festus Odini, Peter Anosike, Manga Muhammed, Stanley Okoro, Sani Emmanuel, Rabiu Ibrahim, the list is endless. These stars dimmed even before really blooming.

It is saddening to note that stars like current English Premier League Player of the Year, Eden Hazard, Aston Villa hit man, Christian Benteke, Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck, Man United’s Rafael and David De Gea, Liverpool’s Sakho, Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos all featured in that tournament Nigeria won in 2007 which produced Macaulay as the highest scorer.

Barcelona goalie, Marc-Andre Stegen represented Germany at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria. Team mate Neymar, Philip Coutinho of Liverpool, Koke of Atletico and Real Madrid’s Isco were all in Nigeria. The scorer of Germany’s winning goal at the 2014 World Cup, Mario Gotze, was also in Lagos whereas Sani Emmanuel of Nigeria who was adjudged the best player of the tournament is now playing in Italy’s third division.

Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon who will play in the UEFA Champions League final today was in Italy’s squad to the U-17 tournament in 1993 which Nigeria won in Japan. Francesco Totti was another member of that squad; he is still playing for Roma while no member of Nigerian team is active today. Although the squad produced African Footballer of the Year, Nwankwo Kanu, only Celestine Babayaro and to an extent, Wilson Oruma joined Kanu to make it to the top.

Xavi, Iker Casillas, Seydou Keita, Ronaldinho, Asley Cole were also in Nigeria for the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup and all of them are still active while only Joseph Yobo was able to play up till 2014 from that Nigerian squad that crashed out in the

Ikedia

Some of these players will feature at the U-17 level, do well but after a few years they are no longer active because they are old and can’t run anymore

quarterfinal even though Pius Ikedia and Julius Aghahowa were the second and third best players respectively at the tournament.

The two have hung their boots for almost a decade now.

Saturday Telegraph investigations revealed the problems are diverse but the chief of them is uncanny attitude of desperate young players who connive with officials to falsify their ages so as to feature in age grade competitions. Birth records are not accurate and birth certificates can easily be forged.

Although the introduction of MRI test

has reduced its prevalence, the screening exercise is not perfect and the system could still be manipulated.

In 2009, former Green Eagles winger, Adokiye Amiesimaka, caused no little uproar when he blew the whistle that several members of the U-17 team including their captain Fortune Chukwudi, were overaged.

He accused the Nigeria Football Federation of conniving with the coaches and parents of these young lads to cheat. Although NFF chiefs at that time were uncomfortable with the exposé they still allowed the concerned players to participate in the tourney.

A member of the team that won the maiden U-16 World Cup for Nigeria, Jonathan Akpoborie, said age cheating should be stamped out of Nigerian football to allow true prodigies with the right ages to emerge.

The former Wolfsburg of German player said that age grade competitions were for developmental purposes and there was no need to mortgage the future of the country by featuring old players in a desperate bid to win those championships.

“It is a problem not only with the Nigerian football but it affects the whole of Africa. Some of these players will feature at the U-17 level, do well but after a few years they are no longer active because they are old and can’t run anymore.

“Look at Europe, Spain for instance,

Sport

NEW TELEGRAPH UNE 2015

29

We really don’t have a mechanism to ensure smooth transition of these players from one level to another

Okoro

Fortune

stars like Xavi and Iniesta came through the youth teams and they are still playing top flight football today, many years after they featured in the junior teams. You can track their careers because they started at the right ages,” he said.

Etim Esin, a member of the Chile ‘87 U-20 side, corroborated Akpoborie’s submission, saying that there is always a deliberate effort to select players who are overaged for junior tournaments.

“It is the biggest challenge we have with our youth programme. We don’t have the mechanism to do some kind of check and balance. But we are not doing the right thing. Age-grade competitions are meant to develop the national team but we have not fully taken advantage of that,” he said.

FIFA Technical Instructor, Adegboye Onigbinde, echoes the same sentiment. He said: “We have not been sincere in our selection of players for these age-grade competitions. FIFA’s intentions for age-grade competitions are very clear and they are to discover players that will move from lower level to the higher ones. But unfortunately many times we field players who should have even retired from the game in junior competitions so that we can win. How can a player who featured in an U-17 competition have children in schools?”

Although no one has been convicted, investigations have also revealed that corrupt

Chrisantus

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INVESTIGATIVE Series

coaches collect bribes from players in other to include them in their squads regardless of the ages of those players.

Former Director General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Patrick Ekeji, alleged in his book ‘Odyssey of a Green Eagle’ that he stopped a coach of a junior national team from dropping two good players from his squad because he had collected money from players who were of less quality as those kids did not have money to part with.

Dr. Ekeji who was a national team defender and coach said the two players the coach attempted to drop later became big stars in the Super Eagles.

“Our transition programme is one of the poorest,” Esin added. “We really don’t have a mechanism to ensure smooth transition of these players from one level to another.

I moved straight to the senior team in 1988, one year after I played in U-20 World Cup, that is how I was able to make my name, Lionel Messi played at U-20 and he seamlessly moved into the Argentine national team, that is the way to go. I think the Nigeria Football Federation must be alive to their responsibility.”

For Coach Tunde Disu who led Nigeria to the final of the 1989 U-20 World Cup another major problem is the NFF allow these players to develop on their own without efforts to monitor and coordinate their activities.

“The continuity is not there. You move from U-17 to U-20 then to U-23. But we don’t do enough to make our players grow. We abandon them at early age, because there is no structure to encourage their growth.

“FIFA has a project called Football for Hope which encourages players to move from U-11 to U-13 to U-15 then to U-17 and so on so that these players are discovered at very early age and guided to the pinnacle of their careers. That is what we are trying to do with Lagos Junior League and the result is there to show. We have six players in the current U-20 team playing in New Zealand who passed through our league. Another thing is that we should have coaches to monitor these players where ever they are,” he said.

He added that: “Poor football education is another issue, many of them are taught shooting, heading, dribbling and passing only when they get to the national team.

These are the things they should have learnt at the academies and by the time they sign for clubs in Europe they are sent to their junior teams to learn these basic things again after which they will abandon them and that is the end of that career,” he said.

As football has become increasingly big business in Europe with players earning huge salaries and living flamboyant lifestyles, so it has become increasingly desirable for Nigerian players to seek lucrative football contracts in Europe. Many of them signed their future away and were deceived by dubious agents.

“One big racket is the issuance of licences to football agents. Many of these agents can do anything to make money.

They do not care about the future of these players and sign them into slavery so long as they make few thousands of dollars. Exinternationals who have played the game should be encouraged to have the licence to manage these players,” Esin added.

For Friday Ekpo, talented young players should be encouraged to play in the senior national teams despite not having garnered experience. “We have had secondary school students playing for the national team before and they were able to prove themselves because they were encouraged. Some of us started like that. I am not saying such players should start games but invite them, let them feel the camp and gain confidence, that is another way to make them grow,” he said.

Poor nutritional value, disjointed and slow physical development, overzealous and desperate parents and inability to manage stardom, Disu said, were the other reasons militating against the development of youngsters and allowing proper and seamless transition to the senior national team.

Rabiu Ibrahim

30

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

I will keep playing until my body says no more – Raul

How are you doing in the USA? How is this new experience?

My wife and I love it in New York, It’s a city we’ve always liked. Who doesn’t like New York? When you are here you’re a bit more anonymous.

It’s nice to be able to go out and walk around freely.

Former Real Madrid and Spain star, Raul Gonzalez, talks about his new experiences in the Cosmos in the United States, time in Qatar and plans for the future in this interview he granted to International Sports Press Association, AIPS

Why did you decide to go and play in the USA? At this point in time soccer is beginning to take hold in the US and I’m really excited to be part of that and especially the Cosmos – a team that has such a great history and was one of the first to put soccer on the map in the US.

Raul

remember everything about that day.

The 24 hours before the game and after.

Are you a Real Madrid supporter? And what about when you were a child?

I still give my full support to Real

Warri Wolves upbeat ahead of AC Leopard clash

P

Charles Ogundiya

layers of Nigeria's only surviving team on the continent, Warri Wolves, have said they are ready to overturn a 3-0 first leg defeat against AC Leopard, and qualify for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. Warri Wolves lost the first leg played a fortnight ago 3-0 and will on Saturday (today) take on the Congolese inside at the Warri Township Stadium.

Speaking with Saturday Telegraph, the team’s captain, Azubuike Egwuekwe, said the team could surmount the obstacle and reach the group stage.

“The target is to get to the group stage and that is what we are going to do as a team,” the defender said.

“We are ready to give it ourbest effort as a team and with hard work, support from the management and God on our side, we are going to be victorious.

What do you want to do after football?

The role of youth development chief is good for you?

My plan is to build an academy and work on this project with the Cosmos when I retire. I’m committed to being here with the Cosmos now. If I return to Spain at any given time, for obvious reasons, it would probably be with Real Madrid. Whatever I’m doing here now with the Cosmos would be a great experience to go and apply with Real Madrid, or anywhere else.

The best coach you have had? And why?

It is difficult to choose just one. I can three: I think Jorge Valdano, a coach I had for 17 years and when I played my first game. Also, I’d say Fabio Capello. He came from Italy and brought a different footballing mentality which helped me improve a lot. And the last one is Vicente Del Bosque. He was with Real Madrid and won two Champions League titles. He’s a very good coach and a very good person.

How is the level of football in the USA? It was really surprised to see the level of the NASL games when I watched a Cosmos game last October. I know the NASL will be a good challenge for me, it’s a competitive league and a physically demanding one.

Which are your best memories about Real Madrid?

I have a lot of very special memories from Real Madrid – the Champions League wins and playing with players like Fernando Hierro, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos. It’s difficult in so many years to pick just one memory. But I always say the same thing – the first game is the most memorable. When I was young, my dream was to be a professional player so when it became true for me the day of my debut was amazing. I

will be more involved in the Cosmos academy.

“It was a bad result in Congo but we can overcome the mountain here in Nigeria, and get to the next round.”

While speaking, the team’s first choice goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, said the players would be going for revenge against AC Leopard.

Akpeyi said: “We didn’t expect to come back with such huge loss but that is football for you, we have to make sure we try to get our revenge on Saturday.

“We (the players) will have to put in our best in the second leg game, because as you can see the margin is much, it might be a little tough but we are equal to the task.

“We have the players that can make things happen and turn things around, but we need the support from the management and the fans.

“If you look at the first leg, the management of AC Leopard played a huge role in their team’s victory in Congo, let our management play same roles here too.”

Madrid even now, more than ever.

How many years to do want to play?

There are no limits and deadlines.

I hope to play for many, many years.

When the body says this is it, then I

You went to play in Qatar. Was it only for money?

No, I love to work with children and coach them. A big part of my decision to go to Qatar, where I could keep playing, was because I could also spend more time working with children in the Aspire Academy

'Nadal may not be finished, he's getting close'

I

t was common knowledge that Rafael Nadal was not in peak form heading into the 2015 French Open. The greatest clay-court player of all time was mortal during all of clay season. He lost to Fabio Fognini in both Rio and Barcelona, and against Novak Djokovic (Monte Carlo), Andy Murray (Madrid), and Stan Wawrinka (Rome).

Still, he did beat Grigor Dimitrov, Tomas Berdych, and John Isner, all in straight sets, in recent weeks, and with the right draw, it was still conceivable that he could make a run at his 10th French Open title.

Nadal's form was fine through the first week at Roland Garros, but he didn't get the right draw. Stuck with a No. 6 seed, he drew the top-ranked Djokovic in the quarterfinals, and No. 1 player in the world disposed of him in less-than-sentimental manner.

After a nip-and-tuck first set that saw an aggressive Djokovic jump out to a 4-0 lead before Nadal stormed back, the match quickly grew lopsided. Djokovic broke Nadal at 5-5 in the first set and proceeded to win 14 of the final 18 games of the match.

He took the second set, 6-3, and any hopes of a last-ditch Nadal comeback were spoiled when Djokovic broke to start the third set. The final: 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

Once you prove yourself to be a member of a sport's pantheon, you are pronounced finished. Just ask Roger Federer.

10 years from now, when tennis' aging Big four are finally finished

Nadal

(well, except for Djokovic, who will be sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and still winning five-hour matches), it will be time to go back and properly pinpoint the moment everything officially fell apart for each given player. And perhaps Wednesday was just that for Nadal. Perhaps he'll never again maintain for two weeks what we have thought of as his fifth gear of play. He's 29, after all, and his absurdly physical style has put four decades' worth of age on his legs. Watching him play makes you tired, and he probably wasn't a candidate to play elite, top-three or so

tennis for quite as long as the lighteron-his-feet Federer has. From a style standpoint, he is Dwyane Wade to Federer's Kobe Bryant, Bo Jackson to Fed's Barry Sanders.

But he's still 70-2 all time at Roland Garros. It took Novak Djokovic to end his five-year title streak.

He dropped three sets during his 2011 title run and was taken to five sets by John Isner, and it was assumed Djokovic was going to overtake him soon; then he dropped one set in winning in 2012. He dropped four sets and won as a 3-seed in 2013, then dropped only two as a 1-seed in 2014. Every time it was thought he's on his way down, he rebounds. Djokovic's Wednesday dominance was extreme, but it was only a little bit more convincing than Nadal's other Roland Garros loss, a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 defeat at the hands of Robin Soderling. He responded to that one by winning five titles in a row.

Nadal might not be done, and he still might have a 10th title in him if Djokovic's form dips again. But when he is officially through winning slams, this is what it will look like: a timid, aging Nadal, camped out far behind the baseline and incapable of doing enough damage against an opponent who is dialed in and running him from side to side. That it happened against a peaking Djokovic doesn't mean it will happen against just anybody, but it will likely happen more in the next few years.

6 JUNE 2015

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

31

Global Football Special Ballack tips Juve to beat ‘vulnerable’ Barca

F

Juve, Barca in Berlin final battle

T

Tosin Obisesan wo of European football's great names will today meet in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League final as Juventus and FC Barcelona face off at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Both sides will be playing in their 8th Champions League Finals. Juventus, appearing in the final after 12 years break, are seeking a third European crown at the expense of a Barcelona side with their sights set on a fifth title. Juventus had only won the title in 1985 and 1996, defeating Liverpool and Ajax respectively. However, the kings of Spain won the crown in 1992 for the first time after defeating Sampdoria. In 2006 they defeated Arsenal while in 2009 and 2011 they conquered Manchester United.

For both coaches, victory in Berlin would be the icing on the cake of an already impressive season as the two clubs have already won the double in their countries. Massimiliano Allegri led Juventus to the Serie A title and the Italian Cup, with Luis Enrique achieving the same feat in Spain with Barça. The team that wins in Berlin on Saturday would complete a treble.

The last time the two teams met was in the 2002/03 Champions League. That tie will always be remembered for the period of extra time at the Camp Nou which saw Juventus qualify. Barça had drawn 1-1 away in the first leg, the goal scored by Javier Saviola, but Pavel Nedved put the Serie A side ahead in Barcelona

before Xavi took the game into overtime. It looked like the match was heading for penalties, but right at the end, Zalayeta scored for Juventus and Barça were out.

Juventus striker, Álvaro Morata acknowledges that their opponents are a great side with extravagant talent in all departments.

He said: “People talk a lot about their attack but their defence is also top class. They are a great team in general, they are among the best in the world, if not the best, but I'm sure they also have plenty of respect for us because they know we can be dangerous and haven't reached the final by accident.”

The Champions League top scorer and Barcelona striker, Lionel Messi, also expressed his view ahead of the Berlin battle. “It's a Champions League final – we had to go through a lot to make it to the final because we know it is not easy to become champions again. Our dream is to win it all. We know that we will face a very tricky opponent – they are very strong, Juventus are a big team. It is a final and anything can happen, but we will prepare and approach it as we have approached finals before” he said.

The former AC Milan top striker Marco van Basten says that Juventus can upset the odds and beat Barcelona in Champions League final.

The Dutch legend believes the counter-attacking style of Juventus could be the perfect formula to upset favourites Barcelona in the eagerly anticipated Champions League final.

PAST WINNERS OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE YEAR

WINNER

RUNNER-UP

SCORES

2013-2014

Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid

4-1

2012-2013

Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund

2-1

2011-2012

Chelsea

Bayern Munich

1-1 (Pen 4-3)

2010-2011

Barcelona

Manchester United

3-1

2009-2010

Inter Milan

Bayern Munich

2-0

2008-2009

Barcelona

Manchester United

2-0

2007-2008

Manchester United

Chelsea

1-1 (Pen 6-5)

2006-2007

AC Milan

Liverpool

2-1

2005-2006

Barcelona

Arsenal

2-1

2004-2005

Liverpool

AC Milan

3-3 (Pen 3-2)

2003-2004

Porto

Monaco

3-0

2002-2003

AC Milan

Juventus

0-0 (Pen 3-2)

2001-2002

Real Madrid

Bayern Leverkusen

2-1

2000-2001

Bayern Munich

Valencia

1-1 (Pen 5-4)

1999-2000

Real Madrid

Valencia

3-0

1998-1999

Manchester United

Bayern Munich

2-1

1997-1998

Real Madrid

Juventus

1-0

1996-1997

Borussia Dortmund

Juventus

3-1

1995-1996

Juventus

Ajax

1-1 (Pen 4-2)

1994-1995

Ajax

AC Milan

1-0

1993-1994

AC Milan

Barcelona

4-0

1992-1993

Marseille

Milan

1-0

1991-1992

Barcelona

Sampdoria

1-0

1990-1991

Crvena Zvezda

Marseille

0-0 (Pen 5-3)

1989-1990

AC Milan

Benfica

1-0

1988-1989

AC Milan

Steaua Bucuresti

4-0

1987-1988

PSV

Benfica

0-0 (Pen 6-5)

1986-1987

Porto

Bayern Munich

2-1

1985-1986

Steaua Bucuresti

Barcelona

0-0 (Pen 2-0)

1984-1985

Juventus

Liverpool

1-0

1983-1984

Liverpool

Roma

1-1 (Pen 4-2)

1982-1983

Hamburg

Juventus

1-0

1981-1982

Aston Villa

Bayern Munich

1-0

1980-1981

Liverpool

Real Madrid

1-0

1979-1980

Nottingham Forest

Hamburg

1-0

1978-1979

Nottingham Forest

Malmo

1-0

1977-1978

Liverpool

Brugge

1-0

1976-1977

Liverpool

B'Monchengladbach

3-1

1975-1976

Bayern Munich

St-Etienne

1-0

1974-1975

Bayern Munich

Leeds

2-0

1973-1974

Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid

4-0

1972-1973

Ajax

Juventus

1-0

1971-1972

Ajax

Inter

2-0

1970-1971

Ajax

Panathinaikos

2-0

1969-1970

Feyenoord

Celtic

2-1 4-1

1968-1969

AC Milan

Ajax

1967-1968

Manchester United

Benfica

4-1

1966-1967

Celtic

Inter Milan

2-1

1965-1966

Real Madrid

Partizan

2-1

1964-1965

Inter Milan

Benfica

1-0

1963-1964

Inter Milan

Real Madrid

3-1

1962-1963

AC Milan

Benfica

2-1

1961-1962

Benfica

Real Madrid

5-3

1960-1961

Benfica

Barcelona

3-2

1959-1960

Real Madrid

Eintracht Frankfurt

7-3

1958-1959

Real Madrid

Reims

2-0

1957-1958

Real Madrid

AC Milan

3-2

1956-1957

Real Madrid

Fiorentina

2-0

1955-1956

Real Madrid

Reims

4-3

ormer Bayern Munich and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has tipped Juventus to pull off an upset by beating favorites Barcelona in Saturday’s Champions League finals in Berlin.

Both teams are seeking to complete a treble of league, cup and Champions League crowns, but although Barcelona have hit dazzling form since the turn of the year, Ballack believes Juventus could yet outwit them.

“I go for Juventus,” he told Agence France-Presse during an interview in London. “Everyone thinks it’s Barcelona. Maybe it’s a little bit dangerous for them because everyone expects it, so it’s not easy.

“Juventus have a big tradition and a lot of experienced players, quality as well, otherwise you wouldn’t kick out Real Madrid in two legs [in the semifinals].

So why not?”

Tevez

We need perfect display - Tevez

C

arlos Tevez says Juventus will need to be "better than perfect" to stand a chance of beating Barcelona in Saturday's Champions League final, although he does know what it takes to win European football's top club competition.

Tevez -- who has netted seven times in the Champions League this season after ending a five-year drought in the competition, stretching back beyond when he last appeared in the final against Barcelona -- lifted the trophy with Manchester United in 2008 and is bidding to win it for a second time with a different club this weekend.

"We had a very strong team, which included the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo," Tevez said in an interview with UEFA.com.

Ballack, a beaten Champions League finalist with both Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, believes that Barcelona’s front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar is one of the finest forward lines of all time.

Messi’s brace, which included an astonishing solo effort, and a goal

by Neymar in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final last weekend took the trio’s tally for the season to 120 goals.

Mascherano: Juventus are dangerous

B

arcelona’s Javier Mascherano warns Juventus are ‘not a traditional Italian team’ ahead of the Champions League final.

The Bianconeri are in the final of the competition for the first time in 12 years, and will take on the Catalan side in Berlin on Saturday.

“They have that Italian competitive edge,” Mascherano told UEFA’s official website.

“It is always difficult to overcome that because they are very, very competitive. They are very tactical.

“They understand football and on top of that they have a lot of talent. It is not a traditional Italian team.

“They play like Italians but they have a lot of talent, they know how to attack and they can play in different ways. They have lots of variety and that makes them very difficult to play against.”

Mascherano

32

Sport

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Lifestyle

Mayweather cruises in private jet

No one is going to hand me success.

I must go out and get it myself.

That’s why I’m here. To dominate.

To conquer.

Both the world, and myself.

- Unknown

F

loyd Mayweather took to social media on Monday night to express just how much he loves his life, and from his latest ventures you can see why.

Since engaging in the most expensive bout in a boxing history and beating Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Arena on May 2, the 38-year-old has been living the high life as he makes the most of his time away from the ring.

The undefeated boxer, whose record stands at 48-0 with 26 knockouts, has been seen attending NBA matches, as well as soaking up the sun since his last bout.

Mayweather relaxes in his private jet

I slept with Ronaldo - Chavez

C Cisse and wife during their wedding

Cisse leaves girlfriend for holiday, marries another girl three days later

N

ewcastle footballer Papiss Cisse has left his on-off girlfriend heartbroken after telling her he was going on holiday only to marry a volleyball player three days later.

Rachelle Graham, 24, a beauty queen and former Miss Newcastle, says last week she kissed and waved off the Senegalese striker, 30, believing he was off to spend a month in his homeland.

But after he failed to return her texts she became worried and went online, finding a picture of her love's wedding to sportswoman Diallo Awa, 29, at a yacht

club outside Paris.

More photos of the smiling couple's wedding in Paris have since surfaced, with friends saying they suspect his religion and family prevented the two from having a future together.

They had broken up last year after trolls abused them because it was a mixed race relationship - but recently they had started seeing each other more regularly again.

She even did a charity skydive to raise money for a community ambulance in the striker's native Senegal.

h i l e a n playmate Daniella Chavez she had an affair with Cristiano Ronaldo while he dated Irina Shayk.

A few weeks ago, The Sun went to print with allegations that Cristiano Ronaldo cheated on his former girlfriend Irina Shayk.

The Sun lifted quotes from ‘sources’ on why Russian supermodel Irina Shayk broke up with Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Noticeably, the Sun failed to carry quotes from either of the party’s involved.

Russian model Shayk and Real Madrid star Ronaldo dated for several years, however their relationship broke down around the turn of the year, at the same time that Cristiano’s form dipped for Los Blancos.

Shayk has since got together with Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper and, seemingly in the comfort of a new

man, the beauty has now decided to spill the beans on what went wrong with Ronaldo.

According to the tabloid, Ronaldo cheated on Irina Shayk with “dozens” of women.

One of those women, Daniella Chavez, has now spoken to Reforma about her affair with CR7. The paper published quotes from Daniella Chavez saying: I met Cristiano in November 2014, in the United States.

We had already talked by email and Skype; I had to travel for work, and he told me to go for a couple of days.

Cristiano was very shy at first, but when he built up his confidence was quite a man, though still a bit fearful. He loved me, but the idea was not to show it.

I just wanted to fulfill a dream and have sex with him. I love his body.

[Cristiano liked] my face, my breasts and the fact that he had never slept with a Playmate.

Chavez

Investigations

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

33

the voice of the voiceless' The division in the labour union is not only detrimental to the workers but to the nation as well

Achese

Mohammed

Akporeha

Ajaero faction returned current state chairman, Williams Akporeha of NUPENG and seven others unopposed.

In his acceptance speech, Akporeha urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to focus attention on growing business through public-private partnership as well as partnering labour unions to succeed.

Two new state executive councils also emerged in Kogi State from parallel delegates congresses. Comrade Johnson Onu Edoka of MHWUN emerged chairman at the delegates’ conference held at the New Confluence Stadium, Lokoja. All the new members at the Lokoja congress were returned unopposed.

There is also the hangover associated with the May Day celebration of workers in Nigeria. The 2015 edition came on the heels of the labour crisis as it held in two event venues due to the controversy that surrounded the election that produced two factions of the union. The two factions held different rallies in Abuja and Lagos, even as the Lagos event was allegedly disrupted by the police for not obtaining permit.

The Wabba-led faction had their rally in Abuja, while the Joe Ajaero-led faction’s show was disrupted by the police in Lagos.

This year’s celebration came amid the fuel scarcity that held the nation down, rising inflation and insecurity, among other national challenges. The divided NLC and

Akpatason

the parallel rally allegedly prompted the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to stay away from the workers day.

In view of this scenario, many commentators and stakeholders have been criticising the NLC for its failed bid to have credible, free and fair election. They are wondering how the Congress could salvage the plight of Nigerian workers in the midst of cheap and slavery labour experienced by the workers. According to them, the politicisation of labour by the political power holders has worsened the NLC in post-military era.

Prior to the crisis-laden election, Nigerian workers had expressed hope that the new regime of the new executives would emerge to give direction to the NLC, which is suffering from what they termed “political constipation”. But rather than settle for one leadership to give direction, the Congress shut itself by rejecting the result of the election.

General opinion expressed by ordinary Nigerians today is that NLC has become toothless bulldog, which cannot bark talk less of biting. Many also believe that NLC has lost its touch and vibrancy that gave the former NLC President, now Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a kind of platform to win election.

For instance, a Lagos-based activist lawyer, Emmanuel Nwaghodoh, said that

the Comrades have lost direction and their activism. But, the General Secretary, of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Comrade Peter Adeyemi, was quoted as saying that the organised labour is still on course, most especially at the affiliate levels. He, nonetheless, agreed that the NLC must reenact the ideals of the movement.

For Achese, the NLC election would have been a turning point in the life of the nation’s politics had it been conducted on the basis of fairness and equity. This, according to him, was the ideal of the labour union.

A member representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason, has also described the crisis rocking the NLC as a setback. He is of the opinion that the crisis would affect the fortunes of workers negatively.

According to h im, “the crisis currently rocking the NLC is quite unhealthy. It has affected the unity of workers and as we all know the strength of the labour union is its unity. The division in the labour union is not only detrimental to the workers but to the nation as well. When there is crisis in the labour union, the employers shortchange workers and the multiplier effect is noticeable at the home front.”

The Director- General, Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Olusegun Oshinowo, described the NLC leadership crisis as “an unfortunate incident.”

He reasoned that the best thing that could have happened to the organised labour movement is to have a unified body that could talk on behalf of Nigerian workers.

Oshinowo said the problem would undermine the effectiveness of the NLC as the common voice of the workers.

National President, Chemical and NonMetallic Products Senior Staff Association (CANMPSSA), Comrade Abdul Gafar Mohammed, also said it was not good for labour, as workers, no doubt, would be at the receiving end. “Some employers, who have no respect for workers’ rights may capitalise on the crisis to undermine the interest of the workers,” Mohammed said.

To Oshiomhole, the NLC has lost prestige and influence in the eyes of Nigerians, particularly the workers. “The people no longer see the congress as the voice of the voiceless and a bulwark against socioeconomic and political oppression and injustices in the polity. The congress is essentially viewed as either being complicit or at best indifferent to the cries of the poor working class people and the middle class citizens, who are daily at the receiving end of an unjust social order,” he said.

Oshiomhole appealed to those who were aggrieved by the outcome of the congress election to sheathe their swords and extend a hand of fellowship to reposition the congress.

The first General Secretary of the NLC, Aliyu Dangiwa, described the development in NLC as a big shame. “It’s a big shame. Moreover, on the part of workers, we have to be more articulate and objective. Apparently, we must look at our-

selves. There are people working against us, people working for our adversaries in our midst. Whoever is responsible for this should be traced by workers for appropriate action,” he said.

Also, the presiding Bishop, Rhema Christian Church and Towers, Bishop Taiwo Akinola, warned that the problem in NLC might spell doom for workers and the masses. “The effect will be far-reaching for the workers and the masses. It means no more voice for the voiceless. When the government overreacted, labour in the past had a way of putting them in check, but now labour too has been politicised. I will advise that whatever their differences are, they should be resolved for the sake of the workers and Nigerians, who have always looked up to them in terms of crisis,” the Bishop pleaded.

The NLC was formally constituted as the only national federation of trade unions in the country in 1978. Before then, four labour unions existed. These are Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Labour Unity Front (LUF), United Labour Congress (ULC) and Nigeria Workers Council (NWC). The emergence of the NLC ended decades of rivalry and rancour involving the four unions and those affiliated to them.

The unions, numbering over 1,000 were also restructured into 43 industrial unions.

The organisation has had a chequered history, surviving two instances of dissolution of its national organs and consequent appointment of state administrators. The first was in 1988 under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Congress' opposition to the anti-people Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) incensed the military administration to take over the NLC. The second military intervention was in 1994 during the regime of General Sani Abacha, whose government also became fed up with the labour movement's agitation for the restoration of democracy.

Like the initial case, the military government dissolved NLC's National Executive Council and appointed a Sole Administrator.

The same treatment was meted to the two unions in the oil and gas industry; NUPENG and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). However, the administrators apparently added a further brief as they plundered the finances of Congress and the two unions.

The dissolution exemplified the travails of Congress, its leadership, affiliates and state councils, under military rule. Arbitration, prolonged and unlawful detention of labour leaders, invasion and disruption of union meetings, seminars and other activities of Congress and its components by security forces and a vicious anti-labour campaign by the state generally marked the period. The military also invoked its legislative prerogatives to unleash all manner of legislation to check the activities of unions.

Oshinowo

SATURDAY

The Arts SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

Artists to explore gender sensitivity in Strength of A Woman

G

Tony Okuyeme ender Sensitivity is the focus of art exhibition scheduled to hold at Thought Pyramid Gallery, Abuja, from March 2 to 16, 2016, in commemoration of the international Women’s Day. The show is expected to bring to the fore perspectives and positions on the subject of gender equality or inequality, as it relates to being sensitive to the ways people think about gender, assumptions about traditional views of the roles of women and men; among other issues.

Ahead of the exhibition, the organisers held a round table discussion at the Yemaja Gallery and Studio, Surulere, Lagos, recently. In her presentation titled Gender Sensitivity in Art, the founder of Echoes of Women in Africa (ECOWA), a Non – Governmental Organisation (NGO), which focuses on gender issues as they relate to women, Louisa Ono Eikhomu, spoke on gender sensitivity, gender roles, gender characteristics and stereo-types, as well as the impact and consequences of patriarchy in regards to gender perception. She said the way forward for visual artists is to use their works to question, examine and criticise the relationship between gender and society.

“Since the mid-20th century, social scientists, historians and philosophers have theorised that roles, characteristics and activities that distinguished men from women are not innate but socially constructed. Behaviours thought to be masculine or feminine differ from one culture to another across time.

“Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that electronic and print media (which sensitise the human mind and are tools for communication, education and entertainment) have persistently portrayed much violence against women.

“This is the 21st century; many roles thought to be exclusively for men have been taken over by women and viceversa. Artists should begin to question the traditional roles of women and addressing such roles in domestic and public spheres,” She said, adding that artists should redefine visual masculinity and femininity.

She further stated that artists “as visionaries should re-address these issues with a view to giving humanity a glimpse of what the future holds.”

According to her, “women have proven themselves to be self-reliant, fearless, willing to excel in career and capable of still keeping a home. Visual artists have a responsibility to portray women as strong achievers, powerful and respected people. Just like what history and literature have done for Queen Amina of Zaria, Queen Idia of Benin, Chief Mrs. Ransom-Kuti of Lagos and Mrs. Margaret Ekpo of Calabar.”

In his own contribution, author and journalist, Adewale Maja-Pearce, queried why the Nigerian male has failed to meet the challenge posed by the changing role of women in the 21st century. He noted that elsewhere in the

34

Reflection with

Tim Akinleye 08098668480

timwriteswell@gmail.com

Behold Buhari, The Change Agent Let us with wide open arms Welcome Mr Change we crave, Clamorous though his heralds came, Clanging with trepidatious alarms!

Change’s come with no arms.

Good’s gone, we behold a better luck.

A new era, Sai Baba in the Villa.

A man of few words but impeccable aura:

Thrice he tried, once he wept before the ruck Fourth zeal for Change turneth the Aso locks.

Howbeit our peace and sleep are hostages, Boko Haramites defy our amnesty, Bare-chested economy, violated.

Our army, Desperate for the Trojan horse, To keep our foes at bay with brutal force.

Darkness rules our cities, Potholes feeds on our roads, Businesses shut and fail to reload, Crude thieves share our oil and rigs Our commonwealth gasps in feats.

But in the horizon Hope rises, When righteousness exalts our nation, When Aso Villa shall with conviction Say: “Good Morning Holy Spirit” The unseen Presence of God of light.

Olorogun Mrs.

world, women have emerged as equal players in the public sphere and not only in the so-called ‘West’, where the feminist ideology has been pushed further than elsewhere.

“Even within Africa itself, women have risen to the highest office in the land, with female presidents in Liberia and Malawi (just recently) and yet here in Nigeria they continue to remain grossly under-represented even at the local government level.

“In some ways the position of women may be even worse than it was in earlier times, due in part to the very challenges posed by the ‘woman question.’ Unsure of his own role in the New World Order, man has resorted to violence in an effort to compel women to remain in what he willfully continues to regard as their ‘place.”

Art, he argued, should continually challenge society’s notions of the world in ways that are unimaginable, so that society is prepared mentally for ‘The shock of the new.’

“Like other societies, Nigerian societies should gradually enter into the process of adapting to the changes occurring

Guitar Girl

in the global community. This they can do by forging modern relationship with the world in which they find themselves.”

He believes that it is the overriding duty of the artist to map the contours of these changes. Ironically, he believes that the female artist is better placed to do so by their very nature of being observers and mothers.

Unlike some men, Gabriel Awusa, a widely exhibited artist and convener of the roundtable, does not see women as sex objects. “I don’t hold the view that the male is superior to the women intellectually, as seen in my last exhibition titled ‘Memoires of Elizabeth’ which took place at Terra kulture in June. The experience of that exhibition has awakened in me a curiosity about women. ‘‘I am collaborating with a female artist Juliet Ezenwa Maja Pearce and some gender- based NGOs in order to get a deeper understanding about women sensibilities. I have always been fascinated by women attributes. As the first male child after four female children, I grew up in the midst of women, therefore, I have always been in touch with my feminine side,” Awusa said.

Let us therefore in one accord, Pray. Believe. And turn a new leaf, Let him that steals take a leave, And those sowing seeds of discord: Trading off our unity, we cannot afford.

Change begins with us from within, Change is our new song and mantra, Change is Going On With One Nigeria, Change is a task that must be done.

Doing What's right, and all that's worth doing.

Copyright © Timothy June 6, 2015

SATURDAY

Dear Love Doctor, 'My man only knows how to drink, but can’t make love!'

p.37

True Story

'I sabotaged my best friend’s future with a safety pin'

p.38

L ve&Lv ng SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

35

‘My sister-in-law made me barren' Confession They say that life is full of ups and downs. But what can we do when life gives us a blow too hard to bear? In this story, a pregnant woman trying to make peace between a husband and his wife becomes a hapless victim of terrible domestic violence.

M

y elder brother and his wife have a history of domestic violence. I have never taken sides in their quarrels or fights, nor intend to take sides now, especially after the damage has already been done.

I was just a pregnant woman who didn't wish anybody evil. However, my lighthearted visit to my brother's house turned out to be a near-fatal mistake for me.

On that particular day, my elder brother and his wife were quarreling as usual. I think the problem bordered on money and I could hear their loud voices even from outside as I quietly approached their apartment.

They always had financial problems and I just couldn't understand why they couldn't properly manage the problems without quarreling and fighting over money all the time.

I believe that in marriage, a sound understanding of the management of resources (financial and otherwise) is very important. Besides, husband and wife need to work together as a team to budget and plan for both the family and for their personal needs too.

They both operated a joint account and my brother had accused his wife of withdrawing and spending too much money from the account without his consent.

I was about six months pregnant then, and I had gone to deliver a message from our mother to my brother. I had recently travelled to the village to see my mother because it had been long since I last saw her.

Apart from the fact that I wanted to give her some money, I wanted her to give me some local herbs that would help me in pregnancy. My mum was well versed in local herbs and she knew how to make a pregnant woman safely deliver a healthy baby.

Seeing my mother in the village gave me great joy and my mother gladly accepted to assist me with some medicinal local herbs. However, when I was about to depart from the village, she informed me about a church project she was undertaking.

She was deeply involved in church activities in the village. She urgently needed money from all her children to help her proceed with the project.

However, the huge sum of money involved was not something that I alone could gather and give her. I just couldn't afford it, so the best thing to do was to

get my siblings involved in the project.

That was just what I had in mind when I left home for my elder brother's house that day. All I wanted was to collect some money from him to add to the one I had been able to gather. But sadly, fate seems to have had other plans for me.

Before I walked into my elder brother's apartment, I could hear shouts and screams and nasty words being said. I was alarmed at the kind of nasty words I could hear them say to each other. My brother would say: "I will kill you today, you stupid woman." And his wife would reply: "You will die too, shameless man."

They had apparently started fighting again and were oblivious of their surroundings. As they exchanged blows and hot words, they obviously cared less about whoever was listening.

The most irritating thing about it all was that my brother and his wife lived in a very peaceful neighbourhood and their noisy quarrels and fights were the exact opposite of the peaceful nature of their neighbourhood.

Even my presence in their living room was not enough to douse the tension and make them sheathe their swords. My brother's wife only had a wrapper tied around her chest and my brother had his hand on the wrapper and was trying to strip her naked and push her out of the house for the neighbours to see her shame.

Although I was heavily pregnant, I couldn't just stand and watch things fall apart without doing anything. I appealed to both of them to stop fighting and be quiet, but all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

I even yelled at my sister-in-law to stop insulting my brother because her

insults were driving him crazy. But she didn't listen. She continued calling him unprintable names and the situation continued to degenerate.

Before I knew what was happening, they had started fighting again and my brother's hand was on his wife's throat. He was obviously trying to strangle her and I couldn't stand and watch him kill her just like that because I knew the implication.

So I jumped in-between the two of them in order to separate them. With my pregnancy, I was in-between two fighting parties and I thought everything was now going to be okay since I was now between both of them.

But just when I thought both warriors were going to calm down and sheathe their swords, my sister-in-law ran into the kitchen and came out carrying a pestle.

She rushed forward and swung the pestle, trying to hit my brother with the pounding tool. My brother managed to dodge the first blow. Then I ran in-between them again, trying to protect my brother from harm.

It was the moment I rushed in-between them that she wildly swung the pestle again, hitting me in the abdomen accidentally. The pain I felt is unimaginable and I passed out instantly.

I later woke up in the hospital and collapsed again after the doctor told me that I had lost my pregnancy. He said I had bled so much that it was impossible to stop the process of miscarriage.

The worst of it all was that the doctor said that my womb had been seriously damaged as a result of the hard impact of the pestle on my stomach. According to the doctor, I may never be able

to have a baby again.

I am now going through emotional shock and deep trauma. As if having a miscarriage isn't enough, being told that you may never be able to have a child again is like a fate too cruel to bear.

My marriage has virtually been ruined because my husband is now saying that he may seek a divorce and marry another woman because it is clear that I won't be able to bear him children.

My in-laws now call me barren behind me and are secretly pressuring my husband to marry a second wife who will give him children.

I can't believe that my loving husband can actually look into my eyes and tell me that he loves me, only to break my heart with the talk of marrying a second wife.

My sister-in-law has practically made me a barren woman because of her stupid fight with my brother. I now remember the warning an old woman had given me at the market when I was only three months pregnant. She had told me that I should avoid anywhere there is trouble.

The old woman had told me that a pregnant woman should never be present wherever people are fighting. I have now learned the hard way. I thought that nothing bad would happen to me because the fight was between my brother and his wife. But I was wrong.

I'm now running from pillar to post looking for a solution to my problem.

I advise all pregnant women out there never to try to mediate in any physical or violent conflict. They should avoid violent or troublesome people and stay away from troubled spots. Only God will save me!

36

Love&Living

Love News

K

im Kardashian has had enough of the rumours about her and her pregnancy.

The reality star ranted about her frustration on Twitter Tuesday.

"So f****** sick today on all levels!!!!! UGHHHHHHHHH I can't deal!!!!!!!!!! Praying I get through the day!" she tweeted.

"Can't wait till my website is active! I'm gonna do live video streaming so every time someone talks s*** I can go blast the f*** outta them," she added.

"Pregnant KiKi does not play!!!! *BLOOP!*" Kardashian, 34, revealed Sunday that she was expecting her second child with Kanye West, 37. The couple, who wed in 2014, are already parents to North, who will turn two later this month.

When asked by one of her 32 million Twitter followers why she was even addressing the negativity, the "Keeping Up With the Kar-

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Kim Kardashian breaks down over pregnancy rumours dashians" star replied: "I just mean rumours or lies. People make up so much even people close who u think are legit. Truth time."

To that point, when one fan suggested that Kardashian was mad at talk show host Wendy Williams for reporting that the reality star was using a surrogate during her second pregnancy, she replied: "Please! This is the type of stuff I will address. If I got a surrogate I would say I did!

Thankfully I didn't have 2."

Perhaps now she's in better spirits. After venting, Kardashian had a laugh at her own expense: "Hahahaha Twitter just contacted me to see if I've been hacked LOL #JustPregnantKeeks

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit lonely And you're never coming round

(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit nervous That the best of all the years have gone by (Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit terrified And then I see the look in your eyes (Turn Around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart (Turn Around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart

Courtesy: Daily Mail.

‘I had an affair with my yoga teacher'

G

Bonnie Tyler

(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit tired Of listening to the sound of my tears

Life Experience

etting naked with a ponytailed, flexible, older man sounds like something from a romance novel, but it was more damaging than sexy.

Having an affair with your yoga teacher is a cliché for a reason. I'm one of those reasons, and let me tell you, it was a bad idea. It destroyed my self-esteem and almost ruined my marriage.

Sixteen weeks before my wedding, I got close to John*, the yoga teacher who taught me the Ashtanga yoga system from the ground up.

I’d been practicing with him at least three days a week for three months.

Ashtanga is taught one-on-one, with lots of hands-on guidance, so the teacher-student bond grows quickly.

I’d begun to discover strength and stamina that I didn’t know I had.

John is a professor, so he knew how to talk to people. He seemed genuinely interested in me. He listened to my questions and offered advice on yoga and life, taking his black-framed glasses off to look me in the eye. He threw his head back and laughed at my jokes.

We became friends on Facebook, his favorite method of social media, and I hung on every word of his rants about astrology and emotions, riddled with buzzwords straight out of a 300-level Postmodern Theory course. I wasn’t the only one.

John had what he affectionately called “his cult,” a following of students from the university and yoga studios, mostly young women, who liked and commented on all of his posts. He was popular then, and remains a well-loved professor today according to ratemyprofessor.com.

I knew it wasn’t quite right, but I wanted John’s attention. As much as I could get. All of it. His classes were the highlight of my week. I didn’t miss a single one. I pursued him like a sixth grader with her first crush.

When I talked to him, my insides got squinchy. He made me feel special. He seemed to understand my fears and frustrations in a way that Ben, my then-fiancé, now-husband, didn’t. In the middle of the stress of wedding planning, my own partner had become emotionally distant. I

Love Songs

was getting cold feet. I was afraid of getting married. Not that it excuses my behavior, but I felt alone in my fear.

John was really into astrology, and he offered to read my chart. He printed off a personalized graph of concentric circles, symbols, and zagging red lines, and gave me an explanation that included moons and Pluto returns. I barely understood it, but I was glowing. I had his attention.

“You have a lot of darkness,” he said. That statement started a twomonth long Facebook messenger conversation that went from astrological to orgasmic.

“You’re interesting to me, Emma,” he said, “I want to know how you became this person.”

I replied with my life history, which includes more than its fair share of emotional trauma, suicide attempts, teenage promiscuity, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual assault. It turned out that he’d been emotionally traumatized, too.

He gave me the link to his secret blog and confided that his partner, the mother of his son, didn’t have sex with him anymore. I told him that I had a hard time reaching Ben, too.

One comment about sex led to another until either he or I said something like, “It’s a good thing you and I aren’t a couple. We’d never get out of bed.”

I don’t remember who said it, and the transcript of the conversation has long been deleted, but with

Yoga practice

those lines, we were off. We started sexting, messaging each other whenever we could. I’d spend hours of my workday chatting with him. Our conversations were thousands of lines long.

They weren’t always about sex. They were sometimes about emotional concerns or our troubled pasts. A few times, he led me through written exercises that probably should have been performed with a licensed therapist, then one of us would mention something sexual, and the sexting marathon began again.

To be fair, I pursued him more than he pursued me. I dropped hints like, “I have the whole office to myself today.

No one would notice what I’m doing at my desk.” He picked up what I was putting down, and 30 minutes later we would be talking about cocks and clits, occasionally with pictures for emphasis. When I raised concern about our relationship, he reassured me. We were healing each other’s past wounds through sex and language. Other people wouldn’t understand.

“You’re important to me, Emma.

Karmically important.”

That was all I needed. I’d never been “karmically important” to someone before. When John asked me if I was interested in acting out some of what we’d talked about, I was more than game.

Because we were both in relationships, we decided that there would be no actual touching. We would only get naked and masturbate in front of each other. You show me yours and I’ll show you mine.

We did it three times. Twice in the bathroom of the yoga studio, once in my car. I tried to make it happen again, but it never did. Weeks of sexting, three weird sexual encounters, and it was over. Other than the occasional racy text, he stopped taking my bait.

I felt rejected, exactly like I did when I was a teenager and none of my fuckbuddies would be my boyfriend. I didn’t understand why John didn’t want me anymore. We’d been careful to erase evidence of our sexting, so I couldn’t even look back to suss out why I was discarded.

Then I was swept up in the final month of planning, the wedding, and my honeymoon. I realised that ending the affair was for the best and I tried to continued on page 38

(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit restless And I dream of something wild (Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit helpless And I'm lying like a child in your arms (Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit angry And I know I've got to get out and cry (Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit terrified But then I see the look in your eyes (Turn Around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart Turn around, bright eyes Every now and then I fall apart And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right 'Cause we'll never be wrong Together we can take it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (All of the time)

Love Poem

Joanna Fuchs

I Never Knew

I never knew about happiness; I didn’t think dreams came true; I couldn’t really believe in love, Until I finally met you.

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

Romantic Joke

The Check Up

An elderly couple scheduled their annual medical examination the same day so they could travel together.

After the examination, the doctor then said to the elderly man "You appear to be in good health, do you have any medical concerns that you would like to discuss with me?"

"In fact I do," said the man, "After I have sex with my wife for the first time, I am usually hot and sweaty. And then,after I have sex with my wife the second time, I am usually cold and chilly."

"This is very interesting," replied the doctor, "Let me do some research and get back to you.

After examining the elderly lady, the doctor said: "Everything appears to be fine. Do you have any medical concerns that you would like to discuss with me?"

The lady replied that she had no questions nor concerns.

The doctor then asked: "Your husband had an unusual concern. He claims that he is usually hot and sweaty after having sex the first time with you and then cold and chilly after the second time. Do you know why?" "Oh that old coot!" She replied.

"That's because the first time is usually in July, and the second time is usually in December!"

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Relationships & Love Advice Dear Love Doctor, Please advise me. I have known my man for a year before getting pregnant for him and marrying him as a result of the pregnancy.

Throughout the time we were dating, he wasn’t very good in bed, but at least he gave me money regularly whenever I needed it. But now that we’re married, he suddenly lost his job and as a result, stopped taking care of me. I now have to struggle on my own for my child. I feel very bad because I don’t have any money and I am also sex-starved. Since my husband lost his job, he has gone from good to bad in character, as he now keeps good-for-nothing fellows as friends. Worse still, my husband has gone from bad to worse on bed.

Since he lost his job, my man only knows how to drink beer. He no longer gives me money and he no longer makes love to me as well. I heard he patronizes some prostitutes close to his beer garden.

Love Doctor’s Advice: It appears your husband is going through depression due to the loss of his job. That’s why he acts that way. He needs counseling and encouragement. Get some people he holds in high esteem (eg, parents, relatives, priest, pastor, etc) to talk to him. On your part, give him tender loving care (TLC)and tell him that as long as there is life, there is hope. Say positive things to him and tell him to think positively. And he will

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Love&Living

37

Odd News 'My man only knows how to drink, but can’t make love!' Regular use of heels for

three years could cause harmful imbalance

A

gradually overcome his depression and recover his zeal to start afresh by looking for another job or starting a business. You too should try to be less dependent on him by looking for a job for yourself as well. In marriage, both parties work to help each other. The reason the impact of his job loss is more greatly felt is because you’re a house-wife.

On the part of his sexual ability, it is not a serious problem. First, you need to keep working hard at it until practice makes both of you perfect in bed with each other. You need to rediscover each other’s bodies and find out what works for you. For example, tell him what turns you on, so that it would be easier for him to please you in bed. Explore!

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n elegant pair of heels can seem the perfect way to complete a smart outfit.

But women who wear them too often may find the downsides soon outweigh the benefits – as research shows they can cause a potentially harmful imbalance in the feet.

Scientists examined the effect of the footwear on women who don high heels regularly for work.

They found that despite initially strengthening important muscles around the ankle, after three years the shoes led to some muscles becoming dominant – increasing the risk of sprains.

‘As high heels are in fashion and sometimes required for certain professions, many women may be unaware of the extent to which [the shoes] may be weakening their dynamic balance,’ said Dr Yong-Seok Jee, from Hanseo University in South Korea.

‘Eventually, major accidents such as falls and serious ankle sprains can result without proper maintenance and conditioning.’

Dr Jee’s team studied 40 professional women who wear heels of 10cm or higher at least three times a week.

They regularly measured the women’s ankle strength, and found that two of the four main muscles started becoming dominant after between one and three years of regular wear.

They told the International Journal of Clinical Practice: ‘These results suggest that wearing high heels may strengthen ankle muscles at

first, but prolonged use [of more than three years] eventually causes a muscular imbalance – a crucial predictor of ankle injury.’

Deformed feet, back pain and unhealthy walking patterns can all result from wearing heels, Dr Jee added, so it is important for women to take what he describes as ‘preventative measures’.

As well as limiting how often the shoes are worn, Dr Jee recommends ankle-strengthening exercises such as deliberately walking on the heel of the foot with the ball raised, or tapping toes.

Toe tapping involves sitting in a seat with bare feet on the ground and simply lifting the front of the foot, keeping the heel in place.

‘It is clinically important for wearers of heels to regularly perform [these] exercises,’ Dr Jee said.

The damage done by high heels is not only muscular – it can also be cosmetic.

Celebrities’ feet can often end up looking less than glamorous after years of wearing uncomfortable – but stylish – shoes.

The normally elegant Samantha Cameron proved the point during the election campaign in April, when she kicked off her loafers to reveal a patch of worn skin and bony lumps on her big toes.

Podiatrist Michael Ratcliffe said at the time the lumps appeared to have been caused by years of irritation, and were ‘generally the result of wearing high heels’.

Courtesy: Daily Mail

38

Love&Living True Story

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

LOVE EDUCATION

'I sabotaged my best friend’s future with a safety pin'

L

ast week, I received a letter from an old friend. I hadn't seen Carol for 25 years. She wrote to congratulate me on my recent appointment of Professor at a university of great renown - she'd read about it in the papers.

Carol wrote of how her husband, Brett, left her only a few years after they married, leaving her with two young children. She confessed that at the age of 41, she was broke and depressed, and unemployed with zero career prospects.

And she apologised for having been so heartless when we were at school.

She hoped I had forgiven her. Forgive her? Little did she know it was me who needed forgiving. I had stolen her future, taken what was rightfully hers ...

Carol and I grew up in a small town in rural New Zealand. Remember, in New Zealand 25 years ago, girls with unplanned pregnancies had no options, beyond giving birth, or visiting Australia for an abortion. There was also a tremendous amount of shame. Such girls would disappear to a city, never to be publicly spoken of again.

Carol and I were at school together, all the way from kindergarten to high school. We planned to go to university together as well. Carol was extremely bright, the first in class. I wasn't far behind, coming in a very close second.

But in the beauty stakes, I wasn't even in the race. Carol was gorgeous

and everyone wanted to be her friend.

Carol was invited to all parties, whereas, I was shy and podgy with erupting skin. I got to mostly stay home on my own.

When we turned 15, Carol started seeing Brett. He was 17 and the handsomest boy in town. Brett was also cruel.

He relished in ridiculing me publicly.

And clearly, he didn't want me hanging around him and Carol.

Consequently, Carol and I barely spent any time together, other than at our secret place. A small, sandy cave in the forest that grew at the back of our adjoining farms. In the cave, we would meet after school to giggle and read books by candlelight. And there, by unspoken mutual consent, we never discussed Brett, or anything about Carol's new life. At the same time, we no longer discussed the future, or going to the city to attend university together.

One afternoon, I entered the cave to hear strange grunts and thumps. I saw Carol naked with Brett. Brett swore, "what's the fat, ugly *@#?! doing here?"

Instead of defending me, Carol merely laughed. Humiliated, I ran away, crying tears of rage and shame.

I was devastated, and furious. How dare Carol have shared our very own secret place with someone else. Particularly with someone who didn't want to share with me. I was also jealous. At the tender blistering age of 16, deep down

‘I had an affair with my yoga teacher' C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 6

put it behind me. Ben and I came home from 10 days in Santa Fe, adopted a new dog, and settled in as happy newlyweds.

Then Ben found a suspicious email while using my computer. John and I were caught. To make matters worse, we were both out of town at a yoga workshop the weekend that my husband found out. We were in separate rooms and never said anything I wouldn’t say in front of my mother, but it sure didn’t look good.

How my husband and I dealt with the affair discovery and worked through it to find a stronger and better marriage is another story, but I’m proud to say that we’re now one of the happiest couples I know. It wasn’t easy, but we healed, and we’re better for it.

As for John, he was fired from the yoga studio after Ben told the owner what had happened. John lost a good portion of his “cult” and he wasn’t happy about it. Ben also tried to get John fired from his day job as a professor and even see that he never taught yoga again, but he wasn’t successful. John eventually threatened that he would call the police if he ever heard from us again. I’m not proud of that, but it was more important to save my marriage than worry about John’s feelings.

Yoga teachers learn ethics during their training and one cardinal rule is, "Don't sleep with your students."

I know because I went through yoga teacher training 12 months after the affair began. It helped me understand. Student-teacher boundaries exist for a reason. The teacher will always hold power over the student,

and that power differential, however unconscious, will affect the sexual relationship in unhealthy ways.

No matter how much I pursued John, he should have pushed me away. What I felt for him wasn’t attraction or love, it was adoration.

I loved him the way teenage girls love One Direction. When John taught, he was on stage. He commanded attention. He wasn’t being himself, he was being a projection of himself. He was performing.

In class, John physically moved my body with his hands and told me what to do with his voice. That stuff is powerful. He used techniques he had learned to help me find those inner reserves of strength. Our teachers change us on all levels—physical, emotional, and yes, sometimes spiritual.

Now that I’ve been in the role of teacher for about a year, I get it. I perform, too. When I tell my class to, “Exhale and hinge out of the hips, fold forward, belly to thighs,” I’m using a script. I’ve said those words hundreds of times.

When I wrap my hands around a student’s waist to help them feel the hinge from the hips, I’m using what I learned from other teachers. It’s me talking, adjusting, and moving, but it’s not really me. It’s someone whose power I drawn from generations of teachers.

For the 60 to 90 minutes that I’m teaching, I’m “on.” I’m a different person from the me that you’d run into at the grocery store, staring at dark chocolate bars like deciding which one to buy is more important than the presidential election.

Courtesy: xo.com

What is open marriage?

A

I believed that no one would ever want me in same way that Brett wanted Carol.

The next morning at dawn, I crept back to the cave to retrieve my books.

At the back of the cave, a few packets of condoms were lying around. Without hesitation, and taking out the safety pin holding up the hem of my skirt, I punctured each packet a few times.

I have no idea why I did it, and I honestly didn't intend what happened next.

Carol and Brett left school to get married on the quiet, and moved to the city. As a result of the gap left by Carol, I moved to the top of class, and was eventually awarded a scholarship to university.

I haven't yet replied to Carol's letter and I don't think I will. After all, what could I possibly say or do? It's far too late now to make amends.

Wedding Traditions

Japanese weddings and the number four

I

n a typical Japanese wedding, bride traditionally wears two outfits: the shiro, which is a white kimono worn for the ceremony and the uchikake kimono which is a patterned brocade worn at the reception. The hair is worn in a bun with colorful kanzashi accessories and a white wedding hook called the tsuno kakushi is worn to hide the two front golden tsuno horns to symbolise obedience. The bride also carries a tiny purse (hakoseko), a small encased sword (kaiken),

and a fan that is worn in the obi belt that represents happiness and a happy future.

Plenty of courses are served, but never in a multiple of four because the number four sounds like the word for death. Additionally, the different foods served all have special meanings, for example lobster might be served because red is a lucky colour or clams served with both shells symbolise the couple’s union.

Courtesy: Irish Central.

marriage or relationship in which both partners agree that each may have sexual relations with others.

Open marriage typically refers to a marriage in which the partners agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without this being regarded as infidelity. There are many different styles of open marriage (such as swinging and polyamory), each with the partners having varying levels of input on their spouse's activities.

History of the term The origins of the term open marriageremain obscure. Researchers in the 1960s used the term open marriage to describe individual freedom in choosing marriage partners. Closed marriage meant individuals had to marry someone based on social prohibitions and social prescriptions. Open marriage meant individuals could choose to marry someone based on personal preferences.

Nena O'Neill and George O'Neill changed the meaning of the term with the 1972 publication of their book Open Marriage, which sold over 1.5 million copies. The O'Neills conceived open marriage as one in which each partner has room for personal growth and can develop outside friendships. Most chapters in the book dealt with non-controversial approaches to revitalizing marriage in areas of trust, role flexibility, communication, identity, and equality. Chapter 16, entitled "Love Without Jealousy", devoted 20 pages to the proposition that an open marriage could include some forms of sexuality with other partners. These concepts entered the cultural consciousness and the term "open marriage" became a synonym for sexually nonmonogamous marriage, much to the regret of the O'Neills. In the 1977 publication of The Marriage Premise, Nena O'Neill advocated sexual fidelity in the chapter of that name. By then however, the concept of open marriage as sexually non-monogamous marriage had gained a life of its own.

Today, with many committed couples not seeking formal marriage, the term is frequently generalized to "open relationship" or "responsible non-monogamy".

Incidence of Open Marriage The incidence of open marriage is the frequency with which open marriage occurs. Several definitional issues complicate attempts to determine the incidence of open marriage. People sometimes claim to have open marriages when their spouses would not agree. Couples may agree to allow extramarital sex but never actually engage in extramarital sex. Some researchers define open marriages in highly narrow terms. Despite these difficulties, researchers have estimated that between 1.7 percent and 6 percent of married people are involved in open marriages.[citation needed] The incidence of open marriage has remained relatively stable over the last two generations.

SATURDAY

Travel &Tourism SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2015

Travel Personality

Richard Leakey: There is less seriousness in tourism sector than others p.40

Hospitality

Flourish Wellness Resort: Premium charge on healthy living p.41

Destination

Abeokuta Golf Club: Seeking a glorious tee-off p.42

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

39

My mum never allowed me in kitchen, says Garten, US celebrity chef CHEF'S CORNER

ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA takes you into the world of Ina Garten, a former White House employee and celebrity chef, named among The Times 100 in last April publication.

She is better known for her specialised food store in the Hamptons and her live cooking station television programme, Barefoot Contessa and cook books.

H

er life story may sound more of a fairy-tale to many especially those who have not encountered celebrity chef Ina Garten in person but sorry to disappoint you as it is a real life story which could only be plotted not by circumstance of her birth or situation in life but rather by her design, vision, will power and dedication to making a difference in life.

Perhaps under divine guidance as well: Her initial calling was not in the culinary world. It was happenstance, which today has made her one of the most sought after chefs as her cook books, programmes and recipes are delight to many.

Born Ina Rosenberg in Brooklyn in 1948, she grew up in Stamford, Connecticut and according to her; she grew up knowing nothing about cooking. “I think it's the reason why I’m a cook,” she said, “because I was never allowed in the kitchen. That was my mother's purview. And she used to say, ‘It’s my job to cook, and it’s your job to study.’”

With such admonition from her beloved mother, she turned her attention to the world of books and completely neglected the kitchen.

She attended Syracuse University where she studied Economics and later in life went on to George Washington University for a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree.

At age 20, she married her sweet heart, Jeffrey Garten in 1968, who she first met when she was just 15.

Garten worked in the White House as a nuclear energy budget analyst under the administrations of Carter and Ford. It was not really this that made her famous rather it is what she did at the home front, which gave her away.

As a young wife and with a husband, who had just returned from the Vietnam War, Garten

Ina Garten with a friend

wanted to treat Jeffrey to delightsome home cooking, so she had to teach herself how to cook and then she mastered the art and science of working.

“I bought ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking,’ volumes one and two,” Garten said. That was when they were at Paris on vacation. “And every evening, I would just work through those two books. And I really kind of taught myself how to cook. Or, I should say, Julia Child taught me how to cook,” she recalled of her beginnings, adding that, “I think I was always interested in cooking but I never had an opportunity until I was married in 1968.

I think the first meal I ever made was when I baked challah. I love the challenge of a difficult recipe.”

In 1978, she opened Barefoot Contessa, a specialty food store, in the Hamptons (East Hampton) New York and for about 20 years, her store caught the attention of everyone. Not done yet, she moved on to live presentation of cooking programme on television.

Besides, she is also a wellknown and read author with her cook books making it to the chart as bestsellers in the field. Her Barefoot Contessa has remained a reference point.

Easy and tasty recipes are what mark her out. She is not complicated.

“I'm really not. I'm interested in really good ingredients that you've cooked to enhance them and that you can serve to your family and friends in, like, a half an hour,” she said of her passion for the easy flair.

Writing the Barefoot Contessa was inspired by the people who daily inundated her with requests on her recipes. Therefore, she felt the best way out was to

produce a book, which would let the people into her world.

And that was exactly what she achieved with the book and others that subsequently followed.

She is credited with about nine books besides writing columns and other presentations.

The decision to do a TV show, according to her, was not that easy as it took over one and half year to buy into the proposal by Food Network for her to come on the show.

Once she decided on it in 2002, there was no going back as it became an instant success and a chart topper.

“Food Network started out with major chefs and that was really wonderful, but people didn’t connect with them as much. Whereas my experience was with a specialty-food store, and I made things people wanted to eat at home,” she said.

On why her recipes are widely sought after, she said: “I think I’m like an idiot savant about flavour.

I just want something really, really flavourful, and I just keep going and going and testing things over and over again until I hear that sort of ping in my head that says, ‘That’s the flavor I’m looking for.’ I start out

Lobster and potato salad

with an exact flavour and texture in my head, and I just keep going until I get there. I’m not sure that most people would notice the difference between the 15th attempt and the 17th attempt, but I do.

"So, by the time we’re through, I know it will work for someone who is at least a decent home cook.”

Garten tells you that Sunday afternoon is perhaps the best time to entertain the family and of course, she should know having hosted parties for years.

“Well, for me, Sunday afternoon -Sunday lunch - is the best time to entertain. Everybody’s done all their chores, they’re relaxed, nobody is falling asleep or looking at their watch, saying: ‘Can I go home and go to bed?’ And the food is easy. You can make something really simple, like ricotta bruschetta with a salad, or just really easy things like a big pot of mussels with basil bread crumbs. And you don’t need lots of courses, and you don’t need lots of cocktails. You just need a good glass of wine and something absolutely delicious.”

Garten enjoys cooking for people and not for herself: “Cooking is a sharing thing; it’s not about the cooking itself,” she says, adding, “If I’m by myself, I’ll have fruit, yogurt and granola or get soup from somewhere nearby, like Loaves and Fishes.”

Her husband, Jeffrey, who was a former Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade and Dean, Yale School of Management, is now the Juan Trippe Professor in the Practice of International Trade, Finance, and Business at Yale. He graciously supports her endeavours and occasionally put up appearance on her TV shows.

Both spent time at Manhattan, East Hampton and Paris.

40

Travel & Tourism

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

TRAVEL PERSONALITY

Background

Richard Leakey: There is less seriousness in tourism sector than others Richard Leakey, a Kenyan politician, paleoanthropologist and conservationist with a rich heritage and ancestry devoted to crusading for the environment shares his thoughts on the campaign to protect the environment and its habitats.

You have been at the forefront of the anti-poaching campaign for many years.

Could you tell us why this illegal trade is so difficult to stop?

The illegal trade is hard to stop because ivory has a high value at sale and low costs in procurement. Poverty is very real in elephant range states. The best solution is for a total ban on any ivory trade between countries and a further cessation of all domestic trade of items made from ivory. Ivory must be made worthless and to own it should mark you as a social outcast in all societies.

The archaeological discoveries of the Leakey family have revolutionised our understanding of human evolution. Your most famously discovered ‘Turkana Boy’ who died 1.6 million years ago on the fossil-rich shores of Lake Turkana. Could you tell us about your project there and do you conceive that there is potential for a major African tourism destination?

I believe that the story of human evolution is an African story. All living people can trace their genetic story of origins to Africa. The subject including sites, monuments and possible exhibitions could become very significant focal point for tourism in Kenya. Clearly, infrastructure is needed. The Turkana County Government is moving forward on this.

Natural phenomena occur all over the world but few can compete with the annual Masai Mara/Serengeti wildebeest migration. However, it is feared that the Tanzanian government will continue to construct a highway cutting through this

migration path. Should the potential visitor to Africa in the near future be worried about it and, if so, what can be done about it?

There are plans for a significant traffic corridor across the Serengeti National Park. If it were to be built on ground, it will be the end of the great migration and a large part of the zebra and wildebeest population will die because they will be unable to reach the Mara in Kenya during the dry weather months.

Lodges, jobs and related services will go at a phenomenal cost to Kenya and Tanzania as well. I fully support a transport corridor across the Serengeti but it should be elevated above ground to enable wildlife to move back and forth. This is easy and whilst costly, a huge investment for the economy of two countries.

In your opinion, what do governments in Africa need to do to support Travel and Tourism?

Governments in Africa can do much more to be proactive in tourism. Mid to long term planning is essential and inter-African co-operation is essential. At the moment, there seems to be far less seriousness in this sector than in others and neglect will ultimately close off great opportunities ahead. *Culled from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)

Richard Erskine Frere Leakey, second son of Louis and Mary, was born on December 19, 1944. He participated in his parent’s field expeditions from an early age and was therefore well-placed to inherit their legacy. His efforts with paleoanthropology involved not only field research and discoveries but also many years serving as the director of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Work at Koobi Fora began after a chance landing in the area led Richard to believe that the area held a wealth of fossil deposits.

Together with a team from the NMK, Richard led the first expedition to Koobi Fora in 1968. Between 1968 and 1989 he coordinated the NMK field expeditions to the eastern and western shores of Lake Turkana. With the team of talented and experienced fossil hunters led by Mr. Kamoya Kimeu, many important finds were made, including early Stone Age tools dating to around 1.9 million years old, evidence of early members of the genus Homo.

Leakey was appointed the head of the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) in 1989, thus affecting greatly his involvement with field work but his interest in paleoanthropology remained uncompromised.

As head of the KWS, Richard successfully combated elephant and rhino poaching and oversaw a reorganisation of Kenya’s troubled national park system.

In 1993, he lost both legs below the knee when the plane he was flying crashed.

The following year, political opposition caused him to leave the KWS and he became more involved in Kenyan politics, serving as Secretary General of Kenyan opposition party, Safina. In December 1997, he was elected to an opposition seat in the Kenyan parliament.

His political career culminated in 1999 when then-president Moi appointed him head of Kenya’s Civil Service. Although subjected to political impasses, intimidation and physical violence, he continues to fight for political justice in Kenya. Leakey continues to lecture on environmental themes and is currently involved in grassroots wildlife conservation projects. In his spare time he enjoys growing grapes and producing wine on his farm near Nairobi.

Leakey

TRAVEL BEATS

Ladies European Cruise in September beckons With the summer already here, coast line is one of the most attractive means to travel in comfort and style in order to explore Europe in a more fascinating and enthralling manner in one full and inclusive package.

That is what Diamond and Pearls Travels Limited is offering patrons wishing to enjoy the best of Europe this summer with its Ladies European Cruise package, which covers France, Italy, Spain and Western Mediterranean among others. On this trip, you are sure to be treated to a blend of culture, passion, hospitality and high octave fun.

Scheduled to sail between September 17 - 28, it is an all inconclusive package-economy class return ticket; Schengen visa fee; two nights hotel accommodation with breakfast on shore before and after the cruise; travel health insurance; seven days cruise; airport transfers; transfers to the cruise at the start and finish of the trip; all taxes and fees except gratuities; access to all activities on the cruise including pool area, gym etc; up to five meals a day; and accommodation in a cabin for two (can be only you and will cost extra).

Budget: Inside cabin- N550, 000 per person sharing and Ocean view cabin- N580, 000 per person sharing.

Contacts: www.diamondsandpearlstravelsltd. com; info@diamondsandpearlstravelsltd.com Telephone - 08023154339, 08099456797 Instagram- @dandptravels

Travelstart Nigeria to partner KLM on marketing campaign Travelstart.com.ng, an online travel agency in Nigeria, is to partner KLM on a marketing campaign aimed at increasing awareness and to promote flights booking and destinations KLM operates.

The campaign attracts incentives from KLM, which include return tickets to Amsterdam, visa procurement assistance to Holland and free hotel accommodation.

The marketing campaign, which started in April, draws on marketing strategies to promote KLM flights and destinations to Nigeria travel consumers, provides brand visibility and increase database for both brands. The campaign is in two phases with the first phase, which lasted for two weeks witnessed increased conversions and

leads. During the first phase, Travelstart’s followers and fans were asked trivial questions about KLM on their social media platform; winners were picked randomly and awarded some gifts.

The second phase has started and is due to end on June 14 with travel competition as one of the activities. Speaking on the campaign, the Country Manager of Travelstart Nigeria, Mrs. Lilian Obinna-Igwe, said, “We are happy to partner with KLM and we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this campaign. Without question, this partnership is beneficial to us, apart from giving out to Nigerians, it helps us to promote KLM flights and destinations to Nigerians. We are confident this partnership will cement the already existing re-

lationship Travelstart Nigeria has with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and we also look forward to more collaboration with them going forward.

“We encourage all Nigerians to enter into the competition by visiting our website www. travelstart.com.ng. Anyone could be the lucky winner of an all-expense paid trip courtesy KLM Royal Dutch Airline.” The second phase of the campaign will be promoted through all marketing channels including social media from the partners.

Obinna-Igwe also highlighted the importance of social media in engaging customers and how it has helped Travelstart to stay connected with their customers.

Tour Brokers International offers kids Dubai thrills

Chairman of the Abuja Guards Polo Club Senator Kabir Jubril pose with renowned int’l polo player, Fernando Bourdieu and team mates after a game

This summer sure promises to be an enthralling holiday for children as Tour Brokers International (TBI) debuts with a tour package devoted to the children, tagged ‘give your kids a treat to Dubai this summer for less.’

Details of the all inconclusive package include return tickets on Emirates Airline; seven nights hotel accommodation in a 5-star hotel; meals on bed and breakfast basis, professional meet and greet on arrival before immigration; return airport transfer; visa for five people; city tour; how cruise with dinner; desert dune safari with dinner.

Going rate starts from N1.5 million for a family of five.

Contact:holidays@tourbrokersinternational.com

6 JUNE 2015

HOSPITALITY The Gambia known as ‘the Smiling coast of Africa,’ offers leisure seekers rich blend of facilities and services with Flourish Wellness Resort topping the chart as the most sought after wellness hideaway, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA.

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FLOURISH WELLNESS RESORT

Premium charge on healthy living

I

t is not for nothing that The Gambia is known as the smiling coast of Africa because as a tourist destination it sure offers visitors all sorts of attractive and fascinating options to explore the best of the leisure world, leaving them with exciting and pleasurable memories.

Flourish Wellness Resort is one of its top rated hospitality properties, a luxury boutique property, which besides its leisure appeal, is classified as Africa’s number one wellness and health resort, as it offers patrons premium wellness facilities and services while basking in the euphoria of its well crafted facilities and professionally delivered services.

For the Marketing Manager, Mr. Arafang Saine, the resort is a class act, which is designed to give first class treatment to patrons with discerning taste, particularly the high-end client desirous of private and exclusive treat. According to him, the resort, which has Nigerian ex-international football player, Kanu Nwankwo, as its ambassador, cherishes its patrons and is devoted to attending to their needs at all times, hence the resort is highly rated when it comes to personalised services.

“No matter how sophisticated your taste is, how well-travelled or exposed you are, Flourish Wellness Resort is designed to meet them and encourage you for a repeat visit,” said Saine while making a pitch for the resort.

Rooms Located in a beautiful, naturally alluring landscape and nestled against the ocean in the Kotu area of Banjul, the resort offers 40 exclusively furnished deluxe suites, all offering good view while enjoying rich décor and amenities such as free high speed WIFI, cable TV, fridge, tea and coffee making facilities and telephone, bathroom/shower and Jacuzzi, kitchenette and entertainment centre.

The exclusive suites offer expansive and aesthetically inviting living rooms with large and beautifully furnished bedrooms with inbuilt wardrobes while you have the luxury of enjoying a free walk to a private veranda or balcony to relax and explore nature and bathe under the canopy of stars.

Wining/dining Given its luxury nature, it delights patrons with fascinating restaurants with rich aesthetics and appealing sceneries on display at its two terraced restaurants where

The resort's facade

rich continental and African menus are served. There are two bars offering cocktails, beverages and wines from Flourish’s cellar, and a juice bar where guests can pick from 50 locally brewed fruits.

As a resort which places high premium on wellness, eating healthy food is a major concern as it offers dedicated healthy diets.

Fitness/sports Offers a number of fitness and sports facilities, ranging from tennis to beach volleyball, and for golf enthusiasts there is a lush green Fajara 18-hole golf course, which is located 15 minutes away from the hotel.

Wellness Its wellness facilities and offerings are regarded as top range with its Ayurveda spa services leading the pack.

If you are seeking to maintain a healthy regime, with a trendy look, lose weight and cleanse your system or have a detox and eliminate stress as well stay young then this is where you should visit to experience their prized services as the resort is designed to be the ultimate getaway for a wellness retreat for adults, promote relaxation and inspire rejuvenation and overall well-being while encouraging a change of life style.

Ayurveda spa offers include whole body wellness retreat, which improves wellbeing and healthy life style; stay young and healthy (Anti-aging) retreat, designed for those aged 55 and above as it is to keep them looking young and trendy; cleanse detox de-stress retreat, ideal for those seeking an escape from hectic

One of luxury suites

and stressful lives and to experience the benefit of a holistic treatment programme; and then there is the healthy weight loss retreat, which is geared towards sustainable weight loss.

breakfast for two and welcome drinks with cold towels and Spa romance offering three nights or more, daily breakfast for two, complementary mini-bar and pool, tennis and gymnasium.

Promotional packages The resort also offers a variety of promotional packages, which include residence stay at Flourish, offering a residence stay of between 14 and 28 nights among others; Stay four nights pay three nights with incentives such as daily breakfast and Flourish exclusive gift set; Stay three nights pay two nights with the offering of daily breakfast and mini bar with beers and snacks; Family escape vacation with two nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast, Flourish special gift set and complementary in-room mini-bar; luxury honeymoon for three nights or more with daily

Shopping Shopping for gifts items, souvenirs and other items, the resort comes with a well stocked shopping mart where appealing and uniquely crafted African arts and crafts are on display among other treasured items.

Outdoor activities You can also explore a number of outdoors activities on the bill of the resort, this include biking, hiking, bird watching, River Gambia excursion and safari.

A princely treat also awaits you on Flourish’s chauffeur-driven Range Rover and airport limousine pick-up.

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 (sms only), e-mail: iroandy@ymail.com or Chinyere Opara: 08063768131 (sms only) e-mail angela_ curtis-2@live.com

ABA

FESTAC, LAGOS

LAGOS

REE DANIELS HOTEL AND SUITES

ABA

Panda Hotel Suites & Lounge

42 Travel & Tourism

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6 JUNE 2015

DESTINATION

A section of the golf course.

Inset: Golfers in action

ABEOKUTA GOLF CLUB Seeking a glorious tee-off

With all the hiccups, politics and controversies that have trailed it over the years now behind it, Abeokuta Golf Club is back to life and aiming for international glory, writes KUNLE OLAYENI.

E

The allure of Abeokuta Golf Club stablished in 1987, the 18–hole golf course is in many respect the poster tourism attraction of Ogun State. But the facility barely commands a compelling attention when it comes to tourism as not much effort has been put into developing its numerous tourism attractions to make it a viable venture for the state and its people.

The fate of Abeokuta Golf Club is a classic example of what many people perhaps would say is how not to develop a tourist facilities because seen from its history, it has endured both inglorious and glorious attention in its almost three decades of existence. It was first a recreational club and later a resort. In its recent history however, managers of the hospitality home are optimistic about its prospects and are speaking in terms such as "new dawn" and "morning yet on creation day". The dream is to build the club into an international venue attracting the best golfers and enthusiasts across the globe, they say.

Sitting on about 75 hectares of land behind the state secretariat in the OkeMosan area of Abeokuta, the capital of the Ogun State, the club enjoys an

alluring and fascinating landscape a hilly and undulating valley with a natural forested scenery and interestingly. It has buried in its underbelly rocky plains that you may never know existed until you begin to dig the earth in certain sections of the expanse of land, as seen from the artificial lake area where you have a couple of guest rooms and rock beach garden.

Exploring the club is always an exciting experience with the journey beginning with an interesting ride through its somewhat snake–like road as you ascend the hill which is a natural spot for mountaineers and hikers.

As you approach the club, the first building that comes into view is the club house, which seats atop the hilly and attractive facility. The club named after Otunba Olusola Adekanola, a noted philanthropist and golf enthusiast, is your first introduction to the many facilities of the club.

Located within the club house are offices, bar, sit–out area for relaxation with a balcony or lounge, and storage section, among others. Standing at the lounge or balcony gives the guest a bird's eye view of the entire club’s landscape and it presents a picturesque

view with an expanse of lush greens.

Part of this luxuriating green is the 18–hole golf course, the artificial lake, the rock beach garden, amusement parks, cattle ranch, chalets, poolside and golf academy while further afield is the forested area, which among others gives the club a distinct character of a natural home. If Apagun Olumide’s dream has seen the light of the day, this fallow forest, which sometimes welcome the locals, would have been turned into a natural haven of sort with amazing facilities in place for safari and bird lovers of nature to explore.

The golf course has played host to a number of dignitaries and historical figures, such as Chief Anthony Enahoro and General Domkat Bali (Rtd) while it is also the playing and practising field for Nigeria’s highest ranked professional golfer and first Nigerian to play at the United States Golf Open championship, Lasisi Lateef.

Although promoted as a fully paid members club however, non-members and visitors are allowed access to the club’s facilities particularly children during festive periods and weekends.

Some of the regular activities at the club include weekly golf kitty, birthday kitties, regular inter-club matches, monthly mug competition and get-together.

Besides, you can enjoy boat cruise and sport fishing on the artificial lake, hiking/safari, relaxation at the club house and rock beach and golf, among others.

Reaching for a new height With the recent election of a new executive body to run the affairs of the club, the club, as revealed by its new helmsmen is set for a new height.

The new executive is led by the Club Captain, Chief Bode Mustapha who is also the Bobagunwa of Egbaland.

Other members of the council are: Major-General David Ahmadu (Vice Captain); Otunba Kunle Bolujoko (Secretary); Engr. Tokunbo Odebunmi (Course Officer), Prince Dele Alao (House Officer), Dr Olaokun Soyinka (Publicity and Social Secretary) and Dolapo Jinad (Competitions Officer).

Col. Taiwo Talabi and Justice Mobolaji Ojo are ex-officio members of the club.

Mustapha's focus for now is developing the course, attracting new members and reaching out to philanthropists. According to the former member of the House of Representative, “my mission for Abeokuta Golf Club is to take it to lofty heights; to take the club out of what you call provincial setting into an international setting as a golf club. That’s my main aim. Already, in two months, every golfer that has come into Abeokuta Golf Club has seen a world of difference in what the course is like.

“We are also going to embark on the facelift and after the facelift, we are working round on the course. And I must make mention of Otunba Olusola Adekanola who has given us a lot of

Travel & Tourism 43

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Tips on sleeping in the airport It is not always a pleasant experience if for any reason you find yourself having to sleep over at the airport. Well, you better brace up for it and make the best out of the situation.

Here are some tips to rely on:“

Be prepared

Otunba Olusola Adekanola Club House at the Abeokuta Golf Club

support and is working on all our greens.

He’s awarded a contract for all the greens to be expanded. On our part, we are funding the irrigation of the greens so that the greens would be lush all the time. Our next phase is to have sprinklers not just on the greens but round the course so that the course can be durable.”

Background Golf may not be a very popular sport in Nigeria as it is in many countries of the world particularly as a major driver of traffic in the travel industry. However, Nigeria boasts a number of golf courses across its landscape. Abeokuta Golf Club is just one of these.

Like most of the courses, it owes its existence to the government of Ogun State, having been created by then military administration of Major-General Oladayo Popoola in 1986, as a source of recreation.

The men that were shouldered with the responsibilities of delivery on the governor’s promise were Ayo Obaseki, Ayo Oresegun, S. Owolabi and Justice Ademola Bakre as well as the then Commander of the 132 Field Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Alamala, Lt. Col. Agunbiade Lawal.

On January 24, 1987 the club formally opened to the public with Lt. Col. Lawal (now late) as the first captain while Mr. Segun Oluwaseye served as the pioneer secretary. Till 1991, the club activities were run just like the normal golf club but things began to change and take on a new outlook with the coming on board of late Chief Apagun Oluwole Olumide, an architect and businessman as well as an Egbe chief who was fondly called Apote Olumide by friends and admirers.

Olumide’s ambitious vision Apagun Olumide was the head of a caretaker committee which had a sixmonth mandate. But six months stretched into a 15-year period which, however, witnessed some profound changes in the life of the club.

In a way, Olumide became the face of the club, launching some audacious programmes aimed at transforming the club

from a mere recreational club to a golf holiday resort with an international appeal. First he changed the name from Abeokuta Golf Club to Abeokuta Holiday and Golf Resort, introducing business angle to its operations, expanding on both the content and scope of its facilities and services.

He dreamt a 60-bed resort hotel, equipped with an international standard 18-hole green-green golf course; 500m x 150mx 10m deep dam/lake for boat and fishing clubs; leisure and health club, as well as conference facilities, gymnasium, swimming pool, lawn tennis courts, horse riding and other recreational facilities. In July 2009 during the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel as governor, the foundation-laying of water park building was done at the club. It was late President Umaru Yar’Adua that unveiled the building’s commemorative plaque.

The road to achieving this dream was fraught with controversies but nevertheless, he passionately soldiered on until he died in 2012 under a circumstance that was alleged to be an act of suicide. His corpse was recovered beneath the artificial lake created by him at the resort thus putting an end to his reign and hold on the golf resort.

Amosun’s intervention Prior to the death of Apagun Olumide, the new administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun had in 2011 demolished the water park and the guest house on the ground that it encroached on the state secretariat and lacked government's authorisation.

This was followed by the revocation of the resort's title deeds and return of ownership to the state government as ordered by the judicial panel set up by the governor under the chairmanship of Justice Abiodun Akinyemi. The state government then went ahead to set up a seven-member trustees board led by Justice Ademola Bakre, charged with rejuvenating the resort, which has been rechristened Abeokuta Golf Club.

Here are some recommended items for your airport survival kit: A cheap inflatable raft; eye shades (or sunglasses); ear plugs; bottled water and snacks; Entertainment: personal music device; laptop; books; magazines; travel diary; headphones; alarm clock; tissue/toilet paper; disinfectant wipes or hand sanitiser. An airline blanket and/or pillow or a sleeping bag.

If you are travelling solo take a pen and some post-it notes. Write a "Wake me at 5:00 AM" note and stick a few on yourself and the seats around you -- it works.

People will wake you.

Be safe Whether you are sleeping in the airport by yourself or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras in the spot you decide to stay the night. If you are travelling alone we recommend that you sleep near other travellers. Make sure they are actual travellers and not homeless people – it is sometimes hard to tell in certain airports.

Be smart and be safe!

Get there early

If you are staying at a busy airport overnight, you’ll have to get there early if you want a good spot, especially during the summer season (peak airport sleeping season). Airports such as London’s Stansted are so popular they can look like refugee camps on an average night. Many people complain of limited seating when they arrive at 10pm.

Scope it out

Finding a good spot may be your biggest challenge. If the situation looks dismal, explore the airport and various terminals.

Take the terminal shuttles and go terminal hopping. Even if you are flying out of terminal A, you may discover that terminal C has better accommodation. In airports where there is an international and a domestic terminal, you may discover that the domestic terminal closes at night.

Don’t panic, head over to the international terminal as it may remain open. Consider seating, temperature, announcements and people traffic when finding the best place to spend the night. You may need to be creative such as sleeping behind ticket counters, under and behind seats, in wheelchairs and on luggage conveyor belts. Your best source of information will

be security, airport and airline staff. If you are nice, these people will likely direct you to a nice spot.

Just park it!

If you are travelling on a budget and do not want to pay for a room at one of the airport hotels, head over to the car rentals hall to find out the cost of a car rental and (assuming you can keep the car in the lot at no cost) sleep in the car.

The great part about this is that you can recline on padded seats and there will be no annoying security announcements or rattling luggage carts whipping past your head throughout the night. On the negative side, car horns and screeching tires may jolt you from your slumber. Sure the car rental staff may look into your car wondering if you’ve had a stroke and the bathroom may be an issue depending on the location of the nearest toilet, but hey, you’re saving money here! Very important – remember to check the drop-off hours to ensure a staff member will be there when you “drop-off” the car before your flight the next morning! This is easier at larger airports.

Protect your bags

A major concern when sleeping in the airport is obviously getting robbed while you sleep! If you can’t keep your bags in the left luggage office overnight, you’ll need to come up with a way to make sure someone can’t access your bags. How you do this really depends on where and how you sleep, so there is no right answer.

Act innocent

Even if you sleep in airports on regular basis, do not act like a professional. Act like you really do not want to be there and that there is absolutely nowhere else to go. We find crying helps. Remember, in the airport officials’ eyes “the airport is not a motel.”

On the other hand, don’t abuse the system and abuse the airport’s hospitality.

Late night snack As many food concessions shut down at night around the time of the last flight, you’ll want to stock up on supplies (water and late night snacks) before everything closes. There have been reports of a few generous vendors giving away their unsold food to airport sleepers. If you are travelling in a group, send out the most desperate looking person to wander aimlessly around the food court area when staff are starting to shut down. Who knows…. they may come back with some burgers and fries. *By Nuwan KamaragodaLead Aircraft Projects Engineer at Cathay Pacific Airways

Celebrity cruises peps up Caribbean itineraries

Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State governor

Olumide

Chief Bode Mustapha, club captain

Patrons of Celebrity Cruises are now to enjoy more overnight stays on more than 40 Caribbean sailings for January 2016 and beyond, more than any other cruise line.

It presents overnight stay programme, which is very popular and world acclaimed has led to 43 newly enhanced itineraries, giving guests the chance to enjoy exciting evenings in destinations such as Cartagena, Colombia; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Cozumel, Mexico; Aruba; Curacao and Barbados.

“Guests and travel agents love our overnight programme in Europe, Asia and around the world, and their feedback has been amazing. This demand led us to revisit our current Caribbean itineraries and add even more overnights in one of the most

beautiful places we sail to each year,” said the president/ceo of Celebrity Cruise, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, adding that, "with more overnights in the Caribbean than any other cruise line, we are offering our guests an incredible, unrivalled experience. They can enjoy the destination like a local before returning to our stylish, modern luxury ships.”

In addition, when qualifying guests’ book

by May 31, they can save with Celebrity's “Pick Your Perk” offer. There are four options for vacationers to choose from: $600 in savings when booking air travel using Celebrity’s ChoiceAir, free Classic beverage packages, free gratuities or up to $300 to spend on board.

Guests can visit celebritycruises.com/ pick-your-perk-offer.

TV & Radio with Angela Davies

SATURDAY, 6 JUNE 2015

44

This weekend TELEVISION

STV

TVC

Saturday 8:00 Nickledon 9:00 Nollywood english 11:00 Crack in the wall 11:30 UAC Soccer Lafflines

El clone : An enticing love triangle story

T

he melodrama, El clone (The clone), features a love triangle featuring Lucas, a handsome hero, challenging his clone for the love of an enticing, exotic woman.

Lucas is a young man who falls for a young Arab girl named Jade. Jade is caught between modern values and her Islamic upbringing. These differences made them separate for 20 years. Then a strange turn of events brings them together. Then Jade meets the clone, who is just like Lucas, but 20 years younger.

She must choose between the man she loved and the memory she cherishes.

In the early 1980s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jade, a young Muslim girl is orphaned when her mother dies and had to go to Morocco to live with her uncle Alí. The problem is that Jade was living in a country with a culture very different from that of an Islamic country.

Therefore, once she arrives in Morocco, she must learn all the new traditions and customs, adjust to her new way of living, and face all the punishments she will be exposed to because of her conflicting personality and actions that go against her religion.

Back in Rio, a wealthy family, the Ferraz, go on vacation to Morocco.

Twin brothers, Lucas and Diego Ferraz along with Leonidas, their father, Doctor Augusto Albieri friend of the family and genetics scientist visit Alí, a friend of the Albieri's. There, Lucas and Jade meet for the first time, and they fall in love at first sight. Jade, knowing it is haraam (a sin) to love Lucas, decides to forgo her religious mandates for the sake of love, which prohibit her from marrying a non-religious person.

In desperation, Jade and Lucas resolve to run away to Brazil.

When Diego tragically dies in a helicopter crash while going to visit his girlfriend, Marisa, both Lucas and Leônidas are devastated by the news and subsequently, Lucas' plans of running away with Jade are ruined. Lucas and Jade are separated for the first time in a final attempt that seems under threat of death, and he takes the place of his brother in both the company and the life of his girlfriend Marisa, whom

he married shortly after.

Albieri, his godparent, is shattered and becomes deeply unhappy. He never recovered fully from the death of his fiancée, and Diego's death reinvigorates his distress. In an effort to change the natural course of events, Albieri resolves to utilise Lucas' cell in order to make the first human clone. So, Dora a low-middle class woman who has not been able to get pregnant, is inseminated with Lucas' cell, and as a result gives birth to a baby, not knowing that it is a clone. Leo is born without complications, but Albieri wants to stay close to Leo and watch him grow up. Leo gradually becomes attached to Albieri, which made Dora uncomfortable. Leo and Dora later left for north of Brazil.

Jade later got married to Said and gives birth to Khadija. She lives happily with her new family and is even starting to love Saíd. However, due to Said's insecurities, Jade’s new encounter with Lucas tests her love for him. With this encounter, their old passion is revived, but they are not the young lovers they once were and now they have new lives and new responsibilities. Lucas, who is also married to Marisa with a daughter, Mel, does not know he had been cloned 20 years before.

Albieri who had kept this a secret from everybody's knowledge is trying to ensure that Leo and Lucas never meet and the truth get exposed. Today, Leo Lucas' clone has grown up to become a split image of young Lucas whom Jade met in Morocco years ago. He does not only resemble Lucas, but also shares the same feelings towards Jade.

Will they ever find out the truth about Lucas’ clone? What will happen when Leo finally returns to Morocco?

To find out more about what happens in this interesting and suspense-filled drama, tune into Murhi Television (MITV) every Saturday at 10:00 pm, Sunday at 10:30 am and during the week at 1:30 pm.

Programme summary BrainPower Game (TVC)

Tuesday @ 5:00 pm It is a 30-minute quiz programme for children of different ages targeted at encouraging them to develop their intellectual abilities.

Sunday chillout zone Cool FM

Sunday @ 1:00 pm It is a relaxing show aimed at inviting Nigerian celebrities to chill out in the studios.

FACE BEHIND THE VOICE

C

ordelia Okpei is a graduate of English and Literature from the University of Benin. Born to a family from Delta State where everybody’s first name starts with a ‘C’. She started her broadcasting career in the late 80s in the then Bendel State.

Through the years, she has hosted both local and international celebrities from Jermain Jackson of the Jackson

Cordelia Okpei

Okpei

Five fame to Nigeria’s own D’banj, 2 Face and more.

She is currently the general manager of

Metro FM. She is an enthusiastic presenter, producer, presentation and production trainer and master of ceremonies who had won several awards. Her taste in music tilts towards the exotic hence the birth of ‘Deliaz Cafe’ a world music show that is currently called ‘The Cafe’.

She loves travelling, listening to world music and savouring exotic cuisine.

12:00 Boom Town Specials 1:00 Adam ’s Apple 1:30 MBGN Preview 2:30 Play On Repeat Now 3:00 Unspoken 3:30 Boom Town 4:00 Face 2 Face 5:00 Family Ties 5:30 Two Sides of a Coin 6:00 MTV Base 7:00 News 7:30 Secrets and Scandals 8:00 My Wedding Story 8:30 Fanz Championship 9:00 Entertainment Weekly 9:30 Boom Town 10:00 News Sunday 8:00 Nollywood English 9:30 Gospel Rhythms 10:00 Catholic Praise Concert 12:00 Walking with God 12:30 Revival In The Land 1:00 The Advantage 1:30 Love, Dating & Marriage 2:00 Mountain Top Life 2:30 Impact Today 3:00 Quantum leap 3:30 Singles and Married 4:00 Chapel of Uncommon Grace 4:30 Gospel Symphony 5:00 Reel Infotainment 7:00 News 7:30 Hour of Salvation 8:00 Real Woman 8:30 Nollywood English 10:00 News

Saturday 7:00 Hossana Hour 9:00 The Big Issue 10:00 On The Town 11:00 Between The Lions 11:30 Sports Week 12:00 News 12:30 Video Fashion 2:30 Fireworks 3:30 Boom Box 4:00 News 4:30 Sports Week 5:00 Africa Arts 5:30 Nollywood Yoruba 6:40 Project Your Poise Show 7:00 The Teju Babyface Show 8:00 Nigerian Idol 9:00 Silent Noise 9:30 Events Diary 10:00 News 11:00 Play On Repeat Now Sunday 7:00 Hosanna Hour 8:00 Nollywood English 10:00 News 11:30 Sports Week 12:00 News 12:30 Nollywood Yoruba 2:00 Relentless 2.0 3:00 Chapel of Uncommon Grace 3:30 Golden Chance Lotto 4:00 News 4:30 Excellent Leadership 5:00 Hitlist N Cruzin

5:30 Vivid View 6:00 Stand Point 7:00 Nigerian Idol 8:30 The Valley Between 9:00 Pastor Chris Teaching 9:30 Ogun 10:00 News

RADIO

EKO FM Saturday 7:15 Morning news 8:30 Weekenders sport 10:00 The news 11:00 Eve 4:10 Woman tori 7:00 African news 7:10 Voice of wisdom 9:00 World news 10:00 Radio party 11:00 Music

Sunday 7:35 Window on the world 8:10 Tunes this Sunday 9:00 Music 12:00 News summary 12:05 Havin u in mind 2:15 Passing glance 5:10 Make it happen 7:00 African news 8:30 Sunday night at the organ 9:10 Something for Singles

City FM Saturday 8:00 Weekend Update 8:30 Growing Up Matters 9:00 City Talks 10:30 Don-Diggy’s Corner 12:15 The City Kids Show 2:00 Fan Zone 3:30 Soccer Wrap 7:00 Encounter With Grace 8:00 Round Table 11:00 Elisha Baza Show

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

SATURDAY, 6 JUNE, 2015

SATURDAY

Politics COVER 45

Tribute

Yusuf Omokanye Fawole Sorely Missed 10 Years After p.47

COVER XTRA

Jemibewon: Buhari is right to relocate command centre to Maiduguri p.50

Perspectives

Boko Haram, Buhari and Shettima’s quirky ‘Amnesty’ p.53

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Buhari, Osinbajo

asset declaration brouhaha

Less than 24 hours after their inauguration on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, recently declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau. The declaration, however, has raised some moral questions. The procedure, according to Ndubuisi Ugah in this report, is being compared to that adopted by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who publicly released photocopies of his completed assets declaration form .

In the beginning…

“For Nigerians to appreciate your seriousness to deal with endemic corruption, we ask that you, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, declare your personal worth, release your tax returns for the past three years and ask all your officials to do the same. This, Mr. President, will give you the moral authority to tackle corruption.”

The above extract was contained in a letter,

which Citizens for Nigeria (CFN), a pressure group, whose aim is tied to credible governance, sent to the then late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, upon his inauguration as Nigeria’s third democratically elected president on May 29, 2007.

And four days after Yar’Adua received the letter from the group, which was widely publicised by the media, he decided to do the unthinkable; he ceded to the request to declare

his assets publicly for the first time in the history of the nation.

Prior to this, Yar’Adua was said to have “hesitated the move” for four weeks, a fact attested to during the declaration announcement by one of his aides. But unperturbed by this act, the CFN specifically requested that the letter be delivered by courier giant, DHL, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

But on June 28, 2007, the late President publicly released to the public, photocopies of his completed assets declaration form, which he submitted in May thus becoming the first Nigerian leader to do so.

According to procedures, public officials are expected to give the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) time, up to30 days to verify whatever assets they claim in their submission. This explains why Yar’Adua’s public declaration did not happen until one month after his swearing in.

Quoting the CCB, verification is done thus: “First, is the examination that is carried out at the point of submitting the Assets Declaration Form. Second, is during individual or conference verification when documents are cited for authentication. Third, is when there is a need for field investigation when an offer goes to the field to see the houses, the landed properties among others.”

Instructively, many of the issues raised by the CFN became the highlights of his declaration, including self-empowerment against corruption, and being the first President to take the dive after four full weeks of indecision.

However, the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on May 29 again raised some dusts on the morality or otherwise of assets declaration publicly by public officers.

Incidentally, President Buhari had sometime in early February ahead of the March 28 presidential election, reiterated that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities (as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), if voted into power.

This pledge, which was contained in a document highlighting what he (Buhari) would do in his first 100 days if he assumes power on May 29, said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.

His position then, according to analysts, meant that if he keeps to his promise, he would be the second President to publicly declare his assets after Yar’Adua.

But Buhari, in the document titled: “I pledge to Nigeria” also said all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC).

He said: “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities; encourage all my appointees to publicity declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC.” As expected, Nigerians were hopeful that Buhari upon being inaugurated as the fifth democratically elected president would honour the pledge, which he made during the electioneering campaign period.

Buhari’s defence…

But less than 24 hours after they were inaugurated, President Buhari and his vice, Osinbajo declared their assets to the CCB as required by the constitution.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

46 Cover

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

‘Show transparency; give citizens C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 5

The declaration, however, did not go without the usual musings by a cross-section of Nigerian, who expressed divergent views over the manner and way the declaration was made.

Justifying the basis for the declaration, Buhari, through one of his aides, Garba Shehu, in a statement on May 30, said the president and vice-president submitted their assets declaration forms separately on May 28.

Shehu said the CCB, through its Chairman, Mr. Sam Sada, had on May 29 acknowledged the receipt of the forms, nothing that Buhari’s declarant identity was given as: President: 000001/2015.

CCB’s position on the declaration…

While the arguments lasted, the CCB, which keeps custody of the assets declared by the two leaders, said it lacks the power to make them public for now.

Sada, while speaking through his Special Assistant, Mr. Gwimi Sebastian Peter, said only the National Assembly was vested with the powers to decide the terms and conditions under which such documents could be made public.

The chairman said even though the Constitution of Nigeria made it clear that the agency should make available to the citizens the assets declared by public officials, the same law vested the National Assembly with the power to decide the terms and conditions for making such materials public.

He explained that the CCB was ready to comply with the terms and conditions specified by the National Assembly on the matter but would only do so once the law was amended.

He said: “While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act give the bureau powers to receive assets declarations, verify, examine, keep in custody and enforce compliance when there is a breach, the responsibility of determining how and on what terms asset declarations will be made accessible to the public was left to the National Assembly. Several National Assemblies have come and gone since the establishment of the CCB without addressing the matter.”

When his attention was drawn to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, which makes it compulsory for the CCB to make available to media houses and other interested Nigerians the assets of public officers, the chairman said the FoI Act could not override the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

He pointed to the lacuna in the FoI Act, which makes it difficult for the bureau to make public the assets declared by public figures.

Regarding what Buhari and his vice submitted to the agency, the chairman said while it was rather too early for Nigerians to ask the President and his vice to make public their assets, it was necessary for them to exercise some patience and see what the two leaders would do after having voluntarily filed their assets with the CCB. What the constitution says…

Sub-section 3c of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution actually takes away the right it intended to give to the CCB to publicly display the assets of public officers by stipulating that only the National Assembly can decide the terms and conditions for making such assets public.

The section is yet to be repealed many years after it was made.

The same section also seems to have rendered impotent Section 4 of the FoI Act 2011, which states: “A public institution shall ensure that information referred to in

Osinbajo

Politics is never about consistency in governance but rather about supporting a team at all cost

Jonathan

this section is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources, and at the offices of such public institutions.”

Buhari and Osinbajo had last week secretly filed their assets with the CCB, thereby reneging on their pledge to publicly declare their assets if elected into office.

But some aides of the President had argued that Buhari might make a public declaration of his assets as his administration takes shape in the days to come.

Their argument is that the declaration of the assets by the two men was to demonstrate their determination to break away with the opaqueness that had attended government activities in the past and pave the way for change.

Divergent views…

In contrast, analysts have argued that the only problem in the case of Nigeria and her public officials has to do with the following: (a) the quality, robustness and comprehensiveness of the declaration; (b) accuracy of the declarations and having in place an agency that ensures that the

declarations are truthful and verifiable; (c) does the declaration include or exclude assets held in spouse's name or the names of adult children and other family members? (d) are the assets in line with the incoming officer’s tax declarations in the previous three years?; (e) audits and how frequently?; (f) enforcement and punishment for false declarations; and (g) same processes listed above need to apply both on the way in and on the way out; otherwise it is a waste of time.

To highlight the enormity of the issue, a group, The Say No Campaign Nigeria (SNC), said asset declaration was a precondition for taking the Oath of Allegiance and Office.

The group in a statement issued by its Co-conveners, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Samson Itodo, Awal Musa Rafsanjani and Jaye Gaskia, said: “Corruption and impunity are the bane of Nigeria’s governance and developmental challenges. Therefore, institutional accountability, openness and transparency in governance must be guaranteed by the new administration. This will restore confidence and hope in the fight against Corruption and Impunity.

“SNC notes that asset declaration is a

precondition for taking the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office of the President under Section 140 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This confers a legal duty on President Buhari and Vice-President Osinbajo to declare their assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The President and Vice-President are reported to have declared their assets in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

“Having fulfilled that legal duty, the President and Vice-President are under a moral duty to publicly declare their assets in fulfillment of their covenant with Nigerians during the campaign leading to the elections. Any derailment from this covenant is a breach of trust and a contravention of the moral standards that define our collective integrity.

“SNC call on President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to publicly declare their assets in fulfillment of their moral obligation to the Nigerian people. SNC is convinced that a public declaration will not only set a precedent but will give impetus to the fight against corruption and impunity which is one of the priority issues on the President’s to-do list for the reconstruction of a new and prosperous Nigeria.

“SNC is aware that the Code of Conduct Bureau has initiated the drafting of the Access to Public Officers Asset Declaration Bill, 2015 for consideration and passage by the National Assembly. We urge the 8th National Assembly to consider speedy passage of the bill, as it will facilitate citizens’ access to asset declarations of public officers.

“SNC call on the CCB to develop a culture of responding to requisitions forwarded to her pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2010. SNC reminds the Code of Conduct Bureau that she is a statutory body and a creation of law; therefore she must comply with the provisions of the law.”

Also, Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD), Inibehe Effiong, said President Buhari’s failure to declare his assets publicly is treacherous and heart breaking.

He stated that his argument was premised on the fact that the undying support given to Buhari by us: “the collective children of anger” which resulted in his historic victory at the March 28 presidential election was conditional.

He said it was pertinent to state clearly that there is no constitutional or legal obligation on president Buhari, his vice or any other public officer to disclose or declare their assets to the public.

According to him, Section 140 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that the president shall not begin to perform the functions of his office until he subscribes to the oath of office and allegiance, and declares his assets.

The implication is that declaration of assets is not only a condition precedent to the performance of constitutional functions by elected public officers but a mandatory requirement.

While taking on Shehu’s statement on Buhari assets declaration, Effiong said: “It is therefore utterly mischievous for Mr. Garba Shehu to have said in the press statement that by declaring his assets, the president has fulfilled his campaign promise to Nigerians. The truth of the matter is that Buhari had no choice than to declare his assets as required of him by the Constitution. He didn’t do anyone any favour by doing so.

In the real sense, his promise was that he will declare his assets PUBLICLY. “Paragraph 11 of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution enshrines the details on declaration of assets by public officers. For clarity, the provisions are reproduced below:

Cover

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

47

opportunity to buy into your vision’ 11. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter – (a) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.

(2) Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this Code.

(3) Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required under this Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift, or loan approved by this Code shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this Code unless the contrary is proved.”

Analysing the issue, Effiong alleged that a careful perusal of the above provisions led to the irresistible conclusion that the issue of whether or not declaration of assets and liabilities should be publicised is left solely to the discretion and volition of individual public officers. The constitutional forum for asset declaration is exclusively the CCB. He said since the assets declared by public officers to the CCB were accessible to the public, those wishing to know the asset declared by public officers were also at liberty to apply for same.

Effiong, then said the issue at stake in the case of the President was that he had made a solemn promise to the Nigerian people before the election that he would not only make his assets public but that he will equally encourage those working with him to do the same as a way of encouraging accountability, probity and transparency.

He said by not publishing his assets, Mr. President had breached his promise to the Nigerian people.

“We didn’t vote for change for things to remain the same or become worse. We voted for change because President Buhari had persuaded us that he is of a different cast of mind. We voted for change so that things may indeed be done differently. Our patience has exhausted, we are no longer willing to indulge needless excuses, pointless prevarication and nauseating presidential shenanigans. The era when the president could lie, renege on solemn promises and capitulate on sacred undertakings with reckless abandon has ended.

Sambo

“President Buhari needs to wake up to the reality and appreciate the urgency of now. He needs to come to terms with the historical significance of his election immediately before it is too late. Buhari needs to muster the required political will to isolate whatever or whoever is standing as a barrier to the actualisation of his plans for the nation.

“It is pertinent to say that failure to abide by promises accounted, among other reasons, for the rejection of former president Goodluck Jonathan at the polls.

Therefore, we will not tolerate any act of treachery from this government. Our condition for electing Buhari was that he will salvage our country, no matter the prize or cost,” he said.

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it would allow President Buhari to settle down for governance before taking him to task on his campaign promises, a group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) argued that it was imperative for Buhari and Osinbajo to make public their assets.

It said the action would indicate “their desire and commitment to ending corruption in the country.”

Late Yar'adua

Public disclosure will give the general public a true picture of the assets declared SERAP, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr. Tokunbo Mumuni, said: “We recall that the President had said before the election that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a precondition for appointment. We now expect the President to fulfill this promise to the Nigerian people. SERAP trusts that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.

“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and Vice-President and will send a powerful message that it is not going to be business as usual with this government.”

Conclusion For many though, the fact that the President believes so much in starting with a clean slate makes the declaration much more meaningful.

As it is now, many are of the opinion that the President’s declaration of assets may have provided him the moral authority and moral cover to tackle corruption, demand accountability. “He should demand that those who are willing to join him to work towards moving the nation forward should also declare their own assets before taking on the responsibilities of serving in his administration.

“While politics is never about consistency in governance but rather about supporting a team at all cost, a decent leader should show transparency and give citizens opportunity to buy into the vision of the administration,” they say.

tribute

Yusuf Omokanye Fawole sorely missed 10 years after

I

t’s exactly the tenth post-humous birthday of Alhaji Yusuf Omokanye Fawole who was born in 1920 to the family of Mr. Ashiru Fakayode Fawole of Onile Aran lineage and Mrs. Munirat Olalabi Fawole of Oso Aro clan of Ode Omu in the old Western Region. The grandson of one of the six progenitors of Ode Omu in the present day State of Osun, Nigeria, Late Fawole was also the Ekarun of Ode Omu land.

His father was a renowned farmer who specialized in food crops such as maize, cassava and yams before he later ventured into cocoa farming which took him to Ogudu, a suburb of the present day Ile Ife. Fawole's mother was a successful trader known not only in Ode Omu, but also in other adjoining towns such as Ede, Gbongan, Sekona among others At the age of 6, Fawole was enrolled

in the then St. David Anglican elementary school under the Christian Missionary due to the determination and love his parents had for western education.

When the little Fawole got to Standard 2 his quest for western education was abruptly brought to an end as a result of the decision of his father to move from Ode Omu to Ogudu in order to establish his cocoa farm and inability of his mother to relocate with his father to Ogudu because of her booming trading activities.

Consequently, he was persuaded by his mother to move with his father to the new settlement in order to be taken care of. And he took the decision in good faith as an obedient child. However, due to his penchant for education, he got a commitment from his parents that any male child born after him would be given the oppor-

tunity of having western education. His parents graciously accepted the request.

His younger brother, Hon. Justice Jones Oyesomi Fawole of blessed memory rose to become a Justice of the High Courts of Oyo and Osun States.

Fawole started his career in trading, an enterprise he learnt from his mother.

He was a merchant of rice, beans, maize and other grains which he bought from Kano, Sokoto, and Kaura Namoda among other cities in Northern Nigeria. He continued with his business activities until the economic down tune in the 60's due to the outbreak of civil war in Nigeria during which he incurred a huge loss in his business. This was a turning point in his life and the family, but as a strong-willed and tenacious man, he was neither deterred nor discouraged.

He then decided to venture into cocoa farming. This made him popular as he was acclaimed to be best farmer with the highest output of cocoa in his domains at both Ife and Ilesha regions.

Fawole was married to four wives- Mrs. Seliat Fawole, Mrs. Adunni Fawole (late), Mrs. Habibat Fawole and Mrs. Mariam Fawole and blessed with children. He had seven siblings.

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SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Sagay

Falana

Ozekhome

Lawyers split over Buhari, Osinbajo asset declaration it is now the duty of the CCB to make it open or published it. However, it becomes an obligation on Buhari and Osinbajo to publish their assets publicly as contained in their electoral promises. This will be the beginning of the fulfillment of their promises to Nigerians.

Tunde Oyesina

P Abuja

rominent legal experts have disagreed on the propriety of secret assets declaration of assets by President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo.

Buhari had during his campaign said he would declare his assets publicly and that every one that would work with him will do same. However, the President and his Vice had two days before their swearing-in secretly declared their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau.

However, while some lawyers said that the mode of declaration of asset

by Buhari and Osinbajo were in order as the Constitution did not specifically provides for the way and manner by which assets should be declared, others have disagreed.

Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof.

Itse Sagay It is compulsory for the president and his vice to declare their assets publicly, which is where credibility starts. I have no doubt that he will make it public because that is where credibility starts. That is where Dr. Goodluck Jonathan started losing credibility.

Umaru Yar’Adua forced him to declare his assets in 2007, which he did reluctantly. But when he was his own man, he said he does not give a damn and that is where he started sliding down.

So, Buhari has no choice, it is absolute for himself and Osinbajo if change and credibility are going to be sustained.

He should apply it to every other appointee of his regime, not just himself and Osinbajo, it is compulsory and absolute.

Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN Ozekhome urged President Buhari to declare his assets publicly in conformity with his campaign promises of breaking away from the old order. He reminded

Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Second Republic lawmaker Nigerians should not blackmail or stampede Buhari into declaring his assets publicly. We must learn to live by what our rules and regulations say when issues like this come up. No democracy without rule of law and Buhari has done what he is supposed to do within the confines of the law. Without sounding irrational, I can personally state everything owned

by Buhari. We have to be realistic and it is sheer nonsense when you are trying to tell a man what he already knows or what he is supposed to do.

Fawehinmi

the President that Nigerians now have a long memory and would watch him closely.

“I think President Buhari should realise that all the promises he made with his party, the APC constitute a check list that Nigerians are keeping closely with a biro at hand ready to tick either performed or not performed. I wouldn’t want to believe that some of the promises he made were empty words customised to get votes from Nigerians and then refrains from them later.”

Human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa Adegboruwa has also regretted that the assets were not made public. “Government is run on trust and integrity; and this was one of the selling points for Buhari during his campaign, when he made a solemn covenant with Nige-

Adegboruwa

rians. There is no reason to turn away from that path of honour, which he has promised Nigerians.”

Fola Ojo Nigerians should not be put through some frustrating and heart-throbbing official rigmarole request process called the FoI. According to him, “there is nothing “Free” about accessing wealth information of big boys in Nigeria, and it must change. If it’s not difficult to ascertain the wealth worth of Barack Obama of the United States, it must not be difficult in Nigeria if we have nothing to hide. I have sought some information in Nigeria for two years and up till today, I have heard nothing.”

Mohammed Fawehinmi They have done what is required by law by declaring their assets officially;

Emeka Ngige, SAN The President and his vice did not err in the declaration of their assets. There is nothing wrong in what the President and his vice have done. Anyone who is not satisfied with that should go to the Code of Conduct Bureau to get the information they need on the declaration. If the Code of Conduct refuses, they can invoke the Freedom of Information Act. When Yar’Adua did his declaration, he asked the code of conduct to make it public.

Femi Falana, SAN The President and his Vice just took oath of office about a week ago and they declared their assets officially as required by law which stipulates 90 days. Meanwhile, they have promised to declare their assets publicly within 100 days. I hope it is better we wait for the 100 days.

Kayode Ajulo The courts should be allowed to make CONTINUED ON PAGE 49

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Asset declaration:

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49

Buhari, Osinbajo acted within the law, says Gen. Ishola Williams

F

Dominik Umosen ormer chief of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) in the Nigerian Army, Gen. Ishola Williams, has dismissed the controversy trailing the secret declaration of assets by President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, describing it as uncalled for and unnecessary.

According to the general, who retired over 20 years ago from the Nigerian Army, it does not make any difference if they declared their assets secretly or on the pages of newspapers. What is important, the soft-spoken general who described himself as a resident of Lagos said is the fact that President Buhari and Osinbajo have done what their predecessors could not or refused to do.

Speaking exclusively to Saturday Telegraph, Williams said: “What difference does it make if they declared their assets secretly? The important thing is that they have declared their assets, in line with what the constitution says and their campaign promises.”

Williams, who is the chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International (TI), said: “They have done what (former President) Goodluck Jonathan and co could not do.”

Going down memory lane, the retired general said the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, provided a commendable template by declaring his assets, adding that: “Thankfully, it

took another kinsman (President Buhari, who is also from Katsina State), to reinforce this template.”

Williams, however, disagreed with the argument that declaring their assets as they have done, privately, subtracted from the expectations of Nigerians from the duo of the President and his vice who were hailed as personifying integrity and change which is the slogan of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The argument whether they declared their assets privately or not is a moot point, if not distracting. The most important thing is that they have declared their assets as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is all what we have been interested in; what we have been clamouring for,” he said.

On the directive by President Buhari to the military high command to relocate to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital for better coordination against the fight on Boko Haram, he said: “I have been out of the system for a while and so may not be in the best position to offer a correct assessment of the reality.”

But that did not stop him from riposting: “What are you going to relocate? Is it the Defence Headquarters itself or the headquarters of the services, including Navy, Air Force and the Army? Before now, the Multi-National Joint Force complained of lack of co-

Williams

operation from Nigeria. It is a good thing that the President visited Chad and Niger as part of consultations towards a common security situation.

This is an opportunity to iron out the grey areas, if any.”

He said after visiting Chad and Niger Republic, the President should also undertake a trip to Cameroun for the

same reason since the latter was also a member of the task force fighting the sect.

Making a strong case for a strong joint headquarters to whose presence shall be well-established in Maiduguri, the epicenter of the crisis, Williams said in institutionalising such a joint command, “what should be important is structure, not hierarchy.”

Lawyers split over Buhari, Osinbajo asset declaration C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 8

a pronouncement on the matter. All I know is that we Nigerians just want to be intellectually lazy. It is so clear that Buhari declared his assets, there is no fuzz about anyone declaring his assets or not. When it comes to the declaration of assets under Code of Conduct law, you have to swear to an affidavit, that affidavit is pursuant to an old act, it is called the law of federation. In that act, any oath you are making in Nigeria, it is a public declaration.

Norrison Quakers and Fred Agbaje The President and his vice had done all that the constitution required by submitting their asset declaration forms to the CCB. Sam Ologunorisa, SAN There is no law that says you should do public declaration, what the law says is that you declare your assets before you assume office. The idea of making it a public is voluntary, and depending on your posture. And what the president has done is not secret because the code of conduct is a public institution. He has fulfilled the law and it is in custody of code of conduct.

The clamour will only show that you have nothing to hide and it will subject to public scrutiny. He can make it public but it is not a legal obligation. You cannot say that the man has breached any

Ngige

law. All what the law says is that he should do, and once it is submitted to code of conduct, the law assumes that it has been done. But if you want to win public accolade, then you can make it public. It is a choice.

Abubakar Malami, SAN The only provision that has to do with asset declaration is the construc-

tional provision, Part 1, paragraph 11 of the 1st schedule of the 1999 Constitution. And the provision clearly states that public officers shall at the point going into public office deliver unto the code of conduct their asset declaration and at the termination of their office, make similar declaration.

It is clear that what is required is submission to code of conduct. It does not create an obligation for individual to make public, what he has to declare, in fact, the word in the constitution is “shall deliver” to the code of conduct.

So, if you look at the legal implication of the word shall, the only obligation created by the constitution is submission to the code of conduct.

The idea of going further to make public declaration is contemplated by the drafters of constitution. And where the constitution makes categorical and clear provision, you are not expected to add or subtract. So, if the constitution has not created the obligation of going public, it will amount to going outside the ambit of the constitution for contemplation of a public declaration.

Abdulwahab Olatoye (Legal Practitioner and President, Public Procurement Association) The Constitution provides that any elected or appointed officer should declare their assets before assuming office.

The law requires such officer to declare assets before the commencement before taken oath of office and at the end of

the tenure.

The process is that such officer will approach the Code of Conduct Bureau, obtain a form, where all his assets will be stated. Such form will be taken to the court to swear to an affidavit as to the effect that all the information therein is correct. Such form will be submitted to the code of conduct. There is a Freedom of Information law; any one that wants to access it can approach the code of conduct. It is not that you will publish it on newspaper.

Olusoji Toki The constitution did not provide that assets should be declared publicly or secretly. It is just out of moral concern that some people make it public. Once your assets have been declared before the code of conduct bureau, technically it has become a public document; any Nigerian can access it with the Freedom of information bill. The constitution does not say that asset declaration should be made public.

Sir Amaechi Nwaiwu, SAN The important thing as provided by the law is to pick a form from the code of conduct bureau, fill it and return it. If you want to make the declaration public is a matter of choice, like Yar’Adua made his own public. Some others will just declare it, by that you have comply with the law.

There is no crime that you did not declare it public. Declaring public or secretly is of no issue. It is a matter of choice.

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SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Jemibewon

Buhari is right to relocate command centre to Maiduguri

Former Police Affairs Minister, Gen. David Jemibewon, tells ONWUKA NZECHI and EMMANUEL ONANI about the justification in the restrategisation of the war against insurgency, including the relocation of the high command.

As a retired general, what is your informed opinion on the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari, for the relocation of the military's Command and Control Centre to Maiduguri? Is it appropriate or not?

To me, it is absolutely appropriate. I don't have as much information as Mr. President has, or indeed, as anybody in the security organisations of Nigeria. But, even in addition to that, the president, as president of this country, has more information in relation to security, and indeed, almost everything in this country more than anybody. This is because, he has all the opportunities and the means available, to collect intelligence and information. That is why you have, apart from Mr. President, there is vice-president, there are ministers (though at the moment there are none), but there are permanent secretaries, and parastatals. All these are organs through which, anybody, who is the head of a country, can get information. Just go back to your own institution - maybe chairman, editor, correspondent. This is just laying the foundation. I want to believe that the moment Mr. President won the election, and he knew he will take over the rein of the leadership of this country, he must have been gathering information. So, he has a lot of information that no individual has. This is by way of laying a foundation. And then, of course, he was in the military; he rose to the rank of General. He also operated in the general zone that we have problem presently. With all these, he is in the most opportune position, to know what is best, out of many options. The line of communication between Abuja, where the total control of security is, is pretty long from Maiduguri or Yola, or indeed, any place in the North East, particularly what we may call major centre in the North East. What I'm not too sure of, is some people seem to be confusing, perhaps the Ministry of Defence with control centre. I don't think they are exactly the same thing. But, my feeling is that the ordinary person, is imagining that, by saying the control centre will move to Maiduguri, it means the Ministry of Defence is moving to Maiduguri. I'm not too sure that that is what is implied. What is implied is that, now we have crisis, the cell that should be set up to control these crimes, must be as close to the centre of operation as much as possible. I would want to say that that is what is meant. And, the purpose of that is, Maiduguri to Abuja, is some reasonable distance. By moving the control centre close to the theatre of operation, shortens line of communication. And, what can be derived by shortening line of communica-

tion, is ability to respond more promptly to both seen and unforeseen situations.

If something happens in Maiduguri or in the suburb or in the theatre of operation, they have to make a report, and they have to wait for response before they take action. I read in the papers some months ago, that some weapons and equipment sent to those troops in the frontline, that as soon as they are launched into operation, they are almost captured by Boko Haram, which then means that some information must have leaked out. Of course, if the command centre was close to the theatre of operation, the time between launching such equipment and the real operation, is shortened. So, the possibility of these types of leakages is reduced. These are my views. So, I think it's an absolute, reasonable decision.

Should the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, established solely to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency, stand as the command centre?

Command centres vary in degree of authority. It's just like you have the Head of State, who is in charge of the entire country, and he has ministries, which also have parastatals. Now, if you have ministries, what is the purpose of having parastatals within ministries? There are some ministries, which have up to six parastatals. So, command is at different levels. Where you have a joint operation comprising the army, the navy and the air force, it's not the army alone now, that is in control. It is also not the navy alone or the air force. You now have the Ministry of Defence itself, or what you may call Joint Services Operation. So, a Brigade is like a ministry to the army establishment, and in most cases, you are not likely to have less than three brigades. And, you are not likely to have less than, perhaps, three Battalions in a Brigade and it goes on and on that way. So, merely putting a Brigade (Division in this case) in a theatre of operation, will depend on the size and level of operation. And, I think what is happening there; a Brigade is, perhaps, not what Mr. President is referring to, when he says command and control headquarters must move there.

As a former combatant in the Nigerian Army, were you surprised that the war against Boko Haram in the North East, lasted the way it did?

I am not surprised, and there are many reasons I'm not surprised, but that does not mean I'm right; it is my personal opinion. I think first, at the beginning, I am not

Jemibewon

The line of communication between Abuja, where the total control of security is, is pretty long from Maiduguri or Yola, or indeed, any place in the North East too sure if the assessment of the situation was right. If, therefore, it wasn't right, then I'm not surprised that what would have been the best solution, was (not) found.

If you have an ailment, sometimes it is better to know the causes and roots, before you start applying treatment. If you don't find out the causes, before you start treating, you may be treating the wrong thing; the disease may not go. So, it will seem to me that a wrong assessment of the situation was made. And by that I mean, it was thought to be religious; it was also thought that few people, for political reasons, were behind it. And the moment it was given that coloration of religiosity, to me, it virtually divided the country into two. That is to say, if this is from people, who believe in this religion, are the people waging this, then those who are not in that religion...And then, don't forget that the soldiers are from the society, so you have the two religions in the military. Then, of course, it wouldn't be in conformity with definition of war, if we call what is happening war. So, it's not war in the real term. As a result, you

don't even know who Boko Haram is and who is not. In real, where two parties face each other, they usually have distinction in the apparel they wear (call it uniform). The weapons they carry is such that with training, by the time you even hear the sound of a bullet, you could almost say 'yes', it is this type of weapon, and it's coming from the other direction. Now, this one didn't happen that way. So, it's really difficult to determine the strength of the enemy, how he operates, his tactics, the weapons he carries and so on. Then, of course, in real war, you have, in most cases, support of the civilian population. Now, the populace itself, doesn't know who are members of Boko Haram, how do they dress and so on.

So, you find that you may be in your house, have a guest who...So, all these put together, made the operation difficult. Sometime (I think June last year), I was invited to chair an effort to promote peace among aspirants in the governorship of Ekiti State by Senator Ben Obi, who was then SA to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-party Affairs. And, the objective was to promote peace among the aspirants before, during and after the election, and I did. The Senator did well, because everything went well in Ekiti, where people thought it was going to be a war zone. And so, I was interviewed by the press, and I seized the opportunity at that time, that we should regard this Boko Haram problem, as a national problem and not a religious problem. And that, in fact, government must make effort, to arouse the interest of the entire nation towards fighting Boko Haram, and I suggested the need to establish what I call a Security Trust Fund, similar to Truth Comfort Fund as it was during the Nigerian Civil War. And I said, what it would mean is that every Nigerian, should make contribution to it. And I was thinking by that, I wanted a situation by which we should now see it as a national problem, rather than matter of North-East

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

me start with kidnapping: kidnapping seems to have taken almost every part in the South, and gradually extending to North Central now. But, while kidnapping is a serious matter, I am not too sure it is something we can compare to Boko Haram. I am not also sure it is something we can compare to the operation in the South-South (creeks), before the Amnesty was introduced. Now, I think the problem in the creek area, is already under reasonable control. And, in any case, the late President Umaru Yar' Adua, came up with an idea that had worked. So, I do not see the basis for comparison with the idea that command and control should move to the theatre of operation. Also, I am not too sure that during the crisis in the creek area, that there was mass movement of troops. So, the idea of command and control, didn't arise at the time, and I'm hoping it wouldn't arise in the future.

Of course, in the situation we are facing now, we are all praying it comes under control, but it's a matter of time. The nature of the world is such that, when you solve one problem today, another one will come up sometime. So, another serious problem is going to come up somewhere within this country, when, how, is what one doesn't know; but, it will. Some twenty-five or thirty years ago, nobody would have thought or imagined that there will be Boko Haram, in the magnitude that we are having it now. Or imagined the problem in South-South before amnesty was given. Nobody would have thought about it. Then, of course, kidnapping, I think, is in the realm of civil operation.

Each state has a police command, and I don't think it falls in line or in the category of Boko Haram. But again, like I said much earlier, Nigerian situation is such that once something happens in the North and there is a reaction to it, somebody wants it to be replicated in East, in the West and so on. I think the earlier we examine things on national level for the overall interest of our country, the better. or North-West, or whatever. And I think it was later that a committee was set up, headed by General (T. Y) Danjuma. I'm not knowingly saying it was as a result of what I said, but certainly, it was after that interview. Now, it's more than troops, because the army, navy, air force, police and even civilians, are all involved. And, I said the funds should be under a committee.There is no doubt that, apart from those who have died, whose families should be taken care of from such funds, there are those who are incapacitated, and they need treatment. We have reached a stage in this country that casualties from such operation, shouldn't be sent outside this country for treatment.

We should have been able to attain a level where, whatever the ailment is, treatment should be available in this country. I remember many years ago, people were being brought from some West African countries to Dalla Orthopaedic Hospital in Kano.

I happened to be an x-ray technician before I joined the army.

Let us go back to the directive relocating the command and control centre to Maiduguri. Now, considering the fact that it is the same base that tackles kidnapping in the South-East and militancy in the Niger Delta. Will that directive not lead to a resurgence of kidnapping and militancy, in view of the fact that all attention may now be focused on Boko Haram?

Anyway, you are doing your job. But, I think in this country, each time something happens and government takes action, people start to permutate. By your question, it might not be my interpretation; it may not be what your intention is. But, my understanding is, perhaps, okay, if you go to the North-East, and you move command and control closer to the place, what do you do to Niger Delta if crisis erupted there? What do you do to kidnapping? Let

That takes us back to the issue of Amnesty. Some people in the North like the Northern Elders Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum, recently said that it was time to grant amnesty to Boko Haram. What is your thought on this suggestion?

Again, it falls in line with my approach to your question before this one, that the moment something happens in one corner of the country, and efforts are made to solve the problem, people want the solution to be replicated somewhere.

Without looking at the issues and asking themselves whether there are similarities in the two situations or not. So, like I said much earlier: you don't even know who is Boko Haram, how then do you grant him amnesty? I think the problem in the creek area, mainly arose from the exploration of oil and the destructive effect arising from the exploration of oil, such that their means of livelihood - farming and fishing - were destroyed. And not only destroyed, but the centre, where the resources used to develop this country comes from, didn't enjoy commensurable development. And so, they came out giving reasons why they were angry, and doing what they were doing. And the government, in my view, responded very well, because the government saw or agreed that these people had genuine grievances. And so, the best way was to meet them at some point. And in any case, if the government didn't do it, the resources they were deriving from that source, would have been cut-off, while the development we are looking for, would have been impossible. So, I'm not too sure they are on the same pedestal, that is Boko Haram, kidnapping and Niger Delta militancy.

While kidnapping is a serious matter, I am not too sure it is something we can compare to Boko Haram

only, perhaps, speculate. Let me say, for example, when I was leaving the army, I happened, at a point, to be the GOC of the 1 Infantry Division in Kaduna, and that was the time Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was the president. And, that was the time Maitatsine arose in Kano. Interestingly, looking back now, it was very bad at the time, because at one time we lost many soldiers, and I just felt it wasn't acceptable, and we brought it under control.

And, I think later it started expanding, extending. I think it is necessary that there be discussions at various levels, and I'm sure Mr. President is a very knowledgeable person, particularly in this area. As you well know, after this Kano Maitatsine, it happened in Maiduguri, and he was the commander there. So, he has knowledge. But, I think beyond the points I have made now, there will be need to continue to dialogue, hold seminars, discussions at various levels and with different people, to actually find out what happened and what could be done to reduce (I'm not using the word prevent) the possibility of reccurring, or of similar organisation springing up in the future. So, there must be continuous studies and at different levels. Education is very important.

I have watched since the return of democracy, and what we are seeing today within a few days of President Muhammadu Buhari, is what we had when (former president Olusegun) Obasanjo came in. People seem to have more confidence and it is the same thing now. When we had ex-president Jonathan and late Yar' Adua, it looked as if we were not that confident that these people would be able to secure us. Are we looking at a situation where only ex-military men like yourself, would rule Nigeria in the future?

Anyway, I don't know how you intend to report this, but you have asked a very reasonable and intelligent question.

I wouldn't be surprised, if people who share your view, hold the same feeling.

What measures should be put in place, to ensure that Boko Haram fighters do not regroup again?

I do not have a ready answer; I can Jemibewon

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But, I'm not too sure, in all the questions you asked me, I only attempt to answer the questions; not that I'm an expert. As a matter of fact, in 1997, 98 and 99, when efforts were being made to return this country to democracy, because I happened to be a foundation member of the PDP, and each time we were holding meetings, I would look at the people on the high table and just feel that people we don’t have full representation. There was need to have representatives at such high level, some professional bodies; don't let me just use the military.

But, let me attempt to answer your question, then I will come back. But, it doesn't necessarily need to be so, but it is not out of place. And, one thing came initially that probably, we could have come up with the idea for the next X number of years, that the top most rung of leadership, must be a mixture of retired military personnel and civilians. You must have had why many people years ago, suggested the idea of introducing the NYSC into full military training. If that had been done then, everybody would have had some basic military training or knowledge, to inculcate patriotism and so on. To attempt to answer your question, we've gone beyond that now. If we had started and the Constitution reflected that, it would have been a different thing. But, I think what is most important, is that the political system we have, it would be a good thing for this country to work it out properly. It should be arranged in such a way that it will bring out leaders, who have gone through leadership training. But, we are not operating the system properly. There are three tiers of government (local government, where councillors are elected, chairmen, you even have supervisory councillors), which is expected to be a training ground. Next is the House of Assembly, where you have similar structures that we have in the National Assembly, like chairmen of committees. Then you have commissioners (at the state levels), chairmen of parastatals, you have advisers.

This is widening the scope of leadership and training. Then, beyond there, you have House of Representatives, where you have the speaker and deputy speaker, various committees and so on. Then, you have the Senate. It will be ridiculous for somebody, who has never been a councillor to want to be President. What training has he gone through? The position of president is not for beginners. You should start working, because it's deemed that at one point, you've gone through some establishments, to acquire training, procedure and so on. But, it is in this country that you find somebody you've never heard his name from your village, wants to be president. And, if he has money, you don't know how far he can go.

At least, up till the present generation of military we went through training.

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6 JUNE 2015

EBUTE-METTA Accused gets N300,000 bail over N1.5m fraud

N EWS I N BRIEF

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An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has granted a N300, 000 bail to 26-year-old Ikechukwu Umeh over alleged theft of N1.5 million.

The magistrate, Mr. E.O. Ogunkanmi, who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties in like sum.

The accused, who resides at No. 15, Awonaike Street, Tejuosho in Surulere, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor, Inspector Feddy Asu, had told the court that the offences were committed on January 4 at No. 21, Omoniyi St., Shangisha in Ketu, a Lagos suburb.

43.09%

OGBA OMU-ARAN HIV/AIDS committee makes UNWTO, ETC partner on choice of destination case for residents

The Coordinator, Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Mr. Mathew Awoyiola, has made a case for adequate testing and counselling of residents in the area.

Awoyiola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran yesterday that this would help reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence in the area.

“The entry-point for prevention of Motherto-Child Transmission services is through HIV testing of pregnant women attending antenatal care. In all settings, HIV testing and counseling should be offered to all pregnant women seeking these services while service providers should also mobilise them to go for testing,” Awoyiola said.

The percentage of international football players in France in 2009-2010 season.

Source: Football-observatory.com

33.9

The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of the world in 2005.

Source: Itu.int

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) alongside the European Travel Commission and VisitFlanders, will at the international seminar on the decision –making process of meetings, congresses, convention and incentives organisers, explore key criteria that may likely influence the choice of destination by meeting planners.

The meeting, which is to take place in Antwerp, Belgium between June 11 to 12, will have in attendance some of the leading meeting industry personnel and experts with the Chief Executive Officer of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Mr. Martin Sirk and the Director of International Relations of the IMEX Group, Mr. Tom Hlton, billed to unveil the key criteria that influence meeting organisers' choice of a destination and address the economic and social impacts of meetings and events.

N236.8m

The IGR realized from other revenue sources of Niger State in 2010.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

Death toll rises to 32 as Rivers bans sale of ogogoro

F

ollowing the death of 32 persons in Bonny and MiniWoji areas of the state, the Rivers State Government yesterday banned the sales and/ or consumption of local gin popularly known as ogogoro or kai-kai.

The ban followed reports that the victims of the local gin were said to have died after consuming dog meat and the local gin suspected to contain ethanol.

Preliminary findings of the disease control unit of Rivers State Health Ministry revealed that some of the symptoms found in the affected persons included vomiting, stooling and blindness before

death finally came.

But the World Health Organisation (WHO), in its report, said pesticide poisoning was the probable cause of mysterious deaths of over 18 people in Ode Irele, in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Those who died also suffered from blurred vision, blindness, headaches and then loss of consciousness before dying within 24 hours.

However, the ban in Rivers State is said to be aimed at preventing more deaths as a result of further consumption of the toxic substance in poorly produced local gin.

While addressing journalists, the Director of Dis-

ease Control in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Roland Obed Whyte, said the ministry would take samples of the drink for clinical analysis.

Whyte said getting samples of the drink was difficult because some youths in the area had burnt down the shop of the dog meat seller.

He said by that single act on where the suspected poisoned local gin and dog meat were bought, the efforts to substantiate the real course of the death has been greatly compromised.

Another challenge, he said, was the detention in police custody of the owner of the shop who was said to have surrendered himself to the po-

lice willingly when some of his customers started dying from the suspected poisoned delicacy.

Further challenge at exhuming the cause of the deaths was that some victims of the suspected ethanol poisoning were hurriedly buried without autopsy.

To forestall further damages, health officials of the ministry are currently embarking on house-to-house enlightenment campaign on the dangers accruing from consumption of poisoned local gin.

Whyte, therefore, called on WHO and the Federal Government to assist in preventing more deaths in the area attributed to the local gin.

Ortom, Chinese firm sign MoU on projects Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

B

enue State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Railway and Airport Construction Company for the execution of infrastructural projects in the state, including an airport, roads, power plants, agriculture and housing.

The ceremony, which took place yesterday in Makurdi, saw Ortom signing on behalf of the state government, while the Deputy General Manager, International Business Department, Xu Dongsheng, signed on behalf of the company.

Speaking at the event, Ortom expressed the readi-

ness of his administration to provide an enabling environment for China to collaborate with the state government in order to maximise development for the people.

The governor said the state had great potential and could provide great opportunities for willing investors to invest in the state.

Earlier, Dongshen had assured the governor that the projects would be financed and executed with the cooperation of the state government.

Meanwhile, Ortom has directed the immediate restoration of water supply at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, Wannune, in Tarka Local Government Area of the state.

South African firm lauds Adesina’s election Andrew Iro Okungbowa

B

rand South Africa has lauded the election of the former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), saying his emergency was not only a great appointment for Nigeria, but for the African continent.

A statement signed by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the group, Ms. Alice Puoane, said: “The new AfDB president is a great appointment not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent which has recently adopted Agenda 2063 - a strategic framework underpinned by the African Union’s vision for Africa to regain its power, driven and managed by its own citizens, thus representing a dynamic and united force in the interna-

tional arena.”

According to her, “the AfDB has played an important role in past decades to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and programmes that contribute to the socioeconomic development of the region – all of which are key development issues aligned with Agenda 2063.”

She, however, expressed confidence in the ability of Adesina to deliver on the agenda of the continent.

“The AfDB is fortunate to have leadership of Adesina’s calibre, whose role there will be to advance the agenda of socio-economic development for the African continent. Brand South Africa wishes Adesina the very best in his new responsibility,” she said.

Diversify the economy, entrepreneur tells Buhari

M

Emir of Gwandu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar (left) and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar (III), at the 10th anniversary of the emir in Birnin Kebbi…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

anaging Director, Global Resources and Investments, Chief Biodun Akinsanmoye, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take concrete steps towards diversification of the economy as a major step for growth and recovery.

The non-oil sector, he said, should be the concern of the new government if the nation would have to be free from the challenges of the unpredictable oil prices at the international market.

Akinsanmoye, who said this yesterday in Lagos, said until the nation diversifies its economy, the recurring slide in oil prices would continue to create distortions in the level of growth with consequence

for economic crisis.

He said the current situation in the economy were the offshoots of this problem, noting that the challenge of job creation, inflation and external reserves is critical, but which would ease when the economy recovers through production and when the manufacturing sector comes on stream again at optimal capacity.

On the performance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the last one year under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the investor said it had been mixed, but some emerging fundamentals of the economy showed improvement with possibility to enhance anticipated recovery.

Perspectives

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

The relevance of Roosevelt’s first 100 days

D

ifferent countries have had their own share of economic depression and political turmoil. While some wriggled out of their socio-economic and political quagmire, others allow such problems to become their albatross. What accounts for the difference between countries which survived devastating effects of depression and those lowered into the abyss after experiencing economic recession largely depends on leadership style and political will. The experience of America under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has shown that government’s intervention in economic crisis can be effective if it is right.

Roosevelt was inaugurated on March 4, 1933. This was at a time when most banks in the U.S. were insolvent. Over 10,000 banks had failed and $2 billion were lost in deposit. Expectedly, there was fear and panic among depositors.

But the president assured a dejected nation using his famous words: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

For him, it was not just about rhetoric; it was about building a political reputation and viable economy that will allay the fear of a dispirited nation. Just a day after assumption of office, Roosevelt declared a “bank holiday,” closing all banks indefinitely until the situation improved.

Although the situation was critical, the term “holiday” was used to douse the tension and gave hope to the people.

The U.S. Congress gave a tremendous support to Roosevelt. The president got everything he wanted and in today’s politics, they would have been dubbed rubber stamp legislators. The Emergency Banking Bill sent by the president was passed overwhelmingly by the Congress with little debate. This gave a lifeline to some banks and on March 12 they were opened for business. Just 24 hours after, depositors found reason those banks should be trusted again by depositing their money with them. And for the first time during the depression, deposits exceeded withdrawals. Both the Congress and the public became convinced from

Waheed Bakare on Saturday 08124877036 (sms only) waheedbakare2003@yahoo.com the outset that Roosevelt was on the right track.

Roosevelt’s strategy comprised two parts: first, he provided relief for those in need mostly through redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. Second, he re-organised and created new agencies. This provided long-lasting reform to the U.S. economy.

Political observers described most of Roosevelt’s policies as “taking from one pocket to put in another.” So, in his first 100 days, he concentrated on immediate relief. From March 9 to June 16, 1933, he sent to the Congress a record number of bills, all of which were passed without hassle by the congressmen.

It was the success recorded by Roosevelt in his first 100 days that has now become the benchmark used in assessing whether a new government in different countries is on the right track or not. In other words, marking the first 100 days of a new government is Roosevelt’s legacy. The only problem is that in some developing countries, the idea is misconstrued by governments to be an occasion for celebratory ecstasy.

I have read opinions suggesting that in his first 100 days, President Muhammadu Buhari should do something tangible in line with his electioneering promise of providing a change that will be a complete departure from what they have had in the past. Providing a change in the first 100 days is relative. The truth is that the first 100 days of Buhari may not necessarily have any meaningful impact on Nigerians but it is expedient to give us an idea the direction he is steering the Nigerian ship. This will give Nigerians

The truth is that the first 100 days of Buhari may not necessarily have any meaningful impact on Nigerians but it is expedient to give us an idea the direction he is steering the Nigerian ship

some hope that they took the right decision on March 28.

The president should avoid falling into the pit of populism by emphatising with the public at all times using unrealistic proposal. His policies should reflect the will of the generality of the people. This is why the issue of subsidy should be handled with utmost care and sincerity. All sides of the coins should be looked at before the government arrives at a decision that will bring about general societal gains.

The president was populist during his electioneering but placing too much emphasis on populism in his programmes and policies in the days ahead could be dangerous. For instance, of what significance is the president’s promise that his government would provide free lunch for primary schools’ pupils when such

53

schools are under the local government administration?

If for unforeseen reasons, this is not realistic, the people will be easily dejected and feel deceived.

Populism as a political doctrine makes politicians look charismatic in the eyes of the voters since they use rhetoric to aggressively defend the interest of the masses at the expense of the privilege elite. But beyond the fascination of that doctrine, it makes it sometimes difficult for politicians to be fastidious about their policies.

During his first electioneering, U.S. President Barack Obama promised that in his first 100 days, he would close the Guantanamo Bay camp without considering the consequences of such action. Although such populist statement was well applauded during electioneering, when the chips were down, it dawned on Obama that his plan was not only unrealistic, it could also compromise the safety of Americans. That indiscretion has become Obama’s moral burden. This is the political damage that populism causes at times.

Reasons have been advanced that populist policies have the tendency to harm rather than assuage the pains of the majority because it thrives more on pity and emotion rather than reasons.

President Buhari like Roosevelt should concentrate on immediate relief and avoid controversial economic policies. A little bit to the right and a little bit to the left won’t be a bad idea. He should avoid a situation whereby he will be on the defensive most times explaining his programmes and policies to the populace because they are vague.

Like the Congressmen did for Roosevelt, our lawmakers should do the same for the president, particularly when his party, All Progressives Congress, is in the majority at the National Assembly. This is not a time to arm-twist the president for pecuniary gains. Afterall, Senate President David Mark and his co-travellers passed 46 bills within an hour just on Wednesday. Otherwise, I foresee a situation where Buhari’s government will be most criticised if not most vilified in recent time.

Boko Haram, Buhari and Shettima’s quirky ‘Amnesty’

N

ewly sworn-in Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has proclaimed his new administration would among other policies pursue amnesty for members of Boko Haram who are ready to de-radicalise. Providing more insight on this quirky course he pledged to lobby President Muhammadu Buhari’s central government to consider granting amnesty to the bloodthirsty terrorists.

Seared to no end by the mindless depredations of the Boko Haram insurgents, it is perhaps understandable why Shettima whose administration was practically put to the sword to consider any solution he feels will provide immediate relief. At a more fundamental Dr. Henry L. Thompson, President & CEO of High Performing Systems provides a more scientific explanation for Governor Shettima’s curious proposal which essentially contradicts President Mohammadu Buhari’s stern footing.

When a leader’s stress level is sufficiently elevated, his ability to fully and effectively use his cognitive ability and emotional intelligence is significantly impaired. This often leads to catastrophic results This scenario which is incidentally researched plays out whether in the boardroom, battlefield, emergency room or Government House. Dr, Henry L. Thompson who spent 25 years working on the project took some off to present it

The Nation-State With Louis Achi

achilouis35@gmail.com in London at the International Conference on Emotional Intelligence in 2007.

Shettima’s proclamation interestingly came on the same day President Buhari laid out his strategy for crushing Boko Haram – May 29. According to Buhari in his inaugural speech, “The most immediate (insecurity) is Boko Haram’s insurgency... Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of… Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued.

“At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are

taken to prevent a reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram.”

In both substance and strategy Shettima’s policy proposal differs from Buhari’s. To push amnesty for a faceless group bent on creating a parallel sovereignty in the country is comparable to deploying a policy of appeasement.

The consequences can be imagined. The scope and sweep of damage inflicted by these quasi-religious insurgents requires a response beyond the defeatist reactive prescription of Shettima.

A manager reacts while a leader responds. Whereas Shettima’s position smacks of a reaction, Buhari’s footing leans towards a response. By ordering the relocation of the military command to Maiduguri, however symbolic, communicates a new resolve to confront frontally and defeat Boko Haram.

It cannot be denied that Shettima hit the nail on the head when he painted

an extreme, accurate picture of what his constituency had experienced at the hands of the insurgents. His words: “We have gone through the most savage insurgency of the Boko Haram sect, which massacred thousands of our people; especially destroying the cream of Borno youth and ensuring that into the next generation, we will be faced with a demographic crisis that will challenge our creative ingenuity, to overcome.”

But he must be told he derailed when he started pitching for amnesty for Boko Haram. It is possible that he is comparing the Boko Haram to the Niger Delta militancy which got amnesty from President Yar’ Adua. Both militancies are ideologically and philosophically different.

It is worth recalling here that the correct reading of the threat posed by ISIL prodded several countries to create a coalition to crush the quasi-religious insurgency in the Middle East. Al-Shaba insurgents in East Africa mirror the same scenario.

Buhari’s current tour of neigbhouring coalition members speaks to the same imperative of crushing Boko Haram. A regional cooperative effort has proven far more potent in battling terrorism than lone-wolf efforts.

The total defeat of Boko Haram is not merely a pious wish but an imperative and necessity for the civilized survival of the Nigerian nation state.

54

Sport Extra

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

Oparanozie: Falcons not scared of any team

Sport Slaming Adekunle Salami

Emmanuel Tobi Canada

S

uper Falcons striker, Desire Oparanozie, has said that the Nigerian national team is not afraid of any team in the FIFA Women’s World Cup which starts today in Canada.

Nigeria is in the same group with Sweden, Australia and the USA but Oparanozie is optimistic of the chances of the team against the ‘big guns’ She however acknowledged that Group D was a tough group not only for Nigeria but for all the teams.

She said: “We all are aware that we are in a very difficult group. We are playing against USA, Australia and Sweden who are among the top ten playing nations in the world. We respect them but we don’t fear any team playing at the competition.

“The World Cup is the highest competition in Women football and it’s a very big privilege to represent Africa at the competition.

“We are blessed to have a handful of experience players in our team and we are ready to take our matches one at a time. The spirit is high in camp and we are here to prove a point that we can make it through the ‘group of death’.

Oparanozie

adekunles@yahoo.com 08050498539 (sms only)

Still on the Flying Eagles

A Ahmed Musa of Nigeria vying for the ball against Faris Abdalla of Sudan in a recent match

Eagles meet fans in Abuja

A

Adekunle Salami

s part of the deliberate effort to rebrand the Super Eagles, the players and officials of the team will meet with football fans today in Abuja.

The players will be available to fans, sign autographs, chat with them and take photographs with those who desire to do so.

National Stadium, Abuja is the venue of the event tagged ‘Eagles Social Work’ and it will start by 3.30pm.

Media Officer of the team, Toyin Ibitoye, told our correspondent that proper screening would be conducted for fans before they gain access to the players.

He said: “We expect the fans to dress well and they should not come with any object that will make secu-

FIFA: Letter reveals South Africa's $10m bribe

A

new leaked letter appears to show South African authorities seeking an indirect route for the transfer of $10m (£6.5m) to FIFA. It was written by then South Africa FA head Danny Jordaan three weeks before the first amount was paid.

US prosecutors say the money was a bribe to FIFA officials to help secure South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid.

South Africa's government

said the letter did not contradict its statement that this was a legitimate payment.

It says the cash was to fund the development of football for the African diaspora in the Caribbean and that the reporting of the letter in South Africa's Mail & Guardian was "regurgitation and sensation".

The $10m payment is a key plank in the wide-ranging US criminal inquiry that has engulfed world football's governing body.

UCL: Exotic Heineken finale awaits consumers

T

he UEFA Champions League final has become the most watched annual sporting event in the world. On Saturday, when Lionel Mess steps out with his FC Barcelona teammates in Berlin’s Olympiastadion to face Juventus, an estimated global unique reach of over 300 million viewers will be following the proceedings on their television screens.

As usual, some of these viewers will be at the Heineken House, Lagos, enjoying the match with some celebrities.

But 20 “lucky” Nigerians will be much further away from home watching the match as part of an all-expense paid VIP experience on the exotic island of Ibiza, off the coast of Spain.

The third annual edition of Heineken’s Ibiza Final will draw Heineken consumers from 35 countries for the ultimate football viewing and partying weekend.

Nigerian guests flew out of Lagos on Friday evening and will arrive on the island on Saturday morning, and arrive back home on Tuesday.

rity officers prevent them from getting close to the players.

“The national team is for all Nigerians and we want to bridge the gap between the team and the fans. They will have opportunity to chat with them and take photographs.”

Another aspect of the social work is the gift items to be presented to the less privileged in the society especially the motherless babies’ homes.

“This will be a continuous process because we want the ordinary Nigerian to be close to the players and to also feel them in a way,” Ibitoye added.

Earlier in the day, the Eagles will also have an open session with journalists. The team is expected to travel to Kaduna on Sunday for the 2017 Nations Cup qualifier against Chad scheduled for June 13.

Argentina crash out of U-20 World Cup

T

he big shock on Friday of the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 was the elimination of six-time champions of the competition, Argentina.

The Argentinians, who went into the day needing to win their game against Austria, were on the front foot for most of their match against the Austrians but could not find a way past the impressive Tino Casali in goal for Austria.

The South Americans’ first-round exit in Group B is their first since Portugal 1991.

It was an unforgettable night for the host, New Zealand, who came from a goal down to defeat Asian debutants, Myanmar, and finish on four points in Group A, giving them every chance of advancing to the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams.

Ukraine topped Group A after easing to a 3-0 defeat of the USA, who finished second.

Result Argentina

0-0

Austria

Panama

0-1

Ghana

Myanmar

1-5

New Zealand

Ukraine

3-0

USA

fter keeping vigil to see the big match between Nigeria and Brazil in the Group E opening fixture of the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup, I decided to stay on this same topic which I treated last week. No doubt, it was a reality check for the team and it also came at a time when modifications can be made to move ahead.

I knew the match won’t be easy and my view was contrary to that of many fans who tipped Nigeria to whip Brazil. One cannot underrate any Brazilian team in football. Despite the 4-2 score line, it was obvious the match could have ended 2-2, 3-3 or even 3-2 for either side. It was open but some tactical errors swung the encounter in the favour of Brazil.

Coach Manu Garba went all out for a victory by coming out with four strikers- Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Musa Yahaya and Isaac Success. Even if their roles were different, it did not show in the match as these four guys were all out and in the process conceded the midfield cheaply to Brazil. I would have loved Iheanacho and Success to start from the bench but that did not happen and it affected the team’s chemistry. I wondered why Kingsley Sokari and Chidiebere Nwakali did not start.

Yahaya, Nwakali, Awoniyi and Iheanacho have the potential to become world-class players in the next three years if they are well managed as professional footballers.

Moving forward, the defeat suffered against Brazil was a reality check for the team. I disagree with those saying the match was a woeful outing. It was a good match with plenty of positives. It was not a surprise that the team got into gear with the emphatic 4-0 victory over North Korea.

A former U-20 coach, John Obuh, said the current bunch of players in New Zealand were very good enough to form the future of the country’s football.

“There are plenty of talents in the team and we can bank on them as future Eagles materials,” Obuh said.

I agree with Obuh. We should appreciate the Flying Eagles no matter the results posted in New Zealand. The boys are very good individually and collectively. They can be relied upon for the transition that could lead to another golden generation at senior level. We can look up to them beyond whatever happens at the ongoing U-20 World Cup.

Oshoala and the burden of awards

A

ll eyes will be on Super Falcons striker, Asisat Oshoala, from today (Saturday) in Canada as the FIFA Women’s World Cup takes centre stage. In the last one year, the Liverpool Ladies striker has won many awards at continental and global levels. She emerged the highest scorer and the Most Valuable Player at the last FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. Few weeks later, Oshoala was in Namibia for the Africa Women’s Championship where she scored four goals to place second highest scorer behind Desire Oparanozie who had five goals.

However, she was voted the MVP of the tournament.

In January, the Confederation of Africa Football voted her as the African Footballer of the Year. To cap it all, she also emerged the best women’s Footballer in the world according to a poll conducted by the BBC. Oshoala beat Spain's Veronica Boquete, German’s Nadine Kessler, Scotland’s Kim Little and Brazilian Marta to the BBC award, which was voted for by football fans across the world.

For a 20-year-old footballer just coming into limelight, the successes recorded in recent time could be a big burden.

This player needs to be well managed by her coaches, fellow players and team psychologists. It is not easy to attain so much under one year.

She is a humble player but she will struggle to manage her personality on and off the pitch due to the awards she has won in recent time. At the women’s World Cup in Canada, opponents and followers of the game will be looking out for what Oshoala can do. The sky is the limit for this young talent but her progress depends largely on how well she manages what she has achieved at her age.

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

6 JUNE 2015

55

DESTINATION

Perspectives

Sanctity of Truth

SATURDAY

The relevance of Roosevelt’s first 100 days

Abeokuta Golf Club: Seeking a glorious tee-off

P.42

N150

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015

p.54

UEFA Champions League final

King Messi targets historic feats L

Ifeanyi Ibeh

ionel Messi will be the focus of attention tonight as he seeks a fourth UEFA Champions League title when Barcelona and Juventus clash in the final in Berlin.

The dynamic Argentine forward has, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, been the star attraction of this season’s tournament and will be taking part in his 99th Champions League game.

He has scored 10 times in this season’s competition, same number as Ronaldo, but will overtake his archrival and finish as this season’s leading scorer if he is able to get the better of legendary Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon.

If that happens, it will be the fifth time Messi will finish as the tournament’s leading scorer having done so consecutively from 2009 to 2012.

A goal tonight will also make the 27-year-old the tournament’s all-time leading scorer ahead of Ronaldo. Both players are currently tied on 77 goals, although the Portuguese superstar has played in far more Champions League games (115).

But Messi is more focused on winning for his beloved Barca, and not individual honours.

“It's a Champions League final – we have to go through a lot to make it to the final because we know it is not easy to become champions again,” said Messi, in a recent interview with UEFA.com.

“Our dream is to win it all.

We know that we will face a very tricky opponent – they are very strong, Juventus are a big team. It is

a final and anything can happen, but we will prepare and approach it as we have approached finals before.”

But even if Messi fails to find the back of the net, chances are that one of his reliable sidekicks – Luis Suarez and Neymar Junior – would do so at some point tonight and most likely from an incisive pass from the mercurial Argentine through a sea of advancing Juve players.

Such is the undoubted talent of the Argentina captain that it is generally accepted that when he plays well, so does the Barca team.

Luis Enrique may have coached Barca to the La Liga and cup Double, with victory tonight over Juve securing a historic Treble, but his ability as a coach would always be questioned owing to Messi’s current form. Messi has essentially made him and this team look much better than they are.

Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, said it all when asked about how Barca so humbled Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal: "People think in the wrong way. One thing is a team. Another thing is a team with Messi. It is a different story. When people analyse teams, you have to remember that this boy makes everything different. He makes everything different.”

He added: "I think this guy makes the gap by himself. You have doubts that [Manchester] City with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Arsenal with Messi can win the Champions League? I am saying that a team with that boy is a different team, is a different story."

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: (Lagos 09029281425), (Abuja 08055118488) Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: Laurence ani.